Elves

## Look

Elegant, subtle, embroidered robes, perfect features, pointy ears, they enjoy delicate architecture and carefully symmetrical formal gardens. 6-7 feet tall, usually slender. PC's may only play elves up to 300 years old. Elves in general are rumoured to be immortal, although you would be hard pressed to find an elf born over 2000 years ago. The Emperor is claimed to have been the original ruler of the elven empire 6000 years ago.

## Structure

Most elves live in their city in the centre of the elven kingdom. They are all wealthy and powerful, the last remains of an empire that used to rule the whole continent, and have human servants. Elves are ruled by the Emperor, and have a rigid hierarchy of nobles. Individual elven families are very nuclear.

## Politics

A long time ago, a small human kingdom may have been subsumed by the elves. At any rate, after the elves long slave-taking past, humans remain all over Wyrmsfell (which was once all owned by the elves). Peasants (mostly human) now provide for the elves as employed servants and through taxes. The human separatists, lead by the boy-king Gordon, have officially declared war on the elves, who have largely ignored them in response.

The elves are major stakeholders in the treaty of the continent and the order of the granite citadel.

## Habits and culture

There are only 500 or so elves left now, but they live a long time. Living with the same few hundred people for hundreds of years has lead them to develop an extensive etiquette system. They dabble in many art forms, poetry and music being favourites. War is also considered an art. Everything from the architecture to the food in their capital is beautiful, restrained, and the best money can buy. Elves prefer the starlight, and are largely nocturnal. While the older elves enjoy drinking wine and writing poetry, the younger elves can be more flighty, live faster paced lives, and sometimes go out to explore.

## History

The elven empire founded in Wyrmsfell around 6000 years ago. A thousand years later they started taking slaves, and a thousand and a half years after that Beej stole the secret of magic from them, and many slaves broke away (thus ended their golden age). The dragons returned, and the elves fought them. This contributed to their serious decline around 2000 years ago. At this point the dwarves took over the fight against the dragons and a little while later the Orcs stole the Light of Summer, the navy flagship.

## Race moves

Passive: When you insult another elf using elven etiquette, it’s devastating. Note: Elves talk.

*Note for GMs: if you use it on a PC Elf, they have to defy danger.*

 Pick one:

* Noble: 500 gold and undeserved self pride
* Been around: (port in a storm - how a thing has changed)
* Elven lore: Choose an area of expertise: When you first encounter an important creature, location, or item (your call) covered by your elven lore you can ask the GM any one question about it; the GM will answer truthfully. The GM may then ask you what tale, song, or legend you heard that information in.

Example areas of expertise:

* Spells and Magicks
* The Dead and Undead
* Grand Histories of the Known World
* A Bestiary of Creatures Unusual
* The Planar Spheres
* Legends of Heroes Past
* Gods and Their Servants