Wood Elf

> *“Great Gabriel met with a fair lady, as graceful as light and as free as the dawn. He strayed with her into the wilding wood, and nobody saw him no more. Yes, nobody saw him no more.*” - excerpt from “Four Foolish Knights”, a popular Roylandian drinking song. This particular part is believed to be about the Wood Elves.
>
>

When the Elven Civil War began, the Elven colonists in Morrion were completely cut-off from their homeland. As other races began to rise and spread across Morrion, they were forced into the forest of Danu Celta, where they allied themselves with the tree spirits and made a home for themselves. Over time, they have evolved into a race of their own - the Wood Elves. The Wood Elves are extremely protective of Danu Celta and will eliminate any and all who they deem as a threat to it or the delicate balance of nature within.

## **Physical Description - Built for the Woods**

Completely suited for forest life, Wood Elves are natural hunters, trackers and animal handlers. They share many physical aspects with the High Elves, though with slight variations. They are typically about 6 feet in height, sometimes a bit shorter, and are very slender in build. Even though they are slender, they are still very dense and fit - being a lot stronger than their build would suggest.

Most Wood Elves have a similar skin colouration as High Elves, with a majority of their race having an ‘olive’ skin colour. There are also lighter and darker variations of skin colour though - of course. Interestingly, the skin of Wood Elves also appears to have a slight tinge of green to it - potentially an adaptation to the forest. This green is subtle and not always immediately noticeable - but one can often see a moss-coloured hue to the skin of Wood Elves if they are looking for it. Wood Elven hair is typically long, but not necessarily messy, as styling and braiding is a tradition in Wood Elven culture. Though they have little facial and body hair, like most Elves, those that do typically have fairly long and unkempt beards.

## **Mentality - Protective, Practical, and Observant**

   Like all Elves, Wood Elves are able to live for up to 1000 years, granting them a sense of incredible longevity that a majority of other races simply lack. As a result of this, Wood Elves are very in-touch with their emotions and are able to keep them in relative check. It is rare for a Wood Elf to become irrationally angry, sad, excited and so on. Some, younger races interpret this as a lack of care for other people and the world around them, but this is obviously not the case.

Wood Elves, for the most part, are incredibly protective of their homeland - the magical forest of Danu Celta. To them, the forest is a fundamentally important aspect of their being and not one that they will abandon without good reason. Trespassers are dealt with swiftly and harshly. Due to the protective attitude they have over their home, Wood Elves also usually have extremely protective attitudes over other things in their life. This could be their home, an item of sentimental value, or another person. They are also incredibly observant and are able to detect things very quickly. Some Wood Elves are also able to deduce social cues and subtle mannerisms that others might miss.

Wood Elf society values the natural balance. As a result, many of their kind are mostly vegetarian. When they do hunt, it is considered a major event and thus a hunting ritual is conducted. The prey animal, or animals, will have every part of their body used. Absolutely nothing is wasted. Due to this, Wood Elves are extremely practical. They are able to find a use for nearly anything they can get their hands on and will make sure to utilise everything they find or have to its fullest extent.

Even though Wood Elves are isolationist and protective of their forest, they have been known to interact and work with other races when the situation requires it. These allies are expected to show respect to the Wood Elf and the nature surrounding them, however, as these aspects are incredibly important to the Wood Elf. If someone disrespects these values too much or too often, the Woof Elf might simply leave.

## **Society - Isolationist Realms**

From an early age, Wood Elves are taught that Danu Celta is the heart and soul of their being. They are the forest, and the forest is them. As a result, all Wood Elf settlements can be found within the confines of Danu Celta and, technically, no other nations have successfully settled in the magical forest. Though most are not permitted within the confines of the forest, Wood Elf settlements are known to be intricate and beautiful, built around and inside large trees. In a way, Wood Elf villages resemble a series of inter-connected tree houses, though there is of course a lot more to it than that.

Wood Elves share the forest with the tree spirits, an old and valuable ally that lived in Danu Celta long before the Wood Elves did. It is this alliance that allows the Wood Elves to have such a deep connection with the natural world and, without it, it is likely that the Wood Elves would struggle living in the forest a lot more than they currently do.

Wood Elves in other lands are usually exiles or pilgrims, though not exclusively. Living in other countries, their skills as hunters, trackers, and other natural talents makes them a great boon for those living in harsher or more wild parts of the world. Indeed, if a Wood Elf is unable to return to Danu Celta, for whatever reason, they will likely flock to these wilder parts of Magnula's many frontiers.

## **Wood Elf Adventurers - Proving Their Worth**

Wood Elf adventurers are actually a lot more common than some might have you believe. The main reason for this is an old and deeply-rooted tradition in Wood Elf society. Those who wish to join the ranks of the King and Queen’s personal guards, which most Wood Elves desire, must first prove their worth. This can be done in a variety of ways but the most common is for the Wood Elf to leave the forest and return with a token of their ability. This can be a slain creature, an averted disaster, or a saved life. Once they leave, they are not permitted to return until they find a token they deem suitable. Naturally, then, many Wood Elves turn to adventuring in order to achieve this task as it is one of the most direct routes to what they need.

## **Wood Elf Names**

Similar to the High Elves, but unlike many other races, the concept of adulthood to the Wood Elves is not restricted or defined by a single number or age. Instead, they believe that adulthood comes with mental maturity. Essentially, it is a mindset. The Wood Elf naming structure is very similar to that of the High Elves. However, where High Elves fuse the first name and family name together, Wood Elves just omit family names in their entirety. Many Wood Elf names are derived from loose manipulations or interpretations of words in the Elven language - especially those that involve the natural world.

**Example Male Names -** Mohe, Nashoba, Istaqa, Alo, Wahakan.

**Example Female Names -** Yoki, Waki, Kasa, Kewanee, Howahkhan.

## **Wood Elf Traits**

Your Wood Elf character has an assortment of inborn abilities, part and parcel of Wood Elf nature.

* ***Ability Score Increase -*** your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
* ***Age -*** like all Elves, Wood Elves can live to be 1000 years old. They physically mature at the same rate as Humans do, becoming biological adults in their late teens. However Wood Elves consider adulthood to be a mental state rather than a physical one, so a Wood Elf may become an adult before or after their late teens. Typically, however, it is after.
* ***Alignment -*** a majority of Wood Elves are focused only on protecting Danu Celta, and that exclusively. Due to this they care little for the affairs of other nations or individuals, making most Wood Elves true neutral. When dealing with internal affairs, though, this might change.
* ***Size -*** Wood Elves stand at around 6 to 6 and a half feet, like all Elves. Wood Elves, though, tend to fall on the shorter side of this spectrum. Your size is Medium.
* ***Speed -*** your base walking speed is 35 feet.
* ***Darkvision -*** your heightened senses grant you superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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 colour in darkness, only shades of grey.
* ***Keen Senses -*** you have proficiency in the Perception skill.
* ***Magical Blood -*** 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.
* ***Elven Comat Training -*** you are proficient with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.
* ***Fleet of Foot -*** your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.
* ***Mask of the Wild -*** you can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, failing snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.
* ***Languages -*** you can speak, read and write Common and Elvish. Wood Elves speak in a very similar way to the High Elves. Their words are fluid and intricate. However, unlike High Elves, Wood Elves are less specific with their wording.