Aquatic elf Aquatic elves ( also called sea elves and Alu ' Tel ' Quessir in their own tongue ) , are water - breathing cousins to land - dwelling elves . They live amid the waves and the ocean depths with allies such as dolphins and whales . Aquatic elves fight underwater with trident s , spears , and nets . Description . Although they are of the same subrace , aquatic elves from the Great Sea have a different appearance to those from the Sea of Fallen Stars . The former have deep green skin , mottled and striped with brown . The latter have blue skin with white strips and patches . Both groups are robust and tall with long limbs , and long , thickly webbed digits . Their hair is usually thick and somewhat stringy , and can be blue , black silver or even occasionally red . The most unusual feature is the gills visible in their necks and over their ribs . Sea elves are either lightly clad or wear no clothes at all . Their clothes are formed from underwater plants , in blacks , browns and greens . Warriors clip their hair , but other sea elves wear it long and flowing . A certain type of mutated sahuagin , called a malenti , look like aquatic elves and occasional infiltrate sea elven society . Psychology . Aquatic elves are isolationist by their physical nature , and by choice – though they are not quite as reclusive as the wild elves . They trust only themselves , their clan , and no others . They cannot understand why the surface elves do not understand that community and alliances mean survival , whereas rivalry and factionalism means death . Their alliances with other elves are not based on racial affinity but on gain . A clear example of this is the alliance between the sea elves of Lake Sember and the land elves of Semberholme . The aquatic elves merely want to maintain their colony in Lake Sember and protect Semberholme as part of the deal . However this caution is tempered with curiosity and sea elves can spend much time secretly observing the land bound races . Magic and religion . Sea elves are the least magical of the elven races , although they still have as many mages as human realms . Those who are spellcaster s devote their long life spans to study and become extremely skilled . They have developed a range of waterproof magical items , and a system of writing underwater . Most aquatic elves revere Deep Sashelas , an undersea god of knowledge and beauty . Some are known to worship Istishia . Culture . Aquatic elven society is based on family and clan – and although females can and do wield power they are patriarchal . Noble families rule , but in a benign and loose fashion rather than with an iron fist . Families or individuals may own their dwelling but most other property is held in common . Such communal ownership means theft is almost unknown . The majority of aquatic elves live in the Sea of Fallen Stars , and the Great Sea . However smaller communities can be found along the western coast and in Lake Sember . A large community of several thousand sea elves exists around the island of Evermeet . King Elashor , residing in the city of Iumathiashae ( or " Mother of Pearls " ) , holds sway over this realm . The sea elves of this area defend Evermeet from the many undersea threats such as sahuagins and scrags . Arts and Leisure . The special acoustics of a watery environment lend themselves to music , and sea elves are exposed to the eerie and beautiful songs of the whales and other denizens of the deep . It is not surprising that aquatic elven bards have a range of powerful and evocative songs . History . Aquatic elves were the last of the elven races to reach Faerûn , and have always kept themselves somewhat apart from their land bound kin . At first they were nomadic wanderers but gradually they began to form separate communities . Sea elves have had a somewhat warlike history . They attempted to stay aloof from the Crown Wars , but this failed and the destruction and turbulence spread to their homes , driving some of the Great Sea elves north into the Sea of Fallen Stars . They have repeatedly battled with the evil underwater races , especially the sahuagin , but at times they have also fought against merfolk , and other goodly races . One such war led to a group of refugees forming the colony in Lake Sember .