<div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Elven Information</div><div class="spoiler_body"> <br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Culture</div><div class="spoiler_body">The ancient elven culture had many customs and beliefs. Many of the customs that were around during the time of the Age of Elves have since been forgotten. Their time with the humans have changed many of their views or simply caused them to change and adapt to their new allies. However, the elves have simply refused to give up some of these ancient customs. Others have just not been remone reason or another.<br/><br/>These are just some of the more basic customs that have remained in the elven culture. It should be noted that not all elves still follow these customs. Many of the more “modern” elves have abandoned their old ways in favor of the more modern customs of humans. However, many of the more traditional elves holfirmly to the old ways and will not give them up lightly.</div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Rituals</div><div class="spoiler_body"><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Celebration of Birth, Children, and Aging</div><div class="spoiler_body"> Since elf children are few (or at least far fewer than human children), the birth of an elf is a cause of great celebration. Births are always times of great joy. The village turns out in profusion, setting aside the day's work to celebrate with the infant's parents.<br/><br/>Following a one-year pregnancy, elf women are glad to celebrate the lightening of their burden. They happily join in the festivities honoring their newborn. Such celebrations typically last several days and conclude with the naming of the infant. Children are given a private name by their parents and then given a public name. The secret name is known only to the elf, his or her parents, and the priest presiding over the ceremony. While knowing the name gives no power over an elf, it is a sign of love and respect when an elf reveals his or her true name.<br/><br/>Gifts and wishes are often bestowed upon an elf child at birth by family and close friends of the parents. Such presents usually have a lasting impression on the elf, for favors given to an infant are far from ordinary. One child was given the ability to speak to dragons; she later used this gift to great advantage when she averted a war between her village and a nest of green dragons living nearby. Another child was gifted with always knowing when someone lied to him.<br/><br/>Children and Aging<br/>Every three months a female elf has a fertile period that lasts only one day. After becoming pregnant, the mother will carry the child for 12 months before giving birth. This causes elven children to be far fewer in numbers than that of most other races. However, due to the naturally longer life spans elves still manage to stay steady in numbers. Elves typically do not suffer from the same desire to reproduce as humans and many of the other races. More often than not, elves are content to simply have one or two children in the hundreds of years they live.<br/><br/>The reasons elves are not bothered by such low children rate was explained by the thought, “Humans view children as their only chance to live forever. We elves live far beyond such insignificant life spans. This allows us to understand more of ourselves and the universe. In turn, we are not weighed down by such a trivial concept.”<br/><br/>At birth, elves are only slightly smaller than a human child. Elves grow through early childhood much at the same pace as humans. However as they grow, a slight difference can begin to be observed. An elf will not reach puberty until closer to the age of 16 or 18. By the age of 24, an elf will be close to the size of a human sized adult. The Age of Maturity is reached by age 25 for elves. This is the age that an elf is said to reach mental maturity and capable of making decisions outside of the family.<br/><br/>However, an elf does not stop growing until the age of 30. That is when an elf will reach full size for their race. Often, there is no difference between a human and a full grown elf. If a full grown elf that is the same height as a human, typically the elf was a shorter human when reaching the age of 24. By human terms, an elf the age of 30 would appear to merely be in the early twenties. This is the time that elven aging starts to take a more drastic halt in appearance.<br/><br/>At the age of 150, an elf will look to be in the mid-twenties. When reaching 250, an elf will appear to barely be about the age of 30. By the age of 350, an elf will look to be only in the mid-thirties. Even after reaching 450, elves tend to still look to be only in their late thirties. Finally, when reaching 600 and closer to the time of passing, an elf will look only in their mid-forties. In general, elves will die still looking younger than an average human despite living over ten times as long. </div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">The Ritual of Passage</div><div class="spoiler_body"> Rites of adulthood are common in many cultures, and that of the elves is no exception. When an elf reaches the age of twenty-five years, he enacts the Ritual of Passage. Upon completion of this ritual, the newly adult elf takes complete responsibility for his own life's journey along the Paths. If he or she wishes, he may seek a mate, though few elves do so early in adult life.<br/><br/>The Ritual of Passage takes place in two stages, with the first stage beginning three days before the elf's twenty-fifth birthday. From dawn until dusk on that day, the elf fasts, drinking water or a little wine if he desires, but partaking of nothing else. At dusk the elf goes out into the woods to sleep, and before slumber overtakes him he turns his thoughts to what he wishes to make of his life. Throughout the night, the elf dreams of his future. He returns his home with the dawn and begins to make some item that represents his dreams. An elf who dreamed of becoming a healer might make a medicine pouch, an adventurer might make a weapon, and so on.Whatever the item, the elf must finish it by sunrise on his birthday.<br/><br/>On the elf's twenty-Fifth birthday, the second stage of the Ritual of Passage takes place. The elf, his or her parents, and any witnesses desired travel to a secluded place deep within the forest. The elf speaks in turn to each of the witnesses and to his father and mother, thanking them for the love and guidance they gave him throughout his childhood. Before them all, he declares himself an adult no longer in need of protection. Each of them then welcomes him formally into the adult community. The elf's family then holds a ceremony to formally announce the young elf's passage into adulthood. New adults are given gifts—most often adventuring gear if they are so inclined. The older elves regale the family with tales of their pursuits, and they wish luck upon those who follow their steps. If the new adult isn't inclined toward the adventuring life, they are given tools of their chosen trade and a house of their own. From this point on, they make their own way in life, working with other elves to make a life full of happiness and joy.<br/><br/>In many elven settlements, the fasting day and the night of dreaming in the forest is combined with a challenge or test of courage. If the elf fails such a test, he must wait a year and a day before beginning his Ritual of Passage again.</div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Courting and Marriage Rituals</div><div class="spoiler_body"><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Courting: The Custom of the Flower of Desire</div><div class="spoiler_body"> When a male or female elf desires another elf of their acquaintance, the suitor customarily shows that desire by wearing a single flower pinned to the clothing or tucked into the hair. He or she wears the flower until it withers, or until the object of desire responds to it in some way. By custom, those who know the wearer of the flower must each determine if they are the desired one. The wearer of the flower need not state his preference; indeed, this custom works particularly well for elves who feel a certain delicacy about approaching the object of their affections. Persistent suitors frequently replace the flower with a new blossom once it has wilted; if the suitor leaves the withered flower in place, that act indicates a love that goes beyond desire.</div></div><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Betrothals</div><div class="spoiler_body"> In ancient elven culture, love played little bearing in a marriage. The marriage was set up by the other members of the family. The arranged marriage would usually take place after both elves reached the Age of Maturity. The reason for the matching had several different possible purposes. It was the duty of the elf to follow through with the marriage for the honor of the family and clan.<br/><br/>Some purposes of the marriage were often for wealth, social standing, allying a warring clan faction, and many other reasons.  If it seemed one side had an obvious advantage, such as poor marrying into wealth, the marriage typically involved something along the lines of the wealthier family desiring strong kids, a beautiful companion for sake of showing off at gatherings, and other such reasons.<br/><br/>To many other cultures this tradition can seem cold and heartless. The fact that many do not realize that in the old days, elves did not view marriage as a symbol of love. It was more of a formality.<br/><br/>However, just because the marriage was arranged does not always mean there are no feelings. Many arranged marriages are based upon already existing feelings from the couple. Then terms are simply worked out between the two family clans. Also, there are times the couple develop feelings for each other during the marriage. Though the latter does happen, it does tend to be the rarer of the two.<br/><br/>Most elves live their lives to either bring their family clan honor, or at the very least to make sure that no dishonor is brought upon the family clan. However, the concept of honor is often ignored when a “matter of the heart” is involved. This does not in relation to a “companion” necessarily, but something far greater. A “matter of the heart” refers to anyone truly loved by the elf.<br/><br/>If something happens to a loved one, whether it is great physical harm or some other form of threat, the elf will more than likely go through great lengths to rectify the matter. The method used to fix the problem varies with each problem and the thinking of each elf. Though if a loved one is killed, the end result is almost always the same.<br/><br/>When a loved one is killed the elf does not waste time with a simple matter of a duel, but will seek revenge by any means necessary. It does not matter how it will look in the public eye, as long as revenge has been taken. An elf will track a culprit down to any corner of the world and beyond, even seeking travel to other dimensions if that is what revenge requires.<br/><br/>Once an elf begins this quest, it will not stop until justice has been delivered or death. None are exempt from this revenge, not even a family member or spouse when warranted. An example of this is a husband who killed his wife in public after she had ordered the death of his “companion.” The exact reason behind her motivation is still unknown, but the end result is well documented. These types of extreme actions are one of the reasons for the old gnome saying, “Anubis hath no fury like that of an elf scorned.”<br/><br/>   (Arranged or not)The Elves wedded only once in life. Marriage was the natural course of their lives and they would wed for the most part in their youth and normally soon after their fiftieth year.<br/><br/>    Very often they would choose one another early in youth, even as children. If they were children (had not reached fifty years) the betrothal awaited the judgment of the parents of either. If they were of fitting age, the betrothal was announced at a meeting of the two Houses concerned and if allowed the betrothed gave silver rings one to another.<br/><br/>    According to the laws, this betrothal was bound to stand for one year at least and during this time it could be revoked by a public return of the rings; the rings would then be buried and never used again for a betrothal.<br/><br/>    After at least a year had passed since the betrothal-feast, it was the part of the betrothed to appoint the time of their wedding and the feast of the two involved houses. At the end of the feast the betrothed stood forth and the mother of the bride and the father of the bridegroom joined the hands of the pair and blessed them.<br/><br/>    The form of this blessing is not known for no mortal man has ever heard it, but the betrothed gave back the silver rings, but in exchange they gave slender rings of gold worn upon the index of the right hand.<br/><br/>   There was also the custom that the mother of the bride should give the groom a jewel upon a chain or collar and the groom's father should give a gift like that to the bride. This gift could be given before the wedding-feast.<br/><br/>    These ceremonies were not necessary to marriage;  they were only a gracious mode to recognize the union of the two Houses. It was the act of bodily union that achieved marriage and after which the bond was complete. It was at all times lawful for any of the elves (if unwed) to marry without ceremony or witness, save blessings and naming the names, and in times of trouble, in flight or in exile and wanderings, such marriages were often made. </div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Marriage for Love</div><div class="spoiler_body"> An elf wishing to marry must first court the mate of his or her choice. Courtship can take many forms; an elf may compose songs or poems praising the object of his love; or may fashion a special jewel for the loved one to wear. Often, a simple flower can become a token of undying affection (I speak more of this below, in my section entitled The Custom of the Flower of Desire). If the courting elf finds his or her affection returned, he must then seek permission to marry from the loved one's parents or guardians. In almost all cases, permission is freely granted, and the two families to be joined begin the preparations for the wedding feast.<br/><br/>Marriage is an occasion for great joy among elves, for the union symbolizes the continuation of the elf race. Those who disrupt this ceremony to kill the betrothed earn the wrath of the elves forevermore, and they will hunt such marauders and their kin for eternity. Marriage is a rarer occurrence for elves than the short-lived races, and there are few things so dangerous as to profane the sanctity of this ritual. Sometimes weddings occur to seal treaties and for other diplomatic purposes, but more often it is through love that elves achieve a state of marriage.<br/><br/>Marriage between elves lasts until one partner dies. (There has been only one known divorce in the last three thousand years, and that was between two extremely opinionated grey elves.) Elves rarely take a new partner after the death of a mate. Their vows bind more than honor; they bind the spirit and heart of each to the other. By taking this step, many elves give up some measure of their individualism. Often, only the most ardent and devout lovers choose the path of marriage; others prefer a less formal arrangement.<br/><br/>The marriage ceremony itself is typically formal (although it can be as informal as the lovers like) and is presided over by elf priests of Helani Celanil.<br/><br/>In a true elven marriage of love, vows tie the spirits of the loved ones together, allowing them access to the other's inner self. This is a form of the elven ability communion (Leutha`tala). Wedded elves become fully aware of their partner's needs and emotions, allowing them to anticipate and fulfill these needs. They are not aware of the other's exact thoughts.<br/><br/>Because elves relive their past through the reverie, the circumstances attracting one elf to another are always fresh. Thus, elves seldom fall out of love. Only the gravest of tragedies and disloyalties can tear an elf couple apart. Although they might have disagreements and even fights, they continue to love each other.<br/><br/>But elves can grow tired of a partner, even when they are joined spiritually and have become more intimate than any non-elf could suspect. Elves reignite the spark of passion and love through absence. For stretches of time, one partner in an elven marriage will live apart; this allows both elves to gain time to themselves so that they might grow as individuals. When the two rejoin, they shower complete love and affection upon the other.<br/><br/>Elves also tend to spend time away from their loved ones in order to make their time together that much more precious. After all, there are fewer sure ways to grow bored of a person than to spend hundreds of years with him or her. Time alone allows them to think on the relationship and to experience new things to share with their mates, thus keeping the marriage fresh and vital.  <br/><br/>The actual ritual is kept secret by the GM's for now</div></div></div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Codes of Honor</div><div class="spoiler_body"><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Duels of Honor</div><div class="spoiler_body"> Elven duels of honor are not to be entered into lightly. Before entering a duel, one must be certain the offense was great enough to warrant it. To challenge someone, a glove is slapped across the face of the offending party and then dropped by the feet. The time and place is stated by the challenger, but it is up to the challenged party to name the types of weapon or weapons to be used. This offers the challenged a slight advantage which helps to cause a challenger to think twice before entering into a duel.<br/><br/>Typically, the duel is set for the following day. This allows both parties involved to put all of their affairs in order. At the given time, both parties arrive at the assigned location. Both come will arrive with a friend to act as a witness. In addition, if a neutral party can be found, there will be one extra person that serves as an official referee.<br/><br/>It is the challenged party arrives with the weapons decided upon, but the challenger who gets to select his choice from the offered weapons. This is to help ensure that all the weapons are of equal quality and none are sabotaged. How far the duel will go is discussed before the duel begins. Typically, duels are to the death. This is one of the reasons that a challenge should not be made unless certain the risks are worth it.<br/><br/>The least risk one can hope for in an elven duel is a match only to ‘first blood.’ This means that the match ends when one of them is cut. However, such a ‘light hearted’ duel is rare. Typically, it is the result of an elf who wishes to keep honor despite taking no personal offense to the incident. However, in order to keep honor in the public eye, a duel is arranged to settle the matter. Since no actual grudges are involved, these duels have little truly at stake.</div></div> </div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Rituals of Death</div><div class="spoiler_body"> <br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Death Ritual</div><div class="spoiler_body">Where many races regard death as a tragedy to be spoken of only when necessary, elves believe that the spirit of a fallen elf lives on in the memories and deeds of his loved ones. for this reason, elves speak often and with joy of their dead brethren, because only through such speech can the fallen live on in spirit. Though elves do see sadness in death, the sorrow is for the living, who will miss the physical presence of the loved one who has gone before. It is a gentle grief and carries no fear of death with it.<br/><br/>At the death of an elf, his or her loved ones perform the Ritual of Everlife. Many aged elves anticipate their deaths and spread word of their impending demise so that their families and friends may more easily prepare for the ritual. Because the Ritual of Everlife must include all those close to the deceased, this ritual often includes those not elven among its number. The Ritual of Everlife is the only elven ritual to do so.<br/><br/>The ritual takes place at midnight, in a place far from any inhabitation. Each participant holds a single, darkened source of light; a candle, a torch, or a magical-light quartz crystal. Beginning with the mate of the deceased or his closest living relative, each participant shares a favourite memory of the departed. As each speaks, he lights his candle, torch, or crystal. The mate or chosen relative steps into the centre of the softly glowing ring of light and speaks of the tales of the deceased that he will share with others, and which heirlooms the deceased has chosen to pass on to descendants. Once the mate or relative has finished speaking, all extinguish their lights as they speak aloud the deceased's name in unison. In the renewed darkness, all participants leave the ritual site, none speaking a word to another.<br/><br/>An elf will always choose to die out of doors, within the bosom of nature. Should an elf fail to receive the Ritual of Everlife after his death, he still lives in spirit as long as even one person lives who remembers him in thought, word, or deed.</div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">The Gift of the Ancestral Item</div><div class="spoiler_body"> When an aging elf senses the approach of his death, he or she customarily makes a gift of the most important item of his being to someone in the youngest generation of his family. This gifting symbolizes the faith that the older generations place in the youngest, that the young will uphold elven traditions and customs. A young elf who receives such a gift regards it as a percious heirloom. To lose it, or worse, to cast it aside, is a fearsome omen of calamity.</div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">The Blood Oath</div><div class="spoiler_body"> Elves are not always peaceful folk. If they or their friends have been grievously insulted or injured, they swear the sacred oath of vendetta—a ceremony carried out in the darkest hour before dawn. When they swear this terrible promise, they forsake all other pastimes to seek retribution. Elves understand this oath and will release the avenging elf from his or her tasks.<br/><br/>The avenging elves hunt down the offender to exact some form of vengeance, be it merely a sincere apology for an insult or something more severe. Typically, a time of service given to the injured elf is enough to satisfy this oath. However, there are occasions when nothing less than death will satisfy the demand of the blood oath.</div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Creating New Life from Death</div><div class="spoiler_body"> In the years since those of fierce wars, the custom of creating new life from death has sprung up among many elven settlements. When an elf loses a good friend, he plants a seed of a tree in that friend's name. Once he has done so, he must return in a year and a day to see if the seed has sprouted. If it has not, the elf must plant another tree. Once the tree begins to grow, the planter names it after his departed friend. Though it is not required that he return again to the tree, it is customary that the elf continue to watch over his living memorial. To my knowledge, no elf has engaged in this custom for a family member, nor has it ever replaced the Ritual of Everlife.</div></div></div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">The Four Elements</div><div class="spoiler_body"> <br/><br/>The elves believe in the same for elements: Air, Earth, Fire, and Water. These are viewed as the four guiding elements in all things. Many times in the elven culture there is a fifth element known as the Void. The void is the word for nothingness. It is believed that from nothing comes creation and that all creation will one day return to nothingness. It is the endless cycle of all life. For this reason, the Void is the center of all four elements.<br/></div></div></div></div></div></div><br/><br/><br/><hr/><br/><br/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><span class="bbc_u"><strong>PERANOS</strong></span></span></div><br/><br/>(http://roarb.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/1049043550_d_wood_elf.jpg)<br/>Image Links:<br/>Tree Village (http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/thumb/f/ff/Treevillage.jpg/800px-Treevillage.jpg) | A view (http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/b/b4/Finca-bella-vista-village-6.jpg) | Another view (http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/a/ad/Finca-bella-vista-village.jpg) | Another view… (http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/6/66/CapilanoTreetops.jpg) | Biggest treehouse (http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/a/a1/549809_496936237023969_1839167063_n.jpg)<br/><br/>Description:<br/>Of the two known sub-races of surface dwelling elves, the Peranos are the race closer to nature itself. Their homes are not built, but grown over centuries within the treetops of the dense forests across Ceres. Their skin tones, rather than being pale whites and lighter tans lean more towards the richer earth tones mirroring the trees from living in and under the sun their entire lives. They are flighty, and more playful than their city-dwelling cousins, and delight in teasing one another openly in both sexual and non-sexual natures.<br/><br/>In a tree top village connected by many long, wooden bridges that span from tree to tree and home to home. Magical orbs light the village at night, the soft yellow glow illuminating the bridges in the darkness.  The trees are denser than they seem, the world is virtually hidden from view, and is utterly enormous through the forest.<br/><br/>The logging of the forest is cutting down homes, and while the elves aren't quite all cluttered in on top of one another, they don't have as much land as they once did.<br/><br/>The culture of the Peranos is very sensual, most of them advocates of beauty.  They dress to please each other's eyes and spend a lot of time frolicking and enjoying the bodies of their male and female counterparts.  Sometimes it's just teasing, and sometimes things get really intense.<br/><br/>The Peranos are playful elves, often teasing each other in both sexual and nonsexual ways.  They are very friendly, a bit more fanciful and whimsical than the Trithos, but they are full of heart.<br/><br/><br/>Other Details:<br/><br/>Crafting Specialty - Woodworking/weaving<br/>Preferred Dwelling - Treetrunks/treetops<br/>Aging - x8 slower than normal (800 year max)<br/><br/><br/><strong><span class="bbc_u">Fighting Style:</span></strong>[Also found in Additional Game Information]<br/><br/>The Peranos fighting style is adapted to the thick cover that their forest homes normally allow them. They prefer hit and run tactics to minimalize effort while maximizing the damage they're able to inflict on large forces. They will almost<em>never</em>confront an enemy head on if it can be avoided. They excel in flanking maneuvers, night attacks, supply raids, poisoning, and ambushes. All weapons are made from the natural materials at hand, including wooden quarterstaves, bows, spears, and stone tipped arrows. Metal tipped spears and arrows are ocassionally seen, likely traded for the<span class="bbc_u"></span>