Elven Customs

The elves only recognise those related to them by blood as family. Aunts and uncles who married into the family are not family. Nor is it usually allowed for humans to be in the family as they are so short lived. A normal family unit consists of a mother, father, and their unmarried children. Once you’re married you leave home. All other family members live on their own in their own homes.

The rights of passage for the elves vary. It depends on your class. For the Seethri, heirs are chosen upon birth. They are not revealed to the general public until the age of sixteen and a ball is thrown in celebration. Sixteen is also the age when elven children switch to adult dress and formalities. The chosen heir is given more attention by the parent whom they are to inherit from than their siblings. They begin learning the role they are to inherit from the age of seven years of age.

For the Sinri, there is a presentation ceremony when they are born, but after that the general public do not see them until their sixteenth birthday again, at which point like the Seethri, there is a ball thrown.

The Eldorae / Sinrae only celebrate amongst their family. There is not a formal celebration for one of these children. Eldae do not get to celebrate because they are slaves.

Another right of passage at the age of one hundred is to touch the current dragon eggs to see if someone would become a Dragon Rider. Some families in the Seethri refuse this right to their chosen heir, but allow their other children to try. It is a generational thing, for some of the Seethri have upon chance become Dragon Riders. again slaves are not allowed to try as Dragon Riders are just lower than the Seethri, in the rank known as Uruohtar, and are always freeborn.

The only people present in a room for the birth of a Seethri or Sinri are the parents.

The only people present for the birth of an Eldorae or Sinrae are the mother and a female priest.

Eldae just have the expectant mother and their master or mistress. Eldae are not allowed to breed without permission. If they have not attained permission, and are caught pregnant, the mother is often whipped, the father transferred elsewhere, and upon birth the child transferred to a third place. The child in this case does not get named by its mother.

Children of the Seethri are raised and educated by the parent they inherit from if they are the named heir. If not the other parent raises them. It is rare that both Seethri and his or her mate will raise all the children together. It is the same for the Sinri. They wear adult dress at sixteen years old.

The Sinrae and Eldorae raise their children equally with both parents helping as there is nothing royal about them. Eldae children are raised by their masters and if found useless for the purpose that master has in mind are sold to someone else.

The elves respect the dead. If found worthy enough an elf may be turned to stone after their death by the dragons. The family of the newly deceased will not sleep for three days after the funeral of their loved one. Only the Eldae are not permitted to mourn.

When it comes to burial of the dead, there is the aforementioned statue burial which is very rare, or there is a special catacombs area in each town that the dead are buried in. They are normally wrapped in black cloth and placed in there. The royals though are cremated, and slaves are simply thrown in a pit dug in the ground.

When it comes to weapons, they are normally swords, daggers or bows and arrows. Of course the Sinri also have the added ability to become a predatory animal, the one exception being a dragon. This other form can be used at will. The Eldae are not permitted to bear arms of any sort.

Commoners swords are silver iron, but the sword of an Uruohtar matches the scale colour of their dragon.