Homebrew Altmer Species Details

A Magically Inclined Society

The Altmer, or self-titled "Cultured People", are a tall, golden-skinned race, hailing from Summerset Isle. They are also known as High Elves by the denizens of Tamriel. Outside of Summerset, "High" is often understood to mean proud or snobbish, and as the Altmer generally personify these characteristics, the "lesser races" generally resent them. Altmer consider themselves to be the most civilized culture of Tamriel; the common tongue of the continent is based on Altmer speech and writing, and most of the Empire's arts, crafts, laws, and sciences are derived from Altmer traditions. They usually have golden, green, or amber eyes.

The Altmer are the most strongly gifted in the arcane arts of all the races, and they are very resistant to diseases. However, they are also somewhat vulnerable to magicka, fire, frost, and shock, which makes them very weak against their strongest point - magic. They are among the longest living and most intelligent races of Tamriel, and they often become powerful magic users due to both their magical affinity and the many years they may devote to their studies.

 

History Steeped In Tradition

Altmer are thought to be the most direct, unaltered descendants of the original Aldmer elves, and the transition from one to the other is not very clear. The Altmer seemed to have changed by staying the same. When the Aldmer left their home island of Aldmeris, most if not all of them settled first in the Summerset Isle. Much of their history is lost or hidden, but it is known that many unique ruins and structures, notably the Ceporah Tower, predate the Aldmeri arrival by at least several hundred years. They warred with the Sload of Thras and other strange, unknown creatures for control of Summerset in ancient times. At some point they came together and formed the Crystal Tower, as a monument to the spirit of their race, and it was the pinnacle of magical learning until the construction of the Arcane University

Social clashes among the Aldmer would lead to a series of emigrations from Summerset Isle to regions all over Tamriel, notably under the prophet Veloth, which would lead to the great diversification of Elven races, such as the Chimer, Bosmer, Orsimer and Aylieds (exactly when and where the Dwemer and Falmer emerged is not clear, but they are believed to all have a common ancestry). Many different, often corroborating legends claim that the changes of each race were the result of differences in their worship of deities.

Godly Ancestry

The creation myth of the Altmer begins before the start of the Dawn era and the beginning of time: the primordial force of Anu, stasis or order, created Anuiel, the soul of all things, so it could know itself. Anuiel in turn created Sithis for the same purpose, who was the force of change and chaos and the sum up of all limitations, and their interrelation created the Aurubis, where the Original Spirits, the Aedra and Daedra, emerged before the creation of the Mundus. The ancient Aldmer believed they are the relatively feeble descendants of the Aedra ("Aedra" roughly translates to "ancestor spirit"), aspects of those Aedra who populated the Mundus so that it might last despite Lorkhan's deception.

As their hierarchical society developed, the lower classes stopped worshipping their own "lesser" Aedra in favor of those claimed by their social "betters". Thus the Altmer pantheon slowly formed around the most popular and well-known of the Aedra, which included Auriel, Mara, Stendarr, Trinimac, Syrabane, Xarxes, Magnus, and Jephre, many of whom would later be incorporated into the Nine divines. The transition and choices have not gone without detractors.

As mentioned, whenever a substantial minority had some sort of socio-political or theological disagreement with the majority in Summerset in the Dawn Era, the dissidents would leave and usually go on to become other races of Mer. However, some time in the Merethic Era, one early group of dissidents who opposed the evolution to the traditional Altmer pantheon left the mainland of Summerset but remained quintessentially Altmer. The Psijics decided to follow the mystical Old Ways of Aldmeris and broke away to settle Artaeum, the third largest island of the Isle, though they apparently managed to stay friendly with their snubbed mainland brethren and they use their advanced magic to help protect the Altmer in times of strife

Altmer Traits

Your Altmer character has a variety of natural abilities, the result of thousands of years of Altmeri refinement.

Aldmeri Purity

You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed,

Auriel's Acuity

Your Intelligence score increases by 2. Your Charisma score increases by 1.

Gift Of Magnus

You know one cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the detect magic spell as a 1st-level spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a short or long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the dispel magic spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a short or long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Path to Alaxon

You are proficient in history Gain one tool proficiency and one skill proficiency. Choose one of your tool proficiencies and one of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses the chosen proficiencies. (PHB p. 54)

Altmer Weapon Training

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

Age

Although elves reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, the elven understanding of adulthood goes beyond physical growth to encompass worldly experience.      Altmer live three to four times as long as humans; with a 300-year-old Altmer being old and a 400-year-old Altmer being very, very old

Size

Altmer stand tall, over 6ft in height with most Altmer having slender builds. Your size is Medium

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Altmeri and one extra language. Altmeri is fluid, with subtle intonations and intricate grammar. Altmeri literature is rich and varied, and their songs and poems are famous among other races. Many bards learn their language so they can add Altmeri ballads to their repertoires.