A Contrast of the Anatomy and Physiology of Several Beings:

with particular regard to reproduction and continuance of species.

by Garamond Chancery

[The first fifty pages of this text have been charred.]

Elf
The elf male is similar in many respects to the human male, though his build is somewhat slighter and generally shorter. Additionally he is paler and less hale than the human, though he seems to have increased resistance to certain maladies. The signature feature of his species is the ears, which are pointed near the tops and somewhat larger overall. Unlike human ears, however, elf ears do not appear to grow after maturity.

The elf female is much like the human female though she lacks the mammary capability of the latter. What appear to be modest breasts in a cursory examination of the female form is actually a pair of cartilaginous chambers which are used in conjunction with the lungs to produce sounds. This Llaeslin or love song is used to comfort children and to encourage pair bonding during mating. The shape and configuration of the elf sound chambers are enough like the human female breast to pass for them under sheer clothing and even nudity in low light. However, a closer examination will reveal the telltale lack of nipples.

The elf female generally responds to presexual overtures from the male by producing harmonic tones within the chambers. This singing continues throughout the procreative process and the elves claim that it is through the notes chosen that the female determines the eventual height, weight and gender of her child. The only obstacle to this would seem to be in the case of mixed lineage children who have human blood. Elf females reported unanimously that when mating with human males, the result is beyond their control.

After fertilization, the elf pregnancy lasts for approximately 15 months. The female gives live birth at the end of that period. The birthing process is remarkable for its singular lack of travail, most marked by the maternal Llaeslin (love song) which accompanies it. That child's song is used throughout the life of the offspring as a bonding agent between mother and child. Hearing it, seems to calm young children who nestle between the chambers. This nestling serves the same calming mechanism that breastfeeding might in the human.

Multiple births have not been known to occur among the elves.




Dwarf
The male is shorter and stouter than the human, but may weigh twice as much. Facial hair is quite common and prodigious among this species.

Information on females in Dwarven society is hard to gather as the males are extremely reticent to discuss their mates. Rumors abound that the females often boast prodigious chin hair and are secreted away to hide this fact. No one of my learned acquaintance has ever had contact with a female Dwarf, nor known someone who has. Despite the lack of any way to verify the claim, it is said and commonly accepted that Dwarves mate for life.

Through rumors and overhead conversation, it would appear that the mating ritual among Dwarves is a subject that most males approach with shame and agitation. In every case, mate selection is a unilateral process determined by the female. Males believe that the selection occurs after a display of excellence on their part and may come immediately after onset of puberty or as late as old age. The general age would seem to be about 50.

Just prior to selection, the male will seranaded by many females. Dwarves unanimously report feelings of fear and hostility in reaction to the voices. As social norms prevent any discussion of the matter, many believe they are losing their minds during this stage. Other males who suspect that their acquaintances may be experiencing The Chase, give no sign of noticing, nor do they seek to mollify the sufferer.

The actual process can almost be described as rapine. The male is eventually overcome by the seductions of the female. This is a physically exhausting process for the males who often come back from The Chase looking haggard and ill-used, if somewhat more relaxed and slightly jovial.

The gestative process is unknown. Some posit that Dwarf females lay eggs among the rocks and that they spring fully formed from the ground upon hatching.

Multiple births are unknown.

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