Elves

Elves mingle freely in human lands, always welcome yet never at home there. They are well known for their poetry, dance, song, lore and magical arts. Elves favor things of natural and simple beauty. When danger threatens their woodland homes, however, elves reveal a more martial side, demonstrating skill with sword, bow, and battle strategy.

Elves do not sleep as member of other 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.

Since elves love freedom, variety, and self-expression, they lean strongly toward the gentler aspects of chaos. Generally, they value and protect others' freedom as well as their own, and they are more often good than not.

High Elves, Oerth

On the Prime world of Oerth, high elves are the elven subrace most commonly encountered by other races, and the most open and friendly. They travel to other lands more than other elves.

High Elves are short and slim, standing about 4'7" to 5'5" tall and typically weighing 95 to 135lbs, with elf men the same height and only marginally heavier than elf women. They are graceful but frail. They tend to be pale-skinned and dark-haired, with deep green eyes. Elves have no facial or body hair. 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.

Moon Elves, Faerun

Moon Elves, sometimes called Silver Elves, are the most common of the elven subraces in Faerun. They tend to be more impulsive than the other elves, and dislike remaining in one place for any significant amount of time. Most moon elves are happiest when traveling, especially across the expanses of untrodden wilderness that still survive in Faerun. This is probably the single greatest reason why they are so much more friendly and accommodating to other races than many other elves.

They have fair skin, sometimes tinged with blue, and hair of silver-white, black, or blue; humanlike colors are somewhat rare. Their eyes are blue or green, with golden flecks. They are taller than elves of other Primes, though built just as slim and graceful. The men range between 5'0" to 6'6" tall, with the women averaging 5" shorter.

Moon elves prefer to dress in rustic clothes of simple cuts and fashions that are nevertheless of fine and exquisite make. They adorn their dress with embroidered patterns, beads, and similar trappings, preferring earthen colors for everyday wear, hues that make it easy to conceal themselves in foliage. In places of safety or in times of revelry, moon elves enjoy dressing in bold colors – the more brightly colored the better. Hair is worn in braids or ponytails, twined with wires or beads. Moon elves sometimes wear body paint or tattoos in mystic patterns.

Sylvan Elves, Mystara

The most common race of elves encountered on Mystara are the Sylvan Elves, who are named after their legendary homeland, the Sylvan Realms. Sylvan Elves are more often amused than excited, more likely to be curious than greedy. Most Sylvan elves favor things of natural and simple beauty, although there are some Mystaran societies where the elves have come to not only understand but respect and pursue the materialistic and complicated ways of human culture.

Sylvan elves have delicate features and pointed ears, and are generally fair-skinned and fair-haired; they tan lightly and never sunburn. They tend to have pale blond hair and blue eyes, or dark hair and intense green eyes. A few clans have red hair, and grey is also not unheard of. They are short and slim, standing roughly 4'6" to 5'9" tall and typically weighing 85 to 150lbs, with the men the same height as and only marginally heavier than the women. Unlike all other elven races, Sylvan Elves can grow mustaches and beards, and they sleep like most other races, unable to rest through meditation or trance.

The Qualinesti, Krynn

The Qualinesti are generally thought of to be much more friendly than the other elven subraces on the world of Krynn. Historically, they have traded more openly with other races on their Prime, and even constructed a trade center in conjunction with the Mountain Dwarves. The only barrier on the road to improved relations with the humans is the Qualinesti's dislike of interracial marriages. Their culture tends to be unstructured and free.

The Qualinesti are slightly smaller and darker than other elves, standing below 5'0" on average. Their hair ranges from honey-brown to blond, and their eyes are blue or brown in colour. While still lithe and elegant, they are not as strikingly attractive as other elves. Theiy have strong, pleasant voices and an open, friendly manner. Qualinesti men commonly prefer to wear woven slaks and jerkins, with the women in long dresses.

The Sidhelien, Cerilia

There is truly only one race of Cerilian elves, calling themselves the Sidhelien. They are a graceful but reclusive race, generally suspicious of humankin, but more than anything else elves are unpredictable. They do whatever pleases them from one moment to the next. Many young elves are overcome by an irresistible urge to travel the world, though most remain apart from the human world, always observing but rarely making contact with the folk they meet. While they are civilized in their culture and music, the Sidhelien have a core of savagery that permeates their being.

Cerilian elves stand as tall as humans, but they're far more slender and graceful. Most average between 5'6" and 6'0" in height, but weigh only 120 to 140lbs. They are pale, with fair skin and dark hair, and their features are exquisitely formed. Sidhelien possess an unearthly beauty, and their perfect voices can hold a mortal spellbound. Unfortunately, many elves are too conscious of their superiority and treat others with coldness or condescension.

Racial Traits

• +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution
• Sleeplessness: Immmune to magical sleep effects
• Hardiness vs. Enchantments: +2 racial bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting spells
• Low-Light Vision: A high elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions
• Keen Senses: A high elf is always considered to be in Detect Mode. They apply their full listen, search and spot skills even when making a passive search
• Skill Affinity: A high elf receives a +2 racial bonus to the Listen, Search and Spot skills
• Weapon Proficiency: High elves are proficient with the longsword, rapier, longbow, and shortbow.