Elf

Created by the god Corellon, the first elves could change their physical forms at will. The elves lost this ability when Corellon exiled them from Arvandor for plotting with another elven deity named Lolth, who tried and failed to usurp Corellon’s dominion. When Lolth was cast down into the Abyss, most elves renounced her treachery and earned Corellon’s forgiveness, but that which Corellon had taken from the elves was lost forever. No longer able to shape-shift at will, the elves retreated to the Feywild, where their sorrow was deepened by that plane’s influence. Over time, wanderlust and curiosity led many of them to explore other planes of existence, including various worlds in the Material Plane. Elves have the mystical ability to take on characteristics of the environments with which they are bonded—drow to the Underdark, high elves to fey crossings in the Material Plane, and wood elves to forests. These connections grant elves access to certain kinds of magic.

Elves are blessed with long lives and long memories. From birth, they don’t sleep butinstead enter a trance when they need to rest. In this state, elves remain aware of their surroundings while immersing themselves in their own memories. What an elf remembers during this reverie depends largely on how long the elf has lived and the events that have shaped the elf’s existence.

Elves have pointed ears and tend to be light on their feet. Another common physical characteristic of elves is their lack of facial and body hair.

### ELF TRAITS

* **Creature Type:** Humanoid
* **Size:** Medium (about 5–6 feet tall)
* **Speed:** 30 feet
* **Life Span:** 750 years on average

As an Elf, you have these special traits:

* **Darkvision.** You have Darkvision with a range of 60 feet.
* **Elven Lineage.** You are part of an elven lineage that grants you supernatural abilities. Choose a lineage from the Elven Lineages table: Drow, the lineage of the Underdark; High Elf, the lineage of fey crossings and other magical locations; or Wood Elf, the lineage of primeval forests. You gain the 1st-level benefit of that lineage. Starting at 3rd level and again at 5th level, you also gain the ability to cast a Spell with this trait. Once you cast the Spell with this trait, you can’t cast that Spell with it again until you finish a Long Rest; however, you can cast the Spell using any Spell Slots you have of the appropriate level. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for the Spells you cast with this trait (choose the ability when you select the lineage).
* **Fey Ancestry.** You have Advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the Charmed Condition on yourself.
* **Keen Senses.** You have Proficiency in the Perception Skill.
* **Trance.** You don’t need to sleep, and magic can’t put you to sleep. You can finish a Long Rest in 4 hours if you spend those hours in a trancelike meditation, during which you retain consciousness.

ELVEN LINEAGES

#### ELVES OF MANY WORLDS

After leaving the Feywild, elves established deep roots on worlds throughout the multiverse. Within their respective domains, elves often use their magic and other resources to build fabulous enclaves. The subterranean cities and outposts of the drow, the gleaming towers and citadels of the high elves, and the forest sanctuaries of the wood elves are nothing short of architectural wonders, which reflect their builders’ otherworldly origins.

Drow. Known for their white hair and dusky-gray skin tones, drow typically dwell in the Underdark. Noteworthy exceptions include Drizzt Do’Urden and Jarlaxle Baenre, two drow adventurers of the Forgotten Realms who shun their subterranean homeland. Some drow societies avoid the Underdark altogether. On the world of Eberron, for example, drow dwell in gloomy rainforests and cyclopean ruins on the continent of Xen’drik.

High Elves. On some worlds, high elves refer to themselves by other names. For example, the sun elves and moon elves of Toril (the world of the Forgotten Realms setting) are high elves, as are the Silvanesti and Qualinesti of Krynn (the world of Dragonlance) and the Aereni of Eberron.

Wood Elves. Wood elves are known across the multiverse by many other names, including wild elves, green elves, and forest elves. Grugach are reclusive wood elves on Oerth (the world of the Greyhawk setting), while the Kagonesti and the Tairnadal are wood elves of Krynn and Eberron, respectively