Elves of the Worlds (CBE)

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Beyond the elves described above, there are elves of different ilks populating separate worlds. Offshoots of the nomadic high elves who searched the worlds far and wide, the elves described below settled on worlds that struck their fancy. In time, they became new subraces of elves. (A diagram on page 29 shows the interrelationship of these subraces.) In some lands, the elves are entirely distinct, bearing little resemblance to the original high elf stock. In others, the elves vary mostly in name and attitude, rather than through any physical basis. All of them carry a definite aura that pervades their world, shaping it as surely as they shape history.
One important thing to remember is that not all elves of these areas conform to these descriptions. There are always exceptions in every land. Any player characters from these lands may act as they wish.
==AL-QADIM Campaign World==
The elves of Zakhara, the Land of Fate, are the same physically as the elves found just north in the FORGOTTEN REALMS® world. What distinguishes these elves is their attitude toward life, other races, and their creed.
In Zakhara, all races tend to adopt a more cosmopolitan perspective toward other races. It is more important, they feel, to believe in an enlightened god than to be an elf, a dwarf, or a human. What one is, inside, is more important than who one is outside. They recognize that no one can control the circumstances of their birth, that it is the actions and the beliefs that make a being truly good, rather than the race of that being.
For this reason, there is no separate elf society in Zakhara. There are certainly those bigots who prefer elves over other races, but the truly enlightened individuals make no distinction between elves and other races. In Zakhara, no one is surprised when an elf takes a job many in the other worlds would consider traditionally dwarvish.
Neither is there racial intolerance and antipathy. It is perfectly reasonable for an orc to be good friends with an elf (inasmuch as elves become good friends with anyone). Again, races are judged by their actions and their beliefs. Only in the uncivilized portions of Zakhara will one find evidence of the antipathies so prevalent in other lands.
Indeed, the elves of the Land of Fate are considered valuable members of society. Because of their ability to live to a great age and the fact that even young elves are of an age with the most venerable humans, they are sought after for their wisdom. Many of the qadi (judges) are, in fact, elves. Their lifespans give them a unique view of the world and the opportunity to serve for hundreds of years.
Many elves serve as sages for universities. Again, their age gives them an advantage. Any creature that lives hundreds of years can accumulate knowledge of nearly any topic.
None of the elves native to this area worship the gods of the elves. Like the other citizens of Zakhara, they worship the enlightened gods. Any who worship their gods through idols and icons are regarded as savages. Any gods found in Zakhara will be represented only in symbols, for there is no other way to fairly represent a god.
The Zakharan elves consider the northern elves barbarians. The northern elves continue to subscribe to the system of hatred for other races, worship through the idols of their primitive religion, and keep to themselves. It is far more likely that a Zakharan elf would side with a fellow believer against a northern elf than the other way around. They know no racial loyalty; they know only the loyalty to one's brothers and sisters in belief.
==DARK SUN Campaign World==
Athasian elves are entirely different from the high elves that settled Athas eons ago, for they have adapted to a life in the burning world. Understandably, these elves do not dwell in woodlands as do their more typical cousins, for there are few forests on Athas. Instead, they live on the plains and in the barrens, scratching out an existence where few survive. They are runners and raiders, disdaining the transport used by the weaker species in the desert. They, like the other races on Athas, are much more savage than the typical elf.
The elves of Athas are very tall, often reaching heights of 7 feet or more. Their long legs make them excellent runners, and they can cover unbelievable distances in a single day. They are the terror of the deserts, and their hunting bands are widely feared.
Not only do they prey on those foolish enough to pass through their territory, they exploit the gullible in the marketplaces of the city-states. Few of these places do not have some sort of market where the elves sell their ill-gotten or shoddy goods; the elves make an incredible profit from those who pass through because they are the only suppliers.
Although they act ignobly toward members of other races and even other elf tribes, the Athasian elves are not an evil people. They have strong ties to their tribes and are only as harsh as their planet dictates. The bonds that unite them are amazingly strong; elves of a tribe often have no other friends than their tribe members. Their lives depend on their companions, and so they trust only those who have proven they can be trusted.
Like the other inhabitants of Athas, the elves struggle to endure. Under the fires of the Dark Sun, only the strongest survive. The elves plan to be among that number, and if they must crush others . . . well, if such is the path to survival, they will take it.
==DRAGONLANCE Campaign World==
The high elves settled the world of Krynn long ago, and their history on this wondrous world is rich. Although analogous to the history of elves in the AD&D® world, it is not exactly the same. Indeed, some misinformed historians argue that these elves are not related to the elf explorers mentioned earlier in this chapter. This theory seems highly implausible after reading the history of elves on this world.
On Ansalon, the main branch of elves was called the Kagonesti, the source from which other elves sprang. These others quickly abandoned the sylvan role, taking up more civilized pursuits. They eventually formed a realm called Silvanost, after their great leader in the First Dragon Wars. The Silvanesti are reminiscent of the grey elves in their attitude and outlook, for they are haughty and most concerned about racial purity.
The Qualinesti broke from the Silvanesti centuries later, over a dispute of the best way to deal with the non-elven world. The Silvanesti, a xenophobic, caste-ridden batch, nearly drove the Qualinesti from the land for their sympathetic tendencies toward humans.
The Qualinesti, commanded by Kith-Kanan, left Silvanost when it became apparent that the Silvanesti had stagnated as a society. They traveled west until they found a place where they could live in freedom from the structure demanded by the Silvanesti. The relations between these two races are strained, at best. The Qualinesti most resemble high elves, and they are by far the most common elves seen in the DRAGONLANCE® campaign world.
The sylvan elves of Krynn are the Kagonesti. Although they are of the first variety of elves that ever set foot on Krynn, they are disregarded by the other races, shunned as wild and uncivilized. The Kagonesti, however much they dislike this situation, have chosen to reject civilization and its "corrupting" values. They prefer, instead, the wild harmony of nature, the contact with the earth that the other elves seem to have thrown away in their quest for newer and better forms of government. The Kagonesti often wear tatoos or paint their faces to intimidate their enemies or to blend in with their surroundings.
The Dimernesti and Dargonesti are the two races of aquatic elves found on Krynn. Created by the chaotic passage of the Greystone of Gargath, these sea elves possess the ability to transform themselves into otters or dolphins. The relations between the two races of sea elves are much like that of the Qualinesti and the Silvanesti. The Dargonesti are only rarely seen and are very reclusive.
The elves native to the other continent of Krynn tend to resemble the Kagonesti more than any other variety of Krynnish elf. Taladan elves of the Tamire are nomads and raiders, distrustful of outsiders. They identify their clans with totem animals, using these animals as spirit guides and protectors.
The other race of elves on Taladas consists of refugees, elves from a Silvanesti armada driven off course to the new land. They have founded a land called Armach and are trying to build a land reminiscent of Silvanesti.
However, the humans of the region proved too resilient to be driven from their homeland, and they forced the elves to accept them into a confederation. The humans have thus become more elven, and the elves have become more human in outlook. However, the elves have influenced the primitives of Taladas much more than they have been changed.
A fanatical desire to keep themselves purely elven has preserved these elves' culture well. Although they dwell in a loose confederation, they have clearly delineated the license the non-elves of Armach may take with the elves. They guard their new "homeland" fiercely, executing those who cross its borders without consent. Overall, the Armachnesti (as they have come to be called) are much more intolerant than their Silvanesti brothers ever were. Although they must deal with humans, their life has become all the more rigid, and some say their inflexibility is a direct effect of their necessary contact with humans.
Both races of elves on Taladas must confront the League of Minotaurs on occasion, which sits squarely between the two. The Armachnesti currently have a truce negotiated with the League, but both countries know that the truce will be broken when it is convenient for either side. The elves of the Tamire are in more serious danger, for the minotaurs think nothing of raiding their lands to replenish their stock of slaves.
==FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign==
The elves of Toril do not follow the standards of most other worlds. What unites almost all the elves of the Realms is their self-bestowed title: Tel'Quessir. This translates to "The people." All non-elves are known as the "N'Tel'Quess," or "Not-People."
While these elves possess the standard elf abilities, their appearance is markedly different. These elves are of human height, though there the resemblance ends. Like their more typical cousins, the elves of the Realms are much more slender and delicate in appearance. Breaking down the elf nation still further, there are five separate, distinct subraces of elves in the Realms, each of which is viewed differently by the other races.
The first subrace is that of the gold elves. Some also call them sunrise elves or high elves, although they do not closely resemble the standard high elves and, indeed, seem more like grey elves. Gold elves are generally viewed as the most civilized and, at the same time, the most contemptuous of other races. They are the nobility of elves on Toril, leading the other elves in the elven way. They are the equivalent of the Silvanesti on Krynn.
The second subrace is known variously as moon, silver, or grey elves, although again the name is the main similarity to the typical grey elf. They more closely resemble high elves than grey elves, which is not surprising since the nomadic high elves settled Toril. They are the most common of elves on this world, or at least the variety most often seen by non-elves. Because of their higher tolerance for other races, the moon elves are more likely to become adventurers than are the other elves. Likewise, most half-elves in the Realms are descended from moon elves. Although moon elves are considered less noble than gold elves, the Queen of Evermeet is a moon elf.
The third subrace is roughly equivalent to sylvan elves. They are called wild, green, or forest elves. They deal almost exclusively with other elves, keeping any contact with other races to a minimum. Since they try to live far from humankind, they are one of the least-seen races of the elves. Although they do not have a kingdom of their own, they permeate every elf nation.
The sea elves comprise the fourth subrace. They, too, are fairly uncommon, although they aren't as reclusive as wild elves. They swim in two waters: those of the Great Sea and the Sea of Fallen Stars. There is only a slight difference in appearance between the two. One race breathes salt water and the other fresh, but they can survive in either. Water elves make their homes anywhere but are most common near the island retreat of Evermeet.
The final subrace on Toril is that of the dark elves. Like their drow cousins, the dark elves are almost universally shunned for their evil. Cruel creatures living underground, these drow emerge only at night, trying to avenge themselves on their "oppressors," the elves responsible for their underground retreat.
The elves of the Realms are one of the oldest races native to that world. While humans were living in their caves, learning to hunt each other, the elves flourished. Their nations spread across Toril, and they lived in harmony with the land. But as humans became more and more civilized and expanded their holdings, the elves had to retreat.
Since the elves could not react quickly to the constant change humans wrought, they had to devise an alternate plan. From their court in Myth Drannor, the elves began arguing the virtues of a Retreat to a land beyond humans. They argued this matter for many centuries and, after exhausting all the evidence available, came to a consensus.
During their debates, they located a land far beyond human reach. Called Evermeet, an island thousands of miles out in the Trackless Sea, it suited their purpose perfectly. Holding deep and glorious forests as well as many of the other features elves consider essential for a home, there was little doubt that this should be the last home of the Elf Nation.
Only elves are welcome in Evermeet. All others (including drow and half-elves) are turned away. Since there seems no way of magically traveling to Evermeet, it is only by ship that anyone can journey to there. The Elven Navy, the largest known, protects the sanctity of Evermeet by destroying non-elven ships that come inside Evermeet's jurisdiction. The navy also provides passage for elves seeking Retreat or protection for elves beset by humans. The navy seems to know when their services are needed.
Although they were once the most powerful group of the Realms, the elves are a group in sad decline. They retreat from their world in ever-greater numbers. One day, humans will find the Realms devoid of elves. The greater world will no doubt miss their presence.
==GREYHAWK Campaign World==
The elves of Oerth resemble the standard AD&D® elves in nearly every respect. They are very much the stereotypical elf, concerned with those things most elven. Some contend that Oerth is the elven homeland, the place from which all others sprang.
Contesting this claim, however, are the existence of the grugach and the valley elves. Although these two races may be merely offshoots of sylvan elves and grey elves, respectively, they are found nowhere outside the world of Greyhawk. Were Oerth truly the elven homeland, then these two variants would be found outside it. Perhaps the true birthplace of the elves is lost in the shadows of time, or perhaps it was destroyed during the great Elfwar. Whatever the case, it is likely that Oerth is not the origin planet.
Still, the elves of Oerth tend to be "purer" in form than the elves of many other worlds. Their ideals and their goals are often closer to the AD&D standard than those of other worlds. In almost every regard, they are the average elf, save for the grugach and the valley elves.
The grugach are much like sylvan elves, living like them in the deep, pristine forests of unpopulated areas. Like sylvan elves, grugach tend to be much less civilized than their other cousins. One area in which they differ, however, is in their savagery.
While ordinary sylvan elves are ornery and unfriendly, the grugach are downright vicious. Sylvan elves resent intrusion into their lands, while grugach usually kill those who do so. Grugach cannot stand the company of any other humanoids not naturally of the forest. This includes druids and other elves, although it does not apply to nymphs or dryads.
On the other hand, they possess a close kinship with the animals of the woodlands, often dealing with them more equally than with humanoids. The grugach's attitude of brutality for all outsiders is well known. Their hatred carries far into the realm of violence. The grugach generally use traps and snares to capture outsiders who approach too closely to their camp. These traps become more and more cruel the closer one nears such a camp.
The other subrace of elf in the world of Greyhawk is the valley elf. Their name is derived from their home in the Valley of the Mage. As servants or allies to the Mage, they protect the land in exchange for the Mage's ability to protect them from outside threats.
The Mage has, many believe, set up a network of valley elf spies to protect the land and raid nearby powers. Since valley elves are roughly the same height as humans, they can usually pass in disguise through human lands. Understandably, such infiltration disturbs the neighboring peoples, and they would be happy to see the valley elves eliminated.
Most other elves despise valley elves. The common elven belief is that these elves have sold out their dignity and their independence for the fleeting protection of a human wizard.
Since the elf lifespan is so much greater than humans', the elves will no doubt outlive their "protector," unless he chooses the option of becoming a lich. If this is the case, the other elves may well come and eliminate their wayward brethren. They won't stand to see more of their kind corrupted by evil. The valley elves already live under a cloud of suspicion for their tendency to follow the orders of the Mage's drow lieutenant, and becoming vassals of an undead beast would be the last straw for any right-thinking elf.
The valley elves have adapted well to the dangerous environment of the Barrier Peaks. Even before the coming of the Mage, they fended well for themselves in the perilous lands nearby. After his arrival, they became a part of the danger in the area by protecting their lord fanatically. Some say there can be few better bodyguards than zealous elves. The Mage of the Valley is well protected indeed.
==RAVENLOFT Campaign World==
There are no known elves native to the dark domains. The majority of elves found in the demiplane live in the domain of Sithicus and are originally from Krynn. Here, they are forced to remind Lord Soth of his crimes, keeping alive the memory of his heinous past. Although they do not consciously perform this service, he cannot but help recall the elves who engineered his downfall. The elves here live a tortured, cheerless existence, never knowing when Soth may choose to avenge himself for this offense.
This domain is not entirely natural, so elves feel no connection with it. The forests do not respond to their merriment, lying lifeless instead beneath their feet. The joy that elves typically feel in the forests of more natural lands is absent from Sithicus, and any happiness they might show is forced. Their lives are tortured; for this reason, elves experiment extensively with methods to escape the clutches of Soth. Thus far, few (if indeed any) have been successful.
In the other domains revealed at the time of this writing, elves and their derivatives tend to be regarded with intense suspicion. The people of Ravenloft are usually very human and inherently superstitious. Anything that does not fit with their carefully structured beliefs is an object of fear and hate. Only warily will elves ever be accepted by these folk, and even then they will be distrusted.
Most undisguised elves in Ravenloft are hunted by frightened citizens. After a few attempted lynchings, any elf worth his bow will understand the need for disguise while traveling in the dark lands. Thus, any elves who might be journeying through these realms will not be readily apparent, although they will typically offer aid to a fellow elf in danger. Since undead radiate no heat, elves can spot imposters easily at night . . . which comes all too frequently in Ravenloft.
==SPELLJAMMER Campaign World==
Those elves who travel through wildspace and the phlogiston consider themselves the quintessential breed of elf, for they are the link between elves throughout known space. Because elves do not typically attain higher levels in magic, they are not as apt to construct planar travel devices. Thus, they rely on the Elven Imperial Navy to keep contact between the scattered settlements across the worlds. Paradoxically, it may be for lack of magical power that the elves are currently one of the strongest forces in space.
Some say that these descendants of the nomadic high elves have developed cloaking technology for their ships, allowing them to discreetly observe potential trouble spots. Further, rumor holds that there is a sizable fleet located at the Rock of Bral, hidden within the bowels of the asteroid with the consent of Prince Andru. It is well known that the elves have an embassy located on the Rock, for it is an important location in wildspace. Thus, any elf spelljammers can report directly to the Elven Imperial Navy at the Rock.
The Elven Imperial Navy travels to each of the major elf nations on each planet where elves are known to hold power. They carry news from other elf nations and offer assistance to the various rulers. Fortunately, they recognize each monarch as sovereign in their own nation, so there is little friction between spacebound elves and groundlings.
The assistance they offer is usually in the form of advice as the spelljammers do not like to make their presence known to the average inhabitants of a planet. Occasionally, they will offer something a bit more substantial, but this will generally only be in an emergency. In return for this help, they expect that the beneficiary will provide aid for the lesser elf nations in an area.
Some say that the Elven Imperial Navy also protects the elf homeworld. They claim that they are a naturally occurring race throughout the spheres, united in a common bond with the universe. Others point to the obvious similarities between elves on so many different worlds. These folk claim that the elves sprang from one world to spread across the spheres.
If it were true that the elves did originate from one world, it should come as no surprise that they deny it. Having seen what other races have done to their worlds and how many of these worlds are now obliterated, the elves would naturally want to make sure that none of these races would discover and then destroy the elf homeworld.
Conversely, another theory states that elves only learned to live in harmony with their new worlds through the destruction of their original home. This, the critics claim, is the elven shame, and they hide the planet because they don't wish it known that they weren't always as insufferably perfect as they are now.
It is due to the elves that so much of traveled space is relatively safe for good-aligned folk. The elves drove the orcish races from the known spheres in the Inhuman Wars, crushing their fleets almost entirely. Although the goblinoids have vowed revenge, the elves are not overly worried. If they did it once, they can do it again. This sentiment, of course, occurred prior to the Second Inhuman War.
The events leading up to the destruction of the goblinoid fleets stem from another debate, much like the one which prompted the move of the elves of Toril to Evermeet. This debate, too, took several hundred years from beginning to completion but, once decided, the doom of the goblinoids was sealed. With relentless precision and determination, the elves ensured that the goblin races would pose no threat for some time to come.
Because of their power and dominance of many spheres, the elves have grown arrogant. They have appointed themselves the police force of space and often decide to extend their jurisdiction to planet surfaces. Sometimes, it seems, the spelljamming elves embody all that is worst in the elf race. They use their age as power, claiming experience and wisdom beyond that held by others. They are haughty, hardly deigning to speak to "inferiors." They often interact with other races only when they suspect the other race of wrongdoing or conspiracy. The actions of these spelljamming elves contribute to, or even cause, the negative view of elves that many races hold.
Elven spelljamming ships are organically grown, bred for aesthetic beauty and functionality in wildspace. Thus, they are easily recognizable, as are those stolen from the elven gardens. The rejects are often violently colored monstrosities and are visible for long distances.
Elves from all worlds can be found in space, although it is typically only the grey and high elves (or their equivalents) who travel by spelljamming. Aquatic elves cannot leave their watery homes, and wood elves hate to be parted from their forests for even a short while. Drow cannot abide the light of the stars at such close range. (For that matter, drow can easily travel to other places by extraplanar means and so have no need to endure the brightness of space.)
In the middle of the Second Inhuman Wars, elves are finding that they have been too lax too long. Their inability to change at the same rapid pace as other races is leading to their downfall at goblinoid hands. The elves see their "empire" crumbling around their pointy ears. They have become just another spacefaring race rather than the feared power they had been for so long.