Sea Elves
by Gabriele Quaglia (Lanfrancus)
The Elves of Ulthuan inhabit the great island-continent between the Old and the New World. They are
commonly referred as High Elves to distinguish them from other elven peoples from which they were
sundered long ago, namely the Dark Elves of Naggaroth and the Wood Elves of the Old World.
The name of High Elves is, not surprisingly, self-given: the Elves of Ulthuan hold themselves as the greatest,
wisest and most noble of the Elf folks, which means of course the wisest and most noble of the peoples of
the Known World. Yet even among the High Elves there is a distinction, often overlooked by outsiders and
certainly not overly displayed by the High Elves themselves: there are, in fact, those that are considered
“proper High Elves” and those that are dubbed as “Sea Elves”.
A History of the Sea Elves
The origin of the distinction dates from the earliest days of the Elves in Ulthuan, when the Annulii
Mountains rigidly separated the outer coasts, facing the Great Sea, from the inner realms. At this time the
inhabitants of the two regions already displayed remarkable differences: the Outer Elves were used to the
great waves and storms of the Ocean and often wondered about what lay beyond the horizon, whereas the
inhabitants of the Inner lands were more concentrated on themselves and the questions of the mind and
spirit.
Eventually, when Aenarion, the first Phoenix King, conquered the whole of Ulthuan, he united the Elves
under a single banner. Crossings were opened into the Mountains and the Elves travelled and mingled as a
single folk, until distinctions blurred: all were simply “Elves of Ulthuan”. In this time some of the Elves of
the Outer Lands built ships and first crossed the waters of the Seas, praying to Mathlann for protection, and
reached other lands. They visited Lustria and the New World, and then further east the Old World, where
they made contact with Dwarfs and Humans, and over the tip of the Southlands into the faraway lands of
Indh and Cathay. These Elves were first named Uranai or Sea Elves, the Children of Mathlann, the Rangers
of the Ocean, and other Elves wondered what drove them to leave the Blessed Lands to face peril and,
sometimes, death in strange countries, among wild beasts and barbaric folks.
At this time, Sea Elves were feared, but also admired - they came back to Ulthuan with tales of wonder and
treasures previously unseen by elvish eyes. The Phoenix Kings favoured and helped their expeditions and
relied on them to carry his word in the Known World. The Sea Elves visited all faraway coasts and built
harbours on many of them; with time, the harbour became towns, then cities, and the cities became capitals
of colonies. Sea Elves settled in Lustria, in the New World, on the eastern Continent and on countless
islands: they were the Masters of the Sea.
But things changed with the Sundering: the Elves of Ulthuan discovered that some among them were not
what they seemed to be, and the energies released by the Civil War left countless dead and destroyed the very
fabric of Elvenhome, sinking a good part of the coasts of Ulthuan. As the losing faction retreated to
Naggaroth, a feeling of distrust started to permeate those who remained. The survivors were now wary of
their own countrymen, especially those that seemed to stray from convention and elven tradition: the
seafaring Sea Elves were the first in line to be marked as deviant. Where did they go in their long travels?
Why did they go away, and what did they do, unseen in foreign lands? Little was known and much was
conjectured about them.
Even though, during these years, the Phoenix Kings still continued to support the Sea Elves, a change in their
social status was obvious: they were no longer welcome in their own country, and little by little their families
left Ulthuan, settling in the colonies, swelling the populations overseas. This trend was supported by a period
of friendship with the rising Dwarf Empire, and the coasts of the Old World teemed with havens and white
sails. This was not to last, unfortunately.
As friendship soured between Elves and Dwarfs and the War of Beards raged on, the colonists were forced
to leave their homes and settle elsewhere but, to their horror, they found themselves not welcome anymore in
Ulthuan. The “Returned” were socially stigmatised, blamed for their dealings with Dwarfs that resulted in a
tragic and, to many, useless war abroad; on top of this, they were regarded as provincial and uncouth
coompared to the Ulthuanese. Many of these Elves from the eastern colonies settled in separate villages and
communities, and in cities they formed their own quarters, but many more choose not to stay in Ulthuan, and
leave for other surviving territories in faraway islands, in Lustria or in the Far East. It was so that the Sea
Elves became a discriminated minority among the Elves of Ulthuan, as for the first time they were considered
less worthy than other Elves. Some say it was this discrimination at home that drove many Old World Elves
not to come back at all: abandoned by their own race, they founded havens deep in the great forests of the
East and became the Wood Elves.
Sea Elves today live both in Ulthuan and overseas: although they have the same rights as any elven subject of
the Phoenix King, they are often treated differently and effectively constitute a separate ethnic group among
the High Elves.
Stereotypes about Sea Elves
Sea Elves are not necessarily seen badly by the High Elves: in fact they are considered to have many good
traits, such as being curious, industrious, ingenuous and hardy. They have a reputation for being practical,
adaptive and tolerant.
On the other hand, they are also considered to be more focused on material things than spiritual or mental
ones, and as a result to be greedy and uncultured; at the same time, some High Elves consider them
individualistic and rather selfish, often undisciplined and stubborn, although to be fair this is not true at all:
the loyalty of most Sea Elves simply goes first to the clan and then to the elven race, which in a way is a
consequence of other Elves discriminating them. But the worst thing attributed to Sea Elves by High Elves never spoken but often thought - is to be somehow morally flawed: whereas High Elves are always very
careful about their words and deeds, to the point of inaction for fear of moral misconduct, Sea Elves are
more eager to get involved in things. Compared to Humans, Sea Elves are still extremely cautious when
undertaking any enterprise or making promises, but from the point of view of a High Elf, Sea Elves are
reckless and even foolish when they deal with members of the lesser races because, as anyone in Ulthuan
knows, nothing good can ever come with association with Humans and Dwarfs.
There is a certain degree of hypocrisy in this view, since Sea Elves contribute greatly to elven society, and
without them Ulthuan could neither maintain a fleet nor carry on trade with the outside world. To be true,
attitude towards Sea Elves varies among High Elves, with nobles from the Inner Kingdoms having a
significantly worse opinion of them than, for example, common Elves living in the ports on the Great Sea. In
these areas Sea Elves mingle freely with other High Elves and distinctions may sometimes become blurred, as
mixed marriages cancel pure heritage and level differences.
Sea Elves also have a varied attitude towards their identity: those in the ports of Ulthuan tend to consider
themselves High Elves and often try to act and live like them, taking offence if someone calls them Sea Elves,
even though they are aware of their ancestry. On the other hand, Elves living in rural areas or in the Old
World and other overseas communities tend to be more aware and proud of their heritage, and will even use
the term “High Elf” with negative meaning, to mark Ulthuanese Elves who have little understanding of the
outside world.
Appearance
It’s not easy to tell Sea Elves from High Elves - indeed, in some circumstances, even Elves have trouble
doing so. Yet there are some typical differences that a trained eye can spot. First of all, Sea Elves have a
distinct way of talking, not so much an inflection but rather a set of slang words and idioms that are typical of
their cultural background; most of these derive from professions connected to the sea: for example “being in
deep mist” means to be uncertain about something, “trying to catch a fish without a bait” means to be underequipped or unprepared to deal with a situation, and “as constant as the Lord Mathlann” means to be fickle
and capricious.
Sea Elves typically wear comfortable clothes that are either loose, as is the habit of sailors, or very tight on the
limbs, so not to be a burden in water; they tend to avoid the cumbersome robes favoured by High Elves. Sea
Elves are also less conservative on colours - while High Elves make always sure to match the hues of their
garments to create pleasant effects or communicate emotions or heritage, Sea Elves have no qualms in
combining breeches striped with pink and white and a yellow tunic with green frills. Boldness with colours is
considered sharp among Sea Elves, while being generally held as horrifying by High Elves.
Sea Elves in Ulthuan
Sea Elves in Ulthuan invariably live on the outer coast of the continent, either in port cities, where they
inhabit specific areas, or in smaller towns and villages where they constitute the vast majority of the
population.
Although Sea Elves can be found in any trade, they are most commonly associated with activities related to
the sea (sailors, fishermen, boatbuilders) or with commerce (merchants, peddlars, shopkeepers). Still, a
relevant minority of them are craftsmen and warriors serving in the fleet of Ulthuan. Some become minstrels,
known for their licentious songs - which a High Elf would never dare to sing; their melancholic ballads of
seafaring and lost loves; and their long travels - Sea Elf minstrels never stelle for long in one place, and
traditionally may obtain free passage on any elven ship, as long as they keep the cheer the crew up with their
tunes. On the other hand, it is impossible to find a Sea Elf noble and relatively rare to find any of them
among loremasters, magicians and bureaucrats.
Every Sea Elf in Ulthuan belongs to a clan, an extended family numbering 50 to 300 members linked by
common ancestry. Clans identify themselves by names and devices, and tend to settle in a specific location
and keep close ties, meeting annually for a celebration of their common ancestors or their patron deity. Every
clan recognizes the authority of a Head, usually the eldest, wisest or richest of them; he has no official power
within the clan, but his advice is highly respected: clan-elves consult him when there is a dispute within the
clan, and noble lords talk to him for every matter concerning the clan.
In times of war, the local lord, after consulting with the Head of each clan, appoints a Kith-lord who would
lead the Clan Kith, or militia, to war. Kith warriors are self equipped and wear the colours of their clan and
bear its device on their shields.
Sea Elves Overseas
Sea Elves outside Ulthuan live in Communities created within large port cities of other races. Each
Community may be composed by one or more clans.
Overseas clans are smaller than those in Ulthuan and count 30-100 members. Their clan-elves maintain close
relationships and generally work together, and the Head’s counsel is almost never challenged: he takes most
decisions related to the clan, although he is supposed to respect the advice of his fellow clan-elves. Property is
individual within the clan: however, most clans tend to specialize their economic activity. The Head tends to
be the wealthiest of the clan-elves and acts as an entrepreneur. Other Elves of his generation may be his
partners, while younger Elves are treated as employees and receive a wage (and occasionally a share of the
profits). Clans tend to focus on a single location: when they get too large, they split and one of the older
members leaves with his descendants and founds a new community.
Larger communities where more than one clan lives have an upper level of organisation: the Heads of each
clan form a Council and share some activities such as defence and relationships with the non-Elves. Defence
is usually managed in rotation: each clan receives a weekly or hourly turn in which his members must keep
watch. For example, in a community of three clans each clan must maintain watch for one day each. On the
other hand, relationships with non-Elves are kept by a single Speaker, usually one of the Heads, who is
appointed as ambassador: all decision,though, must be ratified by the Council of the Clan-heads.
Each clan manages its own business and equips ships. Ownership of a ship is shared by several members of
the clan. The captain is appointed by the partners within the clan itself, and is often one of them. The captain
then appoints the crew, also from within the clan (or outside, if there is need).
Dust Elves
A minority within the minority are the so called Dust Elves, also named Sand Elves, Foam Elves or Scattered
Ones. These are often the poorest among the Sea Elves, and they are defined by the lack of a clan
organisation: it is thought that these clans scattered long ago and their members now keep no contacts with
their relatives. Dust Elves often survive as workers for other clans, becoming sailors and warriors (or
adventurers). A few take the path of the Wardancer and become devotees of Loec but, unlike Wood Elf
Wardancers, Sea Elf ones travel alone and often join the crew of ships looking for adventure and a sense of
belonging. While High Elf ships are not fond of them, to say the least, Sea Elf vessels think it ill fortune to
refuse passage to a Wardancer and always accept them. Dust Elves tend to marry only among themselves, for
other Sea Elves consider them either too poor or bearers of some ancient flaw that caused their clans to
disperse.
Dust Elves have a reputation for being stubborn and anarchistic, and extremely individualistic. While this is
largely a stereotype, it is true that, having no one looking after them, they are used to look after themselves
and behave as survivors. While some Sea Elves value Dust Elves highly, because they are more hardy than
any other Elf and make steady workers, others think that they are those giving Sea Elves a bad name, often
behaving in a way that reinforces negative stereotypes of the category.
Dust Elves typically represent 5% of any Sea Elf urban community; in rural areas they are less common,
generally only 2-3% and they tend to be nomadic, following the request for work depending on the season.