= Zrei Gu'aiuo - Dark elves = = Introduction = The dark elves, Zrei Gu'aiuor, are cruel, ruthless and warlike. They tend to be arrogance and selfish. It is said that there is not a tiny piece of honour in their minds, except for their own people. Almost a half of them live on island Lanuin, located east from Minartan continent, in the Gray Ocean. Others live being spread all over the Minartan and some even further. Zrei Gu'aiuor live in cities under the sky, but most preferably they act and live during the nights. That is because their senses are, as a result of their magical features, considerably better compared to other races, some even better than the Moon elves. For their partly magical form they posses many abilities. Nevertheless the daylight does not trouble them they do sleep during the bright period to achieve advantages from the darkness of nights. They barely make a sound when walking trough a thick scrub. They walk actually on the snow without trouble, hardly get wet when raining or get diseases human race suffers. = Appearance = The way of Zrei Gu'aiuor live on the dark period of day reflects to their appearance and habits. They don't feel comfortable in bright light and thus they are quite pale. Elves living in Minartan may use normal human day rhythm and one may even found them tanned sometimes. As a whole their appearance is deformed, especially when liken to Moon elves, almost human. Zrei Gu'aiuor still clearly have some noble features from Moon Elves even if those have wearied away during times. Their hair is usually black or dark brown and they never bind it nor Zrei Gu'aiuor use a helmet. While living in human communities in Minartan, Zrei Gu'aiuor dress like normal middle class. They don't want to be noticed. Especially on island Lanuin they can be found wearing traditional Dark elvish ensemble. It consists of magical robe, haloemar, a Dark glance, which is in practice invisible to human eye in twilight. Only Zrei Gu'aiuo sees its enchanted shine, and for Zrei Gu'aiuor it even throws light in pitch darkness. Other clothing follows the hierarchy of hall system. It is complicated but consists of simple elements. Clothing is not decorative but having distinct and rough shapes at least for elvish touch. The clergy is a clear exception from this rule. They use white apparels decorated with inconceivable golden laces. Humans would say them to be exaggerated. The clothing of Zrei Gu'aiuoth warrior is for practical reasons fully haloemar, just like the high council of four. A blade weapon of some kind is always a part of an ensemble of major Dark elf. Warriors carry katana-like sword Cor atal, clergy has similar but shorter, common people carry ordinary sword, Dathafar, which resembles human shortsword. Also dark elven lords carry Cor atalar with magnificent decorations, often two of them. Another is actual weapon, another a ceremonial and too expensive for battles. The high council posses four swords of night, Thas dasarath, which have existed since coming of the elven race. They have been forged from metal that will never be found anymore, Diset amun al, the steel of heavens. The blade glows in deep dark purple light like there would be a flame bound to it. = History = The history books of elves begin with famous words. "Were created two kin elven folk, below, another over. Created they were in deepest night. Equal from another, as fair were their visage. Born of others was to be, in the light of full moon, others at the darkest hour of night. So was it to befall that the elves of nightlight loved and adored greatly the silvery moon, the elves of shadows learned to know only the darkness. So learned the elves of nightlight the art of life and thus shall their wisdom be mighty. There shall be none who will find a power that unsettles the elves of nightlight. It is cast that safe shall the city of nightlight stand. The way of elves in shadows is black for agony. Four shall lead them; to endless battle shall they be led. So was it to befall that no war, no suffering will carry grief to their spirits." The last sentence "Four shall lead them, to endless battle shall they be led. So was it to befall that no war, no suffering will carry grief to their spirits" is also a part of Zrei Gu'aiuoth oath of warrior and it is repeated before a Dark elf goes to battle. = Culture = == Cities and Arcitecture == The largest Dark elven cities are build to mountainsides or to forests, but for lack of great masses of labour and the elven attitude against hard manual work, the cities are not underground like some of them would like. They however are not spacious like the moon elven ones. Some cities stand at the north side of mountains, but because the daylight does not directly give dark elves trouble, most cities are build to open territory as usual. The cities are almost totally built from deep dark blue stone, halnefalh, and they are said to be most beautiful over the earth. Great statues and fountains and arched bridges connecting the upper floors of buildings with their complicated gemstone decorations merge seamlessly to Zrei Gu'aiuoth beautifully build cityscape. Typical dark elven city looks almost like two storied. In the second floor, which consists of the tops of flat roofed buildings, the middle parts of higher ones and the bridges joining them, there is most of the shops and stores of the elven cities. City walls surround all cities. However because the dark elven cities do not need defence against armies in practice, they are too tenuous and decorative to keep enemy outside, and they are build above all for emphasizing the elvish fortress-like style. The walls are so low that arrows can be shot over them from upper floors of buildings. Houses are high and have shapes of fortress also. Usually they have balcony or rooftop and a parapet build to it. The corners of the buildings have small tower-like rooms. Doors are high and narrow, shaped from steel; most windows of the buildings are small. The construction material is the halnefahl and sometimes, ordinary grey rock. Even the roofs are made of stone. Buildings outside cities are mainly from grey rock and much more simple that the city ones. There can also be found roofs made of straw or shingle. == Food and Trade == The food of Zrei Gu'aiuo consists of fish, which is caught from fishy seas around the island, and of grain grown in the southern parts of Lanuin. Dark elves trade with Minartan humans their beautiful art like statues and other smaller items. Weapons however they do not sell. That's because of an old Zrei Gu'aiuo wisdom: "The one who gives a weapon away shall be by that blade slain." From humans on the Minartan continent they buy metals and raw gems, also spices and other comestibles that can't be produced on the island. From humans they buy metals and raw gems, also spices and other comestibles that can't be produced on the island. == Philosophy and Temperament == Dark elves consider discipline and punishment indispensable for ensuring the knowledge and learning. They raise their children with castigation and teach them not to cry or show real emotions. If the children don't please their parents they can be carried to mountains for certain death. It is heard that sometimes one of these ahaethal, thrown from life, manages back home, and may be accepted if noticed to have learned during the travel. Majority of dark elves doesn't enjoy pain, but they respect it. If Zrei Gu'aiuo wants for example to incumbency in his community, he have to pass through a series of tortures, Rel'masnal, the test of votary, which is said to be art of torturing. Same masters take care of torments of prisoners. In common their habits look disgusting, cruel and self-destructible to humans. Zrei Gu'aiuo can however tolerate more than a human, and they have been raised to it. The manners of dark elves are externally very punctilious especially with high council and church, but with common people the rules are not so strict. Dark elves are good actors, they please humans with fake emotions and then at the right moment stab they in the back, but if someone serves their intentions well enough they might let them be unharmed. They love to plan and plot against their enemies to get what they want. And they love to win. To corrupt others is also one of their favourites. They meld softly into Minartan communities, being nice to everyone but behind their back they play only for themselves. == Military == The high council of four has no army in command but its power is unquestionable, and it can take every dark elf capable of holding a sword under its command. There is no need for army actually, because elves do not have real threat in this world. Only in special cases a great masses of war hordes can be summoned and ordered to serve the council. Warriors in dark elf community have the katana-like sword Cor atal, light almost silent chainmail Core'es and the Haloemar robe. When Zrei Gu'aiuo men fight only with swords, the women use bows. Dark elves use longbows that don't require as much strength as human ones, but are still as powerful. Dark elves do not have mounted troops in military service nor they have many warships. There is only few dark elves capable of naval battles and only under two dozens of warships patrol near Streaa in Lanuin. == Law and Order == The dark elven community is constant and has very strict hierarchy. It is based on system of halls. It is like a feudal community, but family relations don't mean as much for Zrei Gu'aiuo as for humans. Ancestry and families are not means for status but more like a responsibility for community. There aren't many dark elves after all. They who have power in elvish community take care, with hired warriors, that they can also keep it. Every now and then happens that due the disagreement between different lords somebody from lower hall, alurh'es, manages to reach next stage of power. Usually this happens in hall of warriors. The hierarchy is based only and purely to hall system and works as follows: Alurh'es sarchem - the hall of common, farmers and workers Alurh'es teiandes ohar - the hall of traders Alurh'es thalereas - the hall of warriors These three belong to lowest class, har ekath. Alurh'es fathelutes - the rulers of common, consist of lords of the provinces Alurh'es solidrath - the rulers of wealth, consist of lords in cities Alurh'es a'othenma - the rulers of warriors, consist of lords as military commanders These three belong to next har ekath. The last har ekath consists those who serve the church. The hierarchy of this class is much more complicated and it is not, like other information about the church regime, allowed to be revealed to outsiders. On the top of this system is Alurh'es Leothen farha'mal, the council of four lords, which rules all. It has supreme power over common people, trader, warrior and priest. The council of four has existed since coming of the elven race, and when one member leaves the life upon earth the three remaining choose a new from among the elven lords. The different stages of hierarchy are clearly separated from each other, but the lower stages are respected as others. They are not tyrannized even if they don't have any power. The most limited group is the common folk because dark elves use slaves, cheap labour and magically forced humans in farm works. The lords of the provinces have usually hired workers and other common people, while the lords in cities have right to impose taxes from their cities or in parts of them. The clergy collects it wealth from lords and after that the council takes what it needs. Zrei Gu'aiuor hardly ever kill another among their people. And if this happens the council of four itself takes care of the case. Only in sacrificial ceremonies an elf can pass away legally by another elf. Every lord has his own private guards that take care of his and his family's safety. This guard usually means hired elves given an upkeep and training. That's why young dark elves often seek a job from guards. == Religion == Dark elves generally worship dark and evil gods, which claim for blood like Mandor, Sinister, Yorkaturr and Harum. The church arranges mostly sacrificial ceremonies, where animals and humans are tortured and killed. Only at the night of passing half-moon the knives can cut elven flesh. The white clothing of dark elven clergy attracts attention in otherwise dark cityscape. The essential meaning of white colour is to emphasize the blood in ceremonies and it can be seen in white cloth very well. The clothing however is washed right after the ceremony, before the blood gets dry. Dark elves have a saying: "The blood will never finally dry on Zrei Gu'aiuoth cloth" Honouring this, the priests carry their decorative shiny white robes everywhere. In Minartan or other human populated places they don't walk around. Perhaps there is no such thing, or they just don't reveal themselves. Humans say the first; elves know the latter is true. The night of passing half-moon is one of the most important dark elven events. When the moon is passing and the time is coming for half-moon great sacrificial ceremonies are held, in which is included torturing and ritual slashing. The night of passing half-moon arises from the anticipation of darkness. Darkness and black colour is symbol for everything. In dark elvish language the word meaning black, halatah, means also everything together. The night represents the coming of the darkness, as it is in story of creation, when the time of moon is passing. Half-moon symbolizes a change of power. == Language == The language of dark elves is euphonious but is has more consonants and sharp voices than the moon elves. Words are frequently ambiguous and the grammar is complicated, so learning the language is very hard. It is still so schematic that it can be learned by normal methods. Compared to moon elves this is easy, because it is said that their language cannot learn without guidance from gods. Dark elven songs and poetics follow exceptional rythm and touch. Lyrics are divided into two different fates. First there is a longer one, usually declaimed by an single singer, then there is another, shorter one, intoned by chorus. They differ greatly in rime and story and are still pronounced by turns. However the ending verse combines these two by both rythm and strory and ends the strophe. == Song of Lanuin == Great ravages there has been; All is lost. no light upon can be seen; All was vain. still stands land, hear only rain. Those who hunted for power; See trees fall. do not stand in times of rover; Hear mountains die. wisdom that fail, betrayer who cry. Few was left behind for sorrow; Breath poison in the air. they feel lost on land so hollow; Feel seas vanish. lands which by will of men perish. O Lanuin, you shall stand here; Touch dark sky. no living, no dying by near; Seed the forest. where will land find its rest. == Magic == The dark elves possess many powers being however revealed later. = The Tore'e humans = Among all the humans the dark elves dislike Tore'e people most. Their history however, gives them a strange aspect: Honour. The present rulers of dark elves respect the Tore'e people's victory and escape, and have left the Tore Island untouched since the battle. Elves will not easily forgive the destruction and mayhem caused by the humans and time will show what is going to come to pass after few times have elapsed. No trade or other communication has been committed between Lanuin and Tore islands. The elves have no desire to near the Tore for humans have greater expertise of sea battle and ships of better quality. = Lanuin = Lanuin is a beautiful forest island located in east side of continent of Minartan. Most part of Lanuin is flat terrain, which is covered with dense coniferous forest that has some of the most largest and oldest trees in Majik; only southern parts have grassy plains and northeastern part any significant mountains. It is realm of Zrei Gu'aiuor, almost a half of dark elves live there. Lanuin has several elven cities. One of them is called Streea located in the northernmost part of coniferous forest near the north coast. With in the city is the Great Libray of Gol. Because of heavy winds and reefs it's almost impossible to land in other parts of Lanuin except in the elven city Streea. The weather on island is grim. Winter is long and cold and summer short, rainy and cloudy. The way dark elves live in darkness fits well to island where sun barely ever shines. Elves manage to farm only in southern parts of the island, where sun can season the grain. Zrei Gu'aiuoth community have to fight hard for surviving. There live many beasts and predators raised by strange powers on the island. It is said that even demons live in Lanuin. This is why dark elves have grown to masters in skill of killing. = Role-playing = It is rather difficult to play a dark elf. One has to succeed to create fake friendships and have to be able to break them. A dark elf does not respect other than a dark elf and is still thinking only his own good. A warrior makes an exception here. A way of warrior is an eligible way of living. There is no greater honour than serve the commander and be skilled in hean akar, the battle. There is only one goal in combat - killing. When a dark elf takes his sword someone will die. After every battle each hit causing a death should be dedicated to god.