HALF ELVES
One would imagine that few would need much of an introduction to the half-elves, but this scholar will endeavour to provide one for the sake of completeness.
Half-Elves are children from a union of human and elven parents. As one may imagine, such children are not the most common in the realms. Most of these have a parent from the Wood or Silver Elves, as the Gold and Grey remain too far from the modern world to interbreed.
Half-Elves are a paradox - humans see the pointed ears and other elven features, and ignore the burlier physique and more human parts which the elves see and loathe. For half-elves are not truly accepted in society in the same way that mixed marriages are frowned upon, so the majority of half-elven children are illegitimate.
Half Elves have a shorter lifespan than true elves, tending to live some 400 years. They inherit some of their elven parents' abilities, but not all, while being slightly more flexible and open minded than the full blooded elves.