Lunar Elf

Born from the deep shadows of The Shadowfell yet bathed in forbidden light, Lunar Elves are a rare and controversial offshoot of the Shadow Fey. Their origin is both a mystery and a heresy—children of moonlight birthed from a realm where light should never touch. Where the Shadow Fey embody stillness, silence, and twilight, Lunar Elves shimmer with soft radiance, their very presence disrupting the gloom of their progenitors' domain.

Lunar Elves possess pale, luminescent skin, sometimes as soft and silver as moonlit snow, other times kissed with faint hues of lavender or pearl. Their hair ranges from obsidian black streaked with white, to shimmering moonlight tones, and their eyes glow with a spectral brilliance—reflecting the phases of the moon, from the solemn crescent to the full, radiant orb. This ethereal glow, while beautiful, brands them as anomalies among their own kind.

To the Shadow Fey, the Lunar Elves are seen as atrocities, unnatural byproducts of impurity and light. Legends speak of the first Lunar Elf as a child conceived during a rare Celestial convergence, when a shard of the moon’s radiance pierced the veil of the Shadowfell. Whether it was a blessing from an unknown moon God or a freak aberration, that child glowed—and glows still. Ever since, the Shadow Fey have sought to purge or exile these luminous children, seeing them as disruptive to the still harmony of their realm.

Despite this ostracization, Lunar Elves are not naive or gentle. They inherit the cunning and grace of their Shadow Fey lineage, but channel it through clarity rather than concealment. They are creatures of balance: shadow and light, silence and song, grief and hope. Many Lunar Elves wander the material world, drawn to the night sky and the quiet strength of the moon, seeking places where their glow is not a curse but a symbol of beauty and resilience.

Socially, they often form secret enclaves in high mountain temples, moonlit ruins, or hidden valleys, far from both mortal judgment and Shadow Fey scorn. These small communities are led by Moonbinders, Lunar Elves who have mastered their ancestral magics and transformed it with radiant light—able to weave spells of dreamlike illusion, healing, or radiant defense.

Lunar Elves view their exile not as a punishment, but as a calling. They often feel a sacred responsibility to protect the vulnerable, especially those shunned for what they are. Their lives are shaped by contrasts: hunted by their kin, but guided by a higher glow; born of darkness, but drawn to something gentler.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Shadow Fey

Genetic Descendants

• Pallid Elf

Discovered by

Sera, The Silent Radiance

BoET

Lunar Elf

FEY

Lunar Elf Traits

Size: Medium (5-6ft)

Speed: 30ft

As a Lunar Elf, you have these special traits.

Darkvision

Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Keen Senses

You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Fey Ancestry

You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Trance

Elves don’t need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is “trance.”) While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.

Luminous

You emit bright light in a 15-foot radius and dim light for an additional 15 feet. You can choose to suppress this effect to only dim light in a 15-foot radius, to suppress it completely, or to activate it at any time without expending an action. (This effect has a level equal to your proficiency bonus, and if any of its area overlaps with an area of darkness created by a spell of the same level or lower, the spell that created the darkness is dispelled.)

Moon Child

When in darkness, dim light, or a shadow large enough to cover your body, you can cast the moonbeam spell. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

Shadow Fey Weapon Training

You have proficiency with the rapier, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.

Sunlight Sensitivity

You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in bright sunlight.