Playable Races: Ancient Elves and Pixish Elves

Ancient Elves
There are three Elf races said to have preceded and possibly given rise to all others:
Snow Elves live almost entirely in the far north realm of Alfheim, involved in mystical missions unfathomable to outsiders. A few Snow Elves wander away from the community and live as hermits in the Vastlands. It is a rare Snow Elf who leaves off hir astral adventures for earthly exploration. Snow Elves are said to be the longest-lived mortal Elf race, though their age is as impossible to determine as their sex. They are the second tallest Elves at 7’ tall, with snow-white skin and hair. No outsider has seen a child Snow Elf. Those who adventure are almost always of a Philosopher class. Elfin sages tend to assume that High and Grey Elves, and possibly some Dour races, descend in some way from Snow Elves.
Svartalfs are the Dark Elf or Drow of 1st Edition with a different history. The Svartalfs descend from a faction who embraced the study of mechanics and alchemy over meditation and spell-casting countless (because it occurred before time could be measured) ages ago during the very first fracturing of the Elves. Unlike 1st Edition Drow, Svartalfs are not necessarily subterranean, although the majority dwell underearth. They have a wider array of classes available than 1st Ed. Drow. Most other Elves view the Svartalfs with disdain, blaming them for their role in causing the Bicaboom. Druids, however, blame Alchemists (whom they hunt down) and include many Svartalfs among their own ranks. Dark Elves are described further in Fiend Folio. The dedication to Lolth described therein is true of many Svartalf communities, particularly the Spider Jungle dwellers. However, Kali is a more popular goddess among the Svartalfs of Baghadeesh (and all Druidic Svartalfs), and this is a sore point between the goddesses and their sects.
Green Elves descend from the faction that left Alfheim to go live in the jungle and are said by sages to be a parent race to the Sylvan Elves, Dianans, and Neptunites. They have a very unusual life cycle in three regards:
1) Their alignment changes with age, beginning Neutral in childhood, becoming Chaotic Neutral in adolescence, then turning towards either a Good path (CG,NG,LG) or an Evil one (CE,NE,LE) in adulthood, arriving at Lawful Neutral in old/venerable age and returning to Neutral by the time they are ancient.
2) They do not stop growing. A baby Green Elf looks like a palm-sized green monkey. As it grows, it comes to look more like a Sylvan Elf, but of greener complexion and with a tail. By middle age, a Green Elf is about Stone Giant sized, and another distinctive change has become more apparent . . .
3) Bark and foliage. The older a Green Elf gets, the harder its skin and leafier its hair. Its tail becomes limper with age until it is just a dangling vine. Eventually the Elf’s skin is very tough and bark-like and it becomes increasingly difficult to move. It is at this stage of life that Green Elves become Lawful Neutral and begin their unstoppable instinctive trek toward the Grove of Eternal Repose, the legendary final resting place of Green Elves who have completely transformed into trees.
Green Elves who lean Good tend to be Rangers or Sea Shepherds and Evil ones often take up the Pirate life in their youth and establish themselves as island-kings when they’re too big to go sailing. Although usually born on land, Green Elves can breathe underwater, and when they feel their time come, will march across the ocean floor if need be to reach the sacred Grove. It is considered the most horrifying of fates to become immobile before reaching the Grove, not only because of the loneliness of being apart from one’s ancestors, but also because of the threats that trees outside the Grove face from monsters and civilization.
Pixish Elves
The High Elves, Grey Elves, and Sylvan Elves remain unchanged from 1st Ed. except that their sexual dimorphism has been reduced, the population falling evenly along a narrower spectrum than humans, with a third of the population in the middle of the spectrum just as likely to impregnate as become pregnant. Pixish Elves are romantic pansexual creatures and form long-term relationships, but not necessarily exclusive ones. Elvish nobility is as concerned with lineage and property as Humans, but inheritance is based on the mother—all children born within a marriage are considered legitimate heirs, regardless of their actual father. Commoner and Sylvan Elves do not concern themselves with marriage. Whether they take last names or have a single name varies by community.
Note: Ancient and Pixish Elves are incapable of using gunpowder. They simply cannot make it ignite. Guns will not function, cannon fuses will not light, even powder-based "fire arrows" or flash grenades will not combust if fired or thrown by a member of one of these Elf races. Dour Elves do not have this problem.

ALIGNMENT
Snow Elf: Neutral, Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral, Neutral Good, Chaotic Good
Svartalf: Chaotic Evil, Chaotic Neutral, Neutral Evil
Green Elf: see Effects of Age
Grey Elf: Chaotic Good, Neutral Good, Neutral
High Elf: Chaotic Good, Neutral Good, Chaotic Neutral, Neutral
Sylvan Elf: Neutral, Neutral Good, Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral

Basic Information

Growth Rate & Stages

	Adolescent	Young Adult	Mature	Middle Aged	Old	Venerable	Ancient
Snow	unplayable	76-275	276-1000	1001-1700	1701-3000	3001-4000	4001+
Svartalf	25-49	50-100	101-400	401-600	601-800	801-1000	1001+
Green	unplayable	81-240	241-700	701-1400	1401-2000	2001-4000	4001+
Grey	74-149	150-250	251-650	651-1000	1001-1500	1501-2000	2001+
High	50-99	100-175	175-550	551-875	876-1200	1201-1600	1601+
Sylvan	37-74	75-150	151-500	501-800	801-110	1101-1350	1351+

Dietary Needs and Habits

Snow Elves do not require food.
Green Elves begin carnivorous and gradually add more plant matter to their diets as they mature. By middle age, they also begin eating soil, which gradually replaces other sources of food.
All other Elves are omnivorous and possess the ability (shared with Dwarves) of being able to derive their hydration from alcohol or vinegar. Wine is as good as water to an Elf.

Biological Cycle

Effects of age (all races except Green Elves):
Adolescent: (-1 Wis,-1 Con,-1(2 steps) Str)/year under 14, human equivalent,these points are gained each year until the character comes of age
Young Adult: -1 Wis,+1 Con (to stats if starting as YA), +1 Wis,+2 Con,+1 Str(3 steps) (if aging from Adolescent)
Mature: +1(3 steps) Str,+1 Wis, (also-1 Con if aging from Young Adult)
Middle Age: -1 Str (-2 steps),-1 Con,+1 Int,+1 Wis
Old: -2 Str (-3 steps),-2 Dex,-1 Con,+1 Wis
Venerable: -1 Str,-1 Dex,+1 Int,+1 Wis
Ancient: +1 Int,+2 Wis,-2 Dex,-3 Str,-4 Con,+1 Cha


Green Elves:
Young Adult: -1 Wis,-2 Con,-2 Str; Alignment: Chaotic Neutral; Height: 4.5'-7.5'
Mature: +1 Wis,+1 Str; (also +1 Con,+1 Str if aging from Young Adult) ; Alignment: Chaotic Good or Chaotic Evil; Height: 7.5'-12'
Middle Age: +2 Str (+3 steps),+2 Con,+1 Int,+1 Wis,-2 Dex; Alignment: Neutral Good or Neutral Evil; Height: 12'-18'
Old: +2 Str (+3 steps),-2 Dex,+2 Con,+1 Wis; Alignment: Lawful Good or Lawful Evil; Height: 18'-24'
Venerable: +1 Str,-2 Dex,+2 Con,+1 Int,+1 Wis; Alignment: Lawful Neutral; Height: 24'-32'
Ancient: +1 Int,+2 Wis,-4 Dex,+2 Con; Alignment: Neutral; Height: 32'+

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Snow Elf: Alfheim
Svartalf: Southeast, South, Southwest, Underearth
Grey Elf: North, Hub
High Elf: North, Hub, Golden Plains
Sylvan Elf: North, Spinal Mountains, South

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Infravision (120' Svartalf, 60' others), Spot concealed and secret doors (all except Green and Snow), Spot or evade traps (Green), Detect invisibility (Snow), Inherent psionic ability (Snow)

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking