The Cyhallrhim are a waning tribe of elves living on the wintry island continent of Cyhalloi. Known for their elaborate ice towers on the main continent, the Cyhallrhim have been driven from the south-east islands of Cyhalloi by the Kasumarii.

Image description: An ice-elf of the Cyhallrhim tribe. Pic by Isilhir.

Appearance. The Cyhallorhim are pale-skinned elves, slightly yellow. Their hair color ranges from ice-white to jet black, with various pigments of blue in between. The style of their hair varies. They prefer to keep it short, though more noble females wear it long. It is quite stiff, and capable of shaping in various styles. (If you can think of it, chances are, a Cyhallrhim can do it.) A unique feature is their ears; they are long and extend beyond their head, roughly two spans in length. Their eyes are milk-white with only a small point for their pupil. Older elves have no sign of a pupil whatsoever. Their features are bleached-out and sharp.

Coat of Arms/Sign. The Cyhallrhim have never had a serious war-skirmish, not even with the Kasumarii. Anything that the Kasumarii try; the Cyhallrhim back off. They are not quite organized, and therefore have no Coat of Arms.

Territory. The Cyhallrhim live on the continent of Cyhalloi. They have large ice towers that small clusters of elves live in; it defends from the Kasumarii as well as the elements.

The Cyhallrhim are not territorial, they just avoid one another and the Kasumarii. Their towers are the only place they defend with any heart, and they are quite tenacious about that.

People. The Cyhallrhim are master sculptors; the ice that surrounds them is easily malleable by this tribe due to their natural prowess with water magic. They use their water magic as well as sophisticated methods to create their towers. They also fashion sharp swords and daggers of the purest ice.

Cyhallrhim are quiet and contemplative, they rarely speak. When they do, their voices are hollow and cold, much like the air that blows through their home. As they speak only little, their blank-eyed stare seems to convey that little goes on inside their heads. However, the Cyhallrhim are quite sophisticated in building and hunting. They have a tendency to speak only Styrásh, and they are quite un-fond of the territory beyond Fá'áv'cál'âr; they find it too warm.

Housing. The Cyhallrhim fashion massive towers of ice that they live in. Outside, it seems like a slick stalagmite jutting out of the earth. Inside, there are many floors. The first floor is the court and meeting area, it is the largest room. Steps lead up to the second tier, where as many as five families live. It continues upward, to the final tier. The final tier houses the ruling family of the tower. These towers usually stop at about 5 stories.

Each home has at most two rooms. There is the sleeping room where the Cyhallrhim sleep by wrapping themselves in cloaks and blankets. The second room is a belonging room. All the weapons and belongings are kept there in small piles. It is particularly unorganized, but there seems to be few problems.

Clothing. The Cyhallrhim wear close fitting garments; woolen cloaks of varying lengths (usuallly short to avoid tattering on the ice) and leggings that fit close against the body. Long, close-fitting sleeves are not uncommon and for some, a full body-suit of the close fitting garment is normal.

For the males a thick-fabric jerkin is worn over the close-fitting garments, and a second pair of gloves and long socks are not uncommon. They have quite large boots (sometimes made of metals or thick layers of leather) with spikes in the soles for easier grip on the ice. Gauntlets are seen among most men. Men layer their clothing to keep themselves warm.

Females also wear the close-fitting clothing garments, and the jerkin is usually extended to skirt length. Women are less apt to wear the gauntlets, though it is seen. Boots are constructed smaller for the women. Women wear much longer gloves, sometimes beyond the elbow, and socks can extend beyond the knee. Women tend to wear less layers.

Royalty wear much the same garments, though they are more elaborate in cut and material.

Diet. The Cyhallrhim are decent hunters for what food they can gather. They hunt the sheep that roam the tundra, and the cáeh-fish is a tasty catch if they can snag one. They can also from time to time catch an elderly whale, as well as seals. Some plants are edible on the Cyhalloi plains, but most are bland.

Weapons. The Cyhallrhim are not capable of using a bow efficiently, as the long range weapon requires a free, un-clothed hand for use. Cyahllorhim risk frostbite if they pull off their gloves, and that makes any bow obsolete. They are also too far north to know the crossbow, an invention of the Jhehellrhim.

Cyhallrhim do have use of spears, swords and clubs. Some have bare-hand fighting ability, augmenting their skills with special gloves and spiked knuckle guards. Regular functional swords are made of finely honed bone.

• Clubs
  These weapons are rather primitive and are also constructed of ice. Some are made of wood, but they are not as heavy as the Ice Clubs.

• Ice Blades
  These weapons include large swords with thin, precise blades and short-handled daggers made entirely of ice. They are brittle, but their size (a fore for the daggers and much as a ped in length for the swords) makes them menacing. However, because of their construction, these Ice Blades are only functional in the cold stretches of Cyhalloi.

• Spikes
  These are odd weapons. Made of ice, they are usually the sharp broken ends of stalagtites and stalagmites, collected by the wielder and thrown like darts at an enemy or prey. These weapons are easily replacable, and a Cyhallrhim travelling south can pay a smelter to make him metal reproductions of his Spikes.

Occupations. Every Cyhallrhim has a job, as their survival depends on relying on one another. The most important are (in alphabetical order):

• Clothiers
  These workers create clothing using the skins, fur and hides of the kill, as well as receive many items from the toolers. A single clothier will work on one garment at a time for a specific elf, i.e. if an elf needs a new cloak, then he will tell a clothier how he wants his cloak made, and when the skins come in, the clothier will make him his cloak. These tend to be the eldest elves.

• Fooders
  These are the elves that prepare the flesh of the kill. They may cook the meat right away, or preserve it in ice. They will use the fat to create gristle-fire to cook the meat, and distribute the meat. Hunters tend to get the most meat, though the fooders try to give everyone equal amounts.

• Hunters
  These are the backbone of the tribe. They leave the tower and hunt for food in packs of at least 10. When they return with a kill, the reapers take over.

• Reapers
  These are usually women, about 5-10 in a tower. They skin the kill, and then seperate the useful items from the useless, and then distribute the items to their respective workers.

• Royalty
  Unlike most monarchies, the royalty is a single family picked by the tower to lead. Their basic function is to lead the tribe in its choices. They live at the top of the tower and observe. They reside over marriages and funerals, as well as weapon production and meat distribution.

• Toolers
  These folks receive the bone and sinew to make swords, daggers, needles, beads, string, buttons and other items for the Cyhallrhim. Gender is of no difference here, but most toolers are between 20 and 60 years of age.

Government. The Cyhallrhim is not a united front, as each tower rules itself and no other. However, each tower has an elected royalty. Though it is not really a royalty, they prefer that word. The royalty lives at the top of the tower, and controls the things that only an overseer could see and control. Relations with other towers, production, and basic command. Despite the seeming slave-like atmosphere, the Cyahallrhim seem very content with their government.

Production/Trade. Being quite far from any real trading possibilities, the Cyhallrhim are quite independent. Most of their items come from their own continent. Some of their toolings (buttons beads and whatnot) are prized by more southern peoples, but they are a rarity. Most would assume these works to be ancient elven items than Cyhallrhim ware.

Natural Resources. The Metals that the Cyhallrhim find on Cyhalloi tend to be quite impure and pliable, and therefore can be beaten into a shape rather than smithed. Animals hunted by the Cyhallrhim are quite fatty, and some Cyhallrhim make candles. But the idea of sustaining fire is a touchy concept to those that live in ice houses. The bone of their kills can be easily manipulated by the Cyhallrhim, and they can be traded when someone comes along willing to trade. Furs of their quarry are quite valuable, as it sustains their life by keeping the elves warm.

Holidays, Festivals and Observances. The following festivals are celebrated among the Cyhallrhim elves:

• The Day of the Sun
  As the Cyhallrhim live quite north, there is a certain time during the year when the sun is arisen for a full day. This day is spent feasting and basking in the sun. The elves shed most of their clothes for this festival, as it gets quite warm. This point of the festival lasts one day, but the Sun stays risen for about a week before and after the festival before things get back to normal.

• The Day of Darkness
  This is much like the Day of the Sun. There is a time during the year when the sun does not rise. This day is spent by staying inside the ice towers, praying for the sun to rise again. Food is hoarded and fires are kept high, despite the risk of melting the tower. The darkness actually lasts for a week before and after the festival.

TIME TABLE OF THE CYHALLRHIM ELVES THE ERA OF SUNDERING (YEARS 11.900 B.S. - 10.000 B.S.) ca. 11880 b.S. Elves leave Fá'áv'cál'âr heading East The tribe soon to be know as the Cyhallrhim leaves Fá'áv'cál'âr as internal struggles begin tearing it apart. They travel east, as most of the tribes seem to be heading southward and eventually decide to move away from the lands of their disappointed hopes, crossing the sea in order to find an island where they intend to live on. The harsh conditions on the sea results in the fact that their features becoming more and more unique compared to other elves.    ca. 11440 b.S. Settling of Elves in Cyhalloian Territory It lasts centuries until elves seem to make their home in one of the remote islands of Cyhalloi, various indicators point to the fact that these elves are descendants from people who once left Sarvonia by ship heading east. Conditions back then on Cyhalloi seem to not have been as unforboding as they are today. The elves become nomadic and live in tents.    ca. 10550 b.S. The Crossing of the Ice Sea The ocean between the islands of Cyhalloi freezes over, enough for some of the renegade elves to attempt the crossing in order to discover new lands. They succeed before the spring thaw - they arrive at the main landmass of Cyhalloi. The elves arriving form Sarvonia at the new landmass name the new land "Cyhalloi" and should from now on refer to themselves as the "Cyhallrhim" ("Tribe of Cyhalloi"). Records seem to drop off after this point, as the Cyhallrhim seem to become more primitive; due to either inbreeding or lack of communication with other races.