Elves
Elves are very unusual creatures in that they
devote their lives to voluntary servitude. They tend to live as
"house-elves" where they assume the role of an unpaid servant, a slave.
They devote themselves to their "master" and consider themselves a failure
if their master is not 100% happy all the time.
House-elves are treated differently by different
masters. Some of them are treated very well, like pets, and
live happy lives. Some of them are severely mistreated, though, and
live very confused lives of voluntary devotion to an abusive master.
These elves seek to be freed from their servitude, but they can only be
freed under very peculiar circumstances.
Freeing an Elf
House-elves normally only have one possession:
the clothes they are wearing. Other than pleasing their masters,
their clothes are the most important thing to them and they take great
pride in them. Coincidentally, freedom is also based on clothes.
An elf is immediately free from the current master if the master simply
hands the elf a piece of clothing. Anything will do: a sock,
shoe, hat, handkerchief.
