Elf

Elves are strong, slender demi-humans native to woodlands and shaded forests. They avoid the provincial oafs of the younger races, with their bumbling war-making and crude superstitions. Against the noisy backdrop of their empires rising, falling, and rising again, elven magical enclaves advance the study of arts and crafts millennia in the making.

Elves live for more than a thousand years in small cities of like-minded individuals. Reproducing and maturing slowly, and likewise studying and practicing with great patience over many years, each elf masters his chosen area of expertise at a level of competency no man can hope to achieve. Those elves who study the martial or magical arts may find themselves in search of an arcane relic, a divine token, or a legendary weapon. These seekers comprise the rare elven adventurers encountered by humans.

Elves divide their race into castes not always evident to outsiders, each speaking specific sub-dialects of a common, ancient tongue. There are forest elves and plains-dwelling elves, snow elves and a fallen race of grey-skinned dark elves shuns the glare of sunlight.

Elven longevity, combined with their skill with magic, has created many legends about their racial roots. Whether elves really have traffic with demons and gods is for them to know and the other races to discover.

Elves can cast spells as wizards do. An elf of the same power level as a human wizard also has many decades of combat experience. As such, elves typically cast their spells just as competently as human wizards and also have martial skills.

## Abilities

### Weapon Training

An elf is trained in the use of the dagger, javelin, longbow, longsword, shortbow, short sword, staff, spear, and two-handed sword. Elves often wear armor of mithril, even though it affects their spellcasting.

Because of their sensitivity to iron, elves are trained from an early age with mithril weapons. Before they depart on a life of adventure, they acquire mithril equipment. Mithril armor weighs slightly less than iron or steel armor of the same type and can be worn by the elf without the pain normally associated with metal armors.

### Alignment

With their multicentenarian lifespan and proclivity for observation over action, elves tend toward chaotic and neutral alignments. Because they outlive many institutions of authority, elves are not often of lawful alignments.

### Magic

Elves practice arcane magic sustained by traffic with otherworldly creatures. As elf magic comes more from a natural affinity for spellcasting rather than intense studying, they learn new spells slower, only gaining new spells half as often as wizards. Most elves (but not all) know how to cast True Shot.

More so than human wizards, they form relationships with specific demi-beings and can directly request aid from beyond. Where a human wizard may cast a spell to summon a demon a few times in his life, an elf may converse repeatedly with the same demon so many times over so many centuries that long-term arrangements become feasible. All elves have one or more extraplanar patrons, especially from Faerie, who sustain their magic. As such, their spells tend more toward those associated with elemental or demonic powers.

### Immunities

Elves are immune to magical sleep and paralysis.

### Vulnerabilities

Elves are extremely sensitive to the touch of iron. Direct contact over prolonged periods causes a burning sensation, and exposure at close distances makes them uncomfortable. An elf may not wear iron armor or bear the touch of iron weapons for extended periods.