Dark Elves



The Dark Elves are the single most populous species of Elves in Ortosis. Since the Dark Elven blood is very strong, most half-breeds take on the appearance of a full blooded Dark Elf. The Dark Elves have grey skin in a variation of shades.

Haerglaydian Dark Elves
The most populous of the Dark Elven race, Haerglaydians are a hardy breed of dark elves. They have silvery grey skin and eyes in the orange spectrum, from a pale yellowy amber through to a rarer, smouldering red. The majority of Haerglaydians have white hair, which is usually straight and silky, although due to interbreeding, darker colours and subtle curls are now becoming more common. They are a short people, with an average height of 5’6", and they are much hardier than other Dark Elven species. Haerglaydians are a remarkably civilised people, and are credited as the inventors of the aqueduct. There is very little crime and poverty in Haerglayde City, and even the elves who live in less fortunate situations are usually more wealthy than the peasants of a human city. Most of the Haerglaydian people live in the city itself, with only a few outlying farms and villages cropping up along the coast. Although there are other major cities in Haerglayde, they are mainly inhabited by other races.

Islander Dark Elves
The oldest of the Dark Elven blood, Islanders are considered quite primitive. They do, unfortunately, live up to that expectation. These people have dark grey skin, often nearing to black, and usually have dark hair - either black or brown, but the occasional Islander is born with white hair. They inhabit the southern archipelagos that stretch between Crai Fyd and Raynefelde. They are a tribal society, entrenched in sea-worship and voodoo magic, and whose day to day life still revolves heavily around sacrifice. There have been reports of cannibalism on these remote islands, but they are not generally considered a hostile race. Their transport consists largely of canoes and simple barques, and they wield simple knives and spears made of either bone or flint.

{C

Crai Fyd Dark Elves
{C These Dark Elves came from the Islanders that migrated to the mainland. They have darker skin than the Haerglaydians, but are profoundly lighter in pigment than the Islanders. They are almost entirely a mixed race, having bred with Crai Fyd’s native Gypsies and High Elves, which leaves them with several different hair colours and eye colours. The pure Crai Fyd Dark Elves live in nomadic tribes of fifteen to twenty people, usually all family and extended family. They travel and trade, eking out an existence on the often barren plains of the southern continent. Mostly, though, they are considered swindlers and thieves. Sadly, it’s a stereotype they often live up to.