Woe

The Woe is a curse of sorts that affects Light Elves and Wood Elves. It is believed to be a byproduct of their isolation on Delgar from their original home, once accessible via the Wild Lands, but long since cut off. It manifests as a crippling and all-consuming depression that onsets around puberty and takes most Elves decades of focused work to learn to overcome, or at least endure. It is not known for certain why Dark Elves and Orcs are not affected by the Woe despite their shared heritage, but the prevailing theory is that Dark Elves are protected by their psychic pair-bonding, and Orcs are much less connected to the flows of Aether that so affect Elven physiology, and this is presumed to also be responsible for their mortality.