[The Mist] Our elves are different
Not as different as the dwarves were, admittedly.
Elf
The elves-alfar, in their own language-have always been a people apart. Born of Faerie, they primarily dwelt there and uncommonly crossed into Khrone, though there were small communities of elves scattered among the other races until the Mist came. When the cataclysm began, those elves who could fled down the grey roads and slammed the gates of Faerie shut behind them. A few elves remained behind, either exiles or those who could not make it to the grey roads in time, but the vast majority of them were gone from the world for long years.
Now the elves are returning to chilly reception. The gnomes, their old servants, were abandoned when the elves fled and harbor a bitter hatred for their former masters. Many others view them as cowards for running or look on them with suspicion for returning, thinking that they plan to conquer the remnants of civilization as legend said they tried to do long ago. Still, something draws them back to the mortal world. Perhaps the elves will be able to overcome others' wariness through their own actions, and perhaps they will confirm them. Only time will tell.
Physical Description:
Source
Elves are tall and graceful, with clear skin, bright eyes, and shining hair. Their legs end in hooves like those of a stag and their heads are surmounted by a pair of curling ram's horns. The most striking feature other than their horns is their eyes, which are a single solid color with pupil and white barely distinguishable from the surrounding shade. They have a much wider variation of colors than humans do, with green or white or blue hair, obsidian black or snow white or greenish skin, and amber or silver or rainbow-colored eyes all possible.
Society:
Those elves still part of Faerie society are organized into two great coalitions, the Summer and Winter Courts, who trade off power with the seasons. Members of the courts call themselves the ljosalfar and the svartalfar respectively, though the political distinctions between them are obscure to anyone not born of Faerie. Those elves who remained during the cataclysm tend to disclaim affiliation in either of the courts, feeling that they were abandoned by their fellows, though their immortality also estranges them from the people they live among.
Relations:
Elves have a difficult time relating to mortals. For an immortal creature used to seemingly-incomprehensible games of politics to fill eternity, the drive to accomplish something or to leave a legacy is hard to understand. Other races similarly have a hard time understanding the elves, who seem to give no thought to concerns that mortals find important while spending enormous time on trivial concerns, like organizing all the straw in the barn so that it faces east or making sure every herd animal they own is exactly the same color and pattern. Exiles and those who remained behind during the cataclysm have a much easier time understanding mortals, but are still often viewed with a wary eye for their connection with their more capricious cousins.
Game Mechanics
The main inspiration here is kind of a mix of Terry Pratchett's Lords and Ladies and the webcomic Dark Places, particularly the way the fey behave in the Silver Chain storyline and the backstory revealed here. Nothing wrong with D&D elves--I'm as fond of the arrogant, tree-loving wizards as anyone else--but I'd like something different here. And while I was originally writing this, I realized I can take half-elves and cast them into elves traditional "humans, but long-lived, arrogant, and pointy-eared" niche, and keep the actual elves different, so it's win-win.
The appearance is obviously taken from Magic: the Gathering's elves from Lorwyn, which I've thought was a great look for elves from the first time I saw it.
Elf
The elves-alfar, in their own language-have always been a people apart. Born of Faerie, they primarily dwelt there and uncommonly crossed into Khrone, though there were small communities of elves scattered among the other races until the Mist came. When the cataclysm began, those elves who could fled down the grey roads and slammed the gates of Faerie shut behind them. A few elves remained behind, either exiles or those who could not make it to the grey roads in time, but the vast majority of them were gone from the world for long years.
Now the elves are returning to chilly reception. The gnomes, their old servants, were abandoned when the elves fled and harbor a bitter hatred for their former masters. Many others view them as cowards for running or look on them with suspicion for returning, thinking that they plan to conquer the remnants of civilization as legend said they tried to do long ago. Still, something draws them back to the mortal world. Perhaps the elves will be able to overcome others' wariness through their own actions, and perhaps they will confirm them. Only time will tell.
Physical Description:
Source
Elves are tall and graceful, with clear skin, bright eyes, and shining hair. Their legs end in hooves like those of a stag and their heads are surmounted by a pair of curling ram's horns. The most striking feature other than their horns is their eyes, which are a single solid color with pupil and white barely distinguishable from the surrounding shade. They have a much wider variation of colors than humans do, with green or white or blue hair, obsidian black or snow white or greenish skin, and amber or silver or rainbow-colored eyes all possible.
Society:
Those elves still part of Faerie society are organized into two great coalitions, the Summer and Winter Courts, who trade off power with the seasons. Members of the courts call themselves the ljosalfar and the svartalfar respectively, though the political distinctions between them are obscure to anyone not born of Faerie. Those elves who remained during the cataclysm tend to disclaim affiliation in either of the courts, feeling that they were abandoned by their fellows, though their immortality also estranges them from the people they live among.
Relations:
Elves have a difficult time relating to mortals. For an immortal creature used to seemingly-incomprehensible games of politics to fill eternity, the drive to accomplish something or to leave a legacy is hard to understand. Other races similarly have a hard time understanding the elves, who seem to give no thought to concerns that mortals find important while spending enormous time on trivial concerns, like organizing all the straw in the barn so that it faces east or making sure every herd animal they own is exactly the same color and pattern. Exiles and those who remained behind during the cataclysm have a much easier time understanding mortals, but are still often viewed with a wary eye for their connection with their more capricious cousins.
Game Mechanics
- +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, -2 Constitution: Elves are agile and enchanting, but less sturdy than humans.
- Medium Size: Elves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Normal Speed: Elves have a base speed of 30 feet.
- Type: Elves are fey with the elf subtype.
- Low-Light Vision: Elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
- Keen Senses: Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception skill checks.
- Immortality: Elves are ageless, seeing the passing of centuries with unchanging eyes. They are immune to aging effects and do not gain any positive or negative benefits of advancing in age categories.
- Beguiling Liar: In Faerie, what you believe hard enough can become true, and elves are skilled in enforcing their vision of what is real on others. They gain a +2 racial bonus on Bluff checks to convince an opponent that what they are saying is true when they tell a lie, and Bluff is always a class skill for elves.
- Otherworldly: As immortal creatures of Faerie, elves have a hard time relating to mortals. They suffer a -4 penalty on Sense Motive checks with all creatures not of the fey type.
- Faerie Resistance: Elves have mercurial minds and bodies infused with the power of Faerie, and it is very hard for an insidious force to gain a grasp on either one. They gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting effects and have DR 2/cold iron.
- Cold Iron Sensitivity: In addition to their vulnerability to cold iron, elves find it uncomfortable and are always considered nonproficient with cold iron weapons or armor.
- Sneaky: Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Stealth checks, and Stealth is always a class skill for elves.
- Starting Languages: Elves speak Sidhelien and Sylvan.
The main inspiration here is kind of a mix of Terry Pratchett's Lords and Ladies and the webcomic Dark Places, particularly the way the fey behave in the Silver Chain storyline and the backstory revealed here. Nothing wrong with D&D elves--I'm as fond of the arrogant, tree-loving wizards as anyone else--but I'd like something different here. And while I was originally writing this, I realized I can take half-elves and cast them into elves traditional "humans, but long-lived, arrogant, and pointy-eared" niche, and keep the actual elves different, so it's win-win.
The appearance is obviously taken from Magic: the Gathering's elves from Lorwyn, which I've thought was a great look for elves from the first time I saw it.