Moon Elves

 

Description

Like all elves, the Lunesti are tall, close to humans in height, but more slender and beautiful. Moon elf hair and skin comes in all the varieties that human hair and skin does (due to their human blood) with the addition of blue and silver tints (due to their true elf blood). Moon elf eyes, like those of other elves, exhibit a characteristic best described as golden flecks speckled through the iris.  

Personality

Of all the elven races, moon elves are the most impulsive, with a strong distaste for complacency or isolation. Moon elves long to be on the road, traveling and exploring the untamed wilderness that lay between cities and nations. This extroverted quality is part of the reason why moon elves get along uncommonly well with other races. Moon elves, rather than feeling that interaction outside of their race diminishes or weakens them, believe that interacting with other races, humans in particular, is the best way to spread the values of the Tel-quessir races, thereby strengthening their culture.  

Culture

Moon elven society is often loosely organized and few moon elves stay in one place for more than a season or two, preferring a nomadic lifestyle. Moon elves are generally comfortable living amongst other elves, particularly star elves, as well as gnomes, humans, or halflings. Most moon elves organize themselves into groups of a dozen extended families or so, each ruled democratically, although often with de facto leaders whose say holds more weight than anyone else's. Wherever they live, moon elves were unassuming, with homes that were humble, but comfortable.   Although often light-hearted and at ease, moon elves can leap to action if danger comes around. Like other elves, moon elves make sure that nearly all of their members are trained to wield a weapon. However, even in dark times, moon elves tend to find something to brighten them up, a quality that can be valuable for maintaining morale.  

The Call to Adventure

It is not uncommon for a moon elf to take on the life of an adventurer. After all, moon elves are innately a race driven by wanderlust and the desire to learn or do good. Altogether, moon elves are individualistic and most believe sincerely that each person could make a difference in the world, for better or worse. Because moon elves have an innate sense of altruism and good will to others, most moon elven adventurers are seen as heroes, rather than villains, though both exist.   Those who do turn to an adventurer's lifestyle commonly embrace the musical path of a bard; the martial lifestyle of a fighter, ranger, or rogue; or study to become wizards.  

Art & Leisure

Generally, moon elves take things with little gravity, taking joy in the simple things of life. Their music and art reflects this, more often joyous than solemn. Moon elves are themselves very fond of art and have both a strong bardic tradition and a history of painting and sculpting. For entertainment, moon elves prefer to gamble, taking little risks as part of the fun. Similarly, drinking and reveling is an important part of moon elven culture.   Like most elves, moon elves prefer clothing of simple design but exquisite making, using the finest textiles and most beautiful weaving designs available but typically making simple cuts and measurements, finding showy flourishes unnecessary. Moon elven clothing is often flashy in other ways, however, with bright colors popular amongst moon elves who feel comfortably at rest and away from danger. Most moon elves wear their hair in braids or ponytails, decorated with wires or beads. Tattoos are not unheard of amongst moon elves and are frequently worn.    

Religion

Unlike other Tel-quessir, moon elves have a range of religious beliefs, reflecting their intermixing with other cultures. Moon elves most often adopt the majority religion of land in which they live. Moon elves most often follow The Teachings of Chantrel, Unity, or The Old Gods. Although, their are moon elves involved in smaller sects and druidism.   Regardless of religion, moon elven religious ceremonies are, like so many other things in moon elf culture, loud and joyful.    

Relations with Other Races

Moon elves are uncommonly tolerant of non-elves, having few lands of their own, living peacefully in the lands of other races. While star elves might wrinkle their nose at other cultures as inferior, moon elves typically feel that the diversity of the world’s races is wondrously enchanting. To a moon elf, the insights that non-elves often have are a strength that others of their race too often ignore. Rather than shunning outside ideas, most moon elves embrace them and make them a part of their own culture.   However, while moon elves commonly demonstrate a willingness to accept other cultures' traditions and ideas, they generally have little tolerance for cruelty, making them natural enemies of most orcs, goblinoids, gnolls, and drow. And as dragonborn are often seen as criminals, many moon elves have a distaste for them as well.    

Homelands

Moon elves prefer to either live amongst other races or wander the wilderness. As such they have no homeland of their own.