-Regarding Half-Elves-

At times there are unions between humans and elves which produce offspring. Humans have been known to be enchanted by the beauty of elves, which has also produced several tales of warning among the Empire that elves can lure individuals into danger much like a siren or harpy, these tales especially shared among the noble houses. Elves may also find humans enchanting, and despite the vast age differences that can occur between the two, elves tend to consider the maturity, disposition, and courage of their partners before bearing in mind any difference in age, as they often do when dealing with other creatures whose lives tend to be much shorter than their own.

Sadly, when female elves fall in love with human men and produce offspring, there is a chance that the birth will be too traumatic for the elven body. Many elf-mothers pass away during the birth which leaves the half-elf tending more toward the human cultures. Male elves that foster half-elven offspring tend to share their cultures more so, but the choice of which culture tends to imprint on the half-elf is the curiosity of the offspring themselves or by the dominant local culture.

Half-Elves in the Empire are not treated with any disgust and are accepted into Imperial Academies without any hesitation or consideration of heritage. In fact, there may be more curiosity from human teachers to discover cultural nuances so that they may learn a broader inclusion or perhaps even secret lore that was shared by elves outside of the borders of the Empire.

Half-Elves taken in by elven societies are treated differently however. Due to the lifespan of a half-elf, elven academics or skill honing are not as expected compared to elves who have centuries ahead of them to perfect their crafts. They are not treated as outsiders unless they are suspected to betray the trust of sacred elven groves, but there is a bit of solemn interaction as the half-elf will not last as long as their elven peers.

Homeland: Half-Elves follow the culture and tradition of the dominant parent. They are often considered to be a part of the local social stratum, be it in the groves of the wood elves, within the tribes of the plainer elves, or in the company of the humans. There are few who would despise them outright, although there are some concerns when dealing with issues of espionage, loyalty, or status when the half-elf proudly assumes both lifestyles at once.

Names: Elves tend to enjoy the idea of human names, especially with the expectancy of life being much shorter than their own. At times the plain elves have offered the tribe names and the wood elves have offered their dominion names, but this is also given with the expectation of the half-elf being raised within the culture. Half-Elves with human names are not treated differently within the culture, but it does assist in identifying the human genes when among elves and their shorter life expectancy, which allows for elven sympathy while growing up.

Religion: Half-Elves tend toward the religions of their parents, learning from them as all in Nhearn do. Wood elf lineages lean toward the worship of Vanessa and the Fey, while those of plain elven lineage acknowledge Vanessa but give homage to Katrina. Those who are raised in the Empire tend to adopt Christiana and Aurora as their patrons, while they adopt the spiritualism of other gods in other settings. While adventuring there may be other deities that call to the purpose of the individual as well.

Age: Half-Elves grow to adulthood as quickly as their human lineage and live only a bit longer on average, just over one century.

Alignment: Half-Elves adopt the culture that they are born into and learn the ways of the dominant parent. Their alignment often is influenced by that culture.

Size: Half-Elves tend to stand as tall as their human lineage but they tend to weigh as much as their elven lineage.