Elf

> "*The high elves are among the oldest of the mortal races in Celadir, their origins go as far back as the first era and perhaps even before then. They are known for their beauty and their grace but hardly for their civility. Very few have ever seen their cities or been permitted into their lands. Even their own progeny, the half eves, aren't allowed. I once had the honor to visit one of their cities on my travels, what I witnessed was breath taking. The city itself was falling to ruin, portions of it left uninhabited. Despite the neglect and ravages of time the grandeur was still there. A legacy tracing back millennia, I could see the roots of nearly every culture tracing back to the designs of the elves. Everywhere I go has been shaped by elves, either to imitate what ancients perceived as perfection, or in contrasting rebellion to it. The high elves are a dying breed, with very few left in our world now and where they are going is unknown. What I do know is that through us their mark will remain on this world long after the hand to make it has crumbled to dust.*"
> ― Extract from "Sails and Shores", Famed Travelogue of Joan the Kor-Naman
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The **High elves**, or as they consider themselves, **True elves**, are a magical people of otherworldly grace, living in the world but not entirely part of it. They live in places of ethereal beauty, in the midst of ancient forests or in ancient cities. Elves love nature and magic, art and artistry, music and poetry, and the good things of the world.

## A rare sight

With their unearthly grace and fine features, elves appear hauntingly beautiful to humans and members of many other races; this haunting beauty is enhanced by their constantly dwindling numbers. The high elves are a dying race, most have left the material planes while others have decided to settle in the world. To most the high elves are already dead, the only remnants of them being the half-elf race, their bastard legacy.

They are slightly shorter than humans on average, ranging from well under 5 feet tall to just over 6 feet. They are more slender than humans, weighing only 100 to 145 pounds. Males and females are about the same height, and males are only marginally heavier than females.

Elves’ coloration encompasses the normal human range and also includes skin in shades of copper, bronze, and almost bluish-white, hair of green or blue, and eyes like pools of liquid gold or silver. Elves have no facial and little body hair. They favor elegant clothing in bright colors, and they enjoy simple yet lovely jewelry.

## A Timeless Perspective

Elves can live well over 700 years, giving them a broad perspective on events that might trouble the shorter-lived races more deeply. They are more often amused than excited, and more likely to be curious than greedy. They tend to remain aloof and unfazed by petty happenstance. When pursuing a goal, however, whether adventuring on a mission or learning a new skill or art, elves can be focused and relentless. They are slow to make friends and enemies, and even slower to forget them. They reply to petty insults with disdain and to serious insults with vengeance.

Like the branches of a young tree, elves are flexible in the face of danger. They trust in diplomacy and compromise to resolve differences before they escalate to violence. They have been known to retreat from intrusions into their woodland homes, confident that they can simply wait the invaders out. But when the need arises, elves reveal a stern martial side, demonstrating skill with sword, bow, and strategy.

## Hidden Woodland Realms

Most elves dwell in small forest villages hidden among the trees. Elves hunt game, gather food, and grow vegetables, and their skill and magic allow them to support themselves without the need for clearing and plowing land. They are talented artisans, crafting finely worked clothes and art objects. Their contact with outsiders is usually limited, though a few elves make a good living by trading crafted items for metals (which they have no interest in mining).

Elves encountered outside their own lands are commonly traveling minstrels, artists, or sages. Human nobles compete for the services of elf instructors to teach swordplay or magic to their children.

## Exploration and Adventure

Elves take up adventuring out of wanderlust. Since they are so long-lived, they can enjoy centuries of exploration and discovery. They dislike the pace of human society, which is regimented from day to day but constantly changing over decades, so they find careers that let them travel freely and set their own pace. Elves also enjoy exercising their martial prowess or gaining greater magical power, and adventuring allows them to do so. Some might join with rebels fighting against oppression, and others might become champions of moral causes.

## Traits

### Keen Senses

You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

### Fey Ancestry

You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

### Trance

Elves don’t need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is “trance.”) While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.