Elves and Half-Elves (EoA)

Elves and Half-Elves
The elves of Athas may have an instinctive distrust of out- siders, but they must still deal with them from time to time. As so often happens in the wilds and in the cities, some- times the two find common ground. In the case of humans, whether through force or shared passions, children of mixed heritage are born into the world: the half-elves.
Half-elves are generally taller than humans, but rarely grow as tall as their elf parents. Most stand between 6 and 6½ feet. However, half-elves are not as lean as desert runners, for they inherit some of the bulk of their human side. In most cases, it is easier for a half-elf to pass himself off as a human than as an elf, but elven features can be spotted if one looks closely enough. Elves have no tolerance for mixed children. Humans are more accepting, but only in certain circumstances They will work with half-elves, but few will call a half-elf friend. Elven tradition demands that children born from the union of elf and human be left for lirrs and other predators, and some tribes even drive out mothers of such children. A half-elf born in a city has a greater chance to survive, as humans do not have a comparable tradition. Still, life is not easy for half-elves. Elves distrust the half-elfs human side, and humans have no faith in the elf side. Half-elves go through life as outsiders, developing self- reliance in order to survive. They may go out of their way to find acceptance among their parents' people, but rarely does this acceptance come their way. Typically, they grow to adulthood as loners, seeking to hide their mixed heritage as best they can in order to avoid the discrimina- tion that waits to batter them with angry words and dis- trustful glances.