Grey Elves are a mysterious elvenoid people who hail from nowhere, yet can be found all across Eyom. In their case, found is a very apt word. Grey Elves appear out of thin air on nights with a perigean moon, at the very moment the moon has reached its zenith, Gray Elves will appear without fanfare in shallow pits within the deeper recesses of the forests. These pits may be natural caves, the burrows of larger animals, or open graves. Seemingly any crevice within the earth a Grey Elf can be made to fit into when curled knees-to-chest will do. The odds of any particular depression manifesting a Grey Elf is low, though as Eyom is quite large many appear each year.

There are enough Grey Elves in Eyom to form small cultures in most regions, but this has not happened. Grey Elves seem to prefer joining others rather than leading. At least in so far as creating culture and civilization. Instead, they assimilate into the places where they are found becoming productive members of the local community. In time they become entirly indistinguishable from locals in terms of behavior, modes of speech, and general culture. Once "naturalized" in this manner, Grey Elves do not change if they choose to move selswhere. It is as if they were born and raised in the locvation they were discovered, even though they manifest as adults.

Grey Elves are the closest known living elvenoids to the Z̚omans, based on scientific analysis of their natural magical abilities and comparisons to known Z̚oman capabilities. The margin is slim, however, with Iron and Wood elves being only a hairsbreadth behind. Biologically, Grey Elves are further from Z̚omans than other living elves, as they are notably mutated and seemingly universally implanted with construct components.

Personality

There are some traits common to Grey Elves which indicate they have some instinctive behaviors despite their seemingly automatic and natural assimilation.

When a Grey Elf first manifests, they are deep within a form of magical sleep which cannot be broken by anything save for the passage of time, or direct contact by a living organism. Once awakened, they are possess by a fit of madness and will scream, claw, strike, and bite, not in rage but in terror. This terror sate is so universally known that even young children know not to touch a sleeping Grey Elf and to find an adult who can safely subdue them.

This is necessary as weather they wake naturally or are touched the fit will occur, and should a Grey Elf not be naturalized, they will become a feral creature, stocking the woods and preying on anything they believe they can overcome and eat. There are many ways to calm or subdue the Elf while in this state, such that the specifics do not bear mentioning. However, once calmed, they will fall into a deep sleep which often lasts for days.

Upon awakening, the Grey Elf will have no memories of any kind other than the fundamental basics of operating their body. They can walk, eat, and find their own food and water, but cannot speak, will not recognize even as simple a danger as a brandished knife, and are in all ways as a child.

Grey Elves are conformists. They will adapt to those around them and emulate their behavior as children do. After a few months of this emulation those personality traits will become "baked" as the common folk say. Once baked, a Grey Elf's core personality traits are locked in and will not change, at least, not any faster than those of any other person. Due to this fact, most communities who are naturalizing a Grey Elf will decide what they could use an extra hand in, and ensure that the Grey Elf spends extended periods near their best people for that task.

The other universal behavior in Grey Elves is found in their apparent need to look at the moon. Grey Elves do not sleep, and consequently are always awake when the moon is at its Zenith. At this time, all Grey Elves will go outside (if recessionary) and spend several long moments staring at the moon. They can often be found crying during their moon gazing, but can never explain why as their emotional state does not change despite the tears.

Physical Description

Grey Elves are elvenoids. They have two arms, two legs, and a head, and are covered in smooth pale ashen grey skin (often with a bluish tinge). Their eyes are larger than that of other elves, and uniformly black in color while being quite reflective and glossy, like orbs of black jelly. Their ears are shorter than other elves, resembeling human ears with points rather than knife blades. Grey Elves have long straight white hair, a more slender and short build than the elven average, and notably more flexible.

Like all elvenoids Grey Elves have both male and female sexual organs, and appear outwardly to be female by humanoid standards. Unlike any other known lifeform, Grey Elves posses techno-arcane organs implanted within their bodies. Very few have the same artificial organs, and none who have the same ones have them connected in exactly the same way. Even in cases where a limb is replaced, this cannot be observed form the outside. Fortunately for the Grey Elves, their artificial hears, lungs, and even brains function exactly like that of other peoples, including requiring organic food to function and responding to disease, damage, and all other factors identically to normal tissues.

The amazing complexity and organic-mimicry of their artificial parts precludes them from being classified as half constructs. If you prick a Grey Elf in an artificial arm, she will bleed. And probably cry and wonder why you hurt her.

Relationships

Grey Elves are generally liked more than other elves. Their "common rarity" means everyone has heard of them and how they work. Eyom's universal belief that culture matters more than race ensures Grey Elves are treated like any member of their parent cultures. Yet they are shown a bit more favor and posativity than other people of that culture would be.

Of course, many people fear Grey Elves due to their origins. These fears usually manifest in avoidance, but occasionally escalate into violence.

Settlements

There are no known Grey Elf exclusive settlements. All majority Grey Elf settlements are built to the preferences of a nearby other people.

Alignment

Grey Elves do not appear to posess any particular moral or ethical inclinations. This is not to say they are immoral and care nothing for ethics. Rather there doesn't seem to be any general trend within their people as to what a Grey Elf prefers. They appear to take in values during their naturalization, and subconsciously meditate on them until each arrives at her own idea of how a person should be. From that point, that is how they will seek to behave unless persuaded otherwise.

Whatever belief system a Grey Elf adopts, it will defend fiercly and with astonishing level of logic, often getting down to the axiom level to defend or attack an idea. Interestingly, their minds and behavior change the moment any true dethronement of their philosophy occurs.

Adventurers

Grey Elves are common adventurers. They seem to enjoy travel, as well as physical danger. Most Grey Elves respond to being attacked by monsters with a smile and will talk of it later as an enjoyable struggle. To date, none have been able to explain this seemingly universal trait of Grey Elves.

What is known is they will spend their lives in periods of adventuring, and settled down life, simply for the love of it.

It is worth noting that one thing Grey Elves feel passionately about is the elimination of their feral kin. Reports of Feral Grey elves reaching civilized Grey Elves will usually result in all Grey Elves who have the time to assist assisting with the capture and extermination of the feral.