Elves

Elves

The elves are a strange people. Long-lived, dexterous, and beautiful, they seem possessed of talents that others can only dream of. The elvish ancestral and cultural homeland is Risilia, a land comprised of three island chains spiraling towards a central island mountain. Few outsiders are permitted to enter Risilia, and fewer still choose to stay and live amongst the elves there due to the extreme difference in the elvish outlook on life.

Those descended from the elves have extremely prolonged lifespans - pure-blooded elves can live 800 years or more - so most elves take their time in every aspect of life, and those who come from this culture are taught to see the world in the same light. The elvish people find the "rushing" lifestyle of other cultures to be shallow and wasteful; they prefer to immerse themselves in each experience long enough to truly appreciate every aspect of it. When elvish people mingle with others outside of Risilia, they seldom choose a life of constant change or motion, unless a great motivation drives them to it.

## A Life of Patience

To a pure-blooded elf, time is no object, and those who immerse themselves in their culture are taught to see the world in the same light. For example, elvish artisans can spend years on a single project to complete it to the best of their ability. Students at an elvish school can spend years mastering a subject before moving on to the next. Dining at an elvish restaurant is a multi-hour affair, even for one course. The elvish language is beautiful and expressive, with many synonyms of a concept to describe all possible nuances. Their architecture is as detailed with filigree and carvings as it is grand and soaring, and elvish artists and musicians are second to none in their mastery of the meticulous techniques of their craft.

Adolescence, for the elvish people, can last 100 years as the young individual 'finds themselves'. Most elves master several crafts during their long life, as well.

## Immortal Memory

Elven souls are immortal. The elves believe that when they die, their soul is reincarnated into the body of a newborn elf. Indeed, when an elf goes into their sleep-like trance state, they are bathed in memories from the lives they have never lived.

When an elf child is in their first three decades or so, their trance exclusively contains adventurous memories of their past lives. When memories of the present life begin to filter in (known as the First Reflection), the elf can be considered an adolescent. Eventually, after an elf's first century or so, their trance yields no memories of past lives at all. This is known as their Veiling, and marks the transition to adulthood.

At some point during an elf's adulthood, they begin to again be visited by foreign memories in their trances. These are generally images of everyday life, from a past life's experience, and are often viewed by elven culture as messages from the gods, or experiences to be examined for lessons to be applied to their own lives. This experience is known as the Remembrance. For an elf in this stage of life, their thoughts turn inwards and away from worldly accomplishments. This is gradual, but inexorable; eventually the elf wants nothing more than to return to be with others of their kind, to discuss and explore the memories they have personally lived through and keep them separate from the increasing number of other-life memories. The Remembrance comes around the third or fourth century for most elves, but sooner for those who have lived very active or dangerous lives.

Elves near the age of death develop cataracts in the shape of crescents, points upwards, that appear over their pupils. This change is known as Transcendence, a clear sign that the elf should get their affairs in order.

## Time and Emotions

Elves usually have stellar memories, as they can revisit events in their trances. Their trances are quite vivid, and allow them to keep and treasure their experiences long afterwards. They also understand that everything is fleeting, and that they will likely outlive the very trees around them. Because of these things, they seldom become too emotionally invested in their surroundings, especially in material objects or structures. They do have the same capacity for emotion that other races do, but if an elf is too attached to a loss, the experience might be relived during trance for centuries to come.

## Elven Adventurers

Often elves that leave home view themselves as simple travelers. They typically seek out beautiful, exciting, or satisfying memories that they can take with them, to contribute to their Eternal Contentment after Transcendence. They tend to value the little things more than the glory or treasure that other adventurers seek.

Of course there are always exceptions; some elves are born outside of their culture, and others irrationally fear their inevitable life-changes that come with each stage of adulthood.

## Elf Traits

**Elvish Ancestral Traits**

   Although elves reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, the elven understanding of adulthood goes beyond physical growth to encompass worldly experience. An elf typically claims adulthood and an adult name around the age of 100 and can live to be 750 years old.

   (Medium) Elves range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds.

   30 ft.

   You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

    You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

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

    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.

**Elvish Cultural Traits**

   DEX +1

   Elves love freedom, variety, and self-expression, so they lean strongly toward the gentler aspects of chaos. Elven culture values other lives, but also harbors a bit of xenophobia, since other cultures do not treat the world with the same respect.

   Common, Elvish

    You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.

    You know one cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it.

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