Okay so I have this one character, Ivy

She's an elf

Here, I'll explain how the streak in her hair turned black

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In this world, there's three types of elves; the White Elves, the Grey Elves and the Black Elves.

Background

Since white symbolizes goodness and purity in Lord of the Rings n shit like that, I decided to go the same way. You can guess what's up with the Black Elves. The Grey Elves're some form of a middle ground. They're not good, but they're not evil. They're kinda just...Neutral.

Descriptions

Okay, just to clarify, all elves can have any skin color from whiter than paper to more black than a piece of coal.

All elves are born with one streak in their hair. Depending on the type of elf, the color can vary.

White Elves

White Elves usually have the most elegant appearance. No matter what, they naturally have a light hair color, typically very close to white. The darkest their hair would get is dirty blonde, and that's usually the elders. A White Elf's hair streak is always some form of white. They have the most toned figure and they live in a pretty much utopian society. These elves usually don't hunt, but when they do, they use every part of the animal for something. White Elves don't have slaves or workers being paid low wages, they do all their work for themselves. They farm their own crops, sew their own clothes, hunt their own game, etc. They like wearing light colors, like pastels and off-whites, when they're not wearing white. White Elves usually have higher pitched, softer, and calmer voices than other elves. White Elves are born if the parents are either two White Elves or a White Elf and some other elf. If the other parent is a Grey or Black Elf, the White Elf parent needs to have either a high social status (like a knight and higher, such as royalty) or a high level of magic. White Elf powers include giving life to the dead, healing the injured, and growing crops at rapid speeds.

Grey Elves

Grey Elves look and act like normal humans with elf ears. A Grey Elf's hair streak is usually a shade of grey. They mostly wear monochrome (typically grey as the color of choice) outfits. A White Elf can turn grey if the powers of the White Elf are taken away due to something like a White Elf being exiled or tortured until their mind breaks. Grey Elves can train to have magic, but only one of the five elements (earth, air, fire, water, and spirit).

Black Elves

The Black Elves are the most feared kind of elf. These elves are evil and will use their powers only to benefit them and their beliefs. Black Elves usually don't band together, but when they do, it's when they plan to attack another elf tribe. These elves would usually be considered gorgeous, but with some disfigurement (scars, scratches, bruises, missing limbs, etc.). These elves usually have mismatched eyes (typically due to injury), that glow. Black Elves can turn into another form of elf if they've somehow redeemed themselves of the bad deeds they've done. Becoming a Black Elf is an extremely painful process, but it gives you more power than most living creatures. Black Elves, obviously, have a black hair streak.

Magic

All elves are born with magic. When they start honing their powers is when their hair streak goes the color of the power, which is described as I talk about each power. Elves can have more than one power, but it's extremely rare that it happens.

Losing Magic

The only way an elf can lose magic is if a high class elf (usually a head mage, head cleric or king,) takes it from them. Those elves that took the magic from an elf also give elves magic

Giving Magic

Giving magic is usually done in a big ceremony surrounded by things associated with the type of elf the young one had chosen to be, with all other elves of that same type present to welcome the newcomer. The new elf usually gets a tattoo to signify what elf they are. For example, say you were a Grey Elf fully trained to be a water elf. The ceremony would be done by a river or in a cave behind a waterfall or on a lake. All other Grey Elves turned water elves there would be present to congratulate you for joining them, celebrating by giving you a special tattoo like they have.

Five Elements Magic

Earth magic has some aspects of White Elf magic, it just doesn't heal/revive at the same level of White Elf magic. Those who use earth magic have a green hair streak. Water magic is kind of like waterbending in Avatar: The Last Airbender, meaning it allows you to control water, but it also allows you to aid those with Earth magic in revival. Those who use water magic have a dark blue hair streak. Air magic is also like what they do in Avatar: The Last Airbender, but with some exceptions, including that it can be used to do many things (defense, farming, helping others, etc.). Those who use air magic have a light blue hair streak. Fire magic is one of the most powerful and most feared magics. Fire magic's used for attacking, defenses, warding off evil and things like that, IF and ONLY IF the mage is trained correctly. Fire magic is extremely powerful, and, if used incorrectly (abusing the power for the benefit of the mage), can make any elf turn into a Black Elf. Fire magic users have a red, orange, or yellow hair streak, but sometimes, it can be a combination of two colors or even all three. Spirit is one of the other more powerful magic types. Those who use spirit magic are a form of psychics. They can communicate with the dead like two living people having a conversation. If used to persuade the spirits to do the mage's bidding, it can cause any elf to turn into a Black Elf. If used to help others, it can turn any elf into a White Elf. Those who use spirit magic have a purple hair streak. These elves also have "dead" eyes (meaning their pupils are colorless). An elf that uses spirit magic can either be born with the power or can train to use it. Training in spirit magic involves a lot of being alone, no social contact whatsoever. People can talk to you, you just can't talk to other living creatures, not even animals. You can interact, just no form of speech (not even sign language or noises like Morse code).

How Ivy became a Black Elf

Ivy became a Black Elf because she was kidnapped and tortured to her breaking point. She was repeatedly raped and beaten, starved, dehydrated and overall treated like a piece of trash. The day she snapped was the day she got revenge for doing so. She was previously trained to be a fire elf, but never completed her training. She has fire powers, but can't fully control them, nor does she have a tattoo. When she snapped, she grew a bit in size and her previously white streak turned black. After that, she used her powers to burn the house to the ground with her sleeping tormentors still inside. To make sure they wouldn't get out, she started fires at all forms of exits including doors, windows, and holes. The one thing she saved was a small cardinal that kept coming in while her tormentors were asleep and attempting to free her by pecking at the chains that kept her on the floor. That's why even though she's considered a Black Elf, she still has a soft spot. To this day, the cardinal sits on her windowsill every morning and sings a wake up song (her girlfriend finds it annoying, but tolerates it because it makes Ivy happy)