Physical Characteristics
Elves are humanoid in appearance, the most obvious sign being their pointed ears, with large variations on ear length. They are generally tall and leanly framed, with few males ever having facial hair. They tend to wear their hair long though again it can depend on the elf’s preference. Their skin tone can vary from pale to dark brown. Certain subgroups such as drow or sea elves can even have dark purple or even blue skin.
Natural Habitat
Elves used to cover a wide range of places, often within nature with Eladrin and Sylvans most commonly living in the forests, along with tall cold mountain peaks with air elves, tropical coast with sea elves and deep underground caverns with drow. These days, elves have split between those who survived with The Mages and those who stayed in the old world. Those descended under The Shield find solace in places of strong magic auras, often in places of nature but the cities provide such places as well. The Old World elves within the 3000 years have adapted to the pockets where their descendants settled.
Procreation
Elves procreate through sex much like humans, and most rarely have more than two children.
Special Abilities
Elves are known for their natural agility and heightened sense of sight and hearing. They are also naturally adept at magic, with many often manifesting natural low level abilities when they hit puberty. Elves in the pre-Fall often manifested powers related to their subgroup, Wood Elves attuning to nature magic, Drow to dark magic etc. In the 3000 years since these powers now have wild variations in what a young elf can develop naturally.
Weaknesses
Besides a resistance to diseases and magical effects, elves are functionally as vulnerable as the average human.
Culture
In the Pre-Fall, elves were known for their superior attitude towards others, along with a high value on magic and nature. They were often known for inner conflicts between sub groups as well but valued wisdom and carried a deep desire to move beyond petty grievances of pedestrian mortals. In the millennia since The Fall elves have emerged into two groups Those of The New World and those of The Old World. New World Elves exist within the modern cities, still holding a strong value to magic and wisdom. However, New World elves exist within conflict with those who wish to return to the old ways of Elven culture and those who wish to move forward into the new world and seek new ways to evolve as magic users. The Old world elves are those that exist outside the cities often holding on to fragments of their past cultures as a patchwork of the surviving sub groups of elves all meshed together. They carry a strong affinity to nature as well as exist as a more tribal, war-like people.
History
Before The Fall there existed a vast tapestry of Elves, High Elves in their magic domains, Wood Elves of the Forest, Drow in their mountains, and all manner of elemental and sub-tribe there was. Seeing themselves as above the petty conflicts of others, The Elves acted too late into the Magus wars to turn the tide and so suffered horrible devastation. What were once strong lines of racial distinction soon faded away as every sub group of elf rallied together, either to find survival in The Mages shielded worlds or in the remaining pockets of safety near the wastes. In the 3000 years since the elves have merged largely into new cultures, broadly defined as either new world or old world. Their affinity to magic remains strong but things have faded, with their natural magics diminishing significantly. Their isolationism has also hamstrung them, many of the remaining Old guard often refusing cooperation with The non-elf Orders of Magic. Due to this many elves often find themselves out of place in the modern world, their only path forward being one they make for themselves.