Well, you’ve had a look at a rulebook, spoken with a player or two, or have perhaps just stumbled upon the website and decided that you’d like to play an elf. The game world in which we play takes place in several different towns, but mainly in areas of great racial diversity, so it’s highly unlikely that you’ll only interact with other elves. These towns we find ourselves in are comprised of travelers, townspersons, and wayward souls who have chosen that for the moment at least, these places are home.

One of the best ways to get a good sense of a character is to decide upon a background, which can provide a wealth of information about your particular prejudices, emotional attachments, and perhaps even a few fears and goals. Many new players have difficulty forming a background without at least some idea of the game world in which they live and some basic understanding of the race they have chosen to play. It is with these players that we provide the following 'primer' into the elven race. This is in no way to be considered a definitive guide, in addition, there is a wealth of information available within many different game system's sourcebooks which will further enlighten the player as to the general nature and character of elves. Once again, even with all of this being said, your character will ultimately be your own expression of your ideas of what elves are and how they behave.

A good deal of elves will be born, live, and die all within the confines of their villages. They will undoubtedly travel outside of their villages, but most will return to their homes, even after months or years of traveling. Perhaps your village no longer exists, or perhaps you didn’t like any of those people and have always wanted to get away. Or maybe you will return there someday after completing a few of your goals or quests. Maybe you can’t go back there until you’ve completed these items, or maybe you are just out exploring and experiencing the world. Regardless of what you decide, it should be considered important to have a somewhat complete background, giving not only you a better view of who you are and where you’ve come from, but the plot groups as well – thus making it easier to run for you.

First off, let’s clear up some popular misconceptions. The “elven year” is no different than the human year, or gnoll year, or furbin year. They are all 365 days in length, tracing the path of the sun around the earth. Therefore, if you meet an elf who is 100 and a human who is 20, the elf is in fact, five times older than the human.

The actual longevity of the elven life span is generally held accountable for most of the defining characteristics of elves – their intelligence, wisdom, pragmatism, and perceived elitism. Experience is, after all, one of the best teachers available to any being and elves have this in fine reserve.

Speaking of longevity, the elves are thought to one of the immortal races of this plane, for it is quite rare to hear of an elf dying of old age. Generally, the elf will live among society for up to eight hundred years before he grows weary of this life, and simply disappears. There are several legends that tell where they have gone in this disappearance, and we will address some of these in other sections.

It is customary for elven “tribes” or “clans” to impose a coming of age on the young elf, expecting him to remain with the family, or clan, learning the ways of the world and customs of the family for a certain period of time before he will be permitted an exit to the outside world. Typically, this period is around one hundred years or so, but can be longer or shorter, depending upon the customs of the tribe.

During the period of learning, the elf will be expected to choose a singular path of study, honing and perfecting his skills in this chosen area before being permitted to diversify his skill set. This is not to say that elves do not cross-class so to speak, but it is highly unusual (but not unheard of) for a young elf to be in the process of learning two different paths at once. In elven culture, presence of mind and the ability to focus is revered and respected, and perhaps even expected.

Family is treasured among elven societies, with closely knit ties and bonds common in most families. Villages are usually comprised of usually ten or so different families of elves, these families comprised of parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and children. A ruling council of elders will be in place to rule over the matters of the village and provide for the best interest of its people.

In addition to family, most elves also hold ceremonies and celebrations in high regard. The elven calendar is literally decorated with events; some celebrate the changing of the seasons and others remember particular events from many years ago. In addition to annual events, different rites of passage are marked with celebrations from the birth of new elves to the coming of age, graduations from particular schools and marriage ceremonies. While there are often non-elves present at these events, invitation is still one of the highest honors that can be received, regardless of the ceremony.

There are some among society who would have you believe that humans descended from elves, or were elves stripped of their gifts of grace. However, the very existence of dark, or drow, elves would suggest that this may not necessarily be true. Elves are thought to possess additional gifts from fate, which separates them from the other races in not only their longevity in life, but also in their ability to navigate through the otherwise confusing and, at times, dark roads of life. Whether or not this is true, elves do possess the longest life spans of all the “common” races of this prime material plane.

As far as history goes, the elves were the first sentient race upon the plane, and have had the time to forget more than most of the other races will ever know. Many elder elves will speak of the days gone past quite fondly, and while some of this can be attributed to the natural tendency towards the dulling of unpleasant memories, it has been recorded as a time of great peace and prosperity for all races, not merely the elves.

The time period in which our game takes place finds elven society in a waning phase, the highpoint of the culture having long passed, and the ultimate fate of the elves uncertain. At one point the elves presided over much of society and were in fact responsible for many of the processes and procedures in use to this day; including magic, healing arts, construction skills, procedures of justice, and a great variety of other important aspects of developed society.

What will become of the elves? Will they regain their position in the world of men, or will they fade into legend, passing from reality to myth? And what will be your role in this tale?

This primer was written by Meriae Llewellyn, and has been written from the perspective of a high elf. Individual interpretation and experiences may vary. (YMMV clause)