How to play an Elf

The single most influential aspect of Elves is longevity. Elves are the longest-lived sentient race. This fact molds everything about an Elven character. Elves basically live until they tire of the world, or die through violent means.

Elves rarely make close friends with members of the shorter-lived races because they know these folk will live for but a few decades. This can make them seem distant at times.

Elves are patient. This patience pervades all aspects of their lives.

Elves are difficult to provoke, being just as content to watch an enemy die of old age as to directly confront them. They have the luxury of waiting decades to get revenge on someone who has wronged them. They will never jump into a fight unless given no other choice.

Elves are not destructive like other races. They know how long nature takes to repair the damage done by sentient races, and they go out of their way to live in harmony with nature, as opposed to the attempts to control and dominate nature by the other races.

Elves love the stars, the moon, and the sea. They are more nocturnal than other races, seeing just fine under starlight. Since they can sense weather patterns better than most, they make excellent sailors.

Since elves are more in tune with the world around them, they notice temperature and weather extremes less than others. They can be comfortable in freezing weather or tropical weather while wearing the same clothing.

Elves gather knowledge. It’s what they are best at. They try not to act on something unless they are satisfied they know everything about the subject there is to know.

Elves are not snobs and are not racial elitists. They do lament the destructive nature of the shorter-lived races, and they tend to have more accumulated knowledge and experience, which can make them seem aloof. But they do not believe they are better than other races. On the contrary, they believe that all forms of life are important, and if the shorter-lived races have a serious fault it’s that they don’t share this belief and tend to destroy and manipulate other living creatures.

Elves have a low birth rate. There’s no need to have a child every few years when you live for centuries. As a result, elves tend to be more promiscuous and have fewer moral dilemmas where temporary relationships are concerned than other races.

Elves usually must wait a very long time before finding their soulmates, if they ever do. Once two elves do recognize each other, they bond. An elven bond is something far deeper than the typical marriages of the other races. Breaking a bond, unlike divorce, is practically unheard of.

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