Elves



Born of magic, nature, and the flow of Feywild spirits to the lands of the living, Elves consider themselves the "perfect race" in their own lands. Long-lived and full of energy, they go about their lives in relative isolation from the other races except for trade and war.

History
After the first cataclysm, Cara and Myn petitioned Loranna to be able to create a race to act as eternal protectors of the lands of the living similar to the fairies of the Feywild. Loranna agreed to this, supervising their creation.

Combining powerful magic with a natural inclination to the Feywild, the Elf came into being, and began their rule. Their vast intelligence and stamina to survive in the wilds quickly turned them from a tribal race much like the orcs into a powerful people who built great strongholds across the lands.

The Elven people ruled for years, overpowering even the humans in strength and numbers. They served as high dignitaries within the church, and were considered unstoppable to those who worshipped Rastan... Until the second cataclysm.

In the dawn of the Second Cataclysm and holy wars that took place during them, the Elven race seemed to continue to lose its influence until they were but a shadow of their former selves. While the Humans and Orcs quickly and easily recovered from war, the Elves were never meant to engage in such battles, and their numbers would never again see the heights they did before the Second Cataclysm.

Elven ruins lay abandoned across the lands from days long past as many elves have chosen to either integrate into human culture or return to their isolationist (and in many case tribal) lifestyles.

Appearance
Elves have skin tones that range from pale to a light tan. They generally have either brown or green almond-shaped eyes, and hair tones ranging from platinum to Dark Brown. Elves are lithe with athletic bodies built for running and swimming.

In some cases, humans and other races have a hard time finding the distinction between an Elf and a Darasuum. This distinction is made even worse when one considers lighter-skinned Darasuum and darker skinned Elf. Both Elves and "Dark Elves" however have a distinct scent that only they can smell on each other from pheremones, often described as odorous and mildly unpleasant, that alerts them of when the other is present, and eye colors are a good indicator of which race an individual belongs to where skin color fails.

Most Elven males stand at about 5'7" to 6' depending on various factors. They are generally hairless save for their heads and (in rare cases) sideburns. They typically have very ovalish eyes, and their hair rarely grows past shoulder length.

Most Elven females stand between 5'4 and 5'9" tall. They are generally hairless save for their heads, though some Elven females with a human somewhere in their lineage grow pubic hair. Elven females typically have smaller busts, and their hair can reach as low as their waist.

It is believed that Elves unconsciously grow taller based on their duties, hence the tendency for Elvish warriors to be of the taller variety while hunters and scouts tend to be on the shorter end.

Culture
Elvish culture varies depending on where they are from and whether they come from a village, city, or woodland tribe, typically reflecting their background. As a general observation, most Elves are calm and collected, but do not react well to sudden changes/realizations. They are mildly isolationist/xenophobic by nature, and tend to be introverted- drawn more to their Feywild companions and inner musing than those around them. They are, however, very empathetic when it becomes a matter of life or death. Elves are naturally polygamous due to growing up in cultures that see the entire tribe or surrounding area as family, and it is not unheard of to hear of an Elf with "three mothers" or multiple fathers. Most Elves tend to find themselves drawn to either Cara or Myn as their patron deity, which can greatly affect their personality.

Elves are "officially" adults at the age of 20, and considered capable of taking care of themselves. The following is a list of important ages for elves.


 * 15- The age at which most Elves become capable of producing offspring
 * 20- The age at which an Elf is officially considered an "adult" by Elven society- Adult simply meaning they are capable of fending for themselves/making their own decisions. It is during this time that Elves become adventurous, and 50% or more of them will perish in some battle or against some monster. An elf this age appears to be in their late teens by human standards.
 * 150 to 200- The age at which an Elf is officially recognized as having survived the trials of time, and is seen as a full fledged member of society by fellow Elvish kin. An elf this age appears to be in their mid to late twenties by human standards.
 * 600- The age at which an Elf is officially recognized as an "Elder" by society- The majority of Elves will have perished by this age to disease if not war or some other consequence. An elf this age appears to be in their late thirties or early fourties, and their features begin to give way to age.
 * 800- It is around this age that Elves are no longer capable of sexually reproducing. Most will continue to live well into their thousands unless they fall victim to a catastrophe. There has never been an elf who has reportedly died of "natural causes."

Elven society typically has very little care of gender except in very specific circumstances. For the most part Elvish females are expected to learn the same things as Elvish males, with the exception of Elvish males typically being taken on as apprentices to wood workers and similar "merchant" or "smith" trades, and females being more likely to be taken on as Arcane Mages or full-fledged Shaman. The clear distinction of sex typically only comes up in matters of war with other races. While Elves consider themselves above such vile thoughts when fighting among themselves (in the very rare cases where war breaks out between Elvish nations), they are prone to not trusting the other races, and will typically only let Elven women participate as scouts, assassins, and similar positions of stealth and subterfuge in times of war. This has failed to stop sexually frustrated Orcs who couldn't give a rats ass about which hole they stick it in, but it does serve a purpose in preventing the breeding of their enemies.

Half-Elves
Elven women have an extremely hard time reproducing in the first place, and miscarriages are common. With Elven gestation taking far longer than most other races (~15 months), and with the fact that it almost always produces an Elven child, half-elves are extremely rare.

Half-Elves occur in the rare cases where an Elf has human blood somewhere in their relatively "recent" lineage (a parent or grand parent), and even then is a very rare occurence. Half-Elves tend to be physically (and in some cases mentally) ill, and most do not live to adulthood. Said children are typically born with a host of issues including deficiencies in their immune systems, insomnia, weak joints, infertility, and other such conditions.

Those few Half-Elves who do manage to live to adulthood more than likely will end up as outcasts among their people and novelties to be seen at circuses and the like. Many turn to adventuring and mercenary work, as it's one of the few callings that gives them a chance to succeed in life.

Mechanics
Elves receive the following templates applied to their specs, regardless of class:

HP: -1

MP: +4

+1 Survival

+1 Spot/Listen

-2 Penalty vs. poison/disease

-1 Penalty vs. Knockout

Elves Gain an additional two (2) Feywild Spells regardless of class.

Bonuses: Can utilize bows without penalty (at a +2 bonus if a Hunter or Holy Warrior), gain a Feywild companion (see Shaman).

Restrictions: May not wear non-elven medium/heavy armors due to weight

Restricted Classes: Dark Witch, Adventurer

Elves may be Holy Warriors of a proper deity, but may only be a Clergy member of Cara or Myn.