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Bryon
12-29-2001, 06:35 PM
Please give comments and suggestions. I would like to make a whole different idea for Dark Elves in BR than Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, or any other D&D world, but I want to keep a thread of consistance to fit the whole.

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Dark Elves-Awnsidhelien

What there are dark elves you ask. Well of course there are those of the Sidhelien that still ride the gheallie Sidhe and the Manslayer still lives. But that is not all, the true Dark Elves of Cerilia, the Awnsidhelien (awn-SHEE-lin), are totally different; yet their history is the same.

The dark elves are few and far between, they are a dark and reclusive race, suspicious of all other races. Early in history the elves contested human settlement in Cerilia. During the War of Shadows they allied with Azrai, but at the height of the battle of Mount Deismaar most elves changed to the side of the Five Tribes. The elves that stayed loyal to Azrai retreated with the rest of the Empire's forces. They joined together as a single tribe and moved far to the West to find refuge among the Vos. At first they settled in the Provinces of Kurmansk and Liispyk. Once there they tried to return to the old ways and continue the fight against the others. That was not to be, the elven leaders that had changed side declared these elves Awnsidhelien, or Dark Elves and started a campaign to destroy them. These battles were long and bloody, but kept secret from the other races to preserve the honor of the Sidhelien. With three Elven realms so close the Awnsidhelien, a name they now called themselves with pride, there was no peace for them here. After a few pitched battles the surviving Awnsidhelien once again retreated. This time they thought they could find refuge with the younger realm of Taur Annwrn. But that realm had only given a small number of warriors to Azari’s army and never really had fallen into his trap. In secret Cwmb Bheinn and Taur Annwrn warriors attacked the last group of Awnsidhelien. It seemed that after a span of almost 500 years of secret war the last of the Awnsidhelien were destroyed, but again that was not to be. A small number had moved out of Taur Annwrn earlier and made a hiding place in the Eastern part of the Grovnekevic Forest where it meets the Orlenaskyy Mountains. They would have been hunted down and finally found had not the realm of Taur Annwrn disappeared in a mysterious manner. Now the Awnsidhelien have hidden for many years and their number begins to grow. They have kept themselves hidden even from the Sword Rust Tribes and kill any that come close to their home. The battle between the Awnsidhelien and the Sidhelien still continues.

The Awnsidhelien (awn-SHEE-lin), or Dark Elves hold court in the deepest, most secluded dark woods in northern Vosgaard. They stand slightly taller then most humans. They are far more graceful and slender. Most average six to six ½ feet in height, and weigh 130 to 150 pounds. All have dusky gray skin, like a light ash, and dark hair. The total population of dark elves is roughly 5000. Because of a special interbreeding program only about 50 carry the bloodline of Azrai, the distribution is as such; 6 Great, ~10-Major, ~20-Minor, the rest tainted. Those elves that are blooded have pure white eyes, devoid of pupils and irises, yet all dark elves cannot tolerate bright lights. (-2 to attack if unblooded, -4 if blooded). Dark elves posses an unnatural beauty, and their voices carry a spellbinding quality. They are a brooding race and treat others with coldness.

Dark elves have been given priestly powers, same as the goblins, by Azrai to prove his power. This makes the dark elves believe even stronger in their own superiority over their cousins. They are creatures created with faerie dust and starlight, blasted by the power of the shadow. They have lost touch with the true magic of the land so now have begun to slowly age. They still live much longer then any of the other races, but this makes the dark elves value each day a little more then their cousins.
The dark elves heart is one of conflict. They feel emotions to each extreme; they can be moved to wild delight in one instant, dark brooding the next, then suddenly unyielding anger all in the span of a few minutes. More then anything else these elves feel the lose of their heritage and the hatred toward the cousins they felt betrayed them.
Dark elves have a resistance to sleep and charm spells (90% resistance) Since they have lost their immortality, they are affected by aging attacks, but not normal disease. Dark elves have infra vision and can see 60 feet in darkness. They also can see by starlight or moonlight as if it were day. They do not need sleep, but must rest the same amount of time a human needs to sleep. If they don't, they will become physically exhausted.
Dark elves have no special attack bonuses and no ability to detect secret doors or concealed objects, but are able to surprise opponents as described in the Players Handbook. Dark elves can pass without a trace in all natural settings and ignore ground characteristics when moving.
Dark elves follow any nongood alignment. Since the lose of their touch with true magic dark elves regents do not get the population and source bonuses for ruling provinces. Their woodland homes are very dark and the heart of it is a twisted mockery of nature. The society has developed that only blooded females are taught to be priests, the reason for only allowing is the first Awnsidhelien priest was a female, Lwlewellyn Ergsbane. She fought at Deismaar alongside Rhuobhe Manslayer, and was the first elf to accept Azrai as a god and worship him as such. In addition, since the race started with only about 500 elves after the battle, females were a prized commodity. The dark elves practice a strong breeding program and women have taken over the leadership of the race. All males are taught magic, but blooded males are the only ones taught true magic, they are mostly Fighter/Wizards. Since these elves have lost their connection with true magic non-blooded dark elves cannot be true wizards.

Racial Ability Adjustments
+1 Wisdom, +1 Dexterity, -1 Constitution, -1 Strength

Racial Level Limits
Fighter-12
Paladin-N/A
Ranger-9
Priest-9
Wizard-12
Thief-12
Bard-6

Lawgiver
12-30-2001, 03:35 AM
Orginally posted by Bryon
They stand slightly taller then most humans. They are far more graceful and slender. Most average six to six ½ feet in height, and weigh 130 to 150 pounds...

Since the lose of their touch with true magic dark elves regents do not get the population and source bonuses for ruling provinces.


only two things.
1. They are a little tall for dark elves aren't they? I thought the average drow was 5'6" (I don't have any of the books here so I'm not sure)?

2. What do you mean the population bonuses for ruling provinces? -- regency for the province level?

Otherwise its a superb adaptation in my opinion. :)

Lord Eldred
01-01-2002, 07:26 PM
I like the interpretation as well. I don't have a problem with Height. You stated from the beginning that they are different from the drow. I had the same second question as lawgiver.

Also would you consider having a PC play this race?

Bryon
01-02-2002, 04:10 AM
I think that the height would stay the same as regular Elves. They Dark Elves, well really Elves of the Dark, are basiclly the same as the normal elves.

As to the Population Bonus, what I figure is that the lose of in tounchness with the true magic the ruleing bonus of "rule a province but not lose any source" would not be the same.

Lastly, to play these as a NPC would be next to impossible. They are considered a dead race, if found all the other elvces would attack at first sight. I was trying to find a way to make them into a kingdom sourcebook to get an adventure started?


Some more questions for the General Board:

Is there a better place you would put them in Cerilia? I know another continent would work, but that would be a harder adventure. Maybe there is a whole island of them, but only a small group as returned to scout the other elfs?

Should they use shadow source?

Should they be family based? The Tuarhievel sourcebook has famlies based ideas.

Should women rule? Or too Forgotten Realmish?

Should they now worship a minor diety? Sort of a beginning Lolth?

Any other ideas would help...

Lawgiver
01-02-2002, 05:43 AM
Orginally posted by Bryon

Some more questions for the General Board

Location: Why not leave them on Cerilia. You could always stick them underground almost anywhere like the drow of Forgottne realms. They may have lied dormant for years waiting till the best time to emerge...

Family Based: I would think they would remain more of a tight community as a whole. They don't have the numbers to be the rival clan or house based structure like the FR drow. Since they are so limited they would wipe themselves out too quickly.

Should Women rule: doesn't matter to me. I'm used to drow being matriarchal, but whatever.

Minor Deity: I would vote no. I'd leave them loyal to Azari.

Elton Robb
01-02-2002, 05:46 AM
Orginally posted by Bryon

Lastly, to play these as a NPC would be next to impossible. They are considered a dead race, if found all the other elvces would attack at first sight. I was trying to find a way to make them into a kingdom sourcebook to get an adventure started?

Hmm. Something to think about for official Birthright 3E.

Respectfully Yours,
Elton Robb:p

Bryon
01-03-2002, 04:43 AM
Just brainstorming...

How aboput the Awnsidhelien purposely broke into smaller groups in order to survive the war of extermination, sort of like Tribes.

The largest is in Vosgraad, but there is smaller groups around. Think of a terrorist cell, or a guerrilla band. This would allow for only a few to be lost if some were found.

I was thinking 5 tribes/bands ranging from the largest of 1000 to the smallest of 100. This would let some be in contact with powerful enemies like the Gorgon and the Raven, while others are spies and hide out.

An adventure could be finding out about a group ruling a guild or the like from behind the scene, than to running into some Sidhelien hunters thus learning more about the history of the elven internal wars. Meeting an Awnsidhelien and they telling thier side. The final conflict and the idea that there is more out there.

I am going to have the Wizards tap into the Shadow World for power since they lost touch with the true magic.

Well, come on give me more feed back:)

Lawgiver
01-03-2002, 04:53 AM
Sounds like good quality work! I am at a loss (at the moment) for suggestions.

p.s. I like the new avatar pic by the way.

Lord Eldred
01-06-2002, 05:19 PM
Bryon, if your idea for the awnshawnee is totally worked out...how about posting it in the writer's guild?

Bryon
01-06-2002, 09:21 PM
I am actually trying to set the race sourcebook like a realm sourcebook. I have alot of ideas and will keep changing and updateing them. I will try to post something by the end of this month.

I want to incorporate some people from the present BR Books.

Xander
01-08-2002, 12:06 AM
I can tell that you worked long and hard with them. I would like to see more about the background and history of them. But that's just my opinion, but overall a very quality product.;)

jimi
06-06-2002, 08:54 AM
:) Thanks for this Byron,
I've been trying to figure out a way to get Drow into my Birthright campaign for a while. (I've got a scenario lined up for my unsuspecting PCs at this moment).

I've also been kicking around some ideas of an Underdark for Cerillia. I know it's a bit hackneyed, bit I just like the idea of dropping it in. I figure it would shake up the geo-political situation nicely.

Birthright-L
06-06-2002, 09:20 AM
For the underdark, use the shadow world. Basically, anything you want to
happen in the underdark can happen in the shadow world instead.

For drow, I use shadow world halflings. IMC, they look like regular drow,
and share most of their abilities, but are still Small. The halflings living
in Cerilia wage a secret war againt the incursions of these shadow-world
halflings, which adds a grim dimension to these seemingly childish
creatures.

Not that my players have noticed, so far.

/Carl


brnetboard@TUARHIEVEL.ORG <brnetboard@TUARHIEVEL.ORG> wrote at 02-06-06
10.54:

> jimi wrote:
> :) Thanks for this Byron,
> I`ve been trying to figure out a way to get Drow into my Birthright campaign
> for a while. (I`ve got a scenario lined up for my unsuspecting PCs at this
> moment).
>
> I`ve also been kicking around some ideas of an Underdark for Cerillia. I know
> it`s a bit hackneyed, bit I just like the idea of dropping it in. I figure it
> would shake up the geo-political situation nicely.
>
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Lord Eldred
07-01-2002, 01:56 PM
I really like the concept of using the drow in the shadow world. Another thought would be the Spiderfell with the Spider being who they worship.