'The Shadow Elves'-2013

'The Shadow Elves'
The Shadow Elves as they are also sometimes known are one of the most mystifying elven tribes of the race. Their realm is the noxious and odoriferous water marshes in the Northern Sarvonia  where the Injera has hid her Countenance for many thousands of a Milena. The origins of these Shadow Elves are called the Mo'hrhim tribe- then as they evolved to the shadow elves. as nebulous as their dark - lit lands. but it is said that the  present water marshes reside upon the ruins of the legendary - And elven city of their descendants of those who had refused to abandon the city even after it was a land of dust by the gods. So they were the directed descendants from the original elves that were here as one race before their god came to them and first made their world here on earth dark then light then their gods left them be and these shadow Elves have made the old ancient ruins the home. Which has become a great Water Marsh Land ruled by the Bone Queen-

The Shadow Elves are presently ruled by Avash'aelia who according to the legends is the Queen who has been their ruler and the Queen for thousands of a Milena to present day-

But she is very rarely seen by anyone outside the wall of their Kingdom-

The Queen has many names but her most feared title is the BONE QUEEN- And with it, she rules the Water Marshes and its inhabitants completely without per. Rumored to be as ancient and eternal as the light elves of the Thaelon, she is also quite insane and those who dare cross her borders do it out of extreme desperation or a madness rivalling the Queen's such trespassers are , like a bad tale never seen again.

Appearance

Like  their tribal namesake, the Shadow Elves over the ages, evolved into a shadow like form. These shadow forms are a kin to normal life elven kin. The shadow elves or shadow cast of that once elf can flit  independently across walls & spaces with a fluidity that is at once impressive & frightening to behold. A rare survivor, as this record is been written, who stumbled upon the Water Marshes once - described that the shattered walls of the city are thick with constantly moving shadows that whisper incessantly. 
Whispers that one can hear but can never make out the word within-
How & why they have evolved into shadows is a matter hotly debated by the elves & human historians - But the popular reasoning seems to be that it is the effects of a curse laid down by the Gods during the destruction of Fa'av'calar. Cursed, the elves - as they had dared to stay on in the city after its demise. If the Shadow elves were to venture away from the boundaries of the water marshes, it is said that they will melt away to nothing under the harsh light of the sun.
Another explanation is that these shadow - changing ability is merely a facet of adapting and surviving a harsh & unfriendly environment.The water marshes are well - documented to be constantly brimming with a sulfuring fog that comes form the creatures that live in the area. Within a few days - a human would quickly perish. But in their shadow forms the Moh'rhim seem not to mind the lethal and venomous air that surrounded them.
Though these shadow elves may seemed to look to be the unfortunate ones. They  used their ability to change into shadows to their advantage by befuddling any enemies and keeping the borders of the  cities sate from trespassers. 
Shadow Elves

Similar to their cousins the light elves, the Moh'rhim rarely take on a corporeal shape. When they do physically coalesce, their skin is ebony and their eyes are large and dark. Their Queen, Avash'aelia is said to have a fondness for the physical form and unlike the rest of her subjects, choose to appear as a terribly scarred young elven women with hair as black as the deepest caves and the darkest forest in the Elven. As far as the why the Bone Queen usually appears in an a corporeal state. Unlike most of her subjects, she is powerful to withstand the noxious fumes emitted by the bog of the water marshes. So there was no reason for her to adapt to her immediate surrounding to survive as the rest of the shadow elves had too.
Like most of the elven races, the Moh'rhim are very beautiful to behold when they choose to manifest themselves in a corporeal form though their beauty is like that of a waning moon on a cold starlit night rather than the bright, unearthly, loveliness of the Astyrhim or the fierce handsomeness of the Tethinrhim~
Bogs
Term used for bogs in the water marshes in their cities of the shadow elves are used for human burials ,human sacrifices, a place where usually human-elev-and other human like bodies have been found their doom. These are marshes places that have  a highly acid peat moss. The reason that bogs permit a high level of preservation is because they are both acidic and anaerobic (oxygen - poor) when a body is thrown into a blog, the cold water will hinder pure faction and insect activity. Sphagnum mosses and the presence to tannin add to the preservation by having anti-bacterial properties. 
Territory
The Shadow elf inhabit the wide expanse of the water marshes in North Sarvonia . It is a cheerless realm, filled with treacherous bogs that if you get suck in one, you'll be pulled down to its bottomless depths faster than anti spell of any elf of the Queen of Bones. The air is always thick with injurious fumes and cloudy everyday even in the day time as the sun's rays are unable to penetrate through the noxious vapours. 

The Shadow Elves guard their borders with jealously from outsiders and it is very rare to see a shadow elev leave the boundaries of the Water Marshes. 
There has been talk among scholars that the Shadow Elves are reluctant to leave their special realm, due to the fact that they have been in shadows for so long, that light, when it touches them, will destroy them immediately. It is said, there has never been seen one leave - so who knows if that is true?
People

Even though the Shadow Elves have been looked upon by their cousins as agents of evil, just because they have a fondness for the shadows. They are not inherently devious or black of heart. They maintain a studiously neutral stand among themselves. Their Queen Avashaelia - The Bone Queen - remains one of the most powerful elven rulers of all Elves. Even the most Powerful Realms would think twice before crossing over the borders of her Water Marshes without her permission.

The Shadow Elves possess a power that has caused some to trepidation among their own kind when in shadow form, they can enter the mind of another living being and cause the will of that being to become their own for a short space of time. Because of this ability, others of their race often shun them, because of this ability, although the Shadow elves seldom use this power for domination or control -
All Shadow Elves have this power but the strength of it varies in degree's from elf to elf- Only a handful are strong to simultaneously control the will of several minds at once. Interesting, it is said that their Queen is not a true Shadow Elf as she does not possess the ability to morph into a shadow from or have the mind power the Elves do. She is always depicted in a physical form. 
The Queen in her longevity is said that she has been around since before time. That she is one of the first elves to step foot upon the earth and that she actually does have great powers far greater than any shadow changing And mind controlling than all her subjects in the Marsh Lands. 
Shadow Elves - Clothes
The Clothes of the Shadow Elves are simple yet functional . And elegant due to their melancholy nature,  they  prefer  clothing in the shades of black, grey or dull silvers. The men would usually tie their  hair back with a strap of leather while the women will let their hair loose down their backs without any adornments .The women also favour old - fashioned gowns reminiscent of those worn by their ancestors during the ancient times with a high neckline and long sleeves that  touch the ground when they walk. The men mostly wear dark - colours tunics cinched at the waist with a belt with similar coloured trousers and boots. 

The Shadow Elves are the descendants of the elves who refused to abandon the great Elven Empire after its destruction by their Gods- The Water Marshes itself is to said be its ruins and some say there are still living descendants from its original  inhabitants of the Great City, including their Queen.
Wendy.