Half-Elf
Half-Elves are a sentient hybrid species native primarily to Northern Felora, and Southern Galisea, but who can be found in established communites throughout both continents. They are, in many ways, a relatively recent development appearing, in large part as a result of the Feloran Empire, and recently due to the rapid expansion of trade network between the continents. Half-Elves are present in the millions, but can only reasonably claim the Dotharan Alliance as a homeland. As a result however, Half-Elves are known primarily to live in one of the most developed states in the known world.
Though they are capable of anything, much like most other sentient races, outside their homelands, Half-Elves are generally known as scholars, diplomats, merchants, and sailors, among other educated, prosperous, and somewhat nomadic professions. They have a reputation of getting along well with many peoples, and being erudite and somewhat charming folk. Half-Elves often take up adventuring out of a sense of wanderlust, seeking out new experiences, and wanting to meet new people.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Half-Elves possess the same basic body type as most other sentient species in Getninia possessing an upright body posture, two legs, two arms, and one head. Half-Elves have hands with tactile fingers and opposable thumbs, traits not shared with their feet. They have two ears, a nose, and two eyes on their face. Half-Elves are covered in body hair over most of their body, though body hair, except on their head tends to be sparse and thin compared to their human forebears.
Biological Traits
Half-Elves are despite their human ancestry relatively long lived for a sentient species, being theoretically capable of a lifespan of up to five hundred years. Per the norm, high ranking members of religious, arcane, monastic, or druidic orders are capable of much longer lives, potentially seeing five millennia. Most however, live for about three and a half to four and a half centuries depending on social factors such as class, profession, and access to healing magic or medicine.
Half-Elves tend to, as a rule be shorter and thinner than their human counterparts, and stockier and taller than their elven ancestors. Half-Elves as a rule tend to stand one and one quarter to one and three quarters meters in height. They also tend weigh roughly thirty five to eighty kilograms. Half-Elves are relatively unique in that they are one of the few hybrid species in the world capable of reproducing by natural means.
Half-Elves possess a wide range of color variations often depending on ethnicity. Their skin tones ranging from a nearly ebony color to extremely pale, nearly white skin tones, hair ranging from light blond, to red, to brown, and black, with varying greyscale colors as they age. They have and eyes that can be brown, blue, green, and grey with nearly infinite combinations of those colors found in humans. Though it is quite rare, some exceptional half-elves with particularly strong Elven ancestry possess exotic hair, skin, and eye colors reminiscent of the original Eladrin from the feywilds. More subtle variations in facial features, general body type, and other similar features also exist, often on ethnic lines.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Half-Elves form complex social systems with most living within functional and often hierarchical societies. Generally collective care for children and elders, and social cooperation between people are constant and can be expected at least to some extent in every half-elven social system. Regional variations exist, often in what hierarchies, if any, exist, in division of collective labor, and in gender norms. Collective rituals are also quite diverse.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Half-Elves can be seen spread throughout Felora and Galisea, though they are, for the most part only seen in numbers around the coast of Tealestrian Sea, to a lesser extent on the coast of the Yulan Ocean, and an even lesser extent in coastal Leandris. They are concentrated in the Dotharan Alliance and in coastal Qua'adar, and some Aeillan states.
Average Intelligence
Half-Elves are a sentient, and are capable of forming complex social structures, and are capable of creating advanced civilizations, if the Dotharan Alliance is any indication. Half-Elves, though not known to posses an unusually strong general intelligence, half-elves are known to possess strong emotional intelligence, though whether this is a learned cultural aspect (often torn between communities and needing to make friends in both), or a natural gift is unknown.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Half-Elves possess five basic senses sight, hearing, taste, tactile, and smell. Half-Elves are sight based creatures, with other senses being less prominent, though they can smell and hear over significant distances. Half-Elves are better able to see at night than humans, similar in capability to their elven ancestors, though their night vision is not as capable as their ability to see in the daylight. Half-Elves also possess a latent ability to "see" through magical charming effects making them immune to those effects.
Civilization and Culture
Major Organizations
The primary Half-Elven civilization is the Dotharan Alliance, a powerful state located in Northern Felora. Other major organizations include a fair number of independent mercantile companies and a well known group of mercenaries, the Auxilia Ballistarii, which is perhaps the cruelest expression of half-elven society, being run by Gitoxoi half-elves, and enslaving primarily other half-elves to sell into the service of wealth Aeillan nobles as personal retainers.
Average Technological Level
Half-Elves can be found primarily in the highly developeed Tealestrian Sea region, and as a result have attained a high level of technical development. In particular, half-elven inventors have been major contributors to the field of communications and maritime technologies, and being relatively early adopters of gunpowder among other technologies.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Half-Elven civilizations make use of primarily human and elven languages, with Feloran, Hadar, and Aeillan being the most common, and Gallega, and other Feloran languages being an important secondary language. Half-Elves are very likely, as a result of their profession, to speak the Common Pidgin as a result of their frequent involvement in international trade.
Lifespan
~350-450 years, rarely up to ~500 years
Average Height
1.25-1.75 m
Average Weight
35-80 kg
Related Organizations
Related Ethnicities
DND (5e) Traits:
- Medium Size
- Base walking speed of 30 feet.
- Proficiency in Common, any one regional language (Aeillan, Gallacan, etc.), and any one other language of your choice.
- 60 ft. Darkvision
- Advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and immunity to sleep effects, only needs 4 hours of waking rest to achieve a full rest.
- +2 Charisma, +1 to two other ability scores
High Elf Versatility
- Skill Versatility. Proficiency in any two skills
- Elf Weapon Training. Proficiency with Longbow, Shortbow, Longsword, Shortsword
- Cantrip. Learn one wizard Cantrip
- Fleet of Foot. Base walking speed becomes 35 ft.
- Mask of the Wild. Can hide even when lightly obscured by foliage, mist, or precipitation
- Drow Magic. Learn Dancing Lights Cantrip, can cast Fairie Fire (at 3rd level), and Darkness (at 5th level), once per long rest.
- Swim Speed. Gain a swim speed of 30 ft.
