Races of Arthuria/Elves

Elves (or, as they call themselves, Faekyn) are one of the four major races of Arthuria and its neighboring lands. Their presence predates Arthuria, though their numbers have always been less plentiful than humans in recorded history.

Description
Elves, despite having a humanlike appearance from head to toe, are very different from humans. They are very tall by human standards, with an average elf standing at around seven feet tall. They are also slender, with fair or "pastel" (normally a light green or blue) skin and long, pointed ears. An elf's hair is typically white or blond, though elves with brown or inhumanly-colored hair are known to exist. Their eyes are typically brightly colored and (in adults) lack discernible irises or pupils, with yellow and green eye colors being especially common among the elves of Fernia.

While younger elves are born and develop similarly to humans, adult elves age so slowly compared to humans that many mistakenly believe them to be ageless. Under normal circumstances, an elf can live for four to five centuries; however, they are still mortal, making them susceptible to injury and illness like humans.

Abilities and Weaknesses
All elves display innate magical prowess and wisdom, especially as they enter adolescence. This allows them to effortlessly use magic in ways that humans cannot without years, if not decades, of extensive training.

Culture
Elves are most commonly believed to be the hybrid offspring of humans and fairies, explaining both their humanlike appearance and inhuman abilities. However, due to their feelings of superiority, most elves will scoff at the notion of having any blood relation to humans, but embrace the idea of being related to fairies (as evidenced by them calling themselves "Faekyn").

Despite their height, elves prefer an arboreal lifestyle, with groups of elves using their combined magic to grow and modify entire forests to make them suitable for them to live in. They do not typically use fire or fire magic, with some elves even having a fear of fire. This is mainly due to fire's potential to destroy an entire elven settlement in just a couple hours. Consequently, most elves, namely those that live among their own kind, will eat a raw vegetarian diet to minimize the need for fire. While they don't normally eat animals, though, they are more than willing to use them as sacrifices in religious rituals. Elven societies are matriarchal; women hold most if not all positions of power.

Due to their connection to nature, elven religion revolves around the natural world, and elven politics are thoroughly intertwined with naturalistic elven religion. Druids in particular hold an important role in elven societies, to the point that even elven rulers are trained in druidic magic. In fact, elven monarchs are expected to act as religious as well as political leaders, and are referred to as High Druids. The elves of Fernia, having adopted the Arthurian pantheon, worship Agresh and De'irkan as their patron deities; however, it should be noted that Fernian elves tend to view them as being two halves of the same deity, rather than two separate deities.

Elves are notorious for their arrogance towards non-elves. Due in no small part to their unique abilities, many elves look down upon non-elves as lesser creatures or even mindless beasts. The elves of Fernia are more tolerant than many of their kind, but still generally distance themselves from non-elves. In fact, any romance between an elf and a non-elf is considered taboo to the point that half-elves are virtually unheard of in Fernia; most elves with half-elven children are shamed into leaving Fernia. This xenophobia has been exacerbated by how elves were treated during the Red War.