Homebrew Dark Sun, Elf Species Details

They run across the Burning Sands like whirling dust sweeps across the baked dunes and parched steppes of the Tyr Region. By day they are untamed winds,blowing hot gusts of chaos from one end of the Tablelands to the other. By night they are swift shadows, always in motion, dancing beneath the light of Athas’ twin moons. They are the elves of Athas, and the twisted path they trace over the landscape is fast, furious, and more than a little dangerous.

 

 

The elves of Athas are long-limbed sprinters who lead lives of thievery, raiding, trading, and warfare. As members of tribes that wander the sun-scorched lands, elves usually make a living as traders and herders and rarely stay in one place for long. Each of the city-states hosts an Elven Market — a never-ending bazaar where the elves (and others who deal in goods of dubious origin) sell their wares.

Most elf tribes make a living through herding, but merchants and raiders also ply the desert roads. Elf culture, while savage, is also rich and diverse. They have turned celebrating into an art form, and elf song and dance is some of the most beautiful and captivating in all of Athas.

Savage Beauty

Elves stand between 6 and 7 feet tall, with slender yet muscular builds. They have deeply etched features, with skint hat has been made rugged by the baking sun and the scouring sand. Unlike the elves of other worlds, the elves of Athas are not pale-skinned, delicate beings. Their pigmentation is as varied as the flesh of other races and as affected by the rays of the sun. They grow no facial or body hair, but the locks atop their heads come in all colors — from sun-bleached blond to red and brown to darkest black.

Elves prefer to dress in garb designed to protect them from the desert and the elements but also to showcase their tribal customs and traditions. Some also incorporate plunder from raids to enrich their native dress. Song and dance play a major part in the elven life, and the music they produce is captivating and seductive to non-elves.

Natural Wanderers

Elves are tireless desert rovers forged in the desert — burned dark by the sun, toughened by the swirling sand, and given strength and speed by the constant wind. There’s no racial unity among them. Within a given tribe, all elves are brethren, but outsiders —even other elves— are regarded as potential enemies. Outsiders can be accepted and perhaps even become friends, but trust takes time to develop and it is often associated with tests and great sacrifice.

Elves crave free, open spaces in which to run, so elf slaves wither in captivity if they can’t escape, a practice they always strive for, when captured. Travelers often see whole tribes runnings swiftly and with great endurance across the sandy wastes. Only rarely will an elf ride a crodlu or a kank as mount. To do so is dishonorable unless ill or gravely wounded. The custom of the elves is to keep up or be left behind, so those unworthy of following the elf runs are not considered to be strong and useful to the tribe.

Indolent and Unscrupulous

Most Athasians consider elves lazy and deceitful. It’s true that many elves dislike hard work and prefer to live in the moment, avoiding unpleasant tasks and drudgery. If work can wait for even another moment, then it will. For an elf, the future is a dark, deadly place, so it strives to make every now as enjoyable and full as possible. They also enjoy taking advantage of, steal from, lie to, or misdirect outsiders, not out of malice so much as a desire to separate the gullible from their items of value.

Still, elves do work. In some ways, they work harder than members of other races. While they detest hard labor and will never voluntarily set out to construct anything more durable than a tent or small hut, they will spend hours on end haggling and negotiating with potential customers. When it’s important to maintain a valuable trading relationship, elves honor their word and barter in good faith. But the moment they perceive an opportunity that is too good to pass up, they abandon their previous deals.

Elf Names

Names are very important to elves, and they take a great deal of time and care before selecting one. Much thought goes into the selection of names, and tribal leaders consider naming young runners as one of their most solemn duties. Elven names are derived from two sources, the name of their tribe, and a given name based upon the elven tradition of a child’s first interesting thing while learning to run. While this might seem an easy task, tribal leaders watch for occurences that are both significant and that fit the child’s personality, for traditions hold that names help shape the elves they are given to. With the proper name, a young elf can grow to become a great elf. With the wrong name, the same elf will disappear in the wastes. Some childhood names are changed because of extraordinary actions undertaken during a youth’s rites of passage, but such changes do not happen very often.

Male Names: Abyuuk, Botuu, Coraanu, Dukkoti, Eevuu,Galek, Haaku, Ikan, Jaarati, Kathak, Lobuu, Mutami, Nuuko, Quaar, Radurak, Sorak, Traako.

Female Names: Alaa, Areela, Celba, Deryssa, Ekee, Elas, Enala, Esylk, Grissi, Guuta, Hukaa, Ittee, Jeila, Katza, Keelorr, Nuuta, Nysia, Tala, Utaa, Yalana.

Tribe Names: Clearwater, Night Runner, Shadow, SiltStalker, Silver Hand, Sky Singer, Swiftwing, Water Hunter, Wind Dancer.

 

 

Dark Sun, Elf 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 2 and your Intelligence and Charisma score increases by 1.

Age

Although elves reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, they must pass the tribe’s rites of initiation, before they can be considered adults. An elf typically claims adulthood around the age of 20 and can live to be 120 years old.

Size

Elves range from 6 to over 7 feet tall and possess slender, muscular builds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 40 feet.

Darkvision

You have 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.

Elf Run

By inducing an extraordinary state of grueling endurance, you gain the ability to travel long distances, sometimes for days at a time. You gain a +5 bonus to Constituion checks to avoid exhaustion as part of a forcedmarch.

Elf Weapon Training

You have proficiency with the longbow, longsword, scimitar, shortbow, and shortsword.

Elven Resilience

You have a natural resistance to extreme temperatures and aren’t adversely affected by the heat of the day or the chill of the night. You never need to make a saving throw when exposed to extreme heat or cold.

Keen Senses

You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Languages

You can speak Common and Elvish. Short, clipped words make up Elvish.