Elf

Tall, graceful, and extraordinarily beautiful, the elf claim the forest and river lands to the west (except for the Grugach, a subrace that dwells the three-barrel woods, and are closely related to dryads).
Blessed with keen eyesight and a great talent for archery, they have created a long-lasting tradition of rangers and druids to protect their kingdoms from outside threats. Their deep knowledge of the woodlands further complimented their deadly and silent armies, making them a force to be reckoned with.

Culture

Trance

A memory is a curious thing. One can come into consciousness unbidden, evoked by an unexpected scent or the words spoken by a friend. A memory can also be elusive, foiling all attempts to recall it and sometimes remembered only after the hunt is abandoned, like a word on the tip of one’s tongue. Some memories pull at the heart, weighing it down and holding it there as an anchor moors a ship. Others buoy it up or make it flutter joyously like the wings of a bird. Some memories lie in wait like predators, ready to leap out when the mind or the heart is vulnerable. Some linger like scars, not always visible but ever-present.
Perhaps more so than any other race, elves are familiar with all aspects of memory. From birth, elves don’t sleep but instead enter a trance when they need to rest. In this state, elves remain aware of their surroundings while immersing themselves in memories. What an elf remembers during this reverie depends largely on how long the elf has lived, and the events of the lives that the elf’s soul has experienced before.

Childhood

Much has been made of the relative fecundity of humans compared to elves. Ignorant folk wonder how elves can live so long, yet have so few children.
Because of the rarity of elf births, siblings might be separated in age by decades, or even a century or more. Thus, few elves grow up playing with brothers or sisters of similar age and instead rely on friends for the development of their social skills. In exceedingly rare cases, a birth might produce twins or — scarcer yet — triplets. These offspring, which the elves refer to as soul siblings, are believed to have a special, intertwined destiny that can be fulfilled only if they are raised together. Elf legends are filled with tales of misfortune and tragedy that comes to pass when twins are separated and kept too long apart. One might be compelled to reunite with the other, at risk of life and limb; identical twins could become entangled in a case of mistaken identity; or the siblings might grow up as opposites, each determined to seek out and defeat the other.
During a young elf’s first few years, the trance is only a relaxation state, and he is unable to recall memory of his experiences, An elves is considered adult, when he can reflect on his memories during his trance. Trance is taboo with young elves until a momery of their life first appear during their trance. This experience, called the First Reflection, markets the end of childhood and the start of adolescence.

Adolescence

Most elves experience their First Reflection in their second or third decade. It marks the beginning of the period when an elf must focus on acquiring the knowledge and skills needed for the elf’s role as an adult.
As a means to this end, elves in adolescence learn how to use trance to evoke memories, giving them opportunities to reflect on the joys of the mortal world and to reinforce the principles of any training or practice undertaken while awake.

Adulthood

When an elf training is over, it is considered an adult. This typically occurs at the end of the first century of life.
An elf enters the prime of life, a span of centuries during which most elves strive to engage with the world. An adult elf learns how to control the memories that bubble up during trance, choosing to recall experiences from its life that enhance its training or give it solace in bad times.
This is the stage of elven life that others are most familiar with because it’s the age when elves move outside their reclusive communities and interact with the larger world. They strive to have a permanent effect on the world, to change things for the better (as they see it). Elves want to leave a mark on the world that future generations will remember.
Over time, an adult elf can become accomplished in many endeavors while pursuing its destiny. It isn’t unusual among elves to meet someone who is expert in disparate disciplines, such as a battle wizard who also is a settlement’s best vintner and famous for creating delicate wood carvings. This versatility speaks to every adult elf’s eagerness for new experiences, because memories of adventures, escapades, and accomplishments will fuel the next and possibly longest phase of one’s life.

Elder Elves

At some point during adulthood, the reverie of an elf’s trance is first interrupted by a new form of unbidden thought. This seemingly errant memory arises not from the elf’s personal experience, but from other elves experience, friends and family of the individual. An elf’s first experience of this sort is often referred to as the Revelation. This event marks the start of a new phase in an elf’s life.
An elf who begins to experience these other-life memories might live on as normal for decades, but as the intrusions become more frequent, they take their toll on the individual’s outlook. Eventually, an elf’s thoughts start drifting away from worldly accomplishments and turning more and more inward. This change is gradual at first, but it becomes more and more severe until it can’t be ignored. When that happens, an elf loses interest in the outside world and wants nothing more than to return home, to be surrounded by others of their own kind, to explore the memories they’ve accumulated in this life and keep them separate from the ever-increasing number of other-life memories that are surfacing.
Most elves undergo this experience in their fifth or sixth century. Elves who led extremely active and dangerous lives, such as adventurers, seem to be affected earlier than those who pursue more sedate occupations. Notably, elves who have been revived from death by magical means seem to experience their first other-life memory earlier than they otherwise might.
Regardless of how soon or how often elves experience such memories, most consider them a blessing from the gods. The experiences of other lives that are revisited during trance can be examined for lessons to be applied during one’s life, signs from the gods, or ways to open an elf’s perspective to other points of view.
A handful of elves in any generation never experience an other-life memory during trance. Although most elder elves become more serene, these rare folk spend the rest of their lives throwing themselves into dangerous situations, as if daring death to try to take them.

Aging and death

Most elves don’t age outwardly as other humanoids do. The skin of adults remains smooth, their hair does not gray, and their bones do not ache. Even the oldest elves look similar in age to a human of perhaps 30 years.
Yet there is one sure sign that an elf is nearing the end of life: cataracts in the shape of crescents, points down, that appear over the pupils of both eyes when the elf is in trance. This change, commonly known as Transcendence, is a mark of the elves age.
How much time an elf’s body has left is never certain. Whether hours or years, the period is marked by both intense joy and great sadness. Most mortal elves accept their upcoming fate with optimism or resignation, but some react by throwing themselves back into the labors of life with a frenzy other elves consider unbecoming.

Timeless perspective

Elves have a natural life span of seven centuries or longer thanks to the blessing of Nozdormu. Not surprisingly, this trait affects their attitude and outlook toward every aspect of mortal life.
Events from centuries ago that are distant or even ancient history to humans might have been experienced firsthand by many elves who are still alive. And an elf’s memory of such events is likely more accurate than a well-researched historian’s account, because the elf can revisit the memory over and over during trance, fixing it more firmly in mind each time.
The elven sense of value as it relates to time is hard for humans to comprehend. An elf seldom becomes sentimentally attached to physical objects such as manufactured structures and furnishings, except those of personal significance, for the simple reason that the object is likely to become decrepit before the elf does. Even fine jewelry and steel swords become tarnished and pitted, succumbing to the ravages of age long before the years of their elven owners come to an end.
Paradoxically, elves pay special interest to the ephemeral: a cloud of mayflies, bubbles in water, illusions, eclipses, rainbows, artistic performances, and so forth. They are fascinated by any thing of beauty — an object, creature, scene, or event — that might be experienced only once, but which can be captured in an elf’s memory and revisited during trance for the rest of their lives.
It’s a rare elf who forms strong relationships with people of other races, particularly those whose life spans are much shorter. Humans like to believe that elves don’t form close bonds with them because the elves are saddened whenever they lose a human friend to death, but that’s only a portion of the truth. From the elven view, humans’ lives are over too soon for elves to forge what they consider a real friendship. Among elves, a hundred years of acquaintance between individuals is considered a good foundation for a close relationship.
In keeping with their seeming aloofness, elves can appear cold and emotionless in the face of tragedy. They do feel the same pain that others feel, and they do mourn their losses. But they also understand, in a way that other creatures can’t, that all worldly pain is fleeting. Also, if an elf becomes too emotionally invested in a loss, the experience might be relived during trance for centuries to come. Keeping some distance between themselves and the concerns of others serves elves best.
Even though they are stingy with their affection for others, most elves are excellent judges of character. Thus, they can form superficial associations with other creatures very quickly. An elf often knows within minutes of meeting someone whether that new acquaintance would be a fitting companion for a journey or an adventure, and their first impressions are seldom wrong — though it might be decades later before the relationship becomes deeply personal.

Crimes and Punishment

Consistent with their long perspective on the world and their knowledge of its history, elves have a special view of morality. They abide by the traditional definitions of good and evil, but tinged with elven sensibilities.
Property crimes such as theft are usually considered evidence of significant character flaws, because elves don’t value material goods as highly as shorter-lived races do. An item’s intrinsic value is secondary to its historical and sentimental value, which can be considerable. An elf who steals a pouch full of gems would be pitied, but someone who steals a dried flower presented to an elf by her long-gone sister would be seen as a monster and likely exiled from the community.

Passion vs. Restraint

The elven personality is a mixture of two opposing forces, which vie for dominance throughout an elf’s life. How an elf handles the tension between passion and restraint colors their life experiences.
When they’re young, elves approach life with great enthusiasm. Their joy is as intense as roaring flame, their sadness as deep as the sea. They dive into endeavors with seemingly inexhaustible energy, yet they typically do so without much display of emotion.
The reserve and patience of elves is well known among other races, but what a human doesn’t see is the conflict taking place inside an elf’s mind. Elves keep their passion internalized because they learn at a young age that such feelings can become destructive when they are allowed to take control. Elves who let passion overtake their behavior can be consumed by it. They stop caring about friendships, alienate family members, and take foolish risks in pursuit of gratification that a cooler head would never hazard.
This passion wanes as an elf ages, but it never disappears entirely. One of the most important responsibilities of elder elves is teaching youngsters the danger of letting their passions loose and showing them how to develop a long-lasting self-discipline.

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Characteristics

Physical features

With their unearthly grace and fine features, elves appear hauntingly beautiful to humans and members of many other races. They are slightly shorter than humans on average, ranging from well under 5 feet tall to just over 6 feet. They are more slender than humans, weighing only 100 to 145 pounds. Males and females are about the same height, and males are only marginally heavier than females.
Elves’ coloration encompasses the normal human range and also includes skin in shades of copper, bronze, and almost bluish-white, hair of green or blue, and eyes like pools of liquid gold or silver. Elves have no facial and little body hair. They favor elegant clothing in bright colors, and they enjoy simple yet lovely jewelry.
Many elves' hair changes with the season, shifting color with nature, this change can be more or less visible depending on the individual but is generally common among the elves. The drow, forced under the earth for centuries, lost their connection to the season, and therefore, lost the pigment in their hair. All drow have white hair.

Mental traits

Elves can live well over 700 years, giving them a broad perspective on events that might trouble the shorter-lived races more deeply. They are more often amused than excited, and more likely to be curious than greedy. They tend to remain aloof and unfazed by petty happenstance. When pursuing a goal, however, whether adventuring on a mission or learning a new skill or art, elves can be focused and relentless. They are slow to make friends and enemies, and even slower to forget them. They reply to petty insults with disdain and to serious insults with vengeance.
Like the branches of a young tree, elves are flexible in the face of danger. They trust in diplomacy and compromise to resolve differences before they escalate to violence. They have been known to retreat from intrusions into their woodland homes, confident that they can simply wait the invaders out. But when the need arises, elves reveal a stern martial side, demonstrating skill with sword, bow, and strategy.

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Subrace

Eladrin

Eladrin are elves who still dwelve in the feywild. Very slender, with hair and skin color determined by the season with which they feel the closest affinity. And their eyes often glimmer with fey magic.
Eladrin cities represent the pinnacle of elven architecture. Their soaring towers, arching bridges, and gracefully filigreed homes are a perfect blend of construction, natural elements, and magic-inspired motifs. Streams and waterfalls, gardens and copses, and structures of stone and wood are commingled in ways that are original and yet completely natural-looking.
Eladrin culture is older than any other elven civilization, as it is reminiscent of the original elven culture. Most elves are impetuous to some extent, but eladrin are known for their fickleness. Many of them change their minds on the spur of the moment without giving reasons. Their system of justice vacillates between capriciously harsh and whimsically mild, depending on the mood of the eladrin passing judgment, and eladrin are more susceptible to flattery than other elves are.

High elves

High elves have a keen mind and a mastery of at least the basics of magic. High elves are haughty and reclusive, believing themselves to be superior to non-elves and even other elves. The high elves of Toriel have bronze skin and hair of copper, black, or golden blond. Their eyes are golden, silver, or black.

Sea elves

The aquatic sea elves were not as affected by the great extinction, and even if their number were reduced, their isolation underwater protected them from the war opposing the dragon and the giant, that was taken to the land, where the giants were able to fight.
They are more common Near God's domain to the south, where the close underwater city welcomes them, and they can exchange with the local land-based population with ease.

Shadar Kai (Shadow elves)

The shadar-kai, also called shadow fey, are the elves living in the shadowfell, when elves draw origin from the feywild, it is strange to see elves in a plane such as the shadowfell. The shadow fey are adapted to this environment, as they two spend ages in those lands. The reason driving them her is long forgotten, as shadar kai were there even before the great extinction.
The pallor of their skin, and their lack of apparent emotions, come from their adaptation to this plane. They serve the raven queen, their divinity, and their city was built around the great mountain at the top of which it is supposed to appear regularly. Their role, well known to interplanar travelers, was to ensure some form of balance in the plane that is the shadowfell.
Following their near extermination in an attempt to create a philosopher's stone by a vampire living nearby. They were reduced to a few dozen representatives of their species, and their large cities now erased from the map, they began to adopt a less sedentary lifestyle. Since this incident, they are now sworn enemies of the vampires, and they dedicate their lives to ensure the balance of power with these so-called vampires.
Shadar-Kai name Shadar Kai have a common naming habit, the first name followed by the last name which is generally extremely short, the two separate by an '
Example: Zealdrin’at, Tom’el, Nael’an

Wood elves

Wood elves have keen senses and intuition, and their fleet feet carry them quickly and stealthily through their native forests. Wood elves are reclusive and distrusting of non-elves.
Wood elves’ skin tends to be copperish in hue, sometimes with traces of green. Their hair tends toward browns and blacks, but it is occasionally blond or copper-colored. Their eyes are green, brown, or hazel.

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Names

Elves are considered children until they declare themselves adults, some time after the hundredth birthday, and before this period they are called by child names. On declaring adulthood, an elf selects an adult name, although those who knew him or her as a youngster might continue to use the child name. Each elf’s adult name is a unique creation, though it might reflect the names of respected individuals or other family members. Little distinction exists between male names and female names; the groupings here reflect only general tendencies. In addition, every elf bears a family name, typically a combination of other Elvish words. Some elves traveling among humans translate their family names into Common, but others retain the Elvish version.
Child Names: Ara, Bryn, Del, Eryn, Faen, Innil, Lael, Mella, Naill, Naeris, Phann, Rael, Rinn, Sai, Syllin, Thia, Vall
Male Adult Names: Adran, Aelar, Aramil, Arannis, Aust, Beiro, Berrian, Carric, Enialis, Erdan, Erevan, Galinndan, Hadarai, Heian, Himo, Immeral, Ivellios, Laucian, Mindartis, Paelias, Peren, Quarion, Riardon, Rolen, Soveliss, Thamior, Tharivol, Theren, Varis
Female Adult Names: Adrie, Althaea, Anastrianna, Andraste, Antinua, Bethrynna, Birel, Caelynn, Drusilia, Enna, Felosial, Ielenia, Jelenneth, Keyleth, Leshanna, Lia, Meriele, Mialee, Naivara, Quelenna, Quillathe, Sariel, Shanairra, Shava, Silaqui, Theirastra, Thia, Vadania, Valanthe, Xanaphia
Family Names (Common Translations): Amakiir (Gemflower), Amastacia (Starflower), Galanodel (Moonwhisper), Holimion (Diamonddew), Ilphelkiir (Gemblossom), Liadon (Silverfrond), Meliamne (Oakenheel), Naïlo (Nightbreeze), Siannodel (Moonbrook), Xiloscient (Goldpetal)

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Traits 

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Spirit Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put you to sleep.
Trance. Elves do not sleep. Instead they meditate deeply, remaining semi-conscious, for 4 hours a day. The Common word for this meditation is "trance." While meditating, you dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive after years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit a human would from 8 hours of sleep.
Keen Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Eladrin

Fey Step. As a bonus action, you can magically teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. Once you use this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest. When you reach 3rd level, your Fey Step gains an additional effect based on your season; if the effect requires a saving throw, the DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. The effects are as follows:

• Autumn. Immediately after you use your Fey Step, up to two creatures of your choice that you can see within 10 feet of you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you for 1 minute, or until you or your companions deal any damage to it.
• Winter. When you use your Fey Step, one creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet of you before you teleport must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
• Spring. When you use your Fey Step, you can touch one willing creature within 5 feet of you. That creature then teleports instead of you, appearing in an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you.
• Summer. Immediately after you use your Fey Step, each creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet of you takes fire damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 damage).

High Elf

Cantrip. You know one cantrip of your choice from the Wizard spell list. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it.
Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.
Extra Language. You can read, speak, and write one additional language of your choice.

Sea Elf

Sea Elf Training. You have proficiency with the spear, trident, light crossbow, and net.
Child of the Sea. You have a swimming speed of 30 feet, and you can breathe air and water.
Friend of the Sea. Using gestures and sounds, you can communicate simple ideas with any beast that has an innate swimming speed.
Languages. You can speak Aquan.

Shadar Kai

Necrotic Resistance. You have resistance to necrotic damage.
Spirit hopping. As a bonus action, you can magically teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. Once you use this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest. Starting at 3rd level, you also gain resistance to all damage when you teleport using this trait. The resistance lasts until the start of your next turn. During that time, you appear ghostly and translucent.

Wood Elf

Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.
Fleet of Foot. Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.
Mask of the Wild. You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.

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General Information

Geographic Distribution

Mostly found in Enchanted forests and other woodland areas. A good number are found where humans are found also. 

Languages

Common, Elvish

Physiology

Average Lifespan

750 years

Size

Medium

Average Height

5'8"‒6' 2" ft

Average Weight

80‒140 lbs