The Elves of Evandru

Willing Slaves to an Eternal Vigil

"Their crumpled forms rose from the ground like marionettes, dragged upwards by the pull of necessity. Perfectly-hemmed robes made them little ghosts, eerily gliding across the ruins towards the adventurers. Pausing a few feet from the group, their leader- a tall figure bearing a circular mask of gold- seemed to bear no malice for the party's sudden intrusion. Instead, they bowed, and the room became a sea of swirling black as the rest of the elves followed suit. Rising once more, they extended a skeletal hand to the group. 'Be not afraid, beings of flesh. Though we've long departed the mortal coil, we elves still remember the etiquette of Man.'"

- Recounts of an Unknown Historian

The elves of Evandru are far removed from their past beauty and grace. Shrouded specters inhabiting the remains of once-great kingdoms, their entire existence is dedicated to holding vigil for gods that will never return. Cities once defined by ethereal beauty and joyous song are now barren and silent, their inhabitants lost in a whispering prayer that carries hopelessly on the fetid wind. The sloughed flesh of mortality lining their final bastion's streets is all that remains of the elves' long-lost love of humanity.

Lost to Time

No longer are elves the graceful, sylvan folk that dwelled on the Sundered Peninsula. Quite literally casting their flesh aside, almost every elf on Evandru is nothing but bone. Their long history of devotion began at the crux of the Celestial Invasion when the five elven gods traveled north to join the final battle. They promised their people a swift return, as the war would undoubtedly come to a close soon enough. With their promise in the hearts of every elf they went to battle, and never returned. Never losing faith in their gods, every elf waited with bated breath for their gods to return. A thousand years later, and elven society had ground to a standstill as they awaited an arrival that would never come.
As the eldest elves began to wither and die, their few remaining shamans wove a spell that would bind every elf's soul to the earth, locked in an eternal vigil that could only be ended by the gods themselves. Hundreds upon thousands of elves answered the call of their shamans, and those that strayed from their sacred summons were labeled outcasts and shunned from greater elf society. Those that joined the devout had their flesh rent from their bones, becoming undead creatures that would spend the rest of their endless days locked in a futile prayer.

Spartan and Devout

After being freed from the time constraints posed by mortality, many elves put their

Stellaris Necroid Portrait by N-iX Game & VR Studio

Most elves wear ornate robes coupled with an engraved mask to hide their skeletal appearance. Beneath their heavy cloth mantle, beautiful clothing from the height of their kingdom serves as a sad reminder of past life.

Accepted Elf Subraces

Keeping with the theme of fantasy racism, I've deigned some elven subraces unplayable to keep me from going insane. As a general rule, I don't usually accept UA content because it's not from any of the main books.

- Azaelic, the DM

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Generally Acceptable: dark elf, high elf, wood elf, pallid elf, Mark of the Shadow elf.
Not as Common: eladrin (MToF and DMG), sea elf.
The rest of the elf subraces are either Unearthed Arcana, or just don't make sense in Evandru. Even eladrin are on thin ice, as fairies the Feywild aren't as prominent here. However, I'll allow them with a few changes to their backstory.
Unfortunately, I'm not currently going to allow a skeleton subrace for elves. I want to put a lot of thought and customization options into it, kind of like a MToF eladrin. Bear with me!