Argentate Elves

Argentate Elves, also known as Byrjunalf (Densken, “pale men”), hail from the province of Nordyn (North of Ewsel).

Nordyn
Nordyn is directly north of Ewsel but is a province of Heli and home to the Argentate Elves. Nordyn is a cold and rugged region, full of mountains, cliffs and valleys. Any flatlands are just tundra brush the further north one travels. The coasts are blanketed by freezing cold tides and the mountains are littered with pines and redwoods. The Argentate Elves live in sectioned holds and towns are far and few between.

Physiology
The Argentate Elves are slightly shorter in stature than the Iridian Elves and are generally thinner. They have skin tones ranging from almost translucent white to pale grey and have icy blue eyes. They generally all have white-grey hair. Biologically, the Argentate Elves are cousins to the Iridian Elves and the Aureate Elves. The Argentate Elves are considered the most ‘unclean’, lineage-wise.

Culture
The main element of Argentate Elves society was kingship which came from mixing their Iridian ancestry and the tribal ways of the humans. The kings were initially elected, and then their families ran for as long as the free people were happy with them. Initially, there were only free men and their king, there were no lords as intermediaries.

Free women were allowed to inherit their father or husband’s ranks, which is a huge indicator of human influence. A woman was equally likely to inherit lordship from her father as were her brothers.

There are two types of marriage that the Argentate Elves follow: Free marriage and political marriage. Free marriage was between two individuals who average 20 years of age and in were true love and friendship. Political marriage is generally only seen in the ruling houses as it is used from birth (betrothal) to ensure allies.

The marriage vows are as follows:

“This Soul takes [partner’s name] as forever partner in toils and dangers, to suffer and to dare equally with him/her, in peace and in war, in life and in death, in youth and in old age.”

Weapons used by the Argentate Elves tended to reflect their physiology, as they were thinner and lighter than their cousins. They used longbows and javelins most often, any others were unlikely and rare. Any armor they wore was light and only a king or a lord would wear armor.

Before uniting under the Helian High King, the Argentate Elves were made up of several city-states that united for only short amounts of time. The city-states were easily inhabited by other races as everything was about uniting those who would not usually unite. This is why some of the houses of Nordyn are run by non-elven races. In fact, only one house is run by an Argentate Elf house.

The houses of Nordyn are: House Althaus, House Fascheux, House Ahlberg, House D’Airelle, and House Pavlov.

Religion
The Argentate Elves used to follow a human paganistic ritual but since uniting under the High King of Heli they have followed Orthodox and each town has a different shrine for one of the gods. Many of the god’s names found in the Argentate Elf language variant are similar to that of Common speak, notably the god known to the Argentate Elves as Ondagric and to the Iridian as Andagan.

Language
Though Nordyn’s official language is Commonspeak, the Argentate Elves keep their original language of Byrran which is largely oral and has no official writing.

Notable Byrjun Elves

 * General Myraduin: advising retainer to Lord Eliford Riverwood in Heli
 * Lord Leopold III Althaus: ruling lord of Rein in Nordyn
 * Lord Adalbern Steinritter: vassal lord to Lord Althaus of Rein in Nordyn
 * Lady Aelfstan Blau: vassal lord to Lord Althaus of Rein in Nordyn
 * Lady Amoux Otfried: wife of Lord Pavlov of Hase in Nordyn, last member of the Otfried line
 * Lady Gerhild Fuchs: vassal lord to Lord Pavlov of Hase in Nordyn
 * Lord Clovis Arce: half-elf vassal lord to Lord Pavlov of Hase in Nordyn
 * Wolfgang Arce: half-elf bandit, brother to Lord Arce, known for running a gang with a Denskelaw vampire and a demon halfling
 * Lord Balderich Trudchen: vassal lord to Lord D'Airelle of Cleford in Nordyn, father of the assassin Yseult Trudchen
 * Yseult Trudchen: highly skilled assassin working for Nerezza Burr in Ewsel
 * Lord Stithwulf Dietrich: vassal lord to Lord D'Airelle of Cleford in Nordyn
 * Brother Sieger Dietrich: monk that moved to Denske lands to spread Orthodox, father of Yates Dietrich
 * Yates Dietrich: one of five leaders of the Nordic Denskelaw invasion, advanced healer, father of Matthias, Feidhelm, and Finbar Dietrich
 * Matthias Dietrich: half-elf traveling healer from Nordic Denskelaw
 * Feidhelm Dietrich: half-elf graverobber in Nordic Denskelaw
 * Finbar Dietrich: half-elf graverobber in Nordic Denskelaw
 * Rand Gardner: son of demi-god Jack Gardner, on the run from Nerezza Burr in Ewsel
 * Keelin Gardner: daughter of demi-god Jack Gardner, reanimated corpse
 * Jorgen Lundson: butcher in Nordic Denskelaw
 * Klemmens Lundson: mason in Nordic Denskelaw
 * Tilde Lundsdottir: barmaiden in Nordic Denskelaw