Some information about the Elves

From traveling and conversing with the Elves for a month or so, the following information was gathered:

• The Elf Lands, in area, are a little smaller (maybe two-thirds) than the human lands.  Maybe.  The lands are a rough circle, and it generally takes 20 days (or so) to ride a horse from one end of the Elf Lands to the other.
• However, there is a faster means of transport - each main Elf city has a device which transport between the city in question, and the Capitol.  These devices are called 'the device'.
• The Elf Capitol is called Trademeet.  Eight other cities have devices to teleport between the Capitol and that city.
• The devices have been around since the start of Elven history, which goes back 4500 years.
• The Elves originated when the gods were bored, and desired beings to dance and make their lives less tedious with love and artistic endeavors.
• The terrain of the Elflands is much less variable than the human territory - lots of plains broken up by forests, with rivers and the occasional hill.
• There are a few mines - but not as much industry as in the Empire.  Most of the ore dug is of higher quality than the human mines, but MUCH less of it is accessed.
• Elves live about twice as long as people do, with 300 being possible but quite rare.
• The Elven government is more along family/tribal lines; occasionally large groups will gather to talk about large projects (like constructing roads, or trade regulations).  There is a High Council with representatives of each family group meeting once every year, too.
• Families are organized by female lines; a male Elf will marry into a family, giving up the family of his birth.  The opposite happens, too - but rarely.  Family leadership is generally by age, ability, and will; women slightly outnumber men in government/leadership positions.
• The leader of the High Council is Glindea Au'Rean; she's held the position for 24 years.  The First is chosen by the Council when the previous first is ready to leave (or, rarely, is impeached); Glindea is a fairly popular First, though, and generally goes along with the High Council's decisions.
• Justice seems to be meted out at the individual level, when appropriate; for the most part restitution and rehabilitation is applied except for horrific crimes, or the insane.
• The elves don't breed as quickly as people; family sizes of three are uncommon, four are rare, and more than four children in a family is almost unheard of.
• If you had to guess, you'd think there were about a tenth as many elves as humans.
• Technologically they seem about as advanced as humans - their weapons are similar to human weapons, but with each element of design seems built with an eye to aesthetic appeal as much as functionality.
• The Elf Gods are as follows:
• Tir'Na Niogh; Goddess of Family, Organization, and Magic (NG)
• Allundrielle: Goddess of Nature, Moon, Poetry, Beauty, and Wine (CG)
• Zhen: God of Wisdom, Language, Mysteries, and Exposing the Unseen (LG)
• The Elves also honored JOVAN until quite recently.  Another God - KinThia Marquille - is seen as a trickster god - like Coyote in certain Native American pantheons.  Maybe KinThia might best be described as a demi-god; her alignment is CN but with good tendencies.
• The High Priest of the Elves is (was?) Gorioh Moliere; he was fairly old and feeble when the Elves you met left the Elf Lands, though.  Elven priests exist outside - or maybe parallel to - the general Elf governance.  Gorioh could cast 4th circle spells.
• The Elves don't, in general, dedicate themselves to one god or another - the priests honor and give each god their due, as appropriate.
• Elf wizardy is seen as a skill, like metallurgy or singing, which anyone with the will and time can learn (but few can master).  Magic training is informal and fairly well-distributed; sharing spells and even trading spell-books are common.  There are stories of casters who could cast 5th circle spells, but none widely known to currently exist - a few can cast 4th circle spells; almost every family has at least one person who can cast 2nd circle.