Elves are tall, slender humanoids (determine height normally and add 3”; weight is 10 pounds less than normal). They have large eyes and angular but beautiful features. Males have little body hair, and very seldom sport facial hair. Their hair can be any color found in humanity, with golden and silver predominating, usually worn long. The tresses of Elven women often reach the ground. Elvish eyes are normally gold or blue, and their complexions are pale. Their clothing is flattering and finely made (usually from soft leather or strong silk).
Behold one shall be the glory of the Wilderlands and the other shall inherit the Wilderlands
- the voice of the One as he revealed the children races
The One created the Elves to be the glory of the Wilderlands. An Elf has all what a living sentient being can possess in full flower. In his deepest soul an elf feels the need to glorify the Wilderlands and show the beauty it possesses. Anything that threatens or desecrates the Wilderlands is an enemy of the elves. The elves were the first to develop culture, language, art, and philosophy. They became the models and teachers for the inheritors who were the second of the children races.
Although many mighty heroes of old were elves, for the most part they are a peaceful and reclusive folk. They love beauty and nature, song and dance. Their immortality gives them the patience to craft works that surpass all others. Everything they create from mundane household items to mighty items of magic are both beautiful and durable.
It is point of honor among elves that while crafting they choose the way that most glorifies the materials that make up the object. A elven crafted silk gown is not just beautiful in it’s own right but it echoes the beauty and colors of the moths that the caterpillars, who spin the silk, will turn into. A wooden spoon will convey the strength and the delicate leaves of the tree it came from.
An elf will not let any others of the children races despoil the Wilderlands. They have a great love of nature and will protect the plants and animal within it from harm. They will also protect the innocents of the other children races from those who would prey on them.
Many take the concern that Elves have for beauty and serenity as a sign of weakness – this is a dangerous misconception. The Elves have also studied the art of battle and war and will defend themselves and the land. The Elves can be defeated but all attempts at conquest and enslavement have failed.
Their music and dance is without equal among the other children races. It is said that there are songs among them created just for the One himself and if any of the other children races heard them they would be slain instantly by their beauty.
They honor the One and the High Lord Ptah as his highest servant. Silvanus is their favorite and they consider him the elf-friend. Unlike the other children races they do not worship the gods. But consider them lords and a source of great wisdom. Their worship is reserved solely for the One who is the creator of all.
The elves were the first of the two children races to awaken. Ptah perceived their coming and sent Silvanus to guide them to Xanadu, the city the Lords created for the children races. In Xanadu Silvanus gathered the elves around the first tree and taught them the ways of language, crafts, and of magic. It is said that the wonders created by the elves during that time was without compare and was never equaled since.
In the fullness of time Man, the second of the children races awoke. Again Ptah perceived their coming and sent Silvanus to gather them to Xanadu. The first voices that Mankind heard upon entering Xanadu, was the welcoming song of the elves. Ptah charged the Silvanus and the Elves to teach Man.
Time weighed heavily on men and they aged and died. Many were impatient with the way they were being taught and often tried things before learning them fully. Many of the Lords and Elves felt that the rash actions of Man marred the Wilderlands and they complained to Silvanus and Ptah. Ptah answered
It is not your place to judge. You are the teacher and the example for man. Execute your charge wisely for it is said that Man will inherit the Wilderlands in all it’s glory.
This was not what they wanted to hear. Many of the them thought that there was something wrong and continued to question the will of Ptah and Silvanus. Soon there was those who said;
Why it is Man who is to inherit? He ruins and mars the Wilderlands. Ptah and Silvanus must have mistaken the will of the One.
Soon ;
Ptah and Silvanus have corrupted the word of the One. They have lied to us for the One would not have created such a ignoble creature to inherit. They must have concealed the truth from us. They are jealous of us and created man as a pale shadow to deceive. We must strike back before the wilderlands suffers anymore.
The dark elves and the rebel lords plotted in secrets, they learned all they could of magic and the secrets of the Wilderlands. Then they rose in revolt and overthrew Ptah and the lords loyal to him. They destroyed the city of Xanadu and enslaved Man. The surviving Lords and loyal elves fled into the wilderness where they hid.
The dark lords and dark elves, now named demon, altered man to make him into their servant. Orcs, Dwarves, Centaurs, Minotaurs, Lizardmen, Reptile Men, Serpant men, Gnomes, and Halfling all arose from the demon’s horrible experiments. The Ptah and those loyal to him haven’t forgotten man and in secret they worked against the demons.
A hundred generations of Man lived in Xanadu, a hundred generations of Man lived while the Demons overthrew the Lords, a hundred generations of Man lived under the rule of the Demons, and a hundred generation of Man lived while the Lords overthrew the Demons. The Uttermost Wars was long and hard fought but the remaining Demons made their stand on the island of Tiranog. Then Ptah made the Chromatic Crystal and the remaining lords used it to make the nine crystals to imprison the demons forever.
After the Uttermost Wars, the Wilderlands were devastated and destroyed. Those of the children races that were freed from slavery reverted to barbarism. Those who served in the armies of the Lords tried to stem the rising tide of barbarism, but they were soon deluged and lost their civilization and only retained the memories of their Lord or Lady. Only those of the children races that resided in the safe-holds established by the Lords retained any of the pre-war civilization. Led by the Loyal Elves they founded the first civilization to rise after the Uttermost War, on the banks of the Greatflood river in the north. Known as the Founder's Empire they formed a society that was in peace for over two thousand years.
The Founders Empire respected all the Gods and gave special reverence to Ptah as the creator, but of all the Gods they loved Silvanus the most and held the greatest festivals in honor of him. Silvanus convinced Ptah of the good the Empire was doing and of the leadership the Elves were giving. Ptah granted to Silvanos the King of the Elves, First Lord of the Empire; guardianship of the Crystal of the Chromatic Flame. The Crystal of the Chromatic Flame was the master crystal controlled the other nine imprisoning the demons on Tirnanog.
After two thousand years, the Orcs, expanding from their home on the Padizan Peninsula, starting raiding the southern borders of the Empire. Mobilizing and using arms not touched for hundreds of years, the elves, halflings, gnomes, humans, and dwarves of the Empire fought the orcs valiantly.
But the orcs steadily increased their raid and migrated to the north and west of the Empire. The Empire was besieged on all sides save the east, which was the sea. Of all the races, the dwarves did the best against the orcs and had the most successes. The other races, except the elves, began to look to the dwarves for guidance in the Orc Wars. More and more the dwarves gave respect to those who practiced the craft of the war well, and the hammers turned from the making of tools and plowshares to the making of swords.
As the Orc War steadily moved on, friction arose between the Dwarves and Elves; the Dwarves felt the Elves did not do enough for the War, and the Elves felt the Dwarves have strayed to far from the teaching of Silvanus.
One day, Silvanos, First Lord of the Empire, was slain by a arrow while leading a raid against the Orcs. Silvanos son, Sithel, became the King of the Elves. Sithas summoned the Founders Council to Alarniel, where the court of Silvanos was held.
At the Council Sithel said:
We are gathered here, to mourn the loss of my father, Silvanos. In his person he united us with one common bond, the bond of the Empire. Together we have forged a peace of two thousand years and now together we fend off the incursions of the Orcs to keep all of our lands in peace. I hope to serve you as First Lord as well as my father did and continue the common bond that unites us.
With a rage, King Kollodorin of Dwarfdwarrow, shouted
Hold ELF! Who made you First Lord? Silvanos was a fine First Lord, I will be the first one to admit that. But do we need a Elf to lord again, in these trying times? Nay, I offer myself as First Lord, together this Empire can destroy the orcs once and for all!
With that, the council lapsed into bickering and arguing for hours. Neither Sithel or Kollodorin could come to an agreement and with the council evenly divided no decision could be made. After the tenth day of debate, Kollodorin left the Council chamber:
When the annals of this day, shall be written Sithel. They will mark you as having caused the fall of your father's empire. I will give you a choice, either acknowledge me as First Lord and Keeper of the Crystal, or feel your father's city trod underfoot by my dwarves iron shoes.
Kollodorin went home and gathered his army and his allies and marched to Alarniel. Sithel and his allies gathered to defend Silvanos's city. The battle the followed was known forevermore as the Battle of Sorrows; Alarniel was destroyed and Sithel was forced to retreat losing the crystal to Kollodorin. The years of sorrow that follows were known as the Crystal wars and all of the lands of the Empire were laded to waste and the borderlands inhabited by orcs.
The Crystal Wars sicken the elves and when the last war ended with the shattering and the loss of the Chromatic Crystal they sundered into three hosts. The first known as the Grey Elves wished no longer to deal with others of the Children races and departed for the far south. The second was known as the High Elves and wished to try to rebuild the founder’s empire and sailed south to the eastern shores of the Padizan Peninsula. The Third were known as the Wood Elves, and decided to stay in the North and heal the hurt the Crystal Wars caused the land.