Tel - quessir Tel - quessir ( also Tel ' Quessir or Tel ' Quess ) are a number of closely related , long - lived fey races commonly known as elves , though this term is now acknowledged to be technically inaccurate . Nonetheless , the name is common and many of the Tel - quessir consider themselves as one larger culture , an attitude not unjustified given that nearly all Tel - quessir speak Elven and share a common history together . Perhaps more importantly , the Tel - quessir were once one race , generally assumed to have been the eladrin or “ high elves . ” For these reasons and others , the Tel - quessir are often considered as though they were one race and called “ elves . ” Except when stated otherwise , the word “ elf ” and “ elven ” are used in this context throughout the article . Ecology . Physical characteristics . Although individual Tel - quessir races exhibit a number of unique traits , there are some features which are common to all of the races . Tel - quessir tend to be fair , beautiful and graceful , though they are very often frail as well . Tel - quessir are also universally long - lived , achieving what they consider adulthood at 110 years of age and living for up to 700 , and more years thereafter . Abilities . Many Tel - quessir do not sleep but instead “ trance , ” though this is an ability universal only for eladrin . During this state , Tel - quessir are partially aware of their surroundings and are less asleep than an act of meditation . In this state , Tel - quessir achieve the same results as a human might through sleeping in roughly two thirds the time . Tel - quessir able to trance are also often resistant to the effects of supernatural powers such as " sleep " , since they do not themselves sleep but instead rest in a semi - aware state . Tel - quessir , as a rule , tend to be supremely aware of their surroundings , with more potent senses of sight and sound than humans . All Tel - quessir have the ability to see in low light conditions unhampered , though drow also possess the ability to see in the dark . Tel - quessir death . The elven term for dying is “ passing west ” and while some Tel - quessir actually do travel to the western isle of Evermeet just before they die , most just use it as a euphemism . Most Tel - quessir are buried rather than cremated , though a Tel - quessir ’ s body is always treated in accordance with the individual ’ s wishes when possible . The only exception being when a Tel - quessir has been slain by some form of undead . Due to the reverence for life common amongst most Tel - quessir they will never willingly permit their dead to rise as evil undead . To avoid this their bodies are cremated to prevent their “ resurrection ” as undead . If a Tel - quessir who has reached the extent of their natural life wishes to live on there are four other options to dying . Warriors can petition priests of Corellon or Labelas to allow them to become Reverend Ones . These fighters still die and go to Arvandor but whenever a Tel - quessir nation is under threat they return to Toril to protect that nation . These spirits spend little , if any , time enjoying their afterlives , instead they nearly continually hone their skills of the battlefield . Tel - quessir more inclined towards nature can choose to be buried under the roots of a tree in Cormanthor and subject to a particular blessing of either High Magic or druidic magic . They are then transformed into a Treant . Female Tel - quessir can also choose to transform themselves into either a dryad or a nymph when they die through a ritual . These reincarnated Tel - quessir are then tied forever to the place where the ritual was performed . Psychology . Tel - quessir are a relaxed people , with a degree of patience and detachment granted to them by their long lifespans . Tel - quessir are not easily excited and lack the greed that sometimes characterizes other races . Most Tel - quessir are unconcerned with the events that only affect the short - term and are likewise slow to make friends or enemies since time for them is measured in centuries , not decades . Focused in whatever they apply themselves to , Tel - quessir ignore the slight but rarely forget the serious . Because of their long lifespan , most Tel - quessir have a patience uncommon to other humanoids . Tel - quessir view the lives and concerns of younger races as fleeting and take less joy in the short - term victories that other races have to content themselves with . Instead , Tel - quessir take pleasure in things that have more endurance , such as the arts or the honing of one ’ s skills . Culture . Tel - quessir have an affinity for freedom more than anything else , preferring the way of unrestricted liberty to the restraints of civilized law and order . Liberty , both of one ’ s self and of others , tends to be the greatest virtue in Tel - quessir cultures . This love for freedom is often tempered by a good and generous nature , though not always , drow In particular standing out as an example of evil amongst the Tel - quessir . Because of this , Tel - quessir governments tend to be very loosely organized , with small groups of Tel - quessir accepting the legitimacy of a respected noble , who in turn acknowledges the authority of a monarchical king . Though Tel - quessir empires have been built in the past , few in the present currently exist . Instead , most Tel - quessir , be they eladrin or elf , prefer to live in natural harmony with nature . Prior to the Spellplague many moon , sun , and wood elven rulers paid their respects to the Elven Court , presided over by Queen Amlaruil in Evermeet . Tel - quessir are typically omnivorous , like humans , but tend to eat very little meat . This is not so much out of a concern for the animal as an effort to make as little of an impact on the natural world as possible , with Tel - quessir believing that the consumption of vegetation has a slighter effect on the natural harmony . Additionally , this partially comes from many Tel - quessir cultures ’ traditions of nomadic life , which require food to be easily preservable . Tel - quessir tend to take up the adventurer ’ s lifestyle for a number of reasons . Some do so out of , more than anything , boredom or a sense of wanderlust that drives them to explore beyond the boundaries of their homelands . Tel - quessir do not like being tied down and most often pursue careers that lend themselves well to adventuring . Some Tel - quessir enjoy adventuring as a way to demonstrate their own skill , such as with a bow or sword , while others do so in order to help others . Relations with other races . “ Tel - quessir ” is the elven word for “ the people . ” Likewise , “ N - Tel - Quess ” is the elven word for " not people " and is used to refer to races outside of the Tel - quessir . This often gives other races the impression that Tel - quessir are elitist , racist and condescending to other races , but most simply see these as words with no hidden meaning or agenda . Although the other races sometimes believe the Tel - quessir to be arrogant and condescending , the fey races don ' t hold any particular hatred for any races as a whole , though individual races may have particular attitudes . The harshest racial conflict for the Tel - quessir is actually often within , given the long - standing feud between the drow and the other Tel - quessir races . The Tel - quessir can seem distant and unfriendly because many of the other races , such as humans and halfling s , have a much shorter lifespan . It is easier for one of the Tel - quessir to avoid contact with these races , rather than befriend individuals who will live only a small fraction of the elven life . Dwarves and the Tel - quessir generally have a different problem in forming relationships . Dwarves favor hard work whereas the Tel - quessir generally enjoy relaxation . Dwarves enjoy carving homes from the rock and engineering unswerving straight lines , while elves prefer more natural , flowing shapes . Dwarves and Tel - quessir can form strong bonds of friendship , but only when both agree to overlook each other ’ s differences . Gnome s and Tel - quessir , both fey creatures in origin , generally get along well due to their mutual love of life , combined with the gnomes ’ love of fine art and illusion magic . On the other hand , halfling s and Tel - quessir share only a lukewarm relationship . The Tel - quessir trait of eating sparingly is not welcomed in halfling society , and Tel - quessir can sometimes deem a halfling ' s curiosity as childlike and troublesome . Tel - quessir regard humans with both fear and respect . Humans can grasp magic and adapt to many situations incredibly fast from the perspective of the Tel - quessir , but the fey are wary of the human tendency to claim lands as their own , often regarding them as greedy . It is quite possible for strong friendship to develop between humans and Tel - quessir , but it is equally possible that hostilities might arise . History . The Tel - quessir ’ s origins are uncertain but recent evidence suggests they were born in the war between Gruumsh and Corellon . During the battles Corellon shed some of his divine blood and it is said that from this blood the eladrin were born . Elves , who do not like the implication of superiority that often precedes the eladrin ’ s supposition that they came first , are not always so convinced of this tale , however . Given the Feywild s tendency to produce “ echoes ” of creatures from the Prime it is also possible the Tel - quessir are one such echo . Regardless , it is now well - acknowledged that the Tel - quessir originally came from the Feywild , also known as Faerie , and immigrated to the then united worlds of Abeir - Toril over a hundred millennia ago , with the green elves arriving first . After their arrival the Tel - quessir went about building their empires and the first such state was created in approximately - 24000 DR by the gold elves although ancient texts suggest that the Tel - quessir were present on Toril at around - 30000 DR which was approximately when the draconic species established their first empires . The Tel - quessir reigned on Toril in relative peace until - 12000 DR when the gold elf nation of Aryvandaar invaded the dark elf and green elf nation of Miyeritar , starting the first of five Crown Wars which , in total lasted for 3000 years . At the end of the fourth war , the dark elven Ilythiiri were banished to the Underdark , becoming the drow . Finally the fifth war that followed resolved matters , ending the conflicts . The Tel - quessir remained at peace with each other ( with , of course the exception of the drow ) and the dwarves had established themselves fully . For many millennia , thousands of Tel - quessir , particularly moon elves and sun elves , left Faerûn for the isle of Evermeet in a long migration known as the Retreat . However , by 1374 DR most of the Tel - quessir who desired to leave had already done so , as remarked upon by Cambrizym of Candlekeep , and in fact , the Retreat began a gradual reversal , with many who had left or their children returning to the continent . Homelands . Tel - quessir , regardless of their native plane , tend to favor woodlands over other terrains , though exceptions exist . Most Tel - quessir communities are relatively small in scale , around a few hundred in number , and blend easily into the natural landscape . These communities are usually very well isolated and contact between Tel - quessir and outsiders is usually a matter of deliberate contact rather than accidental as a result . Tel - quessir who live among humans , of whom there are many , tend to take on lives that favor the arts , such as that of minstrels , artists , or sages . Many are also valued as martial instructors , given the Tel - quessir races ’ well - known skills with both the bow and the sword . Tel - quessir races . There are at least three different sub - categories of Tel - quessir . Many elves were quite proud of their particular sub - race . It has been said that to insult a moon elf , call him a gray elf . To insult a sun elf , call him a moon elf . There are several other sub - races of Tel - quessir as well , and it ’ s not clear if they fit neatly into one of the above three sub - categories . They include : While not strictly a sub - race of Tel - quessir , the result of a human and Tel - quessir mating is a half - elf , half - eladrin , or half - drow , whereas the offspring of a Tel - quessir and a fiend is called a fey ' ri . Draegloths are created by the ritual sexual intercourse between Lolth ' s ascending high priestess and a glabrezu . Many more of these semi - elven races exist .