Forest Elves
The Forest Elves of Stehreel are a very green race. One of five races of Eldar, the Forest Elves were the first born in the beginning. They trend towards an average height of 190cm (6'3") and have light and graceful builds for the most part. Their coloration ranges from very light and pale greens to dark forest and hunter greens in skin tone, they can have a range of brown or green colored irises for their eyes, and their hair can also range through browns and greens. They may not be the most physically intimidating of the Eldar races, but put a bow in their hands and few can be their match in it.
Able to see into the lowest level of the Umbral Plane almost from birth, the Forest Elves are silent and canny woodsmen.
Shown here are Kaviellador Feldon, a Geomancer for the School of Wizardry, and Kayestara Masalaestan, a prestigious land owner in the Pine Demesne with strong loyalties to the King and country. Kavi is the head of a group of wizards that seek out and rescue trapped wizards in the world, approaching every endeavor with his trademarked charm and grace. Kay is determined to root out the corruption that has been festering in Pine Demesne for generations, and may find aid in a prodigal son returning to the Demesne.
Marivellia, denoted by the Tree of Eight Leaves Crest, is the Kingdom of the Forest Elves. It is separated into eight different Demesnes, each named after a different type of tree. The capital Demesne is named Oak and resides at the heart of the Kingdom.
A King rules Marivellia and has in an unbroken line since the Cataclysm broke Stehreel. The King is chosen from the sons of the current King and is considered the ruler of the whole kingdom. Below him, each of the Demesnes of Marivellia are held in trust to the King by merchant Princes. Those Princes are not always from the same families, instead they are chosen through a complicated process. When a Prince dies, rule passes from his hands back into the hands of the King. Then, the King's bookkeepers assess the Demesne and discover which of the families in the Demesne has been the most successful during the Prince's reign. If it is the same family, then rule remains with them, but if it is not then the most successful family takes over rulership of the Demesne.
Because the focus of Marivellia is on success in commerce, it has created a very capitalistic society. The rich have power and the poor have none, fortunes rise and fall, and gambling is heavy. It has also created the most respected (and feared) merchant corps in all of Stehreel. Few relish the opportunity to encounter a Forest Elf merchant in a bartering session.
Forest Elves are bound to trees at birth through mystical means that few understand. It is often said that a Forest Elf child cannot even be conceived e'er a tree is planted for them. This bond is so strong that one can often tell the state of a Forest Elf's soul or mind through observing their tree. A common compliment in the Kingdom is "your tree is a beautiful one", which illustrates how the people view this mystical connection.
The Forest Elves make use of this connection by awarding those who have achieved rank or completed something of note with a Druidic blessing to their tree. That blessing echoes to the Forest Elf who is bound to the tree and can increase their capabilities.
Is it really all that surprising that the Forest Elves of Stehreel worship Borius the Inkari of Life and Plants? The official religion of Marivellia is Worivalia which translates to: The Center of Life. Worivalia is a church dedicated to the worship of Borius and its clergy are all Druids, clerics in the service of the God. Clergy of Worivalia are all over Marivellia, serving as counselors to those in power, peace-keepers, architects shaping homes, healers, and those who bless the trees of Forest Elves to offer them rank rewards.
Those who wield the power of Plant energy, Geomancer Wizards and Druids of Borius, are the favored Spark Wielders of Stehreel among the Forest Elves.
Forest Elves are huge proponents of the bow. Archery is the preferred method of warfare for the Forest Elves, and it is something at which they are very proficient. They hold regular archery competitions in the forests of Marivellia with cash prizes as incentive.
The way they do war reflects their focus on archery, specializing in hit and run tactics and strafing maneuvers. Few can match the armies of Marivellia at distance combat.
Here is a developer diary recorded by the creator of Stehreel. For more information on the Forest Elves, check out our facebook page!