Elves, the Lost Tribe

Elves are extremely tall (average height is just over seven feet), skeletally thin, and move with spastic, insect like motions. Referred to derogatively as crows, a collection of more than a handful of elves is generally considered an omen of death and doom throughout the twelve kingdoms. Though their forms appear almost impossible slender most elves possess unbelievable levels of physical resilience. Many human scholars believe their parasitic relationship with both the Aetherium itself as well as the direct relation between an elf's power and their intake of anima might explain their inexplicable strength and prowess.

Physical Traits
An elf's eyes are extremely odd, possessing only tiny pupils causing them to have incredibly poor night vision; however unlike any other race, they are capable of visually perceiving the Aetherium without the need to create a lens or project themselves with the use of anima. Those who are familiar with the true nature of the Lost Tribe know that elves fear little as much as the Aether and animus negative undead who are all but invisible to most elves.

The average elf tends to live slightly more than thirty years with some rare (or incredibly dangerous) elves living as long as fifty years. Male and female elves are almost identical to the casual observer with females possessing slightly longer incisors and slightly longer femurs. An elf is usually extremely pale with coarse, coal black hair and vulpine features. However, due to their incredible sensitivity to the Aetherium an individual elf's physical appearance is temporarily morphic; when an elf absorbs the anima of a living creature of sufficient strength they also absorb aspects of their physical appearance for a period of time commensurate with the power of the animus they have consumed.

Society
The entire elven race are subservient to a few elves who long ago transcended the limitations of their aether dependency and arose to become virtual gods among their kind. These elves, known as nadir, are the source of the current elven aether dependency which has transformed them from a race of noble warriors into the vampiric terrors that pillage isolated hamlets and lay waste to caravans and pilgrims the world over. Each nadir is the leader of a particular sect of the Lost Tribe, and tithe a portion of the aether of their sect and themselves to the Reaper, their mythical founder. In turn the Reaver allows his vassal nadir to produce a new generation of elves each year to replace the fallen. In this way the population of elves remains constant throughout Elara.

In secret enclaves guarded by fanatic death cultists, the nadir of the seven sects perform their hideous experiments and nauseating rituals, each attempting to outdo the other in elevating their sect in the eyes of the Reaver. On the night of the Winter Solstice, deep in the heart of their foul lairs, the nadir perform the Rites of Rebirth which replenishes the elven race each year. Each sect's power is a direct representation of the anima they reaped throughout the year minus the tithes consumed by the nadir and the Reaver.

Elven Growth and Power
An individual elf's growth and power is directly related to the quality and quantity of the animus they are exposed to throughout their brief lives. Though different sects' traditions vary, most elves are created as fully functional adults, and their first experiences in the world are of blood and death as they slay and consume their brothers and sisters in the birth nests, leaving only the strongest and most ruthless to ascend the blood and ichor slick walls into the world above. There they are greeted by the nadir, the godlike master of their individual clan who binds them and their animus to the will of the Reaver. From this point forward an elf is free to do as they wish, so long as they continue to harvest ever greater amounts of animus for their dark lord.

Views on other races
Though not inherently evil, most elves lack empathy for the softer races of Elara and see their vampiric tendencies as no more repugnant than the consumption of flesh and vegetation. Some elves even pursue noble ideals, living in harmony with the more settled races and serving as executioners, bounty hunters, monster slayers, and other dangerous or repulsive tasks for which they are particularly suited. Most elves care little for the finer things in life and instead constantly plot and plan for their continued existence by reaping additional anima...or finding the power to free themselves from their terrible curse.