Elf

The elves branched away from the Eladrin in a long forgotten age, and no one is exactly sure which race came first, though most scholars believe the eladrin did. Of the Tel-quessir, those who would become the elves were the first to arrive on Fordara. At that time there were only two types elves, the Green Elves known as the Sy-tel-quessir, and the White Elves known as Tel-quessir in their own languages.
After the Primordial powers of Fordara had been beaten by the combined might of the slave races, the Green Elves settled and remade Fordara, and brought natural, uncorrupted life back to the surface. The Green Elves then took up the role of the protectors of Fordara.
Hundreds of years passed and the fey ancestors of the Elves and Eladrin together ruled over much of Fordara in relative peace until year , when the Eladrin nation of Alyander invaded the dark elf and green elf nation of Meyeven, starting the first of the Elven Wars which, in total, lasted for around 1000 years.
The green elves suffered many defeats in the Elven Wars and by the end of the conflict had lost all of their former territory. Driven into the wilderness, the green elves gradually changed over generations, with the gap between them and Eladrin widening until they became a distinct race. This change caused the elves to gradually lose their talent for the arcane and grow even closer in their connections to the wilderness, becoming as much a part of the landscape as the wild beasts with whom they shared it.
The Green Elves who remained in isolation became the wild elves and lost their taste for civilization and nation-building, becoming nomadic wanderers. It was also around this time that the first of the wood elves (or Or-tel-quessir) emerged, when some of the wild elves migrated into the lands of the Eladrin and bred with their kin race, creating a new hybrid culture.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Elves stand at average from 5'4" – 6'0" (1.63 – 1.83 meters) and weighing in from 130 – 170 pounds (59 – 77 kg). Usually, true elves are a naturally slender and athletic race. Elves have a similar range of complexions to humans, with wood elves typically coppery or pale skinned and wild elves having darker pigmentations. Often, Elven hair is dark, either brown or black, with copper red or blond hair also found amongst wood elves. Although orange or even green hues are not completely unheard of. Elven eyes are commonly brown, hazel, or an emerald green. Elves, like their cousins the Eladrin, are fair and beautiful, handsome, and have pointed ears and no body hair except eyebrows, eyelashes and hair.

Ecology and Habitats

Elves have usually been found in small tribes throughout the forests of Fordara as well as windswept plains and mountain vales. The elves, as a whole, have preferred these secluded places of nature to the cities and nations of the civilized world, living in harmony with their natural surroundings. Cautious and cunning warriors, particularly of the bow, elves secured these homelands through guile and tactics.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Elves have commonly possessed strong but swiftly passing passions, being moved easily to laughter, anger, or misery and as quickly calmed. They have been known for their impulsive behavior and, as a result, many races seeing them as flighty or impetuous. However, elves are not as flaky as others may interpret them to be, and are typically responsible in spite of their almost whimsical nature. Partially due to their long lifespan (though not entirely, since many long-lived races act differently), elves have had difficulty taking some matters as seriously as other races, but when threats they recognize do arise, elves are strong friends and allies to those they are loyal to.
Elves tend to make strong and uplifting friends. Most elves love simple joys such as dancing, singing, footraces, or contests of skill. They have a natural aversion to that which they see as uninteresting tasks and are fun-loving by nature. However, despite how unpleasant some things such as war can be, elves can become grimly serious if a threat to their friends, family, or livelihood makes such actions necessary.
Many elves do not sleep, instead finding their rest in a meditative state called “reverie”, which is as restful as true sleep but leaves them aware of their surroundings, similar to an Eladrin’s ability to enter a trance.

Familial Ties

Wood elves Copper-skinned or tanned elves who guard over their native forests. High elves Highly civilized, light-skinned elves with a natural gift for wizardry. Represented by two subraces, the moon elf and the gold elf. Wild elves Feral, reclusive elves who scorn civilization and its trappings, preferring a wild existence close to nature. Drow A dark-skinned sub-race of elves that predominantly live in the Underdark. Avariel A mostly extinct race of winged elves. Aquatic Elf A aquatic race of water-breathing elves. Lythari A rare and reclusive race of sylvan elves who transform into wolves. Star Elf An isolated subrace that lives on the demiplane of Sildeyuir. While not strictly a sub-race of elves, the result of a human and elven mating is a half-elf, whereas the offspring of an elf and a half-fiend is a fey'ri.

Genetic Descendants

• Half-Elf

Scientific Name

Homo Elondurous

Origin/Ancestry

Most Elves on Fordara have been there for a long time, and have evolved with the planet. Most elves have a natural affinity for nature.