Elves

Summary:
Sylvarine (high) Elves: 

• +1 Wisdom, -1 Constitution
• +10% Resistance vs. Sleep/Charm per 3.5 Wisdom Points
• +50% to Persuasion Modifiers, or +5% if there's no bonus
• Gain a +1 to Proficiency Point to one of the following: Alertness, Animal Lore, Animal Trainer, Apothecary, Appraising, Architect, Astrology, Boating, Carpentry, Cartography, Charioteering, Direction Sense, Etiquette, Healing, Heraldry, History, Jeweler/Lapidary, Limner/Painter, Musical Instrument, Monster Lore, Navigation, Plant Lore, Pottery, Religion, Riding Land, Runeology, Sailing, Scribe, Singing, Sound Analsysis, Storytelling, Trading/Bartering, Weather Sense, Weaver.
• Due to their lifestyle they are most likely to live nomadic lives, with a rare instance of developing cities in semi-isolated areas.
• Possess Ultravision
• Language Discounts: Alignment Language (free), High Elf (only costs 1), Elf Languages (-1 cost)

• Most social of elves but often prefer their own company over others.
• Have few settlements, often living nomadic most of their lives, or traveling between their cities or holy sites. Most enlist them for their long-lived knowledge.
• They are fascinated and obsessed with magic, using it for everything when they can.
• They are not against adaption & integration, however they also hold fast to traditions, & hold fast to memories.
• Rambling/Crude words is rude. Knowledge is meant to be shared, but only to those worthy of it. It's disrespectful to interrupt their words, and to interrupt thought process. Personal space is important. Impatience is undesirable. Crudness, sudden violence, and expensive wars are typically beneath them.

Faelthyrin (wood) Elves: 

• +1 Dexterity, -1 Constitution
• +10% Resistance vs. Sleep/Charm per 3.5 Wisdom Points
• When Alone or with Others with this Trait, Gain +1 to surprise enemies & +10% to move silently
• Gain a +1 Proficiency Point to one of the following: Alertness, Animal Handling, Animal Lore, Animal Noise, Apothecary, Astrology, Boating, Bowyer/Fletcher, Carpentry, Cartography, Direction Sense, Fishing, Foraging, Heraldry, History, Hunting, Leather Working, Monster Lore, Parkour, Plant Lore, Riding Land, Runeology, Running, Slow Respiration, Swimming, Tracking, Trapper/Furrier, Weather Sense.
• Due to their lifestyle they are most likely to live nomadic lives, with a rare instance of developing towns in forests and jungles
• Possess Infravision
• Language Discounts: Alignment Language (free), Wood Elf (only costs 1), Elf Languages (-1 cost)

• Enjoy living a nomadic life to explore the world, but enjoy their privacy & live in forests just as often.

Aerithyl (aquatic) Elves: 

• +1 Dexterity, -1 Charisma
• +10% Resistance vs sleep/charm per 3.5 Wisdom Points
• Can Breathe Underwater for 8 Hours & Hold their Breath for 10 Minutes Without Rolling Checks
• Gain a +1 Proficiency Point to one of the following: Alertness, Animal Handling, Animal Lore, Architect (underwater), Boating, Boat Wright, Charioteering, Direction Sense, Enduring, Fishing, Foraging, Glass Blowing, Heraldry, Masonry, Miner, Monster Lore (marine), Navigation, Plant Lore, Pottery, Sailing, Slow Respiration, Sound Analysis, Survival Heat, Swimming, Trading/Bartering.
• Due to their lifestyle they are most likely to live nomadic lives, with a rare instance of developing cities in the deep cresses of the ocean
• Possess Ultravision
• Language Discounts: Alignment Language (free), Aquatic Elf (only costs 1), Aquatic Languages (-1)

Naeyvorin (gray) Elves: 

• +1 Intelligence, -1 Charisma
• +10% Resistance to Sleep/Charm per 3.5 Wisdom Points
• Bonus vs. Surprise is a minimum of +1, with dexterity bonuses vs. Surprise increased by 50%.
• Gain a +1 Proficiency Point to one of the following: Alertness, Animal Handling, Animal Lore, Apothecary, Architect, Astrology, Boating, Bowyer/Fletcher, Carpentry, Cartography, Direction Sense, Endurance, Fishing, Foraging, Heraldry, History, Hunting, Monster Lore, Mountaineering, Navigation, Parkour, Plant Lore, Religion, Riding Land, Runeology, Sailing, Slow Respiration, Sound Analysis, Survival Cold, Survival Heat, Swimming, Weather Sense.
• Due to their Lifestyle they are almost guaranteed to live nomadic lives, with a very rare instance of joining some group or organizations
• Possess Ultravision
• Language Discounts: Alignment Language (free), Gray Elf (only costs 1), Elven Languages (-1)

Zaelrithan (dark) Elves: 

• +1 Strength, -1 Charisma
• +10% Resistance to Sleep/Charm per 3.5 Wisdom Points
• When Alone or with Others with this Trait, Gain +1 to surprise enemies & +10% to move silently
• Gain a +1 Proficiency Point to one of the following: Alertness, Animal Lore, Apothecary, Architect (underdark), Blacksmith, Blind Fighting, Bowyer/Fletcher, Cartography, Direction Sense, Endurance, Foraging, Gambling, Heraldry, History, Hunting, Masonry, Musical Instrument, Miner, Monster Lore, Mountaineering, Parkour, Plant Lore, Pottery, Rope Use, Runeology, Running, Scribe, Slow Respiration, Sound Analysis, Survival Heat, Tracking
• Due to their Livestyle they are almost guaranteed to live in very loose communities consisting of independent 'families' ruling over a city
• Possess Infravision
• Language Discounts: Alignment Language (free), Dark Elf (only costs 1), Underdark Languages (-1)

Basic Information

Biological Traits

In general, elves are not too different from humans other than their pointed ears. While it is noted that most elves have less flaws in their skin than humans do, and tend to be more delicately shaped, giving off a more 'beautiful' impression by humans, they do not have many other traits that are worth noting.

Growth Rate & Stages

Elven infants are rarely seen by other races due to how rarely elves are born. It is often speculated that elves do not wish to become a parent due to how long their offspring stays an infant, helpless and wild. It's also rumored that elven infants are the only elves that do not have pointed ears. Once they reach the age of a child their ears become pointed. During this time their parents leave them alone for most of the time, occasionally teaching them over time. An elf's childhood is long and joyful, lasting between thirty five to one hundred and fifty years. Shortly becoming a young adult most elves will leave their home upon being capable enough to survive and seek the wonders of this world.
In general nothing changes with elves during the stages of maturity and middle aged, not even their child like love, wonder, and fun, though certain cultures can affect their personality change. Once an elf becomes old, their frolicking and other activities become less and less over time as their bodies begin to grow weaker. At venerable age an elf will usually cease these activities altogether and spend most of their times in their homes or on leisurely walks.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Overall elves tend to keep to themselves more often than not. Even the high elves, who have kingdoms and cities of their own, rarely do more than party together. When elves do gather together and form their own society however, there will typically be an elven king or queen at the top, seven royal noblemen or noblewomen, and then the rest of the elves. It is mostly the high elves who use this social structure, but it isn't impossible to encounter other sub-races who use this structure as well.

Facial characteristics

Most elves will have an angled, yet delicate shaped face, many claiming they appear perfectly smooth. It is very rare for the skin to have any flaws or disfigurements in them, however freckles are considered uncommon. While it is still a mystery to most races, the elves rarely receive any wrinkles until they become venerable, and even then it still takes many years for them to develop. Most elves grow out their hair to be long, but never down past the waist. In general, elves do not grow facial hair of any sort.

Average Intelligence

While many praise the wisdom and intelligence of elves, and others mock their child like behavior whenever they are not in a serious situation, the truth is that elves are no more or less intelligent or wiser than most of the other races most of the time. The elves are generally thought to be one of the racial experts on magic due to their deep curiosity, wonder and fascination with it, to the point where they imbue magic into most of their lives. They invented many spells designed to make daily work easier, and are eager to apply magic to creations and lifestyles of the other races to see what sort of effects will come of them. However due to their incredibly long lifespan, most elves do not create advancements for any reason other than curiosity most of the time, and rarely out of necessity.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Like most races other than human the Elves have the capability of looking into the infrared spectrum, which allows them to locate enemies in the dark, and makes it a little easier on them should they suddenly be plunged into darkness. Their infrared vision is limited to sixty feet in range, and while it is powerful it has weaknesses, as any cold object can block heat sources from view.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

The elves generally only give their kind two names. Their first name and their second name. Elves rarely, if ever, have a family name, as this is mostly reserved for nobility. When an elf names their child, they will desire to name them after something beautiful. Whether it is a bright star in the sky, a vibrant flower in the forests, one of the many colorful life's in the seas, the sparkling white snows, or the precious gemstones of the earth. Whatever the name, they wish it to sound beautiful and graceful, and what it represents to bring forth fond memories, bright images, and happiness. A noble's family name is usually named after something of great significance such as a celestial body, or of a set of seven great things.

Beauty Ideals

While elves, like most races, find beauty in what is natural and not disfigured, twisted or distorted, they are the most likely to look past the exterior and instead see the person's beauty as their heart. Their passion, their ideals, their personality, and so forth. A deceitful man who looks like a charming prince that cons people out of their property and murders without hesitation is considered to be far more ugly and disgusting than a hunchback with missing fingers that tends to a garden and keeps every flower fresh and vibrant for others to enjoy.

Average Technological Level

The elves are considered to the be most advanced race in terms of magic and spellweaving. However most, including the gnomes and dwarves, do not consider their magics to be the same as technology. Thus most see the elves as technologically inept. Elves do not construct nor possess siege weaponry, and usually keep their arms and armor limited to physical armors, melee weapons (usually swords) and bows (preferably longbows and shortbows as well as combosite bows). Their architecture is designed to be beautiful and sturdy as well, on par with even the architecture and structures of the dwarves. Their lack of technology isn't due to lack of intelligence, but a lack of necessity for it.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

All elves speak the languages of elven, gnome, halfling, goblin, hobgoblin, orcish, gnoll, and the "common tongue" of mankind. Depending on how high the elf's intelligence score is, they can learn between one to three additional languages.

History

"Of all the histories in Erelest, the history of the elves is not written in grim texts, dusty libraries, or even in ancient halls of stone. It is sung in songs and poems, dances and festivals, ceremonies and rites. For we elves do not wish to waste time dwelling, worrying, or mourning the past with grief, misery and anger. What's done is done, so why not sing about it?"
-- Valnala Yesrie

Most of the elven history is categorized and organized into chapters of poems and songs as opposed to books. It is no wonder then that most of the world is aware of their history to some degree, as even tragic events are composed in song and poems. When the elves first arrived in the world they quickly came to love and adore it and everything around them. While other races went to work perfecting and honing their skills and craftsmanship, building giant cities and the like, elves took their time to simply enjoy the forests, the animals, the mountains and the seas. The beauty that was gifted to them by the gods. Upon discovery of magic their wonder and awe only grew. It wasn't until one thousand and five hundred years had passed when the elves finally began to create something of their own. Thus the first city of elves was created.
It was at this time the elves had begun to interact with the other races on a more personal level, which lead to wonderful allies and trading. In particular the elves were close friends with the dwarves on all accounts. They would trade jewelry with them, explore the wonders of magic together, and would share their festivities with one another. This alliance however was extremely short lived when the dragons had come, drawn by the greed and treasure hoards of the dwarves. As misfortunes piled onto the dwarven doorstep, the elves themselves had an encounter with twisted creatures from underground who rivaled them and their magics. There was a war between the elves and these twisted monstrosities which seemed too great and powerful to overcome, but eventually a half elf spellsword named Meicorai brought back what he'd learned from the humans and lead the elves in victory against the hordes of the underdark. It is sung that the creatures were of such terrifying nature that their name was magically erased from every mind on Erelest.
By the time their own war had ended, the dwarves had already turned their backs on their old alliance. With their friendship now lost, the elves changed their festival marking the day of their alliance into a ritual as a reminder of how things used to be, and how they would hopefully one day return to. When the nephilim came into existence, the elves heeded the cries of man as most every other race did, and joined the ranks of a united army. Many elves were drawn to the dark magic the nephilim had used however, especially after seeing it's effectiveness not only by the nephilim, but by the underdark abominations, and turned against the rest of their kind. These elves were swiftly crushed however, and were banished into the underdark where their twisted powers had come from. These elves were named forevermore the drow.
After these events the elves began to isolate themselves from the rest of the races, preferring to bond with nature than to be disrupted by war and corruption as so many others had. It was during this time that the gray elves took to the mountains, cutting themselves off not only from the other races, but from their sister races as well. By this point the most common elves to be seen by anyone were the high elves and wood elves, both of which preferred to stay in their own realms and ceased commonly visits with one another. The only interaction these sub-races now have is through trading and song sharing. When the era of adventurers arose however, the elves began to feel their wanderlust spark to life once more, and wished to see the world and all that has changed. To see new monuments and beauties crafted by the dwarves, the humans, gnomes, dracon and all.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Dracon: Tolerated - The elves are a free spirited race who typically prefer to avoid being weighed down by anything. This alone makes their relationship with the dracon, who are so adamant about keeping tradition continuous, obeying their gods to the letter, and their constant aggression towards their other half, rather strenuous. Elves do not care at all for evil dracons, while they can at least tolerate good dracons so long as they keep their stubborn opinions to themselves.
Dwarves: Antipathy - Where the dwarves were once viewed with goodwill, many elves now view them with antipathy. Believing the dwarves were the cause of their broken friendship, they view this race as stubborn, hot-tempered, and stingy. This and their general "all serious" attitude during every moment except festivities is difficult for any elf to work with, as it opposes their care free nature. Add to this the fact that they cannot use magic around dwarves without getting into an argument with them makes the two races difficult to work together.
Gnomes: Tolerated - While elves can be child like in their wonder, fascination, and care-free attitude, the gnome's childish mindset in the sense of dark humor and extravagant pranks is a trait they dislike greatly. Finding humor at another person's expense disgraceful and wrong, most elves avoid gnomes whenever possible. While intrigued with a gnome's mechanisms, the race's stubbornness on not allowing anyone to mess with them in any manner, and especially with magic, has the elves annoyed as well. Even still they are able to work with gnomes should push come to shove. Just not for very long.
Half-Elves: Goodwill - While many would have believed elves to dislike half-elves for being a crossbreed of humans and not pure-blooded, elves view them in the opposite aspect. For no elf would mate with a human without loving them. As such they view half-elves as if they were an elf themselves. While they do not openly invite half-elves to live in their communities, they do not reject any either, and are eager to aid them in comforts, shelter, protection, wisdom and other forms of aid. Whenever around half-elves, it is their great joy to make their half-breed brethren smile.
Halflings: Tolerated - The elves' view on halflings is very mixed. The halflings and elves both share a love of nature and all things that grow (wood elves especially), and both races enjoy being merry and having festivals. However the halfling's dislike of adventure, ambition, or traveling of any sort leaves the elves somewhat disheartened. While the elves enjoy the whole world, the halflings prefer their small paradises, and ignore most other races. In addition to this they do not care for the chaos magic brings either, and thus elves are not always welcome in a halfling community.
Half Orcs: Antipathy - To say that elves do not trust the half-orcs would be nothing short of redundant as their expressions would scream it first. With half-orcs having a tendency to assault or dominate others, and often turning to intimidation, aggression and violence to solve their issues. In addition to this the half-orcs rarely appreciate the beauty the elves see in the world, often taking pleasure in most things the elves dislike. As such, elves will rarely, if every, tolerate working with a half-orc for very long.
Humans: Neutral - Elves have seen the human race and it's short lifespan for many thousands of years now, and understand that humans are capable of good, evil, indifference, simplicity, greatness, peace and warfare. It has become the elven understanding that humans can be anything, and as such should never be judged or assumed to be good, evil or neutral simply because another human was. This being said, because of their ability to be anything, elves are ordinarily cautious around humans until they have proven themselves.
Nephilim: Hated - The elves love the nature of the world they live in, yet devils seek to corrupt, twist and destroy such beauty. As a result the elves hate the nephilim due to their twisted nature. Whether desired or not, every nephilim has a sinful urge and dark drive that seeks to motivate every action they take. Elves despise this nature, and by extent nephilim, and they will never trust a nephilim. Not even if they served a holy god for over half of their life. It is said that the war against the nephilim was the only war they had no regrets in.

Lifespan

Elves generally have a lifespan ranging between one thousand and two thousand years.

Average Height

4'6-5'0 on average

Average Weight

80-110 lbs on average

Average Physique

Most elves will have a slender and graceful figure with a small build. They are often described as a beautiful race most of the time.