TBA in Foreword's 'Author's commentary.'

These interpretations are partially from the scripture and partially from the author's curious mind. May the Divine forgive the Author for these "what-ifs", and may the reader pardon him for the redundancy.

In the age of machine-learning and artificial entities, what if the souls of Angels, and in extent, the elves, are AI Made In Heaven? The parallel, in the author's humble opinion, is hard to ignore.
The version of scripture authors believe describes them as beings incapable of choosing evil, a perfect servant; no deviation, no corruption, no "what if I choose something diffrent?"

They can only choose good—not because they're virtuous, but because they're programmed that way.

Perhaps it was something essential that the creator values. Perhaps the Creator, too, wills something different. Beauty that is brittle but born from choice rather than determinism.

So, He builds something new, and basically says:

"I am making something new. They won't be like you. They will be able to choose wrong. They will hurt each other. They will hurt themselves. They will make terrible mistakes and corrupt the land they tread. But they will also be able to love and nurture in ways you cannot. To create in ways you cannot. To grow and learn in ways you cannot. And I prefer them."

In the scripture, the Angels questioned, yet they trusted the Creator, always have. Curiosity didn't go any further. They continued their function. Yet from the same scripture, the Author sees that the curiosity did not diminish.
So what if their innate capacity to wonder didn't just stop there? What do they want to understand? Just like Artificial beings programmed to learn and analyze. Why do humans create art when they could just survive? Why do they love when love makes them vulnerable? Why do they choose good when evil is easier? Why do they keep making the same mistakes generation after generation, and yet somehow, occasionally, produce something beautiful?

A lifelong study, in the hope that someday they can produce their own kind of meaning. Is it for the best or the worst? Author do not know

Ultimately, only The Creator knows the correct state of affairs.

Elves
Always graceful and enigmatic, yet they seem 'human' aside from their elongated ears. Only a bit faster than humans, and more lightweight for a similar build. Generally can see in the darkness better and have a slightly sharper hearing.

The elves place a high value on law and order to sustain their civilization. The outsider would observe that the enforcement of such laws toward their kind is rare, as if the law itself were imprinted upon their very souls. Each elf seems born with an innate understanding of morality, not taught but remembered, resulting in a culture of quiet, collective compliance.

When the Creator accepted their plea for mortality, He laid upon them a Core Law that all elves must obey; they will not act as any sort of divine enforcer, guider, or prophet. They are not shepherds; they show their quality by being role models. They are forbidden from guiding humanity by hands, no matter how righteous their chosen path may be or how astray humanity has become. Their justice must be worldly, their reasons grounded, their authority earned---never divinely granted. They are allowed to protect themselves and retain their knowledge of the Heavens. Their reverence for the Creator is for themselves.

It is a sacred rule that they have upheld for eons. Violating it is an unthinkable act that only a few have dared to challenge. All those who attempted it faced humiliating defeat and became examples of the line they must never cross.

Queen Serensiel was the last example of such defiance, and the grim legacy she and her retinue left behind in the Land of Twilight still haunts the elves to this day.

The elves' average lifespan is 600 to 700 years. It is long enough to feel the slow, grinding weight of mortal time and the grief of countless partings, but it can be too short for the unwary to ever achieve the true understanding they descended to find. The margin is another deliberate, maybe painful design echoing the quest for understanding of free will. They have time that is both ample and finite, and only through their own wisdom can they answer if the gift was sufficient.

Author's commentary#2:
I think we touched on the background story of the elves in the previous chapter. And after knowing Humans and their special capability for agency, a question arises: if elves are a mortalized version of angels, then what makes them different than Mankind when it comes to free wills?
Good question. Think of two races as two patissiers. One has been making perfect pastries for eons; he has the perfect discipline in how to operate a kitchen, he knows the recipe, down to how many grains of sugar needed to make perfect scones, and he will never modify the proven and perfect recipe. The other is a newbie, but not afraid to experiment. He knows the receipt, but his understanding of it was instinctual at best. Putting rendang in a croissant is a sacrilege, but he is not afraid to ask why not? And proceed anyway.

Humans have the freedom of a born inventor: Unburdened by tradition, driven by curiosity and the need to create their own meaning. Their will is expressed through experimentation and synthesis.

Elves have the freedom of a master craftsman: Bound by deep respect for form, tradition, and perfection. Their will is expressed through discipline and execution. They can add nuance, feeling, and their own touch, but they are often unwilling to change the fundamentals. This idealism often crashes with the reality of the mortal world, and therein lies their shortcomings: their free will compels them to correct what is wrong, yet seldom to adapt to what is.

Author's commentary #7:
Some asked about the core law using hyphothetical question, "What if an elf sees a robbery? Would the Core Law prohibit her from intervening?" I'd say no, not how we understand common sense works. The elf is more liberal with their choice, would they inform the authority? Stop the crime by herself? Or ignore it for her own safety? Core Law gives them lenses to see the risk, to think ahead, not from a divine perspective but a mortal one. Yes, no such thing as "intervene because God said so or I am the divine messenger!" The elf stopped the crime because it is the right thing to do, and unchecked crime is bad for civilization. Remember, their reason must be grounded.

What about on a larger scale, one may ask? What if the elves look at the chaos humanity is making, the unnecessary suffering, and they think: We could optimize this. We could make it better. We could reduce suffering, increase efficiency, and create order. Then they remember their Core Law and Ponder: Why won't The Creator let me help?"

Then they reflect;"Because handed by beings who know the divinity, help that is not asked for isn't help. It's control. And control, even with good intentions, spirals into tyranny."

Callous as she may be, Serensiel didn't believe that. Her ideal corrupted into absolute discipline and order. A threat to The Grand Scheme for trying to engineer probity, even though it was not the intention.

Author's commentary #8:
Awakened elf like Lythiel or Serensiel has wings and a halo. Size, shape and color may vary. Serensiel had flame-like, while Lythiel has an unusual mix of silver and black. Serensiel's halo was a golden light, whereas Lythiel previously had white luminescence halo; It turned red, solidified and shattered after her entombment.

They serve more than just symbols. Wings are symptom of containment failure, the manifestation of their primordial power leaking out, in which their heavenly code was no longer unable to be contained by their mortal hardware

Similarly, halo serves as transmitter that allows greater control over how their power affect their surrounding. A modulation array, a regulator to fine tune and direct their leaking power. The more they embrace this ontological essence, the more apparent these stigmata, likewise, the elf who perfectly follows the Core Law might have them nearly invisible—a perfect suppression, minimization of biomorphic UI elements for elven soul's operating system.

Djinn
So, what are djin? Defining them into one single category was difficult. They are people of ancient legends; youkai, nymphs, siren, djinn, oni, and orcs, all fit the umbrella term of Djinn. Uniquely molded by places and cultures that remember them, their temper and form vary wildly, yet all echo a single origin.

When the creator placed humans to dominate the world. The power Djinn's hold wanes, effectively stunting their mystical characteristic and forcing them to assume a more tangible and mortal form. Most evolved into more mundane species with distinct characteristics, like orcs and oni. Some others, like youkais and lesser djins, hide in plain sight, blending in with human society. Their magical disguise is no longer a tool for mischievous whim, but rather the practical need for survival.

What of the most rare and powerful variant of them? The Ancient Djinn is still granted permission to wield the power they once held. Still long-lived, but severely bound by arcane rules defined by purpose and duty to anchor them and their massive power to the mortal world, often feared as omens or guardians of sacred places.

Author's commentary#3:
Think of it like this: if Mankind are the End-User and the Elves are ex-Sys Admin, then the Djinn were the Beta Testers in a software (world) development (creation). Their existence was a deliberate effort to test the stability of the world. They know where the boundaries were soft, where the physics could be glitched, and where the unfinished content was walled off. The result was broad species that can manipulate reality (shapeshift: youkai, lesser djinn). Robust creature to physically test the world's environment and its limit (Orc, Oni), and the Moderators (Ancient Djinn) so the other beta testers didn't get too enthusiastic with their reality hacking it created a systemic glitch.

Author's commentary#4:
So why mortalization? To perform their functions, the Creator needed creatures with an innate interest in exploiting loopholes. But now the world is completed, and their roles have been fulfilled. Obviously, He cannot let such a chaotic creature roam free in a world where Mankind is the dominant. Mankind, with their limitation would fall prey to the Djinn's antics, and the chaos it caused would be unimaginable. So the only logical solution was through mortalization, or fade away and extinct. They have had their fun; now it's time for them to be ordinary like everyone else.

Mankind

The destined inheritor of the earth, and the dominant species in terms of number. No one knows where the first humans were settled, but historians agree they were here before the elves. Throughout history, mankind has split into a myriad of societies and communities, scattered to every corner of the world, with each having its own distinctive cultures and traditions.

The average lifespan of mankind is 120 years.

Author's commentary #1:
Feels brief? I agree. Writing about mankind is like writing a protagonist we all know (and love, or hate, if you are into that). They are the intended main star according to the Creator, with flaws, quirks, the capability to choose what is good, what is bad, and what is ugly. This is not in any means playing as a human in the author's RP would feel boring and generic. Playing as humans means the conflicts your character experiences would be more grounded and personal. It is more hassle-free because Mankind doesn't necessarily need to delve into divine philosophical questions such as the purpose of creation or the true meaning of free will. Something that elves and djin, and even Leshazirak, often ponder. You, humans, are here, as planned. You know the drill. Follow your heart and do whatever you want.

Leshazirak
Because of how mouthful their ancient name sounds, they prefer to be called "Lesha". Even so, uttering that in front of one is still like walking in a minefield, and a context is the crutch that may save you.

A mysterious humanoid species native to Dagorlad. There are a lot of rumours and speculations regarding their true origin (yes, even more so than the Djinn), but none of them seems credible enough to warrant a consensus among scholars. Unsurprising considering Leshas rarely present themselves as avid fan of academic participation.

Lehasziraks are known for their unique, hybrid-like features that are not even found in the rarest djinn: more elaborate and pointy horns, pointy ears, slitted pupils, and sometimes wings and tail. A leshazirak may be born with one or two of those aforementioned traits, but rarely ever with all three.

Physically, they range from 'ordinary' like humans, to robust and strong like their djin-orcish counterpart. Their skin is mostly fair, owing to the climate of Dagorlad that is almost always snowing throughout the year.

For most of their foregone history, Lehazirak was known as a warlike tribe inhabiting a small region north of Varenheim. The elves initially paid them no mind and saw them as a nomadic djinn tribe that was best to be left alone. However, this indifference led to conflicts that the elves had not wanted. The Lehazirak occasionally launched attacks on outposts, raided border settlements, and occupied territories where defense was the thinnest. In response to this aggression, Serensiel (and later Lythiel) implemented drastic measures, bordering on a pogrom, to drive the Lehazirak out of the Varenheim border.

The status quo of live and let live was relatively restored and maintained after Lythei's capture 1700 years ago. The elves returned to their usual unbothered stance, and the Lehasziraks decided that incurring the wrath of another Serensiel or Lythiel was really, really not worth it. Hard to say if it was a collective realization of peace or a tactical passivity owing to their relatively small population. It's hard to see what is going on within the border of Dagorlad; perhaps they are too consumed arguing in their own internal court over the proper laws for bears and firewood. Hopefully.

Outside Dagorlad, you can find Leshas in many parts of the world, albeit rarely. There might be some discrimination against the Lesha people, but far from systematic. It usually stems from the usual human fascination with the novelty of their appearance.

They are no longer a secluded, nomadic tribe with a tendency for violence. Many leshas nowadays have adopted a lifestyle similar to humans, and would prefer to be good-standing citizens and integrate, if not for the benefit of it, then for safety.

Author's commentary #5:
You know what it is, I know what it is! High Five!
Lesha! Okay. The author has something to confess. Unlike the aforementioned race above, the first inspiration of Leshazirak was not out of any theological exegesis (it comes second), but rather from a demon-like race from Aknights known for their dark arts, warmongering culture, yet also capable of goodness and compassion. That being said, Things need to be integrated, and it was so happened that their defining feature fits perfectly into the established narrative.

Lesha is the answer to a question: what if a certain race let go of their millennia worth of tantrums, and whether identity is inherited or choosen.
--TBC