Divine Blood

As explained elsewhere, the royal line of the elven empire is descended from the gods, through avatars and demi-gods. Because of this, they live dramatically extended lives. But there is more to this than simply their lifespans.

No god fearing mortal would dare spill the blood of one of these divine people. To do so is assumed to be a sacrilege that the ancestor deity would certainly seek vengeance for. Notice we didn’t say no one would kill such a divine person. There are times when these people may “need” to be put down, even by their own family members. But when such a thing is required, the divine blood must not be spilt. Elven royalty may be hung, strangled, drown, and even burned at the stake, so long as their blood is not spilled.

This “superstition” is held by nearly all the races. This is not simply an elven taboo. Admittedly, few orcs or goblins would be able to recognize an elven royal and therefore could accidentally spill the blood of one. There are also legends of these royals being sealed up inside plush prisons to live out their incredibly long lives imprisoned in luxury.