Proto-Elven clans

The Proto-Elves were primarily a tribal people, henceforth, they were divided into clans. The names of 19 clans have survived, becoming parts of mythology for all the Elven peoples. Several prominent families claim descent from the leadership of some of these tribes.

The clans
Clans with a cross next to their original name went extinct before the migration to Artograch.

For the sake of simplicity, the High Elven names of each clan will be used primarily.

Out of the nineteen clans, Zensari and Sinsari stand out in the fact that the second parts of their names have either unknown meanings, or indicate origins within, or connection with the Shár Empire. Some speculate that these two clans descended from Limjiang - namely, Shár - men who married Proto-Elven women and completely assimilated into Proto-Elven society.

The Sinsari
The Sinsari are a clan with an odd name out, seemingly meaning "silver Shár", likely meaning that the founder of the clan was a Limjiang/Shár man who married a Proto-Elven woman and adopted their culture and language. The Sinsari clan was known for being bitter rivals with the Zensari, possibly having either exterminated or vassalized first and then completely absorbed them during or after the Yeder Wars.

The Sinsari were also known for being the very first proto-Elven clan for making the journey to Artograch, settling down on the coast of South-Western Dragoc first, only to be pushed into the northeast - future Etrand and Hulra - by later waves of Proto-Elven migrant clans.

Eventually, the Sinsari clan splintered into smaller clans that would be be absorbed by other larger clans that colonized Etrand and Hulra. The last remnants of Sinsari remained in the least hospitable and coldest regions of Hulra.

The Zensari †
The Zensari are the second clan with the odd name out, possibly indicating Shár origins. It was one of the clans that never made it to Artograch, having gone extinct during or after the Yeder Wars, most likely exterminated or vassalized first and completely absorbed later by the Sinsari, their rivals.

The Gysmiduli
The Gysmiduli known for being arguably the most warlike clan of all, and possibly the most savage as well. They are also one of the last clans to make the overseas journey to Artograch, they were originally allied with the Suscae in driving the Élaeli and their allies out of Dragoc. Eventually, the Gysmiduli had their own civil war, splitting into two clans: the Southern Gysmiduli, who remained loyal to the Suscae, and the Northern Gysmiduli, who became an independent clan in Etrand.

Supposedly, Fathred the Great descended from the Northern Gysmiduli clan.

The Hyzyridi
A clan of warriors with a strict code of honour and cavalry traditions similar to that of the Élaeli, the Hyzyridi were among the first ones to make the journey together with the Sinsari. They split off to an Etrandish branch and a Froturnish branch, being present in the northernmost fringes of both countries.

The Lamspari
The Lamspari were originally a minor clan with no unique traits that made them stand out, no unique traditions to set them apart from the other Proto-Elven clans - unlike several other clans that boosted unique traditions. The only thing the Lamspari had was an ambition to expand and gain influence, and in that, they may have only had limited - if not zero - success before the migration. Migrating as one of the later-coming tribes - but before the Suscae and their allies - the Lamspari has chosen Hulra and Eastern Etrand as their domain, using intermarriage as a way to cultivate alliances and good relationships with other clans.

However, the Lamspari were eventually beaten out of most of Etrand, being limited to Hulra.

The Stethae
A clan of warrior-poets, it is said that the Stethae had produced the best singers out of all Proto-Elven tribes and the richest gems of Proto-Elven oral poetry. The clan split in two at one point, into a High Elven branch and a Wood Elven branch, both branches contributing greatly to the cultivation of literate traditions in Froturn and Dragoc when writing was invented in the two respective countries.

It is also said that Stethae warriors served as bodyguards for both the Suscae and Élaeli clans, implying that they were not a very powerful or influential clan on their own, depending on other more powerful clans for support. Both branches of the Stethae eventually faded away due to extensive intermarriages with other families, namely the Élaeli in Froturn and the Suscae in Dragoc.

The Tálavali †
The Tálavali is one of the clans that never made it to Artograch. However, unlike the Zensari, the Tálavali were not absorbed by other clans. The Tálavali were already being severely weakened before the Yeder Wars due to wars with other clans, such as the Aureanorri. The Tálavali were completely slaughtered by the Aureanorri during the Yeder Wars.

The Suscae
The Suscae were known for their at-the-time unorthodox battle tactics and tendency to hide in forests and run up to trees when retreating, hence the name that translate to nuthatch. The royal family of the Dragoc claims descent from the Suscae clan.

Supposedly, the Suscae clan - and several other clans allied with the Suscae, such as the Harzani and the Gysmiduli - were among the last of those who made the migration to Artograch, forcing the already-settled other clans to migrate to future Froturn and Etrand.

The Aureanorri †
The Aureanorri were one of the clans that never made it to Artograch, having gone extinct before the migration. During the Yeder Wars, the Aureanorri exterminated the Tálavali after being offered gold, land and women by the Shár Empire. The Aureanorri clan took part in the Yeder Wars on the side of the Shár, inviting the rage of the other Proto-Elves who began branding the Aureanorri as traitors to their own kind.

Eventually, the Aureanorri were exterminated completely by a coalition that consisted of every single other Proto-Elven tribe during the Yeder Wars, although some survivors might have lived and assimilated into Shár society.

This clan is known as "Re Ngor" in the Shár languages.

The Élaeli
The Élaeli were known for being the best cavaliers, the clan with the highest amount of talent for horsemanship, proto-chivalric and semi-republican traditions, eschewing "might makes right" in favour of a more civilized way of deciding what is right and wrong, eschewing tribal despotism in favour of a more democratic form of tribal monarchy system where individual tribesmen had much more to say in decisions than in other tribes, laying the foundations for Froturn's later assemblies and senates.

The royal house of Froturn claims to descend from the Élaeli clan.

The Azamerci
A clan exclusive to Froturn, the Azamerci share their name with the protagonist of the High Elven version of the Myth of the Village of the Hill. It is said that they were the dominant clan among the Proto-Elves before the migration to Artograch and treated every other clan like a vassal. Their dominance momentarily persisted after the migration, although it became limited to Froturn, until the Élaeli usurped their dominance over the clans that have settled in the lands that would later form the Kingdom of Froturn.

Afterwards, the Azamerci's sphere of influence got limited to Western Froturn.

The Raerami
The Raerami - better known as their Wood Elven name, Keizan - share their names with the protagonist of the Wood Elven version of the Myth of the Village of the Hill. The Raerami, just like the Azamerci were once a highly influential clan from before the migration to Artograch, having their influence usurped by another clan after the migration.

The Raerami were the second most powerful clan before the migration, and were even the most powerful before the Yeder Wars, during or after which the Azamerci usurped the leading position of the Raerami, forcing them to accept their position as second only.

During the migration, the Raerami migrated together with the Élaeli, but parted ways when the Suscae came to drive them off from Dragoc. While the Élaeli conceded defeat and migrated northwards to Froturn, the Raerami stood their ground in Dragoc, only to be vassalized by the Suscae, who would entrust the Raerami with defending the southern borders of Dragoc.