High Elves

Although they can be haughty, the High Elves of Bel’Shanaar are generally gracious even to those who fall short of their high expectations, which is most non-elves. They are a typically reclusive people, tending to treat the strife of shorter lived races with amusement at best, disdain at worst.

Since even before the Birth of the Weave they have maintained a strict, in-house policy of keeping their lawbreakers and cultural deviants under control and out of sight of other races. The Venandi were formed shortly after magic re-emerged, filling the role in a more official sense as well as keeping arcane practices under watch.

High Elf society functions primarily on a artisan-apprentice system, with the passing of expertise also involving immersion in the lifestyle and tradition of a particular profession. Whether Archery or Arcanery, Balladry or Bladecraft, all schools of High Elven thought are raised to an art-form steeped in tradition and students are expected to spend every waking hour dedicated to mastering the forms and every minute in trance meditating on the wisdom of the past. While the length of a tenure and number of students to a master artisan may vary widely depending on the craft, the average arrangement typically lasts just shy of half a century. It is exceedingly rare for a member of any other race to be accepted into this system, let alone thrive.