Others

Elves are often thought to be the first race on Linnath, but that thinking is flawed. Before the elves, there were Others. Little is remembered about the Others, and Fayrin the Conjurer is the only known being alive to have meet one.  

Appearance
Similar to elves, the Others are thought to resemble graceful humanoids, with pointed ears and features sharper than most humans. Differences between the two are seen in height, as the Other’s are at least a head taller than the average elf. Moreover, elves are no match for the sophistication and nobility given off by the Other’s graceful appearance. Those elves who suffer from vanity often pine for the mythical beauty of the long forgotten race.

The Others’ hair is crystalline and hollow, glittering like the sun on newly fallen snow. It has been said that it would fall off in combat, each strand piercing through the ground like a spear or arrow shot from a bow. Throughout the ages people have found troves of what is said to be the Hair of the other’s, small crystalline outcroppings buried amidst colder climates. Mages speculate that coming into contact with these clusters alone is enough to imbue one with the gift of magic.

 

History
It is unknown where the Others came from or when they were created, or even if they were created at all. The prevailing thought is that the Others are a dark counterpart to the angel-servants of Katelikessar and the Nine – servants of a higher power, though they are much more physical in nature.

 

Little is known about the history of the Others between their creation and the War for the Woods, though they are known to have ruled over the entirety of the Linnathian continent until the elves and Katelikessar drove them out. Since this exile the Others have passed nearly into legend, and from legend into myth. It is said that they still dwell in the southern reaches of the lands, in the Elven Wilds, far beyond the reach of the living. Various plots launched on the Silver Woods and Linnath at large; including various plagues, curses, and creatures – even a Terrasque; have been linked to the Others without proof.

 

One plot did, however, bring the downfall of the elves (at least some of them). The most elaborate of curses, beyond words or thoughts, was placed upon the elves. Unity had allowed them to drive the Others out, and The Separation would tear them down. It is unknown how the curse worked, what its effect was exactly, or if it could be stopped or reversed. All that is told in legend is that the grey elves became twisted and corrupted.

 

Always the humblest of the elven races, the Mountain Elves soon started to shift, demanding that more of the newly acquired land be given to them. Soon enough, a new war broke out, with the Grey Elves claiming that, “As the mountains soar over the forest, so we should rule over you.” Since this success, the Others have not been heard from; even in the most obscure of legends.

 

Abilities and Traits
The Others are said to possess extreme skill with the magical arts, some scholars suspecting that they even invented them. This expertise became so ingrained that members of the race are born with magic already flowing through their veins. Ice was their primary domain, and it was said that even a newborn Other could conjure a blizzard that would bury the largest city in Linnath.

 

Physical strength was also not missing from the bodies of the Others. It is said that a single Other soldier was as strong as five elves.

 

Culture
High magic and low morals are the trademarks of the Others’ society. The race mastered magic beyond the casting of spells to the level of weaving it into their very beings. Legend says that their blood was infused with energy from ley lines, and that even a drop of it could instantly grant sorcerous powers to anyone who consumes it.

Socially, the Others were cutthroat. The closest word to “trust” in their language was “mistake,” and indeed the cost of such a mistake was almost always a knife or a spell in the back. Order was kept, however, by grudging respect and fear of superiors. The frailty of the Others’ hair proved to be the perfect symbol of power. The less you get attacked, the more hair you can keep before it falls off. As such, hair became the main indicator of power and beauty.