Culture: Elven Society, Attitudes, and Behaviors

Elves at one time occupied every part of Parthalan. They are the oldest race, and even the gods themselves are considered to be the first elves. Their appearances change based on where they live, and once they reach maturity, their age becomes impossible to tell from appearance alone. Elven cities did not tame nature to suit their development, but traveled alongside it, adjusting their behaviors to suit nature, instead of vice versa. Elves, due to their incredibly long life spans, tend to think long-term and focus on what could happen centuries from now, instead of weeks. The largest groups of elves lived in one of 4 places; cities, forest, plains, or mountains, though there are tales of a family of elves who made their home at the beach, and eventually became mer-folk.
City elves are also referred to as high elves, because their appearances tend to be more regal. They are tall, with sharp, angular features, pristine porcelain skin, and smooth straight hair that grows long. Their attitudes are typically seen by most as very stern and serious, when in reality, they do have a lively sense of humor, though it is rarely understood by other races. As are all elves, they are androgynous.
This lack of disparity in the physical appearance of gender has reflected in their attitudes towards gender roles. In elven society, particularly in the cities, female elven warriors or diplomats are just as common as male. In fact, any gender elf may freely take on any position. They are truly equal, with no real class system, racial or gender discrimination present. The only class that is firmly held and respected by all is the position of king and queen, with one holding just as much power as the other.
Forest-dwelling elves tend to be more relaxed in attitude, and where city elves dress in robes with elaborate embroidery and fair shades, forest elves dress in more earthy clothes, in rich hues. Forest elves are more likely than others to cut their hair, and their complexion, while smooth as all elves are, us usually bright tan. Their hair also tends to reflect more earthy backgrounds, ranging in color from rich brown, to bright red, to a sandy, earthy blonde. Forest elves take on a more human-esque attitude when it comes to humor, joking, and relationships. They also tend to be shorter than most elves, and present a more noticeable difference in gender appearances. Forest elves also have an extraordinary sense of direction, and can find home no matter where they end up.
Elves do not have any real sense of selfishness, and do not have any sort of monetary system present in their society. They are simply expected to help those who need it, understanding that if they have need, the same would be done for them. Elves also tended to take jobs simply because they loved them, and felt much more fulfilled in life because of it.
Elves were also deeply religious, and those who dedicated their lives to the service of their gods were highly respected. Within the elven church, the main positions were priests and paladins. The temple was kept up by the paladins when they were not defending the elven people or on missions, and priests oversaw the day to day affairs. It was entirely common for elven couples to give children to the church to serve as priests or paladins as an offering. These children would come to see the church as their home, and the priest as their parent, as the biological parents of these children would never seek them out again.
Plains elves tend to be more feline in their appearance, and their coloring more tan and sandy. They are more harsh in their attitudes, and even among elves, humorless and stern. They live in tents, and are nomadic, herding livestock around the plains, and farming. They are, along with forest elves, exceptionally gifted in archery. They are more slender than most elves, and lanky in appearance.
Mountain elves are built wider, shorter, and their hair darker in hue. Their skin is pale like city elves, and their attitudes more loud, boisterous, and confrontational. They usually reside at mountain peaks, leaving the inner workings of mountains to the dwarves.
An elf from any one region may move to another, and take on the appearances and attitudes of wherever they move over the centuries.
One aspect of elves that always fascinated humans was their apparent lack of sexuality. Elves are always confused by human methods of attraction, and the concept of flirting evades them entirely. For elves, sex is one of two things; one, a method of reproduction, or two, an incredibly serious lifelong commitment to another. Elven magical prowess has gifted them an extraordinary degree of control over their own bodies. When an elven couple intends to have a child, a child will be produced every single time. On the rare occasion that an elf decides to commit his or herself to another eternally, and they have a sexual encounter, the encounter will never produce offspring. The latter encounters are regarded in elven society as the human equivalent of marriage, and the two are committed to live eternally with one another, and the vow is unbreakable. Elves are always incredibly passionate in their couplings, and by comparison make human couplings seem frenzied and animalistic.
Typical elven couples are with each other solely because they enjoy each other’s company, and there is no sexual aspect at all. A kiss between elves is not seen as any odd or as strictly being between two elves that are romantically attached to one another. It is simply a gesture of familiarity.