Aquatic Elves (SofS)

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Alu'Tel'Quessir, sea elves, water elves
Aquatic elves have been a major race within the waters of Serôs since the time of the Crown Wars, though a small population of elves had been present before then. Only with the destruction of southern surface elf kingdoms by fire did many elves flee into the Inner Sea for safety. While all elves are seen as aloof by most surface-dwellers, sea elves are viewed as skittish, paranoid creatures afraid to leave the water. While that is hardly the case, sea elves rarely take the time to educate land-dwellers.
==Physical Characteristics==
There are no great physiological differences between the Alu'Tel'Quessir of Serôs and those of the Outer Sea. There are, however, other cosmetic differences between the sea elf races, and these are noted below. In all other details, sea elves are very much like their surface cousins.
Skin: Blue with patches of white; rare: ivory skin with blue highlights.
Hair: Black, blue, silver-white; rare: red
Eyes: White, black, blue, green; rare: silver
Hands/Feet: As an elf, but webbed Size: As standard elf
==Psychology==
Isolated by their physical nature from other Tel'Quessir, aquatic elves simply want to protect their homes, wherever they may be. Aquatic elves trust only themselves and their clans, even though they share many strong bonds of culture and history with their fellow elves.
Still, they cannot understand why the surface elves cannot see the truth all sea elves know: Alliance and community means survival, while factionalism and arrogance mean death. As for their attitudes among the other sea races, they are as woefully standoffish as their surface counterparts, save when it serves the elves to have allies and trade partners. After the Twelfth Serôs War, however, the Alu'Tel'Quessir of Naramyr have drawn up trade and social alliances with Myth Nantar, signaling some begrudging acceptance of other races (at least in elves of that nation).
==Social Characteristics==
While there are some distant connections between the sea elves of Serôs and the ruling class of elves in Evermeet, they are of little practical consideration for day-to-day governing. Aquatic elves form loose feudal societies of nobility with a servant class. Rule is assumed by the nobility, and all social conventions follows a patriarchal structure for inheritance and the transfers of power.
While women still wield considerable influence among aquatic elves (primarily among the wizards and clerics), the bulk of the political power still falls solely into the hands of the eldest male child.
==Notes==
The Alu'Tel'Quessir, like all elves on Toril, are immigrants. They have settled among the shallow waters of Serôs, and over the millennia have lived in nearly every area of the Inner Sea. While they seemed to abandon the Inner Sea until a few years ago, the sea elves that once had ties to Semberholme in Cormanthyr merely returned to the central sea and avoided much contact with the surface.
Currently, the major colonies of sea elves are in Naramyr and Selu'Maraar (in the Dragonmere and Dragon Reach areas, respectively), the Sharksbane Wall garrisons east of the mouth of the Vilhon Reach and west of the Alamber, Faenasuor on the continental slopes east of Starmantle, and in a number of small villages among the reefs off the Fang of western Aglarond.
==AD&D Game Characteristics==
Treat as standard elves, though the +1 bonus for longsword attacks applies to either a trident or a spear for each sea elf PC.
Classes Allowed (Level Limits): Fighter (12), Ranger (15), Mage (15), Dukar (U), Cleric (12), Priest (12). Multiclass Options Allowed: Fighter/Mage, Cleric/Ranger, Cleric/Mage.
Ability Adjustments: +1 Dexterity, -1 Constitution.
Maximum Dexterity of 19; maximum Strength 18.
Preferred Armor and Weapons: One piece of silverweave armor (armored leggings most common) if at all; tridents, spears, nets.
==Half-breeds==
It is possible for humans to procreate with sea elves and create half-elves. However, sea half-elves are rarer than even malenti in Serôs. If a player desires to play one, the character has certain strictures and limitations:
* Half-sea-elves gain the ability to breathe water as well as air at birth.
* The character is raised in either the human or sea elf culture that spawned it. Thus, the character reacts either as a human or as a sea elf.
* Their submerged eyesight is only half as effective as a normal sea elf, though they can withstand greater depths due to their sturdier half-human bodies (750- foot limit).
* The sea half-elf can become any class available to the regular half-elf, regardless of where he is raised: Fighter (14), Ranger (16), Cleric (14), Mage/Wizard (12), Thief (12), Bard (U).
* Sea half-elves take only one month, rather than three, to acclimate fully to undersea life (speech, combat, movement, etc) if this is not the habitat in which they grew up.
* In ability and game statistics, treat these as standard half-elves with all adjustments as noted above and as needed for undersea.
Category:Sea of Fallen Stars