Homebrew Athasian Elf (Darksun) Species Details

"Honour? The word does not exist in the Elven language." ―Tharak, human guard

 

Athasʹ deserts, plains, steppes and badlands are home to the elves, a long–limbed race of trading, raiding, thieving sprinters. Running is the key to acceptance and respect among elves. Elves that are injured and cannot
run are often left behind to die.

Personality: Other races see elves as dishonest and lazy; generally a fair assessment. Elves idle around their
time for days until compelled by need to exert themselves, but they can run for days without complaint. No self–respecting elf will consent to ride an animal. To do so is dishonorable; Elven custom dictates that individuals keep up or be left behind. Elves prefer to lead short, happy lives rather than long, boring ones. Seeing the future as a dark, deadly place, they prefer to live in “the now,” enjoying each fleeting moment. They thrive in open spaces, and tend to wither in captivity.

Physical Description: Elves stand between 6 and 7 feet tall, with lean builds; angular, deeply etched features; and no facial hair. They dress in garb designed to protect from the desert and elements.

Relations: Elves tend to keep to their own tribe and their proven friends unless they have some sort of an angle-something to sell, or some deception to pass off. Strangers are potential enemies waiting to take advantage of them, so elves look for every opportunity to win the advantage. If an elf believes that a companion might make a worthy friend, the elf devises a series of “tests” of trust that allow the companion to prove that their friendship is “stronger than the bonds of death,” as elves say. Once a stranger has gained an elf’s trust, he is forever that elf’s friend. If this trust is ever betrayed, it is gone forever.

Elven Lands: Always at home when running in the wastes, elves often act as if all plains and badlands were Elven lands. However, since most elves are loath to settle or build, they can rarely enforce their claims. Elven tribes make a living either through herding, raiding or trading; most tribes have at one time or another plied their hand at all three of these occupations. A tribes current occupation usually determines which lands they currently claim as their own. Elven herders claim grazing lands. Elven raiders claim lands crossed by trade routes. Elven traders claim no lands, but wander in search of bargains and loose purses.
Magic: Of all Tableland races, elves have the greatest affinity towards and acceptance of arcane practices.
Psionics: Persistence is not an Elven strong suit, so Elven will is often weaker than that of other races. A few elves study the Way to win one more advantage in battle and trade.

Names: Whether slave or free, elves prefer to keep Elven names. Tribe members take the tribe name as surname. Elves treat the naming of young runners as a sacred responsibility, naming the children of the tribe after the first interesting thing that they do while learning to run. Elves believe with the appropriate name, a child can grow to greatness, but with the wrong name, qthe elf may vanish in the wastes. Sometimes a child’s name is changed because of an extraordinary deed performed during an elf’s rite of passage.

Male Names: Botuu (Water Runner), Coraanu (First Elf, the Warrior Thief), Dukkoti (Wind Fighter), Haaku (Two Daggers), Lobuu (First Runner), Mutami (Laughs at Sun), Nuuko (Sky Hunter), Traako (Metal Stealer).
Female Names: Alaa (Bird Chaser), Ekee (Wild Dancer), Guuta (Singing Sword), Hukaa (Fire Leaper), Ittee (Dancing Bow), Nuuta (Quiet Hunter), Utaa (Laughing Moon)

Tribe (Clan) Names: Clearwater Tribe (Fireshaper, Graffyon, Graystar, Lightning, Onyx, Sandrunner, Seafoam, Silverleaf, Songweaver, Steeljaw, Wavedivers, Windriders clans); Night Runner Tribe (Dark Moons, Full Moons, Half Moons, Lone Moons, New Moons, Quarter Moons clans); Shadow Tribe; Silt Stalker Tribe (Fire Bow, Fire Dagger, Fire Sword clans); Silver Hand Tribe; Sky Singer Tribe (Dawnchaser, Dayjumper, Twilightcatcher clans); Swiftwing Tribe; Water Hunter Tribe (Raindancer, Poolrunner, Lakesinger clans); Wind Dancer TribeTribe (Airhunter, Breezechaser clans)

Athasian Elf (Darksun) Traits

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

Defiled Skin

You have a +2 bonus on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Elf Run

After a minute or warm-up and a Constitution check (DC 10), you can induce an elf run state. This state allows you to hustle for long distances as easily as a human can hustle. Each day that you continue the elf run, you must make additional Constitution checks to maintain the elf run state: A very easy check (DC 5) on the second day, an easy check (DC 10) on the third day, an average check (DC 15) on the fourth day, a difficult check (DC20) on the fifth day, and a very difficult check (DC 25) on the sixth day. Once you fail your constitution check, you lose the elf run benefits and suffer a level of exhaustion. After a full day’s rest, you may attempt again to induce an elf run state. With a group of elves, runners add their leaders Charisma bonus both to their movement rate and to any Constitution checks related to
movement.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2. and your Intelligence score increases by 1.

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. An elf typically claims adulthood and an adult name around the age of 100 and can live to be 750 years old.

Alignment

Elves tend towards chaos because of their love of freedom, variety and self–expression.
With respect to good and evil, elves tend towards neutrality, although their behavior leans towards good – even self–sacrifice –– where the good of their tribe is at stake. Although they’ll steal everything in sight, elves are not murderous. They rarely attack anyone except those who threaten them or stand in their way.

Size

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

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Low Light Vision

Elves can see twice as far as a human in moonlight and similar conditions of poor illumination, retaining the ability to distinguish color and detail.

Keen Senses

You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Hunter of the wastes

 You are proficient with all bows and the Elven longblade

Athasian Resistance

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 treat extreme heat or cold as if it were only very hot or cold, but suffer normally from abysmal heat or from magical/supernatural heat and cold.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and 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. Many bards learn their language so they can add Elvish ballads to their repertoires.