Race Category - Elves

Elves have a history that dates back to the time titans and dragons ruled the world. They were a more numerous race then, and have slowly dwindled to several minor races inhabiting small pockets of forests and other out-of-the-way locations. There are three minor races of elf we describe below. There are also two major races of elf we explain under the category of "reinc".

Dark Elf

The dark elves live underground. Nearly all of them are evil, and they have used their wicked intelligence to become masters of much of the Underdark. Most intelligent creatures shun them. In many ways dark elves are twisted, corrupt versions of their above-ground realtives. Drow have jet black skin to hide their movements underground. And they tend to be shorter than the other elves. The only other physical difference drow exhibit is their eyes, which glow a feral red - evidence, perhaps, of the hatred that burns in their hearts and minds. Physically the dark elves tend to be really great fighters due to their unusual agility and speed, and dark elves have great power in the realms of magical lore, practicing the evil arts to an extent only surpassed by their high elven cousins. Even feared among the dark kind are the priestesses of the Dark Gods which are both cruel and beautiful in their maddened world of chaos and destruction. Dark Elves receive the sneak skill as racial bonus.

White Elf

White elves average 5', 130 lbs. It is unknown why they are known as white elves, as they vary in coloration from pale white to light pink to dark tan. Magical potential is extremely common among white elves, although the mageborn are less common than among high elves. Physically immature white elves closely resemble physically immature humans, though exceptionally fine-featured and pointy-eared; often, mixed blood goes unnoticed until the halfbreed is in his or her teens. White elves tend towards nomadic lifestyle, but maintain shires throughout the lands that they travel - their cities remain stable, but the populations wander through rather than settle in a particular area. Some shires are dedicated to particular endeavors - shrines or libraries or fortresses - but most are just living-spaces. They can be found in most of the areas where other humanoid races dwell. White elves generally maintain friendly relationships with most other races; however, they tend to take the long view in dealing with problems that other races consider immediate and overwhelming. They rarely involve in wars, for example, as they are perfectly willing to wait the thirty or fifty years for the political chaos to die down; similarly, they often have difficulties concerning themselves with saving the lives of those who will die anyway in just a few decades. They are generally considered politically unreliable for this reason. White Elves receive the sword skill as racial bonus.

Wood Elf

Wood elves descended from the same stock as other elves. However, they prefer to live a more primitive lifestyle, more in touch with their roots in the primeval forests they have made their homes. They are geared towards simple survival, and they concentrate on their enviroment rather than on philosophical debates and the study of magic, much unlike the high elves. Sylvan elves enjoy the singing of a bird, the patterns of an intricate spider web, and their own practice of tattooing. They are the most temperamental and emotional elves. Sylvan elves are more muscular then any of the other elves, and their complexions are darker. They have a yellow to coppery-red hair and brown eyes, tough some rare cases of hazel or blue eyes are known. A sylvan elf born with hazel or blue eyes is considered ar good omen for the tribe, believed to be destined for personal greatness. Sylvan elves normally dress in browns and greens, the better to blend with the forest. Unlike most of their brethren, wood elves tend towards neutral alignments. Wood elves receive the loudless skill as racial bonus.