Elf

Put up your swords and talk of peace, or hide behind your walls of stone. When the host of Valenar thunders forth, neither will save you. — Shaeras Vadallia, High King of Valenar

Tens of thousands of years ago, the elves of the distant continent of Xen’drik rose up against the giants who ruled over them. This rebellion is the defining event in elf history. As the ancient war progressed, the magebreeders of the giants bound magic into the elves who remained loyal to them, forming the drow — assassins bred to prey on their other kin. Ultimately, the elves fled from Xen’drik and settled the island nation of Aerenal, where they split into two distinct cultures: the introspective Aereni and the warlike Tairnadal. Thus, a war nearly forty thousand years ago established the pattern of how elves live today. Neither the Aereni nor the Tairnadal (which include the elves of Valenar) have much interest in human activities, but small numbers of elves have immigrated to Khorvaire over the centuries and have more or less integrated with the cultures of the Five Nations. The drow, though, are virtually unknown on Khorvaire. As a whole, elves are driven by tradition and respect for the past. Where humans value innovation, elves strive to master and perfect the techniques of their ancestors over the course of studies lasting centuries. Elf society has changed little over the last five thousand years, while Khorvaire is constantly evolving. Whatever the origin of your elf character, consider your relationship with the past: Do you value the traditions of your ancestors? Or do you fear that your people are too mired in the past, and need to find a way to adapt and move forward?

Dragonmarks

The Mark of Shadow first appeared among the elves of the Phiarlan line, and the house quickly turned the mark’s powers of shadow and illusion into an economic dynasty. The suspicion of their kin drove them from Aerenal to Khorvaire, and the house splintered during the Last War, giving rise to House Thuranni. The two houses of shadow control the business of espionage throughout Khorvaire, but they also operate more legitimate ventures related to art and entertainment. Phiarlan blood still runs among some of the Aereni elves, and the Mark of Shadow appears once or twice in each elven generation. Elves bearing this mark are always inducted into the elite force of the Cairdal Blades — an espionage agency in the service of Aerenal’s Sibling Kings