[U]Name[/U]
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[*] Thaifla or more colloquially known as Elves. There are a variety of subspecies of Elves including the Hwiaton or Wild Elf, the Tanmea or Dark Elf, and the Saelsom or High Elf. [i]This entry will be looking at the Thaifla race in general and should be used when creating any Thaifla character until such adaptations are defined.[/i]  
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[U]Typical Appearance[/U]
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[*] The Thaifla typically stand taller than the average man where the shortest elf stops growing around 6’ tall and some will easily reach 7’ 6” tall. Subsequently, they weigh significantly less with a median of around 115 pounds with a range of about twenty pounds in either direction. The Hwiaton are typically on the smaller end of these spectrums even being as short as 5’ 6” tall. The Saelsom are most often on the higher end of the spectrums with the likelihood of reaching 8’ 6” tall. This leaves both the Tanmea and elves not defined by any subspecies in the middle. Female Thaifla, regardless of subspecies or not are typically on the smaller end of the aforementioned spectrums. 
[*] While the specifics do vary depending on the subspecies of Thaifla, in general Thaifla have a slender seemingly serpentine body possessing little definition or bulk in the appearance of muscle. One would not define them as appearing sickly but svelte. Their body is nearly devoid [i](including eyebrows and facial hair)[/i]. The hair on their head is typically thin but often times is grown long. As the Thaifla grow their hair begins to descend down their spine into something of a mane or frill. Regardless of skin color, which is highly dependent on the subspecies of elf their skin is extremely fair and smooth. Their facial features extremely well defined including a strong jawline, slender nose, wide oval shaped eyes, and ears that are pointed on both the bottom and the top with the top being much higher than the bottom is low. 
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[*] Thaifla not defined by any subspecies fall within the spectrums as not defined in the following list.
[*] The Hwiaton or Wild Elf range in height from 5’ 6” and 6’ 6” tall and weigh between 85 and 125 pounds. Their skin is typically a ruddy brown or tan with few elves being born with a greenish-brown skin. Their hair is most often black and worn in singular braids running down the center of their head and if old enough extending down their back. Finally, their eyes may run a range from various shades of blue into a variety of greens. 
[*] The Saelsom or High Elf range in height from 7’ 6” to 8’ 6” and weigh between 105 and 145 pounds. Their skin is most often an extremely pale white to almost golden or bronze color. The Saelsom’s hair is almost always a golden yellow or silver with few being born with white hair but worn straight. Their eyes are almost always a shade of purple with the few outliers of a metallic copper or bronze color.
[*] Finally, are the Tanmea or Dark Elf fit into the spectrum above at bullet point one with regards to their height and weight. However, their skin is typically a deep, dark blue to black. Their hair is most always white or silver but most often kept short and when long typically maintained in messy dreadlocks. Their eyes are often various shades of pink or red with outliers have entirely black eyes. 
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[*] While the life span of the Thaifla varies depending on their subspecies, in general an elf can easily see three centuries. The Thaifla typically reach the equivalent to human adulthood around the sixty. For an elf to see anywhere around four or even five centuries is not unheard of but still extremely rare. The Tanmea tend to have the shortest lifespan amongst the Thaifla but this is more likely do to their environment and society rather than their biology. The Saelsom often have the longest life span most likely due to their elusive and secluded life style. This leaves the Hwiaton and elves not defined by any subspecies somewhere in the middle. 
What does this race typically look like? 
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[U]Personality[/U]
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[*] In all forms, the Thaifla are typically xenophobic, reclusive, and secretive. Even those Thaifla that find themselves living amongst mankind have a tendency to stick to themselves or their own kind. Consider the Thaifla to be something of a samurai but in racial form. They often approach all aspects of their life with such dire dedication and discipline that it is difficult for them not to excel at a task. More to their advantage, their longer lifespans often allow for the Thaifla to become masters at a variety of different skill sets. Throughout the subspecies of their race, most typically the Thaifla value mastery of skills whether they be in combat or a pursuit of intellectual knowledge. Bigamy is common and those who prove masterful more often than others are more likely to have multiple wives and sexual partners allowing for a high number of offspring creating large immediate families. However, inbreeding between bloodlines regardless of how remote or near does not seem to negatively influence the race as it typically does amongst humans. While they are cordial amongst each other they can often treat outsiders with mistrust and disdain. The entire race has constructed itself around a feeling of superiority over other races and their own, which is why they pride themselves in their pursuits. It is also because of this that their race is filled with bigotry and prejudice. As mentioned above the Thaifla are not only known around the world for the vast knowledge they hold over any number of subjects including the most archaic and the most mysteriously arcane, but also for being extremely reclusive and secretive. They are known for being dangerously skilled warriors, fighters, and assassins, or simply being masters at essentially anything they attempt to learn. More often than not, by the time a human comes across one of the Thaifla very rarely do they realize how truly different their ages are. The everyday problems of the Thaifla and the Humans are quite different. Where the humans may be concerned about what someone said about them at the local tavern, the Thaifla are worrying about how they are perceived in their chosen field of study. They respond to everyday problems with the same zeal and commitment that they approach every pursuit. As they study to achieve a goal, so too do they strive to solve the problems of their lives as to reduce the stress induced from those problems if only to allow for their other pursuits to be unhindered. 
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[U]Relations[/U]
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[*] Typically, the Thaifla abscond from directly interacting with other races. While they can appreciate the way humans approach their daily lives with a sense of impending doom, it is that sense of constant urgency that is a drastic nuisance for the Thaifla. Most often, they find interacting with humans on every level as annoying because at almost every point the elves must act as teachers reliving what they already know instead of discovering new innovations or bits of knowledge. This race is built on a foundation of biases and prejudices. This is to suggest that prejudice fuels their entire life pursuits. Because of their prejudices over other races, they view themselves as being superior to all others which requires them to maintain a level of dominance over their fields of study and in turn, over the other races. But further still they use these pursuits of knowledge as a means to maintain dominance over their own kind. Typically speaking, Thaifla depending on their subspecies enjoy pursuits of different topics of knowledge. The Hwiaton value martial skills such as martial arts, or enjoy exploring new areas as a means of pathfinding, while the Saelsom most often enjoy intellectual pursuits. Each subspecies uses these sets of value to find dominance over others. A Hwiaton who is a master swordsman may be discriminatory over a Saelsom who is a master in the field of alchemy but at the same time the Saelsom will respond likewise because Saelsom’s value scientific pursuits over martial. Even within their own society, if one Saelsom has less knowledge in the same area or even a different field may be looked down upon. To that same extent, the Thaifla truly only respect the most dominant members of human society whereas most who are still learning their skills appear moreso as students and a bother. Most often the Thaifla avoid interactions with other races or even other subspecies if it can be helped. More often than not they feel that they cannot simply be bothered by having to teach specific individuals about the fields they study and would often time only encounter when dealing with those particular fields. 
How does this race typically respond to interactions with other races? Are there any racial biases or prejudices that this race carries? Does this race abscond from directly interacting with other races? 
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[*] Thiafla that do not identify with any particular subspecies have no bias towards one category of knowledge or another and may oftentimes be experts in a variety of fields depending on their location in the world amongst other beings. 
[*] The Hwiaton or Wild Elves often value martial skills such as particular forms of weapons fighting, martial arts, or other combative skills. They also value skills useful in nature or survival such as tracking, pathfinding, hunting, and the like. 
[*] The Saelsom or the High Elves often value pursuits of knowledge such as mathematics, philosophy, law, alchemy, or other more intellectual subjects. While they too are able to prove useful in combat and can often exist on the same if not higher level than humans, they will never be able to match their Hwiaton brethren. Further, while arcane might is not entirely their realm the Saelsom are the most theologically aware subspecies of Thaifla one will find. 
[*] The Tanmea or Dark Elves value pursuit of knowledge over the arcane and psionic arts. Whether it’s blood rune magic, divine casting, or otherwise the Tanmea have an affinity and are most often born with the gifts of psionics. 
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[U]Racial Lands[/U]
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[*] While the Thiafla’s racial lands are typically unknown to all but the eldest of their species (or written in tomes and scrolls that are unknown to the public world) subspecies of Thiafla do have specific areas of congregation that are generally known at least to the better educated general public. 
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[*] Thiafla that does not identify with any particular subspecies are more inclined to congregate near or even within collections of civilized existence. While they may be reclusive and abscond from direct human interaction on a regular basis, Thiafla often live in cities or at least near the outskirts of civilized land. 
[*] Hwiaton have the most interaction with humans or other surface dwelling races as they favor wood areas and forest, often living in nomadic tribes or small villages built in the trees. They often remain in the deepest areas of trees to aid in the prevention of other beings stumbling upon their home. 
[*] The living arrangements of Saelsom are unknown. In actuality, if a human comes in contact with a Saelsom it is considered a true rarity, a once in a generation occurrence. Even for another Thiafla to encounter their Saelsom brethren is a rare occurrence. There are no accounts within the most common human literature of the existence of a Saelsom city or homeland. 
[*] The Tanmea are said to live in the subterranean, further below than the dwarves but have the most interaction with their kind. However, it is believed to be a negative relationship. However, there is no common knowledge written or otherwise in the hands of humans that would suggest the location of a Taemean city. 
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[U]Religion[/U]
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[*] Those Thiafla that do not identify with any subspecies, if they choose to be pious they will take part in the worship of any deity that is available to them with an affinity towards those most common in the area. 
[*] The Hwiaton often times will worship Ein Sof, the Infinite and lean towards neutral deities or those that identify with aspects of nature such as Turial, Matariel, and Uriel. 
[*] The Saelsom are the most pious of all Thiafla legend suggesting they have the closest relationship with the gods and subsequently the most practitioners of divine magic. Subsequently, they are much like those who do not identify with any subspecies in that they will worship any particular deity or even multiple.
[*] The Tanmea often times will worship those deities who find themselves with an affinity towards chaos or what may be seen as evil including Azrael, Hasmed, or Simikiel.
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[U]Adventures/Employments[/U]
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[*] On the rare occasion that one of the Thiafla are included in an adventure, their particular use or purpose is dependent on their subspecies. This same idea is applicable to their occupation. 
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[*] Thiafla that do not identify with any particular subspecies can often fill any role in a party or find any occupation particularly intriguing. However, their physical attribute often determine that a Thiafla are more often than not forced into roles as scouts, archers, rogues, or other classes that focus on dexterity or stealth. Occupationally, these Thiafla find employment in many ventures around the civilized world. However, because of their outlandish nature and appearance they often fit into occupations as merchants of strange wears or into positions with less integrity such as thieves, smugglers, and back alley thugs. 
[*] Hwiaton, like their brethren that do not identify with any particular subspecies will  fit into roles as scouts, archers, rogues, pathfinders, or druids as well. But often times will be seen as acrobatic fighters, and other less forceful fighters. Because of the Hwiaton’s disdain for civilized societies, or at least the urban jungles of man. 
[*] On the extremely rare occasion that Saelsoms are encountered the typical class they hold are as clerics or otherwise pious classes. They will often take up roles as scholars or advisors where their strong intellectual grasp is truly exploited. With regards to occupations the Saelsom will often take up jobs of intellectual pursuits such as advisors, scholars, alchemists, doctors, and other jobs that while relatively mundane require a keen intellect. 
[*] When Tanmea are encountered in lands beyond their own civilization they are often done so in less scrupulous classes or roles such as thieves, rogues, assassins and other cutthroats. The same can be said for their employment opportunities where they flourish as smugglers, black market traders, or otherwise criminals of some nature. 
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[U]Other[/U]
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[*] With regards to playing a Thiafla, it is important to understand that these characters should be few and far between. Encountering a thiafla of any kind in anything less than a major city outside of their home environment would be a rarity. If the population of player characters gets to be too unbalanced this particular race may become restricted. 
[*] The Thiafla are meant to occupy positions as chaotic and darker character, more suspicious and perhaps even evil in nature always thinking of themselves or their own kind over anything else. It would not be unheard of for a thiafla to sacrifice an entire city of humans if it meant saving only one other elf. 
[*] Currently, this information will be used when creating a Thiafla of any subspecies or even one that does not identify with any subspecies. This is too suggest that someone may better flesh out any of the available subspecies. 
[*]Finally, the only characters that can currently be created using the Thiafla template are those that are undefined or those defined as the Hwiaton or wild elves. The Saelsom and Tanmea subspecies will become available when civilized settings of those kind become discovered through role play. 
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