There are 5 clans of Elves that are currently known in the world of Meth'iir. Of these clans, only one would be considered 'young', having been fully established as a clan for merely 600 years. The other four are as ancient as the People themselves, their existance stemming back to the 'Opening' of the world and all have rich, full histories that only the Keepers know the full extent of.

Each of the 5 clans is broken down into tribes, each tribe governing itself within the broader rules of the Clan and the People. A tribe can represent several villages, a single community or even a single family. A tribe is dictated by ancient family ties and holdings, expansions, adoptions and mergers. Most, tribes are differentiated from each other with distinctive clothing, art, and culture, though many tribes of the same clan share many of these things between them. the number of tribes varies from clan to clan with no set number being defined as 'correct'.

A tribe is usually considered an entity that is self-sufficient without harming their neighbors and able to maintain its own grounds. Whether this is a small plot of forest or full city does not matter, only that those involved feel they are a part of this small group. They dictate their own leadership in tribal matters with no universal time for their leaders. Many find that having a single leader for many years is the best approach while many 'city' tribes find it best to elect or re-elect their leaders on a regular basis.


THE KEEPERS

The Keepers are not considered a clan unto themselves, and will quickly disavow that they have any particular tribes within their ranks. However, they are split into several groups that perform specific tasks, so in a way they should be considered tribal.

The Keepers were formed from the last of the nobility of old, but they quickly found their ranks growing stagnant. To foment in-breeding, and to make a show that they were a part of the People, they adopted a policy of 'adopting' others from among the 5 clans into their ranks. What they look for in these adoptions is unclear as the selection appears to be almost random when looking for qualities. A strong warrior may be overlooked while the baker boy can be selected and rise into the highest ranks of the Keepers.

KHA'AMIR

The Kha'amir, or Forest Kin, are those descendants most related to sylvan and wood elves in other worlds. In earlier times they were the foresters, the planters, the foragers, the tanners and hunters. They were the ones who gathered the raw materials for almost anything. They were delegated to the 'menial' tasks, as some would consider them, and brought their materials to the other clans in trade for those items needed to make their life easier. Though money is now commonplace within the elven empire, it was the trade of goods for goods that most helped the Kha'amir to survive.

At the time of Changes, when the change of Politics first began, the various Kha'amir tribes were reluctant to join as a clan. After all, they had existed as seperate entities since the Rising, and never had need of a larger governing body. however, as things progressed, the were enlightened by the new Keepers as to the resaoning behind the change, and informed that in the new era this would be their way of having a voice in those matters that concerned all of the People. Not only that, but it was believed they would be needed when the humans turned against them in force, and if they had no voice, they could be coerced, or eventual blended into the other clans that were being established.

Finally, after several years, the tribes of the Kha'amir finally accepted the new order, and the first Clan elders for the Kha'amir were selected. Though little has changed for them over the last centuries it is because they find no great need. They still trade their findings for manufactured wares, hunt and forage for their needs, relying little on the rest of the elven clans, but finding themselves better off with the advent of an army for protection when needed.

KHA'ANDRI The Kha'andri, The Forest Dwellers, are descended from those related to the Grey elves, though they have changed somewhat in their time. They are as easily the most haughty and noble of all the the Elves in the world of Meth'iir, but their reclusiveness is far less than in ages past. They consider themselves the epitome of the Elven way of life, their buildings and constructions enhancing the natural beauty of the world of the elves. No two elven cities are alike and all of the greate cities have been touched by the Kha'andri. They chose their clan name because they are the foremost builders of permanent construction in the forests, and it has even been said they were asked by several dwarven clans for assistance in design (though this has never been fully substantiated).

not only are they wondrous creators They are also the best shipwrights and sailors of the world. They have travelled extensively on every coast with a port (the notable exceptions being the Agastai'iir, the Dragon Lands, and Taals'iir, the Chaos Lands), and were the first to find trading arrangements to the dwarves, the Shining People, and the Gray Ones.

The First Clan, as they call themselves, enjoy the structuring of their world. They are the most knowledgable in the arts of science, mathematics and languages. They feel they are the equal of the Keepers in knowledge, though rarely is that stated openly, and excel in the use of magics, both constructive and destructive. They consider war an art as well, and have devised many ways to combat their enemies with the advent of science, knowledge and natural forces.

Though most often found in their homeland, many of them wander the world, seeking to further their knowledge and skills in whatever arts they pursue.

TEIN'SHEI The Tein'shei, The Dark Ones, are not akin to the drow as one would expect from their name. They are not black skinned as are their more distant relations in the other worlds, and their name is reflected as to their general outlook to all of the other races, not toward their kindred. For they are the most stalwart in defending their race and wish to see the world under the full control of the Empire.

They are the foremost fighters of the elven world, and one to one, and often several times that, they are nearly unbeatable. They are the protectors of the Elven nation and provide the bulk of the Elven Army. They have several cities dedicated to their use spread throughout the Elven Nation. Most of these are known, but several are hidden by strong magics to make it very hard for any intruder to find themselves safe.

Wizards of the Tein'shei are usually those that are trained in war magics. They are on the front lines with their sword wielding counterparts, often leading the attack or holding the line at the expense of their own lives. Their dedication is tantamount, and the Tein'shei patrol their ranks ruthlessly routing out those not deserving, sending them to lesser posts and even expelling them from the Clan. In fact, this was one of the main reasons that the fourth clan was created, though the reasons were not always that clear.

DEI'MAR

The Dei'Mar once represented the lowest group of people in the Elven society. Those that were Dei'Mar were outcasts, though the word itself implies outcast/stranger/rejected/not worthy. Whether they were outcast from a specific city or outcast from the realm itself (which has rarely happened. Crimes that would cause one to be banished would probably have the offended parties or the family of the person cause the offender to have a terminal accident. Honor is a very important thing to the elves.)

Elves, are a long lived race, thus one who is Dei'mar would have found a harsh world in the Elven lands, but as time went on groups of Dei'mar began to gather together.They became a force unto themselves. They became, in a sense, an Empire within, for their numbers grew as new outcasts were declared. At the time of the Change, it seemed that there were more Dei'Mar than not, but no one would be willing to admit it outside the Dei'Mar.

Today, the Dei'mar are proud of their Naming and are one of the strongest clans with numbers that average twice that of the other clans. They are the most diverse group as well, not holding to the specializations of the other clans. They still police their ranks, and there is no expulsion from the clan of the Dei'mar. There are, however, still executions for crimes within their ranks, and they have the lowest crime of any of the clans. They reside, now, in every part of the elven realm. where once they were banished, they are now accepted, grudgingly, as part of the Empire. Their Cities are few, but their voices are heard, for without them the Elven Empire would be split, and probably never made whole again in this world.