Elves have existed for so long, and have had their fingers in so many gene pools, that the very sight of an elf can trigger a vestigial fear response in the younger races; an evolved instinct handed down from the millions of tiny, mouse-like ancestors that found themselves destined for an elven cooking pot aeons ago.

Afflicting roughly ten percent of humans and forty percent of orcs, it is considered an irrational phobia, given that most modern elves are pacifists and rarely consume meat at all. Despite their outward physical beauty, the otherworldly smoothness of their movements has been called uncanny by those afflicted, like the scuttling of a spider. The shape of a pointed ear silhouetted against the sun or the sound of an elven hunting bugle can be enough to stir primal memories of gnashing teeth, a looming predator, and cause an overwhelming urge to scurry under the nearest rock.

The fear response typically fades with exposure. Elves travelling abroad on diplomatic duty are advised to present themselves in such a way as to appear non-threatening; they should avoid wearing minimal armour or clothing, so as to display that they are unarmed. Males are often provided with veils to obscure their teeth. Diplomats have found that adopting the fashions and mannerisms of human females is usually sufficient to set human males at ease.