[quote=@Rin]
...I still need to write up the wood elves I guess. ^^;
[/quote]

Whee~

[hider=Welves]In the deepest, darkest forests of Marduk dwell a sinister people, wild and unfettered; a race whom the humans tell cautionary tales of to their children to get them to behave, and who the elves consider to be backwards savages.  Venerators of the old ways and following the example of nature for good or for ill, these capricious beings are known by many names.  They are the Fair Folk, the Dwellers in the Forest, the Slyvan... To elves both dark and high they are the Wild Elves, but the human empire know them as the Wood Elves.

To speak of Wood Elf "civilization" is a bit of a misnomer; for they are wild and to the outside observer rather anarchic, and are seperated into numerous tribes that dot the forests and woods of Marduk.  Each tribe has slightly differing traditions, as well as more wildly differing views on outsiders; some may trade peacefully with the folk outside the forest, whilst for some, anyone who even mistakenly enters the unmarked borders of their territory will be greeted by numerous arrows fired by unseen watchers amongst the green.  One thing that seems to be shared amongst all of them, however, is how secretive they are of their settlements; only under [i]very[/i] rare circumstances will [i]any[/i] Wood Elf allow an outsider into their hidden villages, and even then they will be kept under a constant watchful eye.  Their isolationism should not be mistaken for peacefulness, however, as Wood Elves are incredibly territorial and even the most peaceful amongst them will quickly turn against an outsider who they believe has outstepped their bounds.  Due to the Wood Elves having a different set of morals than humans, as well as possessing the typical elven arrogance coupled with a more passionate, emotional streak than their more civilized cousins, they have a reputation for being wildly unpredictable and willing to raze an entire town for some minor insult unintentionally delt by a single representative.

Whilst their origins are lost in the mists of time, its safe to say that the Wood Elves are in fact the oldest elven culture to exist in Marduk.  They shunned the advances of the nascent High Elves, considering them traitors; for they turned their back on the old ways, on their culture and (in the eyes of the Wood Elves at least) on the forests they once revered.  It would be inaccurate to say that the Wood Elves hate the High Elves for this, however; the truth is that they utterly [i]despise[/i] the High Elves, and would love nothing better than to tear down their beloved civilization and see them burn for their transgressions.  They are on somewhat better terms with the Dark Elves, mostly due to a large percentage of them being almost completely unaware that the Dark Elves even exist; most of their settlements are too far south to have regular contact with their northern kin, although their more northernly settlements seem to at least tolerate them.  As can be expected, the Wood Elves share a deep kinship with dryads, ents and other forest spirits; they are also rather fond of deer and giant eagles, often using them as mounts.

As previously stated, the Wood Elves venerate nature.  They follow what they refer to as "the Old Ways", living by nature's example and paying tribute to the many spirits of the natural world.  Throughout the year they celebrate many festivals, each dedicated to a certain aspect of nature or a notable event in the year such as the first days of spring.  These festivals are often raucous and rowdy events filled with singing, dancing and great feasts, all presided over by their spiritual leaders, the druids.  Most important of all these festivals, of course, is the Harvest Festival, the centerpiece of which involves a tribute to the spirits to ensure a bountiful harvest.  Said tribute involves someone worthy... Maybe the daughter of a chieftain, or the strongest male in the village, or even an outsider who somehow caught the eye of the Wood Elves, being annointed with various oils and daubed with ceremonial paints... And being placed inside a giant wooden effigy dedicated to the spirits.  And as the elves dance and sing around the effigy, the elder druid of the village sets it ablaze, and there is much feasting and merriment in anticipation of the coming harvest.

Physically, Wood Elves are rather similar to their High and Dark kin, albeit often more tanned and muscular.  They mostly tend to wear the furs of whatever animals live in their respective forests, as well as a few natural cloths and on rare occasions clothing that they received in trade with outsiders.  Many of them possess tattoos representing wild beasts, although some tattoos are little more than abstract shapes representing a certain spirit.  If the need ever arises for them to take part in a mass battle, they will daub their bodies in mystical warpaint intended to garner the spirits' favour and protect them; other than this they tend to fight naked, armed with spears, bows and their deadliest weapon, a brutal cunning and extensive knowledge of their forest homes.  In some parts of Marduk, "fights like a Wood Elf" is used to describe those who resort to dirty tricks and unscrupulous methods to achieve their ends, and it's not hard to see why.[/hider]