Elf
Elven society is based on their reverence for something known as the Eternal. It is not a god in the human sense, nor is It simply a religion or philosophy. The Eternal is a concept—the ideal around which the Elder races’ culture is based. It is perfection, never changing, forever enduring. Mystical identification with the Eternal is the highest goal. Elves view the universe a gradually progressing toward communion with It., when all will become one, uniting into a single consciousness.
Elves see the Eternal as manifested in the natural cycle of renewal—birth, death, and rebirth, the changing of the seasons, etc. The harmony of Nature, the network of interdependent creatures and plants are examples of the world moving towards union with It. For this reason, the Elves have a deep respect and love for unspoiled nature—they strive to blend their communities into the environment. Elven homes are living shelters formed of carefully tended trees and brush. They live off the land, taking no more than they need and leave undisturbed that which they can’t use. Elves are incredibly protective of the wild lands in which they live. Some of this stems from their long lives; they will likely live long enough to have to deal with the consequences of any poor decisions, so when they developed industrial processes millennia ago they turned away from them when they extrapolated what the environmental damage was likely to be.
For this reason, too, elves do not partake in organized governments. They believe that each one of them is interrelated to the whole that moves toward It, and that it is for each to find his own place—to incline toward that which their nature takes them, governed only by their eventual dependence on the whole.
There is no Elvish kingdom, although the settlements in a given region often cooperate with each other. Individual Elvish communities are loosely organized. Most decisions affecting the group are made by a council of elders (as it is believed that age bestows wisdom), after hearing the opinions of any adult who wishes to speak. The opinions of all are welcome, and decisions are not binding upon the members of the community. Reaching a decision may take a long time. Elves have a strong respect for free will, and will not force obedience on one another. In practice, though, the word of the council is treated as a general mandate, and only those Elves with a strong personal interest will speak at a council gathering. This individualistic nature has made Elves susceptible to invasion, especially by well-organized foes such as the Imperial Army of the Tondene Empire. They lack the numbers required to fend of a numerically strong, determined invader. The Elves living in the Altacirya River Valley were some of the first peoples to be absorbed into the Empire. While they put up a good fight (mostly using guerilla warfare and their biological defenses), they couldn't keep the might of the Imperial Army from overwhelming them.
Elven societies are egalitarian, with work split as equally as possible between male and female. Children are rare, and seem to belong to the community as a whole. Elves may change partners often, although many bond with a single mate for several decades or centuries. Those couples that wish to have children will get married, although there are cases of childless couples marrying just to solidify their devotion to each other. Creativity is also respected and highly valued by the Elves, who adore music, poetry, dancing and art. Elven dead are buried, so their bodies will fertilize the soil. Thus from death comes life. Few Elves partake in any organized religion. Individual status usually depends solely on age and family, although a particularly talented bard or artist, or one who is particularly well attuned to nature, will gain a wide reputation.
Nórer tulte yo vanyalte
Altarniër oryalte yo lantalte
Lie cuitalte, lie firlte
Ar Quendi ter ilu
Countries come and go,
Empires rise and fall,
People live, people die,
And Elves will live through it all.
Time sense for Elves is very different from that of shorter-lived races. To Elves, the other races are ephemeral. It is not unusual for an Elf to go visit a non-Elf friend only to find out their friend had died of old age a decade ago. To most Elves, keeping track of the individual days is much like keeping track of how many ants exit an anthill. Day to day timekeeping is not too relevant for them. While Dwarves (and Humans) tend to break the day down into consistently-sized chunks (primarily from a mechanistic viewpoint), Elves aren’t quite so rigid. They break their days into six unequal pieces, based on the sun.
Hour of Spreading Light: (Lúmë Altapalyië) predawn to about midmorning.
Hour of Smaller Shadows: (Lúmë Cintavathar) midmorning to midafternoon
Hour of Stretching Sun: (Lúmë Anartainië) midafternoon to sunset
Hour of Enfolding Dark: (Lúmë Morivaiyië) sunset to late evening
Hour of Deepest Quiet: (Lúmë Tumnaquilda) late evening to past midnight
Hour of Final Dancing: (Lúmë Métimaliltië) past midnight to the wee hours of the morning
These hours vary in size depending upon the season and latitude, but when you are an Elf, the exact number of seconds are largely irrelevant.
Elves are "post-industrial". Ancient Elves became very, very good with both chemical and biological sciences, and developed a range of plants and animals that still exist today. However, they realized that their technology was causing irreparable harm to that which they held most sacred, the environment. Being as long lived as they are, they were able to actually see what they were doing to the world around them. This was unacceptable, and turned a lot of their skill and knowledge inward. This is called the Atacoivië, ("Reawakening"), and is a source of both shame and pride amongst the Elves. Because of this knowledge and heritage, they are able to subtly be "better" at most things "naturally", instead of relying on technology to do it for them (see Hedge Magic). They also developed the mental discipline of "Flow" or "Elven Focus" (see below).
Elven settlements are most often in the trees, connected by rope bridges.
Design: Elven design is a flowing, organic kind of art nouveau. See LotR movies. The Elven cities that tend to interact with other races have architecture that looks like Rivendell; the ones deeper in the forests look like Lothlorien. In any case, they are almost always a place of almost magical beauty, both visually and aurally (windchimes and/or soft music can almost always be heard, as well as the wind in the trees and the songs of birds and insects). The deeper one gets into an Elven forest, the deeper one “feels” the music. Sometimes there is an obvious source for the music, other times it just seems to come from everywhere. When asked, the Elves just smile and seem confused that the question was asked in the first place: to them, it is just the sound of the living forest. If you try to listen to the music, a particular melody cannot be discerned; nor can you really hear any music per se. It is felt more than heard, and you can’t really pay attention to it without it disappearing as music. If it is “ignored”, then it can be heard. Non-Elves consider this to be one of the weird, uncomfortable things about Elven forests. Those people with an environmental philosophy and/or a Zen-like quietness get along quite well with the effect. From what anyone can tell, the Elves almost subconsciously grow their forest into a kind of organic aeolian harp. Here is an example of what it sounds like.
While many of their structures are grown into shape, they still use lumber in a more traditional carpentry style. However, since they don't like to cut down a lot of trees, they practice taurënna ima ("forest upon the hand", known as "daisugi" on Earth).
This is similar in practice to coppicing or pollarding, where the wood is harvested without cutting down the tree. This allows for very good lumber without damaging their relationship to the Eternal. It was a technique developed by the Elves shortly after their Reawakening.
Elven goods:
Elven Silversilk
The secret of weaving this fine, silvery fabric has been known to the Elves for millennia. Silversilk protects like chainmail (DR 4/2*), but has the weight and texture of fine silk (1 pound). Like chainmail, an undercoat of thick padded armor is needed to provide full protection – the elves often make the whole ensemble into a single garment about the weight and thickness of a bulky sweater (2-3 pounds, depending on the size of the wearer). Without the padding the garment offers DR 3/1*. Spider silk gives an extra +2 DR vs. cutting and impaling attacks, and negates the effects of barbed weapons. Against such attacks, it grants +1 to First Aid rolls to treat injuries and eliminates -2 in penalties to HT rolls for infection due to dirt in the wound (p. B444). Finally, silk prevents skin contact, negating any blood agent or contact poison. It can be enchanted normally with Fortify or Deflect spells.
Cost Factors (all apply):
Spider Silk:+99 CF; weight is unchanged.
Styling: Beautiful +4 CF to Gorgeous +9 CF
Dyed: Common color +6 CF, Uncommon +30 CF
Embroidery: Simple +2 CF, Elaborate +6 CF
Sometimes silver or gold threads will be embroidered into the garment.
Silver embroidery: Simple +6 CF to Elaborate +18 CF
Gold embroidery: Simple +6 CF to Elaborate +18 CF (note that gold isn't any more expensive than silver; this is due to most metals being "mined" by use of the Create Earth spell, which has made the cost of metals very cheap).
Though not as protective of their Silversilk as the dwarves are of their dwarven Mail, the elves have never revealed the secret of its manufacture to a non-Elf, and they only give it to the very greatest non-Elven friends and benefactors of the race.
As the Elves never sell Silversilk, and only rarely give it away, the open market price of the armor is far beyond what would normally be expected from its capabilities.
Component Spells: unknown to non-Elves. Asking Price: about $4.7M for an entire set (although it's likely stolen or looted off of a dead Elf). Note that this is for "mundane" or silversilk that has no other enchantments on it.
Elven Chainmail is 50% lighter than regular chain, and decorated as well. It is made of a Mithril Alloy. The same goes for Elven Platemail. Heavy Elven Chain is +1 DR, made of Mithril alloy and weighs 25% less than regular chain. Elven Hedge Magic is used in its creation.
Elven Boots give a +2 Stealth skill. Elven Hedge Magic is used when making the boots, but no spells are required. Takes four times as long as making regular boots, and they are quite often decorated as part of the rituals used to make them.
Elven Cloaks give a +2 Stealth skill when moving, and the equivalent to a Hide spell when still, and Camouflage +3 regardless. Elven Hedge Magic is used in the creation of these cloaks; they take eight times as long to make as a mundane cloak. They are almost always decorated, mostly in patterns designed to fool the eye.
Elven Rope is 1/2 the weight and thickness of regular rope, feels like silk (it is; spidersilk is one of its components), has a resistance to cuts, and some can untie themselves (as per the Knots spell). None of these goods register as being magical in the sense of an enchanted item.
All Elven goods are Fine or Very Fine quality, and not usually for sale. The items that do show up in markets command extremely high prices.
Elven Waybread (Lembas): One cake equals 3 meals. Each cake (actually, it’s more like a cracker ) weighs one ounce. This magically enhanced bread is made only by Elves, but is rumored to use the essential food spell, and it goes bad quickly if not in the original leaf wrappings (but lasts for a very long time if kept in the original wrappings). The cost is unknown, since it is never sold; only given as a gift.
Elven Soul Food (Saiwafëa matta): A hot dish that can drive away the chill at night, granting one level of Temperature Tolerance for eight hours. It also reduces Exhaustion by 1, and counts as two meals for Exhaustion purposes. It is made only in Elven settlements, as it includes wild-grown ingredients only found in wilderness areas (the foods vary by culture and biome; ingredients can be found in jungle, forest, prairie, and scrubland). Elven Hedge Magic is required for its preparation, but no spells are necessary. Knowing the recipe is an Average Technique of Cooking, and takes 2 hours to prepare, and a half hour to cook (although Elves don't care; it takes as long as it takes).
Elven Cordial (Miruvórë): A mead-like Elven brandy that offers Temperature Tolerance for four hours, and reduces Exhaustion by 1. Drinking it warms the heart and lifts the spirits, and is usually taken a swallow at a time. It is made only in Elven settlements, as it includes wild-grown ingredients only found in wilderness areas (the brandies vary by culture and biome; ingredients can be found in jungle, forest, prairie, and scrubland). Elven Hedge Magic is required for its preparation, but no spells are necessary. Knowing the recipe is an Average Technique of Cooking, and takes 1 hour to prepare, and at least four months to ferment. It gets better with age, so typically it will be aged in wood barrels for at least five years.
Essential Water: Three times as thirst quenching as normal water, $40 per gallon.
Elves do not have guilds in any formal sense.
Elven mages typically have 10 Fatigue, enchanter mages 11 Fatigue, for the same reasons as stated under the section for Dwarven enchanter mages. Each Elf mage has about 20-25 fatigue to use in one casting, assuming a 10-15 pt powerstone. A circle of 3 mages would have about 75 pts to work with, and a circle of 6 about 150 points.
Elves use guerilla tactics, if they just don’t just disappear; the days of massed armies of Elves are pretty much over; there are just too few nowadays. They are very good with bows. They developed the “sliding magazine bow”, which allows a bow to fire 6 arrows very quickly. They also developed the “dual bow”, which is bow that uses a second bow to offset some of the draw weight.
Elves prefer pacifism, since wars cause damage to the land, which is something that they hold in reverence. When they do go to war, they are fearsome. They also tend to be isolationist. They don’t often let strangers into their lands. Typically, those lands are surrounded by a "garden" of dangerous plants, and the Elves are wary enough to notice when invaders start encroaching upon their domains. It's unlikely an invasion force can sneak up on them.
Weapons and armor: all kinds of armor, up to heavy plate (although the Elven versions are much lighter than they look). They tend to stress mobility in their fighting styles (and often acrobatics), and don’t often use shields (they get in the way when traveling through underbrush and trees). Main gauche skill, dual weapons, or, occasionally, a buckler is used. Bows are their primary weapons, and guerrilla tactics and ambush are favorite tactics. Elven martial arts consist of two unarmed forms and three weaponed forms.
Elven Judo is the "civilian" martial art, often taught in most Elven communities. It emphasizes movement, both the practitioner's and their opponent's. It is a "soft" style, and it's usual goal is to disarm/disable rather than kill. Most Elves are typically too pacifistic in nature for many "harder" styles. But see War Dancing for the other end of the spectrum.
Primary skills: Judo, Acrobatics.
Secondary skills: Wrestling, Jumping.
Optional Skills: Brawling.
Maneuvers: Arm/Wrist Lock, Breakfall, Disarming, Hand Parry, Hand Strike, Judo Throw, Kicking.
Elven Fist Craft is a common unarmed martial art of the elves, being practiced in some variation by many elven peoples. The style is very agile and graceful, with an emphasis on balance and posture, although it is not the dancing fighting method that elves are known for. Carmëtavar’s method of fight is to sit at distance, cautiously attacking until the opponent’s defense weakens, or they are brought off balance at which point the practitioner moves in for the kill. Finishing moves are generally throws and take downs followed by devastating blows to the fallen opponent, though strikes that knock down or even knock out a standing opponent are not uncommon. It is unwise to be caught on the ground against a practitioner of this art as the style boasts a wide variety of moves designed to cripple grounded opponents. Tournaments in the style consist of two opponents trying to knock each other to the ground, be it by throw, sweep or, as is more common, strikes. There is some variation in the system from place to place. Some schools teach staff fighting, other teach wresting and ground fighting should the practitioner ever be caught on the ground. As popular as the style is among Elves, it is rarely practiced by non Elves.
Primary skills: Acrobatics, Judo, Karate, Savoir-Fair (Elf)
Optional Skills: none
Techniques: Acrobatic Stand, Breakfall (acrobatics), Counter Attack (Karate), Elbow Drop (Karate), Elbow Strike (karate), Exotic hand strike (karate), Kicking, Judo Throw, Knee Drop (karate), Leg Grapple (Judo), Push Kick, Stamp Kick, Sweep, Trip
Cinematic Skills: Push, immovable stance
Cinematic Techniques: Lethal Strike, Lethal Kick
Perks: Rapid Retraction (Kicks), Special Set up (Karate strike -> Judo Throw), Technique Adaptation (Knee drop)
Optional Traits
Advantages: Perfect balance, Catfall
Disadvantages: jealousy
Skills: Light Walk, Pressure Points, Staff, Two handed Sword (staff), Wrestling
Techniques: Ground Fighting
The War Dancers are the most flamboyant of the Elven martial artists. Traditionally, War Dancers are flighty even by Elven standards -- Dwarves typically can't stand them -- taking very little save their fencing seriously at all. Those Elves chafing at the Elven Code of Honor or general Pacifism can, if qualified, become a War Dancer. As such, the War Dancers often have members who would not fit in with the usual Elven society: the misfits, the sociopaths, and others who want a sanctioned outlet for their…quirks. That isn’t to say that “normal” Elves don’t become War Dancers; some are driven to join for various personal reasons. War Dancers are often given to outrageous acts of daredevilry and are usually quite noticeable by their elegant dress and hair styles (typically mohawks stiffened with resin). Armor is worn lightly, if at all, since mobility is key. Elven Silversilk is the coveted protection of all War Dancers.
Fencing is the heart of War Dancing. The skill is learned with a primary focus on the Elven longsword but the Elven smallsword is also taught (see New Weapons, below). The most common practice of War Dancing is a two-handed style with longsword in the dominant hand and smallsword in the off-hand; the latter is usually used defensively. However, some individuals prefer saving the off-hand for a cloak, buckler, the Elven equivalent of the Main-Gauche or nothing at all. If available, the Weapon Master (Fencing) advantage is open to War Dancers. The style is both defensive and aggressive in that it often defends with cuts to the arms rather than parries (aggressive parry) or with quick counter cuts.
As the name implies, dancing is also an integral part of the War Dancer's training. A fight just isn't a fight without some sense of choreography to it, even if the opponent is less than cooperative. For this reason anyone with Style Familiarity: War Dancing who is faced with such an artist gets an additional +1 to defend against their attacks. Unfortunately the only beings likely to be familiar with War Dancing are other War Dancers. On the rare occasions that two War Dancers meet in mortal combat -- an Elf against a Dark Elf, for instance -- the fight can easily reach epic lengths, as both parties will tend to get lost in the beauty of the dance. Not surprisingly, many War Dancers are also Bards and musicians. Luck, Daredevil and Ambidexterity are common advantages.
Movement spells, especially Wallwalking and Blink, are favorites among War Dancers, as are spells that will enhance their grace, such as Dexterity, Balance and Ambidexterity. Legends abound of Dancing Masters who use advanced Sound spells and even Illusions to provide their own soundtracks and lightshows.
Those War Dancers with Elven Focus will often Sing in combat; doing so helps them get into the Flow state. A successful Singing roll gives a +1 to the Elven Focus roll; making the skill by 5 gives a +2; and critting the Singing roll gives a +3 (yes, that is potentially a whole extra level of increased crit range, just from the focus derived from the song). The singing starts out with words, but after a few seconds evolves into something more like glossolalia.
Primary Skills: Acrobatics; Dancing; Saber; Smallsword; Savoir Faire
Secondary Skills: Fast Draw (Sword) ; Fast Talk; Jumping; Tactics
Optional Skills: Brawling; Buckler; Cloak; Main-Gauche; Musical Instrument; Poetry; Singing; Stealth, Elven Focus
Techniques: Close Combat (Saber) ; Corps-a-Corps (Saber) ; Feint (Saber) ; Lunge (Saber) ; Off-Hand Weapon Training (Smallsword or Main-Gauche) ; Riposte (Smallsword) ; Acrobatic Stand; Aggressive Parry (Smallsword) ; Counterattack (Saber) ; Evade; Attack and Fly Out; Hit Location (Saber)
Cinematic Skills: Light Walk
Cinematic Maneuvers: Dual-Weapon Attack (Saber) ; Dual Weapon Attack (Smallsword) ; Enhanced Parry (Smallsword) ; Dual-Weapon Defense; Roll With Blow; Timed Defense; Whirlwind Attack (Saber)
The Defenders of the Eternal is the closest thing to a religious and chivalric order that the Elves have produced. They are the self-proclaimed protectors of Life, Nature, the Eternal (see p. F36-37) and everything Sylvan. Dark Elves often name themselves Defenders and pursue mastery of this art, creating a marked schism in interpretation of the philosophy of the style.
The Defender style centers on the Fae Knife (see New Weapons, below), a light, pointed, hand-and-a-half sword similar to the Katana but with a straight, two-edged blade. The Fae Knife uses the Katana skill and like the Katana it may be used interchangeably one- or two-handedly (at +1 to damage for two-handed use) with Parry at 1/2 skill when used one-handed and 2/3 skill when used two-handed. The Weapon Master (Katana) advantage is available to Defenders where appropriate.
The Defenders follow a Code of Honor, the tenets of which are: own no more than you can carry; never refuse a worthy request for help; defend Nature at all costs; always protect the innocent and those weaker than yourself; and never put personal feelings or honor over the welfare of others. Obviously, the Dark Elf version of this Code is selective in its interpretation, only including Sylvans in the "innocent/weaker" and request for aid categories. This Code is worth -15 points (-10 for Dark Elves). Fanaticism and Megalomania are not uncommon disadvantages for Defenders, as is Pacifism: Cannot Harm Innocents.
The standard practice of the style is to fight with the Fae Knife alone, although dual-weapon variations do exist. While the shield is not a native tool for Elves, it has been adopted by many of the Fae-folk for its defensive capabilities and is sometimes used by Eternal Defenders. Defenders may or may not wear armor as a matter of personal preference. Light mail (see "Ancient and Fantasy Armor Revisited" by Dave Steele for stats on light mail), usually enhanced with Fortify, Deflect and Lighten spells, is popular and Silversilk (similarly enchanted) is sometimes bestowed upon the Masters of highest status and reputation. The bow is one of the few weapons that Defenders will learn in addition to the Fae Knife but they only use them when necessary.
Eternal Defenders often recognize that the best way to defend the Sylvan lands, especially from human encroachment, is through diplomacy not warfare. As such many Defenders are trained diplomats and bards and some even study human politics. Defenders are often charismatic and generally have excellent reputations among Sylvans.
Typical spell choices for Defenders are Protection, Body Control, Mind Control, Communication/Empathy, Healing and Movement spells. The various Nature Colleges (Animal, Plant and Elemental) are also common, as are most battle magic spells.
Primary Skills: Breath Control; Katana (Fae Knife) ; Katana Art (Fae Knife) ; Meditation; Philosophy; Savoir Faire
Secondary Skills: Acrobatics; Body Language; Diplomacy; Parry Missile Weapons; Tactics
Optional Skills: Bard; Bow; Brawling; Politics; Shield; Stealth; Wrestling
Maneuvers: Feint (Katana) ; Hit Location (Katana) ; Lunge; Riposte; Stop Hit
Cinematic Skills: Blind Fighting; Body Control; Flying Leap; Immovable Stance; Light Walk; Mental Strength; Power Blow (Katana only)
Cinematic Maneuvers: Enhanced Parry (Katana) ; Whirlwind Attack
Next to Sylvan War Lore, this is the most common style for Elves to learn and is largely responsible for the Elves' reputation as experts with the bow. The masters of this art are truly fearsome with the Elven longbow -- in fact, it was the Bow Singing Masters who first developed the secret to creating this fantastic weapon. The Weapon Master (Bow) Advantage is essential to this style in campaigns in which it is allowed. It is also a style that requires the practitioner to be a mage, with at least Magery 1.
While singing isn't as integral to the Bow Singer style as dancing is to the War Dancers, it is still a common skill. Many Bow Singers use song to focus their concentration on their art. The sound of the Elves' ethereal voices singing gentle, melodious tunes, along with the harmony of an arrow in flight have been the last sound ever heard by many an unfortunate enemy. These artists often perform Singing and Meditation as one single action. Some Bow Singers also use Elven Focus much like the War Dancers do.
Bow Singers sometimes study their weapon to the exclusion of all others, taking a Major Vow to use no other weapon, but this is not required. Some of the style's practitioners have learned to use their bows to parry missile weapons, although this can only be accomplished when there is no arrow nocked in their own bows. They are also capable of using their bows to parry melee weapons but few Bow Singers will risk damaging their beloved weapons this way. Rather they have perfected the art of avoiding attacks altogether. The masters of the style have also learned the legendary trick of nocking and firing two arrows at once; this is reflected in the Dual-Weapon Attack cinematic maneuver and takes an extra round to ready. Fast drawing two arrows at a time is at -4 (-2 per arrow).
Bow Singers almost always learn the Dexterity and the Hawk Vision spells. Singers with a mind toward defense often learn Shield and Missile Shield as well. Elemental spells are also commonly studied toward the end of learning Fiery Missiles, Lightning Missiles and/or Icy Missiles to use on their arrows and Shape Stone/Metal to make arrowheads. All Bow Singers are required to learn Shape Plant to make their own bows and arrows. This spell is absolutely necessary, along with master-level skill in Armoury (Bowyer/Fletcher), in order to fashion an Elven longbow.
Primary Skills: Armoury (Bowyer/Fletcher) ; Bow; Fast Draw (Arrow) ; Meditation; Stealth; Seek Plant, Identify Plant, Shape Plant
Secondary Skills: Brawling; Camouflage; Parry Missile Weapons (Bow) ; Survival (Woodland) ; Tactics (Ranged Combat)
Optional Skills: Musical Instrument (usually stringed) ; Singing; Elven Focus; other Weapon Skills
Maneuvers: Hit Location (Bow)
Cinematic Skills: Blind Fighting (Bow only) ; Pressure Points (Bow only) ; Pressure Secrets (Bow only) ; Zen Archery
Cinematic Maneuvers: Dual-Weapon Attack (Arrow) ; Enhanced Dodge
Advantages: Magery 1
New Weapons There are several weapons that are unique to Elves and especially Elven martial artists. An Elven longbow is a composite longbow which is light yet extremely powerful. The methods used in its manufacture are similar to those of a normal composite bow, but the exact technique and materials used are known only to the Elves. It is very accurate and has unsurpassed range. Weight 3 lbs; Cost $40,000. Of course, Elves very rarely sell their prized bows, but they are occasionally presented as special gifts for services rendered. Note also that Elves never make these weapons at less than Fine quality; these stats reflect this. Elven longbows can't be made by non-Elves, and average or cheap knock-offs of Elven blades should reduce all damages by 1. Very fine quality Elven blades should add 1 to the values below (see B74 for more about weapon quality). Prices are estimated for beginning Wealth purposes only as Elves never sell these weapons.
Elven Smallsword, with copper gilding
Being masters of biology, toxins are commonly used by Elves. Cantharides, Curare, Deathcap Mushroom, And Monkshood are commonly used when necessary (see LT129). Cantharides and Curare are used primarily as contact or follow-up agents, on weapons, usually arrows. Hydra venom (treat as viper venom) is also used on weapons. The ground shells of a forest beetle is packed in tubes and blown at an enemy, usually the eyes; it acts as lime powder, and acts as a blood agent or respiratory agent. The skin secretions of a jungle frog is used when non-lethal attacks need to be made; the poison is a blood agent that causes disorienting hallucinations, dizziness, and, later, a headache. 1d seconds delay, HT-3 roll to resist. The poison is usually delivered by a needle bodkin arrow; armor piercing, but less damage to the target.
Forest Elves are the “baseline” elf. See notes, above.
Plains Elves are very much like their forest brethren in basic nature, but have settled in the plains and prairies. They are most often migratory/nomadic, following herds of auroch and elk. Their living structures are tents, which are taken with them when on the move. There are a few small permanent settlements (usually along rivers) that cater to the less mobile services. Riding (Horse) (4), Lasso (2), Horse Archery (2).
Paradise Elves (live on Syrelle and the islands surrounding it, also the only culture with familiars)
Many elves have a natural sympathy for plants or animals or superior skill in working with them. The Elves of Paradise have built an extraordinary high civilization on this. Elves naturally prefer living in forested areas. Paradise is a small temperate continent, mostly covered in temperate rain forest surrounding a high scrub desert. It’s elven inhabitants initially used their extraordinary skills to shape the growth, reproduction, and behavior of other species, making the uncleared land productive without the toil of farming. With centuries of experience in breeding, they discovered the laws of heredity and used them to improve plants and animals. Elves the empathic gifts leaned to understand the species and to awaken them to a degree of sapience. Paradise now has many species with IQ 5 or higher, ranging from parrots to monkeys to trees. The elves have also turned their knowledge toward improving their own race, preserving and enhancing specific gifts in certain houses and bloodlines, though this is a slow project, given the low fertility and late maturation of their kind.
Despite being fairly isolationist, to other sapient races they are usually sympathetic as well, provided those races don’t harm the natural environment or deplete its resources. Such behavior angers them, and if it affects forests that in in their care, it invites quick retribution. They often treat better-behaved races much like the species they have uplifted, wanting to guide and train them and even breed them for superior qualities (although they don't couch it in these terms, preferring explanations such as "it will be a good marriage, and bear healthy children" or "if you marry him, your children will likely to be great mages". Individual elves may form extraordinary close bonds with members of other races who accept this guidance.
Dark Elves are not a separate race; they are a socio-political movement. They are intolerant of non-Elves, and tend to be quite xenophobic. They are relatively few in number (fortunately) and tend to find out of the way places to make their communities. This isn't really a playable character race. Back in the day, when the Scourge was imprisoned, they were a group that disagreed with that it should have been imprisoned in the first place. In many cases, they worshipped it as a god, and were very dismayed it had been captured.
Stats: Elves +1 IN (20), -1 ST (-10), +1 DX; [20], Extended Lifespam 4 [8], Attractive [4], Charisma [5], Telescopic Vision x2 [10], Perfect Balance [15], Night Vision 5 [5], Voice [10], Elven Code of Honor [-10], SoD: Environment [-10], Hedge magic (Elven Ritual "Magic") [20], Compulsive Behavior (Flightiness, sort of like a slightly lesser form of Absent Mindedness “oooh, butterfly!” -10), Conservative Thinking (-5), All the Time in the World (actually, more like procrastination, since they have nearly forever to get things done, -10) [net 72]
New skill: Flow (or, as it is called by nonelf races “Elven Focus”) M/VH Gives a +1 to the critical chance for each full 3 points you make your Flow skill by. Note that this means that in order to see any benefit from a Flow roll, you must have a MoS of 3 or better. See Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence, pp 90-95. It lasts for the length of the task, or until you are distracted out of it (what distracts you varies by task; usually it is something that is foreign to the task for which you are in flow). Examples are fighting a single foe (changing foe's counts as a distraction), a single athletic task (climbing a wall, running a 100 meter dash), piloting a plane through a pass in the mountains during a storm at night, etc.
“…The state is called “flow”. Athletes know this state of grace as “the Zone”, where excellence becomes effortless, crowd and competitors disappearing into a blissful, steady absorption of the moment….Being able to enter flow is emotional intelligence at its best; flow represents perhaps the ultimate in harnessing the emotions in the service of performance and learning….The hallmark of flow is a feeling of spontaneous joy, even rapture. Because flow feels so good, it is intrinsically rewarding.”
For an English to Elven dictionary (both Quenya and Sindarin, plus other Middle Earth languages), see Elven Dictionary
Elves see the Eternal as manifested in the natural cycle of renewal—birth, death, and rebirth, the changing of the seasons, etc. The harmony of Nature, the network of interdependent creatures and plants are examples of the world moving towards union with It. For this reason, the Elves have a deep respect and love for unspoiled nature—they strive to blend their communities into the environment. Elven homes are living shelters formed of carefully tended trees and brush. They live off the land, taking no more than they need and leave undisturbed that which they can’t use. Elves are incredibly protective of the wild lands in which they live. Some of this stems from their long lives; they will likely live long enough to have to deal with the consequences of any poor decisions, so when they developed industrial processes millennia ago they turned away from them when they extrapolated what the environmental damage was likely to be.
For this reason, too, elves do not partake in organized governments. They believe that each one of them is interrelated to the whole that moves toward It, and that it is for each to find his own place—to incline toward that which their nature takes them, governed only by their eventual dependence on the whole.
There is no Elvish kingdom, although the settlements in a given region often cooperate with each other. Individual Elvish communities are loosely organized. Most decisions affecting the group are made by a council of elders (as it is believed that age bestows wisdom), after hearing the opinions of any adult who wishes to speak. The opinions of all are welcome, and decisions are not binding upon the members of the community. Reaching a decision may take a long time. Elves have a strong respect for free will, and will not force obedience on one another. In practice, though, the word of the council is treated as a general mandate, and only those Elves with a strong personal interest will speak at a council gathering. This individualistic nature has made Elves susceptible to invasion, especially by well-organized foes such as the Imperial Army of the Tondene Empire. They lack the numbers required to fend of a numerically strong, determined invader. The Elves living in the Altacirya River Valley were some of the first peoples to be absorbed into the Empire. While they put up a good fight (mostly using guerilla warfare and their biological defenses), they couldn't keep the might of the Imperial Army from overwhelming them.
Elven societies are egalitarian, with work split as equally as possible between male and female. Children are rare, and seem to belong to the community as a whole. Elves may change partners often, although many bond with a single mate for several decades or centuries. Those couples that wish to have children will get married, although there are cases of childless couples marrying just to solidify their devotion to each other. Creativity is also respected and highly valued by the Elves, who adore music, poetry, dancing and art. Elven dead are buried, so their bodies will fertilize the soil. Thus from death comes life. Few Elves partake in any organized religion. Individual status usually depends solely on age and family, although a particularly talented bard or artist, or one who is particularly well attuned to nature, will gain a wide reputation.
Nórer tulte yo vanyalte
Altarniër oryalte yo lantalte
Lie cuitalte, lie firlte
Ar Quendi ter ilu
Countries come and go,
Empires rise and fall,
People live, people die,
And Elves will live through it all.
Time sense for Elves is very different from that of shorter-lived races. To Elves, the other races are ephemeral. It is not unusual for an Elf to go visit a non-Elf friend only to find out their friend had died of old age a decade ago. To most Elves, keeping track of the individual days is much like keeping track of how many ants exit an anthill. Day to day timekeeping is not too relevant for them. While Dwarves (and Humans) tend to break the day down into consistently-sized chunks (primarily from a mechanistic viewpoint), Elves aren’t quite so rigid. They break their days into six unequal pieces, based on the sun.
Hour of Spreading Light: (Lúmë Altapalyië) predawn to about midmorning.
Hour of Smaller Shadows: (Lúmë Cintavathar) midmorning to midafternoon
Hour of Stretching Sun: (Lúmë Anartainië) midafternoon to sunset
Hour of Enfolding Dark: (Lúmë Morivaiyië) sunset to late evening
Hour of Deepest Quiet: (Lúmë Tumnaquilda) late evening to past midnight
Hour of Final Dancing: (Lúmë Métimaliltië) past midnight to the wee hours of the morning
These hours vary in size depending upon the season and latitude, but when you are an Elf, the exact number of seconds are largely irrelevant.
Elves are "post-industrial". Ancient Elves became very, very good with both chemical and biological sciences, and developed a range of plants and animals that still exist today. However, they realized that their technology was causing irreparable harm to that which they held most sacred, the environment. Being as long lived as they are, they were able to actually see what they were doing to the world around them. This was unacceptable, and turned a lot of their skill and knowledge inward. This is called the Atacoivië, ("Reawakening"), and is a source of both shame and pride amongst the Elves. Because of this knowledge and heritage, they are able to subtly be "better" at most things "naturally", instead of relying on technology to do it for them (see Hedge Magic). They also developed the mental discipline of "Flow" or "Elven Focus" (see below).
Elven settlements are most often in the trees, connected by rope bridges.
Design: Elven design is a flowing, organic kind of art nouveau. See LotR movies. The Elven cities that tend to interact with other races have architecture that looks like Rivendell; the ones deeper in the forests look like Lothlorien. In any case, they are almost always a place of almost magical beauty, both visually and aurally (windchimes and/or soft music can almost always be heard, as well as the wind in the trees and the songs of birds and insects). The deeper one gets into an Elven forest, the deeper one “feels” the music. Sometimes there is an obvious source for the music, other times it just seems to come from everywhere. When asked, the Elves just smile and seem confused that the question was asked in the first place: to them, it is just the sound of the living forest. If you try to listen to the music, a particular melody cannot be discerned; nor can you really hear any music per se. It is felt more than heard, and you can’t really pay attention to it without it disappearing as music. If it is “ignored”, then it can be heard. Non-Elves consider this to be one of the weird, uncomfortable things about Elven forests. Those people with an environmental philosophy and/or a Zen-like quietness get along quite well with the effect. From what anyone can tell, the Elves almost subconsciously grow their forest into a kind of organic aeolian harp. Here is an example of what it sounds like.
While many of their structures are grown into shape, they still use lumber in a more traditional carpentry style. However, since they don't like to cut down a lot of trees, they practice taurënna ima ("forest upon the hand", known as "daisugi" on Earth).
Elven goods:
Elven Silversilk
The secret of weaving this fine, silvery fabric has been known to the Elves for millennia. Silversilk protects like chainmail (DR 4/2*), but has the weight and texture of fine silk (1 pound). Like chainmail, an undercoat of thick padded armor is needed to provide full protection – the elves often make the whole ensemble into a single garment about the weight and thickness of a bulky sweater (2-3 pounds, depending on the size of the wearer). Without the padding the garment offers DR 3/1*. Spider silk gives an extra +2 DR vs. cutting and impaling attacks, and negates the effects of barbed weapons. Against such attacks, it grants +1 to First Aid rolls to treat injuries and eliminates -2 in penalties to HT rolls for infection due to dirt in the wound (p. B444). Finally, silk prevents skin contact, negating any blood agent or contact poison. It can be enchanted normally with Fortify or Deflect spells.
Cost Factors (all apply):
Spider Silk:+99 CF; weight is unchanged.
Styling: Beautiful +4 CF to Gorgeous +9 CF
Dyed: Common color +6 CF, Uncommon +30 CF
Embroidery: Simple +2 CF, Elaborate +6 CF
Sometimes silver or gold threads will be embroidered into the garment.
Silver embroidery: Simple +6 CF to Elaborate +18 CF
Gold embroidery: Simple +6 CF to Elaborate +18 CF (note that gold isn't any more expensive than silver; this is due to most metals being "mined" by use of the Create Earth spell, which has made the cost of metals very cheap).
Though not as protective of their Silversilk as the dwarves are of their dwarven Mail, the elves have never revealed the secret of its manufacture to a non-Elf, and they only give it to the very greatest non-Elven friends and benefactors of the race.
As the Elves never sell Silversilk, and only rarely give it away, the open market price of the armor is far beyond what would normally be expected from its capabilities.
Component Spells: unknown to non-Elves. Asking Price: about $4.7M for an entire set (although it's likely stolen or looted off of a dead Elf). Note that this is for "mundane" or silversilk that has no other enchantments on it.
Elven Chainmail is 50% lighter than regular chain, and decorated as well. It is made of a Mithril Alloy. The same goes for Elven Platemail. Heavy Elven Chain is +1 DR, made of Mithril alloy and weighs 25% less than regular chain. Elven Hedge Magic is used in its creation.
Elven Boots give a +2 Stealth skill. Elven Hedge Magic is used when making the boots, but no spells are required. Takes four times as long as making regular boots, and they are quite often decorated as part of the rituals used to make them.
Elven Cloaks give a +2 Stealth skill when moving, and the equivalent to a Hide spell when still, and Camouflage +3 regardless. Elven Hedge Magic is used in the creation of these cloaks; they take eight times as long to make as a mundane cloak. They are almost always decorated, mostly in patterns designed to fool the eye.
Elven Rope is 1/2 the weight and thickness of regular rope, feels like silk (it is; spidersilk is one of its components), has a resistance to cuts, and some can untie themselves (as per the Knots spell). None of these goods register as being magical in the sense of an enchanted item.
All Elven goods are Fine or Very Fine quality, and not usually for sale. The items that do show up in markets command extremely high prices.
Elven Waybread (Lembas): One cake equals 3 meals. Each cake (actually, it’s more like a cracker ) weighs one ounce. This magically enhanced bread is made only by Elves, but is rumored to use the essential food spell, and it goes bad quickly if not in the original leaf wrappings (but lasts for a very long time if kept in the original wrappings). The cost is unknown, since it is never sold; only given as a gift.
Elven Soul Food (Saiwafëa matta): A hot dish that can drive away the chill at night, granting one level of Temperature Tolerance for eight hours. It also reduces Exhaustion by 1, and counts as two meals for Exhaustion purposes. It is made only in Elven settlements, as it includes wild-grown ingredients only found in wilderness areas (the foods vary by culture and biome; ingredients can be found in jungle, forest, prairie, and scrubland). Elven Hedge Magic is required for its preparation, but no spells are necessary. Knowing the recipe is an Average Technique of Cooking, and takes 2 hours to prepare, and a half hour to cook (although Elves don't care; it takes as long as it takes).
Elven Cordial (Miruvórë): A mead-like Elven brandy that offers Temperature Tolerance for four hours, and reduces Exhaustion by 1. Drinking it warms the heart and lifts the spirits, and is usually taken a swallow at a time. It is made only in Elven settlements, as it includes wild-grown ingredients only found in wilderness areas (the brandies vary by culture and biome; ingredients can be found in jungle, forest, prairie, and scrubland). Elven Hedge Magic is required for its preparation, but no spells are necessary. Knowing the recipe is an Average Technique of Cooking, and takes 1 hour to prepare, and at least four months to ferment. It gets better with age, so typically it will be aged in wood barrels for at least five years.
Essential Water: Three times as thirst quenching as normal water, $40 per gallon.
Elves do not have guilds in any formal sense.
Elven mages typically have 10 Fatigue, enchanter mages 11 Fatigue, for the same reasons as stated under the section for Dwarven enchanter mages. Each Elf mage has about 20-25 fatigue to use in one casting, assuming a 10-15 pt powerstone. A circle of 3 mages would have about 75 pts to work with, and a circle of 6 about 150 points.
Elves use guerilla tactics, if they just don’t just disappear; the days of massed armies of Elves are pretty much over; there are just too few nowadays. They are very good with bows. They developed the “sliding magazine bow”, which allows a bow to fire 6 arrows very quickly. They also developed the “dual bow”, which is bow that uses a second bow to offset some of the draw weight.
Elves prefer pacifism, since wars cause damage to the land, which is something that they hold in reverence. When they do go to war, they are fearsome. They also tend to be isolationist. They don’t often let strangers into their lands. Typically, those lands are surrounded by a "garden" of dangerous plants, and the Elves are wary enough to notice when invaders start encroaching upon their domains. It's unlikely an invasion force can sneak up on them.
Weapons and armor: all kinds of armor, up to heavy plate (although the Elven versions are much lighter than they look). They tend to stress mobility in their fighting styles (and often acrobatics), and don’t often use shields (they get in the way when traveling through underbrush and trees). Main gauche skill, dual weapons, or, occasionally, a buckler is used. Bows are their primary weapons, and guerrilla tactics and ambush are favorite tactics. Elven martial arts consist of two unarmed forms and three weaponed forms.
Elven Judo (Carmënenar, or "Art of Water")
3 PointsElven Judo is the "civilian" martial art, often taught in most Elven communities. It emphasizes movement, both the practitioner's and their opponent's. It is a "soft" style, and it's usual goal is to disarm/disable rather than kill. Most Elves are typically too pacifistic in nature for many "harder" styles. But see War Dancing for the other end of the spectrum.
Primary skills: Judo, Acrobatics.
Secondary skills: Wrestling, Jumping.
Optional Skills: Brawling.
Maneuvers: Arm/Wrist Lock, Breakfall, Disarming, Hand Parry, Hand Strike, Judo Throw, Kicking.
Elven Fist Craft (Carmëtavar, or "Art of Wood")
5 PointsElven Fist Craft is a common unarmed martial art of the elves, being practiced in some variation by many elven peoples. The style is very agile and graceful, with an emphasis on balance and posture, although it is not the dancing fighting method that elves are known for. Carmëtavar’s method of fight is to sit at distance, cautiously attacking until the opponent’s defense weakens, or they are brought off balance at which point the practitioner moves in for the kill. Finishing moves are generally throws and take downs followed by devastating blows to the fallen opponent, though strikes that knock down or even knock out a standing opponent are not uncommon. It is unwise to be caught on the ground against a practitioner of this art as the style boasts a wide variety of moves designed to cripple grounded opponents. Tournaments in the style consist of two opponents trying to knock each other to the ground, be it by throw, sweep or, as is more common, strikes. There is some variation in the system from place to place. Some schools teach staff fighting, other teach wresting and ground fighting should the practitioner ever be caught on the ground. As popular as the style is among Elves, it is rarely practiced by non Elves.
Primary skills: Acrobatics, Judo, Karate, Savoir-Fair (Elf)
Optional Skills: none
Techniques: Acrobatic Stand, Breakfall (acrobatics), Counter Attack (Karate), Elbow Drop (Karate), Elbow Strike (karate), Exotic hand strike (karate), Kicking, Judo Throw, Knee Drop (karate), Leg Grapple (Judo), Push Kick, Stamp Kick, Sweep, Trip
Cinematic Skills: Push, immovable stance
Cinematic Techniques: Lethal Strike, Lethal Kick
Perks: Rapid Retraction (Kicks), Special Set up (Karate strike -> Judo Throw), Technique Adaptation (Knee drop)
Optional Traits
Advantages: Perfect balance, Catfall
Disadvantages: jealousy
Skills: Light Walk, Pressure Points, Staff, Two handed Sword (staff), Wrestling
Techniques: Ground Fighting
War Dancing (Lilta Macilaxa or “Dancing on the Sword’s Edge”)
6 PointsThe War Dancers are the most flamboyant of the Elven martial artists. Traditionally, War Dancers are flighty even by Elven standards -- Dwarves typically can't stand them -- taking very little save their fencing seriously at all. Those Elves chafing at the Elven Code of Honor or general Pacifism can, if qualified, become a War Dancer. As such, the War Dancers often have members who would not fit in with the usual Elven society: the misfits, the sociopaths, and others who want a sanctioned outlet for their…quirks. That isn’t to say that “normal” Elves don’t become War Dancers; some are driven to join for various personal reasons. War Dancers are often given to outrageous acts of daredevilry and are usually quite noticeable by their elegant dress and hair styles (typically mohawks stiffened with resin). Armor is worn lightly, if at all, since mobility is key. Elven Silversilk is the coveted protection of all War Dancers.
Fencing is the heart of War Dancing. The skill is learned with a primary focus on the Elven longsword but the Elven smallsword is also taught (see New Weapons, below). The most common practice of War Dancing is a two-handed style with longsword in the dominant hand and smallsword in the off-hand; the latter is usually used defensively. However, some individuals prefer saving the off-hand for a cloak, buckler, the Elven equivalent of the Main-Gauche or nothing at all. If available, the Weapon Master (Fencing) advantage is open to War Dancers. The style is both defensive and aggressive in that it often defends with cuts to the arms rather than parries (aggressive parry) or with quick counter cuts.
As the name implies, dancing is also an integral part of the War Dancer's training. A fight just isn't a fight without some sense of choreography to it, even if the opponent is less than cooperative. For this reason anyone with Style Familiarity: War Dancing who is faced with such an artist gets an additional +1 to defend against their attacks. Unfortunately the only beings likely to be familiar with War Dancing are other War Dancers. On the rare occasions that two War Dancers meet in mortal combat -- an Elf against a Dark Elf, for instance -- the fight can easily reach epic lengths, as both parties will tend to get lost in the beauty of the dance. Not surprisingly, many War Dancers are also Bards and musicians. Luck, Daredevil and Ambidexterity are common advantages.
Movement spells, especially Wallwalking and Blink, are favorites among War Dancers, as are spells that will enhance their grace, such as Dexterity, Balance and Ambidexterity. Legends abound of Dancing Masters who use advanced Sound spells and even Illusions to provide their own soundtracks and lightshows.
Those War Dancers with Elven Focus will often Sing in combat; doing so helps them get into the Flow state. A successful Singing roll gives a +1 to the Elven Focus roll; making the skill by 5 gives a +2; and critting the Singing roll gives a +3 (yes, that is potentially a whole extra level of increased crit range, just from the focus derived from the song). The singing starts out with words, but after a few seconds evolves into something more like glossolalia.
Primary Skills: Acrobatics; Dancing; Saber; Smallsword; Savoir Faire
Secondary Skills: Fast Draw (Sword) ; Fast Talk; Jumping; Tactics
Optional Skills: Brawling; Buckler; Cloak; Main-Gauche; Musical Instrument; Poetry; Singing; Stealth, Elven Focus
Techniques: Close Combat (Saber) ; Corps-a-Corps (Saber) ; Feint (Saber) ; Lunge (Saber) ; Off-Hand Weapon Training (Smallsword or Main-Gauche) ; Riposte (Smallsword) ; Acrobatic Stand; Aggressive Parry (Smallsword) ; Counterattack (Saber) ; Evade; Attack and Fly Out; Hit Location (Saber)
Cinematic Skills: Light Walk
Cinematic Maneuvers: Dual-Weapon Attack (Saber) ; Dual Weapon Attack (Smallsword) ; Enhanced Parry (Smallsword) ; Dual-Weapon Defense; Roll With Blow; Timed Defense; Whirlwind Attack (Saber)
Eternal Defenders (Oira Garthani)
7 PointsThe Defenders of the Eternal is the closest thing to a religious and chivalric order that the Elves have produced. They are the self-proclaimed protectors of Life, Nature, the Eternal (see p. F36-37) and everything Sylvan. Dark Elves often name themselves Defenders and pursue mastery of this art, creating a marked schism in interpretation of the philosophy of the style.
The Defender style centers on the Fae Knife (see New Weapons, below), a light, pointed, hand-and-a-half sword similar to the Katana but with a straight, two-edged blade. The Fae Knife uses the Katana skill and like the Katana it may be used interchangeably one- or two-handedly (at +1 to damage for two-handed use) with Parry at 1/2 skill when used one-handed and 2/3 skill when used two-handed. The Weapon Master (Katana) advantage is available to Defenders where appropriate.
The Defenders follow a Code of Honor, the tenets of which are: own no more than you can carry; never refuse a worthy request for help; defend Nature at all costs; always protect the innocent and those weaker than yourself; and never put personal feelings or honor over the welfare of others. Obviously, the Dark Elf version of this Code is selective in its interpretation, only including Sylvans in the "innocent/weaker" and request for aid categories. This Code is worth -15 points (-10 for Dark Elves). Fanaticism and Megalomania are not uncommon disadvantages for Defenders, as is Pacifism: Cannot Harm Innocents.
The standard practice of the style is to fight with the Fae Knife alone, although dual-weapon variations do exist. While the shield is not a native tool for Elves, it has been adopted by many of the Fae-folk for its defensive capabilities and is sometimes used by Eternal Defenders. Defenders may or may not wear armor as a matter of personal preference. Light mail (see "Ancient and Fantasy Armor Revisited" by Dave Steele for stats on light mail), usually enhanced with Fortify, Deflect and Lighten spells, is popular and Silversilk (similarly enchanted) is sometimes bestowed upon the Masters of highest status and reputation. The bow is one of the few weapons that Defenders will learn in addition to the Fae Knife but they only use them when necessary.
Eternal Defenders often recognize that the best way to defend the Sylvan lands, especially from human encroachment, is through diplomacy not warfare. As such many Defenders are trained diplomats and bards and some even study human politics. Defenders are often charismatic and generally have excellent reputations among Sylvans.
Typical spell choices for Defenders are Protection, Body Control, Mind Control, Communication/Empathy, Healing and Movement spells. The various Nature Colleges (Animal, Plant and Elemental) are also common, as are most battle magic spells.
Primary Skills: Breath Control; Katana (Fae Knife) ; Katana Art (Fae Knife) ; Meditation; Philosophy; Savoir Faire
Secondary Skills: Acrobatics; Body Language; Diplomacy; Parry Missile Weapons; Tactics
Optional Skills: Bard; Bow; Brawling; Politics; Shield; Stealth; Wrestling
Maneuvers: Feint (Katana) ; Hit Location (Katana) ; Lunge; Riposte; Stop Hit
Cinematic Skills: Blind Fighting; Body Control; Flying Leap; Immovable Stance; Light Walk; Mental Strength; Power Blow (Katana only)
Cinematic Maneuvers: Enhanced Parry (Katana) ; Whirlwind Attack
Bow Singing (“Quingalindie”)
9 PointsNext to Sylvan War Lore, this is the most common style for Elves to learn and is largely responsible for the Elves' reputation as experts with the bow. The masters of this art are truly fearsome with the Elven longbow -- in fact, it was the Bow Singing Masters who first developed the secret to creating this fantastic weapon. The Weapon Master (Bow) Advantage is essential to this style in campaigns in which it is allowed. It is also a style that requires the practitioner to be a mage, with at least Magery 1.
While singing isn't as integral to the Bow Singer style as dancing is to the War Dancers, it is still a common skill. Many Bow Singers use song to focus their concentration on their art. The sound of the Elves' ethereal voices singing gentle, melodious tunes, along with the harmony of an arrow in flight have been the last sound ever heard by many an unfortunate enemy. These artists often perform Singing and Meditation as one single action. Some Bow Singers also use Elven Focus much like the War Dancers do.
Bow Singers sometimes study their weapon to the exclusion of all others, taking a Major Vow to use no other weapon, but this is not required. Some of the style's practitioners have learned to use their bows to parry missile weapons, although this can only be accomplished when there is no arrow nocked in their own bows. They are also capable of using their bows to parry melee weapons but few Bow Singers will risk damaging their beloved weapons this way. Rather they have perfected the art of avoiding attacks altogether. The masters of the style have also learned the legendary trick of nocking and firing two arrows at once; this is reflected in the Dual-Weapon Attack cinematic maneuver and takes an extra round to ready. Fast drawing two arrows at a time is at -4 (-2 per arrow).
Bow Singers almost always learn the Dexterity and the Hawk Vision spells. Singers with a mind toward defense often learn Shield and Missile Shield as well. Elemental spells are also commonly studied toward the end of learning Fiery Missiles, Lightning Missiles and/or Icy Missiles to use on their arrows and Shape Stone/Metal to make arrowheads. All Bow Singers are required to learn Shape Plant to make their own bows and arrows. This spell is absolutely necessary, along with master-level skill in Armoury (Bowyer/Fletcher), in order to fashion an Elven longbow.
Primary Skills: Armoury (Bowyer/Fletcher) ; Bow; Fast Draw (Arrow) ; Meditation; Stealth; Seek Plant, Identify Plant, Shape Plant
Secondary Skills: Brawling; Camouflage; Parry Missile Weapons (Bow) ; Survival (Woodland) ; Tactics (Ranged Combat)
Optional Skills: Musical Instrument (usually stringed) ; Singing; Elven Focus; other Weapon Skills
Maneuvers: Hit Location (Bow)
Cinematic Skills: Blind Fighting (Bow only) ; Pressure Points (Bow only) ; Pressure Secrets (Bow only) ; Zen Archery
Cinematic Maneuvers: Dual-Weapon Attack (Arrow) ; Enhanced Dodge
Advantages: Magery 1
New Weapons There are several weapons that are unique to Elves and especially Elven martial artists. An Elven longbow is a composite longbow which is light yet extremely powerful. The methods used in its manufacture are similar to those of a normal composite bow, but the exact technique and materials used are known only to the Elves. It is very accurate and has unsurpassed range. Weight 3 lbs; Cost $40,000. Of course, Elves very rarely sell their prized bows, but they are occasionally presented as special gifts for services rendered. Note also that Elves never make these weapons at less than Fine quality; these stats reflect this. Elven longbows can't be made by non-Elves, and average or cheap knock-offs of Elven blades should reduce all damages by 1. Very fine quality Elven blades should add 1 to the values below (see B74 for more about weapon quality). Prices are estimated for beginning Wealth purposes only as Elves never sell these weapons.
Types of Elves
City Elves are those elves who have (often reluctantly) decided to live amongst the other races in their settlements of wood and stone and straight lines and hard edges. To humans, they seem a little more “normal” and less like enlightened hippies. They tend toward anxiety, due to the “alien” environment, and never seem to truly belong in the cities. They are, however, the only elves to realize how ephemeral all of the other races are, and thus tend to visit their friends a bit more often.Forest Elves are the “baseline” elf. See notes, above.
Plains Elves are very much like their forest brethren in basic nature, but have settled in the plains and prairies. They are most often migratory/nomadic, following herds of auroch and elk. Their living structures are tents, which are taken with them when on the move. There are a few small permanent settlements (usually along rivers) that cater to the less mobile services. Riding (Horse) (4), Lasso (2), Horse Archery (2).
Paradise Elves (live on Syrelle and the islands surrounding it, also the only culture with familiars)
Many elves have a natural sympathy for plants or animals or superior skill in working with them. The Elves of Paradise have built an extraordinary high civilization on this. Elves naturally prefer living in forested areas. Paradise is a small temperate continent, mostly covered in temperate rain forest surrounding a high scrub desert. It’s elven inhabitants initially used their extraordinary skills to shape the growth, reproduction, and behavior of other species, making the uncleared land productive without the toil of farming. With centuries of experience in breeding, they discovered the laws of heredity and used them to improve plants and animals. Elves the empathic gifts leaned to understand the species and to awaken them to a degree of sapience. Paradise now has many species with IQ 5 or higher, ranging from parrots to monkeys to trees. The elves have also turned their knowledge toward improving their own race, preserving and enhancing specific gifts in certain houses and bloodlines, though this is a slow project, given the low fertility and late maturation of their kind.
Despite being fairly isolationist, to other sapient races they are usually sympathetic as well, provided those races don’t harm the natural environment or deplete its resources. Such behavior angers them, and if it affects forests that in in their care, it invites quick retribution. They often treat better-behaved races much like the species they have uplifted, wanting to guide and train them and even breed them for superior qualities (although they don't couch it in these terms, preferring explanations such as "it will be a good marriage, and bear healthy children" or "if you marry him, your children will likely to be great mages". Individual elves may form extraordinary close bonds with members of other races who accept this guidance.
Dark Elves are not a separate race; they are a socio-political movement. They are intolerant of non-Elves, and tend to be quite xenophobic. They are relatively few in number (fortunately) and tend to find out of the way places to make their communities. This isn't really a playable character race. Back in the day, when the Scourge was imprisoned, they were a group that disagreed with that it should have been imprisoned in the first place. In many cases, they worshipped it as a god, and were very dismayed it had been captured.
Stats: Elves +1 IN (20), -1 ST (-10), +1 DX; [20], Extended Lifespam 4 [8], Attractive [4], Charisma [5], Telescopic Vision x2 [10], Perfect Balance [15], Night Vision 5 [5], Voice [10], Elven Code of Honor [-10], SoD: Environment [-10], Hedge magic (Elven Ritual "Magic") [20], Compulsive Behavior (Flightiness, sort of like a slightly lesser form of Absent Mindedness “oooh, butterfly!” -10), Conservative Thinking (-5), All the Time in the World (actually, more like procrastination, since they have nearly forever to get things done, -10) [net 72]
Elven Focus, or "Flow"
New skill: Flow (or, as it is called by nonelf races “Elven Focus”) M/VH Gives a +1 to the critical chance for each full 3 points you make your Flow skill by. Note that this means that in order to see any benefit from a Flow roll, you must have a MoS of 3 or better. See Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence, pp 90-95. It lasts for the length of the task, or until you are distracted out of it (what distracts you varies by task; usually it is something that is foreign to the task for which you are in flow). Examples are fighting a single foe (changing foe's counts as a distraction), a single athletic task (climbing a wall, running a 100 meter dash), piloting a plane through a pass in the mountains during a storm at night, etc.
“…The state is called “flow”. Athletes know this state of grace as “the Zone”, where excellence becomes effortless, crowd and competitors disappearing into a blissful, steady absorption of the moment….Being able to enter flow is emotional intelligence at its best; flow represents perhaps the ultimate in harnessing the emotions in the service of performance and learning….The hallmark of flow is a feeling of spontaneous joy, even rapture. Because flow feels so good, it is intrinsically rewarding.”
For an English to Elven dictionary (both Quenya and Sindarin, plus other Middle Earth languages), see Elven Dictionary
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