There exist three sapient species upon Whorl: the humans, the fairies, and the elves. You can learn about each by following the links below.
Before continuing, it must be noted that these species all have much in common. Humans, fairies, and elves may have many differences, but they are fundamentally more alike than dissimilar. Take, for example, the following: they are all bipedal, with two arms to match; all are K-selection species, producing few offspring which each require substantial time and energy to raise; all are social, in general; all are able to manipulate magic; all are highly adaptable, inhabiting many different climates and geographies; and all are of similar intelligence, possessing capabilities for abstract thought, speech, advanced mathematics, emotional reflection, etc., much like our own. Consider, too, that all share the same basic survival needs of physical and psychological fulfillment. Additionally, as a linguist, I find it prudent to note that humans, fairies, and elves all are not only capable of speech but of translation; which is to say, human language, fae language, and elven language are translatable to each other and back.
Each of the following descriptions takes the above information for granted.