Homebrew Eldar Species Details

"The Elves have their own labours and their own sorrows, and they are little concerned with any other creatures upon earth."― Gildor Inglorion

The Elves were the fairest creatures in Arda, a far more beautiful race than Men, and generally tall (rarely less than six feet for elf women, around six and a half feet for elfmen). Among them, those who had gone to Valinor were the fairest and had the greatest skill of body.

With their unearthly grace and fine features, elves appear hauntingly beautiful to humans and members of many other races. They are more slender than humans, weighing only 125 to 175 pounds. Males and females are about the same height, and males are only marginally heavier than females.

Elves slowly ages for thousands of years, giving them a broad perspective on events that might trouble the shorter-lived races more deeply. They are more often amused than excited, and more likely to be curious than greedy. They tend to remain aloof and unfazed by petty happenstance. When pursuing a goal, however, whether adventuring on a mission or learning a new skill or art, elves can be focused and relentless. They are slow to make friends and enemies, and even slower to forget them. They reply to petty insults with disdain and to serious insults with vengeance.

Like the branches of a young tree, elves are flexible in the face of danger. They trust in diplomacy and compromise to resolve differences before they escalate to violence. They have been known to retreat from intrusions into their woodland homes, confident that they can simply wait the invaders out. But when the need arises, elves reveal a stern martial side, demonstrating skill with sword, bow, and strategy.

 

 

HAUGHTY BUT GRACIOUS

Although they can be haughty, elves are generally gracious even to those who fall short of their high expectations—which is most non-elves. Still, they can find good in just about anyone.

Dwarves. “Dwarves are dull, clumsy oafs. But what they lack in humor, sophistication, and manners, they make up in valor. And I must admit, their best smiths produce art that rivals with elven quality.”

Humans. “All that haste, their ambition and drive to accomplish something before their brief lives pass away—human endeavors seem so futile sometimes. But then you look at what they have accomplished, and you have to appreciate their achievements. If only they could slow down and learn some refinement.”

 Life cycle

Elves are born about one year after their begetting. The day of their begetting is remembered, not the actual birthday itself, because bringing forth children is an act of will, and it required a "greater share and strength of their being, in mind and in body" than takes place "in the making of mortal children." By their first year, Elf children can speak, walk, and dance, and their quicker onset of mental maturity makes young Elves seem older than they actually are.Elves' bodies developed slower than those of Men, but their minds developed more swiftly. In their twenties, they might still appear physically seven years old, though the Elf-child would have mature language and skill, whereas Men at the same age are already physically mature. Physical puberty is generally complete by their fiftieth year (by age fifty they reach their adult height), but they are not considered full-grown until a hundred years have passed.

Sexuality, marriage, and parenthood

Elves marry for love, or at least with free will from both parties, typically early in life. Monogamy is practised and adultery is unthinkable. By their very nature, they are "seldom swayed by the desires of the body" or influenced by lust. They marry only once for it was ruled by Manwë that, "'since the Elves are by nature permanent in life within Arda, so also is their unmarred marriage.'" Finwë, the King of the Noldor, was an exception. After his first wife died, from passing the majority of her life into Fëanor, and refused to be re-embodied, Finwë was permitted to marry again. This was pronounced by Námo as the 'Statute of Finwë and Míriel'.

Spouses may choose each other, in their youth, and be betrothed long before they are married. The betrothal is subject to parental approval from both houses unless the parties are of age and intend to marry soon. At which point, the betrothal is announced at a meeting of the two houses, during which the couple exchange silver rings. The betrothal lasts at least a year. A betrothal is revocable by a public return of the rings, which will then be molten, but revocation was rarely needed because "the Eldar do not err lightly" in the choice of their partner. After their formal betrothal, the couple appoints a time for the wedding when at least a year has passed.

Marriage is celebrated at a feast of the two houses. The spouses return their betrothal rings, which they keep, and receive "slender rings of gold" which are worn upon "the index of the right hand." In Noldor tradition, the bride’s mother gives the groom a jewel to be worn and the bridegroom's father gives a similar gift to the bride. These ceremonies and traditions were only a way for the parents to show their love and to mark a respectful recognition of the two houses which would be joined. While it was considered "ungracious and contemptuous of kin", in days of peace, "to forgo the ceremonies," it was completely lawful for a couple to be married without them. The indissoluble union was completed solely by the "act of bodily union" which achieved marriage. Technically, without ceremony or witnesses, only blessings exchanged between the bride and groom, including speaking of the name of Eru, and consummation are required for marriage.

Spouses can sometimes live separately for extended periods of time. Though united in body and spirit, they remain individuals with different gifts of mind and body to pursue. However, a sundering during pregnancy or during the early years of parenthood, such as by war, would be so grievous to the couple, and hurtful to the child, that they prefer to have children in peaceful times.

Subrace

Ancient divides among the elven people resulted in three main subraces: Noldòr, Sindar, and Laiquendi, who are commonly called dark elf because they never saw the light of the trees. Choose one of the three subraces presented below. 

Eldar Traits

Your elf character has a variety of natural abilities, the result of thousands of years of elven refinement.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Age

Elves had no beards, at least until their "third cycle of life", like Círdan. Mahtan was an exception, and had a beard in his early "second cycle". The Elvish beardlessness could also be observed in Mannish lines with an Elvish strain (as in the princely house of Dol Amroth), which lacked beards.

While the three cycles are not specifically defined, the first cycle is likely childhood and adolescence, which ended at the 100th year, the second is adulthood which could continue for Ages, and the third is for extremely old Elves; Círdan was the most ancient known Elf in Middle-earth. However, Elves who were not ancient could enter the third stage sooner due to tragic life events. When Lúthien wilfully released her spirit to follow Beren, her father saw her die, and "a winter, as it were the hoar age of mortal Men, fell upon Thingol."

Apparently, beards, though rare, were the only sign of further natural physical ageing beyond maturity.

Elves did not physically age after they reached maturity, but they did age in a different sense than Men. They became ever more weary of the world and burdened by its sorrows. Círdan seemed to be aged himself since he is described as looking old, save for the stars in his eyes; this may be due to all the sorrows he had seen and lived through since the First Age. He had been one of the Teleri on the Great Journey who tarried on the shores of Middle-earth for Thingol's sake, and at the Valar's behest, though he had greatly wished to go to Aman. Another aged elf was Gwindor, the people of Nargothrond had trouble recognizing him after he escaped from being a prisoner of Morgoth in the pits of Angband for fourteen years.

Size

Elves range from 6' to over 6'5'' feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

Awakened in the starlight of the Sleep of Yavanna, as the Sun and Moon had yet to be created, the eldar are more than accustomed to the night sky, granting them superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Keen Senses

You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Valar's glow

You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Trance

Elves don’t need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is “trance.”) While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Elvish. Elvish is fluid, with subtle intonations and intricate grammar. Elven literature is rich and varied, and their songs and poems are famous among other races.  Your sub-race will determine your Elvish dialect between Sindarin and Quenya.