Frost Born

[Lupincrystal]

Frost Born

Frost Elves

Frost Born are a rather stocky subrace of elves, compared to the other subraces they bear similarities to. While they are more at home in colder climates, where they are seen to thrive and often reside, they, however, can easily grow used to any climate they live in, adapting quickly to what best suits their survival. Their physical characteristics, such as size and height, are not limited to any specific parameter, varying between stocky and tall as their originating genealogy determines. As is documented in newer texts, the eldest Frost Born made it to 932 years of age, though this was a rare and publicly celebrated accomplishment. Many tend to make it to around 550-600 years of age, though this is heavily dependent on being resourceful and keeping out of danger’s way, with the more reckless of the bunch passing early and young.

Appearance 

Despite being called Frost Born, their skin tones range from very fair to a deep chocolate color. More similar to ‘traditional’ human skin tones, when compared to the other races. Much like the Frost Born’s skin tones, their eyes tend to be more ‘natural’ in hue. Colors such as ambers, shades of soft blues, chocolatey browns, cool gray’s, bright greens and multifaceted hazels are commonplace. 

The racial characteristics of hair colors also tend to lean naturally in shade, from light shades of blonde and auburn, to the deeper ranges of browns and ebony. Many tend to keep to their traditional colors, and allow their hair to grow to longer lengths, holding onto their familial roots and past origination, though this does not bar the more spirited of them from coloring their strands in all manner of hues.

Average in height, they tend to be able to reach heights of six feet, and stooping lower to 5 feet. Even at these varying heights, they often lean to be on the more built and curved body types, holding muscle due to their more glacial origins, physically prepared for the icy winds of snowy terrain from which they hail.

Culture

This subtype of elven blood tends to lean into the Jack-of-All-Types habitation of trade, mundane but hardworking. Though not often specializing in any particular craft, they find themselves to be capable of mastering most hobbies if they put a bit of elbow grease into their learning. Culturally, this subrace has put far more importance on survival and making it to the next short-lived spring of their presiding territories, rarely placing beliefs in spirits and the magical arts on the front burner. The few who do tend to be those that have moved into the cities and towns of other races, picking up cultural beliefs with each new experience, rather than learning such from birth as their sister races do. The few things they do put importance on tends to be in favor of their close knit communities, supporting others in their community and helping their smaller populations thrive. While willing to establish trade and stationary villages, many tend to move with the beasts and plants, as their life force transitions with the shorter seasons, always on the watch for migrating animal packs, and the far-and-few herbs and vegetational growth. Utilizing as much as possible, families will pass down their habits of meat and fur processing, careful to not miss pieces used for food and clothing, and often exchanging the remaining decorative elements and nicer furs for the luxury goods and seasonings that traveling traders bring.

Relational and Family

As a long-lived subrace, Frost Born are often rather dependent on their familial ties, both in nurturing their children much longer past maturity, ensuring they are well versed in survival, as well as in educating the younger generations to treat their bonds and kin with respect and kindness. Those that bring shame to their names tend to have their shortcomings hidden, their parents and predecessors hiding smaller crimes and affronts from the larger community. The ones who are not as lucky, having public shows of foolishness or endangerment of others, tend to be ostracized or outright cast out from their homes, banished to allow their families to save face and avoid association. Due to the high importance placed on familial bonds, younger elves are often seen as coming into maturity, marked by their accomplishments rather than their physical maturity. Though those who reach 18 may begin exploring romantic and societal bonds with passing travelers and other families, they are still often seen as more careless and less knowledgeable than their older kin. Those who reach the age of 25 -having trained in a mastering of resource processing of herbs, fur, or meat- are given a ceremony celebrating their accomplishment. This is a sign of maturity socially, being granted their first tattoo to symbolize their entry into adulthood within their community, beginning to break free of their parents restrictions, such as being able to join the hunters tracking larger prey, as opposed to the smaller rabbits and squirrels they learn to use bows and blades on. Many will also begin to explore their surrounding lands and villages, learning trade routes and traveling to the lands of other races. Each new passing hobby or mastery is celebrated upon their return by way of a new tattoo or piercing, with even those that have long moved out of their ancestral communities still carrying on the tradition. From leaves and flowers to show mastery of new herbs or medicines, to smaller symbolic markings to indicate new relationships and courting, they celebrate each passing experience as they age. Perhaps stemming from the shorter life expectancy expected by their predecessors, this standard has long been passed down, difficult to pin down when it first began.

It is not uncommon for Frost Born to find romantic connections with those outside of their smaller villages, if only due to slim pickings amongst those they grew up with,  resulting in half-breeds of all kinds and various mixed elven children intermingling with their family lines. 

Redlines:

- Frost born height is 5 foot to 6 foot, anything above or below that needs to be approved by LT

-Hybrid Frost born (kolbolds/Frost born children) Are sterile and unable to have children naturally.

- Their builds normally reflect their line of work

(lore may be updated in the future so bare that in mind)