Sand Elves

**Sand Elves** are a subrace of Elves native to the continent of Halintar, believed to have been created by the Dragon-God Dinante within the dunes of the Northeastern Badlands.

These Halintarian elves have a close-knit society, united by a deep respect for the dunes and oases of the desert they come from. Unlike most of their Elven kin, they aren’t as hostile to outsiders, welcoming changes as the shifting dunes do. Sand Elves believe that they must be as flowing and graceful as the sands themselves, but also remain strict as the merciless sun to keep their society from falling apart.

## Physical Features

Sand elves have olive to umber complexions, matching the hues of the deserts that they’ve lived in for all known history. Typically they are slightly taller than the standard human, averaging at about 6 feet tall. Sand elves have an average lifespan of up to 200 years, with the oldest recorded sand elf being ~270 years old. One notable trait about sand elves is their horns, which are dull brass spikes that curve outwards and upwards from their forehead. The standard procedure for horns is to file them down and polish them, making them look like brass buttons. Horns that are allowed to grow out are considered unkempt and homely; it’s common for banished elves to have long, unpolished horns, as either a sign of homelessness or rebellion against the rest of Elven society.

Elven hair color ranges from white to black with the occasional brown. Though they usually have longer hair, it can tend to get in the way of their work- ponytails and rough buns are popular styles that keep the locks out of the way. Their ears are shorter and wider than high elves, but still remain long enough to be in danger of being damaged by the shifting sands- to protect them, they wear gauze or helmets that shield against the harsh desert winds. Typical clothing is baggy and varies by family, but when performing vigilante work they like to wear elaborate, over-the-top garments. The exiled elves of the south almost always paint (or brand, if they’re certified criminals) markings on their faces and upper torsos to intimidate races they find lower then them, such as goblins and merfolk.

## Culture

To survive and thrive in the Badlands, sand elves have a survival of the fittest mindset- If you don’t do your part to care for your family and your work, you might as well be dead. Those who go above and beyond in their endeavors grow bonds amongst the other sand elves even stronger than familial ones.

### The Trial

When an adolescent reaches adulthood, they must first pass a trial imposed by their parents to become part of society. This normally involves the hunting of wurms, universally hated beasts that the sand elves despise due to their destructive nature and disgraceful mockery of the dragons. If a young elf can pacify or destroy the animal, they’ve become an adult in the eyes of their fellow elves. While some cases occur where other rites of passage are given, such as explorations and pilgrimages, the hunting of the wurms is the most common. Despite how difficult this task sounds, the average number of youths that surpass the rite of passage outnumber the failures 100 to 1.

#### *Exile*

Young elves that do not meet this rite of passage are expelled from their families and sent out to face the harsher wastes of the south. The exiled elves that manage to survive in the southern deserts don’t grow up to be hunters or artisans, but instead become assassins or mercenaries. The exiles intermingle with the larger populations of humans and orcs, leading to more inter-species relations and the birth of elf-orcs and half-elves. While this society is much more relaxed in it’s traditions, it’s also more ruthless and apathetic towards personal struggle.

After the rite of passage, there are still many ways an elf could be exiled. Criminal behavior such as stealing, vandalism, and murder lead to immediate exile regardless of familial status. The rest of the elf’s family is dishonored and lowered in caste level- a plague upon the social state of the family itself. Some consider banishment a fate worse than death, and some families will all exile themselves as a result of one of their own being banished.

### Festival of Heroes

On a lighter note, sand elves highly value action and acts of heroism are encouraged. In fact, many sand elves consider themselves heroes, crafting complex alternate personas and costumes for their episodes of vigilante-ism. They use their everyday skills to uphold their ideals and help defend against “evils”- sometimes thieves and bandits, sometimes merely hired actors. The southern exiles reflect a more theatrical, villainous side (even when they aren’t truly immoral), but also have the habit of utilizing their everyday skills and colorful outfits. Once a year the northern and southern elves call a truce and meet to host a great festival of heroes and villains, conducting mock battles and enabling them to see their exiled loved ones for a short time. This can be a joyous or solemn event for split families, as it either lets them see their loved ones or lets them know that they’ve perished or no longer care for them.

## Playing a Sand Elf

As a proud sand elf of Halintar, you have ancestral instincts that have enabled your kind to live prosperously in the desert for thousands of years. Sand elves have thick skin and a strong sense of self-preservation, but also have a deep-rooted sense of community among one another and a knack for teamwork. As mentioned earlier, sand elves have olive to umber skin tones and hair that ranges from white to black, with the occasional brown-haired beauty. Most sand elves take care to file down and polish their horns, while exiles grown them long and unkempt. Eye colors vary as much as desert glass, though it’s most common to see golden brown hues that match the elf’s polished horn color.

**Ability Score Increase.** All elves are known for being dexterous- but sand elves in particular are also heartier than others. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Constitution increases by 1.

**Age.** Though elves reach maturity at about the same age as humans, their lifespan is doubled. A sand elf claims adulthood after facing their rite of passage, regardless of whether or not they passed it. Sand elves usually live an average of 200 years.

**Alignment.** Because of the sporadic nature of the desert, sand elves lean towards more chaotic alignments- it’s easier to shift about and do what one believes is best, rather than planting laws that will soon be buried by the dunes. Because of their history, they also adore heroics and vigilantism is highly admired. Exiled elves are more varied in their standard alignments, though they still typically have distaste towards anything that pins down their freedom.

**Size.** Sand elves are taller than humans but smaller than orcs and merfolk; the average range is 6 to 7 feet tall, with slender builds. Your size is Medium.

**Speed.** To survive in the desert a sand elf has to be quick on their feet. Your base walking speed is 35 feet, and difficult desert terrain doesn’t slow you.

**Darkvision.** It’s easier to embrace the cold desert nights than the sweltering heat of the day. Sand elves have evolved to see clearly at night even on moonless nights. 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 grey.

**Keen Senses.** You have proficiency in the Perception skill. What do your elf eyes see?

**Fey Ancestry.** The Book of Ages details how Dinante bargained with the realm of the Fey to obtain royal blood to create the sand elves with. Because of this heritage, you have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

**Trance.** Elves don’t sleep- instead, they meditate deeply, or go into a “trance”. Four hours spent in a trance are equivalent to 8 hours of sleep. You can also dream while in a trance, though they are more like mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice.

**Languages.** Sand elves may be tight knit, but they’re also very inclusive of other species. They can typically speak, read and write both Common and Elvish. The sand elf dialect of elvish is rich and boldly poetic, and their literature and music reflects this. Bards will come to Mouyeaf just to be taught the sand elf variation of Elvish, so they may sing their ballads with the accuracy and grace that the natives have.

**Desert Weapon Training.** You have proficiency in martial weapons. Sand elves favor shortbows and scimitars due to the ability to use them while mounted, and many carry staffs that they can use as both a focus for magic use and a means of self defense.

**Heat Endurance.** Extreme heat is nothing new for a sand elf. +5 racial bonus to Fortitude checks resisting the effects of hot weather, and to Survival checks while in the desert.

**Beast Tamers.** Sand elves rely on the usage of animals like camels and elephants to carry large loads throughout the Badlands. +2 racial bonuses to Animal Handling and Knowledge(Nature) regarding desert beasts.

**Masters of the Sands.** All sand elves are one with the desert, and because of their aptitude for magic they can control the sands as they please. All sand elves have the Control Sand cantrip.