Shadow Elf

=Shadow Elf= Where the Wilder elves are the Blessed, the Shadow elves are the Cursed. These are the rebels who did not repent of their actions, even after Shareia’s judgment on them and their lands. The fire of curiosity burns bright in them, but they are never satisfied with the knowledge and power they gain. This curiosity and contentment makes them powerful, and when combined with bitterness may make them vessels of evil.

Nations
The Shadow elves have no nations or kingdoms of their own. They wander Ardus in search of fulfillment, not unlike the Yanthians. Shadow elves do, however, have a number of cloistered enclaves and places of study.

History
Descendants of Elder who were cursed because of their rebellion against the gods, the Shadow Elves have the most intimate connection to Spectra of all the races. In part, this may be due to the residual effects of being in close proximity to the place of Eraesaer’s death. Whatever the reason, Shadow elves have roamed the earth for centuries, seeking answers to the mysteries that burn at their minds. They have always been present in tales and legends throughout history, but great gatherings of Shadow elves to forge an empire or establish their claim on the land have been non-existent. The Shadowkind have shown themselves to be far more interested in claiming personal power of the Spectral nature. History records them as legendary mages, whether great heroes or diabolical villains.

Their relations with other races as a whole are exclusively on an individual basis. In the course of time, no nation has ever really had a ‘Shadow elf problem’. Shadowkind consort with whom they will, and learn from whom they will. Minor footnotes in history may record a small sect or order of Shadow elves, but nothing larger than that.

Appearance
A Shadow elf's skin tone is one of five shades of blue, corresponding to the colors of the moons that hang in Ardus' night sky. Like the Elder, Shadow elves are divinely beautiful, praised for their exotic and ethereal appearance. Their builds are shorter than that of humans and slighter; like the Elder it is rare for them to grow their musculature. Their hair is usually in very dark and sometimes unusual shades (including blues and purples). Silver is the only fair shade of Shadowkind hair. Their eyes are bright and brilliant, like those of the Elder.

Personality
Most Shadow elves have some fascination with Spectra. It may be great, and it may be subtle, but no story of a Shadowkind renouncing the Spectral arts exists. Most Shadow elves actively pursue their studies, a great deal of them traveling to various places to experience it in as many ways as possible. For some, this fascination becomes an obsession. For others, it is merely a predisposition.

Besides this thirst for Spectral knowledge, Shadow elves are generally calm and reserved. Highly intelligent, they usually think logically, and tend to keep their emotions on the inside. They also possess a natural awareness of their surroundings, noticing and analyzing things that miss the eyes of others.

Though generally reserved, it is not uncommon for Shadow elves to travel with companions of other races. They have few prejudices as a whole, their beliefs and dispositions toward others mostly dependant on their individual beliefs.

Customs and Religion
Religion among the Shadow elves is individualistic, however there is a greater instance of agnosticism among them than in any other race. Perhaps stemming from their roots as rebels toward divine beings, a great many of them eschew worship of the gods entirely. Spectra, after all, is a tool available to mortal as well as divine, and thus there is no reason to beseech the gods for its use.

Agnosticism, however, is a general trait of Shadowkind, and a great many do attempt to reconcile themselves with the gods they once scorned. Shadow elf followers of every deity may be found in Ardus.

The Shadow elf who does not at least dabble in the Spectral arts would be in a very exclusive group. Study of Spectra is the only universal cultural custom for Shadow elves.

Leaders and Figureheads
There are no leaders in Shadow elven culture. Great deeds are attributed to the individual, not to the race as a whole, and as such there are very few models that the Shadowkind look up to.

Groups and Societies
None yet. If you wish you may submit one.