XII chapter of Néveri’s creatures
By Adarius Meldi
Garûn Vexlahr – in the year 3452

Male
Life expectancy: 500 years
Weight: 50-70 kg
Height: 160-190 cm

Female
Life expectancy: 500 years
Weight: 45-65 kg
Height: 155-180 cm

Preface
Life is truly an experience. After our meeting with the stranger who told us about the Shiras we found the secret location of the wood elves’ lands. I followed the map south of Karstaag and into less sinister woods where I have never been before. There was peace in these woods which I have never felt anywhere else. Peace wich brought calmness to my body and mind. This peace was shortlived however, since we were discovered by a group of patrolling wood elves who were not happy to find us in their woods. Once again I had to entrust my companion with my life and have him explain the situation. As luck would have it, and as you undoubtedly have already guessed dear readers, they haltingly lowered their weapons. I wished to find the wood elves’ main city in Morania, but I have not succeeded. Instead I met this minor group of wood elves on my way through the realm and this report is based on numerous conversations with this group. One must keep in mind that these answers may or may not be true, and I will not be held accountable for the truthfulness of the following!

Written on the 23th day in the sign of Eresir in the year 3452
After the world division there were some elves left in what is now Morania. I deliberately write ’elves’ because back then they were one people. Some of them, mainly archers, gathered in a group and sought refuge in the huge woods. These elves now call themselves wood elves. They say that they already knew before the world division that the black ones would betray their elven friends, but they did not take part in the strife before the black ones sought them out – that is when they banished them to the darkness below ground. Why we humans until know have been told that the black ones were banished before the war and not after, remains unknown. My conclusion is, that the exact time when the black ones were banished must remain an open question.

The wood elves do not live as long as the high elves and they are also considered adults when ’merely’ 75 years of age. They are old when they reach 400. Like the high elves, death is something a wood elf chooses, unless he is injured or falls ill. Like the high elves, the wood elves have pointed ears which seperates them from humans. Wood elves wear almost always black, brown or green clothing and fur from different animals like rabbits and foxes.Some wood elves wear white clothes. These are mostly priests and druids. Light and shining colours such as yellow or pink is rarely seen and if someone wears these colours, it is to make a statement. The wood elves always make their own clothing, usually with rough stitches. It is practical and useful for hiding in the woods and usually both males and females were trousers and a single shirt, sometimes a cape. Dresses are seen at feasts but are not for daily wear. Some wood elves carry flowers or some other form of decoration from nature, perhaps bones from the prey they have killed.

Their buildings are somewhat of a mystery since I myself have not seen any. The elves I met explained that they live in the trees, in houses made from wood and ropes, held up by the tree crowns. It sounds too amazing, but without having seen the actual buildings, I must trust their word. The wood elves speak elven, same as the high elves though not a hundred percent. Their language is not as precise, calm and relaxed, but more naturally fluent, they do not have to impress anyone, they just need to communicate. They do not use as many long words and sentences and they say what they want, often interrupted by laughter. They are generally speaking a positive people. Whether the wood elves have a language among themselves, I do not know.
 

Wood elves are typically very much alike, or so I am told. They love nature, the peace and quiet of the woods, and always take good care of the animals. They rarely get excited, but deal with what comes their way, except if someone violates the forest. They always hide if they do not want to talk with other creatures and if they can avoid battle by disappearing in the woods, they will. The exception being if anyone attacks their lands or forests, then they transform into merciless warriors who attack without hesitation.
Wood elves always shoot to kill. Every elf is a skilled archer, unless they have decided not to learn this skill. Many are priests in some form or other, perhaps druids or mages. I will call them a very religious people, they worship their gods with passion and have a close relationship with their gods. They often worship Fayon, their creator, and Eresir and Aerth, gods of nature and the animals. They are tolerant towards other gods, except of course chaos and Nisara. They do not always look kindly towards Curator, because he has made a compromise with Nisara and thereby created the night. The elves love sunlight and appreciate the day time. They value their families and have one partner throughout their lives. They do not get many children, typically one or two. Men and women have equal power and the family usually live with their children until they turn 100. The children usually move out at this age, and grand parents live somewhere else. The children are often sent out to another elven forest to be educated and get to know other areas of Morania. They often return to their native forest at some point, but not always.

The wood elves live off nature and the animals they can find. They eat both plants and fruit, but also meat from prey. They always make use of the entire animal, so nothing is wasted. When the elves do not hunt or search the forest for fruit, they make improvements on their homes or train with their weapons. The priests pray to the gods and the healers practise their art or search for healing plants. Whether the wood elves have a single ruler is unclear. They explain to me that they all rule and that their is no leader of the people. How they make any decision without a leader or at least a council, I do not understand. I even think that the younger elves have as much to say as the elder ones, which is uncommon to say the least. Any wood elf is first trained as an archer and hunter, which is to say that even the most peace loving elf can use a bow if they are in need of it. They are also proficient with knives, especially throwing knives and small swords. Two handed weapons, axes and long spears are uncommon.
They would never stab an enemy in the back, except perhaps the black ones, but they are great at hiding and sneaking up on unwanted guests.

Wood elves in Morania live exclusively in the woods, some few in human towns if they so choose. Usually their woods are bright, pleasant places to be, if one wants the best for the forest. If one is an enemy of the forest, the area feels unpleasant. The wood elves are hospitable, if they want to be seen, but usually a human will pass through the woods without even knowing that the elves are there.

In the hopes, that this report will further a higher understanding for the way of the wood elves,