Elf
Elves are an ancient people, heirs to a civilization founded in the depths of humanity’s prehistory. Migrants from the elven realm of Sovyrian first came to Golarion through a magical gate that stretched between worlds, powered by an enormous crystal known as the Sovyrian Stone. At the height of their power, the elves clashed with the alien manipulators known as the alghollthus, and by extension the human empire that, wittingly or unwittingly, served the alghollthus’ interests—Azlant. When Azlant’s defiance resulted in the alghollthus summoning the disaster of Earthfall, most of the elves departed the planet, traveling back to their homeland to escape the destruction.
Yet this was far from the end of the elves’ involvement on Golarion. Not all elves left with their kin, some instead choosing to remain behind. Even the elves of Sovyrian still had their part to play in the planet’s history. Sensing that something threatened the Sovyrian Stone and the magical portal that it powered, the elves began their return to Golarion in 2632 AR. They returned to find their former lands corrupted by the nascent demon lord Treerazer, who sought to corrupt the Sovyrian Stone into a portal to the Abyss. The resulting war between the elves and Treerazer left the demon confined to the Tanglebriar forest, defeated but still alive. With the battle against Treerazer fought to a hard-won standstill, the elves turned their attention to reclaiming their ancient holdings, and with it, their place upon Golarion.
Though elves can appear similar to humans at a first glance, they are as otherworldly and mercurial as their distant homeland, appearing approachable in one instant and incomprehensible in the next. Elves are usually tall and slender. Their eyes range across a spectrum of colors, with irises that are far larger than those of other humanoids; this usually makes it seem like elves have little or even no white in their eyes. Elves’ natural lifespan is measured in centuries rather than decades, often leaving them unable to relate to the mindsets of shorter-lived peoples. While their love of music and beauty is well known by others, elves’ love of freedom runs just as deep, and many elves feel uncomfortable telling others how to live their lives—to the point that most elven states hesitate to demand military service or collective action from their citizens. Many human nations have felt betrayed by the lack of organized elven aid during a crisis, despite the help of individual elves, due to this misunderstanding of the elven viewpoint.
This love of freedom leads elves out into the world for a nigh-infinite number of reasons, making them a common sight among adventurers. Their long lifespans mean that even elves who have spent centuries in quiet contemplation might be drawn out from their homes due to exceptional events, or that an elf might find herself journeying to follow up on events that are fresh in her memory but long forgotten to others. Though elves often try to keep themselves distant from shorter-lived peoples, knowing that such friendships will inevitably bring grief, many wind up forging long-lasting connections with traveling companions that can even carry down through generations.
While the elven idea of ethnicity closely matches that of humans, one important aspect of it is often lost on non-elven peoples. A number of elves including the ancestors of the Mualijae, Ilverani, and Vourinoi elves—did not depart Golarion during Earthfall, while the ancestors of the Aiudeen and Spiresworn elves left for the land of Sovyrian. Though the elves of Sovyrian returned centuries ago, they are in some ways considered newcomers by themselves and their kin, still tied to an ancient and distant homeland on another world. In contrast, those elves who stayed behind during Earthfall and suffered alongside the planet during its darkest hour now consider themselves true children of Golarion. Elves combine otherworldly grace, sharp intellect, and mysterious charm in a way that is practically magnetic to members of other ancestries. They are often voraciously intellectual, though their studies delve into a level of detail that most shorter-lived peoples find excessive or inefficient. Valuing kindness and beauty, elves ever strive to improve their manners, appearance, and culture. Elves are often rather private people, steeped in the secrets of their groves and kinship groups. They’re slow to build friendships outside their kinsfolk, but for a specific reason: they subtly and deeply attune to their environment and their companions. There’s a physical element to this attunement, but it isn’t only superficial. Elves who spend their lives among shorter-lived peoples often develop a skewed perception of their own mortality and tend to become morose after watching generation after generation of companions age and die. These elves are called the Forlorn. If you want a character who is magical, mystical, and mysterious, you should play an elf. You Might... • Carefully curate your relationships with people with shorter lifespans, either keeping a careful emotional distance or resigning yourself to outliving them. • Adopt specialized or obscure interests simply for the sake of mastering them. • Have features such as eye color, skin tone, hair, or mannerisms that reflect the environment in which you live. Others Probably... • Focus on your appearance, either admiring your grace or treating you as if you’re physically fragile. • Assume you practice archery, cast spells, fight demons, and have perfected one or more fine arts. • Worry that you privately look down on them, or feel like you’re condescending and aloof. Physical Description While generally taller than humans, elves possess a fragile grace, accentuated by long features and sharply pointed ears. Their eyes are wide and almond-shaped, featuring large and vibrant-colored pupils that make up the entire visible portion of the eye. These pupils give them an alien look and allow them to see sharply even in very little light. Elves gradually adapt to their environment and their companions, and they often take on physical traits reflecting their surroundings. An elf who has dwelled in primeval forests for centuries, for example, might exhibit verdant hair and gnarled fingers, while one who’s lived in a desert might have golden pupils and skin. Elven fashion, like the elves themselves, tends to reflect their surroundings. Elves living in the forests and other wilderness locales wear clothing that plays off the terrain and flora of their homes, while those who live in cities tend to wear the latest fashions. Elves reach physical adulthood around the age of 20, though they aren’t considered to be fully emotionally mature by other elves until closer to the passing of their first century, once they’ve experienced more, held several occupations, and outlived a generation of shorter-lived people. A typical elf can live to around 600 years old. Society Elven culture is deep, rich, and on the decline. Their society peaked millennia ago, long before they fled the world to escape a great calamity. They’ve since returned, but rebuilding is no easy task. Their inborn patience and intellectual curiosity make elves excellent sages, philosophers, and wizards, and their societies are built upon their inherent sense of wonder and knowledge. Elven architecture displays their deep appreciation of beauty, and elven cities are wondrous works of art. Elves hold deeply seated ideals of individualism, allowing each elf to explore multiple occupations before alighting on a particular pursuit or passion that suits her best. Elves bear notorious grudges against rivals, which the elves call ilduliel, but these antagonistic relationships can sometimes blossom into friendships over time. Alignment and Religion Elves are often emotional and capricious, yet they hold high ideals close to their hearts. As such, many are chaotic good. They prefer deities who share their love of all things mystic and artistic. Desna and Shelyn are particular favorites, the former for her sense of wonder and the latter for her appreciation of artistry. Calistria is the most notorious of elven deities, as she represents many of the elven ideals taken to the extreme. Names An elf keeps their personal name secret among their family, while giving a nickname when meeting other people. This nickname can change over time, due to events in the elf’s life or even on a whim. A single elf might be known by many names by associates of different ages and regions. Elven names consist of multiple syllables and are meant to flow lyrically—at least in the Elven tongue. They so commonly end in “-el” or “-ara” that other cultures sometimes avoid names ending in these syllables to avoid sounding too elven. Sample Name S Aerel, Amrunelara, Caladrel, Dardlara, Faunra, Heldalel, Jathal, Lanliss, Oparal, Seldlon, Soumral, Talathel, Tessara, Variel, Yalandlara, Zordlon
Yet this was far from the end of the elves’ involvement on Golarion. Not all elves left with their kin, some instead choosing to remain behind. Even the elves of Sovyrian still had their part to play in the planet’s history. Sensing that something threatened the Sovyrian Stone and the magical portal that it powered, the elves began their return to Golarion in 2632 AR. They returned to find their former lands corrupted by the nascent demon lord Treerazer, who sought to corrupt the Sovyrian Stone into a portal to the Abyss. The resulting war between the elves and Treerazer left the demon confined to the Tanglebriar forest, defeated but still alive. With the battle against Treerazer fought to a hard-won standstill, the elves turned their attention to reclaiming their ancient holdings, and with it, their place upon Golarion.
Though elves can appear similar to humans at a first glance, they are as otherworldly and mercurial as their distant homeland, appearing approachable in one instant and incomprehensible in the next. Elves are usually tall and slender. Their eyes range across a spectrum of colors, with irises that are far larger than those of other humanoids; this usually makes it seem like elves have little or even no white in their eyes. Elves’ natural lifespan is measured in centuries rather than decades, often leaving them unable to relate to the mindsets of shorter-lived peoples. While their love of music and beauty is well known by others, elves’ love of freedom runs just as deep, and many elves feel uncomfortable telling others how to live their lives—to the point that most elven states hesitate to demand military service or collective action from their citizens. Many human nations have felt betrayed by the lack of organized elven aid during a crisis, despite the help of individual elves, due to this misunderstanding of the elven viewpoint.
This love of freedom leads elves out into the world for a nigh-infinite number of reasons, making them a common sight among adventurers. Their long lifespans mean that even elves who have spent centuries in quiet contemplation might be drawn out from their homes due to exceptional events, or that an elf might find herself journeying to follow up on events that are fresh in her memory but long forgotten to others. Though elves often try to keep themselves distant from shorter-lived peoples, knowing that such friendships will inevitably bring grief, many wind up forging long-lasting connections with traveling companions that can even carry down through generations.
Elves of the Inner Sea
Elves’ longevity means that their cultures remain stable over time, leading to a larger consolidation of elven ethnicities across the Inner Sea region. Elven societies that have been separated for thousands of years can still communicate with each other in the Elven language, with only minor difficulty. Within these broad ethnicities, however, is countless variation, fueled by the elven love of self-expression and freedom. Elves also develop a powerful connection to their surroundings, and elves who live in an area for long enough are known to slowly shift in appearance to take on aspects of their environment. As a result, elves of any ethnicity are prone to unusual features of all kinds, from white or lavender hair to bright gold eyes.While the elven idea of ethnicity closely matches that of humans, one important aspect of it is often lost on non-elven peoples. A number of elves including the ancestors of the Mualijae, Ilverani, and Vourinoi elves—did not depart Golarion during Earthfall, while the ancestors of the Aiudeen and Spiresworn elves left for the land of Sovyrian. Though the elves of Sovyrian returned centuries ago, they are in some ways considered newcomers by themselves and their kin, still tied to an ancient and distant homeland on another world. In contrast, those elves who stayed behind during Earthfall and suffered alongside the planet during its darkest hour now consider themselves true children of Golarion. Elves combine otherworldly grace, sharp intellect, and mysterious charm in a way that is practically magnetic to members of other ancestries. They are often voraciously intellectual, though their studies delve into a level of detail that most shorter-lived peoples find excessive or inefficient. Valuing kindness and beauty, elves ever strive to improve their manners, appearance, and culture. Elves are often rather private people, steeped in the secrets of their groves and kinship groups. They’re slow to build friendships outside their kinsfolk, but for a specific reason: they subtly and deeply attune to their environment and their companions. There’s a physical element to this attunement, but it isn’t only superficial. Elves who spend their lives among shorter-lived peoples often develop a skewed perception of their own mortality and tend to become morose after watching generation after generation of companions age and die. These elves are called the Forlorn. If you want a character who is magical, mystical, and mysterious, you should play an elf. You Might... • Carefully curate your relationships with people with shorter lifespans, either keeping a careful emotional distance or resigning yourself to outliving them. • Adopt specialized or obscure interests simply for the sake of mastering them. • Have features such as eye color, skin tone, hair, or mannerisms that reflect the environment in which you live. Others Probably... • Focus on your appearance, either admiring your grace or treating you as if you’re physically fragile. • Assume you practice archery, cast spells, fight demons, and have perfected one or more fine arts. • Worry that you privately look down on them, or feel like you’re condescending and aloof. Physical Description While generally taller than humans, elves possess a fragile grace, accentuated by long features and sharply pointed ears. Their eyes are wide and almond-shaped, featuring large and vibrant-colored pupils that make up the entire visible portion of the eye. These pupils give them an alien look and allow them to see sharply even in very little light. Elves gradually adapt to their environment and their companions, and they often take on physical traits reflecting their surroundings. An elf who has dwelled in primeval forests for centuries, for example, might exhibit verdant hair and gnarled fingers, while one who’s lived in a desert might have golden pupils and skin. Elven fashion, like the elves themselves, tends to reflect their surroundings. Elves living in the forests and other wilderness locales wear clothing that plays off the terrain and flora of their homes, while those who live in cities tend to wear the latest fashions. Elves reach physical adulthood around the age of 20, though they aren’t considered to be fully emotionally mature by other elves until closer to the passing of their first century, once they’ve experienced more, held several occupations, and outlived a generation of shorter-lived people. A typical elf can live to around 600 years old. Society Elven culture is deep, rich, and on the decline. Their society peaked millennia ago, long before they fled the world to escape a great calamity. They’ve since returned, but rebuilding is no easy task. Their inborn patience and intellectual curiosity make elves excellent sages, philosophers, and wizards, and their societies are built upon their inherent sense of wonder and knowledge. Elven architecture displays their deep appreciation of beauty, and elven cities are wondrous works of art. Elves hold deeply seated ideals of individualism, allowing each elf to explore multiple occupations before alighting on a particular pursuit or passion that suits her best. Elves bear notorious grudges against rivals, which the elves call ilduliel, but these antagonistic relationships can sometimes blossom into friendships over time. Alignment and Religion Elves are often emotional and capricious, yet they hold high ideals close to their hearts. As such, many are chaotic good. They prefer deities who share their love of all things mystic and artistic. Desna and Shelyn are particular favorites, the former for her sense of wonder and the latter for her appreciation of artistry. Calistria is the most notorious of elven deities, as she represents many of the elven ideals taken to the extreme. Names An elf keeps their personal name secret among their family, while giving a nickname when meeting other people. This nickname can change over time, due to events in the elf’s life or even on a whim. A single elf might be known by many names by associates of different ages and regions. Elven names consist of multiple syllables and are meant to flow lyrically—at least in the Elven tongue. They so commonly end in “-el” or “-ara” that other cultures sometimes avoid names ending in these syllables to avoid sounding too elven. Sample Name S Aerel, Amrunelara, Caladrel, Dardlara, Faunra, Heldalel, Jathal, Lanliss, Oparal, Seldlon, Soumral, Talathel, Tessara, Variel, Yalandlara, Zordlon
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