Elf

Enigmatic and powerful, elves have dominated the landscape for many millennia. Although their civilizations and powers have always been a mystery to those who travel in the realms, their influence is undeniably strong. Abandoned cities, lost technology, forgotten lore, all these things and more lie within the mystique of the elves. Their land, their culture, and their philosophy remain cryptic mysteries to those not born of or blessed with the love of elves.
The tale of the Godswar explains some of the elven traits, both physical and mental. Being formed of the blood of the god Solon Aelfeayr accounts for why elves possess such long lifespans, tears from the moon provide a rationale for the elves' ethereal beauty and the soil of the earth explains the connection all elves feel with the Land. To elves, their legends provide some measure of assurance that they play a grand role in the scheme of things. Study of elven legends explains why elves are so certain of their rightful place in life, and why they rarely worry about afflictions that would be crises for lesser beings.
Elves have adapted to life in nearly every environment possible. The mountains, the forests, the plains, the waters, and the underground all know the taste of elves. The snowy wastes have felt the light touch of elven boots, as have the hot sands of deserts. The elves' curiosity about life makes it only natural that they expanded their holdings to such an extent. They wish to be sure of their world, and they cannot understand it if they cannot experience it.
The most commonly seen of all elves the high elves are also the most open and friendly. They have no compunction about traveling in the world outside their lands, and they do so much more often than other elves. While at first, they may seem aloof and arrogant, a glimmer of true self can be learned with a little effort. High elves know the value of friendship and alliance. However, they are not always easily befriended. Many high elves are cautious about trusting the shorter-lived races, quite a few learned to distrust humans and dwarves in their younger days. Thus, although high elves are generally thought to serve the cause of good, one can never be sure of what the reception from them will be.
High elf hair and eyes fall into two major variations. One is fair not only of skin but of hair as well. These elves generally have blond hair and blue eyes. The other variation, equally numerous, seems far more mysterious. They have dark hair, ranging from sandy brown to sheerest black, and intense green eyes. These two varieties of high elves have no other significant differences, but they are nonetheless often treated differently simply because of their appearance.
High elf civilization is much like that rumored in children's fairy tales. Elven homes are enchanted, the lands under their jurisdiction places of harmony. High elves live in a constant relationship with nature, never taking more than they need and giving back ever more. They replenish the forests and the plains constantly, ensuring that there will always be nature in their world. As such, they are often regarded by other races as the epitome of living virtuously in the balance of the natural world. Although those who prefer law over freedom do not always agree, they nearly always have respect for the quality of elven life. There is no doubt that the high elves lead a fine life: Freedom, nature, and the sheer vitality of being alive comprise the daily existence of a high elf.
The second most common subrace known as wood elves more closely resemble high elves than the wilder sylvan elves. Wood elves are considered less "noble" than high elves and less common being one of the most reclusive of the elves. They have withdrawn from the world after making their mark which was to ensure that the world was well on the path to goodness. The wood elves view themselves as the protectors of good in the world, but they will stir from their forests and meadows to protect the "lesser'' races only when they are faced with great evil acting much like human knight supercilious and condescending, full of their own importance. They think nothing of speaking their minds, provided that this remains within the bounds of elven decorum.Wood elves are often haughty, disdaining contact with most others, including other elves.
The dark elves and their drow cousins are almost universally shunned for their evil part in the Godswar and shunned for actions predating even that betrayal by the head of the elf pantheon Solon Aelfeayr. Depicted throughout the known realms as cruel creatures living underground, they emerge only at night, trying to avenge themselves on their oppressors; the elves responsible for their underground retreat. All surface dwellers fear their stealthy raids as they take their fill of slaves and leave behind only the dead.
The fourth subrace of the winged elves, or avariel, are rare reclusive elves that dwell high in the mountains or forests away from other civilizations. They appear even more delicate than their land-bound brethren, their facial features even more chiseled and angular. The characteristic of the avariel that is most stunning however is their beautiful, soft wings. Although these wings are generally white, avariel have been seen with wings whose colors range to black. The wings are their pride and joy, and an avariel who has lost his wings is intensely pitied by the other avariel. Since elves do not generally accept the pity of others, a wingless avariel often leaves the community to find a life elsewhere. Avariel eyes tend to be a little larger than most elves although they are the same color that most grey and high elves possess. Their hair is most often white or black, but there have been numerous exceptions. The winged elves have a tendency to adopt a faroff look in their eyes when their immediate attention is not required. They are very much at home in the outdoors, and they appear out of place indoors or underground. Avariel clothing is most reminiscent of togas for other types of clothing often snag on their wings. Togas and their like wrap easily around the avariel's body and wings. The avariel keep in contact with other elves but the winged elves tend to be somewhat above the affairs of the world. Nothing concerns them overmuch unless it impinges upon them. They usually try to avoid contact with other races, despite the fact that some insist on seeing the world.
The fifth subrace are the sylvan elves. They are called wild, green, or forest elves and prefer to deal almost exclusively with other elves, keeping any contact with other races to a minimum. They try to live far from humankind and are one of the least-seen races of the elves. Although they do not have a kingdom of their own they permeate every elf nation. While ordinary sylvan elves are ornery and unfriendly a section of this subrace known as the grugach are downright vicious. Sylvan elves resent intrusion into their lands but grugach usually kill those who do so. Grugach cannot stand the company of any other humanoids not naturally of the forest. This includes druids and other elves, although it does not apply to nymphs or dryads. On the other hand they possess a dose kinship with the animals of the woodlands, often dealing with them more equally than with humanoids. The grugach's attitude of brutality for all outsiders is well known as is their use of traps and snares to capture outsiders who approach too closely to their camps. These traps become more and more cruel the closer one nears such a camp.
The sea elves comprise the sixth subrace. More populous in the regions of the undersea kingdoms they too are fairly uncommon throughout the known realms, although they aren't nearly as reclusive as their cousins the wild sylvan elves. They swim mainly in the Great Ocean and only occasionally make their way up inland rivers to settle for a time among a few of the inland lakes being able to breathe salt water and fresh, able to survive in either. Water elves make their homes anywhere but are most common near the island retreat of Wicaen.
The Shadar-kai and Eladrin are both elven subraces who travelled in the past to the Fey Realm and although a few can be found in the world they existing in larger numbers there. Like the oposite sides of the same coin the Eladrin of the Fey Realm make thier living in the Realm of Faerie, an echo of the Mortal Realm running parallel to it being all at once similar but separate from it. Meanwhile the Shadar-kai remain steadfast servants of the Dark Lady operating from their settlements in the Shadowfell. The Fey Realm exists right next to the Mortal Realm, so close that two realms have been known to kiss one another and create gateways to allow passage back and forth to each other. It is an echo of the Mortal Realm running parallel to it being all at once similar but separate. Like the multiverses of the Mortal Realms, the Fey Realms spread into an infinite spectrum of light and dark created during the dawn of creation. The brighter places within the Realm of Faerie is a much more natural and wild version of the regular world, full of vegetation growth, attracting elfkin and many sylvan races in the Quartus Epocha, the Fourth Age just prior to the Current Era, who adopted these places as their new home. In the dreary gloom of the darker places life struggles to survive if it even exists at all in environments full of decay, desolation, and death. The goblinkin and several underrealm creatures call this place the Shadowfell and made it their home around the same time as the sylvan races did the Realm of Faerie, but even they keep away from the deeper darker places that support no creatures, at least no living ones.
Their lifespan gives elves a unique perspective on life than most other races can't share. Elves don't worry about not experienced enough in their lives; rather, they look for the next new thing to excite their curiosity and enthusiasm. This lifespan also means that elves develop an attitude and a character that is uniquely their own. No one can tell exactly how their years will affect each individual elf. Typically, elves begin their lives as carefree, fun-loving spirits. As they grow older, most of them become slightly more cautious, yet still retain the warmth and vitality necessary for elves to fully enjoy their lives.

RPG Datasheet

Elf

Player's Handbook page 21

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2.

Age

AIthough elves reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, the elven understanding of adulthood goes beyond physical growth to encompass worldly experience. An elf typically claims adulthood and an adult name around the age of 100 and can live to be 750 with rare individuals remaining in the mortal world for up to two millennia.

Alignment

Elves love freedom, variety, and self-expression, so they lean strongly toward the gentler aspects of chaos. They value and protect others' freedom as well as their own, and they are more often good than not. The drow are an exception; their exile into the Underdark has made them vicious and dangerous. Drow is more often evil than not.

Size

Elves range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feel.

Darkvision

Accustomed to twilight forests and the dark night skies, you have a superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see io dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were a bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Keen Senses

You have proficiency in the perception skill.

Fey Ancestry

You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put you to sleep.

Trance

Elves don't need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. The Common word for such meditation is "trance". While meditating, you can dream after a fashion but such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting io this way, you gain the same benefits that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Elvish. Elvish is fluid, with subtle intonations and intricate grammar. Elven literature is rich and varied, and their songs and poems are famous among other races. Many bards learn their language so they can add Elvish ballads to their repertoires.

Subrace

Ancient divides among the elven people resulted in three main subraces: high elves, wood elves, winged elves, sea elves, wild elves, the Shadar-kai sworn to the service of the goddess Anxshar, and dark elves commonly known as Loluth worshiping drow. Choose from one of these subraces.

Subrace 1: High Elf

Player's Handbook page 23
--Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.--

Elf Weapon Training

You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.

Cantrip

You know one Cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list. Intelligence is your spellcasling abilily for it.

Extra Language

You can speak, read, and write one extra language of your choice.

Subrace 2: Wood Elf

Player's Handbook page 24

Ability Score Increase

Your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Elf Weapon Training

You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shorlbow, and longbow.

Fleet of Foot

Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.

Mask of the Wild

You can altempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.

Subrace 3: Dark Elf or Drow

Player's Handbook page 24

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma score increases by 1.

Superior Darkvision

Your darkvision has a radius of 120 feet.

Sunlight Sensitivity

You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perceplion) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your altack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.

Drow Magic

You know the dancing lights cantrip. When you reach 3rd level you can cast the faerie fire spell once per day. When you reach 5th level, you can also cast the darkness spell once per day. Charisma is your spellcasling abilily for these spells.

Drow Weapon Training

You have proficiency with rapiers, shortswords, and hand crossbows.

Subrace 4: Winged Elf or Avariel

Unearthed Arcana: Elf Subraces page 1

Flight

You have a flying speed of 30 feet. To use this speed, you can’t be wearing medium or heavy armor.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Auran.

Subrace 5: Sylvan Elf or Grugach

Unearthed Arcana: Elf Subraces page 1

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength score increases by 1.

Grugach Weapon Training

You have proficiency with the spear, shortbow, longbow, and net.

Cantrip

You know one cantrip of your choice from the druid spell list. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for it.

--Languages:: Unlike other elves, you don’t speak, read, or write Common. You instead speak, read, and write Sylvan.

Subrace 6: Sea Elf

Unearthed Arcana: Elf Subraces page 1

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score increases by 1.

Sea Elf Weapon Training

You have proficiency with the spear, trident, light crossbow, and net.

Child of the Sea

You have a swimming speed of 30 feet, and you can breathe air and water.

Friend of the Sea

Using gestures and sounds, you can communicate simple ideas with Small or smaller beasts that have an inborn swimming speed.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Aquan.

Subrace 7: Shadar-kai

Unearthed Arcana: Elf Subraces page 2

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma score increases by 1.

--Cantrip:: You know one of the following cantrips of your choice: chill touch, spare the dying, or thaumaturgy. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it.

Blessing of the Dark Lady

As a bonus action, you can magically teleport up to 15 feet to an unoccupied space, you can see, and you gain resistance to all damage until the start of your next turn. During that time, you appear ghostly and translucent. Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Subrace 8: Eladrin

Dungeon Master's Guide page 286

Ability Score Increase

Your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Elf Weapon Training

You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.

Fey Step

You can cast the misty step spell once using this trait. You regain the ability to do so when you finish a short or long rest.

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The Players Guide
Races

Aelfeayr

"Elf"