Diet

Diet is comparable and identical to humans. They are omnivores who can eat whatever they need in their area to survive. 

Specialized Traits

Frost Elves have obvious specialized traits in their claws, which serve as weapons and tools. A popular hobby in Frost Elven Clans is using claws to whittle wood. Their eyes are attuned sharper than a standard human, as are their senses of smell, which benefit them in the frozen north.

Birth And Young

Genetics of the Elves work on top of their human characteristics. Their children can be any skin tone, eye color, or hair color. They are identical to standard humans in terms of gestation, birth, and nursing. Young follow standard human aging and milestones. 

Standard humans and Elves can have children together. These half-Elven children tend to have some subtle Elven traits, but are neither standard human nor Elf. The genetics of Elves work as dominant and recessive. A half-Elf can manifest any mixture of traits, but children of a half-Elf and a full Elf may be either full Elf or half-Elf. Two standard human parents could have a half-Elf child if their genetics both contained recessive Elf genes.

Different subraces of Elves can also have children together, which results in a subtle mixing of traits. These Elven crosses are rare, and typically result in consistent physical Elf-trait appearances. Forest and Frost Elves create an Elf with antlers and greyer skin patches. Seafoam Elven crosses are the most rare of all, given the seclusion of Seafoam Elves. Forest and Seafoam Elves create an Elf with a mix of white spots and iridescent scales. Frost and Seafoam Elves would create an Elf with dark greyish patches and subtle iridescent darker scales, but this cross has not yet existed given the seclusion of both subraces.

Age

Elves age at a slightly slower rate than a standard human. After puberty, an Elf no longer follows standard human ageing and milestones. Young adulthood lasts until about 35 years, middle age occurs at about 75 years, and an elderly Elf would live to be about 150 years. The oldest recorded Elf lived to be 162, but this is the equivalent of a standard human living into their 100s. 

Lore & Magic

They Were Once Humans

Long ago, a war raged against a great Darkness that consumed the world around it, down to even the magic of the Primal Wind.  Resulting in the Darkening, this war was unlike any seen before–or since. Three human armies battled three different fronts, but were unsuccessful. They requested the help from the Fae Courts, and were granted mystical powers to aid them in the final battle. The Frost Elves transformed into Wolves of Dire Dark, with indestructible, weapon-sharp fangs and claws.

The Battle Came To An End

When the war ended, the Fae Court’s magic returned to the Fae. However, the humans had spent enough time in their mystical animal forms, that certain traits remained permanently. The Frost Elves became like wolves, with grey on their faces and fierce claws, and maintained their keen sense of sight and smell. Beyond that, though, they were entirely human again. When the battle ended, many of the Frost Elves were unaccounted for, and never returned. It is unknown what may have happened to their bodies during the war.

Locked In The North

The Frost Elves had been cut off from the rest of the world when the Darkness was contained in Umbra, and found themselves now living locked in the frozen north. Families banded together, and formed the Clans. Today, trade is plentiful among the large Clans, and many have formed whole villages and towns as their populations grew. Each created unique cultures not seen elsewhere, but a common tradition among most Clans is the hunting of Dire Wolves as a mark of strength.

The Northern Clans

When the Frost Elves first found themselves locked in the frozen north, there were only a few families. These families began to split apart as they grew, and the first few towns were established from them. Known as the Kins–or Clans, in Common–they founded the first four cities. Aettinkin founded itself in the southwest, Forval in the west, Vinteri in the north, and Faelle centrally. A central mountain range divided Frostcrown, and the east was left unexplored due to its Viinsfan and high, jagged mountain peaks.

The Primal Wind

While much of Frostcrown was desolate ice desert, each major Clan found a home over a well of magical energy–like jewels of Frostcrown itself. Primal Wind had greatly concentrated in four different places, creating powerful energy in the earth fueled by crystals. The creatures here also sprouted crystals, and the Clans vowed to protect the sacred magic running through the land in veins and lakes of subtly glowing power. At night, the ground reflected the ripples of Primal Wind in the air, resembling Earth’s Aurora Borealis. 

The Connecting Magic

Each of the major Clan cities rests over a central well of Primal magic, and each is connected with one of the four colors of the Primal Wind. The veins of magic also run through the land, mingling and connecting, only visible on nights where the Primal Wind’s magic is most intense. This connects all of Frostcrown, and brings the Clans together through the earth. As the Clan cities grew too large, some groups broke off and formed smaller Clan cities around smaller wells of Primal Crystal magic. Now there are Clans of various sizes throughout Frostcrown.

Trade Begins In Aettin

Frostcrown was mostly cut off from the world, but curious explorers and merchants couldn’t help trying to sail north and see if anything remained above the Umbral Scar. The discovery of the Clan north of Draile led to a sudden boom in trade. The previously uninhabited Frostcrown was found to have rare and valuable animals, plants, and Primal Crystals. While the Clans killed only for need, some trade was born, and a few yearly expeditions visited Aettinkin. The other Clans also traded with Aettinkin, creating a hub in the frozen north. This hub began to see a few human travelers choosing to stay, and the Clans began to intermingle and become more diverse.

The Poachers Arrive

With such rare creatures and crystals, poaching was inevitable. An illegal trade of Primal Crystals developed, with value placed on those from animals like the Iskkri, an ice-and-crystal fox. Not only was there demand for their soft pelts–under layers of ice that would melt once killed, but they possessed the largest Primal Crystals of any creature. The Clans felt it was their duty to protect the land and its creatures, so catching and killing poachers became a significant accomplishment for Frost Elves.

Kin Vinteri Disappears

Dangers always remained in Frostcrown, and when the Dark Moon Cult unleashed monsters into the world, the frozen north was no exception. With the appearance of Dire Wolves and other dark beasts, the Clans fortified themselves. It didn’t take long, though, for one of the Clans to seemingly disappear. The Viinsfan and Dire Wolves were driven north by the other Clans, unintentionally, and Vinteri became unreachable as a result. Whether they stand today or have been destroyed by the giants and beasts, no one knows for sure.

Modern Frostcrown

While there is no centralized government, the Clans are run by an elected head from each major family acting as a hybrid Republic-Tribunal. Those who disagree with decisions made can set out to form their own Clans, and these smaller Clans tend to be run by one head of a family, differentiating them from the established Clans. Trade routes between the different Clan cities are regularly traveled by Frost Elven traders, and all end at Aettinkin, where items can be traded with the merchants who travel from Draile to Frostcrown a few times a year.

Culture

Home And Hearth First

Frost Elves are incredibly rare outside of Frostcrown, though in the frozen north they greatly outnumber any other race, including standard humans. Their ability to survive in the harsh winters gives them a distinct advantage, and has led to their population boom. When one does seek the greater world, they must travel by boat with the merchants of Draile who visit only once or twice in a year. Many across the continent go their whole lives unaware of Frost Elves, especially outside of Draile.

Rites of Passage

Each family in a Clan has traditional rites of passage. For the families in the larger Clan Cities, hunting and taking down a Dire Wolf is perhaps the most infamous. Others can include improving the conditions in the Clan, helping others, or reaching some significant personal achievement. Self-improvement and bettering the Clan are central tenets of Frost Elven culture.