Introduction

Where many stories in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre feature humans alongside other species or "races", this one does not. Where those stories can show you how those "others" are different by comparing them to humans (or what we're supposed to assume is the evolutionary equal of humans in this fantastical world [thanks Dr. Who]), this one cannot. Therefore, allow me to break the fourth wall now and get us acquainted with some ideas specific to the Elves that are the subject of this book. These are things that are no one will ever describe because no one will ever notice because there is never any "different" experienced. You can totally skip this and not miss a thing, never having to worry about it; everything important will be touched on through the story. But, I think knowing these things makes the world that much more fascinating, fun to think about, and (hopefully), fun to create your own characters in.

The first thing you'll never hear is that Elves don't require as much food as we do. It simply is. As such, a lot of constructs we have around meal times and frequencies simply won't appear.

The second thing you'll never hear is that elves are (primarily) spontaneously generated. That's right, like the frogs and eels. I know it seems statistically improbable, but all Elves are born as helpless babies, crying, within earshot of another hearing-capable, compassionate Elf who is willing to see to the good care of the child. It simply is. Elven societies generally consider finding a baby to be a sign of good fortune.

The third thing you'll never hear is that elves are, in some essential way, tied to their birth environment. The wiki will have various articles on the consequences of this, like @[The Anxiety](condition:541ec410-2f13-4aef-a14e-cff14d20e35e). They may feel a sense to explore their environment, but avoiding dissimilar environments is as instinctual to them as avoiding dark, cramped spaces or following bright lights are to us. Their physical body often takes on characteristics of their birth environment as well. Leaf green eyes and bark colored skin are typical characteristics of Forest Elves, for example. Someone might be curious as to how a Forest Elf has snow white eyes, but it could have been a snowy day as much as it could have been the limestone deposit nearby.

The fourth is something you'll hear referenced throughout the story: an Elf's @[Gift]. The nuances to this are subtly present throughout the story, but referencing them each time could get cumbersome. So, I'll summarize some of the key points here. Feel free to reference this every time you're like, "Wait, why did Carsi.... Ohhhhhh". I know I do.

• Every Elf (as far as anyone can remember or has recorded) is born with a Gift. You can think of it like a magic spell only they can cast, or a mutant superpower, or (as it was originally) a "Gift from Nature"
• Gifts have wildly varying definitions, abilities, magnitudes, everything. They are literally infinite and every one is unique. Even if it appears like another's Gift, they are separated by nuance that only their owners may understand.
• Gifts often have depth that the Elf must explore and discover. As some discoveries are made, large differences in magnitude can be observed.
• Of course, understanding the nuances to a Gift also mean you can understand the weaknesses inherent in it. For this reason, Elven societies generally consider it very rude to ask someone about their Gift and don't discuss them in public or amidst untrusted company.

For example, a young Elf may discover their Gift as the ability to make lights at the tips of their fingers. Through practice and reflection, they may learn how to push the light out of their fingers. Adding in experiments with other elements such as breathing, posture, stance, visualization, emotional space, or memories may energize the light and turn it into lightning instead. Where once they could light only light up a room with their hand, they can now rival Azula and channel lightning. The trick is, their Gift never really changed, they just learned how to use the sharper edge. They can still light up a room with their hand.