ELF The forest and the people Heritage features

Elves

The forest and the people

The elves of Varris do not have a kingdom of their own. Instead, the wild elves reside in the Forest of Eyes — the ancient homeland of the elves and the largest piece of untouched wilderness on the continent — while city elves live among other humanoids throughout the entire continent. The Kingdom of Getari has the largest population of city elves due to its long history of peaceful coexistence between elves and humans.

The Elvish language is closely connected to its ancestor, Draconic, though to an untrained ear the two sound completely different. The angels who created elves also taught them Sylvan and introduced them to the concept of writing. Elvish writing uses its own syllabic script, distinct from the Sylvan hieroglyphics that can be found on depictions of deities or the sacred tattoos of the dark elves.

For more information on the elven religion, check the page on the religions of Varris.

Rise and fall

Millennia ago, there came a time when the Archfey realized that their war against the dragons could not be be won by strength alone. Nebet – whose Sylvan name translates simply to “the Lady” – is the most powerful of the Archfey, said to be able to see into the future. She was the one who devised a plan to defeat the chromatic dragons. She sent the angel Ireshau to enchant the eggs of a few chromatic dragons with the magic of the Archfey. From those few eggs hatched the new dragons – metallic dragons. They were stronger than their chromatic ancestors, possessed the power to change their shape through fey magic and had distinct, metallic scales. The chromatic dragons had no idea that their children were affected by the angel and assumed it was a blessing. To secure this new power for their offspring, they began leaving their eggs unprotected for one night a month in the light of the full moon, hoping that the forces of nature would imbue them with the power they would need to defeat the Archfey.

The chromatic dragons realized too late that those empowered by fey magic were different than their own kin. Contrary to draconic custom, the metallic dragons refused to worship the forces of nature that created their ancestors. Instead they banded together to worship of the Archfey, who they claimed were their true creators. They were ostracized and eventually turned on their chromatic kin. Using the more powerful metallic dragons, the Archfey defeated the chromatic tyrants and won what is now called the Divine War. With their leaders gone, those chromatic dragons who survived went into hiding in remote regions of the world. The metallic dragons realized that they were more comfortable in the humanoid forms granted to them by the Archfey, and so built their first settlements to accommodate their smaller size. However, the choice to eschew their shapechanging magic came with consequences. Gradually, they lost this ability completely, and became what is now known as elves.

Centuries after the elves made Varris their home, the Archfey opened the planar gates to unleash dozens of new humanoid races upon the world, humans chief among them. It’s unclear why they decided to do this, but it is said that the world, once again completely dominated by a single race was terribly lonely for their children. Others argue that it was a step towards a grander design that has not come to fruition yet, but no-one in Varris knows the truth. The newcomers hailed from different worlds, different times, perhaps even different planes. Since none know where they came from, their real history began in Varris, with the elves. Of all the new races, humans seemed particularly maladjusted to their new environment. They flocked to the elves for protection, incapable of defending themselves against the attacks of wild beasts. The kind elves taught them all they knew and even let them live among them in their villages for many years.

One tribe of humans, who would later be known as the Varra, proved particularly skilled in arcane magic. Given their newfound power, they felt that the elves were holding them back — that humans could form their own society where those who wield powerful magic would rule. Soon after that, they waged war against the other races. The Varran Empire eventually conquered most of Varris, causing irrepairable harm to all non-humans living under their rule as slaves. Even after Varran wizards were defeated and modern kingdoms were established in its place, elves never managed to regain their former prominence. Many wished to return to the pre-Varran age and isolated themselves from humans in the wildnerness, becoming what is known as wild elves.

The Forest of Eyes

The blessed Perneb River flows through the largest piece of untouched wilderness in Varris, the sacred land of the elves and the site of the birth of their civilization. The Archfey She Who Sees is the patron of this forest, which was named in her honor. The Forest of Eyes stretches far to the south and the west, beyond what is shown on the overworld map.

The forest is inhabited by many beasts and fey creatures, relative to what the party may find in other parts of Getari. It is teeming with ancient magic — places of worship, now forgotten, abandoned, or deemed heretical. The largest of these is the ruined temple of the angel Enkhebet, once home to the high priestess of the dark elves.

The dark elves and their angel

It is said that in the year 120 V, the angel Enkhebet descended from the upper plane. She created the first dark elves by weaving her magic into eight elven eggs, much like Lehani did centuries prior to create the first metallic dragons. She believed that her progeny would master arcane magic and save all elves from the looming threat of Varran tyranny. But this hopeful age would not last long. When Enkhebet fell in the year 218 V., many of her devotees followed. Under her new name of Bethem, she led her people into the Depths, where she remains their eternal goddess, mother, and queen. Together, they built the city of Maansesen as their new home. Instead of fighting the humans, Enkhebet chose to flee from them to protect her children.

With much of their kin gone along with Bethem, the elves who remained on the Material Plane were doomed to lose their war against the Varra. Only six years after the angel's fall, nearly all elves were subjugated and enslaved by the humans, which marked the dawn of the Varran Empire. Many elves blame Bethem and her dark elves for the suffering they endured in the centuries that followed and the fall of their civilization.

One matter yet divides the elves of the Material Plane. The day elves believe Enkhebet to have been evil all along. This means that they consider all dark elves the result of fiendish interference, created to undermine the day elves. The dark elves, or rather those of them who remained on the Material Plane, have a different vision. They believe that their creation was a miracle bestowed upon their kind by their benevolent patron. According to them, Enkhebet's fall was caused by the corrupting influence of some fiendish power, which sought to thwart the Archfey's perfect design.

Heritage features

Below are the features your character gains after you choose the elven heritage. Heritage is a mechanic specific to the Varris setting.

Ruleset: 5e

Your heritage determines the languages your character knows. It can also be their background and grant them more features. Check the player primer for a list of available heritages.

Languages

You can speak Elvish, and either Common or Sylvan.

Background features

Your character's heritage can double as their background. If you choose the "Elf" background, instead of a base game background like Noble, Criminal, etc, you gain the following features:

Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Survival.

Weapon Proficiencies: Longbows

Equipment: A set of simple common clothes , a scroll case containing a map, poem, or blank parchment, a hunting trap, and a pouch containing 5d4 GP.

Feature: Our Home. Whenever you visit an elven settlement or encampment, you are unconditionally welcomed there as if you are family. The elves share their resources and living space with you and your companions as long as you don't abuse their kindness.

Ruleset: Bludgeon

Your Heritage determines your character's first language and additional skill competency options. Your character can learn languages beyond their first one, as explained in the language checks rules. Check the player primer for a list of available Heritages.

Language

Your first language is Elvish.

Additional skills

When you select the Elven heritage for your character, you choose one of the skills below to gain a +1 competency in. This is in addition to the skill competencies you would normally gain.