Elf, Silver
Medium-Size Humanoid (Elf)
Hit Dice: 1d8-1 (3 hp)
Initiative: +1 (Dex)
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 14 (+1 Dex, +2 leather, +1 small shield)
Attacks: Rapier +2 melee; or longbow +2 ranged
Damage: Rapier 1d6; or longbow 1d8
Space/Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Qualities: Racial traits
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +0
Abilities: Str 10 (+0), Dex 13 (+1), Con 8 (-1), Int 11 (+0), Wis 11 (+0), Cha 11 (+0)
Skills: Hide +1, Listen +3, Search +3, Spot +2
Feats: Weapon Finesse
Continent/Region: Harqual
Climate/Terrain: Cold and temperate forest
Organization: Company (2–4), squad (11–20 plus 2 3rd-level sergeants and 1 leader of 3rd to 6th-level), or band (30–100 plus 20% noncombatants plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 10 adults, 5 5th-level lieutenants, and 3 7th-level captains)
Challenge Rating: ½
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral good
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +0
Silver elves are graceful, beautiful humanoids that originate from the northern section of the Great Forest of Harqual. Silver elves are known for their love of art and magic, as well as nature and all the natural creatures in it. They are less chaotic than other elves and have built a sprawling civilization within the boundary of the Great Forest.
Silver elves stand roughly 5 feet 3 inches tall and weigh around 110 pounds on average. They often have pale skinned, deep green or blue eyes, and silver or blonde hair. They dress in dark green and brown wool clothing when traveling through the wilderness but also wear fine, brightly-colored garments made from silk when living in the more urban areas of their kingdom.
Silver elves tend to get along with most good humans and some dwarves but rarely will they consider an individual of one of these two races a personal friend. Dwarves are too gruff and humans don't live long enough to become lasting friends. More often silver elves will befriend forest elves, hairfoot halflings, and forest gnomes. The forest elves now live alongside the silver elves in their kingdom due to the recent events in the southern half of the Great Forest. The experience has drawn the two races together more than they ever have been before. Hairfoot halflings are considered a kindred race, even though they don't live as long, and most of the hairfoots that do live north of the Great Expanse live in the Kingdom of the Silver Leaves. Silver elves remember when gnomes used to live north of the Great Expanse and are glad to meet one whenever they have a chance. Silver elves find them delightful and as kindred to their race as halflings.
Beyond these common races silver elves have been known to ally themselves with fey creatures of all sorts including brownies, pixies, satyrs, sprites, etc. They get along with a race of reclusive forest giants known as the vonakyndra, as well as the following forest dwelling races: centaurs, krenshars, treants, and unicorns. It is rumored in human lands that silver elves are aligned with a intelligent race of benign dire wolves with powers similar to that of winter wolves. If these rumors are true then who knows what other allies the silver elves might have deep within the foliage of the Great Forest.
But their strangest allies are the wild barbarians of the Northlands. Divided by harsh wilderness and the Greystone Mountains, one would think that the barbarians would be the least likely allies to their people. It is the bond of friendship between Corellon and Cronn, the head of the Pantheon of the North, which has brought about this friendship. Silver elves don't worship Cronn but they do honor him, as much as the barbarian of the Northlands honor Corellon. The silver elves living in the very northern section of the Great Forest, and beyond, live more like the barbarians than silver elves. These silver ‘wilds’ as they are nicknamed by humans tend to wander north during the warmer months and trade with the barbarian tribes.
Silver elves speak Common, Elven, and Sylvan. Silver ‘wild’ elves speak Barbarian and Elven. Silver elves are the most literate race of elves on Harqual and often write in a flowing elven script that they invented. Other elves only have a 50% chance to read silver elf documents. Silver elves who become wizards or sorcerers always choose draconic as one of their bonus languages.
Combat
Silver elves rarely travel alone and when danger presents itself, they fight well as a team. Silver elves favor the grace and feel of a rapier to a longsword but do use bows against foes, as other elves do. Silver elves are not much for ambushing foes, as they prefer to fight toe-to-toe with their ancient enemies such as ogres, gnolls and orcs.
A group of silver elves accompanied by silver ‘wilds’ will usually let them scout ahead as they travel. If and when a fight breaks out, against a dangerous foe, the silver ‘wilds’ will usually hit the enemy from behind and the sides, using the cover of the forest to hide them after they’ve struck.
Racial Traits (Ex): See below.
Silver Elf Society
The silver elves of the Great Forest have one of the oldest kingdoms in existence on Harqual. The Kingdom of the Silver Leaves has existed since before the rise of the Empire of Swords. Being the oldest existing kingdom on the continent allows silver elves to have a unique perspective on the events of the last few thousand years. While even the oldest of the silver elves alive today was born several hundred years after the end of the Divinity War, the race as a whole understands where humanity has been. The elves worry that humanities natural tendencies too destroy themselves could plunge the continent into endless war again. They work towards teaching humans to work together or at least behave diplomatically to each other, whenever they can.
Silver elves are the most commonly encountered elves on the continent of Harqual, which is surprising considering the insular nature of most of their people. In truth, most of the silver elves encountered in human lands have chosen to live beyond the bounds of the Kingdom of the Silver Leaves. These elves aren't necessarily outcasts from the kingdom but in most cases they have shed the traditions of their people completely and behave more 'human' then elven. The Kingdom of the Silver Leaves will allow any silver elf to return to the elven way of life, as long as the elf wanting to come home wasn't cast out of the kingdom.
The greatest city of the silver elves is simply known as Silverleaf. Most humans refer to silver elves as being from the city-state of Silverleaf in the Great Forest, to those from other lands. In truth, their are as many as six other great elven cities around the shores of Lake Silverleaf, it's just that most humans have never heard of them. The Kingdom of the Silver Leaves is an enigmatic place full of strange wonders, beautiful glades and cultivated gardens. The first five miles around Lake Silverleaf in any direction is considered lived in and tamed by elven standards. Most humans don't notice that much of a difference until they come within a mile of the lake. Silver elves are extremely protective of their lands even going so far as to place powerful magical wards close to the lake and lesser wards the further one gets away from the city of Silverleaf. Humans that blatantly destroy nature in the Great Forest usually find themselves escorted out of the forest by a patrol of very well armed elven rangers.
Silver elves tend to be very chaotic in their youth but then migrate towards neutrality as they get older. This change takes place over long periods of time and the most venerable of the continent's silver elves are true neutral in alignment. Silver elves are one of the only races as a whole that believe completely in the tenets of the Balance. They often ally themselves with the druids of Daghdha and the Majestic Dragons of Harqual. Syliphiinax, The Majestic Green, lives within the boundary of the Kingdom of the Silver Leaves and is one of their greatest allies. Many silver elves belong to an order of knights, sponsored by these Dragons of the Balance, called the Knights Majestic.
Silver Elf Characters
Silver elves favor the ranger class. Silver ‘wilds’ favor the barbarian class. Silver ‘wilds’ have the following ability scores changes to that listed above: Str 12, Dex 13, Con 8, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 9.
Silver Elf Racial Traits
Silver elves benefit from a number of racial traits:
-> +2 to Dexterity, -2 to Constitution
-> Proficient with longsword or rapier, longbow, composite longbow, shortbow, and composite shortbow, regardless of character class.
-> Speed: Base land speed is 30 feet.
-> Immunity to magic sleep spells and effects.
-> Low-light Vision. Silver elves can see twice as far as a human can in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination.
-> Save Adjustments: +2 racial bonus to Will saves against enchantment spells or effects.
-> Skills: +2 racial bonus to Search, Spot, and Listen checks. An elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check as though actively looking for it.
-> Automatic Languages: Common, Elven, and Sylvan. Bonus Languages: Centaur, Draconic, Dwarven, Giant, Gnoll, Halfling, and Orc.
-> Favored Class: Wizard. A multiclass silver elf’s wizard class does not count when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty for multiclassing.
-> ECL: +0
Silver ‘Wild’ Elf Racial Traits
Silver ‘wilds’ benefit from a number of racial traits:
-> +2 to Strength, +2 to Dexterity, -2 to Constitution, -2 to Intelligence, -2 to Charisma.
-> Proficient with longsword or rapier, longbow, composite longbow, shortbow, and composite shortbow, regardless of character class.
-> Speed: Base land speed is 35 feet.
-> Immunity to magic sleep spells and effects.
-> Low-light Vision. Silver ‘wilds’ can see twice as far as a human can in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination.
-> Save Adjustments: +2 racial bonus to Will saves against enchantment spells or effects.
-> Skills: Silver ‘wilds’ gain 1 extra skill point at each level (or HD) because they must constantly train themselves to stay one step ahead of the dangers that surround them. In addition, silver ‘wilds’ gain a +2 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks and a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks. Poorly suited to social interaction, silver ‘wilds’ suffer a –2 racial penalty to Bluff, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive.
-> Automatic Languages: Barbarian and Elven. Bonus Languages: Centaur, Dwarven, Giant, Gnoll, Halfling, Orc, and Sylvan.
-> Favored Class: Ranger. A multiclass silver ‘wild’ elf’s ranger class does not count when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty for multiclassing.
-> ECL: +0