The Moon Elves are a race that was once considered Elves but have become mutated through their use of the dark spirits. Once one of three of the great elf races that inhabited the Nordenland during the 2nd period, they were the first race to fall in the Great War. As a result of this devastating war most of the male population where annihilated, a few where able to escape and together with the women hide themselves from the outside world in the shadows. As time went on the women took it upon themselves to replace the male position and learnt to master the fine arts of hunting and magic. The few remaining men were banished from combat, as they were to precious a commodity. Through a cruel twist of fate the remaining men only seem capable of producing more women. Thus the Moon Elves were forced to step from their shadowy world and start exploring for additional breeding options, and this is how they came to be known by the Orcs and Humans.

They where so ashamed of this action that they chose to hide themselves in the dark for centuries, only revealing themselves once their land was invaded by the Orcs and Humans.

Appearance

The Moon Elves have very slender figures with tall, sharp ears, much sharper then other Elves. This is a direct result of their aggressive and lean upbringing. Soft and supple skin means they are very prone to bruising and scars, which are often displayed as tattoos and shown off with pride.

Personality

The Moon Elves collective personality has evolved over time, driven by their years of isolation. Arrogance and stubborn behaviour are typical traits of the Moon Elves, as is their contempt for other races. Upon finally revealing themselves their obstinate nature caused much friction, often sparking inter-racial wars.

Over the years the Moon Elves have calmed down significantly as a society and have even extended their warmth to other races, gaining respect along the way.

Their ability to handle light knives and bows is revered throughout the continent, with many other races risking life and limb in search of a Moon Elf knife master from whom they can gain great knowledge.

The Moon Elves nocturnal habits have also had a direct impact on their development, mastering the art of tracking, they can now stalk anything across vast distances, often with very little information to go on.

Despite their magnificent appearance, the Moon Elves can be quick to anger, and those who in incur their wrath should be fearful.

Society

The Moon Elf society is very structured with distinctive class divides that rarely change, even when groups independent of the central population are formed.

Progression up the social hierarchy is rare and infrequent whereas moving down is much more common. The lowest class are commonly referred to as "Lesser Moon Elves" and are the 2nd largest class in Moon Elf society. This section of society is largely made up of slave elves, who?s main role is to mine for materials, this labour intensive role means that these Elves are cursed with a life span of less then 500 years.

The Midi Moon Elf are the largest Moon Elf class and make up a very large and powerful force, especially at times of war. The majority of these Elves work in manufacturing and construction as well as having responsibility for gathering food and water.

The Great Moon Elves are the highest class in Moon Elf society and this is made up of society leaders, those who direct wars, dictate social structure and oversee the Moon Elf culture. Through years of selective breeding, this elite class has come to be known as the Prim Moon Elf. This is the highest class and is solely made up of elders, wise old Moon Elves who carry a vast amount of knowledge and experience.

Education

Moon Elves operate a survival of the fittest approach, with the weaker elements of Moon Elf society aggressively weeded out. When Moon Elves reach 50 (10 years in Human years) they face an ability test whose results determine their entry into society, i.e. will they enter at the same level as their parents, or be demoted.

Belief

In accordance with Elf?s traditions, they worship the power of Spirits thoroughly. They are able to transform their bodies through dark magic, but this method is only used for their survival. They have the strongest faith in the Spirits out of all the other races in the continent.

Residence

Many years ago, the Moon Elf civilisation could be found perching in treetops in dense forests, however, forced out of Nordeland, shelter was found in caves. Soon growing tired of cave dwelling, they set about constructing housing and villages. The majority of Moon Elf houses have 2 floors and are very elaborate in design. They are built upwards rather then outwards, echoing back to their treetop living past.

Eating Habits

Moon Elves exist on a diet not dissimilar to the Humans; however, they use various herbs and mushrooms, lethal to other races in Chantra. This, coupled with their terribly uncivilised eating habits ensures that Moon Elves often eat in isolation.

Costumes

Clothing and appearance are vitally important to Moon Elf culture. They take great pride in all that they wear and their clothes are designed to attract attention from others, which Moon Elves acquire, immense pleasure from. Their elaborate designs include lots of colour and also reveal lots of flesh, which is very popular within Moon Elf culture. So much importance is placed on Moon Elf clothing that Moon Elves found to be wearing clothes above their station face severe punishment and ultimately death.

Punishment

Moon Elves place a huge degree of importance on maintaining their social structure and destroying the class is seen as the biggest sin of all. (?) Love, which transcends throughout the classes, is forbidden and those experiencing such feelings will face the death penalty. Although it is extremely rare in Moon Elf culture for crimes such as murder and theft to occur, it is almost impossible to avoid punishment once Moon Elves have been proven to have acted in that way. The death penalty is the most severe punishment, followed by imprisonment and whipping.

Current Influence / Power

The Moon Elf focus is currently to the East along its border with the North. Here they live a peaceful existence alongside Orcs. They continue to be an arrogant and proud society but have been forced to learn to tolerate outsiders in order to ensure their own long-term survival.