Okay, I got some racial descriptions done up. Decided there really wasn't much to put for the humans, since what distinguishes them is just cultural differences for the most part. Cordelia, Aramaea, and Orlesia unfortunately are regions another person made and we realized we don't have much in the way of documented notes for them anymore. So for the sake of not holding up the roleplay, I'll be relegating those three countries to basic background info until we can get more thorough stuff written up. Cordelia is kind of medieval/feudal england with knights and horses and peasants and all that fun stuff. Aramaea is a mix of egyptian inspired and nomadic Bedouin style cultures. Orlesia is a fantasy monarch with strict controls over religion and magic.
Fortunately the last country of Korvesa (the one we'll be primarily roleplaying in) is more or less a melting pot of human culture, so most things can fit there. People of all skin-types, stature, racial background, and life-style tend to make-up Korvesa.
Korvesa: a fractured and hodge-podge nation consisting of an amalgamation of cities and towns roughly conceding rule to a single ruling council.
Due to its fractured nature, laws often vary from city to city as they maintain a largely autonomous system of running. What authority the council holds over the cities of Korvesa is often loose and maintained through barter and trade or sanctions upon one another when necessary.
The further you get from the cities, the more independent people tend to be and the less involved (or protected) by civilized society they become. Many outlying towns are fully self-sufficient or at minimum rely upon occasional traders from the cities for rarer goods.
Korvesans are notoriously open to foreign cultures and non-human races, so many travelers have settled and made homes within Korvesa from all walks of life.
A number of independent barbarian clans claim land within the borders of Korvesa as well, but as of yet no one has been overly inclined to make a concerted effort to do anything about it while they have bigger problems to worry about.
And these are the race descriptions for the various elves. And do be mindful that anyone is free to add their own sub-group of elf race (or any other race) if none of these quite suit their needsr. I've re-used this setting a lot, and it tends to grow with each use. Anything already created is free to use, but I'm always happy to see people make their own stuff as well and am happy to integrate it into the over-arching setting. Also be mindful that these are guidelines, and cultural influences can vary based on circumstances. Members of these races raised away from cultural norms for their races, may not follow strict cultural expectations.
Elf, Altari - Often considered the most beautiful of the Aeloran elves, the Altari elves are a tall and elegant people, with finely formed features and brightly coloured eyes. Almost always well groomed, the Altari take great pride in their appearance, contributing to the aloof and elitist aura they personify. Though they have exclusively fair skin, their eyes and hair vary as much as humans' do.
Altari society is a political maze that even the most hardened of foreign diplomats have a hard time working their way around. There are so many factions, and factions within factions, and houses within factions within factions that every word or gesture can be interpreted as being as significant as a gunshot in the right context. Though they are ruled by a king or queen, the monarch is regulated by a council of voted-in-representatives. The Altari Houses are led by the noble families, and almost all commoners and lesser nobles are affiliated with a House. The King or Queen is chosen from the leaders of these Houses, based upon which House has the most support from other Houses.
Though they do not openly (or even consciously in many cases) look down upon the non-elven races, racial arrogance is ingrained into Altari culture.
Elf, Dw'in - Dw’in elves are the antithesis to the tall and elegant Altari elves. Shorter, and more muscular in build these elves are well suited for combat. Their black skin sets them apart from many of their kind and makes it very difficult for Dw’in to avoid unwanted attention when traveling beyond the borders of their home-country of Dramath.
Born into a militant and imperialistic society that favors personal power, most Dw’in native to Dramath have been instilled with a rather cut-throat mentality from a young age. This penchant for getting ahead at whatever cost has earned them a sour reputation among the other races of Aelora. Outside of Dramath it is unusual to view a Dw’in elf with anything but mistrust. Even those that have never known their ancestral home-land.
Elf, Sylvali - Sylvali elves straddle a middle-ground between the elegant beauty of the Altari and the feral wildness of the Tal'asan. Their pale skin often holds a slight greenish or brownish pigment that helps them blend into their surroundings, whilst their eyes are unique amongst the elves in that they lack distinct whites and irises, instead being solid colour - most commonly dark browns and greens tending towards black. They are slightly shorter than the Altari elves, at an average of 5'9" for males and 5'6" for females.
Located in the Elderwood Forest and the Forest of the Fall respectively, the Sylvali of Aelora are very similar with regard to culture. With many small villages scattered through their forests, often built around the trees rather than in their place, they are an elusive people who only infrequently contact those outside the forest borders. Each of the two nations are ruled by a single monarch, who is advised by the elders of their nation and its religious and military leaders. Much as the Altari hold themselves above the other races, the Sylvali elves are suspicious of them - but like the Altari, this suspicion has eased a bit since the Void blight pushed the races to the brink of destruction and forced them to rely upon one another. This suspicion excludes animals and plants, which whom Sylvali have a strong connection and understanding.
Elf, Lunari (Including these for reference, but due to their nature and nocturnal limitations, they wouldn't make a good starting character) - Lunari elves are a sight to behold for those fortunate enough to be graced by their presence in their life-time. The Lunari are both nocturnal by nature, and so elusive as to bring into question their existence. Many have presumed them among the many races to have gone extinct when the Void blight ravaged Aelora. Extinct they are not though, and in fact they maintain a sizable population within the Feywilds - a place that few venture. Smaller remote regions of the Forest of the Fall are also rumored to harbor these mythical elves.
The appearance of the Lunari is subject to a great deal of debate, and many Sylvali encounters have been mistakenly claimed as Lunari. However when one lays eyes upon a Lunari elf, there is no mistaking it. When bathed in moonlight, these ghosts of the forests have an almost luminescent glow to their pale skin and silvery-white hair. When cast in shadow though, they’re nearly as invisible as the dark side of the moon.
Elf, Tal'asan (These wouldn't make a good starting characters due to sheer geographical isolation, but I'm including them for future reference) - The Tal'asan elves are a rather visually distinct race of elves native to the southern rainforests of Aelora. Most notably, their skin and hair colors are not fixed, but rather they change depending on their temperament or for the purpose of camouflage. Their skin and hair color can vary broadly from greens to oranges and blues; though, in their natural state the Tal'asan sport lightly tanned skin and most commonly possess dark hair.
All Tal'asan elves are marked by an inherent touch of primal magic, which is credited for their shifting appearances and almost mystical means of traversing their forests. This also grants them longevity and an affinity for all things natural to their environment - flora and fauna both. In addition to the innate primal magic of the Tal'asan elves, the Tal'asan Priests have long mastered the art of elemental magic and sorcery - generally the most raw and natural forms of magic.
The Tal'asan elves remained isolated throughout the fall of Aelora, and the years beyond with almost no contact with outside races. Currently they remain unaware of the events that transpired far from their city. But even in the deep and remote regions of their rainforest, they have felt the ripples if change. No longer does their city remain under constant siege by the Void hordes.