Races in Umbria 1: Elves

Elves

Graceful warriors and wizards at home in the eldritch twilight; quick, wary archers who freely roam the forests and wilds

Elves mingle freely in human lands, always welcome yet never at home there. They are well known for their poetry, dance, song, lore and magical arts. Elves are more often amused then excited, more likely curious then greedy; they favour things of natural and simple beauty. With such long lives elves tend to keep broad perspective on events, remaining aloof and unfazed by petty happenstance. When pursuing a goal or acquiring a skill, however, they can be focussed and relentless. They are slow to make friends and enemies, and even slower to forget them. 

Elves are short and slim, graceful but frail.  They tend to be pale-skinned and dark haired, with deep green eyes and pointed ears.  They possess unearthly grace and fine features, and many humans and members of other races find them hauntingly beautiful.  They prefer simple, comfortable clothing, especially in pastel blues and greens, and favour simple yet elegant jewellery.

For more on elves see pages 15-16 of the PHB.

Play an elf if you want to:

*to be otherworldly and mysterious

*to be graceful, quick and quiet

Playing an elf in Umbria:

Along the Dawn Way:

Elves are relatively rare in Umbria: though they can be found in most of the significant settlements along the Dawn Way they tend to represent the smallest proportion of the civilized races and many come from outside the Marches, to the west and the north. Those elves living along the Dawn Way are sought after for the quality and exquisite aesthetics of their crafts, for their unmatched skill as guides, trackers and scouts and for the beauty of their songs, poetry, music and dance. Their longevity, beauty and connection with nature and the arcane is generally regarded with a mixture of wonder, reverence and fear by many folk.

The elves, for their part almost always pleasant, seldom form strong bonds in such settlements, even when they stay for many years. An elven master bowyer might craft bows of exceptional balance, function and beauty for three generations of hunters in a village only to suddenly leave forever with few farewells and no explanations. It is not completely unheard of for elves, especially younger ones, to form close friendships with those of other civilized races - and this is particularly true amongst those elves who take to adventuring.