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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nyeshet" data-source="post: 3525971" data-attributes="member: 18363">I don't use them. I completely re-defined (flavor and mechanics) the non-human races. Elves do have a couple underworld races, but both are known for their paleness. There are the Forest Elves - divided into two groups (the boreal and desciduous forest cultures), the Hill Elves (those that live under hills in crystalline caverns - or at least that's how they appear due to the many illusions used therein), the Cavern / Underworld Elves that live continuous deep underground in the vast and complex cave systems below, and a few other (rather minor in numbers) other sub-races of elves. The Underworld Elves are colorless - in skin and hair, although their eyes are pale amber rather than the pink of albinos. Their eyes are larger than normal, as are their ears, and they live in very small family groups that wander in small territories, finding various fungal and magivore types of food that live so deep below. Occasionally some of these groups come together - or meet accidentally. At other times a group - having become to large to find enough food for itself - will split up, the newer family group leaving to explore unknown regions. My Underworld tends to be only sparsely populated except near the surface - where Mountain Dwarves and Hill Elves live. The deeper races are small in number, very dispersed, and very reclusive. Some do the occasional trade with the near-surface races, but it is irregular and minor, trading the rare and odd finds that may be of interest to the near-surface races in exchange for some basic tools or additional food, etc. (Although the foods they can eat differ somewhat from what the surface and near-surface races eat, so not all that much food is exchangeable). Some few of these deeper dwelling family groups act as sub-surface caravans - nomads that wander the regions between near-surface communities and so act as go-betweens for these groups, caravans after a fashion. One of the things about my home world is that magic is impeded underground because of metal veins (iron especially), and stone similarly impedes planar travel - thus the underworld has little in the way of aberrants from other planes or due to odd magics. Some magical regions and materials exist, but they tend to be confined to small areas - with creatures and "plants" and fungus having developed over time to take advantage of the food source rather like some corals, shellfish, and eels taking advantage of hot vents on the ocean floor. Some life exists beyond such regions, but it is quite sparse. Those that live underground often can only stay so long in an area before they have to move on due to diminishing resources - and unless they are familiar with the area they may not find another oasis (as such) before dying. Competition over such areas can be fierce when two groups of different species / races / etc meet at such at the same time, as there is almost never enough for both and the next may be too far distant (or already taken). That also helps keep the numbers down. Travel through the underworld is not to be taken lightly. Most surface races are not aware of just how extensive the Underworld is, and most Near-Surface races - if aware of its extent - are aware of how difficult survival down there can be, rarely exploring unless they have reason to believe a major find of precious stones or metal has been found - and relatively near by to their home region. Their excursions, thus, are rarely all that distant or for all that long - or both. Adventures can be made from such, but such adventures will be more akin to a wilderness hike through an arid region sparse in food and possibly sparse in water rather than through a region thick with monsters, traps, etc. The lack of food sources also means that the creatures one combats down there are often of smaller sizes rather than large. Even the medium to large sized ones - when they exist - are more likely to be the type that sleeps for months or even years at a time, rousing only when food or danger is sensed nearby and then only long enough to eat or leave. All in all, the surface and near-surface is where nearly all of the action happens.</blockquote>

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