Mountain Elves

Perhaps the most unusual of the elven races, the Mountain Elves are an isolated but gregarious people native to the land of Alorrien, sitting upon the northern border of the Wilderlands. This race of elves are notable for their height, as unlike most elves, they tand to stand a head below humans as opposed to a head below them. In addition, they are relatively short-lived as far as elves go, usually living between 400 and 500 years. To their benefit however, is the fact that they at no point suffer from the melancholy or warped sense of time that other elves tend to develop in the first couple of centuries of their lives, a trait of which most other elves are begrudgingly envious.

They're known for being hearty and boisterous, with an overall cheerful outlook on life and a strong love for good food and festivities that may or may not include one too many cups of wine, as well as a penchant for occasional mischief. This might lead one to believe that they are also a mellow and peaceful people, though this couldn't be further from the truth- indeed, the reason for their cheerful attitude isn't so much for a lack of worries, but because they seek to live each day to the fullest, as their war-filled lives can lead many to an early death, and although they are of short stature, they posses a surprisingly high level of strength that makes them dangerous in close-quarters combat.

Frequently, usually twice or thrice per generation, the Wilders will march upon their homeland. These frequent wars have turned the Mountain Elves into hardened warriors perfectly capable of going head-to-head with their enemies, although they tend to prefer hit-and-run tactics, springing forth from the woods without warning to butcher their enemies, only to disappear again amidst the trees just as the enemy realises they're under attack.

Unlike most of their kind, the elves of Alorrien stand as a decentralized but unified force, consisting of multiple clans that each handle their own affairs, and work together in times of war under the guidance of a warlord elected by each clan's council of elders. Most of these clans live upon the mainland within Alorrien's borders, with the exception of the Elrindin, sometimes referred to as Snow Elves, who live upon the island of Elrindel somewhere off Alorien's northeastern coast. Unlike their mainland brethren, the Elrindin maintain a more grim disposition, and live their lives in a symbiotic relationship with the native Yeti population, with whom they are under the mutual threat of the local goblin population that inhabit the snowy peaks, in addition to rare Wilder invasions by sea.

Although Alorrien is home to dozens, or possibly even hundreds of clans, a handful of Great Clans wield political power, being the ones responsible for maintaining Alorrien's unity and ensure that invasions are dealt with. The great clans of Alorrien are:

The Arvending

The Elrindin

The Tolrendin

The Telrinin

The Indurin

And some others whose names I've yet to come up with. MORE DETAILS COMING SOON™