Elf

Elf
Homeworld:	Oachidae
Average Height:	1,70m - 1,98m
Average Lifespan:	650 years
Classification:	Mammalian
Language(s):	Sylvaerin, Elënari, Aurelian, Galactic Common
Government:	Constitutional Monarchy
Notable Traits:	good senses, magical attunement, very good dexterity
Affiliation(s):	Observer status in intergalactic treaties and organisations
Status:	Existing

Overview

Elves are one of the oldest races in the known universe. They value enhancement and development of their physical and mental abilities over technological progress and are one of the most magically attuned races. To others, the elves often appear as distant, aloof and sometimes even hostile. Between themselves, they are however passionate and open and happy to share ideas and knowledge. This drastic difference in how elves usually are and how they are perceived comes from their secrecy and their unwillingness to allow members of other races to visit their core worlds or get deeper insights into their technology and knowledge.

Physical Characteristics

• Elves are tall and, while they generally look like humans, their bodies are thinner and seem to be generally narrower and without distinctive curves. They rarely seem to be gaining weight. Elves are often in great physical shape as this is one of the things their society values the most. This might however differ with elven societies that developed outside of the core worlds and those places that are directly influenced by those.
• The only hair they have is found on their heads. It is normally straight and often worn long for both males and females. Facial hair on male elves is rare, but happens. But no elf will really be able to grow a long beard.
• While the elven physiology does not lean itself easily for great strength, they are naturally dexterous and quick. Their movements are often described as graceful and very fluid.

Abilities & Strengths

• Elven physiology often gives them a high level of dexterity and it is easy for elves to attain mastery in physical fields like acrobatics, climbing or martial arts that rely on precision, speed and dexterity.
• Thanks to their attunement to magic, Elves are immune to magical sleep effects and benefit from a high resistance against enchantment spells and effects. However this effect is very dependant on the individual and their individual attunement. Many elves actually even lack this ability outright.
• Elves have very keen senses, with very good hearing and eyesight.

Weaknesses & Limitations

• Due to their physiology, Elves usually have less constitution and strength then comparable races like Humans or Dwarves.
• Individual Elves can often be very single minded and focuses fully on the specific path they have taken to pursue in their life. While this allows them to reach astonishing levels of mastery and great abilities, it might also make them just refuse to do anything else. Anything that is not related to their path, they would consider to be better done by someone else and a waste of their skills. This can make them look even more arrogant and badly reflect on the overall view on elves by other races.

Culture & Society

While to most an elf will appear to be mysterious, when seen more positively, and aloof and arrogant, when seen negatively, they actually have a very different and often very varied society that can be very different when it comes to elves that live in the Core Worlds and those who live outside of those. End some elven societies, especialy the Dark Elves, have a society, that can be seen as deliberately opposite to the elves of the Core Worlds.

But since the Elves living in the Shalaevar Empire are the most numerous group of Elves around, their culture is what most elves adhere to.

Elves like undisturbed nature and will try ot build their cities so that they work and exist within nature and form a symbiotic relationship with the land around.

While elves are secretive when it comes to their home worlds. They can still be found often traveling or even living in other places. Somtiems those elves have individual quirks that make people think, that those might be the strange ones who have been thrown out of their society. They are however substantial elven ocmmunities on toehr planet who, after many years of separation, do not have much connection to their home world anymore and have generally adopted to the culture of the worlds they live on.

4. The Split with the Dark Elves

   Not all elves agreed with the retreat and restructuring.
   Some factions—those who would later become the Dark Elves—believed that the elves should have fought harder, refused to retreat, or embraced more radical methods.
   In the aftermath, these groups were either exiled, left willingly, or broke away, forming their own secretive and militant society.
   The Dark Elves, in contrast to their more isolationist kin, embraced espionage, AI-enhanced technology, and ruthless pragmatism—a path that would later bring them into conflict with their former brethren.

   Cultural Shift Toward Secrecy
   → The elves are now even more reluctant to share knowledge, fearing a repeat of past mistakes.

   Loss of Former Influence
   → The once vast elven-controlled territories have shrunk, and they no longer dominate entire regions of space.

   Tension Between Tradition & Innovation
   → While elves still advance technologically, they do so with great caution, avoiding rapid or untested innovations.

   Survivor’s Guilt & Internal Divisions
   → Some elves still debate whether they should have fought harder instead of retreating, leading to ideological splits within their society.

Elves do not like uplifting and the idea of fast-tracking other races to a higher technological level. They consider this as robbing the affected beings of their chance of their own development and instead forces them into the idea of what the race doing the uplifting has of them. But while they dislike and reject the process and idea of doing that, they do not hold any ill will to members of the uplifted species. Instead their view of the species doing the uplifting would possibly be lowered.

Elves are often seen as arrogant but in truth, they are actually secretive about their technology and abilities. The unknown and devastating attacks they suffered in the past made them hide their strength and abilities and often have a mistrust towards other races. They do not partake in the general galactic sharing of information and are not connected to the galactic data sphere.

Elves are known to be great artists and often posess great mastery in many different fields. But usually, an elf will be very focused on their special field they decided to study and reach mastery in. It is fairly rare for elves to switch away form a path they have taken.

While Elves are weary and do not trust others easily. Once they do, they tend to be seen as great friends and will stand by those they trust through the worse of times.

The elves in your setting likely have their own ancient and sophisticated language, shaped by their long history and magical heritage. Given their secretive and isolationist nature, their language might be rarely taught to outsiders and could serve as both a cultural identifier and a tool for encryption in their technological systems. Possible Names for the Elven Language

Here are a few name ideas, depending on the tone and aesthetic you want:

   Elënari – A graceful and flowing name, evoking an old and refined civilization.
   Sylvaerin – A name that ties into their affinity with nature.
   Aurelian – A high, noble-sounding name.

Linguistic Characteristics

   Highly Structured & Precise – Elves see language as an art form; ambiguity is avoided.
   Vowel-Rich & Flowing – Words often have a musical quality, with soft consonants and elongated vowels.
   Magical Notation System – Their writing system may incorporate runes or symbols that double as magic glyphs.
   Strict Formality – Different registers exist for addressing rulers, scholars, and commoners, reflecting status and mastery.
   Difficult for Non-Elves – Outsiders struggle with the nuances of pronunciation and layered meanings.

Usage in the Galaxy

   The language might be used in official documents, sacred texts, and technological systems.
   Many elves might refuse to speak other languages unless necessary, reinforcing their secretive nature.
   In diplomacy, they may insist on translations being verified by elven scholars, ensuring no misinterpretations.
   Non-elven societies might have fragments of their language, adopted into high academia or magical studies.

The Lost Elven Worlds: Forgotten, Fragmented, and Reclaimed

When the data attack devastated the elven empire, the decision to retreat and consolidate meant that many outlying colonies, trade hubs, and research worlds were abandoned. Though the elves tried to evacuate as many as possible, not everyone left or had the means to escape. Some remained due to circumstances, choice, or necessity. Over time, these left-behind elves formed their own distinct civilizations, diverging from both the High Elves and Dark Elves.

These lost elven worlds fall into several broad categories, ranging from struggling remnants to thriving independent civilizations. 1. The Survivors Who Stayed Behind

Not all elves agreed with the retreat. Some colonies had strong defenses, intact infrastructure, or simply felt abandoned by the central government. These groups adapted in different ways: A. The Isolated Holdouts (The Last Bastions)

   Some elven worlds were able to resist the data attack, either through luck, effective countermeasures, or sheer stubbornness.
   These colonies are often fortified, self-sustaining enclaves, holding on to ancient traditions while cut off from both the High Elves and Dark Elves.
   Many have become deeply suspicious of outsiders, including their own kin, blaming both factions for abandoning them.
   They rely on old elven technology, often modified or reinvented to function without access to external support.
   Some are now miniature elven kingdoms, ruled by monarchs or councils that claim to be the true inheritors of the elven legacy.

🔹 Example World: Silwe'ethal

   A former research and spiritual world where monastic scholars survived in deep underground vaults.
   Over centuries, they have developed a closed-off, ritualistic society, believing that their isolation preserved the “pure” elven way.
   Their technology is still ancient but refined, and their warriors are deadly duellists, dedicated to maintaining their own form of elven culture.
   They consider both the High Elves weak and the Dark Elves corrupt, refusing to ally with either.

B. The Free Elves (Those Who Chose Independence)

   Some elves refused to align with either major faction and instead formed their own civilizations.
   They abandoned the secrecy and isolationist policies of the High Elves but also rejected the Dark Elves’ brutality and slavery.
   Over time, they built alliances with human, dwarven, or other species, integrating into the wider galactic community.
   These societies tend to be less rigid, embracing cultural exchange and technological progress.

🔹 Example World: Vailis Prime

   Once a vibrant elven colony, Vailis Prime’s people survived by adapting to galactic trade and industry.
   Now an economic powerhouse, their descendants are found across the galaxy, working as diplomats, scholars, and shipwrights.
   They maintain cordial but distant relations with both High Elves and Dark Elves but do not consider themselves part of either faction.

C. The Lost Colonies (Those Who Struggled to Survive)

   Some elven worlds were cut off and collapsed into ruin.
   With no external support, many descended into feudalism, tribal warfare, or technological regression.
   Others barely survived, their once-thriving cities reduced to decay, scavenging, and subsistence living.
   Some of these worlds have become refuges for rogue elves, pirates, or exiles, turning into lawless frontier zones.
   The few elves who survived may now be unrecognizable to their original culture, having intermarried with local populations or become nomadic wanderers.

🔹 Example World: Calthelis

   Once a shining jewel of the elven empire, Calthelis was left behind due to its proximity to the data attack’s epicenter.
   Now a decayed ruin, its survivors are hardened warriors, scavengers, and shadowy technomancers.
   Some of its remnants have been recruited by the Dark Elves, while others have become cybernetically enhanced survivalists.

2. The Elves Who Joined the Greater Galactic Society

Many elves who were stranded on other worlds or in mixed-species space simply adapted. Without a centralized empire to rely on, they chose to fully integrate into the societies they found themselves in.

   Some became citizens of major human, dwarven, or alien empires, rising through academia, trade, or military service.
   Others formed interstellar guilds, becoming mercenaries, scientists, or traders, known for their elven precision and craftsmanship.
   Over centuries, these elves lost much of their original culture, evolving into something new.
   Some are seen as “galactic elves”—a hybrid culture that has no homeworld, no king, and no desire to return.

🔹 Example: The Elven Trade Clans

   A network of merchant families that spread across the galaxy after the empire’s fall.
   While still proud of their ancestry, they now see themselves as a part of the wider universe, trading with humans, dwarves, and other species.
   Their descendants are found in all corners of known space, from frontier traders to corporate executives.

3. Relations with the Two Major Elven Factions

The elves who remained outside the two dominant factions have complicated relationships with both. High Elves' View on the Lost Worlds

   The High Elves view the remaining colonies with mixed emotions—some are seen as tragic remnants, others as dangerous rogue states.
   They may offer alliances to some worlds, while avoiding or outright ignoring those that have diverged too much.
   To them, the "galactic elves" who fully integrated with outsiders are considered lost children of their race, respected but no longer part of the elven destiny.

Dark Elves' View on the Lost Worlds

   The Dark Elves see some lost colonies as potential allies, particularly those that are willing to embrace AI, cybernetics, and strength-based leadership.
   They actively recruit warriors, mercenaries, and technologists from fallen colonies.
   However, those who refuse their ideology are simply another obstacle or resource to exploit.

4. The Legacy of the Lost Worlds

The abandoned elven colonies and their descendants have shaped the galaxy in ways neither the High Elves nor Dark Elves anticipated.

   Some of these lost worlds may still hold secrets—forgotten elven databanks, experimental magic-tech, or ancient relics.
   The lost elves represent what the empire could have been had they taken different paths—more open, more integrated, or more fractured.
   They also serve as a potential bridge between the two major elven factions, though centuries of distrust make reconciliation unlikely.

Conclusion: A Future of Possibilities

The lost elven worlds are varied, diverse, and unpredictable. Some cling to the past, seeking to restore what was lost, while others have moved forward, forging their own destinies.

   Could one of these colonies rise to prominence and challenge the dominance of the High or Dark Elves?
   Might an ancient elven world hold the key to unlocking forgotten knowledge or lost magic?
   Do the descendants of these lost elves hold a different vision of what it means to be elven?

There is no single answer—only the echoes of a once-great empire, now scattered among the stars.

Government

Elven communities can have different forms of government. But usually, they tend to lean towards various forms of meritocracy, democracy or constitutional monarchies or any mixture thereof. This was even more the case before the Data Quake, when the Elven society was much more divided into different nations and communities.

The Shalaevar Empire, that got created after the Data Quake, is itself a constitutional monarchy, where the empress or emperor are elected into their positions once they step down or die. The parliament is formed by elected members of the society. Those are usually masters in their craft and are recognised as such by the wider society and then proposed, and elected, to be members of the parliament.

While the Shalaevar Empire has relations with other species, their secretive nature and unwillingness to share technology and information, makes them refuse to be part of any actual formal alliance or greater galactic organisation. Under normal circumstances, they will always only opt for observer status in those. But even when they are not part of such organisations, they usually also adhere to the rules of those in order to facilitate trade and to help in enforcing anti piracy or anti slavery patrol or to ensure cooperation in the face of disasters or big emergencies.

Es the Empire is very aware of the fields where it has shortcomings compared with other powers, they are placing a great emphasis on diplomacy. They might not be open towards others, but the Empire will always make sure to never be considered a danger to others. And to only be seen as a danger to those, who would plan to attack them.

Economy

Elves place almost all of their industry in orbit and are happy to limit economical growth and production in order to avoid damaging the planets they elected to live on. They also prefer single pieces and quality over mass production and even with large industry present, they always put more value into things that got crafted by hand then anything that was made by machines. Such master-crafted items and small-series items are what the Elves trade with other species. But never any technology. Instead the biggest exports of the Elven Empire is art and simple things like various household items. Plates, vases, various decorative items or furniture. Or individual masters who sometimes rent their services out to other nations.

Es such, Elven industrial power is actually comparatively small for an Empire of its size and technological level. This is not only due to their value on master crafted items, but also on their focus on magic and personal advancement over economic power and the pursuit of wealth. Possessing large sums of money is something that would not be of much value to an Elf. Even someone who would be considered a master in economic endeavours would always be judged by what they do with the money and how they invest it. Since simple hoarding would be seen as wasteful.

And if the current Elven Empire needed mass production of components they would need, then they would most likely hire a Dwarven Clan to produce those. But they would still make sure, to buy the items in such a form that would not allow any insight into the exact look or function of the finished products.

Military

Elven Military Philosophy relies on precision, mastery, and elegance in warfare. Elves treat warfare as a matter of precision, personal skill, and strategic brilliance. Their fleets are surgical instruments, their warriors master duellists, and their philosophy of combat a balance of discipline and adaptability.

In combat, elves relay on their high tech weapons and sensors, speed and manoeuvrability and the abilities of their leaders and individual warriors. An Elven soldier, no matter their position, trains for centuries, ensuring that even a single fighter is worth an entire squad of ordinary troops. Their strategies focus mostly on precision attacks on selected targets, decapitation strikes or even pre-emptive strikes to remove an enemies ability to attack them first. They will however always try to avoid large scale destruction and consider war to be a struggle between honourable and dedicated soldiers that should never involve civilians.

Just like with any other profession, Elves who choose to follow the path of the warrior, will focus and train until they achieve true mastery of their craft. Be it in a leadership roles, as pilots or individual soldiers. This is also represented in the way the military of the Shalaevar Empire is build up. Instead of having standing armies and set structures, Elves often follow those who they consider to be masters of their craft. So great military leaders can amass flotillas and troops around them. Constant training and competition between those, often highly specialized, elite units ensures, that they can retain their very high standards, that allows the Elves to make sure, that they can expect to be able to fight numerically, and economically, superior foes. While doing so with comparatively smaller fleets and armies.

One of the things that drives the Elves to never neglect their military and always ensure, that it stays ahead in abilities and power is, that they always plan for and think about what happens, when they will finally find and face the mysterious power that originally attacked them with the Data Quake. For the Elves this is something of an End Times event that will either lead to victory or the end of the Elven civilisation.

Tactics & Doctrine

• Decapitation Strikes – Rather than destroying entire enemy units, Elves prioritize taking out command and control elements as well as logistics hubs. They use speed, precision, and tactical brilliance to leave enemy forces leaderless and disorganized.

• Hit-and-Fade Attacks – If an enemy is too strong for a direct engagement, Elves will harass and withdraw, bleeding them slowly over time. The control over when, where and how the battle happens is paramount for almost all Elven military thinking. Enemies often find it frustrating to fight elves, as they seem to appear and disappear with perfect timing.

• No Wasted Motion – Every shot fired, every manoeuvrer, and every deployment is calculated. Elven forces never engage in wasteful brawls.

• Superiority in Single - Combat Situations – A one-on-one duel between an Elven warship or military unit and an enemy almost always favours the Elves. They are better trained, better equipped, and more precise.

• Avoidance of big military actions – They see it as wasteful. Instead, they deploy small, elite strike teams that can eliminate key targets before an enemy even realizes they are under attack.

• Always on the back foot - Since the Data Quake was such a drastic change in Elven society and thinking, the possibility to meet and fight the unknown adversary makes the Elves always plan and train under the assumption, that they are fighting from a position of inferiority. Therefore they always try to get the most out of any ship, unit or even the individual soldier.

Elven Starships: Masterpieces of War

Elven warships are handcrafted marvels, each built to perfection rather than mass-produced. Every starship is a balanced work of art, engineering, and tactical prowess. And each ship is expected to be holding their own against at least several ships of comparable mass that are used by other races. Individual fleets will often have ships build for their specifications and designs. So it is possible to not only recognise an elven warship by its design, but also the specific fleet it comes from. The visual design of those starships, vehicles, personal armour and weapons is often a symbol and piece of pride for the units and they will use it to the sense of competition between each other. However, on the inside, all elven starships and weapons are build to the same standards and are perfectly interoperable. Something the various fleets and units are very keen on maintaining. Training cooperation between the units as often as training in adversary positions.

Key elements of Elven starship design

• Manually-Controlled, but Enhanced - Elves refuse to let machines make autonomous combat decisions. Instead, their ships use complex neural interfaces, allowing pilots to control ships as if they were an extension of their body. Tactical computers act only as advisors, enhancing the pilot’s capabilities without overriding them. And even those often rely on biological technology to protect them against normal electronic attacks and even shield them against magical influence.

• Fast, Manoeuvrable, and Precise - Instead of using brute-force or overwhelming numbers, Elven warships prioritize mobility, agility, and accuracy. They never engage in direct slugging matches. Instead, they prefer evasive tactics, surgical strikes, and the complete neutralization of enemy command structures. Elven fighters and corvettes can weave through enemy fire like dancers, avoiding damage rather than tanking it.

• Limited Numbers, Highly Specialized Crews - Elven starships are not meant to be crewed by anyone but the most highly trained crews. Every officer and pilot is an expert in their field, sometimes training for centuries before being given a command position. Because of this, every Elven [starship|warship]] is a precision instrument, operating with only the best crews.

• Aesthetic and Functional - Elven starships are elegant—smooth, curving hulls, intricate inlays of silver, gold, and blue-tinted alloys, and sails or fins that double as manoeuvring thrusters or energy conduits. Often covered in the signs and symbols of their fleet and the deeds that both fleet and the individual starship has accomplished. Instead of giant, bulky designs, they favour sleek, elongated vessels that flow through space rather than dominate it. Camouflage tech or light-warping fields are common, allowing elven ships to disappear from enemy sensors rather than rely only on force shields.

Notable Elven Ship Classes

• The Duelist-Class Frigate: A small, lightning-fast warship designed for ship-to-ship combat and armed with weapons and sensors specially designed to find and exploit weak points in the defences of their targets. Those ships are often used in hunting down smugglers or pirates as their weapons are great in disabling ships rather then outright destroying them.

• The Pathfinder-Class Cruiser: Those are usually used for long range patrol, reconnaissance, infiltration, and command duties. With its powerful stealth technologies, it can gather intelligence, disrupt enemy communications, and disable sensors. Those can also be deployed ahead of the main fleet to soften the battlefield before the real engagement.

• The Wrath-Class Battleship: The rarest and most powerful of Elven warships that serves as the anchor of an elven fleet, coordinating the flow and delivering the most devastating firepower at ranges unmatched by most other comparable warships. Each one handcrafted by master shipwrights for the specific needs of the leaders of the most powerful fleets. No two battleships are exactly alike, and each has its own reputation and storied history.

Ground Warfare: The Art of War on the Surface

Elves approach ground combat the same way they approach space combat. Precision, mastery, and efficiency are the core of the general philosophy. However there is a greater emphasis on small unit tactics and the individual soldier, in contrast to the need to have perfectly coordinated crews of sometimes very large starships.

Elves does not field ground armies of the same sizes as other nations as they do not consider it a goal to permanently occupy areas. Their ground units will be dropped into the combat area, fulfil their task as fast as possible and exfiltrate again before the enemy can respond. Hit and run tactics are common and Elven soldiers will try to overwhelm and destroy their enemies without giving them a chance to respond. They will often also not bother with taking prisoners and every enemy soldier found resisting will be killed. Those who surrender or are too wounded to fight are often left behind in order to spread the tale of such destructive attacks that come out of nowhere in order to demoralize the enemy. Some units might even spread false information about how their stealth technology can be overcome in order to lure the enemy into disastrous traps.

Notable Elven Ground Combat Units

• Phantom Warriors (Stealth Operatives): Those units blend into the battlefield, and seemingly strike from nowhere. Giving the enemy the impression that no place or time is safe from attack. They make heavy use cloaking fields, high-speed manoeuvring, precision rifles and magic to both disrupt and directly attack the enemy. For psychological effect, they also employ energy blades and decorate their power armour in ways to instil fear and panic into the minds of those they are fighting.

• Sky-strikers (Aerial Specialists): Air assault infantry that use jetpacks to move through the battlefields to appear in places where they are least expected and move away before any counterattack can be mounted. They can evade enemy fire with extreme agility, making them almost impossible to hit.

• Sentinels (Defensive Elites): The closest to regular infantry the Elves have. Those are heavily armoured fighters trained in both holding positions and also assaulting them. Both with magic as with heavy melee and ranged weapons. Their heavy suits also equipped with shields and magic based defence system that can deflect or neutralize attacks before they hit, making them incredibly hard to engage directly. And, following the general philosophy of Elven warfare, those units are also set up to move quickly, change positions or even seemingly vanish into the battlefield only to reappear in another place to surprise the enemy.

History

Elves are a very old race from the lush and forest covered planet Oachidae with a strong connection to the realm of The Feywild and, as they claim to be directly linked to it and descendants from beings who left this realm for the physical plane, a strong sense for magic and its flow through all the nature they like to surround themselves with. They once ruled over an empire that spread over large parts of what is now considered the known galaxy but are now much more guarded and instead of wanting to further expand their borders, they fiercely defend them and do not allow others to cross them easily

Elven history can be broadly divided into to big eras. The time before the Data Quake and the time after it.

Before the Data Quake

The elven society of the time before the Elves left their home system and spread out into the stars have consisted of different states and factions with often very different societies and ideas. But even divided like that, the elven societies never drifted apart to the point where they would engage into large scale conflict. While conflicts happened, they Elven factions and nations always put more reliance on cooperation and diplomacy. So when they spread into the Galaxy, they formed a loose empire that would facilitate the sharing of information and resources and prevent conflicts. And also provide a unified body that could represent the elves when they would meet other species.

In those days, the Elves spread and their explorers flew far and many scientific discoveries have been made. Colonies on far away planets have been founded and research stations founded. The core worlds enjoyed an overall golden age and technological progress saw a widespread success and influence on many parts of the Elven society. And the abilities of the elven military with both magic and technology, managed to see off most of the threats encountered. And any bigger threat never managed to really threaten the core worlds, what contributed to a long lasting era of peace and prosperity that most of the elven race enjoyed.

It was also the time where the first bigger divisions in the elven society have appeared. With the distances between the planets growing and technological progress moving individual societies on different paths, many discussions came up. From the question on the influence of advanced AIs, or how far cybernetic enhancements should be embraced. Or if less developed species should be contacted or left alone. But even with those discussions becoming very heated at times, those have still never led to conflict.

Most of the first contact the elves had with other races fall into this times of prosperity too and it contributed to a general adoption of the idea, that Elven technology and knowledge was so far ahead of the others, that sharing it would possibly lead to problems and not yet equal societies might fall to the dangers that such advanced knowledge inherently has. As such, the elves never integrated themselves into the growing galactic information networks. This often lead to other races feeling, that the elves are considering themselves to be superior and looked down on others. For the elves, it later contributed to them being able to withstand the worse effects of the Data Quake.

During the Data Quake

When the Data Quake hit, the elves got caught by surprise. No one knew where it came from or how it even happened. The only thing that became clear early on was, that it came from the outside of their empire. Centuries later, the same would happened to Humans, but the effect it had on the elven society was fundamentally different. Unlike humans, who may have experienced it as a rapid collapse of infrastructure and widespread chaos, the elves, given their long history and structured society, faced it as a slow-burning existential crisis. It was hpwever still a catastrophic event. As it struck, computer systems failed, ships vanished and seemingly unconnected pieces of tehcnology all started to act contrary to their programing or failed outright. It first started in isolated palces, but then spread through the empire faster then anything natural or even possible and no matter to defence seemed to help. What looked like some sort of electronic disease jumped form one system to the other, wrecking communication, data storage and infrastructure alike.

But unlike Humanity, who got hit by a similar [Data Quake] centuries later, the Elves had some advantages that allowed them to withstand the worse of its effects and to preserve a lot of their power. Another difference was, that the specificities of Elven society and technology turned the Data Quake from a singular strike into a slower process that pushed its way through the Elven empire in a more measured pace. So for the Elves, is all took many years to be concluded and some areas got affected longer then others.

• Magic and Technology

Elven society never relied solely on computers and technology. Their attunement to magic and respect for natural processes made them very open to pursue advancements with magic. And with magic interlaced deeply into many fields of Elven technology and data storage, it was easier to mitigate the effect of the Data Quake as when the computers failed, it was often possible to use magic to keep them running for long enough to enact emergency measures or redirect control system to prevent the catastrophic collapse from reaching apocalyptic levels. In addition, the generally low willingness to share knowledge and technology with other races prevented a wide interconnectivity with the broader galactic networks. While this caution would not prevent the attack, it helped in slowing down its spread and allowed for an easier identification and cutting off of attack vectors.

• Elven personality and individual mastery

Many elves dedicate their entire life to master one specific field within their society. And many of those who actually reach the levels of true masters, have not only stepped up to organise things around them and keep them working, but they could also draw on their personal knowledge as well as their often extensive physical libraries. As such, many of those masters contributed greatly to the preservation of not only Elven society, but also its knowledge base and technology. And so, help to avoid a wide spread collapse.

• Containment & Sacrifices

While the Data Quake hit by surprise, the ability to slow down the spread, still allowed for some preparation and containment to be implemented. In order the save the core of their empire, the elves reacted with drastic measures. Once it was clear what was happening and that the attack was spreading through data networks and AI systems, the elves shut down and isolated entire planetary and station-based data systems. Entire planets have gone dark and communication across the empire was cut in an attempt to quarantine the infection.

The Elves realized that attempting to fight the attack everywhere at once would lead to a total collapse. Instead, they made the painful decision to abandon outlying colonies and fortify the core worlds. Many Elven-ruled or Elven-influenced territories were cut off, either because they were too compromised or too difficult to hold without risking further contamination.

Instead of attemptind to salvage and clean their data networks, the Elves purged their infected systems entirely. They destroyed corrupted archives, shut down compromised AIs, and physically dismantled networks that could not be secured.

• Reorganisation of the Society

Before the attack, Elves had many different nations with sometimes different forms of government. Faced with the trouble and hardships in the aftermath of the Data Quake, Elves unified much more and build up a more tightly knit society with a much stronger unification of its customs and ideas. The Core Worlds also unified under a singular leadership.

After the Data Quake

Elven society was profoundly changed by the Data Quake. The centralisation that started during the attack, as it was recognised as such, was kept up and deepend over time. Culminating in the Constitutional Monarchy that is in place today. The data attack was a turning point for the Elves, forcing them to abandon their outer empire and reorganize their society into a more unified but secretive civilization. While this ensured their survival, it also left them distrustful of outsiders, highly protective of their knowledge, and deeply wary of AI and data networks. This was even more reinforced by the inability to identify the source of the attack.

• The New Empire

The retreat to the core of the Empire, lead to many of the outer colonies being lost and a drastic reduction of the size of the Empire. The areas that have been given up, have later fallen under the control of others, but some actually vanished completely and there are rumours and conspiracy theories, that the current Elven Empire is deliberately keeping the positions of those lost worlds hidden in order to hide whatever might be still there. Be it to prevent others from finding and utilising it or to keep whatever is there contained and locked.

While any place that could be evacuated during the retreat was, many elves still stayed behind. Be it because of necessity or because they did not wanted to leave. Those places became isolated Elven enclaves, disconnected from their former empire and forced to adapt to new realities.

So while on one side, the Data Quake lead to a unification and centralisation of the Elves on the Core worlds. forming the Shalaevar Empire, it also lead to a fracturing of the society on the Empires periphery. With the biggest group to split off being known as the Dark Elves, who considered the retreat and enforced limitations on technology the new Empire imposed to be wrong and that the Elves should take a drastically opposite strategy. Since only by embracing all possible technologies, the Elves could hope to defend themselves or even attack the force that attacked them in the past.

• Fortification

The elves heavily fortified their core systems, turning them into nearly impenetrable bastions. Many previously open worlds became restricted, accessible only to elves or trusted allies and powerful sensor stations line the borders of the Empire to detect and identify any incoming ship long before it would cross into Elven space.

And the Elves to not take lightly to any attempt to bypass those border stations. While they would not see it as an hostile action outright, those that did it might get killed or have their minds wiped by magical and technological means to remove every bit of knowledge that they might have gained. If such incurisions would however be done with the backing or by command of soem government, then the Elves might resort to instantly attack any of their ships that comes close to their borders or even conduct surgical strikes against any facility where they suspect that elven technology might be being worked on.

• Changed Attitude toward Technology and Information

As a direct result of the data attack, the elves have fundamentally altered their relationship with technology. While connection to the galactic data sphere have been already fairly limited, they now got cut off completely. Communication and any data transfer is heavily restricted and is only allowed to go through predetermined points where everything can be monitored and checked. The same goes for trade and diplomatic contacts. Those too are concentrated to specific trade stations on the borders of the Empire so that every contact with outsiders can be conducted without anyone able to even see the elven worlds.

Elven systems are completely isolated, preventing outside influence. Signals are heavily encrypted and systems always come with analogue and magical redundancies. There is heavy reliance on physical backups, analogue fail-safes, and manual oversight with a extreme caution toward automatisation and AI. AI is strictly controlled, never fully trusted, and always paired with manual supervision.

In addition to this the reliance on personal mastery ensures, that knowledge is passed down through apprenticeships rather than automated databases. And while the elves do use electronic databases, those are heavily encrypted and secured and everything is also kept on physical copies that even enjoy a greater level of acceptance in the Elven society.

• Focus on magic and physical advancement over technology and computers

The mistrust towards technology and AIs the Elves developed did not meant that they abandoned scientific progress. They actually did the opposite and poured a lot of resources into this as they saw the need to prepare for the moment they should ever met the power that attacked them. But instead of relying on technology, they focused on magic and physical advancement of themselves. What they could not do with computers and networked systems, they would from now on do with rigorous training and by pushing themselves to the highest levels of mastery. What they used AIs and computers before, they would from now on be able to do themselves.

The Present

Many centuries after the Data Quake the Elves are still a very powerful and highly advanced race that keeps an air of mystery around themselves. They claim a sizeable Empire that, even when only a faction of what it was once, is still both big and strong enough to be considered a major power. Their warships are often seen as the equivalent of entire fleets and their warriors absolute deadly combatants. Especially when faced one on one. At the same time, they are known for their diplomats and artists and while the Empire does not directly engages in any larger organisation, they still keep diplomatic contacts and always opt for an observer status on any of the multi-national organisations in the Galaxy.

Even when people see the Elves as either mysterious or arrogant, everyone agrees, that today's Elven Empire is not going to invade anyone or engage in conflicts without them being attacked first.

Technology & Notable Creations

Elves have achieved a high level of technological progress, but the drastic impact that the Data Quake had on their society, made them make a drastic turn in the path they took their advancement form this point on.

Instead of pursuing greater mechanical and computing technology, the Elves put more weight into understanding and developing their understanding of biology, chemistry, magic as well as their mental and physical abilities. What other people would use computers and AIs for, the Elves do themselves or create networks that rely on biological processes instead of electronic ones. With that, they developed many techniques to increase their mental discipline and abilities for calculating, data processing and quickened reaction times. Coupled with the drive for individual mastery, Elves that pursue those fields can be seen as living computers as they drive their minds to astonishing abilities that other races can only achieve with artificial technology. However, this is only available for Elves who have trained to achieve this level of abilities and not common in the general population.

While the Elves of the Empire can produce and use advanced materials, their shift towards biology and magic, also lead to advancements in the creation of biological networks and grown materials. If there is a way to naturally bring a crystal, plant or mineral to assume the shape and functionality needed, then the Elves will know how to do it.

For the Elves of the Empire, any technology that does not keep someone in the loop as the actually deciding and controlling factor is dangerous and the reliance on networks and electronic data processing will only lead to doom. Especially when the unknown power that caused the Data Quakes should show up again.

Elves have always tried to blend their technology with the natural world they live in and the strong reliance on magic and the advancement of their biological bodies and minds, only reinforced this, making Elves avoid any technology that would have too much impact on the environment. As such, Elves generally try to keep their planets as natural as possible and place all industry and production in orbit or the wider solar systems.

Trivia

A common theory about the very similar look between humans and elves say, that both races actually have common ancestors and their genetic code has been engineered or spread by an unknown race that is either extinct or has left the galaxy so long ago, that no traces are left that could shed light on this mystery. However DNA studies have not revealed any similarities. This however has not stopped the rumours.