Elves, or "shaeline" in their native tongue, are an ethereal race of humanoids created by the goddess Namarie out of the essence of forests. They are of slight build with delicate features, long fingers, a slant to the eyes and pointed ears. They are long-lived and some of the more ignorant humans have called them "immortal." Since they are blessed with much longer lifespans, they tend to view the world around them in a much different way than the humans of Hyerune. Elves, for the most part, tend to look at the long range rather than the here and now, which the elves generally see as trivial.
It is said that the first elves were not born but rather 'cultivated' like tender seedlings from rich soil and instilled with a love of nature and the wonders of the land around them. They are typically thin of limb like the willow tree and fair of face with an almost otherworldly beauty. Some humans mistakenly call them 'faerie' though there is no fae blood in them. Their eyes are almond shaped and their ears and narrow and pointed. Elvish folklore claims that their ears were formed in this manner to allow the elves to hear the voice of their mother goddess blowing in the winds.
Elves are a long-lived race with an average life span far greated than other humanoids, though they are by no means immortal. Since they have been blessed with the gift of longevity, their physical forms tend to show fewer signs of aging. It is only the uneducated or the ignorant who believe them to be undying creatures. This is hardly the case since all living things must die. However since elves were formed from the essence of the trees, they are simply more resilient to the affects of aging.
Elven longevity also grants additional gifts that give the elves a very mystical presence. Longer life spans seem to have also have the affect of heightening the elven senses and ability to experience the world around them. These enhancements make them immune to the effects of sleep while also granting them a resistance to enchantments. They have a greater visual acuity granting them low-light vision and they move with much grace and agility. Their heightened senses allow bonuses to listen, seach and spot objects in their environment that may be missed by other beings.
Humanity sometimes grows jealous of the Shaeline since the elves seem to have received more than their fair share of blessings at the time of their creation. This increased awareness, however, is not not without its drawbacks. Like their senses, elves in general also experience emotion at a much deeped and more spiritual level. They are capable of feeling great joy bu also almost unconsolable sorrow. This difference in the way they feel and process emotion makes them seomtimes appear withdrawn or detached from the shorter-lived races. In truth it is simply the elven way to remain reserved in order to avoid being overwhelmed by emotional stimuli.
Fair Elves- The fair elves are typically 5' to 5.5' in height with thin builds, pale skin, light hair and bright eyes. They have the same statistics as the standard elf listed in the Dungeons & Dragons Players Handbook ver. 3.5.
Coast Elves- Coast elves, as the name applies, tend to favor the living conditions along coastlines near major bodies of water. Of all the elf species, the coast elf is possibly the most open to mixing with other races. They are generally seen as rather open and friendly. Coast elves are slightly larger than the standard elf averaging 5.5' to 6' in height with light brown or chestnut eye and silver or violet eyes, giving them a somewhat mystical appearance. Wizards are not as common among these elves, with more following the rogue, fighter or ranger classes. Coast elves are also the most sea-faring of the elves and shipbuilding is a favored skill.
Wood Elves- Wood elves are the most reclusive of the elven species, generally dwelling in remote regions of heavy woodlands away from other species. Some may view wood elves as being almost xenophobic as they are very distrustful of non-elves and do not look kindly on any instrusions on their territory. They are the dominate elf race in the Principality of Fairdale near the southern rim of the Rushwind Mountains. Wood elves average only 5' in height with a tan complexion, red, blonde or brown hair with green or blue eyes. Wood elves are drawn to the wizard, ranger or druid classes.
Savage Elf- A savage elf is a species of elf adapted to life in more remote wilderlands. They are particularly at home in heavy jungle or tropical rainforests. Although generally the same size as fair elves, savage elves are more stronger physically and favor the barbarian character class.
Sea Elves- An aquatic species of elf, sea elves live in tropical seas in a semi-nomadic community that follows the fish migrations throughout the year. Sea elves are able to breathe on land for short periods of time but prefer their undersea homes, only coming to land for purposes of trade. Sea elves are the small compared to their land bound cousins averaging only 4.5' to 5' in height. They have pale blue skin, blue, green or black hair and dark eyes. Sea elves are also typified with gill slits on the neck just below the jaw line and webbing between their fingers and toes. There is great emnity between the sea elves and the sahuagin.
Dark Elves- If ever a race could be stereotyped as overall evil in nature, the Dark Elves really fit the bill. The dark elves are those fallen elves that follow a demon goddess and were cursed by Namarie eons ago for their role in a civil war among the various elven races. The dark elves now must spend their lives living deep below in caverns after Namarie declared that "If the dark elves wish to follow my traitorous sister, the Queen of Shadows, let them forever live among the shadows." And so the dark elf appears as almost a reverse image of the land elves with skin as black as ebony and hair as white as snow. They are slightly smaller in stature that the fair elf but incredibly powerful nevertheless. The largest community of dark elves is said to be Morthindol, the City of Gloom several miles below the Rushwind Mountains in a lightless cavern complex.