Personality and Physical Appearance
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Lyrandel & Immortality • Life Stages • Subraces • Wake Cycles • Slumber • Staff Notes
Eternal Life and the Lyrandel
Elves mature slowly and do not die of old age. Their lives are marked by ten major milestones, shaped by cycles of wakefulness and a sacred period of hibernation called the Slumber of Renewal.
At the center of their longevity is the Lyrandel, a unique organ near the heart that stores mana and preserves the Elf's Grace. As long as the Lyrandel remains whole and uncorrupted, an Elf’s life is effectively eternal. However, if their Grace is severed from the Lyrandel—through damage, corruption, or divine punishment—the Elf becomes mortal.
Elves do not typically count years the way mortals do. Time, to them, is a cycle—not a line.
Stages of an Elf's Life
The Awakening
- Common Equivalent: Birth
- Milestone: The newborn Elf’s Lyrandel first pulses, initiating their bond to the Valar. Celebrated with a blessing ritual.
First Rite (Around Age 20)
- Common Equivalent: First Words
- Milestone: First conscious channeling of magic through the Lyrandel. Families celebrate the Elf’s unique affinity.
The Bonding (Around Age 50)
- Common Equivalent: First Friendships
- Milestone: Formation of meaningful bonds outside family. Often when lifelong pairs are formed.
The Gleaning (Around Age 100)
- Common Equivalent: Early Education
- Milestone: Exploration of disciplines—arts, combat, magic—to learn how their Lyrandel resonates with different paths.
The First Dream (Around Age 150)
- Common Equivalent: Coming of Age
- Milestone: The first prophetic dream from Seraphiel. Elders guide its interpretation.
The Weaving (Around Age 200)
- Common Equivalent: Choosing a Career
- Milestone: Public declaration of life path (Order, patron Vala, profession). Considered a full adult.
The First Reflection (Age 300–500)
- Common Equivalent: Major Life Transition
- Milestone: Physical and spiritual renewal. Often coincides with deep bonding or communal responsibility.
The Second Reflection (Around Age 800)
- Common Equivalent: Midlife Reflection
- Milestone: Reassessment of life’s purpose. Often leads to a new role or insight.
The Mantle of Wisdom (Over 1000 Years)
- Common Equivalent: Elder Status
- Milestone: Recognized as an elder and keeper of lore. Channels ancient magic more easily.
The First Slumber (Subrace Dependent)
- Common Equivalent: Retirement
- Milestone: First entry into the Slumber of Renewal—a hibernation where the Elf communes with the Valar and the natural world.
Subrace Profiles
Note: Elves of mixed heritage may exhibit traits from both parents. For example, a Wood Elf with a Hill Elf father may be broader or taller than a typical Wood Elf—but they are still considered a Wood Elf, as race is matrilineal.
Wood Elves
Wood Elves are spirited wanderers, deeply bound to nature. Agile, curious, and unpredictable, they serve as scouts, hunters, druids, and rangers. They revere every stream and glade as sacred.
| Trait | Description |
|---|---|
| Skin | Bronze to umber, sometimes with bark-like striations or freckling |
| Eyes | Green, amber, or chestnut |
| Hair | Brown, red, green; adorned with feathers, beads, or petals |
| Build | Short, slender, acrobatic |
| Traits | Adaptive, stealthy, playful, loyal to kin and forest |
| Height (Average) | Males: 5'4"–5'9" Females: 5'2"–5'7" |
Wood Elves are the untamed heart of Elvenkind—free-spirited wanderers, wardens of the wild, and eternal children of the forest. Their lives are woven into the rhythm of the natural world, and every breath they take is steeped in the scent of moss, leaf, and loam. To the Wood Elves, the world is a living song, and they move through it not as conquerors or custodians, but as siblings to the rivers and wind.
Rugged, adventurous, and spirited, Wood Elves carry an innate desire to explore, protect, and experience. Where High Elves preserve and Hill Elves endure, Wood Elves adapt, shift, and flow. They are often thought unpredictable by their kin—fond of laughter in solemn moments, or prone to sudden departures to follow the call of a bird, a breeze, or an omen in the trees. Yet beneath this seemingly carefree exterior lies an unwavering loyalty to the forest, their kin, and the Valar who guide them.
Their appearance reflects this bond to the wild. Wood Elves often possess skin in tones of warm bronze, sun-kissed tan, or light umber, occasionally marked by faint, bark-like striations or subtle freckling that resembles dappled light through leaves. Their eyes gleam with hues of forest green, golden amber, or deep chestnut—bright with curiosity and depth. Hair flows freely, untamed and expressive, in shades of chestnut, mossy brown, autumnal red, or even deep green, adorned with woven feathers, beads, or petals.
Built for speed, stealth, and agility, Wood Elves are naturally slender, with sinewy muscle born of a life spent climbing trees, crossing rivers, and traversing root-choked glades. They move with a dancer’s grace, seemingly unburdened by armor or weight, able to vanish into undergrowth with barely a whisper. Their clothing reflects this pragmatism and reverence—crafted from leather, barkweave, and enchanted cloth, designed to be silent and blend with their forested surroundings. Cloaks of moss-green, tunics of bark-brown, and sashes dyed in the colors of fern or flameleaf are common, often accented with the small trophies of nature: a feather from a hawk, a stone from a sacred stream, or the bloom of a flower that only opens beneath moonlight.
Wood Elf society is loosely structured, guided by clans or circles rather than rigid hierarchies. While some dwell in sprawling treeborne settlements, others wander in familial groups, answering to no single leader but always to the will of the forest and the whispers of the Valar. Their spiritual life is deeply animistic—every glade, stream, and beast has a spirit, and songs are offered to both sun and soil. Festivals are wild and colorful affairs, marked by dance, ritual hunts, and storytelling beneath the stars.
Renowned for their skill as rangers, hunters, druids, and bladesingers, Wood Elves are protectors of their domains and fierce opponents of corruption and intrusion. Their knowledge of flora and fauna is unmatched, and their ability to wage guerrilla warfare in the thickets and groves of their homelands is legendary. Whether guiding a lost traveler or ambushing a warband in silence, a Wood Elf is never far from the reach of root or arrow.
Despite their capricious nature, Wood Elves are deeply rooted in tradition and memory. Their laughter may come easily, but so too does mourning. They remember the scars of fire and axe, and while forgiveness may bloom in time, they never forget. Each fallen tree, each poisoned stream, is a wound they feel in their bones—and a call to action.
To be a Wood Elf is to live as part of the world’s breath—swift, fleeting, fierce, and beautiful.
Note: Elves of mixed heritage may exhibit traits from both parents. For example, a High Elf with a Wood Elf father may be slightly more agile or shorter than a typical High Elf—but they are still a High Elf, as race is matrilineal.
High Elves
High Elves are contemplative and arcane, the scholars and loremasters of the race. Their appearance is luminous and refined, and they move with calm precision.
| Trait | Description |
|---|---|
| Skin | Pale to porcelain, faintly luminous |
| Eyes | Sapphire, amethyst, or violet |
| Hair | Silver, white, gold, or black |
| Build | Tall, lean, elegant |
| Traits | Brilliant, exacting, focused, emotionally intense |
| Height (Average) | Males: 6'1"–6'4" Females: 5'10"–6'2" |
High Elves are the crown of the Elven race—elegant, timeless, and touched by the arcane in both form and spirit. Where Wood Elves chase the wind and Hill Elves shape the stone, High Elves dwell in the stillness between stars, contemplative and luminous. They are the stewards of Elven memory, the scribes of law and myth, and the bearers of ancient magic whose origins trace back to the earliest Songs of the Valar.
Scholars, magi, and philosophers, High Elves pursue perfection not in dominion, but in understanding. Their cities, often suspended among marble towers or nestled within luminous spires of crystal and gold-veined stone, are monuments to discipline and grace. Every archway echoes with resonance, every corridor with memory. High Elven culture reveres artistry, history, and mastery; a poorly cast spell, like an ill-spoken word or an off-key note, is considered more than an error—it is a blemish on one’s discipline.
Physically, High Elves are statuesque and refined. Their frames are lean but deceptively strong, their movements precise and fluid, as though guided by unseen rhythm. Skin tones are pale to porcelain, sometimes bearing a faint luminous quality under moonlight. Their hair ranges from silver and snow-white to golden blonde or ink-black, often worn long and adorned with circlets or ornamentation signifying their house, Order, or scholarly discipline. Their eyes are their most striking feature: piercing shades of sapphire, amethyst, or violet that seem to see beyond the moment—beyond even time.
Attire is formal, even in function. High Elves dress in layered robes, tailored tunics, and flowing cloaks—garments woven from enchanted silks or whisper-thin mana-thread, resistant to wear and imbued with subtle effects. Their preferred colors range from celestial blues and pale silvers to regal purples and deep midnight hues. Arcane sigils are often embroidered along hems or cuffs, not as decoration, but as enhancements—each garment a piece of personal magic, a testament to discipline and intellect.
The Slumber of Renewal is especially significant to the High Elves. Due to their immense mana reserves and the strain that prolonged magical study can place upon their spirits, they experience the longest cycles between hibernations. When they do enter the Slumber, it is not simply a rest—it is a cosmic retreat, a deep communion with the arcane lattice of the world. Many awaken changed—more focused, more distant, or more visionary—carrying dreams that reshape their pursuits for centuries to come.
In conversation, High Elves often come across as aloof or overly formal, though this is rarely intentional. They are deliberate with their words, viewing language as both an instrument and a responsibility. Wit is often dry, ironic, and exacting—weaponized as readily as magic. They do not rush to judgment, but once committed to a course of action, their resolve is absolute.
High Elves are particularly known for serving in roles that require unwavering focus and mental rigor: archmages, battle-mages, loremasters, judges, and advisors to royalty. Their spellcraft is intricate and devastating, their enchantments lasting for generations. Many High Elves are also drawn to the priesthood, especially in service to Valar of insight and vision. Though they seldom serve on the frontlines, their magical artillery and battlefield control can turn the tide of any engagement.
They are not cold. Beneath the layers of refinement and self-restraint lies a capacity for intense emotion. Love, grief, ambition, and joy—when these do surface—are expressed not in bursts, but in long arcs: an epic poem, a slow-burning vendetta, a lifelong vow. High Elves do not forget, and they do not forgive lightly.
To be a High Elf is to walk beside the eternal—to seek not only beauty, but truth, not only knowledge, but wisdom. They are the memory of the Elves, the conscience of their people, and the flame that guides their long road forward.
Note: Elves of mixed heritage may exhibit traits from both parents. For example, a Hill Elf with a High Elf father may appear more graceful or arcane in disposition—but they are still a Hill Elf, as race is matrilineal.
Hill Elves
Hill Elves are the strong backbone of Elvenkind. Grounded and tradition-bound, they are known for craft, endurance, and practical wisdom.
| Trait | Description |
|---|---|
| Skin | Tan to bronze |
| Eyes | Amber, russet, or hazel |
| Hair | Chestnut, auburn, or dark gold |
| Build | Broad, muscular, tall |
| Traits | Stoic, loyal, industrious, proud |
| Height (Average) | Males: 5'10"–6'1" Females: 5'6"–5'10" |
Hill Elves are the steady hammer of Elvenkind—grounded, enduring, and forged by toil. Where Wood Elves are wild and wandering and High Elves contemplative and arcane, Hill Elves are known for their unshakable resolve, practical wisdom, and the quiet pride of those who shape the world with their hands. They are the keepers of stone, the whisperers of metal, and the tireless architects of hearth and hold.
While they do not share the Dwarves’ instinctive bond with stone and subterranean life, Hill Elves are often considered a close second in matters of metallurgy, enchantment, and excavation. Their mines may not delve as deep, but they are laid with reverence and foresight. Their forges may not blaze as fiercely, but their crafts are touched with a grace no hammer alone could bring. Every tool, blade, or ornament they make is not just function but a statement—of patience, of perfection, of memory.
Physically, Hill Elves stand apart from their kin with a notably robust build. They are tall and broad-shouldered, with thick musculature honed through years of labor. Their strength is not only in their arms but in their stamina and persistence—the kind of power that endures long winters, rebuilds broken walls, and holds fast when others might fall. Skin tones range from sun-warmed tan to deep bronze, kissed by stone and soot. Their eyes gleam with earthen hues: russet brown, golden amber, and hazel shot with green. Hair tends to be thick, often wavy or coiled, in tones of rich chestnut, auburn, or a rare dark gold, reflecting the autumnal palette of their upland homelands.
Hill Elf clothing is practical, enduring, and modest. They favor tightly woven fabrics, rugged leather, and garments reinforced for utility—tunics with tool loops, belts with built-in sheaths, cloaks treated to resist weather and wear. Colors mirror the land they inhabit: slate gray, river green, oak brown, ember red. They value function over flair, but there is beauty in the durability of their work, and often a quiet artistry in their embroidery or inlaid sigils—typically clan symbols, craft marks, or ancient blessings from the Age of Harmony.
Culturally, Hill Elves are steeped in tradition. Clans and lineages matter greatly, and while they are not rigidly hierarchical, honor and ancestry guide much of their daily life. Elders are revered, but leadership is earned through deeds rather than decree. Communal halls serve as places of gathering, judgment, and celebration, and every settlement is bound by an oathstone—an ancient monument where vows are made, festivals convened, and disputes resolved with dignity. Their stories are carved in stone, sung over forges, and carried in rings or talismans passed from one generation to the next.
Though often seen as stoic or even austere by outsiders, Hill Elves are fiercely loving and loyal. Their humor is dry and understated, but their laughter—when earned—is rich and deep. They may seem guarded, but once their trust is gained, they are among the most steadfast of companions. It is said that a Hill Elf friend is rarer than gold but worth ten times its weight.
In battle, they are unyielding. Many serve as skirmishers, scouts, or frontline wardens, using their strength to hold chokepoints or crush through enemy lines. Others, especially in times of peace, become artificers, architects, and stone-singers, working with quiet focus to strengthen the foundations of Elven civilization. Their magic, when practiced, tends to be subtle—earthbound enchantments, warding runes, and durable infusions that outlast their casters.
To be a Hill Elf is to be shaped by stone, rooted in kinship, and tempered by time. They are not easily moved, but once they do act, it is with purpose, gravity, and lasting effect.
Elven Wake Cycles
| Subrace | Wake Cycle | Slumber Cycle |
|---|---|---|
| High Elf | 2400 years | 70 years |
| Wood Elf | 1800 years | 50 years |
| Hill Elf | 1200 years | 30 years |
The Slumber of Renewal
The Slumber of Renewal is a sacred hibernation taught by Seraphiel during the Age of Chaos. Elves retreat into the earth for magical and spiritual restoration. During this time, latent mana sustains the Valar, especially those without clans.
High Elves theorize that, in time, the cycles may result in a permanent resonance with the divine—an end to the need for Slumber altogether.
Elves prepare for the Slumber with rituals and offerings. It is a communal event and a sign of deepening wisdom.
Not From Arandor?
See: Elven Settlements
Staff Notes
- Elves are matrilineal: race is inherited from the mother
- There are no half-elves: offspring are fully one race or another
- All Elf characters must have completed the Weaving
- Visual appearance can be customized to match subrace
- Elves are matrilineal: the union of a High Elf female and a Hill Elf male will result in a High Elf child.
- Female Elves who reproduce with other races produce either a full Elf or full non-Elf. There are no half-Elves.
- Male Elves who reproduce with non-Elves never produce Elven children.
- Ninvere Lanreci, the Elder Queen of Arandor, is the oldest living Elf.
- All Elf characters must have reached the milestone known as \"The Weaving\" before entering play.
