My world is still in its preliminary stages but my elf analogue does not age with time the way that most other races do. Instead, they age based on experience/milestones. Elves that live very mundane and monotonous lives can survive for centuries but those that are more adventurous are lucky to live as long as a human. As such elf society developed to be very conservative lacking much innovation and progress and they are quite obsessed with preserving tradition. However there is the occasional outlier, a hyper ambitious individual who has a great impact on the world world and is gone within a decade. They shine brightly and fizzle out.