Elves & Mage-borne Elves

Elves
The Elven race has long been hidden in their Kingdom, walled in by miles of the Aonaran Forest, protected by its thick reaches, disorientating mists and seemingly endless miles. In the past their reach may have been further but in recent times their society has become removed from the rest of Etherworld.

Their culture is uniquely their own and little is known about them outside of their cities, built into ancient trees along the mountain range. It is said their history is carved into the boughs, added by historians with each new King, war or major event.

They have a Kingship, the rule being passed through the first born and built on arranged marriages, households vying for power and status courting the Royal family until the crown is ready to be passed down. Because the Royal line is built on arranged marriages there is a good deal of infidelity in the royal line, though this is not openly discussed in polite company.

Arranged Marriages are not common outside the royal line. Elves as a whole are a race built on tradition and war, almost all of their previous efforts having been against the Vampire Clans of the North. Within the city of Vedre Hiraeth all elves must go through basic military and survival training making them one of a few races to have a standing army at ready.

They do not often leave their city, when they do it is either in the name of politics, because they have run away or have been excommunicated from their society. Those leaving the city honorably bare a golden royal crest, and those that have been excommunicated are permanently marked.

Because they have fallen back into their strongholds time and again after wars and skirmishes the Elves have developed weak immune systems, leaving them open to what lies in the world beyond, and because of their tightly knit society and prejudices it’s unlikely that they will allow Elves that have lived outside their walls to marry into their families, improving their immunity.

There are pockets of Elves that live outside of the city, either bands that broke off during the wars, groups that have previously been excommunicated or moved away. They can be found in various towns outside of Vedre Hiraeth and lack a lot of the less desirable traits of their brethren, having adapted to society beyond the walls well enough with the aide of alchemists and magical healing to make up for where their immune systems lack. Though rare, if you see an elf, they are likely not from the city.

Elves are incredibly long-lived, with pointed ears that sit along their skulls, though there is a family line said to have been crossed with deamons that sports 'lop ears'.

See Also: Common Lore: Mithril, Common Lore: Vadrenfelle and Vedre Hiraeth, Vedre Hiraeth

Racial Benefits

 * Keen Sight - Elves win on a tie for Perception checks
 * Nimble - Elves are naturally quick on their feet, they get 1 bonus dodge and quick per game

Racial Detriments

 * Susceptible - Elves are a sheltered race and thus more susceptible to diseases, they lose on a tie
 * Arrogance - Elves do it best. It's hard to convince an Elf to break from tradition, or the suggestion of a fellow elf.

Costume Requirements
Elves require pointed ears, be it short points to long tips, they are usually angled backwards along the skull save for 'Lop' eared elves whose ears point outward. They enjoy fine tailored clothes with heavy embellishments and delicate jewelry, often sporting crests of their family line. They usually prefer lighter armours in the day to day, during war where they don heavy ornate platemail.

Mage-borne Elves
Elves are not inherently magical, instead relying on their agility and speed to overcome their opponents. There are splinters of family lines that have been born with the ability to perform magic, rumour has it that a sorcerer magpied into an Elven nest during the war and thus created a line of magicians.

They are not looked upon favorably by the rest of Elven society, their magic seen as a crutch in place of actual skill as well as their blood being seen as ‘impure’. The families with magic in their line are somewhat cloistered and instead focus on teaching each other, though without the vast knowledge and history of the mages in Stronghold Temerate. It’s unknown if they would be welcomed there.

Racial Benefits

 * Gifted - Mage ancestry, start with +2 Magic and 1 Spell
 * Nimble - Elves are naturally quick on their feet, they get 1 bonus dodge and quick per game

Racial Detriments

 * Susceptible - Elves are a sheltered race and thus more susceptible to diseases, they lose on a tie
 * Scorn - Elves who are able to do magic have a Mage in their bloodline and find themselves looked upon less favourably by other elves.