Wild Elf (Green Elf)
The wild elves of Faerûn are insular and savage, and as a result are rarely seen outside their forest homes. In ages past, the wild elves raised great kingdoms in the forests and fielded armies to defend their homes, but with the march of time they have abandoned the trappings of civilization, becoming a furtive, reclusive race. The wild elves were always close to nature, even more so than other elves, but they have forgotten many of the high arts and lore of their people, choosing stealth and survival over building and book learning.
Wild elves are stocky and strongly built for elves. Their skin tends to be dark brown, and their hair ranges from black to light brown, lightening to silvery white with age. They are quiet around anyone except their own kind, and quickly become hostile in these uncomfortable situations. Clothing is kept to a minimum among the wild elves, although they make up for this with body decoration of all sorts - tattoos, war paint, feathers, and beaded jewelry that shows a surprising steak of complex and beautiful artistry.
History
The wild elves were not always the feral creatures they have become today. Ages ago the green elves, as they were then known, were the first elven explorers (along with the lythari and the avariels) to discover Abeir-Toril, and they quickly became entranced with the wondrous young world. Of this first migration of elves, the green elves were easily the most successful, and they established several territories destined to become great nations: Thearnytaar, Eiellûr, Syòpiir, Miyeritar, and Keltormir.
Unfortunately, with the coming of the Crown Wars, these nations were among the first to fall. Eiellûr fell to the Ilythiiri (the dark elves) in -11,400 DR, and Thearnytaar in -11,200 DR. The realm of Miyeritar, located where the High Moor now lies, was utterly consumed by the Dark Disaster in -10,500 DR, and the other green elf realms fared little better. The peaceful green elves proved to be relatively easy prey for the cruel dark elves, and by the time the Crown Wars ended in -9000 DR, the idyllic world of the green elves had been shattered. Their great nations razed in centuries of relentless warfare, the green elves began a time they refer to as the Wandering. They never recovered fully from the setbacks of twelve thousand years ago, and raised no more great cities in Faerûn.
The Wandering of the green elves lasted for many long elven generations. Forced to live for centuries as fugitives, slaves or rootless vagabonds, the surviving green elves receded further and further from elven society, withdrawing to the deepest forests and mountains of Faerûn. While the other elven subraces raised the second generation of elven realms in places like Evermeet and Cormanthyr, the green elves placed their trust in secrecy and stealth instead of walls and might, remaining hidden within their forest homes. By the time of Jhaamdath's rise around -5800 DR, the green elves had settled into several of the places that are still their ancient homelands: the Chondalwood, the Forest of Amtar, and the other great old woodlands of southern Faerûn.
Over the course of many years, the green elves forgot more and more of their ancient lore and skill, focusing on the only skills that mattered: stealth, survival, hunting, and hiding. They became first a clannish folk, then a tribal culture, and finally a primitive people. They remained elves, of course, creatures of nobility and magic, but they lost the arts of crafting mighty spells and forging magic weapons. Their fleeting contacts with the rising human empires of the day reinforced the green elf reclusiveness, driving them deeper into the wilds and further from their old ways. Today, the green elves are more widely known as the wild elves, a race lost in time in the sweltering forests of southern Faerûn.
Outlook
The tragic history of the wild elves has left them untrusting of outsiders. Their tactics for dealing with intruders vary from tribe to tribe. Some simply hide and allow the trespassers to go by unknowing, while others attack to capture such interlopers. They rarely kill those they capture, preferring to use magic to alter their memories and carry them far away before releasing them. They make friends slowly, and most nonelves simply don't have the lifespans required to gain the trust of a tribe of green elves. They excel in combat and often revel in its chaos and primal fury. Little can match the fury of an enraged tribe of green elves.
Wild Elf Society
Among their friends and kinfolk, wild elves are pleasant and outgoing, somewhat like the moon elves. Their feasts and celebrations are events of great joy, with singing, dancing, and all manner of merry making. One of the most beloved ways to celebrate is to engage in a hunt. Hunts are tribal affairs in which all elves, young and old, have a part. The actual hunt itself is sometimes only a small part of the overall event, which also includes a religious ceremony and a tribewide festival.
The scattered, tribal nature of the green elves also means that no two tribes are exactly alike. Some have settled in permanent villages with crude huts, while others are nomadic, dwelling in tents and wandering over vast wilderness territories. Gender segregation is common; some tribes are exclusively matriarchal, while others are patriarchal.
Although they have a great interest in music and art, wild elves create few permanent works of art. To the wild elf, the joy of art lies in the creative process, the spontaneous creation of song or dance or effects. They view with distaste attempts to "capture" this process by making permanent works of art, recording songs or stories in writing, and so on, maintaining that to do so imprisons the ever changing beauty of the world.
Language and Literacy
All wild elves speak Elven, Common, and the language of their home region. They are isolationists and do not trust outsiders, so they rarely learn the languages of their neighbors, especially their enemies. Common additional languages include Gnoll, Illuskan, Mulan, Orc, Shaaran, Sylvan, and Tashalan.
