Elf
The Elves of Aerith were once Avariel, living in cities floating high above the earth. After the Avariel civil war that pitted brother against brother, the Elves that did not take up sides were punished by being set gently upon the earth to protect it against their Fallen people. Two Elf cities were placed in the forests in close proximity to the Fallen cities of Exandar and Azdurok. They established themselves very quickly and from the Elves came two sub-races - the High Elf, and the Wood Elf.
The High Elves have maintained their fallen cities and blended them seamlessly into the forests they have taken as their own. The Wood Elves have embraced the forest and live alongside it as guardians and protectors of nature and their woodland home. Both are still very close to their roots and hold their god Lyradell in very high regard.
Elves of both types have very similar looks and their unearthly nature still shines brightly in their countenance and bearing. They are slender, graceful, and lithe, ranging just over five feet on average, some being taller some being shorter. Male and female Elves range about the same size with females sharing some slightly softer traits.
Their skin colour ranges, as the Humans and Halflings do, but their eyes are always piercing in whatever colour they possess. Their skin is smooth and fairly hairless, particularly on their face but they can grow very long and fine hair on their heads. They take great pride in their appearance. Elves can live to be around seven hundred years old but there have been some that live beyond a millennium.
High Elves are noble, patient, reserved, and thoughtful. They have suffered greatly but look for ways to redeem themselves, not place blame. They are accepting of their fate, and due to their long lives have developed great patience. They are here to help usher the other races into peace and harmony, not instill their own values on others. They bide their time, listen intently, let others act and learn, but will not sit by idly if danger or evil threatens.
The High Elves take their role as teachers and shepherds seriously and they are very conscious of the actions and motivations of The Fallen on Starhelm in particular. They try to keep their presence as integrated into the natural order as possible. High Elves will interact with other races frequently and make alliances and have gatherings freely. They are more likely to travel outside of their cities to experience the world.
Wood Elves, on the other hand are direct, cautious, practical, and stalwart. They have taken their role as guardians and protectors of the earth and its inhabitants very seriously. They roam the forests and have smaller villages throughout. They are more martial than their High Elf cousins but are not aggressive. They have a practicality that stems from a desire to get the job done efficiently and effectively and then move on to more pressing matters. They have seen what nature and their enemies can do to those who are unprepared so they are more cautious than High Elves. They have experienced the mercurial nature of the shorter-lived races so they are less likely to trust outsiders immediately. Once trust is established though, Wood Elves will do their utmost to aid those in need.
Both High Elves and Wood Elves can be prone to melancholy as they are reminded from time to time of what they lost. They do not dwell in it but it does affect them both. Once their melancholy is over both High Elves and Wood Elves get themselves back into their chosen path stronger than before, looking to expunge their past deeds from their psyche.
Elves have great respect for high level practitioners of magic and leaders of their religion. Lyradell played a key part in the Elves’ survival and success on Starhelm and they do him great honour, regardless of location or type of Elf.
Elven communities have a great respect for teachers also, regardless of trade, so they take great pride in making sure their children are well taught. This is true of both High Elves and Wood Elves but what is considered important is different for each group.
High Elves place importance in knowledge, social interaction, the arts, and botany. The learning of high magic is also important and can make an Elf a very important member of their house or even the royal house.
The Wood Elves appreciate knowledge but of their surroundings, the flora and fauna, the ways of surviving in their environments. They value freedom and will fight to protect it. They prefer the study of swordplay to the arts but there are still a number of Wood Elves who can play an instrument or sing a haunting melody. They prefer magic of the elements to any high ideals of magic. Their appreciation for their religious leaders is equally as powerful as any High Elf.
The Fallen are the Elves most concerning enemy, and they spend most of their days trying to protect the world from their lost brethren. While they may have pity for the Fallen they cannot allow them to harm the world they have been sent to protect. Seldom will Elves and Fallen parley with each other.
Elves have made friends with many races, including the Humans, Halflings, and Dwarves of the north and south of the Barrier Guard. The Humans, Dwarves, and Halflings of the north are very close, and they ally themselves against the Fallen, Goblins, and rampaging barbarians. The Elves of the south, in Brightbough, have successfully created a multi-racial city bringing as many allies as they could together to help protect the area against the greatest of the Fallen cities, Exandar. The experiment of Stonebridge was so successful that it even created a new race of Gnome as Dwarves and Elves began intermingling.
The Witch Queen of Starhelm and her Undead minions are a concern also for the Elves, particularly in Brightbough, but they currently pay more attention to the machinations of the Fallen. They do keep an eye out for any incursions of Undead though.
Additional Information
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Forests; Aspenshield; Brightbough
Civilization and Culture
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Elves can speak, read, and write Common and Elvish. Elvish is fluid, with subtle intonations and intricate grammar. Elven literature is rich and varied, and their songs and poems are famous among other races
Racial Features
Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity score increases by 2
Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet
Darkvision: Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray
Keen Senses: You have proficiency in the Perception skill
Fey Ancestry: You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep
Trance: Elves don’t need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is “trance.”) While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep
Lifespan
An elf typically claims adulthood and an adult name around the age of 100 and can live to be 750 years old
Average Height
Elves range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall slender builds. Your size is Medium.
Average Physique
Elves have slender builds. Your size is Medium
Geographic Distribution
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