The True Elves
True elves are one of the more common oddities that crowd the streets of Axiom. These elves, like other elves are long boned and graceful, but they are much more solidly built than average elves with thicker corded musculature and a much heavier build than a normal high elf. They also are much taller than your average high elf, nearly a head taller than even humans, and many of them approaching seven feet in height. Unlike other elves, the skin color of true elves can vary from the blackest onyx all the way to pale ivory and every color imaginable in between. Unlike other races of elves the skin tone of a true elf says nothing about their alignment, bearing towards others or general disposition (like the drow and their ebony skin, something that is also normal amongst the true elves).
True elves are incredibly talented at magic arts, trained as they are to harness their innate powers from birth or, given their exceedingly long lifespans, dedicating their early life to the study of the arcane. The reputation of the true elves as magic users is so prevalent that even true elves who are warriors or fighters tend to be able to cast even simple cantrips. The most powerful of the true elves are archmages and sorcerer lords of the highest orders.
In addition to prodigious talent at magic, true elves graceful and sturdy builds make them fearsome warriors to behold. They tend toward lighter weapons or ranged combat to take advantage of their dexterity that they share with all others of their kin. Their greater ability to absorb punishment, however, allows them to stay in combat for longer than their more slight kin. It is this hardiness, and a willingness to use it, that has garnered the true elves a reputation as brutes and bruisers. It is well known that if a true elf wades into a fight, that they are going to be the one to end that fight.
This reputation for brawling is made even more fearsome by the fact that all true elves have a set of eight, inch long, razor sharp fangs in their mouths that they are rumored to be able to use in combat to wound their foes. These fangs are hollow and can deliver a powerful hallucinogenic toxin whenever the true elf wishes to. In spite of this, there are very few documented instances of a true elf actually using these fearsome natural weapons in combat.
In spite of the fact that true elves are common across the countless streets, alleys and districts of Axiom, they do not choose to hold districts for themselves like other races do. Instead they live everywhere, in every district, and they also seem to pop up even in districts where they might not otherwise be welcome.
True Elf Traits
- Ability Score Increase: Your dexterity score increases by 2. You also may choose one other ability score and increase it by 1.
- Age: True elves reach physical maturity at around 50 years of age.
- Size True Elves range from 6 to 7 and a half feet tall, typically described as "a head taller than all of those around them". Your size is medium.
- Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
- Natural bite attack 1d4 + poison (DC10 constitution save) or the target takes 1d4 wisdom damage for 10 rounds. This poison can only affect a target 1 time per day and may not drop a targets wisdom score below 1. True elves do not add their proficiency bonus to this bite attack unless given proficiency with bite attacks through a class feature or feat.
- Functional Immortality: It is not known if true elves can die of natural causes. As far as anyone has recorded true elves will continue to live unless they are mortally wounded or contract an illness from which they cannot recover.
- Darkvision: You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
- Keen Senses: You have proficiency in the perception skill.
- Reputation for Violence: You have proficiency with the intimidate skill.
- Fey Ancestry: You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed and magic can't put you to sleep.
- Trance: True elves don't need to sleep, instead they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious for 4 hours a day. While meditating you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.
- Languages: You can speak, read and write common and elvish.
Half True Elf
As with other elf races, the true elves have a reputation for grace and beauty that is well earned. In particular, humans find the elegance and poise that some true elves hold to be intoxicating. For their part, true elves enjoy the impetuosity and vigor with which these shorter lived races approach life. These attractions can sometimes lead to more and children can be the result of these unions, even if said union is brief by the standards of a long lived true elf.
These half true elves take on the same traits as a half elf with one exception, which will be detailed here.
Racial Traits
- All racial traits as a half elf detailed in the players handbook (Page 18) or core rulebook (Page 24) with the following additions.
- Natural bite attack 1d4. Half true elves do not add their proficiency bonus to this bite attack unless given proficiency with bite attacks through a class feature or feat.