The Elven Strain

The Elven Strain is a Strain of people native to The Great Forest to the east of The Worldspine. Due to their geographical location, their interactions with other Strains over time have been rather minimal, with the largest intercultural exchange having happened during the height of The Draconid Empire, over a thousand years ago.
Other Strains often refer to them as “Elves”, “Forest Folk”, “The Children of Starovjek” or “Eternal Ones”, but they themselves refer to each other as “Vela”, which roughly translates to Kin.

Homeland:

The Elven Strain is native to The Devoj Wilderness, a vast and diverse forest east of The Worldspine, which once stretched from the farthest northern and eastern coasts of Kashura down to The Emerald Sea. Over the course of the millennia though, the geography of The Devoj Wilderness has changed drastically, if the oldest records of The Elven Strain are to be believed. Beginning with The Splintering, the first schism in the history of Elvenkind, to The Burning of The First Tree which resulted in the formation of The Sea of Jezabel, The Kazovka Range and the otherworldly corruption, which has since been a permanent fixture in that region of Kashura, and culminating in the large scale terraforming projects of Velavastok, which continue to this day. The Vysovela still inhabit the deepest, most unknowable parts of The Devoj Wilderness, while The Zoryavela have claimed the northern parts of the region as their home. The Tiravela have left their ancestral homeland long ago, and now inhabit the easternmost parts of The Conflux Sea, where they have established their own state: Tirel. Finally, the Nayavela predominantly inhabit the islands and lesser corrupted forests around The Sea of Jezabel.

Faith & Culture:

The Elven Strain is one marked more than any other by conflict and strife, not with others, but with itself. If the oldest records of The Vysovela are to be believed, Elvenkind was originally created as servants of and custodians to The Tutelars. More commonly referred to as The Elders, they were said to be trees of immense proportions, with roots so deep and vast that they were connected to the very core of the world, and branches that reached so far up that they held up the firmament.
More than just deities or gods, the ancient elves viewed them as the manifest will of the world, which had brought them into existence to watch over and tend to their physical form, though today only few of them remain. Not all elves seemed to agree with this, though the reason for this is contentious depending on who you ask. Followers of The Tutelars claim that it was the voice of Moryana that sowed the seeds of doubt in the hearts and minds of unbelievers. Those same “unbelievers” though claim that Moryana freed them from the chains that The Tutelars had forced them into, and it is those that remain as brainwashed slaves to their malicious, otherworldly, parasitic “gods”, who are in the wrong.
It was this original schism, referred to as The Splintering, at which The Elven Strain first diverged into those which remained loyal to The Tutelars, the Vysovela, and those which turned from them and their kin in pursuit of their own destiny, the Zoryavela. The Splintering would however not remain the only schism of The Elven Strain. In the times of old, the Vysovela and Zoryavela usually were not on friendly terms, but open conflict between the two rarely exceeded the scale of small skirmishes. This changed with The Burning of The First Tree, an event which, by most estimates, transpired around 1200~1000 pSF: While the Zoryavela had stood united throughout the centuries and millennia before, the differences in their beliefs and ideologies started to show. There were those that, while they did not wish to live under the yoke of The Tutelars, nonetheless hoped to avoid conflict and live in harmony with their former brethren. Others saw The Tutelars, and by extension their followers, as an existential threat, they had after all managed to enslave them before, who was to say they would not try to do so again in the future?
It would be the second group that would eventually split off into the Nayavela. They united under one banner, now free from the doubts of their former peers and marched towards Starosta, the place where Starovjek, the first Tutelar was said to be located, along with many others. Despite the defenders best efforts, they set the city and The Elder Trees ablaze, celebrating their victory without knowledge of what would be about to transpire.
Retellings of the story diverge here, as none that were present that day remained to share what they had seen, but according to the oldest records of the Vysolvela, the moment TheAncient One fell, heaven and earth were severed and set ablaze, divinity severed from the land as both the fate of The Elven Strain and the world had changed forever.
Setting aside spiritual interpretations of these events, the results of that fateful day are clear to see: Completely having wiped away hundreds, if not thousands of miles of land, the burning killed almost everything in its path, formed entirely new geographic features, and drenched large parts of the surrounding lands in strange, otherworldly corruption which persists to this day.
Of the few Nayavela that remained, many were devastated by what had transpired. With their homeland devastated and their leadership gone, a new hope emerged from among them: an Elf by the name of Tiriel, who promised to lead them to a new home in distant lands. Not all chose to follow them, but those who did would later become known as the Tiravela and would settle the lands of Tirel, down south in the easternmost parts of The Conflux Sea.
The Nayavela which remained however saw things quite differently. Whatever the consequences may have been, they had just succeeded in killing what many would consider an entity of god-like power. To them this was not the end, but the beginning of a righteous mission to liberate all of Elvenkind, a mission many of them pursue to this day. The faith and religious beliefs of Elvenkind are nowadays pretty clearly separated by whichever of these four distinct tribes they belong to (though there are of course exceptions as always):

The Vysovela still follow and pray to The Tutelars, few and scattered as they may be.

The Zoryavela venerate The Rhus, ancient gods which they believe to be the actual creators of Kashura and Elvenkind, before The Tutelars enslaved and brainwashed them, Moryana being one of them.

The Tiravela nowadays largely venerate The Guiding Light, a deified version of Tiriel, the Elf that guided them to their new homeland over a thousand years ago.

The Nayavela mostly follow The Satuva, a non-deific religion with an emphasis of inward perfection and freedom from divinity. To call it a religion though is to somewhat misunderstand its nature, it would be more accurate to call it a philosophical belief system.

General Appearance:

The Elven Strain is, similar to The Hominid Strain, one with comparatively little variety in appearance. That is not to say that there are no differences whatsoever, especially between the different tribes, but those differences rarely even approach the kind of variety that The Draconids, Wildkin and Zoltai display.
Elves follow a very similar body structure to Hominids, though they are on average shorter and slimmer. Like most other Strains they have 2 arms and 2 legs, and vary in height somewhere between 3-6 ft. (90-180cm). Taller elves exist, but are exceptionally rare. They have pointy ears, similar to The Zoltai Strain, though theirs tend to be a good deal longer on average.
They usually grow hair on their head, with black and brown generally being the most common colors, though this varies from tribe to tribe. They generally have smooth skin, usually ranging from pale whites to dark browns. Depending on the tribe, there are also some other common colors, from pale blues and greens, to snow white, purple or even charcoal black. Eye color is all over the place, though similar to The Hominid Strain, black and brown are the most common.
Depending on the tribe there are certain trends which can help differentiating them from one another, though they are not all-encompassing, and plenty of exceptions do exist:

Vysovela skin often has a green or earthy brown tint, similar to the leaves or bark of a tree, and their body seems to partially consist of plant matter. Some may have leaves, roots or branches replace parts of or their entire hair, many have bark-like growths replacing some of their skin, or roots and vines visibly protruding from it. These aspects spread with age, until they eventually encompass their entire body. Some of the oldest still living Vysovela are almost indistinguishable from awakened plant life.

Zoryavela generally have fair, pale, blue-ish or even snow white skin. Their hair tends to have brighter colors, such as blonde, gray, white or even ginger, and the most common eye color amongst them is blue.

Tiravela, by virtue of living in a place much better connected to the rest of the world, are what most people generally imagine Elves look like. Like the Hominids that inhabit the lands surrounding The Conflux Sea, Tiravela generally have fair to dark brown skin, dark hair, and brown or black eyes.

Nayavela are, perhaps besides the Vysovela, the most visually striking members of Elvenkind. Their skin usually takes a dark purple, gray or even charcoal black shade, while their hair is overwhelmingly white, silver or gray. Their eyes also often have unusual colors and patterns, such as red or purple irises or black scleras. There are many theories trying to explain this: Followers of The Tutelars for example often attribute it to divine punishment, “charred skin to mark the god-killers”, while others simply presume it to be a result of continued exposure to the lands they call home.

Sexual Dimorphism:

Similar to Hominids, male Elves tend to be a bit taller and stronger than their female counterparts on average, though this is by no means a hard rule.

Average Lifespan:

The Lifespan of an Elf usually depends on the way they were conceived. Most Elves born through the conventional methods have a lifespan of around 100 years, however, those conceived through Vodyadana, can reach ages upwards of 500 years.

Vodyadana:

Vodyadana, or “True Birth”, is an ancient ritual heavily tied to The Tutelars, and nowadays only practiced by The Vysovela, as they are the only ones with the knowledge and the means to do so. While the exact methods vary, what it essentially boils down to is this:
After having done the deed, a pair of Elven parents is buried alive beneath the roots of a Tutelar, and enter a state similar to hibernation. How long this state lasts varies, the average seems to be around 20 years, though there have been records of the process taking less than five to almost a century. No matter how long it takes, once the process is eventually over the parents and their child have to dig themselves out of the earth, though depending on the tribe they may also be helped by other members of the tribe. Twins and triplets are exceptionally rare, but do occur and are seen as a great blessing.
Children conceived through this process emerge already somewhat developed (usually in a state comparable to a 4-6 year old child), being able to walk, eat, drink and articulate themselves, albeit with some trouble. Both the child and its parents seem to have a shared feeling of having spent much time together, though none were ever able to remember their time below ground.
Children born in this way display the plant-like features the Vysovela are known for, develop much slower than other Elven children, usually taking a full 60 years to become adults, and can live upwards of 500 years.

Innate Magic:

While other Strains do sometimes manifest innate supernatural or even magical abilities, none of them are known for it like The Elven Strain. While the reason for this is somewhat of a debate amongst scholars, it can be said with certainty that Elves manifest such abilities at a much higher frequency than Draconids, Hominids, Wildkin and Zoltai. From an innate understanding of Primal Magic, being able to influence the physical makeup of their body and even at-will teleportation, the stories of what Elves are supposedly capable of often outmatch their actual capabilities. Not like they put much effort into dispelling such rumors though.

Strain Abilities:

When choosing Elves as your Primary Strain, you get the following abilities for free:

+2 to any one Ability Score and +1 to any other Ability Score.

Proficiency in The Language of your Homeland and one other Language.

Mental Resilience:

Your Elven Heritage grants you incredible mental resilience, giving you proficiency in one mental saving throw of your choice (INT, WIS, CHA).

Elven minds are famously resilient, though the reason for this is somewhat contentious. Some claim it to simply be an inherent trait of the strain, others say it is a blessing by The Tutelars, or The Rhus or The Guiding Light.

Deep Rest:

You finish your long rest after only 4 hours, provided you spend all of it asleep.

While you are sleeping, a creature has to succeed on a DC 15 medicine check to notice any of your vital signs, otherwise not being able to distinguish you from a dead body.

While asleep, nothing short of physical harm can wake you up.

Magic can’t put you to sleep.

Once you finish a long rest, you recover 2 levels of exhaustion instead of 1.

Whenever Elves go to sleep, they fall into a deep state of unconsciousness, as all their bodily functions slow down or even cease entirely. Few things short of physical harm can shake them from this state, though in exchange they recover much faster than other Strains.

Optional Strain Abilities:

The Following are Strain Abilities available to you by choosing The Elven Strain: (As all other Strains, Elves get 5 Strain Points (SP) and can get additional additional points by spending 2 Ability Score Points per Strain Point).

Gigantism: (1 SP)

Prerequisites: minimum +2 Strength from Strain, Class and Background.

This Ability Cannot be chosen with the Pygmy Strain Ability.

Some rare Elves are much greater in stature and bulk than others. These Individuals tower over their kin, wield greater power, carry greater burdens and are naturally much more intimidating. This trait is exceptionally rare for Elves, though it still can occur on very rare occasions.

Your Height Increases to anywhere from 6-7ft. (180-210cm).

You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

You gain proficiency in the Intimidation Skill.

The Amount of Food and Water you need to Consume per day is doubled.

Your unarmed strikes deal damage equal to 1d4 + Str.

Pygmy: (1 SP)

Prerequisites: minimum +2 Dexterity from Strain, Class and Background.

This Ability Cannot be chosen with the Gigantism Strain Ability.

Conversely, there are some Elves which are much smaller in stature than others. While not exactly common, this trait does occur with some frequency, especially in the Tiravela.

Your height decreases to anywhere between 3-4ft. (90-120cm), your size category becomes small and your carrying capacity is halved.

You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size category larger than yours.

Your base movement walking speed is set to 25ft.

You gain proficiency in the Stealth Skill.

The amount of food and water you need to consume on a daily basis is cut in half.

True-Born: (1 SP)

This Strain Ability can only be chosen at character creation.

Prerequisite AND Disqualifier for many Elven Strain Abilities.

True-Born refers to those Vela which were conceived through the process known as Vodyadana, a ritual sacred to The Vysovela. These Elves display the plant-like features The Vysovela are known for, can live for an exceptionally long time and even display some minor inherent talents for Primal Magic.

You have both the humanoid and plant creature type. (a creature only needs to have one applicable creature type to be affected by effects that would only apply to one of its creature types.)

You can live upwards of 500 years and are considered an adult at around 60.

You know the Druidcraft Cantrip and can cast it at will.

Root-Kin: (2 SP)

Prerequisites: The True-Born Strain Ability and a minimum +2 Wisdom from Strain, Class and Background.

Amongst the True-Born Vela there are those few referred to as Root-Kin, believed by many to hold a seedling of The Tutelars inside them, and destined to ascend to godhood themselves one day. They are viewed by most Vysovela as blessed individuals, possess a great natural aptitude towards primal magic and are much more in-tune with the natural world around them.

You gain proficiency in the Nature Skill, and may use Wisdom instead of Intelligence for Nature checks.

At Level 1, choose one of the following Primal Cantrips: (Shillelagh, Thorn Whip) the spell is added to your spell list and you can cast it, using Wisdom as your spellcasting modifier.

At Level 3 you learn the Entangle Spell. You can cast the spell for free once per day, using Wisdom as your spellcasting modifier.

At Level 5 you learn the Spike Growth Spell. You can cast the spell for free once per day, using Wisdom as your spellcasting modifier.

If you have any levels in a Primal Spellcasting Class (Druid, Ranger) or a Bardic Spellcasting Class (Bard, Bladesinger), you can cast these spells with your regular spell slots, using that class's spellcasting ability instead of Wisdom.

Bronze-Bark: (2 SP)

Prerequisites: The True-Born Strain Ability and a minimum of +2 Constitution from Strain, Class and Background.

Amongst the True-Born Vela there are many individuals with Bark-like growths covering parts of their otherwise smooth skin. Some of these True-Born can let these growths cover their entire body to further protect them from physical harm. More than just regular tree-bark though, this protective shell is as hard as bronze and can stop lethal blows with ease.

As a Bonus Action you can let the bark-like growths on your skin cover the whole of your body. While this ability is active your AC can't be less than 16, regardless of what kind of armor you are wearing. If your AC would already be 16 or higher, you instead gain a +1 Bonus to AC.

You can dismiss this ability at will, returning to your usual appearance, otherwise it only ends if you die.

Collective Memory: (1 SP)

Prerequisites: The True-Born Strain Ability.

It is believed that all True-Born Vela share a connection through their birth under The Tutelars, and it is through this connection that the souls of the faithful return to them once their time has come. While mostly spiritual in nature, there are some rare True-Born which can take advantage of this connection, allowing them to invite the spirits of the faithful into their body, and learn from their memories and experiences.

Whenever you finish a long rest, you may gain proficiency in one skill of your choice and with one weapon or tool of your choice. You retain these proficiencies until you use this ability again.

Leyline Walker: (2 SP)

Some Elves possess a natural understanding of the flow of natural magic around them, and are capable of utilizing them to quickly travel short distances.

As a bonus action, you can teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

This ability does not function inside a dead-magic zone, such as an anti-magic sphere or similar effects.

Root-Step: (1 SP)

Prerequisites: The Root-Kin and Leyline Walker Strain Abilities.

This Ability Cannot be chosen with the Chaos-Leap Strain Ability.

Some amongst The Root-Kin are capable of harnessing parts of the magical energy they use to teleport offensively, spawning grasping vines at their target location and holding their targets in place.

When you use your Leyline Walker Strain Ability, you can spawn grasping roots at your target location and force every creature within 5ft. of it to make a Strength Saving Throw (DC = 8 + proficiency + Wisdom (or your primary casting ability if you are either a Primal or Bardic Caster)). Creatures that fail this saving throw are grappled by the roots until the end of your next turn, and creatures that fail this saving throw by 5 or more are restrained for the same duration.

Chaos-Leap: (2 SP)

Prerequisites: The Leyline Walker Strain Ability.

This Ability Cannot be chosen with the Root-Step Strain Ability.

Contrary to those, there are certain Elves for which the manipulation of these magical energies comes just as easily, though with distinctly less… predictable results. While it is by no means a common, as Leyline Walking is a rare ability to begin with, it occurs most often in the Nayavela which inhabit the corrupted Lands surrounding The Stigmata and The Sea of Jezabel.

Upon taking this Ability, choose either INT, WIS or CHA. This stat is used to determine save DCs in the options below. (DC = 8 + proficiency + your chosen stat)

Whenever you go to use your Leyline Walker Ability, roll a d6. You roll this d6 before choosing your target location.

1: When you use Leyline Walker, choose your target location, then roll 1d6. You overshoot your target location by a number of feet equal to 10x your dice roll. You may roll a Strength saving throw to push against and resist the effect, arriving at your target location on a success.

2: Immediately after you use Leyline Walker, a number of creatures of your choice up to your proficiency bonus that you can see within 10 feet of you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened by you until the end of your next turn.

3: Immediately after you use Leyline Walker, every creature within 10ft. of you has to succeed on a Constitution saving throw, taking 2d6 points of thunder damage on a failed save and half as much on a successful one. A creature that fails this save by 5 or more is also deafened until the end of your next turn. The damage increases by 1d6 at level 5, 9, 13 and 17.

4: Immediately before you teleport with Leyline Walker, choose up to 1 creature within 15ft. of your starting location to bring along with you. If the creature is unwilling, it can attempt an Intelligence saving throw to avoid the effect. If the creature is willing or fails, it is moved to an empty space within 5ft. of your target location. If there is no free space, you cannot bring it along. The Number of creatures you can affect with this ability at once increases by 1 at level 9 and 17.

5: Immediately after you use Leyline Walker, choose up to 1 creature within 15ft. of your target location. The creature has to succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be moved to a space within 5ft. of your starting location. A creature may choose to fail, and the creature is not moved if there would be no space to move it to. The Number of creatures you can affect with this ability at once increases by 1 at level 9 and 17.

6: Immediately after you use Leyline Walker, a number of creatures of your choice up to your proficiency bonus that you can see within 10 feet of you must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be charmed by you for 1 minute, or until you or your companions deal any damage to it.

Unshackled Spirit: (1 SP)

This Ability cannot be taken with The True-Born Strain Ability.

Many descendants of those Vela which liberated themselves from the vile manipulation of The Tutelars now possess a natural resistance towards supernatural coercion.

You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed and to break out of the charmed condition.

Resolute Mind: (2 SP)

Prerequisites: The Unshackled Spirit Strain Ability.

For some Vela though, this natural resistance extends not just to supernatural coercion, but to all things that try to influence their mind through supernatural means.

You have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma saving throws against Spells and magical effects.

Enhanced Senses, Sight: (1 SP)

Prerequisites: A minimum of +2 Wisdom from Strain, Class and Background.

Some Elves have developed a greatly enhanced sense of sight.

you gain proficiency in the Perception skill, if you already have it you gain expertise instead.

You gain advantage to all perception checks relying on sight.

Mark of Corruption: (1 SP)

Cannot be chosen with The True-Born Strain Ability.

It is said that prolonged exposure to environments corrupted by otherworldly magic can leave a permanent mark upon a person. Even The Nayavela, which inhabit lands most afflicted by such magics, ensure to protect their people and settlements with proper safeguards, but that doesn’t mean they always work. Some unfortunate Elven Children, most commonly amongst Nayavela, are born with such marks. They often take the shape of small horns, six-fingered hands, additional eyes where there should be none, and similar disfigurements. While most other Elves see such them as cursed, The Nayavela view them as destined heroes, for it is those born in corruption that are most resilient to it.

You are resistant to Otherworldly Corruption and have advantage on rolls to stave off its effects.

Corrupted Magic: (2 SP)

Prerequisites: The Mark of Corruption Strain Ability and a minimum of +2 Charisma from Strain, Class and Background.

Of those that bear the mark of corruption, a rare few possess and even greater mastery of its effects, and are even capable of channeling its energies into spells and incantations of Blood Magic. There is however a great difference between those that simply are resistant to otherworldly corruption and those that wield it like a weapon, and even The Nayavela view these individuals, which they refer to as “Dableska”, or Vilebloods, with great suspicion.

Your Blood turns Black.

At Level 1, You learn The Baleflame Cantrip. The spell is added to your spell list and you can cast it, using Charisma as your spellcasting modifier.

At Level 3 you learn the Touch of Agony Spell. You can cast the spell for free once per day, using Charisma as your spellcasting modifier.

At Level 5 you learn the Caustic Blood Spell. You can cast the spell for free once per day, using Charisma as your spellcasting modifier.

If you have any levels in Warlock or Sorcerer, you can cast these spells with your regular spell slots, using that class's spellcasting ability.

Nighttime Adaptation: (2 SP)

Some Elves have developed the ability to see in total Darkness.

You gain Darkvision out to a range of 60ft.

Cold-Weather Acclimation: (2 SP)

A trait most common amongst The Zoryavela in the northern regions of The Devoj WIlderness. The bodies of these elves have adapted to their cold and harsh environment, allowing them to flourish where others would perish. These Vela often sport pale white or even blue-ish skin, though this is by no means a universal rule.

You gain resistance to cold damage.

You are unaffected by the negative effects of high altitudes.

You have advantage on all saving throws against the effects of extreme cold.