Wood Elf (Creature)

Wood elfs are small humanoid creatures that inhabit the forests of Dunn. Though often said to possess magical abilities, there is no scientific evidence to support this claim.

Etymology
The term "Elf" comes from the old Dunni term "Alf", which comes from the Ancient Drûggish word "Alfa". As such, the plural is technically "Elfen", but as this also describes things related to elfs, "Elfs" is an acceptable and common substitute. "elves" is just as incorrect as "dwarves".

Physiology
Wood elfs stand two to three feet tall, slightly higher than gnomes (a closely related species of elf). Their skin is soft and ranges in color from white as snow to peach or pink to brown to grey like tree bark. Their hair has similar range in color. Wood elfs are humanoid, meaning that they have humanish faces, the same number of limbs, and even ten fingers, but have characteristic upturned noses and pointy ears. They also have very small feet that allow them to step about the forest floor unheard.

Second Age
In the Second Age, wood elfs lived in small hollows carved in tree trunks near or in human villages or towns. These were usually built in a cluster around each other known as an "Elf-Town", and typically functioned as a community led by a "papa elf" or "mama elf" and consisting of as many as four dozen individuals, each with a specialized role to play in the community. Their clothes would often be dyed bright colors, and they were known for wearing characteristic pointed hats. Elfs had a keen interest in good food and good music, and the smell of baked goods and the sound of pan-flutes would often lead men directly to the elf-towns. This lead to good relations between the two races and many elfs learning human languages.

Third Age
In the Third Age, the forests were perceived as a much more dangerous place to be. This led to many elfs moving into cities, which were becoming less of a human affair. Elfs would often still retain tight-knit communities within human cities, only with many many more elfs. A single elf-town could span several acres and consist of thousands of individuals. Traditional elfish language disappeared by the year 2000 TA, but other aspects of their culture, including the music and baking, remained.

Relation to Gnomes and Other Elfs
Wood elfs are a dignified race and refuse to be associated with trows, goblins, fairies, and especially gnomes. They consider gnomes barbaric (and for good reason), and have on multiple occasions declared all-out war on gnome communities. Technically, however, all these races are biologically related, as they all descended from the same proto-elfs created in the First Age.