Elves
"When
the kingdoms of men have fallen, and the stone of the dwarves has worn
away, yet shall we remain"
Elven Axiom
At once frivolous yet serious, playful yet aloof, no demi-human race is
more difficult for humans to understand than the elves.
Superficially more similar to man than any other race, it is often
difficult for humans to appreciate just how different the two truly
are. Quite simply, the answer lies in time. While humans
have
but a handful of years in which to accomplish their goals, the
elven life span is measured in centuries. The longest lived of
any humanoid race, elves can survive well over 600 years, and this
longevity influences every aspect of their culture.
Unlike humans, elves are never in a rush to do much
of anything - time is
rarely a commodity in short supply. But when elves do choose to do
something, they are rarely satisfied by anything less than perfection,
practising and honing their skills for
centuries. Elven artisans spend countless human life spans
developing their
talents, until they are capable of works of such flawless
perfection that even the greatest masters of the other races
are left awe-struck. This obsessive
perfectionism can be
problematic, however, when elves
encounter problems to which no perfect solution exists. This,
combined
with a reluctance to rush into anything hastily, can leave elves prone
to dithering and indecision at crucial moments.
However, while elves are slow to abandon habits and tradition,, they
are surprisingly quick to embrace new experiences and ideas. With
centuries of
time on their hands, boredom and stagnation are the greatest enemies
most elves will ever face. As such, great value is placed on
anything that can entertain or enrich their lives. Conversely,
little value is placed on material possessions, as their great life
spans makes them acutely aware of the transitory
nature of such things. For an elf, knowledge, beauty, and
artistry are worth far more than gold,
gems, or mythril, and few elves can fathom the need to hoard exhibited
by the lesser races (particularly the humans and
dwarves).
Elven customs are extremely complex, with countless rules and
formalities to be followed in all aspects of social interactions.
For an outsider, it is almost impossible to avoid putting a foot wrong
somewhere when attempting a polite conversation. Most elves
understand that the lesser races cannot be expected to know their
customs, and make a reasonable effort not to be offended by their
social gaffes. It is, however, considered extremely rude by the
elves to ask a direct question unless in great urgency; inquiries are
instead made through a series of oblique, leading statements.
This can make a conversation with an elf painfully exasperating for one
not familiar with the process.
Elves see the nations of man rise and fall many
times over the course of their lives, and come to understand such
events as
part of the natural cycle of the world. As such, few trouble
themselves with events that do not reach within the borders of their
own realm. Those elves who are caught up in the events of the
outside world are most often only a century or two old, and still
afflicted with the rashness of youth. If truly convinced of the
need to
act, however, elves are fearless and determined adversaries.
Elves apply the same relentless focus to warfare as they do to the rest
of their lives, and elven warriors are rightfully feared throughout
realms. Though their reluctance to involve themselves in the
conflicts of the world have led many other races to view the elves as
cowardly, this could not be further from the truth. Centuries of
existence lead most elves to understand the great cycle of
life and their place in it better than most, and while they may
meet their death with sadness and regret, they do not fear it.
Most elves spend their time in
inward looking pursuits, honing skills, crafts, and revelling in their
connection to the natural world. All elves have an insatiable
hunger
for knowledge, however, and many youths (youths being a relative
term) are overcome with a desire to see the outside world.
Such elves often leave their homes for a short time (a hundred years or
so) to take up the mantle of adventurers. Inevitably, the lure of
new adventures gives way to a longing for their former home, and they
return to their waiting friends and family. While adventuring,
elves
often have awkward relationships with the other races they
encounter during their travels, sharing few common reference points
with their short lived companions. Elves get along relatively
well with
gnomes, who shares the elves love for the natural world, as well as
halflings, who they tend to treat rather patronizingly as
children. Concerning
dwarves, about the only thing the two races have in common is their
mutual dislike of orcs. Most elves
find humans at once both fascinating and intensely frustrating.
Rude, brutish, and with only a few decades of knowledge to guide their
actions, humans somehow manage to surprise elves again and again with
their improbable successes. For an elf, a human companion can be
a source of constant pleasure and amazement - flitting furiously
through life like the brightest of fireflies, trying to pack as much
into its meagre lifespan as possible. At the same time, most
elves feel humans would be better off if they just heeded the elves'
superior judgement - an attitude which is difficult to hide from their
companions. For their part,
most humans react to elves with a mixture of awe and resentment for
their condescending attitudes.
More than any other race, magic is ingrained in elven society.
Unlike other races such as the humans, whose mages are typically
secretive and reclusive by nature, most elven magic-users are well
integrated into the community, and their magics are used in everyday
life. Among the more free spirited forest elves, sorcerers far
outnumber mages, although the latter are by no means uncommon, while
among their more conservative grey elf cousins, the studious methods of
magecraft are more common. All elves have a deep connection to
the natural world, and this is reflected in their religion. All
elven communities have several priests, typically of Corellon
Larethian, or one of the lesser members of the elven pantheon, known as
the Seldarine. It is not infrequent for more solitary elves to
chose to follow the path of a druid, and such individuals are typically
found towards the wild edges of the elven lands. However, the
harmonious balance of nature within elven lands means that unlike their
human counterparts, elven druids do not feel the necessity to live
beyond the bounds of their civilization.
Physically, elves are shorter and slimmer than
humans, with fine
bone structures and delicate, chiselled features. Although they
spend much of their time outdoors, their skin does not tan, and they
have pale complexions akin to the colour of
fresh cream. Most elves have either blond hair and blue
eyes, or dark brown or black hair with intense green eyes. Elven
hair is always straight, and is typically worn long by both men and
women, either braided or loose. It is worth noting that elven men
are incapable of growing facial hair. The
average
elven male stands approximately 5'0" tall and weighs 106
pounds. Female elves are proportionately shorter and lighter,
averaging 4'7" tall and 86 pounds. The elves speak their own
language, among
the most complex of any race, with a diverse vocabulary that allows for
precise meaning in almost any context. Most other races find the
language, with its soft, almost musical intonations, among the most
pleasant to the ear, and it is said that the voice of an elven minstrel
can make the angels weep.
Elven dress serves as another outlet for artistic
perfection, and is typically custom designed for each wearer, with
colours and cuts designed to best suit that person's personality.
At the same time, all elven clothing is designed to be extremely
functional, marrying artistry and practicality. Elves typically
prefer clothing of light pastel shades, and both men and women
frequently wear tunics and breeches, or robes, as it suits them.
When hunting or adventuring, elves prefer tunics, breeches, and cloaks
of browns, greens, and other earth tones for purposes of
camouflage. Halfling dress is relatively plain but serviceable,
with comfort placed ahead of fashion. Most fabrics are soft but
simple of cut, usually white, dark blues, or earth tones. Jewellery is
sparse but typically extremely flattering, with pieces selected
based on their beauty rather than their value.
Halfling society is highly egalitarian, with women and men equal in all
areas. Positions of authority are chosen based on wisdom and
skill, and are as likely to be held by women as men. Due to the
low birth rate, raising young children takes up little of a female
elf's life, leaving her free to pursue a path of her choosing.
While most elven soldiers are men, female soldiers are by no means
uncommon. Adventurers encountered beyond the elven lands are as
likely to be female as male.