Elves are descendants of the Fae. They are more down to earth than the Fae themselves, but seem alien to other races such as humans and dwarves. They are one of the less common of the common races. However, they are occasionally found within the settlements of other races. Although elves are extremely varied by their subrace, they do share some common characteristics. Once they are full grown, elves do not physically age. An elf who is on their deathbed will look as young as they were when they first reached adulthood. Their souls are immortal and as such will reincarnate when they die. Elves do not sleep, they instead enter a trance where they reflect on their day or other events on their life. As they age, an elf will start to see visions of previous lives of which they previously do not remember. Where elves are found and their society vary by their subrace.

Wood elves:
Wood elves are the most common subrace of elves. They are usually found in large forests. They set up cities high up in the trees and move often. Choosing not to stay too long in one place. They are the most flight and free spirited of the elves and will typically stay out of the affairs of the other races of the world. Due to their unpredictable nature, they are very useful in battle and are prized by countries that are able to get their hands on a wood elf.

High elves:
High elves are the most down to earth of the elves, often compared to humans. They are a proud race, to the point where other races consider them arrogant. They tend to live in beautiful cities and engage with other races often. They are very skilled magic users as reflected in their architecture. High elven architecture often defy the laws of physics, built through the use of magic. High elves are fearsome mages in combat.

Drow:
The Drow are almost universally hated. They are usually born with an affinity for dark magic and usually live in the underdark. Drow are very rarely seen outside of the underdark due to their weakness to sunlight. This seclusion and affinity for necrotic magic have led to a culture very different from the surface races. A drow may see no problem necromancy. These cultural differences further fuel the distain for drow. They are not typically welcome in most surface settlements, and if they are, they are closely watched.

Eladrin:
Eladrin are the most Fae-like of the elves and have merged with the magic of the Feywilds. An Eladrin's appearance changes based on their mood and they are prone to wild mood swings, however, they may choose to change their appearance at will, taking the form of one of the seasons. The Eladrin love music and art and will often surround themselves with anything they find beautiful. An Eladrin may be seen with small trinkets tangled within their twigs. They are the rarest of the elven subraces and most people will never see one. Most Eladrin live in the Feywilds and as such do not have any settlements on the material world. They are welcome in most societies and often garner much attention when they do appear, however rare that is.

Shadar-kai:
Shadar-kai, also known as shadow fey, are a race of shadow-like fey connected to Shadowfell. They are believed to have originated as an offshoot of elves associated with the Raven Queen, although other legends of their origins exist. Unlike every other subrace of elf, a Shadar-kai will look old and frail when in their home plane of Shadowfell. However, they will still look somewhat youthful while in the material plane. The Shadar-kai are a mysterious race. They will appear on the material plane, seemingly on the hunt for something and disappear when they find whatever they were looking for. They are devoid of emotion and very rarely associate with the races of the material plane.


Elves are a magical people of otherworldly grace, living in the world but not entirely part of it. They live in places of ethereal beauty, in the midst of ancient forests or in silvery spires glittering with faerie light, where soft music drifts through the air and gentle fragrances waft on the breeze. Elves love nature and magic, art and artistry, music and poetry, and the good things of the world.


Slender and Graceful With their unearthly grace and fine features, elves appear hauntingly beautiful to humans and members of many other races. They are slightly shorter than humans on average, ranging from well under 5 feet tall to just over 6 feet. They are more slender than humans, weighing only 100 to 145 pounds. Males and females are about the same height, and males are only marginally heavier than females.


Elves’ coloration encompasses the normal human range and also includes skin in shades of copper, bronze, and almost bluish-white, hair of green or blue, and eyes like pools of liquid gold or silver. Elves have no facial and little body hair. They favor elegant clothing in bright colors, and they enjoy simple yet lovely jewelry.


A Timeless Perspective
Elves can live well over 700 years, giving them a broad perspective on events that might trouble the shorter-lived races more deeply. They are more often amused than excited, and more likely to be curious than greedy. They tend to remain aloof and unfazed by petty happenstance. When pursuing a goal, however, whether adventuring on a mission or learning a new skill or art, elves can be focused and relentless. They are slow to make friends and enemies, and even slower to forget them. They reply to petty insults with disdain and to serious insults with vengeance.

Like the branches of a young tree, elves are flexible in the face of danger. They trust in diplomacy and compromise to resolve differences before they escalate to violence. They have been known to retreat from intrusions into their woodland homes, confident that they can simply wait the invaders out. But when the need arises, elves reveal a stern martial side, demonstrating skill with sword, bow, and strategy.

Hidden Woodland Realms
Most elves dwell in small forest villages hidden among the trees. Elves hunt game, gather food, and grow vegetables, and their skill and magic allow them to support themselves without the need for clearing and plowing land. They are talented artisans, crafting finely worked clothes and art objects. Their contact with outsiders is usually limited, though a few elves make a good living by trading crafted items for metals (which they have no interest in mining).

Elves encountered outside their own lands are commonly traveling minstrels, artists, or sages. Human nobles compete for the services of elf instructors to teach swordplay or magic to their children.


Exploration and Adventure
Elves take up adventuring out of wanderlust. Since they are so long-lived, they can enjoy centuries of exploration and discovery. They dislike the pace of human society, which is regimented from day to day but constantly changing over decades, so they find careers that let them travel freely and set their own pace. Elves also enjoy exercising their martial prowess or gaining greater magical power, and adventuring allows them to do so. Some might join with rebels fighting against oppression, and others might become champions of moral causes.


Elf Names
Elves are considered children until they declare themselves adults, some time after the hundredth birthday, and before this period they are called by child names.
On declaring adulthood, an elf selects an adult name, although those who knew him or her as a youngster might continue to use the child name. Each elf’s adult name is a unique creation, though it might reflect the names of respected individuals or other family members. Little distinction exists between male names and female names; the groupings here reflect only general tendencies. In addition, every elf bears a family name, typically a combination of other Elvish words. Some elves traveling among humans translate their family names into Common, but others retain the Elvish version.