Hair: white, blue, blue-green,
muddy brown. Often bleached by the sun, and next to always kept
very short to keep it out of the way. Eyes: small and generally a
clear blue. ears: small and not very curved. Height: Middling, 5'6" at
tallest. build: Rather muscular from
labour. colouration: dark tan from sun
personality types
Sea elves are like the water. They are implacable and generally
calm, but when they get angry they are completely unforgiving.
Like the ocean, Sea Elves have a lot of depth and there are levels to
their personalities that many people never see.
dress style
Make: dolphin skin and other sea
animal skin is used often as well as waterproofed cloth. clothes
are generally light colours to reflect sunlight. Top: Either tank tops or
loose shirts with close sleeves. Often both men and women go
topless. pants/skirt: pants or wrap style
skirts. shoes: on land they wear leather
shoes, generally sandal style. On boats they either don't wear
shoes or have shoes with strong grips on the soles so they don't slip. overclothes: Ponchos and cover
pants made of dolphin skin or similar. underclothes: jock
straps/loincloths and breast bands. sleep clothes: nothing or long
shirts accessories: belts to put tools
in, often with rope wound through it.
powers
Water and weather magic.
home/family
Sea Elves live on an island or boats, preferring boats. They live
in extended families, or have two or three families together. They
have marriages that last a long time and the children are raised
communally. There are few halfbreeds and the Sea Elves will raise
them although they aren't considered to be as good sailors. Sea
Elf homes resemble ships. They have small, thich pained windows,
and the entry is on the roof. They have hammock style beds and
most furniture is bolted into place.
Eating habits
Sea Elves eat mostly seafood, any kind of sea animal if they catch it,
and sea plants or those that grow near water. They have little
agriculture and will trade for grain. Drink is mostly watered down
juices and things that have vitamins. While on duty, they don't
eat much because it's a distraction. Off duty crews eat together
from whatever is in the galley right when they get off duty. Other
times they eat individually.
Social Structure
On the main island home, there is a meeting house from which all boats
can be called. Each boat has a captain and all those on the boat
defer to the captain. The captain and mates of each ship are
picked from a select group. Those born on land are never eligible
for high posts and are relegated to low class drudgery, rarely on ships.
religion
Water-based. Important occasions such as marriage, adulthood, and
joining a new ship are marked by immersion in water. Birth and
death take place amid water and corpses are weighted and sunk into the
sea. Storms are especially sacred.
taboo
Sea elves are born in water [using their magic, the Sea Elves will make
the boat that birth occurs in float an inch or two in the water so that
the child is literally born into water]. If they are not, they are
very discriminated against and have a hard time finding a ship to sail
on. It is thought that those born on land are worse sailors.
Having a preference for being on land is also a taboo.
law
On ship, the captain is the highest authority. Disputes are
quickly taken care of. On ship everything but relations are
communal. While on land they are subject to the laws of whatever
kingdom they are in. Divorce is dealt with by separating the
couple at the nearest convenience. Children are raised communally
so are left with their community. They often will be separated in
this way from both parents as in most cases both will go to other ships.
language
clear and to the point. Sea elves tend to speak loudly and in
short command type sentences in general speech. When relaxed,
their speech also relaxes. They have many forms of swearing.
Naming
Sea Elves receive a name and family name at birth. They are also
known by the ship they are on and by the name of the body of water they
were born in [or by the term Temare if they were born on land].
Those in special positions [like the captain] have that title added to
their name.
ie: Judith Edelstein, of Crispell
ship, Hudsomare.
Arts, music, and literature
While Sea Elves appreciate art, they don't have much time for it on
board ship. Those who want to pursue art have to do it from
land. Most Sea Elf art revolves around ships and the sea.
Ship building is their greatest art, with figureheads and ship designs
being very intricate. Music is mostly a capella and rhythmic, used
to help crews work in concert. Many Sea Elves keep journals of
important facts, and many write books on trading, seafaring, and
ship building. Islanders sometimes write fiction and enjoy reading
fiction written by others.
Education and play
Children born on ships are taught seafaring and trade from the time
they can walk. Along with this, they get the usual round of
subjects so that they can do whatever they want in adulthood.
Island born children get the seafaring and trading later, as they leave
childhood, or as their families take to ships. Once they reach
adulthood, they are able to decide what they want to do with their lives
and train specifically for that. Many change their minds several
times before settling on a life's craft, but most think that's best as
it gives a wider range of training to draw on to improve the finally
chosen craft. Sea Elves like to play games that don't take up much
room - card games being a favorite. They also enjoy racing -
stacking races, climbing races - and anything that involves putting
things together.
Economy
money: Because they are traders
with many places, Sea Elves don't use any specific currency. They
trade solely in pure gold or jewels. consumer sense: As traders, Sea
Elves will buy anything they think will sell well somewhere else.
For themselves, they have to keep their baggage small, so nothing large
or unneeded is generally bought. If there is family on the Island,
however, there is less of a problem with buying unneeded things. imports: cultivated foods, raw
materials, most tools, art exports: ships, ocean products,
seafaring and ship building books; as traders they keep a cut of sales trade style: Buy low, sell
high. Sea Elves enjoy loud trading and verbal sparring.
Insults are commonly thrown back and forth between traders.
relationship with outsiders
Sea Elves like outsiders. They know that they're better than
outsiders, but they don't care. Because they don't do much
industry or cultivation, they appreciate that others know how to do it
well and look on their expertise with respect. Sometimes outsiders
get sent to the Island to learn shipbuilding, and they are tolerated and
encouraged, although they are left out of some games and pastimes.
companions
Sea animals flock to Sea Elf ships. Fishermen who are extremely
brave or extremely foolhardy sometimes try to fish around Sea Elf ships
because of this, but they rarely get to try it more than once.
Aside from the outsiders who learn shipbuilding on the Island - and the
very rare ones who learn seacraft on ship - Sea Elves rarely spend
extended periods of time with outsiders, so they can't be considered
companions.
transportation
Sea Elves prefer traveling by water, whether it's by ship or by
swimming. On land, they like using wagons or carts because their
movement simulates a ship. When all else fails, they walk.
medicine
Because of space constraints, Sea Elves use mostly magic medicine, as
well as dietary and physical medicine.
Differences
Sea Elves with disabilities never make it to the sea. They are
considered second class citizens, on par with those who are born on
land. One who is in an accident is given every consideration but
is considered bad luck to others. Children of multiple births are
thought of no differently than any others.
manners
Although Sea Elves collow the lead of their captain, they are very
individualistic and when angry will swear at anyone they happen to be
near. They are very casual about manners.
sex/reproduction
Like all elves, Sea elves reach sexual maturity around the age of
twenty. Females know as soon as conception occurs, and gestation
is somewhere between nine and twelve months. On ships, Sea elves
don't engage in sexual activity often because consequences in the form
of pregnancy would be a nuisance. They have monogamous marriages
and during pregnancy everyone takes care of the pregnant woman.
Sea elves generally have two or three children and are sexually active
throughout their lives.
Everything on this page was
created by Juchan. Do not
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