Sable Elf

Sable Elves are a cloistered and arcane lineage of elves whose lives and magic revolve around the mysterious and dangerous practice of Hemocraft, the manipulation of blood as a source of power. Often misunderstood—and sometimes feared—Sable Elves dwell in secluded enclaves deep within ancient forests, umbral mountains, or forgotten ruins where ley lines converge with the vital pulse of the world.

Their appearance reflects the magic that courses through them: dusky gray or sable-toned skin, veins faintly visible beneath the surface like crimson threads, and deep red or garnet eyes that seem to shimmer when blood is shed nearby. Their hair ranges from coal black to deep burgundy, often braided and adorned with bone or bloodcrystal charms. Despite their ominous aesthetic, there is an austere beauty to them—elegant, poised, and regal in their bearing.

Sable Elves do not practice Hemocraft recklessly. To them, blood is sacred, not a tool for dominance but a covenant of life, memory, and sacrifice. They believe that blood holds the truth of a being—its ancestry, its pain, its potential—and that to wield it is to accept its burden. Every cut, every ritual, every drop spilled carries intent and consequence. Pain is not feared; it is honored as a gateway to deeper understanding.

Trained from a young age in the Rites of the Crimson Thread, Sable Elves are both scholars and warriors, learning to draw magic from their own blood or from willing participants in ceremonial pacts. Their magic allows them to manipulate their vitality to curse enemies, empower strikes, bind wounds, or commune with ancestral memories. Many serve as blood seers, Spirit binders, or memory keepers in their communities.

Sable Elven society is strictly hierarchical, led by ancient bloodlines that trace their ancestry back to the first Elves who discovered Hemocraft beneath the Veinwood, a now-lost forest where the trees bled sap the color of wine. Power is earned not through birth alone, but through rites of suffering, sacrifice, and wisdom. Leadership is often passed by ritual combat, not to the strongest, but to the one who best wields pain with purpose.

Outsiders often mistrust Sable Elves, mistaking their practices for cruelty or vampirism. This has led them to live in isolation, though some wander the world as bloodbound pilgrims, seeking forgotten truths, lost artifacts, or to test themselves against the world’s cruelty. A Sable Elf never reveals their name to those they do not trust; they offer only their blood-mark—a sigil cut into the skin, glowing faintly with crimson magic.

Though many revere their bloodcraft, Sable Elves are also haunted by their magic. Hemocraft is a double-edged blade, and those who overreach or misuse it may become Bloodwraiths, cursed to endlessly bleed and hunger for life. These tales are whispered among them as grim lessons, reminding each generation that magic demands not just talent—but temperance.

Among the fractured Elven peoples, Sable Elves are seen with a mix of reverence and dread. Wood Elves call them dangerous, High Elves call them misguided, but Shadow Fey respect them—for blood and shadow often walk together in silence.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Elf

BoET

Sable Elf

HUMANOID

Sable Elf Traits

Size: Medium (5-6ft)

Speed: 30ft

As a Sable 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.

Blood Affinity

Choose a school of magic you have a natural affinity for. You learn a cantrip of your choice from that school. When you reach 3rd level, choose a 1st-level spell from the same school, and when you reach 5th level, choose a 3rd-level spell from the same school. You learn these spells and can cast them at their lowest level. Once you cast one of these spells, you must finish a long rest before you can cast the spell again using this feature. Your spellcasting ability for these spells is Intelligence.