Sil'Norai
Contents
Fast Facts
Height: 5’8"-6’6” Males, 5’4”-6’2” Females
Weight: 130-230(lbs) Males, 100-180(lbs) Females
Lifespan: Adult (18 years), Elder (250 years), Deathly (300 years)
Notable Features: Glossy Skin, Pale Blond or Silver Hair, Shimmering Silver Face Patterns, Silver, Gold or Amber Eyes, Sharp Features, Sharp Ears and Long Youth
Player Restrictions: None
Racial Ability: Sundered: After being saturated in ethereal energy for so long, magic for the Sil'norai is a volatile if comely element. Sil'norai have learned to endure the effects of Magithermal Entropy's greatest consequence, Mageblight, better than other races. The Sil'norai have garnered an inherent resistance to such backlash through their exposure to radioactive ether, allowing them to expend ether to the point of Overstepping with fewer consequences. This gives them a small edge over other mages, who must demonstrate a modicum more caution when learning magic. This also marginally decreases the risk of death from magical initiation, meaning they are more commonly mages than other races, at least outside of Sil-Elaine.
Population: 4,000,000 - There are nearly as many Half-Sil'norai as there are Sil'norai, with the majority of them living in Daravin. These half-bloods do not count towards the total population of the Sil'norai, but number around three million.
Distribution: Sil-Elaine, Daravin
History
The Sil'norai diverged from their forebears long ago - so distant were those days that few can even recount the theories, which have changed through time. While it was not entirely known as to why or how the Sil'norai truly came to be, all know that they were not originally ‘Sil'norai’ at all. Once the Ald'Norai, or Ashen Elves in their own distortion of the Elven tongue, the people of the Darklands were renowned for their power over flame and the depths of their arcane understanding. In spite of this outward prestige, turmoil was rife within. The Darklands were divided by war for... a very long time, violent bickering between Elven Dukes ravaging Mornoth's interior. Still, even in their divided state the Ald’norai managed to dominate their neighbors and domesticate the men of adjacent realms into that of chattel slaves.
Eventually the realms united beneath a fabled Queen, Riala Elaine, and the Elainian Dynasty came to rule over much of central Mornoth and even beyond. The people of what is now Adena and other nearby cities and towns were overrun, the Kingdom of Silor - the origin for so many names to come - reigning supreme within Atharen’s east as an Empire that could not be negotiated with or battled against. The arrogance of the Ald’norai was great and they came to conquer millions in time, reaching the boundaries of their region, being held back by nothing but the obstacles of mountains and chilling frost.
They were feared, and hated, and they kept the Lords of smaller realms awake in the night. They scorned mankind as inferior and would leave no Noble in his post, overthrowing every foreign hierarchy with the gift bequeathed of a cruel Elven Lord.
And due to this, it was a realm open to rebellion and near the end of the Third Age, Silor met its end. A mass of rebels stirred within Adena and fought back the Elven occupants, forming their own Empire - an 'Unbroken' one - that would eventually consume and replace the one left by the Ald’norai. It was upon the collapse of Silor that the Ashen Elves claimed their new name, eager to disassociate with the failings of their fathers and mothers, who had brought them beneath the heel of an Empire of men they viewed as lesser.
Yet despite this arrangement and the callous history they had wrought, the humans of the Unbroken Empire treated the Sil'norai well, hopeful of integrating them. They were offered positions in government and the military alike, promised many of the luxuries they had known during the reign of Silor. The Elainian dynasty was allowed to rule Sil-Elaine as a vassal monarchy, and prosperity unlike even that brought by Riala was infused into the core of their realm. The Sil'norai at this period in history were wealthy and influential, and were among the most populous races on Atharen.
Their Kingdom was among the world’s greatest and the pride of the Unbroken Empire. Silvain, their language, became more human-like in speech and their mannerisms strayed from the posh formalities of Elven life and towards the earthly exuberance of mankind. Yet, allowed to retain their autonomy, the people were happy even to fuel the war machine of those who had cast them down from their former might.
But so tied, and so dependent on the Empire above them, the Sil'norai were left vulnerable to the chain of events that followed - ones that would shape them into the sullen heap they have become. Destruction, trauma, fears of extinction - all followed the Bleeding that threw the Elven world into disarray.
The great recession of Sil'norai prosperity is a period not laden with the eminence of their long-standing royal line, nor the conquest of a foreign Lord. Silor and the Unbroken Empire alike waned, and in their place a new power grew.
The Court of Dusk was once a very meager faction; a group of sycophants bound by secrecy that were meant to advocate for one another. Within the shadows they would conspire, bringing this or that Lord to scandal in order to bolster their own influence upon the crown of Silor. Their secrecy was kept through the knowledge that any subversion or betrayal would be met with fierce retribution, as all of the Courtiers were arcanists of no meager ability.
When the Bleeding of Venadak occurred and the Unbroken Empire collapsed as a result, the Sil'norai who were not only geographically but culturally and economically close to the heart of the Empire were among the most impacted. Nearly ninety percent of all Sil'norai died due to the Bleeding, though it was far from immediate. As the contents of the Outlands flooded into the world, the Sil'norai began to grow violently ill with a magic-born plague. The first few millions died as a result of the horrific mutation of their forms beyond the point of function, and many more passed in violent fits in the following weeks.
Among the infected was the Court of Dusk, perhaps vulnerable to the Bleeding due to their enrichment in the arcane. Every last Courtier was infected, and half among them quickly passed.
But the ones who survived the first stage of the illness and its progression were also those most unwilling to pass on; the most ambitious of them, the most ruthless, those willing to deceive and betray. These Courtiers sought all the answers they could - from Necromancy to things even more heinous, their wanderings leading them to an evil not yet wrought upon their world. Valteran came to the Courtiers in the dark of night, and with an offer made them the first of his ravenous kind, the Dranoch. Empowered to survive and thrive amidst the conditions that wracked a post-Sundered world, the Court quickly gained unanimous authority within Sil-Elaine and reined in all of the systems the old dynasty left behind.
The Dranoch have since then domineered the Sil'norai realm, a Kingdom not ruled but tapped for all the blood it can spill.
Physiology/Biology
The Sil'norai among all elves appear to be born with eminence. With glossy skin that follows their movements with an enchanting sheen and an array of complex, tattoo-like patterns they appear to be born with, it is clear even from viewing an elder of their kind that they are a beautiful people. All Sil'norai possess pale blond, silver or white hair, and all of them possess piercing silver, white or gold eyes, illustrating a noble appearance that most can instantly relate to their kind.
Sil'norai are typically fairer than their Hyr'norai counterparts, though this is largely due to the overcast of Sil-Elaine. Their forms, while they can be robust or gaunt, tend to be fairly balanced if not leaning towards being somewhat leaner and more lithe. The far majority of Sil'norai have sharp features and soft skin, and men and women alike do not grow much body hair, renowned for their smooth appearances. For this reason among many others, they are often desired outside of Sil-Elaine as courtesans and lovers and often carry a high price.
Being that the Sil'norai have been natured in unstable arcane elements for so long, they are a people who appear to have been shaped by magic. Some say it has corrupted them, to their core; a curse that has weeded its way in. Many young Sil'norai, more and more as generations follow, have begun to be born with magical anomalies and strange mutations that appear to change nothing other than appearances yet worry the people of Sil-Elaine all the same. It appears to be clear that the Sil'norai are growing more infected by the arcane as time goes on, as if it has become an inherent aspect of their race.
In terms of how these alterations tend to appear, they are generally physical and prominent in nature. For the purpose of character creation, please simply include a description of any such anomalies in your character's appearance section.
Mutations
For the sake of ease in creating a new Sil'norai PC, there is a list of common mutations that any PC may choose from, with up to 2 mutations total allowed. Half-bloods may choose 1.
Tyrnac's Heritage: The Sil'norai will sometimes appear to grow a corrupted, biological material that many would compare to actual glass, though it is not sharp and wields a smooth texture. Scientifically, it is more comparable to a crystallized scab. The glass can grow anywhere on their body and can be carefully removed, either by clutching along its edges and pulling or by striking it gently with a hammer and pulling the pieces individually. Some Sil'norai enjoy their glass growth and chisel and style it as ornamentation and jewelry, and others have even kept the pieces and turned them into attire, as the 'glass' is a flexible and durable material.
Ivory Grip: A mutation affecting primarily the hands, the Sil'norai's fingers will - over the span of their life - begin to grow a thick, ornate layer of ivory digits with similarly flexible joints and silvery tips replacing their nails. Over time their fingers will brittle and die, only their bones remaining within, the process tending to complete around the beginning of their adulthood. What is interesting about these ivory fingers is that they may often be converted into instruments, and otherwise appear slightly more durable than regular organic hands. They also do slowly regrow from damage, though considerably more slowly than skin might.
Fleshly Aberration: Perhaps the most undesirable of all mutations is this one. The Sil'norai will grow a hideous aberration somewhere upon themselves, perhaps a large red ulcer that perpetually throbs, a tumor upon their breasts or within their thigh, and sometimes the aberration will even grow as they age. While a skilled Necromancer can remove this trait, they do so at the risk of ending the Sil'norai's life, as they tend to hold concentrated corrupted waste within their bulbs.
Ashenskin: Somewhat similar in appearance to Ivory Grip, the Sil'norai will begin to grow an ornate, ivory-colored "armor" over a sector of their skin, often covering a region of muscles. For example, a Sil'norai will grow a white-encrusted ornate husk over both of their pectorals or breasts, appearing almost like a disjointed breastplate. This can happen anywhere on the body and to several muscles. The actual durability change of Ashenskin is highly trivial, acting more as a thick layer of additional skin than anything else. Ashenskin feels very smooth in texture.
Shrivenskin: Shrivenskin is almost identical to Ashen Skin, but rather than a somewhat opulent armor-like external layer, Shrivenskin appears to deprive said sections of the Sil'norai's body from appearing to have any skin at all. Instead, it will essentially appear as if the muscles underneath are entirely exposed.
Sundered Inheritance: A somewhat rare trait, those with this mutation often appear the most like the Ald'norai of old, with an ashy texture to their skin. This tends to manifest in the form of slight discoloration almost like blotched freckles across their skin, but portraying an entirely different aesthetic that many find very appealing. Their skin tends to vary between ivory and a gradient leaning towards grey, with somewhat wildly differing results, as the grey-looking Silver Elves tend to be seen as strange or diseased.
Silvergleam: Some Sil'norai are born with opaque white eyes, with seemingly no distinction between their irises and sclera. Silvergleam often results in significantly reduced eyesight, but not always. In fact, there are some Silver Elves with Silvergleam that tend to see remarkably well, in line with their peers. Unfortunately, few avoid the second catastrophic result of Silvergleam: permanent deafness, difficult to cure even with magic. It is barely understood as to why, but this combination leaves most born with this mutation with very difficult lives.
Leaden Veins: A somewhat common mutation, particularly in the northern region of Sil-Elaine, is 'leaden veins'. Some of the Sil'norai's veins, including those on their face, will appear to be colored black over time and will quite visibly appear through their fair skin. Women with leaden veins are believed to be cursed with greater infertility than others, though this is entirely speculative.
Psychology
While once renowned for their haughty and noble nature, the Sil'norai have changed through time to possess a very nihilistic view of the world that tends to reflect the arbitrary chaos many of them endure. Anxiety around death permeates the perception of the Sil'norai and many of their works and phrases tend to revolve around the uncertainty of life. While many young Sil'norai harness this fear to lead chaotic and hedonistic early lives, most grow tired after so long witnessing suffering and the majority of the Silver Elves tend to become rather stoic and conservative in demeanor as they go on.
Some would say the Sil'norai are a passive people - like livestock, in many ways, for their Dranoch Lords. Rebellion is far from even considered, and instead their simple lives tenuously carry on towards the darkness that may await without all too much consideration of what pain may come.
For those who do not live in Sil-Elaine, some of their natural nobility is said to shine through their actions. Sil'norai abroad are known for their shrewd nature and sharp wit, and often even their selfishness. Perhaps, some say, it is this same selfish nature that keeps them silent against the cruelty done to their kin.
Culture
Sil'norai culture - at its core - is as elegant and as grim as an onlooker might expect it to be. Blood sport is incredibly common in Sil-Elaine, with Sil'norai bearing an unsurprising fascination with victory and supremacy - one that they have always had. Arenas and their 'killers', not called gladiators, are revered though many of them tend to be filthy and far from the public eye. Sil'norai often appear to almost siphon adrenaline off of viewing others in dangerous or exerting arrangements, and this reflects many aspects of their culture. Sports - particularly dangerous ones - are beloved and commonplace. Survival, in many ways, is a sort of game.
Unfortunately, few other things in Sil'norai culture are so daring. Their foods have scarcely developed in hundreds of years after having lost a great deal of their quality during the Bleeding, due to many foods and a great deal of their crops becoming tainted. As most luxury foods died with the Bleeding, the typical Sil'norai meal is bland and often made from a mash of multiple ingredients that will often conflict. With the majority of Sil'norai living in impoverished disparity beneath the Dranoch, few can afford to act inventive and food is seen solely as a source of sustenance for them, rather than relief.
Still, there are many remnants of the old Silor culture, and not only their fondness for blood sport. The Sil'norai are a theatric people with an adoration for acting, stories, plays and novels that act perhaps as a form of escapism rather than anything else. With most Sil'norai being literate due to their long lives, books are a beloved pass-time and many Sil'norai can recount tales of sifting through pages for near days at a time, enthralled by the works of their authors who appear to be most resilient among them all.
Clothing and Grooming
Clothing and grooming are very important to the Sil'norai and remain as one of the staples of their greater culture. Though the cobbled roads of a Sil'norai town square may be torn, and the walls may be failing to remain upright, one can always be certain that the Sil'norai will be dressed well and that they will smell and look as if the Bleeding had never occurred. Sil'norai clothes are often satin, of dark or neutral colors, often coffee, grey or black shades for men and a larger variety for women. Collars are often embroidered with a sort of tattoo-set of patterns, similar to the Sil'norai facial markings, and bracelets and earrings are common even among men, often of quartz and fake platinum. Chokers for men and women - often black - are also very common, and jeweled or ornate ones are seen as a sign of status.
Men tend to wear form-fitting tunics and similarly fitted linen pants, almost always shades between white and dark brown. Women often wear long dresses that run to their ankles, and for this reason tailors often spend a great deal of their time fitting and cutting dresses to perfectly fit the women they're to be sold to. If there is one thing the Sil'norai remain known for it is the quality of their garments, and the work of their tailors remain one of the greatest commodities in closer realms such as Lorien and Khadai.
Technology and Intellectual Pursuits
Although all Elven races were once 'Ald'norai', it is the Sil'norai who took after their legacy and called it their own, revering the way in which the Ashen Elves engineered their societies. As a result of this, Sil'norai have always been keen to technology and have always viewed it as an extension of their power and their will. Interestingly, the Sil'norai - and really the Ald'norai - first began to encourage magical and scientific engineering to converge, before the Unbroken Empire used such techniques to dominate the globe. Much of their old capital, now titled Arlain, is a representation of this: many of their buildings were crafted with impressive engineering techniques, but with materials augmented by magic to improve upon durability and longevity. For this reason, many Elven monuments have survived thousands of years and countless natural disasters without decay. It is also for this reason that Arlain still stands almost identical in appearance to how it was before the Third Age, even after the Bleeding came and went.
Sil'norai engineering is certainly what they are known for, technologically, though there have been many other advances and developments produced by them even after their exodus to Sil-Elaine that have since been lost or monopolized by the Dranoch. Still, many understand that the world would not be where it currently is without Sil'norai minds of old, even if their repressed society has failed to produce anything of value in quite some time. It is often stated in historical text that the Sil'norai were at the core of Unbroken industry, with Sil-Elaine being among the most advanced of Imperial provinces and its people some of the greatest contributors to Unbroken development. Unfortunately, these advances have faded, and most of the constructs built in this time lie in utter ruin.
Arts and Crafts
The Silver Elves, unsurprisingly, enjoy working with silver and glass and often craft many ornaments, sculptures and constructs with these two resources. Silver and mirror-glass are somewhat common to the Elainian Darklands and are sought after for their illustrious beauty, with all of the windows of the Court of Dusk's chambers of rule being constructed with mirror-glass.
In fact, mosaics are a common form of art within Veranor and the Sil'norai are among some of the world's best in this regard. Many of the prominent structures of Sil-Elaine feature mosaics that are known as far as the Free Cities, though other than these things and generally their fashion and jewelry, the Sil'norai are rather unspectacular in their taste and talent.
Religion and Worship
Sil'norai religion is a complex topic, one that involves a great deal of misunderstanding and deliberate repression of truth. Ages ago, before the advent of the Dranoch, Elainian society was among the most fervent in the world -- but not in the worship of the Living Gods. They held their own pantheon, the Eldashan, commonly referred to as the Elven Gods. While all Elves piously followed these Gods even after their schism, it was the Sil'norai who held a truly special relationship with them. The Elven Gods refused to surrender their home-land, viewing Daravin as the sacred place of their birth. Ultimately, however, they had failed in the war against human insurgence, and they were expelled.
But they, and the Sil'norai, were like-minded. Emerging from this mutuality, the Sil'norai forged a pact with the Gods of Old to reclaim their homeland through time - one day. The majority of these Gods therefore decided to settle in Sil-Elaine, all save for Ridhain who moved to guide and foster the Hyr'Norai who he viewed as his mission to protect. Lachrann at first migrated outward to seek the Druskai of Mornoth, who she sought to foster like her own, though with time many of them returned to Sil-Elaine with her after the Elven God had been hunted viciously by human magi.
As a result, the four remaining Elven Gods dwelt with the Sil'norai in their new land, and acted in their defense as time carried on. They acted almost as agents of the Sil'norai monarchy, defending their borders from raiders and their seas from piracy, and they tightened the bond between the Sil'norai and the Druskai to foster new alliances that would serve them well in later years. The role of the Elven Gods in Elainian society was broad and intense; they were always acting on behalf of those they viewed as their children, and in turn they were loved and revered.
But as is the source of many changes, the Bleeding came and the Elven Gods were struck hard by it - just like their people. Being in Sil-Elaine, so near to the impact, all of them save for Ridhain were damaged greatly by the blast and were mired in corruption. For reasons still unknown to the world, Veratelle was struck especially hard by the Bleeding and effectively died in the impact, leaving a gaping void in the faith of the Eldashan. Many believe this was due to her form - that of a large tree at the heart of Sil-Elaine - being directly struck by the blast, with the millions of trees surrounding her utterly razed and demolished. Lachrann was forced to flee after absorbing a great deal of corrupted ether, poisoned seemingly beyond saving and with the newly risen Dranoch intent on allowing her death.
Lotheric and Tyrnac have remained in Sil-Elaine, but since the rise of the Dranoch, most Elven historical records have subsided. Some elderly Sil'norai still speak of the Elven Gods in a benign and loving way, but Sil'norai are taught by their masters to view the Elven Gods as little more than horrific beasts opposed to the continuation of their society. Those who do encounter Tyrnac or Lotheric in the wild, however, or Veratelle's many spirits in the forests of their dying realm... tend to find that the Elven Gods remain kind to them, and continue to act as their guides. As a result, as Elainian society grows more decentralized and as Dranoch power wanes, more and more Elves have begun to return to their historical faith.
Outside of this, there is a significant sector of the Sil'norai that worship Malek due to his aide in their fight against the Dranoch. While all such practice must be hidden in mainstream Sil'norai society, it is common that the Sil'norai pray to Malek in silence, seeking liberation from the chains given to them.
Finally, outside of Sil-Elaine, there are two categories of Sil'norai that tend to walk diverging paths on religion and piety. There are Sil'norai who have long since fled Sil-Elaine, or perhaps even existed as small diaspora in other nations before the Bleeding, and then there are those who have recently fled their oppressive Kingdom. The older Sil'norai communities, born into freedom, tend to worship the Elven Gods openly and with great festivity to their practice, some even making pilgrimage to Vendigad to view the last realm truly dominated by the Eldashan, and of course to look upon Lachrann herself.
Then, there are Elves who have fled Sil-Elaine in their lifetime. These Sil'norai tend to seek a re-connection to their old roots, and often they carry many questions that other faiths may sometimes answer. Those who do return to the faith of the Eldashan sometimes even return to Sil-Elaine, seeking to join Lotheric and Tyrnac in their mission to regain Elven glory. Often, they move to Daravin, fascinated by the nostalgia of dwelling in their homeland and often taking on extremist religious ideals. Such as that homeland's violent re-acquisition.
Reproduction, Aging, and Death
A sad truth for the Sil'norai is the blight with which they have been inflicted since the Bleeding. A majority of Sil'norai appear to be infertile - or at least, forced to lament in failed attempt after attempt at conception, with many discovering after what is sometimes decades of reproductive attempts that they can in fact bring forth a child. Just as many cases, however, lead to miscarriages even at the end of that journey.
Nearly all Sil'norai wish for children. To bring forth a child is seen as a sign of strength - that a man or woman's lineage should carry on, and they and their family will often be celebrated for months after a birth or pregnancy. For this reason, regardless of sexuality or marriage, Sil'norai are paired with others in order to reproduce, with children considered to be the greatest commodity of their society.
Reproduction is, for them, as banal as it is for humans - it begins with insemination and leads toward a nearly year-long process of development. When a child is born to a Sil'norai mother and father, it is given to one of them - often determined by their wealth - and will carry the surname of the one it is given to. Sil'norai children are born with many of their unique features, from their sharp ears to their ornate patterns and golden eyes. The children are infamously known to be quiet and inquisitive, often staring as a wallflower would; patiently, observantly, always.
As a child grows and becomes more playful and adventurous, the Sil'norai are quick to teach their young self-control, particularly in the Darklands. To catch the eye of a Dranoch is a fearful concept, and it is better to remain one among many within the crowd. Conformity is a survival instinct for their kind and it is taught well to nearly all children, with those failing to absorb those teachings often falling prey to the ill-fated hunger of their voracious Lords.
Youth for a Sil'norai is a long process, however. Even as the body matures and becomes an adult, at an age similar to that of a human's development, a Sil'norai is still often considered immature for a very long time. One cannot even be seen as middle-aged until nearly a hundred and fifty years of life, with those living to their two hundredth year often being consulted for what must certainly be their wisdom.
A Sil'norai does not appear to be truly aged - at least not into frailty - until around this time, becoming elderly at around two hundred and fifty years of life. From this point forward one can only guess how long they may have to live, though some can endure the entire span of human lifetimes from this point until the moment of their passing.
And for the Sil'norai, death is a simple and common thing. Those who make it to the point of natural death are often celebrated and mourned, for too many pass on to magic-borne illnesses or the hunger of the Dranoch before that time. The Sil'norai appear to celebrate natural life as much as natural death, perhaps as a circumstance of their arbitrary lives.
The Arlaed
Unique to the Sil'norai is a spiritual bond that has largely shaped their cultural views on marriage and romance. While Arlaed technically means 'beloved' in Silvain, it is in fact a method for Sil'norai to describe others as their 'soulmate', a powerful term not carried lightly by the Sil'norai. While the word itself is powerful, the act of truly forging the 'pact' is far more impactful and can only be done once in a Sil'norai's life. This is generally only done upon marriage, and even many marriages do not end in the Arlaed pact being forged, as it is a permanent decision that cannot be undone.
The Sil'norai and his or her partner (of any race) will cut open their palms and firmly grip one another's hands, before speaking words akin to vows in Silvain. Swearing their partnership together will last, the two pull their hands apart only to find silver scars forming across the open wound. Both Arlaed will develop a semi-transparent tapestry (or complex weave of tattoos) in the same general area that speaks of, supposedly, their relationship according to old Sil'norai folklore. After this bond is performed, the two and their partnership will somehow fundamentally change.
As they bond for life, the Sil'norai and their Arlaed form what is akin to a bond of vitality. Typically those with an Arlaed appear to live longer, to better endure the effects of illness, and since the Bleeding these Sil'norai appear to better resist the degenerative effects of magical corruption in their genes. This has an immediate effect on fertility and longevity, restoring the bonded Sil'norai somewhat nearer to their original lifespans.
If one of the Arlaed is not a Sil'norai, their lifespan will appear to mirror the Sil'norai they are connected with. Humans made an Arlaed have found their lifespans to increase dramatically, though the final result for them may not always be a three century long Sil'norai life. It appears that if one of the partners dies, the life of the other is cut short significantly, and while they may not pass away immediately death will often follow within years. The Arlaed Pact is one of blood and life; while the lives of the two are ultimately connected, this can be detrimental for the partner of one who may have died young.
Nevertheless, after the initial mourning, the Arlaed left behind generally appears content with the death that comes for them. Most will say it is due to a desire not to be apart from their lover, now passed on, but some suggest it is the result of a calming hormonal release that occurs within a widowed Arlaed.
Language
Silvain. Known as a composed and stoic language, Silvain interestingly has origins closer to Common than that of the other Elven languages. This is likely due to the fact that the Sil'norai - once the Ald'norai - acted as the Lords of the race of man long before the rise of human nations, influencing the origin of Common itself. Aside from this, as subjects to the Unbroken Empire for a thousand years, Silvain - once largely comparable with Kyriac - morphed into a mixture of human-based dialects and old Elven tongues. A real life comparison to Silvain is Scottish Gaelic.
Sil'norai names are incredibly varied, from Luther Sil’Lavain to Farron Ela’Dallis, all the way to Gilariel Dal’Dariannon, sounding closer or farther away from Elven stereotypes and conventions as one strays further away from Nobility. Most families that were once Noble carry more human-like names, such as Gratiana Sil’Elan, Gratiana being a human name and Sil an indicator of a Nobleman, specifically translating to “Lord of” (Sil'norai actually meaning ‘Lord Elves’ in their language, harkening back to their perceived racial superiority). This is due to the period beneath the Unbroken Empire where the Nobles were integrated into the Unbroken Courts, and were expected to conform to human conventions.
Ela is the signifier of a middle-class Sil'norai and typically refers historically to the Kingdom of Silor’s old warrior caste. To further exemplify this, Ela means “protector of”. Farron Ela’Dallis therefore means Farron, Protector of Dallis.
Dal is the final and lowest signifier of historical wealth, simply meaning “from”. Unsurprisingly most Sil'norai bearing Dal in their surname have rather fanciful historical Elven names, though many from the higher classes see such things as gauche and lower class, triggering a level of implicit stereotypes and therefore a reel of quiet disgust.
