Elf

 

Physiology

Elves are lean and ropey, with narrow features and quick reflexes. Averaging 160 cm, they are as taller as humans on average, though they tend to be leaner, averaging only 50 kg in weight. They are more androgynous than humans, with no facial or body hair to speak of. Females have narrower hips and smaller breasts than humans, and males have narrower shoulders. Overall, elves exhibit a more fluid gender identity and sexuality than is typical of humans.

Despite their lack of strong visual gender differentiation, elves are far more diverse in overall appearance than humans. Similar to dwarves, elves tend to inherit the appearance characteristics strongly from one parent or the other, rather than tending toward homogeneity as in humans. This means elves with flowing platinum hair and dark black skin, or a ruddy complexion and coarse dark curls are not only common, but might easily be siblings.

Life Cycle

Elves are naturally long lived, with an extended childhood and adolescence that does not see them reach adulthood until they are in their fifties. Their life cycle is 9 years long. Elves' lean physicality allows them to live healthy, active lifestyles well beyond their 200th year, with the oldest elves remaining fit and sharp until nearly three hundred years of age.

As adults, elves typically enter into long, monogamous relationships that tend to last a few decades before dissolving. Most elves will pass through four to eight such partnerships over their lives, with partners from either gender, and between adults with wide range of age differences. Sometimes relationships will be for reproductive purposes, but just as often they will have a romantic, economic, creative, or intellectual focus.

Elves rarely have more than one child with a given partner, though some elves have a child with most of their partners, while others never have children at all. Partnerships for reproductive purposes tend to be very focused on parenting, to the exclusion of other goals for both parents until the child reaches adulthood and the parents move on to a new phase in their lives.

Culture

Elven culture is broad and diverse, and elves tend to delve deeply into the specific cultures and social activities and groups that interest them. Elves value education, reason and deep learning, and they have a gift for the fine arts. The poetry, music and visual art of individual creators is renown, but their patronage of talent and their promotion, and curation of great works is equally impressive.

Adjustments

Elves refined senses and their psychological discipline grant them a bonus to their Alertness and Will, as well as giving them the Sensory Acuity perk, all of which contribute to their comparative cultural sophistication. They also start with Apprentice level of mastery and a free initial roll in the Arts skill field. While they are physically slighter than average and suffer a penalty to their Strength, they are socially adaptable savvy, benefitting their Composure.