Half-Elf
With their long lives, and inherent grace and beauty elves have long drawn the covetous gaze of other races. With their many advantages other races tend to look on elves with either awe or resentment. Some like orcs resent the many advantages of elves, while humans tend to be entranced by their grace and beauty. Since their first encounters humans have been drawn to elves seeing in them idealized versions of themselves. Many elves in turn find humans attractive despite their short-lifespans and relatively barbaric way. In fact, it is the passion with which humans face their relatively short lives that elves are drawn to.
Occasionally this attraction leads to amorous relationships. These trysts, while short-lived may lead to the birth of half-elves, a race descended from two worlds but part of neither. While they began as a product of two races, half-elves can also breed true with one another. Still even these “pureblood” half-elves tend to be viewed as bastards by both humans and elves. Half-elves, having a mix of human and elven traits, tend to be viewed as outsiders by both races. Still the mix of human skill with elven beauty tends to make them good entertainers as well as itinerant adventurers.
Occasionally this attraction leads to amorous relationships. These trysts, while short-lived may lead to the birth of half-elves, a race descended from two worlds but part of neither. While they began as a product of two races, half-elves can also breed true with one another. Still even these “pureblood” half-elves tend to be viewed as bastards by both humans and elves. Half-elves, having a mix of human and elven traits, tend to be viewed as outsiders by both races. Still the mix of human skill with elven beauty tends to make them good entertainers as well as itinerant adventurers.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Half-elves stand taller than humans but shorter than elves. Half-elven males on average stand a few inches taller than human males, while half-elven women stand a good deal taller than their average human counterparts: about five to six inches. They retain the lean build and comely appearance of the elves, while their skin, while fair, takes its color from their human lineage. eyes tend to be human-like in shape but feature an exotic range of colors from amber or violet to emerald green and deep blue. Some half-elves look more like their human ancestors, while others favor their elven progenitors in appearance. This variance can often lead to social stigmas, as the more human-looking half-elves are more-easily accepted in human society, and vice versa.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Half-elves usually inherit the senses of their elven parents, being slightly keener than their human ancestors. In addition, they can see twice as far in dim light as a human can.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Half-elves as a rule don’t have a naming tradition. Those born in human lands tend to have human names, while those born in elven lands tend to have elven names. There is one tradition that half-elves have adopted from their elven ancestors. Many upon assuming adulthood choose a name that reflects their individual nature, often one not of human or elven origin.
Gender Ideals
Not having a culture of their own, half-elves don’t have one set ideal on gender roles. Most tend to adopt the gender ideals of whatever race raised them, though even those who are raised among humans tend to be very egalitarian. As people of no culture, they try not to force their own ideals on others.
Courtship Ideals
Just as half-elves don’t have a uniform worldview when it comes to gender roles, they don’t have uniform courtship ideals either. Most tend to adopt the ideals of whichever culture raised them, though many try to come up with their own ideals, usually a mix of elvan and human traditions with bits of other races ideals thrown in.
Relationship Ideals
Since they don’t have the long lifespans of elves, they lack the elves’ casual attitude towards relationships. Most tend to adopt the ideal of life-long monogamy favored by humans. This has nothing to do with a rejection of elven ideals, but a more practical matter, Lacking the lifespan of elves, they don’t have the time to allow one relationship to run its course and then start an entirely new one. A few, raised in elven lands do try to adopt the relationship ideals of elves, this usually ends in heartbreak for the half-elf in question, and just as often for their unlucky paramours.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
As beings born of two worlds, half-elves don’t have a culture of their own. Most adopt the cultural mores of whichever society raised them, those raised amongst humans adopt human culture and those raised amongst elves adopt elven culture. A few half-elves reject both cultures trying to find a path of their own.
History
Humans and elves first met in recorded history when the first humans arrived in the New Kingdoms and encountered the elves who were already living there. The humans were entranced by the tall, graceful elves, seeing in them an almost unearthly beauty. The elves while more ambivalent sometimes found something appealing in the short-lived but driven humans. It wasn’t long before it was discovered that elves and humans could reproduce together, and the first half-elves were born. From the start they were outsiders amongst both races. None the less as more humans arrived on the shore of the New Kingdoms, more half-elves were born.
As they grew to adulthood the half-elves often became wanderers and adventurers. Humans, never one to let anything go to waste often hired them as scouts and ambassadors. They proved especially adept serving as go-betweens between human and elven lands. So, the half-elves managed to eke out a living on the fringes of human and elven lands, with a few winning a place, if not a welcome in one society or another.
When exploration of the Frontier Lands began half-elves were often at the forefront. Many of the settlements that dot the Frontier Lands, both human and elven, were first scouted by half-elves. In the kingdom of Onzethcalet there is a village founded and settled by halve-elves called Nelnehgák. While other races are welcomed there, it’s inhabitants are primarily half-elves.
As they grew to adulthood the half-elves often became wanderers and adventurers. Humans, never one to let anything go to waste often hired them as scouts and ambassadors. They proved especially adept serving as go-betweens between human and elven lands. So, the half-elves managed to eke out a living on the fringes of human and elven lands, with a few winning a place, if not a welcome in one society or another.
When exploration of the Frontier Lands began half-elves were often at the forefront. Many of the settlements that dot the Frontier Lands, both human and elven, were first scouted by half-elves. In the kingdom of Onzethcalet there is a village founded and settled by halve-elves called Nelnehgák. While other races are welcomed there, it’s inhabitants are primarily half-elves.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Half-elves understand loneliness and know that character is often less a product of race than of life experience. As such, they are often open to friendships and alliances with other races, and less likely than most to rely on first impressions when forming opinions of new acquaintances. As mentioned already humans and elves tend to reject half-elves and many half-elves grow up resenting both of their ancestors. Additionally, those half-elves raised by or in the company of elves often have the human half of their parentage dubbed a mere obstacle, something to be overcome with proper immersion and schooling in the elven ways, and even the most well-meaning elven mentors often push their half-elven charges to reject a full half of themselves in order to “better” themselves. Among other races, half-elves form unique and often unexpected bonds. Dwarves, despite their traditional mistrust of elves, see a half-elf’s human parentage as something hopeful, and treat them as half-humans rather than half-elves. Additionally, while dwarves are long-lived, the lifespan of the stout folk is closer to a half-elf’s own than that of either of her parents. As a result, half-elves and dwarves often form lasting bonds, be they ones of friendship, business, or even competitive rivalry.
Gnomes and halflings often see half-elves as a curiosity. Those half-elves who have seen themselves pushed to the edges of society, truly without a home, typically find gnomes and halflings frivolous and worthy of disdain, but secretly envy their seemingly carefree ways. Clever and enterprising gnomes and halflings sometimes partner with a half-elf for adventures or even business ventures, using the half-elf’s participation to lend their own endeavors an air of legitimacy that they cannot acquire on their own.
Perhaps the most peculiar and dichotomous relations exist between half-elves and half-orcs. Those half-orcs and half-elves who were raised among their non-human kin normally see one another as hated and ancient foes. However, half-elves who have been marginalized by society feel a deep, almost instant kinship with half-orcs, knowing their burdens are often that much harder because of their appearance and somewhat brutish nature. Not all half-orcs are inclined or able to understand such empathy, but those who do often find themselves with a dedicated diplomat, liaison, and apologist. For their own part, half-orcs usually return the favor by acting as bodyguards or intimidators and take on other roles uniquely suited to their brawny forms.
Gnomes and halflings often see half-elves as a curiosity. Those half-elves who have seen themselves pushed to the edges of society, truly without a home, typically find gnomes and halflings frivolous and worthy of disdain, but secretly envy their seemingly carefree ways. Clever and enterprising gnomes and halflings sometimes partner with a half-elf for adventures or even business ventures, using the half-elf’s participation to lend their own endeavors an air of legitimacy that they cannot acquire on their own.
Perhaps the most peculiar and dichotomous relations exist between half-elves and half-orcs. Those half-orcs and half-elves who were raised among their non-human kin normally see one another as hated and ancient foes. However, half-elves who have been marginalized by society feel a deep, almost instant kinship with half-orcs, knowing their burdens are often that much harder because of their appearance and somewhat brutish nature. Not all half-orcs are inclined or able to understand such empathy, but those who do often find themselves with a dedicated diplomat, liaison, and apologist. For their own part, half-orcs usually return the favor by acting as bodyguards or intimidators and take on other roles uniquely suited to their brawny forms.
Lifespan
155 years
Average Height
Males 5' 11"
Females 5' 9"
Average Weight
Male 145 lbs
Female 135 lbs
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Half-elves tend to inherit the coloration of their human ancestors, though being slightly fairer. Sometimes they will inherit the slight green tint of their elven ancestors, though this is uncommon.
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