Shadow Elf
Those elves who have adapted to the depths below the surface, expert travelers of the Shadow Roads (Avängsa), and the progenitors of shadow magic and its proliferation into the mortal lexicon.
Basic Information
Anatomy
The shadow elf, resembles other elves or the eladrin. Their bodies are wiry and athletic, while their faces are chiseled and attractive, though they are shorter and thinner than other elves.
Biological Traits
Reports vary on the physical differences between the shadow elf sexes. Some report that females are generally bigger and stronger than males, while others claim that males have superior strength. Both sexes vary in height from 4 feet and 7 inches to 5 feet and 5 inches (140 to 170 centimeters), averaging at 5 feet (150 centimeters). Males weigh between 87 to 157 pounds (39 to 71.2 kilograms), averaging 109.5 pounds (49.67 kilograms), while females are a bit lighter, weighing between 82 to 152 pounds (37 to 68.9 kilograms) and averaging 104.5 pounds (47.4 kilograms).
Shadow elf lifespans are comparable to the rest of the elven race (and therefore far surpass those of humans). The constant strife of their environment and/or societies keeps their numbers low, dropping their actual rate of population growth to dwarf-like levels. Provided they do not meet a premature and violent end, a shadow elf's natural lifespan is about 750 years. They start to show signs of aging at around 600 years and rarely live past their seventh century, with about 94% of natural deaths occurring before 800 years of age.
Mabimifew who can afford a lifestyle that spares them hardships, like matrons, can live more than 1000 years (though, by that point, they are withered by age). The magic of Taeora, can maintain a matron's life for thousands of years, and this is considered a clear sign of favor from the deity.
Shadow elf lifespans are comparable to the rest of the elven race (and therefore far surpass those of humans). The constant strife of their environment and/or societies keeps their numbers low, dropping their actual rate of population growth to dwarf-like levels. Provided they do not meet a premature and violent end, a shadow elf's natural lifespan is about 750 years. They start to show signs of aging at around 600 years and rarely live past their seventh century, with about 94% of natural deaths occurring before 800 years of age.
Mabimifew who can afford a lifestyle that spares them hardships, like matrons, can live more than 1000 years (though, by that point, they are withered by age). The magic of Taeora, can maintain a matron's life for thousands of years, and this is considered a clear sign of favor from the deity.
Genetics and Reproduction
Shadow elves are often thought to be more fertile than other elves, but in reality, they simply have a greater propensity to bear as many children as possible during their lifespan due to the heightened dangers of their environment. On average, a female shadow elf with an established career gives birth to approximately ten children before she becomes unable to bear more.
Additional Information
Facial characteristics
Shadow elves have red or pink gums, tongues, and throats, and their hair can be white, yellow, silver, or light copper. As they age, their hair usually turns nearly all white. Shadow elf eyes can be any color, with red being the most common, but they can also have blue, lilac, pink, silver, green, brown, black, amber, or rose-hued eyes, although the latter are rare. Purple or blue eyes indicate surface elves or human ancestry. The color of a shadow elf's eyes can also reflect their mental or physical state - their eyes redden when angry and turn yellow when sick, poisoned, or under negative magical influence.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
While shadow elves are the most widespread and numerous among those societies that live beneath the surface, their culture and way of life remain largely shrouded in mystery. It is believed that they live in around forty separate city-states, each with its own unique customs, beliefs, and traditions. Despite their physical isolation from the rest of the world, the shadow elves have managed to thrive and develop a rich and diverse society, with a strong emphasis on communal living.
Shadow elves have no love for bright light, open sky, and loud noises, and prefer darkness. Many shadow elves on the surface are actually spies sent to infiltrate the enemy and gather information. That said, the majority of surface shadow elves live as hermits or find employment in rather unsavory areas of expertise where their heritage is an actual advantage, like adventurer companies or assassins' guilds.
Shadow elves have no love for bright light, open sky, and loud noises, and prefer darkness. Many shadow elves on the surface are actually spies sent to infiltrate the enemy and gather information. That said, the majority of surface shadow elves live as hermits or find employment in rather unsavory areas of expertise where their heritage is an actual advantage, like adventurer companies or assassins' guilds.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Shadow elves have sensitive eyes that allow them to see in the dark, even with no light at all for a short distance. They also have excellent hearing, a keen tactile sense, and a human-like sense of smell. Shadow elves specialize in sculpting stone, cutting and shaping it into smooth, flowing forms.
Over half of all shadow elves have an intuitive understanding of how fortifications or waterworks are constructed, operated, circumvented, and controlled. This innate "feeling" extends to works made by others, and they can recognize shadow elf handiwork simply by holding it. If given a piece of worked metal or a cut gem, shadow elves can typically identify it.
Over half of all shadow elves have an intuitive understanding of how fortifications or waterworks are constructed, operated, circumvented, and controlled. This innate "feeling" extends to works made by others, and they can recognize shadow elf handiwork simply by holding it. If given a piece of worked metal or a cut gem, shadow elves can typically identify it.
Civilization and Culture
Common Dress Code
Initial exposure to sunlight is dangerous for a shadow elf and can cause heavy sunburns. Even after getting used to the sunlight, shadow elves have a strong tendency to cover their skin and head when exposed.
History
Tens of thousands of years ago, the shadow elves were a united people until they were divided into two factions with different beliefs. One group had a strong connection to the Dark gods and were the shadar-kai of their ancestors. The other group, however, rejected their beliefs and rebelled against them. The war between the two groups ended with the elves that stood behind Gyian and the Dark gods banishing their Chaos-loving kin to fend for themselves. As time passed, the Chaos-kin developed into the Mabimifew, while the Shadow-kin became further estranged and evolved into the Besaufew fu Cili. The Besaufew fu Cili gradually adapted to their new surroundings and developed their own unique culture, customs, and traditions that were different from their ancestors and the Mabimifew. This led to an even greater rift between them and the rest of the shadow elves, which persists to this day.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Shadow elves have a certain level of respect for other cultures and groups with whom they have mutual gain or non-aggression pacts. However, they do not see contracts as binding and often break them as soon as they are no longer beneficial to their party. This leads those who deal with shadow elves to anticipate betrayal and be prepared with counters to their treachery.
The inhabitants of Caanae's surface have very little knowledge of shadow elves. To most people, they are considered more like a myth than a reality. Shadow elves are inactive on the surface during the day as they are unable to function effectively in bright light. Only 5% of surface inhabitants have superficial knowledge of them, excluding elves and eladrin, who have close historical ties. This makes it easier for individual shadow elves to enter surface communities without facing hostility, as long as they do not draw attention to themselves.
Shadow elves often seek out deep dragons as allies, and while they can work together as guardians in exchange for regular food, they can just as easily maintain an arrogant and malicious distance. Deep dragons view shadow elves as useful tools and excellent providers of "trinkets" (magic items) but recognize they could be dangerous. They are generally pleased when shadow elves face heavy infighting, as weakening themselves ensures they will not dominate, freeing the deep dragons of fears about a shadow elf hegemony.
The shadow elves and dwarves have been enemies since the shadow elves first descended below the surface. To establish territories, the shadow elves launched a series of wars to seize dwarven magic items, which they would then use against their previous owners. Shadow elves tend to create aesthetically pleasing, but vulnerable and potentially dangerous constructions, while dwarves create reliable structures that can last for centuries.
Both shadow elves and dwarves have low birthrates, are often wealthy, and are territorial, but their similarities have led to conflict and competition rather than common ground. Both groups compete for the same riches, such as pure metallic ores and gemstones, and are willing to steal from each other. Shadow elves prefer to let the dwarves do the difficult and dirty mining before taking the land themselves, while dwarven raiding parties have been known to "liberate" mineral deposits uncovered by shadow elf magic. Armed skirmishes between the two groups are frequent, and all-out wars have lasted for years. Both sides enlist allies (including mercenaries), develop new magic, and manipulate the earth to best defeat their ancient foe.
The lore surrounding the shadow elves is a complex and multifaceted one, with many different versions of their history and relationship with the surface elves. One of the most prevalent stories in shadow elf culture is that they were unjustly punished by the elven spirits and banished from the surface unfairly. According to this version of events, the surface elves are portrayed as living embodiments of deception and malice, merciless killers that respond to the requests for peace of their innocent and naïve kin with ceaseless violence. Some even say that they massacre children and the elderly alike in an insane quest to take a horrid and painful surface world for themselves.
These mythical surface elves are told to be utterly hateful in the extreme, even towards each other. They are said to be vile beyond even the imaginings of the shadow elves, who see themselves as a proud and noble people. Most shadow elves have a personal preference for versions of the story that have them willingly descend into the dark and have their transformation come as a gift from Taeora or Gyian, as it goes to satisfy their pride.
For the elves' part, they reciprocate the stories of their deep-dwelling cousins with similar tales. The elven stories of betrayal and the horrid raids of shadow elves are their own centuries' worth of indoctrination, designed to reinforce the idea that the shadow elves are a dangerous and untrustworthy people. Despite this, some elves have been known to show compassion and understanding towards their shadow elf kin, recognizing that their shared history and heritage should be a cause for unity rather than division.
Humans are among the traditional enemies of the shadow elves, and the latter lack a unified stance on them, finding humans the only species as unpredictable as themselves. While the short lifespans and lack of innate abilities of humans would incline the shadow elves to view them as weak, they also have to recognize that humans have greater adaptability to other environments and circumstances compared to other humanoids. The dedication of humans to their causes and gods could rival that of the most fervent of shadow elves, but some could be easily swayed by wealth and power (the shadow elves naturally preferring to work with the latter). Humans can be dangerous when they possess martial or magical skill, and the shadow elves consider them a young race, which means the potential to become old. Many fear what humans could accomplish if given the time and experience of longer-lived races.
Shadow elves and mind flayers are both powerful forces in the world below and regard each other as threats. While the mind flayers do not fear the shadow elves, they know they are not invincible and, like the shadow elves themselves, do not desire an all-out war. On occasion, the two groups manage to cooperate, with the mind flayers providing advice and reading enemy minds, and the shadow elves crafting items for the mind flayers and offering criminals as a form of capital punishment. Some shadow elf groups have even formed close ties with mind flayers to further their causes. However, the alliance between the two groups is tenuous, as they both intensely distrust each other and such alliances could prove dangerous.
The shadow elves and mind flayers come into contact because they compete for territory, resulting in raids and skirmishes. Both sides ultimately see the other as a stepping stone to greater power. Shadow elves consider all other dwellers in the dark as nuisances that compete for power and resources, while mind flayers do not see the shadow elves as much more valuable than any non-mind flayer; they would be enslaved and consumed in the end, but are prepared to leave them for last.
The inhabitants of Caanae's surface have very little knowledge of shadow elves. To most people, they are considered more like a myth than a reality. Shadow elves are inactive on the surface during the day as they are unable to function effectively in bright light. Only 5% of surface inhabitants have superficial knowledge of them, excluding elves and eladrin, who have close historical ties. This makes it easier for individual shadow elves to enter surface communities without facing hostility, as long as they do not draw attention to themselves.
Deep Dragon
Shadow elves often seek out deep dragons as allies, and while they can work together as guardians in exchange for regular food, they can just as easily maintain an arrogant and malicious distance. Deep dragons view shadow elves as useful tools and excellent providers of "trinkets" (magic items) but recognize they could be dangerous. They are generally pleased when shadow elves face heavy infighting, as weakening themselves ensures they will not dominate, freeing the deep dragons of fears about a shadow elf hegemony.
Dwarf
The shadow elves and dwarves have been enemies since the shadow elves first descended below the surface. To establish territories, the shadow elves launched a series of wars to seize dwarven magic items, which they would then use against their previous owners. Shadow elves tend to create aesthetically pleasing, but vulnerable and potentially dangerous constructions, while dwarves create reliable structures that can last for centuries.
Both shadow elves and dwarves have low birthrates, are often wealthy, and are territorial, but their similarities have led to conflict and competition rather than common ground. Both groups compete for the same riches, such as pure metallic ores and gemstones, and are willing to steal from each other. Shadow elves prefer to let the dwarves do the difficult and dirty mining before taking the land themselves, while dwarven raiding parties have been known to "liberate" mineral deposits uncovered by shadow elf magic. Armed skirmishes between the two groups are frequent, and all-out wars have lasted for years. Both sides enlist allies (including mercenaries), develop new magic, and manipulate the earth to best defeat their ancient foe.
Elf
The lore surrounding the shadow elves is a complex and multifaceted one, with many different versions of their history and relationship with the surface elves. One of the most prevalent stories in shadow elf culture is that they were unjustly punished by the elven spirits and banished from the surface unfairly. According to this version of events, the surface elves are portrayed as living embodiments of deception and malice, merciless killers that respond to the requests for peace of their innocent and naïve kin with ceaseless violence. Some even say that they massacre children and the elderly alike in an insane quest to take a horrid and painful surface world for themselves.
These mythical surface elves are told to be utterly hateful in the extreme, even towards each other. They are said to be vile beyond even the imaginings of the shadow elves, who see themselves as a proud and noble people. Most shadow elves have a personal preference for versions of the story that have them willingly descend into the dark and have their transformation come as a gift from Taeora or Gyian, as it goes to satisfy their pride.
For the elves' part, they reciprocate the stories of their deep-dwelling cousins with similar tales. The elven stories of betrayal and the horrid raids of shadow elves are their own centuries' worth of indoctrination, designed to reinforce the idea that the shadow elves are a dangerous and untrustworthy people. Despite this, some elves have been known to show compassion and understanding towards their shadow elf kin, recognizing that their shared history and heritage should be a cause for unity rather than division.
Human
Humans are among the traditional enemies of the shadow elves, and the latter lack a unified stance on them, finding humans the only species as unpredictable as themselves. While the short lifespans and lack of innate abilities of humans would incline the shadow elves to view them as weak, they also have to recognize that humans have greater adaptability to other environments and circumstances compared to other humanoids. The dedication of humans to their causes and gods could rival that of the most fervent of shadow elves, but some could be easily swayed by wealth and power (the shadow elves naturally preferring to work with the latter). Humans can be dangerous when they possess martial or magical skill, and the shadow elves consider them a young race, which means the potential to become old. Many fear what humans could accomplish if given the time and experience of longer-lived races.
Mind Flayer
Shadow elves and mind flayers are both powerful forces in the world below and regard each other as threats. While the mind flayers do not fear the shadow elves, they know they are not invincible and, like the shadow elves themselves, do not desire an all-out war. On occasion, the two groups manage to cooperate, with the mind flayers providing advice and reading enemy minds, and the shadow elves crafting items for the mind flayers and offering criminals as a form of capital punishment. Some shadow elf groups have even formed close ties with mind flayers to further their causes. However, the alliance between the two groups is tenuous, as they both intensely distrust each other and such alliances could prove dangerous.
The shadow elves and mind flayers come into contact because they compete for territory, resulting in raids and skirmishes. Both sides ultimately see the other as a stepping stone to greater power. Shadow elves consider all other dwellers in the dark as nuisances that compete for power and resources, while mind flayers do not see the shadow elves as much more valuable than any non-mind flayer; they would be enslaved and consumed in the end, but are prepared to leave them for last.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Shadow elf skin tones range from pale grey, ivory, and white marble (with various shades in-between).
Related Ethnicities
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