Lhûren

The Celestial Elves (Aurlûnoren: Lhûren) or sometimes Dragon Elves (Aurlûnoren: Lûnren) are elves that are the most populous residents of the Aurlûnor Velande. Commonly referred to as the "High Elves" (Aurlûnoren: Tarelren), most Celestial Elves consider themselves to be "children of dragons and stars" rather than actual elves, and state that their current form is actually their mortal forms, while their bodies transcends, henceforth, their namesake classification by anthropologists.

With a population of over 57 million people, Celestial Elves are by far the most numerous of the Elven species in terms of total population count of other elves.

History
Tracing back to the Elven Migrations, the Celestial Elves would originally come from the west, and went through the jungles along the way, but there was also those who would head eastward aboard ships. Eventually however, many of them would start to settle along the coasts of Southwestern Syltör, settling in a place known as Ardol in 11,000BCA. Celestial Elves under the Ardol Culture were largely a growing people that would expand slowly along the coastlines of southern modern Tacua Province, and settle their second city, which would become known as Estecónmar. These two ancient cities would become strong in terms of their nominal power, though, more tribes of Celestial Elves would come to dominate the region, starting confederacy conflicts with eachother. Those who stayed in the jungles in the west would become known as Jungle Elves.

By 4,000BCA, the Celestial Elves would of expanded further beyond their home, and would seemingly unify more together as the Kingdom of Almador, a powerful Celestial Elven kingdom ruled by an ambitious Celestial Elf named Maxion the Conqueror. This Kingdom would come to fight against the Dawou and the varying minor states, and eventually, conflicts with the native Kumiho in the southeast. The Celestial Elves would reach their highest point of a their first golden age under Almador, ruling dominantly as the majority species of the region. This would last until the fall of the Kingdom of Almador in 1500BCA.

Many Celestial Elves would be embroiled in the devastating Warlord Era. This period would be marked as a decline of Celestial Elves, as well as a population drop. One group, the Umarín, now known as the Sky Elves, migrated away as far as Eldham to establish the Crownlands of Yaszuma, completely separate from the Almadorians that they were once apart of. Eventually, with the unification of the core lands of the region undernearth Sareariel Lelya-Earcala and her Aurlûnor Velande, Celestial Elven population would become far more isolationist, yet, loyal to their new leader, who had lead them through a second golden age, despite the first four-hundred years of struggle. Sareariel would also be the first recorded Celestial Elf to sport rather draconic-looking features, much like their old beliefs in the Almadorian Pantheon and various other religions that other Celestial Elves had, including Ancestral Worship. The Twin Dragon religion would also start to phase in to the life of the Celestial Elves upon her descent and evidence of mystical powers., and her fire breathing.

The population would start to recover over the course of 900 years since the Celestial Ascension, with many new Celestial Elves growing throughout the Velande, and outside of the Velande, making them more of a majority group within Syltör itself. It would become the most populace of any elf population throughout the world.

Appearance
Celestial Elves are one of the tallest humanoid races in Rathnir, with their heights usually averaging from 5'6 to up to 6'5 at the most. Male Celestial Elves can grow to be all the way to 6'8, though this is usually rare, and this usually is seen with them being stocky as well. But at the most, a normal male can grow to be 6'4 or 6'3. A female can grow to a similar height but up to 6'6, with the average female growing to at least 6'2 to 6'1. Female Celestial Elves tend to grow very fast at around their preteen years, while male Celestial Elves grow later at around their later teenage years.

Celestial Elves are a long-lived people, and can grow to be around 300-350 years old, with their age of maturity coming at around 50 years of age. It is considered to be middle-aged at 240. However, this does not apply to all Celestial Elves, as the current leader of the Aurlûnor Velande is well over 931 years old, with very little signs of aging. It is rumored that some Celestial Elves practiced immortality, and some go through immortality rituals and even journeys to achieve it, but only four people so far, had even achieved such feats.

Celestial Elves have dragon-shaped eyes, which do not look very notable at first, as the lack of any sort of semblance to dragons is on them. Celestial Elves have dragon blood, and with that dragon blood, they are much more resistant to fire. Their skin is tougher than normal elven skin, being able to withstand hotter temperatures if exposed to, at the maximum of 160°F (71°C). As a result, colonization by Celestial Elves is usually easier than other elves who weren't built to the temperature. On rare occassions, they will grow a draconic tail, in which will have a different color, with the most common ones being black, yellow, blue, red and green, with sometimes it being bearded as red and yellow. Sareariel Lelya-Earcala is said to have a long golden bearded white tail. The ones with tails are often nobility.

The way Celestial Elves managed to gain their unique genes is unknown. Many theorize that early Celestial Elves may had mated with Aurlûnoren Lûns prior to their arrival to Ardol, or during the earlier points of their early history. This theory is often discarded as a mocking, or derogatory statement made by more bigoted groups that have a distain for Elves in general.

Cultural groups and Society
Celestial Elves are divided into multiple ethnic groups that exist around mostly the Aurlûnor Velande, and around the world. About a large majority of them are found exclusivley in the Aurlûnor Velande. The Umarín and Jungle Elves had physically changed so much, they are not considered Celestial Elves anymore, and are therefore not on the list. Although some do consider them to be apart of the same ethnic groups, despite lacking the faicial features of a Celestial Elf.

Heartlanders (Linyan and Melwendese)
Heartlanders are concentrated in mostly the Imperial Province and the City of Lhûmar located directly north of the Bay of Heaven, and are the most populace. Heartlanders are considered to be the most cosmopolitan of the Celestial Elves living in the Velande. These people are well known to be more open to outsiders, though they do keep careful with who they trust. Some of the more richer and conservative Heartlanders tend to be xenophobic, and look down upon outsiders. The Heartlanders tend ot dress much more proper, and usually dress in rather more lavish styles. They also tend to have more warmer clothing, due to the region's temperate and slightly colder climates. The nobility of the Heartlanders tend to be dressed in silks and velvets, and consider the color purple, red and yellow to be affiliated with the pride of their lifestyle. Heartlander diets also tend to be the most well known by foreigners, simply due to their location, and the city that the world usually comes to before going through any other part of the Velande.

Heartlanders are a supergroup combination of two groups: Linyan and Melwendese. Both of these two are dervived from the two superpowers of the Warring Period of the Almadorians known as the Kingdom of Melwende and Kingdom of Linye.

Angans
The Angans or the "Bayou Dwellers" are located around Nir and northern Hampo Provinces. Adapted to the environment of the Bayou, these Celestial Elves developed better immunities to the local diseases such as yellow fever. They are known to be fantastic fishermen, rice farmers, spice masters, and live together with the Yi'yen that are in the region. They are said to be more conservative, and do not really enjoy foreigners, especially the Angans who live further in the swamps.

They are said to be the most humble of the Celestial Elves, not really caring much about the amount of stone used on the building, but the amount of fish they are going to catch that day. For this reason, many in the Heartlands usually tease the Angans, calling them "Swamp Toads". Almadorians take it a step further, ridiculing Angans for living in wooden hovels, and sometimes straw or hide hovels, and often referred to them as the "Poorest Lhûrens".

Another source of pride or ridicule is their diet. Many Angans will consume almost anything that comes out of the swamps or sea; they tease other Lhûren for being squeamish, while the Almadorans and Heartlanders deride their diet as borderline barbaric. Lingremian, made with fried fish and either rice or wheat noodles, is a common dish, as is zongzi made with Arundinaria (swamp cane) leaves. They also eat many kinds of shellfish, game birds, turtles, frogs, alligators, and even monkey soup. Richer and/or diaspora Angans may shy away from these more exotic dishes, or embrace them as cultural icons.

Almadorian
The Almadorians inhabit the Alma Province, with a small minority population living in the Tacua Province, which are mostly concentrated in the city of Estecónmar. They are the least populated of the other culture groups of the region, but are by far the most densley populated culture as well. Known to be the most haughtiest and arrogant of the Lhûren, Almadorians look down on anyone who is not one of them, and more than often, ridicule others for not being as being the most superior Lhûren that once strided throughout most of the known world. They are said to be the most xenophobic of the others, and within Sachómar, strictly look down on outsiders, even among their own people, though, they do look more up towards Heartlanders, a biet, with others things to say about them. Almadorians favor themselves to be the most lavishly dressed, and often are seen boasting rather fancy outfits. They are known to be the canal people, and many Almadorians find themselves in higher courts in other places, mostly as ministers or in governorships. They are rather resourceful, and influential statesmen, probalby due to the predecessor Kingdom that came before them.

Zhanundeoran
The Celestial Elves east of the Aurlûnor Velande are known as the Zhanundeorens or the people of the wartorn lands. This refers to Ryzan as well as it's predecessor states. They make up a sizeable minority within the eastern areas such as Malyan Province and in cities such as Tossagrad, Highguard, Volkoregrod and various others. Zhanundeorens and Ryzanis have anamosity ever since the dissolution of the Aurlûnoren-Ryzani Empire, which saw the two groups live together in an uneasy peace. Multiple times, mostly in Volkoregrod, they were targeted by Soleannen, Tossanist and mostly Athiest Ryzanis during riots, especially the one that saw a dramatic decrease in Twin Dragon worship when Titan was executed for heresy by Sareariel Lelya-Earcala herself in Volkoregrod. As a result, Zhanundeorens do not like Ryzanis, with the ones living in Volkoregrod living in their own community, isolated from Ryzanis and Olthaics. The ones in Deutzmar have tensions with the Ryzanis and Deutzanis, which is often seen as problematic for the local, provincal and imperial governments. The War in Ryzan has left many Zhanundeorens displaced, with most of them moving to the Aurlûnor Velande and into Andorn as refugees from said crisis. The exact population presently in the former Ryzani regions are unknown.