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The Ritual of Elemental Soul
There are seven types of elf in CUTT - the "True" elves, and the "Elemental" elves who are found in six types corresponding to the six colours of magic. This came about as a result of a historical event called The Ritual of Elemental Soul, which occurred at the start of year 1 of the current CUTT calendar.
Originally, all elves were true elves, who lived on the island of Atlantis. However, they were enslaved by the Dragonlords, powerful beings who also subjugated the dragons and Vani who shared the island. To free themselves from slavery, the elves gathered and performed a magical ritual led by an elf named Cailean, who bargained for aid with the Elemental Lords and Ladies. As a result of this ritual the Dragonlords were vanquished, but half of the true elves died and the rest had half of their soul removed and replaced with elemental magic. The ritual also caused Atlantis to sink under the sea, and the six groups of elemental elves escaped in boats and settled in different neighbouring lands.
The Elemental Elves
Whilst to an outsider the elemental elves are very similar, their frequently segregated history and different magical affinities make them culturally distinct. This is most clearly seen in the drow, and to a lesser extent in the high elves, the four other groups generally mixing with humans and each other more readily.
High Elves
Light
Drow
Darkness
Tomten
Earth
Aerokin
Air
Hydrokin
Water
Pyrokin
Fire
The Changing of the Races
During the 1st year of CUTT (1287/2003), there was a six week period during which all beings from the Prime briefly reverted to an "ancestral state", retaining all personality and memories but physically becoming one of the seven "First Races" - humans, dwarves, elves, uruk, dragons, vani and an unspecified seventh race. Elemental elves and kender both became True Elves. Orcs, trolls, goblins and kobolds all became Uruk, along with many other associated races.
At the end of the six weeks, equally unexpectedly, the effect lifted and everyone suddenly returned to their original race exactly as they had been before. However, a very small number of individuals found that they did not "bounce back" - for whatever reason, their self-identity was more strongly connected to a different race than their own, and so that is how they continued their life.
The major effect of this is that for the first time in nearly 1300 years, true elves exist again - ever since the Ritual of Elemental Soul converted their race to elemental elves, all elven babies had "Quickened" to an element a few days after birth, half of their soul draining out. Other noted consequences of the Changing of the Races included individual elemental elves changing colour, some kender permanently changing into elves, and some 'lesser uruk' such as goblins and kobolds preferring to stay as 'greater uruk' such as orcs.
