Interesting Times: Elves
Elves
Personality: They are very long lived, cautious, calm, and intellectual. Although they can be very passionate beings, they are expected to show restraint in public and not let their passions cloud their judgment. They are slow to make friends and enemies, but even slower to forget them. They reply to petty insults with disdain and to serious insults with vengeance. Elves prefer light finely made clothing and create items of art of the highest craftsmanship.
Physical Description: As PHB. Elves tend to be very fair skinned.
Relations: With the coming of humans, they accepted numerous refugees. This provided them with the population they needed to protect their borders. More recently the Elves have become worried that they humans will want to form their own country with their lands. Their has been no violence between humans and Elves but more and more elvish nobles are cooling to the humans living in their lands. They have extremely good relations with the Proudfoot and the Ghostwise, even giving some of their land to the Proudfoot when the Elves lacked the population to protect it all. Many Elves that still keep the Old Ways spend quite a bit of time in the Ghostwood, learning of a time when forests were not tamed. Elves do not allow Orcs and Goblins to travel their lands without proper papers from a noble or the Trade Guild. Anyone of those races caught on Elf lands without papers will be arrested at least, possibly killed outright if they seem hostile. Elves and Dwarves peacefully coexist, but centuries ago they were at war. Some older Elves and Dwarves still hold grudges. The Elves are one of the few races that have significant relations with the Dromites. In fact, one of the largest Dromite Hives is located under Elf lands.
Alignment: Elf society leans towards both Law and Good. Unlike standard AD&D elves, elves in my world see long term goals over personal freedoms. This is not to say that most elves are Lawful Good. They vary widely on both axis but the laws of their countries tend to be founded on law over personal freedoms and mercy and good over evil.
Elven Lands: Elves have two separate countries. The main one (yet to be named) literally divides the continent in two. Since the arrival of the humans, more and more of the Elves have chosen to live in the Great Wood and allow the humans to live and farm the open land. The greatest Elven city sits in the crescent of a great lake (Still needs a name). This huge city is diverse and a mecca for traders and wizards. From this city the Great Council rules. Orcs are a constant problem for this country but with the Dwarves being far more aggressive to the Orcs it is taking a lot of the pressure off the Elves. They are content to let the two other races fight it out. The second country (still needs a name) is a Monarchy and considerably more militaristic than the first. They border Goblin lands and thus far have been unsuccessful at pushing the Goblins back up into the mountains. They are more cautious and disdainful of non-elves and have allowed fewer humans to live among them.
History: The Elves claim to be the oldest race. In early history, Elves kept the Old Ways. Living in complete harmony with nature, living among it, and ruling by circles of elders. These ways are gone. Thousands of years ago the Elves fought many great wars, and from these wars, the noble houses rose. The main Elf country is ruled by The Great Council. Each major noble house is given a seat and each seat has 1 vote. Elves have few children, and although they control large masses of land, they are sparsely populated. Before the coming of the humans they elves actually chose to give a portion of their land to the Proudfoot, charging them with its protection. During this time, one noble house opposed that loss of land so severely that they formed their own country to the north-west which is now ruled as a monarchy. With the coming of humans, the first country accepted numerous refugees. This provided them with the population they needed to protect their borders. More recently the Elves have become worried that they humans will want to form their own country within their lands. There has been no violence between humans and Elves but more and more elvish nobles are cooling to the humans living in their lands.
