Known for their love of the extravagant, the high elves are often considered one of the most sophisticated races in Calsin. Not naturally drawn to war, the high elves will often resort to trade or politics to get their way instead of physical combat, though they can certainly hold their own in a fight. Instead of designing cities in a way that would allow them to go on the offensive, many high elven civilizations are designed to be completely impenetrable and self-sustaining, making it impossible to mount a successful siege against them.
The elves as a whole were created by a being known to them as Persphone. At the time, the only other species inhabiting the world were orcs, giants, firingar, trolls, and dragons, all of which were incredibly violent. Persphone wanted to balance the equation, and created the elves as a way of introducing peace. However, as the elves were far smaller than most of the other races and didn't bother to attack like the orcs, they were considered mere vermin by nearly everyone else. After a failed invasion of the Scorched Lands, the orcs swept across the land until they found the elves. Most of the elves simply allowed the orcs to pillage their land, not understanding the true concept of death. In fact, it wasn't until after some of the elves transformed themselves into dark elves and drove the orcs back that the true horror of the war hit them. Following that event, the elves who had abstained from the war declared themselves "above conflict," refusing to attack or be attacked. It was this resolution that led them to distance themselves from their more deadly brethren, though the two species continued to live together for some time before officially splitting into two nations.
Height: - 6-7 feet
Unusual Characteristics: - Pointed ears. - Exceptional vision during the day, though they suffer a bit at night.
Coloring: - shades of gold, from a lighter tan to a deep bronze.
Lifespan: - 500-700 years
Magic: - High elves have the ability to draw power from any and all nature, though the magical effects vary depending on what they're drawing from.
Other notes: - While not their own subspecies, dedication to various magical devotions had led to the formation of several high elven variants. Most notably are the Persphonar, members of an order dedicated to Persphone, who tend to have green skin and mossy hair. An extreme branch of Persphonar known as druids were further altered, until they very nearly resemble the plants and animals that they commune with.
