Elves
The elves were the first people of this land. They were
the fey descendants who first named their homeland
Gwessar, centuries before humans gave it the name
Tal’Dorei. The common origin of most elves lies within
the wooded lands of the Verdant Expanse, and many
elves—wood elves and high elves alike—still call the
great forest their home. Though the city of Syngorn is
a wondrous thing, many a young elf takes to the road
to see what else the world has to offer. This curiosity is
considered foolish, and those who leave the comfort of
Syngorn for this reason rarely return to open arms. Thankfully,
the cities of the Republic of Tal’Dorei are welcoming
to such wanderers, and some elven families have called
these places home for many long generations.
Wood Elves:
Hunting across the many Syngornian outposts, most wood elves find their survival skills keenly matched for the wilds of the forest. Wood elves have a long history of dutifully protecting their homeland, and their people make up much of the Verdant Guard that patrols Syngorn and defends the forest around it. Of the elven races, wood elves are typically more venturesome than their kin and prone to bouts of wanderlust, making them ideal adventurers. For guardelves, this manifests as a longing to be stationed in more remote garrisons, such as the Emerald Outpost. This penchant for exploration has led to the spread of wood elf civilization far beyond the Verdant Expanse. South of the Stormcrest Mountains lies the massive jungle of Rifenmist, and within roost the nomadic Orroyen tribes, wandering wardens of the jungle primarily led by a bloodline of primal wood elves who embrace their animalistic nature. Rarely do these elves wander from their jungle home except to trade with the other denizens of the peninsula. But rumors speak of a rare few of these elves who leave their jungle home to see the wider world. In the frigid north of the Cliffkeep Mountains, under the prismatic glow of the Moonweaver’s Ribbons, are the Elvenpeaks. The city atop the spires is Lyrengorn, and the wood elves who make their home beneath Lyrengorn’s pines are known best for riding through the wintry skies on wyvernback. Every year, a few people from across Tal’Dorei travel to the Elvenpeaks to watch their skyswimmers shape the mysterious northern lights.High Elves
Within the city of Syngorn itself, many high elves focus their crafts on culture and learning, weaving magics with grace and aplomb. It is understood that protection of their home is key to their continued prosperity, so many elves walk abroad to the Emerald Outpost to watch over relations with the neighboring civilizations. The high elves are so named for their innate magical knowledge; a blessing they attribute to their supreme deity, the Archeart. Many high elves become highly religious sorcerers, exploring their latent powers through their faith. Others still develop their arcane skill by seeking admission to the Alabaster Lyceum in Emon, where they can study the theory of magic in a controlled environment.Drow
Few elves wish to be associated with their degenerate, subterranean cousins—while many humanoids call them dark elves, the elves of Syngorn instead call them drow. In times long past, the drow were a wise, beautiful people with long, silvery hair and skin of ash. But their society grew decadent and cruel, and their leaders fell to the alluring whispers of the Betrayer God known as the Spider Queen, and they allied with their venomous mistress against elves and their deity the Archeart in the Calamity. When the Spider Queen was defeated, the drow were driven from the surface world and forced to rebuild their empire in the deep tunnels below the earth. But another power existed in these dark 24 Chapter 1: Campaigns in Tal'Dorei tal’dorei campaign guide places. The whispers of Oblivion reached the ears of the drow nobility as their servitors struggled to stave away the aberrations that encircled their cities. The dark elves are a people on the brink of destruction. Neighbors slaughter one another in the streets of their cities as they succumb to paranoia. When aberrations can take any form—or fool the mind into seeing any form— who can be trusted? Unable to stop their citizens from mass rioting, the drow elite have grown ever more authoritarian, commanding their royal guards to keep order by violently suppressing their people. Amid the chaos, the drow have begun undergoing stark physical changes. Some drow commoners have willingly offered themselves to the aberrations to end their suffering, transforming into white-eyed, shapeshifting doppelgangers. Some drow nobles have fallen entirely into devotion to the Spider Queen, and have willingly sought the Blood of the Spider Queen to become driders in her service. Drow rarely come to the surface, for most are too proud to return defeated to the sun-drenched lands of the Archeart, even to escape the madness of the underworld. Nevertheless, some still choose this dishonorable path. If any ever sought refuge in Syngorn, they were killed by the Verdant Guard before they reached its gates. Most dark elf refugees live in secret in the cities of Emon, Kymal, and Westruun, hoping to live the rest of their lives in peace. A sizeable group of refugees made it to the elven enclave of Lyrengorn in the northern Cliffkeep Mountains and live with the wood elves there in peace. Adventuring drow harbor a violent hatred of aberrations, and some leave the Spider Queen’s faith to become paladins in service of the Dawnfather, trading their affinity to the dark for a hope in the light of the sun.Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Given Name | Family Name. Most common Elven name is Yul for males and Sinna for females.
Major Organizations
Verdent Expanse (Area), Syngorn (Wood Elf Capitol), Dragonstone (Targaryen Home), Rivendell (Forestwalker Home), Hyensari (High Elven Capitol)
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Elven
Genetic Descendants
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