Capital: Darumi
Religion: The Umen Elves adopted the concept of “Belief in the Gods” in A.E. 3370, several decades after the Lamen. Throughout the Age of the Elves, the Umen remained nomads and hunters. They blended the newfound belief in the gods (danen) and an animistic reverence for nature into a new syncretic worldview known as the “Umen religion.”
Flag: A gold tree on a green field.
Climate: Oceanic (mild and rainy).
Dates: The Umen rely on oral tradition, but when necessary use the elven dating system (Age of Humanity / A.H. / Xani Vardoren).
HER PEOPLE
Umen males stand an average of 5 ft 5 in (1.57 meters), while females stand an average of 5 ft (1.52 meters). They are the shortest of the known races of elves. Their most common hair is light brown, though it varies.
WAR
The Umen are considered the best archers in the world. When an Umen male joins the ranks of the archers, he dons a gold-colored armband called a solon around his right arm. Each archer bears, in addition to a bow, a suit of hide or leather armor and a longknife.
Equally deadly are the wildblades who wield a pair of curved scimitars. They work themselves into a frenzy and then throw themselves into battle. They wear a silver-colored anklet called a sindon around their left ankle.
Magic among the Umen is sexually dimorphic, like the Lonen but to a lesser degree. Women are mostly but not exclusively Treespeakers, having the power to shape and bend vegetation. Men are mostly but not exclusively Beastfriends, able to calm and command animals, often enlisting them in war. However, forcing an animal to serve in war against its will is forbidden (nordas). The most common use of these allies is surveillance. Intruders in the Umdar forests should beware the woodpeckers and kingfishers: often the birds are the allies of the beast friends, serving as spies.
SOCIETY
The Umen Elves have many nicknames, but one—the Tree Folk—is perhaps the most apt. Towns are built within trees, supernaturally formed by the Treespeakers. The great pines and oaks sometimes reach heights of more than 300 feet. The largest town, Darumi, is built around and within one of these giant trees.
Unlike the humbler Nurnen, the leader of the Umen calls himself king (Indori) to the mild irritation of the Lamen King. In most ways the King of the Umen acknowledges his inferior status. The Umen King, however, boasts of how he is selected from a pool of Treespeakers and Beastfriends based on his strength of magic (elyndithas), tests of wisdom, and martial strength. The line of succession is through a system of adoption.
Competing with the King’s archers and wildblades, a notorious sect called the Night Rangers can be found throughout the woods. Their total secrecy has led to rumors of ritual murder and other criminality.
