Elf
Elves or "Sanda Nórë" as they refer to themselves, are the oldest among the bipedal species and can trace their written history back over a hundred thousand years. They were the first race to inhabit Ellarius and their settlements stretched across the land. They used the Elanti people as slave labor and soldiers which allowed them to make huge advancements in magic and technology over the other races.
Elves do not sleep, as members of the other common races do. Instead, an elf meditates in a deep trance for 4 hours a day. An elf resting in this fashion gains the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep. While meditating, an elf dreams, though these dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. The Common word for an elf's meditation is "trance," as in "four hours of trance." They are prone to dismissing other races, writing them off as rash and impulsive, yet on an individual level, they are excellent judges of character. In many cases an elf will come to value a specific member of another race, seeing that individual as deserving and respectable, while still dismissing the race as a whole. They prefer simple, comfortable clothes, especially in pastel blues and greens, and they enjoy simple yet elegant jewelry. Elves possess unearthly grace and fine features. Many humans and members of other races find them hauntingly beautiful.
Many elves feel a bond with nature and strive to live in harmony with the natural world. Although like most, elves prefer bountiful lands where resources are plentiful. When driven to live in harsher climates, they work hard to protect and shepherd the region’s bounty and learn how to maximize the benefit they receive from what little can be harvested. When they can carve out a sustainable, reliable life in deserts and wastelands, they take pride as a society in the accomplishment. While this can make them excellent guides to outsiders they befriend who must travel through such lands, their disdain of those who have not learned to live off the scant land as they have makes such friends rare.
Elves also have an appreciation for the written word, magic, and painstaking research. Their naturally keen minds and senses, combined with their inborn patience, make them particularly suited to wizardry. Arcane research and accomplishment are seen as both practical goals, in line with being a soldier or architect, and artistic endeavors as great as poetry or sculpture. Within elven society, wizards are held in extremely high regard as masters of an art both powerful and aesthetically valued. Other spellcasters are not disdained but do not gain the praise lavished upon elven wizards.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Generally taller than humans, elves possess a graceful, slender physique that is accentuated by their long, pointed ears. It is a mistake, however, to consider them weak or feeble, as the thin limbs of an elf can contain surprising power. Their eyes are wide and almond-shaped, and filled with large, vibrantly colored pupils. The coloration of elves as a whole varies wildly and is much more diverse than that of human populations. However, as their coloration often matches their surroundings, the elves of a single community may appear quite similar.
Growth Rate & Stages
An elf reaches adulthood at about 110 years of age and can live to be more than 700 years old.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Low-light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
+2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. An elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it. An elf's senses are so keen that she practically has a sixth sense about hidden portals.
Scientific Name
Moriquende
Average Height
4- 1/2 to 5-1/2 feet tall
Average Weight
95 to 135 lbs
Geographic Distribution
