Elves live in tandem with nature and like to incorporate and ritualize the aspects of the natural world into their daily lives. ## Architecture Elvish architecture blends in well with forested areas. They used gentle groves where the inclines are flat to build structures around the trees, using the natural shape of the trees as columns and pillars within their buildings. Often the buildings are kept quite open, with large doorways and arches that lead out back into the forest, so to not hamper any forest critter in their path. Private and secluded chambers are placed on the seconds floor hidden within the trees canopies. Elves use a lot of rounded and curved shapes in their designs, mimicking local roots or river systems in their floor plans. Most buildings are constructed from clay work and worked wood. However, elves are not averse to stone and will use it if necessary for the buildings structural integrity. Most designs, as with most artisan crafts in general, follow the Anfrath(division) design principle. This principle dictates that most shapes and structures are to be build from smaller components of the same shape and structure, akin a fractal. ## Beliefs ## Clothing Main fabrics of elves are a multitude of intricately woven reeds, hemp, and cotton, in addition to wool. Elves use a mixture of reinforced leather and bark for most armour, though they also have metal armour for the aristocracy. Leather for casual clothes is often avoided. ## Cuisine ## Customs ## Holidays ## Language ## Music ## Physiology ## Wellness The original elves in the eldar days used to live almost exclusively among forests and its nature. Thus most of their image of wellness was formed by the stages that nature itself goes through. The Elves saw the seasons and their changing as a way of cleansing and rebirth for the natural world, where the old and sick would not survive the harsh winters and in turn spring brought with it new life. This idea of a cycle of rebirth was captured in their way of relaxation. Before any true bathhouses were made, most elves leisured around the forest springs and rivers, diving in to cool themselves off in the heat of summer or enjoying a soak in a natural hotspring if they had found one. Though massages weren't necessarily part of their repetoire, Elves have always enjoyed a good incense and herbal infusion. They have dried herbs of the forest to use as interior scents for as long as they have walked the material plane. This combination of scent and lazing by the water in combination with their reverence of the season has informed their way of the Cycles. ### The Way of the Cycles The way of the cycles is a four step procedure on which all traditional elvish bathhouses are built. The visitors go through four different stages, each representing the four seasons. Each cycle starts at spring and ends in winter, but most visitors when they are at a bathhouse do more than a single pass of cycles during their stay. ***Spring.*** They start their journey through the seasons in a large domed room, where an elf leads the ceremony. While the other elves lay face down on beds or sit in a meditative position, the ceremony leader chants and walks around the room. In the middle of the dome, a large pot of warm water is placed with bushels of different herbs. During the ceremony, the ceremony leader takes out the bushels one by one and splashes the infused water around the room, as well as gently slapping or caressing the backs of the elves in the room. The steam of the infusion in the pot fills the dome with an intense herbal smell, while the bushel ensures the elves bodies are also coated with the scent. A spring ceremony takes about 10 to 15 minutes. ***Summer.*** The second part of the cycle is summer. The elves gather in natural caves or handmade structures of stone in which a coal fire is stoked. The heat of the coals are trapped within the room, heating up the rocks. The elves sit in the heated room and perspire opening their pores and letting the latent oils of the herbs on their skin from the spring ceremony enter their bodies, while cleansing their bodies of sweat. In areas with natural hot springs, these are also applied during this part of the cycle. A summer ceremony takes about 10 minutes. ***Fall.*** The autumn part of the cycle is the part where the elves recover from the heat of summer and enjoy the harvest bounty. Usually this is done in a large open space with plenty of beds and chairs to enjoy. The area is misted with a scented parfume and all around are tables filled with diverse teas, juices, and fruits to enjoy. It is important to drink enough liquids to replenish the sweat lost in the previous part. This part can take as long as an elf needs to recover. ***Winter.*** The final part of the cycle is a test of the mind. The elves dive in the cold natural waters and sit underneath a waterfall meditating. The waterfall acts as a type of massage as the barrage of water tenders the backs of the elves. The shock of the cold water to the system helps wake the elves back up after the previous part of the cycle. This part often takes around 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how large the lake or river is for swimming. When the elves are done with the cycle, they can opt to start the cycle again from spring or dry themselves off and leave. A typical pass of a cycle usually takes about 1 hour to complete.