Races of Wild

would be the birthright of any full elf. In particular, elvesrealize that some half-elves do not share their chaoticviewpoint, though half-elves often understand it better thanmembers of other races do. For that reason, elves may findhalf-elves to be valuable go-betweens in negotiations withsome lawful-aligned races.Half-Orcs: The racial enmity between elves and orcsgoes back to the creation of the races and the legendarybattle between Corellon Larethian and Gruumsh, the orcdeity. According to the legend, elves sprang from the dropsof Corellon’s blood that was shed while the two fought.Because the Creator of the Elves bested Gruumsh, takingout his enemy’s eye with a flick of his longsword, elves areconvinced of their innate superiority over the bestial orcs.Nevertheless, orcs have waged war against elves more thanany other race, and rarely does a confrontation end withoutbloody conflict. Given this history, most elves harbor neithertrust nor affection for the brutish humanoids, and theyregard the half-breed spawn of their enemies with barelyconcealed suspicion. An elf may greet a half-orc pleasantlyenough, but her hand is usually on her sword hilt when shedoes so.Because elves believe strongly in the power of the individualto overcome any obstacle, an individual elf is generallyinclined to give an individual half-orc the benefit of the doubt.Few true friendships arise between these races, but a certaincamaraderie is possible.Humans: The high degree of variety in human culturefascinates elves, who prize individuality for its own sake. Ofall the humanoid races, humans display the greatest adaptabilityand flexibility as well as a zest for life not seen in mostelven realms. Indeed, these qualities attract elves to humansso strongly that a relatively large amount of crossbreedingoccurs between the two races.On the other hand, elves find humans somewhat unrefinedbecause they simply do not live long enough to acquire theelves’ appreciation of the arts. Humans do not have thelong-term perspective that elves possess, a fact that frustrateselves to no end. Humans often do not care whether the landcan support the spread of their civilization in the long termbecause they personally will not be around to witness theresults. Their children or grandchildren may witness thedecline in fertility of overused land or the gradual alterationof a lake once teeming with fish into a dry hole fromoverfishing and pollution, but those responsible for it willbe long gone. However, such changes can happen within asingle elf’s lifetime, and thus elves feel responsible for beinggood stewards of the land.Humans show a tendency to fight among themselves thatelves find unsettling at best. A race that preys upon itself tothe extent that humans do is almost beyond comprehensionto the elves; humans seem nearly as bad as orcs in theircapacity for destroying each other over petty issues. Mostraces have a long-standing enmity for some other race,but of all the civilized races only humans slay each otherwith abandon.Nevertheless, whatever humanity’s weak points maybe, it is still a young race with great potential. Many elvesconsider it their duty to guide humans toward a higherdegree of civilization just as they would guide their ownchildren in the acquisition of knowledge. Thus, many elfcommunities treat humans with a degree of indulgenceoften reserved for children. Others, recognizing in humansa great strength and martial prowess, seek to ally with themon an equal footing, melding the wisdom of elf war leaderswith the skill and ferocity of human troops to create a nearlyunbeatable combination.Raptorans: Elves share an alphabet and a love of unspoiledlands with the raptorans, and sometimes the two racesenact mutual defense pacts despite the raptorans’ territoriality.Individual raptorans and elves tend to get alongwell, both bemused by the short-term thinking of humansand other races.Roleplaying Application: The above generalizationsrepresent how an average member of elf society is likely toview someone from a given race. Since there are no averagemembers of society, only individuals, it’s up to you to decidehow well these comments fit. Does your character adhere tothe stereotypes presented above? If not, why not? Was theresomething in your character’s past that changed his or herview of a given race from the status quo?RELIGIONReligion is a deeply personal aspect of an elf’s life. All elveshear the legends of the gods when they are young, and allare exposed to clerics and rituals from an early age. Whatthese traditions mean to an individual elf varies with hisown experiences and mind-set.Organized religious services occur only on holidays and forspecial events such as weddings and funerals. Most individualsgo to temples whenever the mood strikes them, whichmay be more or less frequently depending on the individual.Most temples offer little in the way of education, except inthe tenets of a particular religion, since elves can gain theireducation from almost anyone in the community. Offeringsto the church are voluntary, but most temples and shrineshave an embarrassment of riches in the form of services andartworks donated by grateful members of the community.Indeed, many elf artisans look upon creating a work todecorate a temple as the pinnacle of their endeavors.Clerics of each temple are present for all major festivaldays in an elf community. Although their blessings are partof the ceremonies, these acts are recognized as the clerics’personal contributions more than religious necessities. Elvenweddings usually include a cleric of Hanali Celanil or CorellonLarethian who joins the couple. A proper elven funeralrequires the presence of a cleric of Sehanine Moonbow orCorellon Larethian to dispose of the remains with a dustto dust spell and to comfort the mourners with assurancesthat the departed has gone to join Corellon and the otherelven deities.CHAPTER 1ELVES19