(ENG) D&D - Gazetteer - GAZ5 - The Elves of Alfheim

An Official DUNGEONS & DRAGONS- Game Supplement 't:17e Elves Of Alf17eiM By Steve Peccin and Anders Swenson Table of Contents Welcome 10 AUheim ......................................................................... .......... 2 The Histor, of Alfheim ................................................. •. .•....... .. .... • ..•..•....... S The Elven ~y ...............................•.........................•.. • ..•..........•.••..•...... 10 Geography, Flora, and Habitars in AlIheim .......•.....................•......•..•..........•..•..•...... 16 AUheim Town ...............................•..•......................•.. •.. • .............•......... 24 The Economy of Alfheim ................. . ........................... •...................... •..••..... 31 Politia of the Elveo Court ............................................... •.. • ..•.. • .......... •..•...... 3S Personalities of Alfheim ......................•.........................•. ..•.. • ............ • •. . •.. .... 39 Players' Pullout Section What Everybody Knows About Alfheim Crealing and Playing an Elf Character .. . .. . Extra Skills for Elves . . .. . . . ........... . Glossary .. . . . . .... . ..... . 45 47 " " Secrers O£The Elves ..........•.. •.. •. .• . ........•.. . ........•..•..•..•.............•..•............. 63 Campaigning in AUheim ... . •..• , . • .. • ..•............ •• . •• . •• . •• . . • ..•...... •• ..•..•..•............. 72 forest Deniltns .............. •.. •.. •..•..•..•................•.. •.. • ..•..........•..•..•............. 7S New MonstetS ...............•... . . • .. • ..........................................•................... 76 Ad"enrures .................•..•................................................ . ................... 77 The Great Hunt . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .... ........... . 77 The Plot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . ... 77 The Grand Tour ..... . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... .. 80 Follow That Ore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ... . .. . . . .... . . . . . . . . 82 The MiSliing Anifact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .................. ....... 85 Assassins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 88 The Nithian Lich . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Funher Adventures . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... ..... ......... 95 Credia: Design: Steve Perrin and Anders Swenson Editing: Paul Jaquays Product Manager: Bruce Heard CoordinalOrs: Bruce Heard and Karen Manin Cover Anist: Clyde Caldwell Imerior Artist: Stephen Fabian Canography: llive Sutherland, Dennis Kauth Typography: Kim Janke Playtesdng: Dawn Greenlee , Steve Henderson, P:unda Kramer, Heather Mace. Devin McKinney. and Dennis O'Brien ° 1988 TSR, Inc:. All Rights Reserved. Printed in USA. TSR Inc. POB n6 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and D&D arc rCli$tued trademarks owned by TSR. Inc. PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION and the TSR 1010 arc trademarks o .... ned by TSR. Inc . Distributed to thc book (radc in the United Statcs by Random HOUK, Inc ., and in Canada by Random Hou~ of Canada. Ltd. Dimibuted to t~ 10)' and hobby trade by ~Iional distrib.l1ors. DIStributed In (~Unit('(! Kongdom by TSR UK ud . This module i5 proteCled under the copyright b .... s of the United States of America. Aoy reproduction or othcr unauthoriud UK of the written material or artwork herein is prohibited without the ClIpfess written permIssion of TSR, Inc. TSR UK Ltd . 'SIIl, b",. Lake Geneva. WI BI47 USA ._ .... _ ... -.._ .. The Mill. Rathmore Road Cambridge CBI4AD United Kingdom d

WelCOMe to AlfIJeiM Alfheim is a land renowned for irs mystc:- fious forests HUed with magic and for the learning and valor of its dven inhabitants. Alfhcim is centcred in the forest of Canolbanh . surrounded on all sides by the Republic of Darokin - a former bitter enemy and now fast friend . Other dose neighbors include the monsterinfested Broken Lands to the north and WC:St, Rockhomc of the dwarves to the cast, and Karameikos and the: Five Shires to the south. Most of Daeokin is to the west of Alfheim. This sourcebook deals with the: unique dveo nation of Alfhc:im, describing in detail its forests, its single city, and its people - the elves, heirs to the entire culture of the dven race. Elves have: been mentioned throughout the D&I)® series of rulc:books and modules; but the references have: always bttn piecemeal. In the 0&0* game rule books, you learned how to roll up an elf chancter; in another, you learned how to build strongholds; and yet other books descri~d elven nonplayer characters and elven life . The Elves of AlfhWn pUtS it all [0- gether. You learn the long history of the elves; you 're given a whole new set of spells and experience levels that your eIven chancters can attain; and you learn why the elves are like they arc (flighty and whimsical, fonder of trees than people , aloof from other races). Here you'll find the unique treehouses of the elves and learn how they get from branch to b~nch without every touching ground. You' ll sec the social structure that holds the elves together even as they present the appearance of anarchy to the world outside. And here is prescnted guidelines on how to llS(: Alfheim as an integral pan of your campaign, whether as a place for ch~ters to visit. to invade . [0 call home , or to spend an entire campaign. WlJo SlJa ll Reat> "ClJiS Wonk?------------------ This is primarily a reference book for the the OM's eyes only. Pages 4)-)2 are provided as a pull-out section for the players. At the OM's discretion. cenain other parts of it can ~ shown to players in his or her campaign. In panicular. the "Geog· f2ph y. Flora , and Habitats ". and "Elven Society" sections can be read by the play· ers of Aifheim·elfcharacters without particularly spoiling the campaign for them. Th is is their heritage - it is only right they should have the knowledge . However, other than the sections mentioned above. players should not read any other panion of this book (at the OM's discretion. additional information can be read to the players as their characters learn it during the course of play). As a complete campaign reference book, The Elves of Alfheim offers adven. tu res and adventure componentS for characters of Basic, Expert, Companion, and Master experience levels, and gives the OM plenty of advice for presenting this material in adventure sessions. USiNG tlJe Elves Of AlflJeiM . Pages45-52 in the cemerof the Gazetteer are a removable player handout which form an introduction [0 the history and culture of Alfbeim. and define the special rules and procedures needed for an elven campaign. Begin by giving this section to your players. Other information presemed throughout the Gazetteer may be given to players at the OM's discretion. This information includes: "The History of Alfheim" which details the elven odyssey from what is now the southern icecap to the southern comi. nem land of Vulcania, to the Sylvan Lands, and finally to Alfheim. It explains the role the dves inadvertantly played in the downfall of the Empire of Nithia and describes the major threat against peace in Alfhcim .. . the Shadowelves. " Geography, FlofOl, and Habitats," which describes how the elves live in the forest and what they live in. and the magical areas that arc so much a part of the m~ic that makes Alfheim unique. This section should be shown to any player whose character comes from Alfheim. " Alfheim Town" is a detailed look at . ,~ , the one almost human-style cit y in Alfheim. This section should be shown to the player of any non-elf character who comes from the town iud£. "The People of Alfheim Town" de· scribes some typical citizens of the town. from Guardian to tavemkeeper. Let the players' chancters t them as they go along. "The Economy of Alfheim" describes what economic comacts the elves have with the world outside their forest. Material in this section should come to player character elves during the course of play. "The Elven Ways ofLife" describes eIven socie ty and the philosop hical groundings of that society. This is a muse {e:1.d section of role play guidelines for players of dven characters. "The Politics of the Elven Coun" is a description of how the government of Alfucim works and how they organize against invasion and plan for fo reign adventures (of which they have had remarkably few). " Player Pullouts" isa removable eight· page section that contai ns guidelines to create e1ven characters who then live in Alfheim. It also includes descriptions of Alfheim from the viewpoints of foreigners and a glossary of terms peculiar to Alfheim and its neighboring lands. Permission to photocopy this section. (wd chis section alone) is given by TSR, Inc. for your usc in play. "The Personalities of the Elven Coun" is a description of the movers and shakers of the e1ven society. This section is for OMs' eyes only. "The Secrets of the Elves" is a section to explain those things that are unknown to anyone but those high in the councils of the dves. This is "need-to-knowbasis" information, revelations that an elf chancter may discover during the course of play. Non-elf characters should always be somewhat in the dark about them unless the need for non-elf assistance is immense. Again. this section is initially for the OM only, to be doled out as needed . The "Advemures" section is also foe OM's eyes only. It dca.Js with how to run an Alfheim campaign and provides ad-

ve:nture:s for the: dve:s and thdr frie:nds and allie:s. It include:s: "The: A1fhe:im Campaign," which de:- scribc=s the: type: of adve:nture:s one: might run in Alfhdm and how non-df characte:rs can be dtagge:d into the:m. "The: Monsters of Alfhe:im," which 5upplie:s de:scriptions of monste:rs not found in the: D&Dit game: rulebooks (though some: have: appe:are:d in othe:r moduks) and providc=s e:ncounte:r table:s for the:m. "The: Great Hunt" which puts the: dve:n characte:rs in the: middk of one: of Alfhe:im's favorite: activitie:s, huoting; the:n tosse:s the: characte:rs ioto the: middle: of the: political intrigue:s which are being plone:d even as the: hunt move:s on. Finally, a sc:rie:s of sc:ve:ral adve:ntura which ta.lce: pJaye:r characte:rs allover the: fou~st in a care:fully graduate:d sc:ries of adventura meaot for Basic, Expe:n, and Companion lcvds of play - plus ide:as for other adventute:s to be f1eshe:d out by the:DM. COMMeNts ----- - - Reme:mber that this source:book and the othe:r source:books in the: se:ric=s have: be:e:n writte:n for you to use: in your campaign and in your own world - whethe:r it is the official D&D® game: world or one of your own creation. This me:ans you can and should change: things you cannot or do not wish to uSC: before: making this Gauttee:r a part of your pe:rsonal D&Dit game world. Do you want your elves to stick with the: basic 10 kvels of e:xpe:rie:ncd Do you not wane to worry about magic spots and twiste:d magic? Would you ramer your e1ve:s we:re bitter enemies of dwarves? It's your book now - k«p what you want, change what you need to; but most of all, have fun with it. A FINal Note ------ This Guette:e:r assumes that the: dves in an Alfheim campaign have not yet ac· complished the quest of The Tree of Life: (eM 7). If that adventure has been accomplished successfully, there will be dif. ferences in Alfheim. For one, the: Sylvan 1:l)e ElVes Of Alfl)elM

Re~m will be a vi:able (:albeit disum) force :again, and , twO, the motiv:ations of the elven Fe:adiel clan will probably change. J<ullos -------- M:any other D&~ game produCls have been instrumental in Cleating this GaZetteer. Besides the basic information provided in the rulebooks, we would like to .' thank Bruce A. He:ard for The Tree of Life (CM7). which provided the first clues to the long wandering history of the elves. and for The Principalities of Glantn, (GAZ3), which introduced flamenco elves. We also want to thank Michael Dobson for Red Arrow, Black Shield (XIO), which established the population, kings' names, and military might of Alfheim, 4 and Aaron Allston for his delineation of the elves of The Grand Duchy of Karameikos (GAZI), and the dwarven attitude roward elves in The DW2rves of Rockhome Gazelteer. Finally, there is ugacy of Blood (CM9) from (ahem) Steve Perrin and K:atherine Kerr to give some more hints on the situation on the Alfheim-Darokin borders. , I. ) , .~ .. , , ".- .. ;.:~., .. ".' 'CI)~ SUMP aNI> W~in

The elves of Alfheim have an advantage over the citizens of other lands. They live much longer and arc thus closer to their own history. Their version of their own history is closer to the truth than that of most other nations in the D&D® game world. Still. discrepancies between fact and legend have crept in, even though the elves have only gone through six complete generations (defined as when everyone alive at the stan of a generation is dead before the next commences) since explorers from Blackmoor first contacted their original land of Evergrun. As tl)" Elv"s 1I1t ---- Long before men had words, elves grew grear in the wondrous land of Evergrun. Tall were the trees of Evc:rgrun, and bountiful were its forests. Our wild brothers pve us good sport and honored us with their deaths on our arrows. There we first Jearned ehe way of the forest and how to share ehe forese's bounty with all of its peoples. We were content. But in far land - a world away, theevil empire of Blackmoor grew and reached our its tentacles to embrace all hands. When the fat merchant-priests of BI:2ckmoor arrived on the shores of Evergrun. the dven people were amazed and delighted. In our foolishness, we we/comed chem with open arms. Bur the men of Blackmoor sold more than goods.· They sold ideas - bright ideas whose core was corruption. The wisdom of the elven sages was overcome with these ideas and they began to practice the black arts raught by these interlopers ftom afar. The products of these arts were indeed fair, bur the practice of them was foul. They turned the forests of Evergrun inro Foulness. The wisest amongst us fled far from those foul arts, seeking lands untaimed by the vileness of Blackmoor - and by that was the dven race saved. Soon, the gods stepped down and punished Evergrun with the Rain of Fire, even as BI:2ckmoor was punished. The earth moved with the sun and the moon, and the ice came down from the mounHistORY Of Alf1J€iM rains and would not leave. Those elves who were nor lost in the Rain of Fire met again in the land once called Grunland, in what men now call the southern cominent. Yeot even there was the blasphemy of Blackmoor to be felc. Undaunted by rhe punishment of che gods, falsdy wise elves of chat place wished co concinue practice of those vile arts which had brought Evergrun low. Ilsundal. wisest of our Forebears, would not hear them. He gathered cogether the faithful - chose who knew the ways of their grandfathers :lnd would not listen to corrupted S:lges - and led them northward to the wild continent. When Evergrun was in irs glory, there had been only the snows of winter in this wild land, bur cales now cold of sun and grass and ... tr~. The coils and travails of thar long march were great, and the losses to our people terrible. Nevertheless. they found a hir. forested land in the north and secded there. calling it the Sylvan Realm. And then IIsundal became an Immortal Paragon, a god of the elves whose love for his people was so gre:lc thar he lefr us the Trt=t= of Lift=. The fair Sylvan Realm grew great under the branches of th:ll sacred cree. Bur there came :l time after many tt=ns of springs when the Sylv2tl l:lnd could no longer hold all the hunrers and all the magics of the dyes. Looking out of the sheltering forest, the elves found too many hum:lns and their earth-slaying fidds surrounding rhe forest. Another path from the Sylvan Realm would have co be found for our pioneers. And from amongst the wisest of our le:lders, there came Mealiden Starwatcher who found the Path of the R:linbow. He gathered about him those clans who would seek :l new l2tld and prayed to IIsundal for guidance. To e:lch clan, IIsundal gave a daughter of the One '.free co become that clan's uee of life. Thus gifted, Mealiden led the elves over the Rainbow Path to their new home. AJas, the new-found home was also full of forest-slaying hum:lns. Und:lunred. the clans moved ever northw:lrd, until they found the barren Steppes thar lay berween the Altan Tepe Mountains and the Rockhome mountains. Neither man, halfling nor dwarf wanted these bartt=n lands, bur wise Mealiden s.llw their promise. The wizards of rhe dves pthered together. For years, great ceremonies were performed. Finally. the earth movec/, the scormc1ouds Str2yed from their customary pach ... and the waters of heaven poured inco Alfheim. The hungry soil drank all the water and the planes grew not. Again, the ceremonies were performed and the soil drank and again the plants grew not. Yet a third time the wiZ:2rds chanted and the dven folk prayed. When the rains came once more, the thirsty soil was surfeited and then at last the plants grew. Now it came to pass thar others were jealous of our new forest. But we knew mankind weJJ by now and were ready for treachery. Our archers knew their marks and the new forest betrayed the invaders at every step. We held the forest against a// inv.llders umil man. dwarf, and half. ling acknowledged the foresr to be ours. Now we are great among the nations, though unlike our neighbors, we do not meddle in others' affairs. Our armies are feared everywhere. Since the Sylvan Realm was stolen from elven dominion. we are now the true home of the elves of tbe world. As tl)" IMMORtals aN!> tl)" DUNGeON M a st"R KNOW ItWhen Blackmoor was young, the elvt=s were old. Somt= 5,000 yt=us ago, cIvt=n civilization sprang up on rht= orner sidt= of tht= world from Blackmoor, nearly 2,000 yt=ars before Blackmoor became great. The cIvt=n civilization originally developro in a southern contint=nt that now sits under the southern polar icecap. While the land (then known as Evergrun) was onct= as forest-oriented as elvt=n legend would have it, tht= slow but stt=ady growth of its population caused urbanization (city building) to occur. As tht= elves used their great magics to build their culture to its peak (around 3500 y~ ago). they also began t=Xplor-

OJ" Histony Of AlflJeiM iog tht: rest of the world. The elves and Blaclunoor found each other at the height of their cultures. During the yeats of Blackrnoor's splendor, many dyes migflltcd to that area and points around it. Those dyes tried technology and grew great at it, panicularly the elves who inhabited the area now known as the Broken Lands. The elves of Evergrun also embraced technology, abandoned their forest W:lYS, and learned how to increase their nonetoo-fertile population growth - all much to the detriment of their former sylvan way of life. When the Immortals destroyed Blackmoor and the planet shifted its axis, the dven home continent civilization was obliterated. The main surviving colony was on a continent to the north of the dven lands (now known as the southern cominent) in the same hemisphere with the continent which contains Alfheim, Karameikos, Thyatis and others. After the axis shift, this land was racked by volcanization and became known as Vulcania, though the elves first knew it as a forested wilderness they called Grunland. At that time, there occurred a rift in the elven culture. The majority of elves wanted to maintain the Blackmoor technology they had embraced so willingly; but the destruction of Blackmoor and Evergrun convinced the other faction that they should return to theit sylvan heritage. The Returnists left their friends behind and journeyed under their leader, Ilsundal the Wise. to what had now become the planet's northero continent. There they hoped to find those elves who had colonized that cold, forbidding land before the axis shift. All they found were many struggling human tribes and the Broken Lands. The followers of Ilsundal were the forebears of virtually all the elves in the known world. Nothing has been heard from the southern continent elves since the long march of the Returnist elves, al· though the Belcadiz elves of Gianni claim to be descendants of a similar group who left the southern continent some 300 yeats after IlsundaL Considering the fate SylvaN RealM ------ ORIc;INal Mlc;natloN mOM EVER\OnUN - Clnca ~,ooo OC. .. _ ..... _ .... -.. ROutE Of lIijUNbal-ij MI\OnatloN to S'l>tvaN Rl'aIM - CIRca 1,900- l,IOOBC. ----- Ml'aIiOEN'ij RoutE via RaINbOw Bntbc;;E aNb OVEnlaNb JOURNEY - ORca 1:100 OC.

•..................................................... Histonical 'CiMeliNe Of me AlflJeiM Elves y"" 5000 BC: Ist elf civilization on Southern Continent (now under icecap). 3500 BC: Blackmoor flourishes. Elves trade and war with Blackmoor. 3000 BC: Planetshift. Blackmoot blows up. Elvcn home continent freezes over, becomes southern icecap. Survivors of the dveo colony in Blackmoor flee into the newly-formed Broken Lands. 2800 BC: New dven nation on the southern continent land ofVulcania divides on magic versus technology. Returnists under llsundal leave for northern continent on long march. 2200 BC: Some Elven migrants settle in Gianni. 2100 BC: I1sundal's migration reaches Sylvan Realm (see CM7). 1800 BC: I1sundal becomes an Immortal, eteates the first Tree of Life. 1700 BC: Elves driven out of Glantri by local cataclysms. 1000 BC: Alphatians arrive on world. Nithian Empire flourishes. 800 BC: Alfheim colonized by followers of Mealiden. Ceremonies of weatherchange begin. 700 BC: Mealiden is acclaimed king bf Alfheim. 500 BC: Nithian Empire destroyed. 350 BC: Mealiclen abdicates the throne to follow Ilsundal's path to Immonality. Alevar of the Grunalf clan becomes king of Alfheim. 250 BC: Mealiden becomes an Immortal of the Sphere of Energy. o AC: First emperor of Thyatis crowned. 100 AC: Celedryl of the Erendyl clan is crowned king of Alfheim. 550 AC: The beast man invasion of the wizard Illodius scars the magical forests. Alfheim Town founded in the blighted area. 560 AC: Alfheim/Oarokin alliance crushes the shadowelf invasion. 600 AC: Sylvan Lands are conquered by Moorkroft (see CM7). Feadiels arrive in Alfheim. 675 AC: King Celedryl purges shadowe1f infiltrators from Alfheim, but is only panly successful. 700 AC: Ooriath, a former adventurer, assumes the throne of Alfheim. The Erewan faction of Erendyl clan leaves Alfheim for Glantri. 1000 AC: All D&D® Gazetteers are set in this period. 1200 AC: The invasion of the Master of the Desert Nomads and the setting for adventures X4, X'), and XlO. 'ClJe HistORY Of AlflJeiM of those who attempted technological advancement elsewhere in the world, there is little hope for the continued existence of elven civilization in Vulcania. JUSt as the elves blamed humans for the Rain of Fire, humans blamed the elveslong after the short-lived humans had forgotten why. Unable to settle among humans, the elves sought and found their own land in the northwest comer of the wild northern continent. This land became known as the Sylvan Realm. Shortly after they were settled, Ilsundal, the elves leader, learned the path to becoming an Immottal of the Sphere of Energy. As his Test, he created the Tree of Life, as an avatar of his own power to guide his people. This one great gift set the new course of elven culture, becoming the focus of much of their lives. In self-imposed isolation, the elves lived peacefully in the Sylvan Realm for more than a thousand years. Low birth rates kept the elves deep within their forests for centuries. Nevertheless, their population finally grew to the extent that they needed new lands if they were to maintain their wide-ranging forester lifestyles. To their horror, they found their realms surrounded by the cultivated fields of humans - humans who had grown mote civilized in the interim millenia. humans who had mastered magic far beyond what any but the most gifted elves could master. Something had to be done. Mealiden Sruwarcher (later called Red Arrow) learned the secret of the Rainbow. A troupe of brave elves could leave the Sylvan Realm via the rainbow, and travel to lands free of overwhelming human culnne In a great ceremony in which I1sundal himself interceded, the followers of Mealiden created nine new Trees of Life from seedlings of the original. Each seedling possessed the potency of the original. Several thousand elves took the Rainbow Path to a relatively unsettled area, what is now Thyatis, 800 years prior to the crowning of the first emperor in Thyatis. Even then, the philosophies that would eventually make an empire were in place, Hac· rassed and deceived at every turn, the

, ....................................... ' .......... ','. ',' .. ' .. ',' ,', .. . .. " . ,. '0/" Histony Of AlfI)"iM elves fled northward. Some stopped in what is now Karameikos and bttame the Calarii dven clan (See The Grand Duchy of Karameikos Gazetteer), but most stop~d in the wind-torn steppes of what is now Alfheim. The surrounding human tribes let them stay, certain that the elves would starve and wither in that forbidding place. BU[ Mealiden had a vision from 11- sundal (mostly as described above in the elf-eye view of history). The dven wizards went to work. Eanh which had rarely tasted rain before was suddenly filled to excess and the plants bloomed. Elven plant wizards were ready. Scrub oak grew and flourished. Water-starved steppes plants suddenly changed and adapted almost overnight. In a few centuries' time, the steppes became a forest ... the Canolbarth. At the same time, dven adventurers stole through human lands to bring back forest animals to the Canolbanh. Mealiden became the fif'S[ king of the elves of Alfheim. Through Ilsundal 's gifts and Mealiden's own effortS, the king of the dves became a Paragon and eventu· ally attained Immortality in the Sphere of Energy. It is said that he sits at Ilsundal's back and guards his predecessor while II· sundal guards his people. This time was also the start of the de· cline of the Nithian empire. I1sundal knew of the Immortals' curse on that unhappy land (see The Emirates of Ylarum Gazetteer), and his part of the curse di· verted much of what had made the Nithims great towards his children, the dves. The surrounding humans were immediately covetous of this newly fertile land, but the elves were determined to stay on the land they had created. For centuries they staved off invasions of humans, orcs, dwarves, md others. At long last, they made accommodations with the humans, befriending druids and allying with the folk ofDarokin (who had previously been the most insistent invaders) and the peo· pie other surrounding realms. The lands of the Sylvan Realm and Alfheim grew apan, separated by incred· ible distances. The Rainbow became an ever-mare-hazardous method of travd as monsters and others discovered the route and claimed ponions of it for their own use. A thousand years after Mealiden's journey, the advent of Moorkroft, an evil human wizard, destroyed the dven culture in Sylvan Realm. A pitiful few survivors of the Feadiel clan fled to Alfheim on the Rainbow path with a branch of the original Tree of Life-incidemally letting more monsters into the passage. In Alfheim, the refugees' former brothers wdcomed the newcomers and mourned the Sylvan Realm with them. 'C1]e GeNealOGY Of me I<iNC;S Of A/f1]eiM Doriath is the fourth king of Alfbeim and has sat on the throne for about 300 years . He will be king for another 200 years at least, and is listed as being king during the Great War (see XlO). He is not of "royal" blood, but happened to be the most qualified former adventurer when the previous king died. Celedryl of the Erendyl clan, preceded Doriath and sat for 600 years on the throne. During his reign the elves made peace with Darokin, Alfheim Town was founded, the Feadid clan arrived from the Sylvan Realm, and the Shadowdves first appeared. Alevar of the Grunalf clan was king before Cdedryl and ruled the dves for 4')0 years. His predecessor was Mealiden Red Arrow, who led the Chossom, Erendyl, Long Runner and Grunalf clans to Alfheim and founded both the Red Ar· row and Mealidil clans. ReceNt Annivals aNi> Depantunes----------------- The Feadiels arrived rdativdy recently, about 400 years ago, fleeing the conquest of the Sylvan Kingdom. The Erendyl clan split 300 years ago, with the Erewan faction moving to Glantri. '0/" BiRtl) aND Histony Of AlflJ"iM 'LOWN - ----- Alfheim Town is an anomaly in the dven forest - a flaw in the uniform fabric of giant trees and gloomy forest floor. The town was not part of the original forest plan, but was built upon results of an ac· cidem occuring during the beast man invasion, 4')0 years ago. 'C1]e Beast MaN INvasiON ---- It has been nearly 4')0 years since the magic-user lIIodious sought to conquer the magical Canolbanh forest. In his quest for immortality, Illodius opened portals into another plane and brought thtough his army of monstrous beastmen. His goal was to take control of several of the forest's reknowned magic pockets and use them to aid his spell research, part of his path to becoming a Paragon. Tens of thousands of the beast people came through to be challenged by the dven army. To the dves' dismay, their traditional tactics of harrassment, confusion and assault on the rear echdons failed, for the beast men were firmly based from their own plane through the portal, and their numbers allowed a sturdy front through which the dves could not penetrate. The greedy rulers of Darokin saw the impotency of the dves against these f~s and decided to pounce on Alfheim. The Army of the Republic ctossed the tredine for what it bdieved would be its last and finally triumphant march against the dves. In the face of disaster, the magic-users of Alfheim had what has been called their finest hour. Operating from a point far to the rear of the dven lines, they opened yet another portal into the beast man world. Hetoically conjuring while fighting off beast man guards, they cast magics that closed Illodious's pte spell and recalled his army from Alfheim. Falling back to Alfheim, the dven wizards then dosed their own gate. With the beast men dispatched, the dves turned on the Darokinians and drove them from the forest with great human losses. One lasting result of Illodious's magic m .,.,.. ... , .. ,-,-"" ...... , """,""",,",,,-,.-.,' """" Dt----,-=--,--------,-,-.-oo-.-.- . . •• -.-,-,,-,-.-,,-,-oo-·-'~~-"'-'-'-"-'-'--'~m •

was to strip the forest for a large stretch of ground. Although this made it suitable for normal cultivation, the magic of the forest would have to be renewed here to allow the regrowth of the Sentinel and Home trees. For some time, e1ven leaders had been considering the construction of a trading post. Although trade with human countries was lucrative for all concerned, it had the undesirable side effect of human merchant panies scouring the forest looking for bargains and rich goods. Each year this became increasingly disruptive [Q the e1ven peace. The solution was to use the lands scarred by IlIodious as a market place. Thus was born Alfheim Town - within Alfheim, but isolated from e1ven society. 'Cl)e Sl)aOOwelves ---- No look at of the hiStory of Alfheim is complete without discussing the greateSt current enemy to the nation of Alfheim, the Shadowdves of the Broken Lands. Before the Rain of Fire, an e1ven colony resided in what is now the Broken Lands. To avoid disaster they burrowed deeply into the eanh and created an under. ground refuge. uke the dves who created Alfheim, these refugees returned to the sylvan ways of their ancestors. They culti· vated the fungus that grew so abundantly in the nether regions and created new forms to suit their needs. Periodically, they tunneled to the surface and found themselves in the Broken lands. Convinced the entire world looked like this. they went back to their subterranean fungus forests. Soon they JUSt stopped looking and settled intO a dark age of more than a thousand years. It was a new generation of buried elves who next looked out upon the Broken Lands. From a group of captured humans. the shadowdves (as they had come [Q call themselves) learned of a rich world occupied by men, dwarves, halflings and other dves. Even the concept of other dves who had willingly left their brethren to suffer in darkness outraged the shadowelves (although they now preferred the darkness). They wanted to live on the sumce like these other elves, but not in the largely shaddcss Broken lands. The once leg· endary sun was a very real presence, harsh on their pale skin and light-sensitive eyes. Avoiding the humans (whom they still hated for causing the Rain of Fire) they stole their way into the shadowy trails of Alfheim and approached King Celedryl. Initially, Cdedryl was happy to welcome the shadowdves [Q Alfheim. ((nain that he could find space for them, until he dis· covered that the Shadowelf population was equal to that of all of Alfheim. Moreover, these shadowelves de· manded reparations for their long neglect in the tunnels beneath the Broken Lands. These long.lost brethern demanded moce than half the land of Alfheim ... and leadership of the country. The shadowclves left no room for de· bate or compromise. Celedryl and the Clanmasters refused their demands. The shadowdves returned to the Broken Lands, thrc:iltening war. 'Cl)e HistORY Of Alfl)elM Celedryl rallied the dans of Alfheim together and with the disciplined legions of their new ally Darokin, the shadow· elves were repulsed in the Broken lands and were seen no more. Within a century. the insidious shad· owelves tunneled their way to a wilder· ness area in Darokin just outside the borders of Alfheim. They began to infiltrate Alfheim, learning their enemies' ways. This was a mistake. Some infiltrators came to sec the basic generosity and friendliness of the surface elves and ques· tion their leaders' policies. Finally one spy broke the silence and revealed all to an Alfheim Clanmaster. Ccledryl quickly purged the shadowelves named by the turncoat, but unknown others escaped. The elven court is now watchful, but the insidious influ· ence of the shadowelves is everywhere. It is a sad fact that the elvC$ cannot truSt other elves, even in Alfbeim and rumors have it that both the Chossum and Eren· dyl dans contain Shadowclves.

'ClJe ElveN Way 'Co be aN Elf iN Alf/JeiM -- Elves are not merdy humans with pointy t:2fS. Nor act: they mankind's noble woodland pals - they would resent even the implicuion of either. If anything. they :m: a rue of bdngs whose existence is totally alien to aU that we understand as human. Once the most advanced and powerful bdngs in the world , their race has been in slow decline for over four thousand years. To understand what it is to be an elf, read this section. Then, let the players of dven charuters read it. They will learn what an dflearns as he or she grows up in Alfheim. ElveN P/Jilosop/JY ---- The core of dven philosophy revolves around two key precepts - their belief that the natural state of the world is forest and their centuries· long natural life spans. And to For~t Shall All Return ... To dyes, :lll the world should be forest. Their his[Qry describes the terrible tragedies that resulted when they tried their hand at technology, and they want no more of thu. Elven society centers on this yeuning for Stability in the foresL As a result, clearing forest (except for good forestry) is abhorrent to them. Destroying trees merely to cultivate ridicu· lous little plants is sacrilege. Even those elf adventurers who settle among humans tend to grow wild-looking orchards, rather than till fields. Elves prefer to live in the outdoors, camping under the sky with only leaves and branches between them and the Stars. Frequently they sleep in trees (in their houses or just wedged into a branch's fork) whue they can see the night Stars. Elves have no empathy for dwarves, halflings, and humans who prefu burrows, or homes of cold stone and dead wood . Time Contrary to popular human myth , elves are not naturally immortal. Yet with an average life-span of 800 years. elves have a radically different attitude [Qward the passage of time and the accomplishment of tasks. It is difficult for the long-lived elves 10 understand why something needs to be done immediately ... or next week ... or even next year. They know that they will probably be around to finish any projee[ they stan, so a project stan is often de· layed and something that would have taken a dwarf or human a week at most to complete may take an elf years [Q finish. Yet despite maligning by dwarves and other short· lived races, elves can be industrious. They work with intensity on projects that interest them, but other tasks. even important ones such as find· ing food, ue treated as games. The elves fed that merriment makes chores more pleasing. They would rather spend an entire day making a game of picking just thrtt nuts off each tree than to sim, ply find one bearing tltt and methodically strip it of nuts. In the forest, food is every· where, bUl fun is where you find it. ElveN Anitubes 'Cowan!>s Ot/J~n Races - ----- Dwarves. Elves do not understand the dwarven work ethic or the dwarven need to create only things that last, JUSt as the dwarves cannot comprehend the dven need for the emphemeral pleasures of hunting and playing. In essence , there erim between elf and dwarf a deep misunderstanding resulting from total racial incompatibility. This results in dwarven raids against the dven forest (primarily the Thorn soci, ety, see The DW2rves ofRockhome v-netteer) and snide remarks whenever elves and dwarves meet in controlled social set· tings. Nevertheless, rare elf/dwarf friendships do occur ~tween advenrurers from both races when they are able to break through the walls of stereotypes. Gnomes. To dves, gnomes are more reasonable than dwarves. Gnomes like the forest , work with things other than rock and metal, have a lot of imagination, and a sense of humor. Moreover, gnomish inventions never fail to fascinate and amuse the elves ... even if they don 't always work. Halflings. If there is a race that the elves truly like , it is the halflings. The short folk seem to have an elf. like joie-devivre, even without having elf-like lives. True, the halflings ue entirely tOO tied up in taming the land rather than living with it. but that is obviously the influence of the humans. If halflings had the proper influence of elves uound, they would probably ~ good foresters. It's a pity about that human influence though. HUlll2RS. Elves are often in awe of humans. That shorr·lived beings can achieve such skills with magic and weap· ons amazes the elves. Yet it is amazement mixed with fear, for the elves still remember tales of Blackmoor, of wrongful technology ... and the punishment of the Rain of Fire, all brought on by humans. It happened once, it will happen again. Humans now like to think of elves as their friends. Yet given the choice , elves would choose not to deal with humans. When they do deal with humans, they are often aloof, distant, even insulting, expressing pity in a negative way; atti· tudes which mask the e1ven feu and distrUSt of this prolific, powerful, and unpredictable race. Orcs. Orcs hate elves, elves hate orcs (though the cosmopolitan elves of AIfheim Town have learned to tolerate what they think of as "their" orcs). Records in the Mealidor Library suggest that the mutual hatred predates even the oral tradi· tion of history. Wherever elves go, it seems that orcs soon follow (or vice versa). Some scholars believe the orcfelf struggle may have cos· mic significance. In all likelihood, the truth lies buried under the southern polar ice cap in what was once Evergrun , the d· ven homeland. Elv~s aNI> Wan ----- Elves love the hunt, but they have little liking for war. They consider war a hu· man invention, even the orcs learned it from them. When elves must fight, they fight with a hunter's tactics. in what they call "Huma dei e1ar" or "The Greastest of Hunts." ~ ...... ... . ..... . . . .. . ..

So elves make weapons and goods that are uKful in the hunt. QnJy the elven /ongsword, borne by the mightiest Watriors. is made exclusively for warfare - and it is copied from human instruments of destruction. Elves attack like hunters. Silently. they stalk their foes, attack suddenly with arrows, then fade into hiding. With the aid of elven horses, their units move with un· o:pected speed. snibng rapidly, recreating. suilcing again and again. "Huma dei dar" is a serious roam:! to elves. since it means protecting what they believe in. They are irregular troopS, but their monIe is high and their expertise with their chosen weapons surpasses all but the best trained troops among the humans. In the forestS of Alfheim they ate virtually invincible. Outside their nation they are superb, but they always remember that they are not defending their homeland. and are willing to give up someone else's ground i.n order to pr~rve themselves to defend their homeland. GItOWIN" Up ElveN ---- Elves live naturally to between 600 and 800 years old. A very few have reached 1000 years old; and more have died of disease or violent deaths before their 600th binhday. Elves take about 20 years to grow to full size, then have a free-spirited "adolescence" of about 80 years. During this time, an elf chooses one of three paths to walk in his or her future life. The forest Path Most young elves stay in AJfheim (or wherever their clan resides) and follow the Forest P:uh. They concentrate on learning their homeland 's trails and ways and have no interest in the world outside their forest. They live OUt their 600 + years in the forest, learn to hum and fight llnd act as pan of the elf militia. Since they rarely put themselves in danger, elves who follow the forest Path rarely advance beyond 4th or 5th level ability. Their life style is one of endless hunting, gathering, crafting, and playing. The Wanderer's Path A very few young elves, however. feel the n~d to affect their world . Some are drawn to the outside. These become adventurers, the elves who venture OUt among humans and other demi-humans. They are said to have chosen the W.anderer's P.ath. Player character elves:ue drawn from these venturesome wanderers. These elves, called "Wanderers," :ue believed throwbacks to e1ven.k.ind's glory days when elves eould Live anywhere in the world. Though honored as heroes, the last vestiges of elven potency, they are also disdained by forest elves who do not understand them. These wanderers return to Alfheim at irregul:u intervals (often when in need of extensive rest or healing) llnd are usually hailed as heroes. Youn'ger elves listen to their tales of adventures and older elves to their reporo of happenings in the outside world. In this way. e1ven clans keep abreast of news in the world and Clln plan their responses to world affairs. After a century or so of wandering, young elves often feel the call of the forest and come home to stay, to build their dominions. plant their Trees of life and establish Strongholds. This one-century deadline is not a hard-and-fast limit. Most wllnderers settle down after adventuring for a few decades, while some seek adventure for centuries. Some are tOtally seduced by the thrill of adventuring and never come back to stay, while others attempt to establish new e1ven strongholds in other parts of the world . These dven "colonies" frequently fail. The modern world seems resistant to the expansion of elves outside of Alfheim. Nevenhdess, a few have been successful in so far as they are still in operation a few centuries after their establishment. One instance of this is the Erewan clan of Glantri. Whether these clans can continue for many centuries has yet to be seen. The Leader's P:uh The third path that elves follow is that which leads to the positions of C/anm.as. rer and Treekeeper. These elves stay 'OJ" ElveN Way among the forest elves, and are virtually indistinguishable from them at first. Though they rarely go adventuring, they advance in skill beyond their brothers and sisters, for theirs is path of study and lore, learning the greater magics and secrets of the elves and 2.SSuming the even greater responsibilities that accompanies that lore. In Alfheim, both physical and political power rests with the Clanmasters and 1i~keepers . One of the paradoxes of e1veD 50Ciety is that to be a leader. one must think more like a human and less like an elf. Even so, most Clan Holders and the royalty of Alfheim are former wanderers, elves who have learned to deal with the outside. Their brothers wisely chose to give such dealings into the hands of those who have experience with the outside world. But, when policy with the outside world affects the well-being of Alfheim itself, it is the Clanmasters who must speak and give consent. ClaN aNI> FaMily 1:1". --- Humans can be said to have their first loyalty to their immediate family (father, mothet, spouse and children), then to their extended family, and finally to their political organization. Elves have no such hierarchy. Elven loyalty is to their clan alone. Even the e1ven king has no real claim on the loyalry of his subjects, though a charismatic king gains loyalty through the sheet force of his personality. Elves are proud of their ancestors and tell long stories of their exploits. Yet an elrs attachment to his actual parents is very short. Infant elves (between binh llnd when they are weaned at about three years of age) are rare at any given time. There might be four in a clan of 1,000. Once weaned, they are raised in common by the entire dan. By the time they are 12 years old, they are considered old enough to panicipate in the duties of the dan. even though they do not have their full growth. Though the lack of direct parental care seems cold and impersonal. it is not. Children are sufficiently rare that any

"CIJE EIVEN Way child is loved and nurtured by the entire clan. The child has hundreds of fathers and mothers. He matures mostly becau~ he is always associating with adults. Even though he has very few peers his own age with which to associate and reinforce childish behavior. those few of his "genenrioo" arc like brothers and sisters. Still, this loss of the "joys of childhood" is no loss at all, since the usual dveo adult existence consists of endless wandering about the forest, hunting, gathering food, engaging in elaborate games, and making beautiful art; not terribly far removed from an idealized childhood. LOVE aNI) ROMaNCE - -- Pan of the ephemerality of the relationship between an elf and his parents is the tOtal lack of permanence in all dven relationships. When compared with humans who often have trouble staying married for as long as 20 years, it should be no surprise that few dven couples manage to stay mated for much longer. Even though elves are very patient, and very fond of the philosophy that everything will work out, few e1ven rdationships last more than a century. Thus, an drs parentS may change mates, and likdy dans, several times during his life. It is easier for him to owe his first loyahy to the dan, rather than his physical parents. Because of the rdative fraility of dven relationships, there is no institution of marriage, as such, in Alfheim. Stories of elves who stayed mated to one another for centuries abound in dven songs, but only because the situation is so rem2.l"kable. Elves do wed humans from time to time according to the rules of a human land they live in, and these bondings of. ten last the lifetime of the human, but for an df this is no more than the time any serious liaison might last. ClaN AllEGiaNCE - ---- An elfs allegiance can change over his lifespan as well, as implied above. If a member of the Mealidil clan wishes to join the Red Arrow clan, there is a ceremany of adoption which makes the elf a member of the new clan, and he then owes his allegiance to that dan. It is also possible for an elf to renounce membership in any clan. The King of Alfheim must doso, as do members of his family and any ministers he appoints to his COUrt. Others do so Out of rebellion against the dan system, or perhaps to establish their own clan. Scattered among the forests of Alfheim are many such lesser dans. They rardy number more than a hundred elves, nor do they have their own Tree of ufe, so they must owe a strained allegiance to another dan to gain the blessings of that clan's Tree. (sec "Secrets" section). Social ClaSSES ------ Elven society is officially classless, with even the royalty being but first among equals. In actuality, there are real differences in the various levels of dven society. Royalty' Adventurers The most distinctive class among the elves are the members of the Royal House. The king is an ex-adventurer who has returned to Alfheim to serve his people. When the current king feels that he has few decades left, or the country is in a situation in which the king might be killed in W2.l", the Clan Council looks among possible candidates to find a replacement. The children of the current king 2.l"e considered for their acquaintance with politics and administration, but no king of Alfheim has ever been succeeded by his child. Only former wanderers are seriously considered for this position because they have had experience in the outside world and have a working knowledge of how the outside world works. Neither the nor· mal gatherer dves nor the Treekeepers have the necessuy feel for non-dven society that is required to help their nation survive among the humans and other demi-humans. The wanderers arc the heroes of Alfheim. At the same time, the stay-athomes have a certain fear of the adventurous members of the community, a fear ~~ ... ""'- ....................... """""",, .. : often expressed as disdain. The wanderer elves are in the position of the professional soldier of any race, wooed and made much of when war threatens, but swept under the rug when peace is at hand. Wanderers often distinguish themselves from other dves by we2.l"ing the clothing of othet realms. Townsfolk This term is reserved for the residents of Alfheim Town. The elves of the town consist of the royal court,· many former adventurers and the failed adventurers, elves who have returned to the arms of Alfheim but cannot fit themselves back into the clan structure they left. In AIfheim Town they can try to find the best of both worlds - the presence of elves and yet the bustling activity of an outside world city. Townsfolk commonly wear a sort of transition-style of clothing, midway between elven forester styles and those of other cultures. Clarunasters The Clanmasters are the principal nobility of Alfheim. There are two ranks of Clanmasters: those who tule the seven clans of Alfheim, and those who govern the lesser clans scattered throughout the forest. Theoretically, all Clanmasters are members of the Clan Council. In fact, only the major clan Clanmasters are the tuling body which make most of the decisions for the Council. The rest of the Clanm~ters are called in to support the decisions of the main council. Clanmasters are the final arbiters of the clan's policies. The actual day-to-day governance of a clan is usually left to the Clan Holders. Clanmasters are never wanderers. They are usually the oldest elves in their clans, but sometimes do not exceed 6th level in their abilities. A Clan Master commonly wears the traditional garb of his clan. This makes for colorful Clan Council meetings with forester-garbed Grunalfs, robed Mealidils, hunt-clothed Long Runners, at-

mored Red Arrows, Coots-garbed Erendyls, formal Chossums, and leaf. trimmed Feadie/s. Treekeepers The 'lleekeepers are the custodians of the Trees cfLife. There ace six Motheruees in Alfheim, each an independent avatar of llsundal. The Feadid dan tree is a seedling of the Mother tret': of the Sylvan Realm, and dependent on that tree for continuance (see eM7 and [he "Elven Secrets" section). The Treekeepers aft~ the high priests of the dven race. They are responsible for maintenance of the elves link with the immonal Ilsundal. They also serve many mher functions, which often depend on their particular clan. In Alfheim they can serve as custodians of history (Mealidil clan), researchers into magic (Long Runncr Clan), and researchers into the geneology and protection of Trees of Life (Clan Feadiel). There are six High Treekeepers, each in charge of one of the Mother Trees. Each High Treekeeper has several Treekeepers as assistants. Smaller clans may have only one Treekeeper, or even a human druid, taking care of their Tree of Life. Treekeepers are never wanderers. However, many study magic so intently that they climb high in their magical abilities. They have the skills of high-level magicusing elves, even though their fighting abilities may be significantly less. A Treekeeper is in a constant "struggle" with the Tree of Life as he uses the Tree to benefit his dan. Assistant Treekeepers gain about 3,000 XP every 'OJe ElveN Way year as a Treekeeper, and High Treekeepers gain about 10,000. Thus, a young Treekeeper takes about 200 years to become lOth level. After 500 years, an assistant has about 1,500,000 XP and is a 13th level elf magic user. At this time, he might become the High Treekeeper and progress until he dies at age 800 or so as a 20th level elf magic-user. See the "EIven Secrets" section for more details on elven magical progression. Most Treekeepers dress formally, wearing robes similar [Q the fashion brought with them from their original home. Clan Holders Clan Holders are the only other elven leaders who are often adventurers. These folk are wanderers who have gone out, gained great ability and treasure, and re-

10is .. . .... ..... . . ... ..... .... ........ ....... ........... . - il.t ~!)e ElvEN way turned to start their own stronghold (called a holding) within one of the major dans (or sometimes their own miniature clan). A Clan Holder is often responsible for the founding of a stronghold and is responsible for governing it. In many dans, the Clan Holder actS like an executive of. fieer in a military establishment - he directs day-to-day activities in his holding, but lets the Clmmuter handle policy decisions. Not all Clan Holders are this responsi. ble:. Some just like the fame of founding a holding. Thercutcr, they virtually ignore the governance of the clan altogether. Some don 't even live in their stronghold. Adventurer dyes have returned to Alfhcim, started a new holding and left again for more adventuring. In th~ cases, the Clanrnastcc appoints a temporary Clan Holder. Some wanderer elves start a stronghold, leave again, come back to :act as a Clan Holder for a century Of so, and then go adventuring again . Since many dan Holders are adventurers, they often wear the fashions of a dozen other nations, often mixed haphaZllrdly with traditional elven garb. Gatherers The gatherer elves are the backbone of Alfheim, the followers of the Forest Path. They hunt and gather for their clans and maintain the watch on the forest against enemies and monsters. Some become craftsmen and forego much of the hunting and gathering, but even the craftsman who spends weeks at a time working on, for instance, weapons, drops his tools and joins his comrades when a major hum is called or the saftey of the holding is threatened. Elves embuking on gathering expeditions dress in what is commonly called "forester garb," relatively tight leather garments that cover all the elf but his head and hands to keep his skin from being cut by bark and thorns. Huming elves tend to discard sleeves and leggings to be able to run unhindered in torso coverings (frequently a tunic, vest, and short news) only. All elves have at least a set of leather armor for warfare and hunting major monsters. Crafters This is not really a separate class among the elves, as every elf is a craftsman to some degree. No elf can look at a piece of leather without thinking about carving or dyeing it, or both. Wood is to be grown until it is ready, then carved. Stones are to be cut and polished until they gleam. All elves have th~ thoughts as they look at the world, but the natural elven procrastination means that much leather remains half-carved or half-dyed, stones sit gathered in a pouch waiting for the mood to strike, and an elrs life path is full of pieces of wood that have been picked up, whittled at until a new inter· est cune along, to be dropped along the way. Even half·dooe, many of th~ items ate still beautiful. What an elf considers unfinished, many humans considet complete, and pay handsomely for them. Many a wealthy human shows off his collection of elf·art to elven associates who are [00 polite to mock the inadequacy of the work. "This needed :mothercenrury," is a common, but unexpressed, judgement in such cases. Elves like all crafts. Many specialize in songwriting, or singing, or woodcarving, or embroidery, or stonecutting. Many elves often finish projects - largely be· cause they are doing them to pay for food or to trade for the products of other dven crafts. Many contracts take a decade to fulfill, but this is an incredible case of stick·to-it-ivness in terms of elf perceptIOns. Elves prefer to create their own songs, which are generally historical in nature and thus a pan of all elves - so all elves know them. Elven songsmiths often work on human and dwarven stories and the songs of whales and dragons and weave them into fanciful tales of events that never happened, yet partake of events from all around the world and all through history. This confuses dwarves completely, but humans and halflings love them. Storytellers unong the elves have the same cavalier attitude toward the facts that the songsmiths do. Their tales are compilations of historical figures doing fantastic things at anachronistic times. Non·e1ves whose lives become me sub· ject of e1ven songs don't realize what the elves are doing with these songs and stories. They JUSt get upset because the songs and stories don't correlate to the facts they know. But the elves know that everything that has happened will take place again - with just a change of cast. If what they sing about hasn't occurred yet - "jUSt wait," they say, "it will." ReliGiON IN Alf!)elM --- MoSt e1ven religious life in Alfheim is tied to worship of the first e1ven Immonal, IIsundal. Some elves, especially in the Mealidil clan, extend their worship to Mealiden, who followed IIsundal's path to Immortality. I1sundal first led the elves back to the sylvan culture they had abandoned during the days of Blackmoor's glory. Then, as part of his path to Immortality, he creared the first Tree of Life (actually an avatat of Ilsundal). The e1ven detics are the neekeepers, though there is little difference between them and their non·deric elven brethren. As stated elsewhere , many elven magics ate used by human druids or normal cler· ics, and the Treekeepers concenmne on those spells as they develop their powers. The Treekeeper path to magic is called the W.ay of the 1Iee. The other path to magic skill is called the W.ay of the Book. There are several temples to other reli· gions in Alfheim town, and some wan· derer elves develop allegiances to other Immortals they have encountered evidence of in their travels, but reverence to Ilsundal remains the primary religion of Alfheim. ~!)E ElVES aNt> DEat!) --- The elves consider death to be pan of the Great Cycle. It comes to all beings, even elves. It is to be accepted - when it comes in a timely fashion, after an elf has had his 600·1,000 years of living.

However, elves abhor carlydcath. They accept it as inevitable in some ways, but they do what they can [Q avoid it. In reo sponse to this, they accept into their soci. ety human clerics who have the ability to t'2i~ dC2d. Any cleric with this ability who wishes [0 live in Alfheim must swear to provide this serviCl~: to anyone the King or the Guardian of Alfhcim Town so des· ignates - fr~ of charge. Most forest elves au: unaware that a l'2isc dead spell is possible. and do not know of the regul:uion. CRiME! aNb PUNisl}MENt -- Respect for others is a deeply ingrained dyeD value. For this reason, they have never established a rigid system of laws - traditions and resp«t usuaUy suffice. Yet above tradition. is the will of the king or clan master. Like many nomad and tribal cultures. dves have no normal concept that 12.nd or people can be property. An elfs posses· sions are what he can use in his daily Ole· tivities or what wears. This does not mean that elves have no sense of property value; they have associared with humans and other demi· humans tOO long for that. But elves usually resuict their defense of property -' CLAN CHOSSUM to that which they can hold in their hands. Land and other people are there for all. Even clan ownership is nebulous. The clans of Alfheim each have a territory, bur exact borders arc fanciful at beSt, and there arc holdings ofFeadiel and Mealidil within miles of one another in the middle of Long Runner territory. However, Alfheim remains the nation of elves because its citzens all agree they want this separate land, not because every individual elf wants to protect his personal land. They defend their land because it belongs to all clans in Alfheim. Crimes Elves consider the following acts to be crimes: stealing personal property, mur· dering or harming another, destroying clan buildings or Other property, and seeking to destroy the foresL Punishment There is no elven police force. The Clan Masters act as judge and jury. Crimes against individuals arc punished by friends of the victims, who mete out whatever justice they see fit. For crimes against the forest, death is the pe:naJty for deliberate acts of arson. Other excuses for destruction, including CLAN SWORD HIL'CS 'CI)~ V~N Way accidents or ignorance, arc punishable by work reparations - or exile if a pattern of carelessness is proven. Unlike most other nations, the elves usc magic to pursue and punish wrongdoers. Witnesses in a trial are automatically probed with ESP by several magic users at once (to ensure truthfulness), and other wizards stand ready to use dis~1 magic on any mindmask the witneSS may use . The elves have no sense of privacy here; they fec! that any right thinking elf would want the ESPused so that the truth can be known. Although judgement is often hard on foreigners, elveS arc reluctant to kill elven malefactors, though an insane murderer or tOially amoral personality is considered an exceprion. Elf judges arc far more likely 10 decree that reparations be made to the viClims, or to the clan, which may involve temporary enslavement, though this, tOO, is avoided if at all possible. Some are exiled from Alfheim, espe· cially when their crimes show that the person cannot live within the boundaries of Alfheim society, yet is not so evil nature that the world would be better without him. Such ex.iles arc placed under geas never to return. ~ 7 ..... 7-r~ a.J..1l:UlI1 CLAN ERENOYL "": ,: CLAN GRUNALP d CLAN MEALIOIL ~::::~ ARROW CLAN LONGRUNNERS

(ieOGRapny, FloRa aNt) Habitats 'OJE LaNb------- Alfheim lies on a plain that slowly rises from the Stred River Valley in the west up to the Ahan Tcpc mountains in the nOM-cast and the: Cruth Mountains in the South. The plain was originaJly a dry steppe. supporung occasional scrub oak trees (a shrubby, low·to the ground vari· cry of oak) and densely carpeted with prairie grass. The elves magically and dramatically increased the local rainfall. Enhanced by magic, the scrub oak trees became gi~nt versions of their former selves. growing much more thickly. The grass died OUt and was replaced by forest·floor vegetation suited to growing in shadowy halflight. With a few exceptions. Atf'heim is flat. Forested foothills extend SOllth from Rockhomc, and a few hills arc found at the forest's eastern end, but Alfheim is othcrw~ a generally unbroken flat expanS(' of forest. Th~ ~normous volum~ of wat~r cr~ated by th~ nightly rainfa.ll is drain~d by Alfb~im s riv~rs. Th~re ar~ two maJO basin syst~ms: th~ Monst~r and 81:lCkwat~r Riv~rs to th~ nonh, and th~ Gr~at Flow Riv~r with aJi of its uibutari~s, to th~ south. In th~ east lie th~ ~nigmatic Lahs of Selinar, which drain myst~riously into their own unmapped subt~rranean channels. The riv~rs of Alfh~im all drain into th~ unique Sump, which carri~s the runoff from the forests down to th~ sea through a cavern syst~m . Alfheim's for~st is called the Canolbatth, aft~r th~ for~most of th~ magicians who cr~a[~d the magic forest. Th~ Canolbarth lies entirely within the human nation of Duokin. Som~ scholars call th~ ~ast~rn pan of th~ forest Selinu, but this name is more corr~ctly applied to th~ four lakes found th~r~ . Th~ forest consists primarily of giant scrub oa.k uees, hundreds of feet wi with intertWined branches that are so closely packed that l..ittl~ l..igh~ rnches the fo~ floor. It is called a magic forest because m· t~nse magic is needed to maintain both the individual uees and th~ entire ecology. Whil~ th~ popular view of Alfh~im is of continua.! unrdin~d forest, this is not strictly true . There are hills, rinrs, and occasional glad~5, op~n grassy areas wh~r~ the forest does not grow, either be· cause of flaws in the for~st's magic or because of enemy action (such as dwarf raids on the northern borders). Alfheim has unique e1ven villages, towns and clan centers and itS legendary magic pointS, both good and bad. Simple e1v~n path· ways (just trails r~ally) connect the clan centers, and a wide trade road links t~e ciry of Alfheim Town to western DaroklO and the rest of the world. [From the diary of a Darokinian silk trader] . .. We left the main road lilt Shielduee - liIn aInlilzingly hum::m-looking fonifi~d town upon whos~ walls thousands of our counuym~n died before the Peac~ was declared. Our Jjctl~ group was guided by an elf woman Darned Serena Oakleaf. She promised ro take us to the main holding of the Chossum clliIn. We had to le:ave the wagons and load our WliIres aD mules which we had been forewarned co bring for this purpose. Our path was narrow and resembled :I: pme uaJ.I, wandering through the uces of the Canolbanh with no real direcrion. The canopy of branches was tight and thick; we sa.w the sun only when we came in eo one of the numerous gllildes. In those glades the grass was luxuri21lt, but in the shadow under the uees the ground was bare of:l:ll greenery, though fungus :l:nd other such shade-loving plants abounded. The trees arc alive with :l:nimlill Jif~, mostly birds 21ld reptiles. Occasionally w~ S:l:W dves looking down on us, but our guide liIdvised we nor speak with them 21ld we followed her advice. Th~ forest floor is :as bare of faunlil as ic is flotlil. Anim:als do UliIvel undemelilth the trees, but the gtound-gtlilzers 21ld hunters just use the forest co UliIvel from one glade to the next. In one particularly large glade we saw the f:l:bled dven horses under the clilre of a. herdsm21l; th~ycame up to us ro get acquainted with our mules. When they S:l:W U!:l:C our mules were dumb beasts with no s~ and tiny thoughts, they ignored us 21ld went back to grazing. As we wlillked, we m:arvded at the gigantic uccs. If the legends arc crue, these giant trees are m:agiclillly enh:l:nced versions of the dry-plains pl:l:nts still found in eastern Darokin. Although the uec:s thrive, other plants that once grew here did nor share in the magic, and have been repllilced by pl:l:nts better suired to the dimness of the forest floor. Our guide said that twO generlill v:arieties of the giant oaks exist in Alfheim. One, Gllled Sentinel by the elves, thruscs upward from the forest floor to:l: height of perhlilps 200 eo 400 feet, with relatively smlilll branches from :I: single crunk. The ocher, called Home Tree, only achieves a height of 1'0 to 200 feet m:aximum, bur sprelilds our co :I: di211lcter of up to 400 feet with lliIrge, suong branches 21mOSt lik~ secondary trunks. Ir is in this type of cree, shesaid. th:l:t thedvesma1ce their fabled uee-dwellings. Wh:l:cever. they just made us feel very. very smlilll. 'CI)E FORESt P ROtEctiON MaGic --------- Without magic, th~ C:l:nolbanh would not exist. Magic enhances. ~nl:l:rges , and protectS rh~ tre~s. The whol~ land was onc~ g~:l:red to the infrequent rainstorms which blew their w:l:y ov~r the mountains from the south. The barren plain which th~ elves found at th~ end of th~ir migration was dou~d with hudy, but shrublike oaks. lih islands in a s~a of dry grass and empty riv~rbeds . \VEatIJenc/JaNC;e ------- The e1v~n r~quirem~nt for a sylvan haven was r~alized in this unlikely land through the intervention of th~ lmmorta.l I1sun-

dal. Climatic changes wen:: willed upon the continent, taking water from naturally wet lands with direct access to the sea and lofting it over the barrier mountains to provide rain for Alfheim. Actually. most of the moisture fa lling upon Alfheim is gathered over the oceans sur· rounding the continent. bUl there is an overlap which affects the continental d imate (some speculate that it was deliberate, calculated to insure that ce nai n neighbors of Alfheim would be weakened). MaGical tRees - - ------ There were other effects to the we:uherchange spell . The small oaks of the pla.in began to grow and increased their size until they dwarfed the greatest trees known in the land. They bred true and swiftly. and within a cenrury, the once barren steppe was the deep, wondrous forest known as the Can l~rth , com· pletely encompassing the dven realm of Alfheim. Hea ltl} ENsURaNce--- --- The magic of Iisundal continued further. Elven sages have determined that me for. est'S magic is one complete and somless whole. Magic (as well as a wet climate) in· sures that fo rest fires do nOt spread faI, and that no disease or pest inj ures the great oaks enough to sufficiently ruin their health. Nevertheless, this strong and extensive spell has strange dynamics and irregularities (see "Magic Point" de· scriptions). ElveN 'CRee-OwelliNGS - StEat>iN<;S, Villa<;"s aNt> VDWNS ---------------- Not all of the giant trees in the fo rest arc elf-dwellings. In fact, habimion in the elven lands is relatively sparse. Most trees in the fo rest are kept in a mildly managed wild state, left to grow as they will except when what they will is contrary to d ven sensibilities or fancies. Not only are there tOO few elves to inhabit the whole fo rest, but many of the trees in the forest are ei· ther too small to accommodate a tree Geo<;RapllY, FiOna aNt> Hat>ltats house, or tOO old to bear the weight. If all of the trees in the forest were inhabited, the population density would be unbearable to the average hunter I gatherer elf. The elves appreciate being able to walk for hours and miles in the forest without encountering any form of settlement. HOME' tRees - -------- The average Home Tree can accommodate about 20 elves in moderate comfOrt. This figure is the maximum size of a single elven domicile, whether it is the eState of a single rich and powerful c1anmaster with his nuclear family and followers, or the extended family of a relatively ordinary clan member. tRee-House CONstRuctiON. --- As with more ordinary human dwellings. e1ven tree· houses are fabricated in a variety of ways. The most fanciful method, the one which is considered to be " most typically e1ven" is an organic technique whereby dwellings grow from the oak tree itself like a gall (an abnormal swelling). which becomes the basis for an elf room, needing only to be hollowed out and decorated to make it fit for habitation. This method is preferred by the purist forest preserver elves and is often a fashionable choice for style-setters in Alfheim. The organic room has the disadvan· tages of limited size and strength - the enlarged oak-galls cannot be made to grow much larger than about 20 feet around, although expert tree priests have done marvelous things with clustering arrangementS of galls. The corky, porous wood of the giant gall is considered a disadvantage during an enemy attack - it is defin itely weaker than seasoned oak wood. Other methods of uee-house construction are based on timber harvested from Sentinel Trees. The elves saw, plane and season boards in much the same way as is done by human woodsmen, then haul the lumber up into a tree and use carpentry skills to conStruct a house there. Elven architects and carpenters are quite tal· ented, wondrously imaginative and often wh imsical. Houses nestled in the branches of the spreading oaks run a gamut of styles from exotic "ginger· bread" palaces to simple, practical COt· tages almost hidden in the natural fo rmations of the tree. The style of any particular dven house depends on the period during which it was built. Among the elves, fashion is influential in artistic expreSSion. Mest individual e1ven dwellings are dusters of three or more rooms which serve as bedrooms and sitting rooms for an dven mated pair. The equivalent of a mansion consists of several smaller and larger room complexes related spatially to provide ma.in bedrooms, retainers' quarters, and the like . Vlllac;es ------------------ The most common type of elven habita· tion is the village of from five to 30 in· habited Home Trees in a fairly small area, housing 200- ~OO dves. The houses are of. ten conneC[ed to one another with ladders and catwalks. The village contains much of what is needed to satisfy d ven forest life, including a village lore expert, specialized food gatherers, C[afts-people, and a religious leader (a tree· tender or even a human druid). Villages are the most common type of d ven strongholds. or holdings as they are called. Villages are formed almost entirely of built-up Home Trees, with very few buildings on the forest floor. Ground dwellings are built only to house the ex· tremely rare visiting human or demi· human who finds the pleasant swaying and breeziness of a tree home strangely intolerable. Other ground structures include such things as cookhouses, forges, and storage places for whatever village property is tOO heavy to be comfo rtably lifted to a treetop room. Village life in Alfheim is different from village life across the continent. Alfheim's magically enhanced fo rest environment allows a life of unparalleled ease fo r the elves. Where most peasants toil from dawn to dusk year round to produce enough food to feed themselves and provide a liule surplus to purchase other necessities, the typical gatherer elf merely

GeoGnapl)Y. Fiona aN() Habitats patrols the forest for :I. few hours in the morning to gather enough nuts (lots of acorns, of course) berries. edible fungus and other vegetative tidbits to feed himself for a day or so. He might also collen enough extra to either feed a non-g:nherer family member or to barter for some service from a specialist, say a magician or anisan, or [0 baner away for a goodie at the local market when it is held. In areas near towns, they patrol a little longer to collect enough extra to [['ade to the town elves. Here tOO, the magic of Ilsundal aids his children. Magically cnh:mced food plants flourish near dven habitations (and no wh('re else). These plants provide exotic fruits, nuts and vegetables particularly suited to dven tastes year round, even in the cold. rainy wimer. Most elves spend some time g,;uh~ring. for it is by no m~ans a str~nuous activity. Th~ elves hav~ many songs. games, and ot h~r customs to alleviat~ th~ t~dium of this practical work (wh~n th~ sh~er joy of wand~ring aiml~ssly iso' t ~nough). If this w~ren't sufficient, there's always th~ excit~m~nt of discov~[ing a n~w food plant (~v~n aft~r 1,800 y~ars, th~y ke~p app~ar· iog to suit changing tast~s). COWN6-------------------- Elf tOwns rang~ in population from 500 to 3,000 elves and ar~ planned diff~r~ntly from th~ villages. The towns, in addition to being larger than th~ villages, arc much more permanent, and hav~ special features, such as governm~nt buildings, storehouses, and perhaps a Tree of Life. Each town has its own history and traditions k~pt unique and consis(~nt by record e~pers and r~member~rs of the oral tradition. The tOwns focus on busin~ss, rather than on th~ simple glorification of the basic elven lifestyle - the essence of th~ village experi~nc~. Towns have specialized craftsmen, high-l~vel magicians, fine artists, and performers not found in the villages. Most towns have a Tree of Life and a small establishm~nt of nee Keepers. The nee Keepers are derics of Ilsundal. supported by the town. Someoutside observ- ~rs maintain that th ~ purpos~ of the towns is to maintain th~ ne~s of Life and their Keepers. This is true for about half of the elven tOwns in Alfhcim. While it is correct that most elven towns ar~ center~d around a Tr!"!" of Lif~, th!"r~ ar~ towns in Alfheim in th!" oth!"r elf for!"sts around th~ world that are organiz!"d without any thought of a Tree of Lu!". In these towns, th~ economic surplus which would be devot~d to the Tr~~ K~~p~rs is exp~ nded on other projects, such as p!"rformance centers, museums, and so foab . The importaoc~ of the Tree of Life to th~ town vari!"s wid~ly, depending both on the relativ!" strength of th ~ tree and on the political importance of the town . The more importam th~ tree, and the more politically activ~ th~ tOwn , the more likely it is that th~ Tree is th~ major focus of the town 's !"n!"rgies. An elveD town will have an elit~ group of elves leading its activities. a larger body of artisan /craftsman elv!"s and m~rchants of various SOCts conducting the busin!"ss of the town , and a bas~ group of young, nonspecialist elves who gath~r food and provide labor for the other groups' ~nt~rpris!"s when n!"ed arises. Towns usually must rely on trade with surrounding villages to supply some of their food needs. 'Cl)e ClaN CeNteRS ---- Tn!" largest tOwns (tn!" ones marked on th~ color fold-up map of Alfhcim) are th~ dan c~mers. These towns always includ~ a dan's Tree of Life. Th~ population of a dan c!"nter varies from 500 to 3,000 elves, d~pending on the economic and political health of th~ individual clan, and its cultural ori~ntation. F€aOOn Population: 1,000 Th~ home of clan F!"adid is locu!"d a[ the narrow ~astern end of th~ for~st n~ar the mysterious lakes of Sdinar. F!"ador is es· pecially noted as a center for the study of Trees of Lif!" , with an ~xtensiv~ library of g~nealogies, magic lor~ and the like. It is ironic that it was the Tree ofFeadiei which was subject to th~ sorcc ~r Moorkroft's evil attack (s~e adventure eM7). Feador is distinguis.h~d by its especially larg~ and well-tended Tree of Life (unique in that it is a daughter of th~ Sylvan R!"alm Tree of Life. and not one of Mealiden's copi!"s) and by its beautiful Palace of Tr~e Magic. PiNit€1 Population: 1,500 This is the colorful home of the Long Runn~r clan, the magic specialists of Alfheim. S~veral schools of elven magic ace ~stablisned her~ and it is r~cogniz~d as th~ best plac!" for adventur~r-dves to go for advanced magical training. The citiz~ns of Pinitel ace known far and wid~ for thdr insist!"nce on forester dress and their always immaculat~ appcaranc~. Pinite! is furth~r distinguished by the ov~rbuilt Home nees which form the magic schools (they at!" ordinarily sized hom~ trees which have had tOO many rooms built on ch!"m, and maintain their integrity only through magical str~ngthening). M€aliOOn Population: 1,500 This is [he hom!" of the M!"alidil clan. This is the cultural center of Alfheim, the hom~ of music. iit!"rature, styl!", sophistication, and th~ records of df history for millenia back in time. There are records in Mealidor which would shed light on the histories of most of the nations of the D&D® game world - knowledge which might w~lI b!" damaging to th~ ruling c1as.ses of many countries; it's JUSt as well that most scholars don 't know of these records. They are also quit!" inaccessible, hidd~n as they are in the heart the forest. The elves of Mca.lidor do not welcome would-be library users; only onc!" or twice in a century have they admitted humans to examine the archives. Mealidor is distinguished by the huge Library Tree, a rare combination S!"ntinei and Home n~e, housing the entice library with capacity for anoth~r 1,000 years' records. Outside of the Library Dis-

~ .............. ~ .... y- .~-~ ... -. trin, Mealidor has examples of the architectural fads of the last 1,500 years in mad juxtaposition throughout the limbs of its Home Tr~. Bright colors and exuberant building shapes make Mealidor a classic example of the archetypal dveD town . ~6Naf! Population: 2,500 This is home to the Chossum dan . AIfheim '5 mercantile elves. Centrally 10· cared and on the direct cinc route [0 Alfheim Town, Desn:.!.!! is known for its warehouses, (built on the ground - even the dves know when it's tOO much work: 10 haul something up into a tree only to have to lower it down again), shops and ~ounting houses. The chancIer of the city IS best expressed as neat -and tidy. The industrious masters of e1ven commerce tread a fine line ~tween conscrvatin shabbiness and the sort of gaudy display which w~tes money. A few non-dven traders are occasionally invited up-river from Alfheim Town to visit the real heart of dven commerce. AiNSUN. Popubtion: 500 The Grunalf clan holding is the center for forestry and woodlote among the elves. Somewhat isolated in the NOM Woods pan of the Canolbarth (nor far from Black Lake), Ainsun is the cemer for the study of the natul1ll aspects of the magic forest, ~ well ~ the ways in which they can be changed through the use of foresuy and magic. In addition ro the small industry of forming and uimming saplings to become wes and pitch forks for export, the Grunalfs have a modest logging opera· tion which selectively harvests dying an· cients among the oaks, exporting the lumber to Alfheim Town . Here tOO is a center for boating and navigation of Alfheim's river system. Ainsun is distinguished by its woodsy character, reflected in the smallness of its buildings and the way that they blend in with the natural lines and colors of the Home Trees. G"O<,Rapl)y. FloRa aN!> Habitats EIIEROMYR Population: 3,000 Located in the extreme western edge of the forest, this is the home of the Erendyl clan, who have some ties to elves in Glan· ui. In addition to the celebrated foreign connection, Elleromyr is the cf2fts center of Alfheim, home to many importam wood·carvers and other renowned artists and artisans. Of all the clans, the Etendyl have developed the most ties with elves in foreign places. The m~ter crafters here have some of the most celebrated workshops in the land and auract the most talemed of appremices, as well as the rich dilettantes of the nobility who take half a century or so off from court life to dabble in the arts. The town walls have been strengthened in recem decades in response to raiders who attack along the open face of Alfheim in an effort to strike at this rich prize ofElfdom. The new Elleromyr Mili· tia is equipped with the richest crafted ar· mor. the beSt imported dwarven blades and the most elegant (and deadly) of native elven weaponry, all bought with the money from this wealthy community. Sl]iE/OtnEE Population: 2,000 The home of clan Red Arrow is the best fortified of the dven clan sites. Shielduee lies along the traditional inv~ion route into Alfheim, and the Red Arrow clan spedalizes in training warrior·elves and in drilling troops from other clans. Ad· venturer dves who seek to improve their fighting skills return to Shieldtree for training. Shieldtree is distinguished by the double-thick log palisade and the inuicate gates and outworks which have been constructed over the centuries. Attacks and raids on Alfheim within the l~t 50 years have tended to avoid Shieldtree in favor of other, mo re roundabout routes to the less perfectly defended portions of the Canol barth. l:1)" MaGic FOR"st ---- The magic of Alfheim is perhaps the most distinguishing quality of the place. Sages specializing in geography wonder at the fact of a thick, almost jungle-like forest composed mostly of scrub oak trees and other ordinary valley scrub plants growing to nearly double size and greater. In this climate, and with the dense leaf cover, the ground should be nearly bare . Yet the forest floor is densely carpeted with an amazing variety offlora, all com· peting desperately for sunlight and making travel through the forest nearly impossible for those not initiated into the elven ways. This is yet one more mystery attributable to the great magics of llsundal and the elven mages who first colonized Alfheim. The magic of Alfheim lies not only in the cultivated growth of the native flora , but in the watering of it. Alfheim is 10' cated in the wide valley formed by the AI· tan Tepe and Cruth Mountain ranges. Normally, rain storms blowing in from the ocean would spend themselves against the mountains' outer slopes and Alfheim would be a very dry place, unsuitable for the growth of giant plants. However, as any traveler can attest, dark billowing clouds gathet daily in the late afternoon ,! drenching the forest overnight. By dawn, the clouds disperse, allowing the sun's nurturing rays to reach the trees and other plants. Human scholars speculate that the magic of Alfheim's watering system has also caused desert to spread over more of the continent than it would have otherwise (particularly the Alaysian Desert in Ylarum to the east). Such speculation is not encouraged. Powerful lords who want the friendship of both the dves and the desert dwellers (who might wish their water returned) fed that peace is better kept if such radical theories remain unheard. 07" MaGic POiNts ---- The powerful magic needed to maintain Alfheim's unnatural climate and plants has resulted in the formation of a strange places where magical effects occur spontaneously and where spellcasting is made

.........•.............................• G'WGRapI)Y. FlORa aNO Habitats easier. The master wizards who constructed the magical we:uherchange energies of Alfheim meant for the magic to restrict itself [0 altering the climate and creating pl:rnts to match the new weather. However, the e1dritch spdls combined with unnoticed ench:antmcnlS emanating from the Broken Lands, from the courts of the recently arrived A1phatians and, possibly, from areas within Alfheim itsdf. Together, these forces birthed aberrations in the magical energy field. resulting in the 5tJ'llnge magic points. the beSt known of which are not(:d on the color fold-up map of Alfheim and described below. These major sites have been extensively studied and are of a reasonably stable natun:. Short-term sites which appear and vanish within a lO to 20 year span are not shown. New and relatively weak sites of unknown properties may be discovered by parties traversing the magic forest. 'C/J€ C;OOO MaGic PoiNts ---- These areas are sources of magic where major magical research is done. In these places, according to dven tradition. the forest looks and acu JUSt as it should. However, the high concentration of magic energy in th~ places makes it uncomfortable. possibly even dangerous to dwell here for long. Even the normally laid·back forest dves avoid living in (or too near) them. Most of the magic points are the same SOrt of terrain as the surrounding lands and are simply uninhabited continua· tions of the surrounding giant forest. save for the rare live·in scholar and his or her attendanu. The magic poinu described below extend only for five to 10 acres of land. although fluctuations do OCCUf. Misthaven (in northwestern Alfheim) once briefly grew to an area of 10 square miles. The good magic points arc character· ized by a condition which makes the cast· ing of spells particularly easy. efficient. and I Of risk free. For instance. a Glantrian magic wat practiced at the right magic point would be free from the possibiliry of a disastrous effect on a fumble. Sometimes, magic users casting at a magic point find that their spells kept in mind do not disappear upon casting, so that multiple spells can be cast by a low-level mage. Occasionally. the potency of the spell is increased. The nature of the magical effects at these locations changes over the yean;, so that individual panies going to the sites am never be exactly ceruin of what will be accomplished at any particu· lar place. Upon occasion. this has resulted in some notable surprises for elven wizards - some for much the better, and some which have been disastrous for all elves in the forest. The magic pockeu are a direct link lO the controlling magics which maintain the elf· forest . There are ceremonies and enchantmenu which enable elf masterwizards to both change the enchantment of the forest and change the propcrties of the magic point itself. The latter allow them to switch one kind of magical amplification for another. The ceremonies and rituals to accomplish these changes are very extensive, and are generally quite beyond the powers of average elven adventurers. DM Dotes: The magic poinu are some of the most logical locations for adventuring in the forest, next to Alfheim Town and the various clan towns. The descrip· tions of the magical characteristics arc de· liberately vague. You, as OM, have the option to make the magic points as weak or powerful as the needs of your players and the direction of your own campaign dictates. 1. Glow Tree This area is characterized by trees that glow noticeably. At night. the glow is equivalent to Strong torchlight. quite picturesque in the rain. The colors of the glow vary from tree to tree , including all of the colors of the rainbow in equal proportions. In the shadowy daytime forest. the glow is also noticeable. Glow Tree is noted for its sensitivity to light spells and the construction of healing potions and other curative magic items. As with most major sites. the large . ., .................. ,........... " numbers of elves practicing magic here or nearby will have their prowess enhanced considerably. 2. Shadowdown This is a place of enhanced shadows, where the midday sun seen even from the highest Sentinel Tree is muted and cool. The lack of light has little effect on the mighty oaks, but the smaller planu on the forest floor have been Stunted by the low light level. Even the nighttime star constellations are dimmed here. Shadowdown strengthens darkness spells and aids most potion and poison manufacture. 3. Misthaven Misthaven is named for the permanent silvery mist which hangs in the place day and night. The mist seems to soak up the sunlight during the day and then glows with a silvery light at night - such that the Jighting here is consistent day and night. Misthaven aids the casting of spells related to confusion, concealment. traosportation. movement. and teleportation. With the right magic (or the wtong luck). it is possible: to walk into Misthaven nor· malty and walk OUt of the place to 1QC2.· tions hundreds or even thousands of miles away. The reverse trick. entering Misthaven from afar, is the subject of covert research both in Alfheim and in places who covet the elf haven's magic. 4. Dewdrop This point is renowned for the particu· larly clear aspect of the air. Sunlight ftj. tering through the trees seems unattenuatc:d by the dust and pollen in the air. while at the same time. each mote of dust floating in the air is clearly and in· tensely visible against the sky. Dewdrop is a place for both detection spells, and higher order spells. Crystal balls used here seem to have an unlimited range. and visions through them are as clear as the air in the magic pocket itself. The clarity of vision also extends to a clar· ity of mind. Magic·users who tarry here can learn and retain spells as if they were wizards of much higher level.

S. Turnclaw Turnclaw is noted not for its appearance , but for its history. Turnclaw is the site of the most imponant battle against the wizard IIIodious's beast man invasion. The evil wizard Illodious (sec "Beast Man Invasion" above) was bent on controlling enough of the elf· forest to insure that he would always dominate at least onc magic point. Turndaw is the site where the dven wizards opened their g:nc into the beast men's home world and in so doing , saved Alfhcim. Turnclaw special chancteristics have changed over the years. Often, elven wiz· ards studying hefe have been able to memorize and cast spdls of :I much higher level than they could normally 21· lain , as was the case during the Turnclaw battle. Usually, the site has had a pro· found effect on animal and monster summoning and control spells. At other times, the effects have enhanced polymorph and shapechange spells. G.W<;Rapt)Y. FlORa aND Habitats 6. Dreamland Dreamland occupies an area at the western tip of the Canolbarth, roughly in the form of a square, 112 mile on a side . It docs not appear different from any other stretch of the giant forest and its proper· ties had to be discovered by chance. For nearly a 1,000 years now, Dreamland has been recognized as a unique elven ueasure , and is well appreciated for its marvelous qualities. In this area, elves go to shed the cares and stresses of a hundred or more years of living, then return to their normal lives free of suess. Elves regularly make pilgrimages to the spot. Dreamland is al· ways an early StOp for adventurer elves when they return to the Canolbanh. This areas effects do not remove memories or experience, but merely render them less stressful. Warning: non-elves who have rested in Dreamland have emerged with drutic personality changes. There is no way to predetermine how much of a change will occur or how it will affect someone. No elves live in Dreamlands, although the nearby dan center of Shie1dtree is a popul:ar st2ging area for pilgrimages. In wartime, elf generals take care not to let battles occur here, lest this most useful magic pocket change its powers. Spells of mind control are easy to cast and learn here. 7. Ironlnrk ironbark is a site made magical by the stress of battle and slaughter. While a great battle is not necessary to create a magic point, the magic of the forest cannot always shrug off the intense magical energy released during major conflicts; sometimes it absorbs, modifies, and incorporates the magicaJ energy into itself. In this case, an army of Darokin bandits allied with magic-user mercen:uies from Glaotti were met by dven troops who used magic to speed their horses into battle. Fireballs. fl:mling oil, and the general mayhem all took their toll on the

r GEoGnapI)Y, FIona aN!) Habitats giant trees. As usuaJ. the forest protection spells worked to keep the trees alive. Then something truly unusual happened. Each lime the invaders attacked with magic, the spell failed and the forest grew stronger, visibly regenerating damage. When the trees were completely re· consuucu:d, more spells from the enemy simply strengthened the trees, making them bigger and thickc::ning their bark. Now. lronbark is a battiesil( of choice for dven gem:raIs. Iron bark retains the propeny of reversing hostile magic. So far, no army has attacked the forest here to experiment with the casting of healing magic to see if it would damage the trees. Ironhark is a good place to cast dispel magic or any type of reversal magic. 8. Goblin Park This is another invasion site of som. Nearly 300 years ago, a great host of nearly 10,000 goblins (actually creatures from another world with a family resem· blance lO goblins) JUSt appeared here. Elven sages suspeCt that the creatures may have been fleeing an overwhelming enemy in an alternate univelse. Through the expenditure of great power they blindly opened a magical gate into Alfbeim. The goblins simply milled around, lacking leaders, supplies, and adequate survival knowledge . They attacked any elves they found, and tried to survive on captured supplies. Eventually, the goblins were wiped OUt, but the spot where they appeared remains a benign magic point. Even so, there is a dark side to Goblin Park. The foe that drove me goblins to Alfheim learned their destination and now constantly seeks to break through. The magic of the forest works to keep it OUt, but if it should change or weaken ... Nevenhelcs.s, this is a good spot for tdeportation or any sort of creation magic. Teleporr spells cast from Goblin Park always send the person or goods being sent to the intended destination , with no recorded instances of error. However, those who have used it recently have sensed something dark, cold and evil in that instant of "betweenness" before atriving at thdr destination. Unknown to the elves, the goblins' foe dl1lws closer and becomes stronger each time a trans· ponation spell is used here . 9. Algoro's I.'IS( Sta..nd This site is named for the great Treckeeper Algorn, who aspired to the path of the Immortals and failed. According to reliable lore, Algoro is actually embodied as a Tree of Life growing in the midst of this magic pocket. Certainly, the tree itself bears a great resemblance to a wooden statue of an elf. Algoro was conducting magical research to an unknown end at a newly discovered, unnamed magic poine Possibly he was attempting to establish direct communication with some Immortal for purposes unknown; years after he was last heard from, a new Tree of Life was noticed here which resembled an elf nOl un· like Algorn the Wizard. In spite of this "coincidence," Algoro 's Last Stand is still a good place to cast contact higher plane and Olher divination spells. MaGic GONE BaO------- Three magic points, Thornbush, Dragontree, and Stalkbrow, are specifically noted by the elves as areas of malignant, rather than benign magic. This is pan of the dark side of the elven forest magic. "Wronglifc" and " twisted magic" arc dven names for these areas which have existed for centuries and show no sign of disappearing. In these areas. the magic of Alfheim occasionally causes evil monsters lO either be spontancously genel1lted or (e1eported in from somewhere else. These evil creatures proceed to roam around the forest - killing elves and devastating the plandife . Sometimes. there arc worse things than mere physical horrors. The elves have SCOUts and guards detailed to detect and kill these creatureS. but the long.lived elves find it hard to maintain a keen pitch of day-to-day alertness; many monsters evade immediate detection and escape to wander at the edges of remote c1vish communities. For this reason, the <it: .• --•...••••• ' ..•.•.•.•••• , •••••••• -••• ,- '.' .-•• - •• •••• ••••

dves tend to stay near to their dan holdings, and travellers (particularly nondven adventurers) must be w;uy of their way in Alfheim. It is also said that the elves actually prefer to let the monsters wander for awhile - it makes the hunt that much more interesting. 1. Thornbush Located near the geographic center of the dven lands. this is the oldest documented monster site. It lies near the usser River, and monsters from it occasionally flop their way into the river and swim away to plague elves both up and downstream. Given the chance, the monsters will swim into the Sump (q.v) and then out of the forest to range as far as possible, ravaging Darokin, the Five Shires, the Atruaghin Clans and the open ocean. For this re2SQn, there are special guards on Thotnbush and the Weir (see Sump). The monsters which eventually resurface in the Malapheggi Swamp in southern Darokin do not make the mush folk there love the elves more. The monsters are a source of resentment against the elves and the cause of anti·elf crusades in the past. Thornbush itself is an especiallytangled mass of thick vegetation which d~5 not respond to conventional forestry or weed controls such as chopping or con· trolled burning. Like the other malignant magic areas, Thornbush is part of the spell fabric which created the e1ven forest. As such, it cannot be removed or affected by the level of magic ava.iJable to monal elves or men. From time to time, impottant sages and magic·users come to study the place to learn more about the ways of magic gone wrong. 2. Dragontree Dragontree is located in southern Alfheim, near the Darokin border and functions much like Thornbush. The monsters from Dragontree are mostly land creatures, with occasional flyers. Dragontree is so named because most d~gons summoned by the bad magic sites come from here . Warbands of e1ven soldiers are stationed near here, and on GEO<iRapI7Y. FlORa aNt> Habitats the other side of the border, regiments of Darokinian trOOps wait to repel those monsters which head south into Darokin. As a friendly gesture, the elves reimburse Darokin for the cost of maintaining these trOOps. D~gontree is a great, thinly forested , hilly grove which offers little to impede the traveller by day (except for any monsters which may still be lurking about). At night, however, the wood is a dangerous place , "alive" with non-corporeal undead creatures (several phantom apparitions, and a revenant with attending spectres) which rise and seek to harm any who are so foolish as to tempt Dragontree's dangers. Few scholars drop by at night to study the secrets of Dragoncree. Evil magic areas similar to Thornbush and Dragontree are also found in the Broken Lands and other monster-ridden places. 3. Stalkbrow unle is known about this area, as it does not lie near human lands and its creations do not leave the forest. Elven magicians know that the evil from StaJkbrow often takes forms other than just monsters. It frequently creates emanations which interfere with spell casting or have even worse effects, such as magically spreading ideas of evil, mischief, or strife among the elves and their neighbors. Stalkbrow is in the middle of the the great forest, at the Southern end of the Vorsh Plains (a mostly unforested area - see the color fold·up map of Alfheim). The magic usually centers at a pair of brow-like hiUs, but frequently drifts up to five miles away from the hills. The drifting nodes carry with them a vague, mirage· like image of the central hills, giving the site its strange name. The watch around Sralkbrow consists not so much of troops, but of experienced elf and human wizards and druids. Because of the isolationist attitude of the local long Runner Clan, admittance of humans or other non·elves to the area of Stalkbrow is rare. The elves consider Stalkbrow to be the most dangerous site of all, and prefer that only those well schooled in its mysteries be allowed near. 'O)E SUMP aNb mE WEiR - Drainage was an imponam consideration when the weatherchange spells were cast to irrigate the lands which would hold the Canol barth forest. Were the immense water run-off to leave Alfheim through "normal" means, it would pass into the Streel Rivet with catastrophic effect on the the lands and cities downriver. The solution was to not have the rivers drain outside the forest at all, but to have it flow underground, away from Alfheim and towards the sea. The elves created a deep chasm near the western end of the forest where drainage water could be directed into underground caverns that connected to the sea. Thus, the Sump was created, a milewide depression in the ground, perhaps a thousand feet deep. The water from the Great Flood and Monster Rivers cascades over the side of the gorge and drains away into the underground caverns, surfacing again somewhere in the Malapheggi Swamp. There are paths down the sides of the Sump, but these are little-used and illmaintained. Explorers have traced navigable routes along the underground rivers through to the sea, but the elves strongly discourage such traffic. Separating the rivers from the Sump is the Weir, a fence· like dam intended to keep local boats and wandering monsters confined to Alfheim waters and out of the Sump. The Weir is almost two miles long and is twenty feet wide on top, with guard rails and towers. Elven soldiers of the Guard patrol the tOP of the Weir, lending assistance ro boating panies and attacking to kill any monsters from Thornbush that may be stuck upon the Weir. This is an imponant duty station for elves, and these troops are ca.lled away from this post only in times of g~vest emergency. It is a common posting for new recruits.

~ . . ....................... .. ............................................. ~ AlflJeiM 'LOWN Thl:: biggest town in Alfheim is nO( 2 clan (emer. Nor is it the cOUntry's capitol. It is a trading post buih about 60 miles into the elven forcst to accommod:ne the trad· ing needs of the dven civiliurion . Alfheim Town is located about ~o miles east of the western edge of the elf forest in Wizard's Glen, an immense gap in the forest at the cnd of the only paved road into Alfhcim. This cleu area was created by the magics of the evil wizard IIIodious during his beast man invasion. Once un· able to support the magical dven Sentinel and Home Trees. the gap is ever so slowly shrinking as the forest stretches OUt to reclaim its lost land. o,e COWN iN tl}e Fonest ---- A1£hcim Town is ha~d like an irregular circle, with specially-grown ironwood log walls fined and joined to be as sHong and impencuable as stone. (The ironwood groves were force-grown in a spttial fidd nearby, harv(:Sr~ after only twenty years, wd then craft~ together to make the wI. The grove doa not now aist). Up. keep on the wall is constant, even iron· wood (:Ventually rots in the damp climate. Alfheim Town is laid OUt on a concentric plan, much like a cross·section of a tree· trunk , with circular bouknrds much like growth rings and radial str~ts connecting them. The radial strttts are shon and usually conn(:(t no more than two or thr« ring meets; there is only one great radial boul(:Vard, Embassy Row, that connects the cenua.! plaza with a gate. Four gat(:S pierce the walls: the 1b.de Gate in the w(:Stem waJl, through which wagons and other fordgn trade vehicles go, and the much smaller Elf Gates on the opposite side, which are JUSt wide enough for two dv(:S to walk abreast. Although the non·dves of Alfhdm Town call these: the Elf Gat(:S, the dves mockingly refer to them as thdr " gateways to sanity." Outside the western Tn.de Gate are se:veral small busineSS(:s, many of them small inns for those t!"avders who arrive after the gates have closed at sundown. Just inside the Trade Gate is Trade Gate Plaza , where some drayers (haulers) stop and se:1l their goods without going on to the cenrral market place . In the center of town is a large opc:n space commonly call~ Cdedryl's Market (after the dven king who sanctioned Alfhdm Town's existence), where the great trade fa.i.ts and m:ukets are hdd. This is where the products of dven mages and craftsmen arc sold or banerro for the im· poned products deemed important to the dves. On the cdge of this plaza are the im· ponant offices of the human and dwarven traders, some temples, and the residences of the imponant citizens and embassies from the various dven dans. The remain· der of the town consists of lesser residences for the traders and their workers and the families of all these non·dves. There are shops. taverns, stables and other amenities set up by non·dves to cater to the needs of the trading population. Near the edge of town, along the palisade, :ue barracks and armories kept ready in case Alfheim Town m~st r~ist invading enemies, as it has had to tn urnes past. Wood is use:d for most of the construction inside and outside the town, 01.1· though in the occasional periods of remarkable peace, the dwarves have been allowed to import enough stone to make comfortable homes for their factors and other workers. Thanks to the nightly rainfall (many times only a light mist, but always there), there never has been a need for wells in Alfheim Town. The roofs are generously festooned with catch basins and rainbarrels. The rain catch is monitored and distributed by rain wardens in each building under the guidance of the Guardian (see "Alfheim Government " ). Wizard 's Glen has become miles and miles of veget2ble wd bean gardens. with several communal grazing areas for small herds of milk cows, which help feed the town. The entire magic-blasted area is given over to supporting the residents of Alfheim Town. OJf! FORf!St IN t/J£ 1:0WN---- Rising above the earth-bound walls and dwellings of the humans and demihumans is the uniqudy e1ven contribution of "Sky City," a network of rope bridges and catwalks connecting tr~forts " in the huge Sentinel tre(:S now scattered throughout the town. As the forest magic began to right itsdf in Wizard 's Glen, the dves begw to cultivate Sentinel and Home Trees once more. When a building collapses or burns to the ground, the elves declare their right of eminent domain and plant a tree . Outside the Elf Quarter, th~ are all Sentinel Trees. Linking the tre(:S at heights cxc~diog 200 f~t (even across gaps of a huodred yards or more) are swinging swaying, flexible walkways, the kind of construction only an elf could love. Using sky city, the forest elves can move through Alfheim Town, avoiding much of it that they find distasteful. But more impon~dy. the trees function as watchtowers, guarding against inevitable anack - both from without and within. Nevertheless, city life is unnatural and alien to the elves. Humans in the forest is bad enough, and dves involved in a mad and alien lifestyle is hard to take . but a great concentration of non·dves practicing alien ways by n(:(cssity and by treaty in the middle of the forest is tOO much for conventional elves. They need a place like Alfheim Town in which to safely isolate the cultural disturbances. Still, there are a great number of elves who reside in Alfheim Town. These dves are mostly traders and politicaJ repr~otauves from the e1ven dans d~p in the forest. These jobs arc largely hdd by former adventurer-elves who arc making a transition from the ways of the wider world to that of A.lfheim and who can ef· fectivdy deal with the outsiders and who know the ordinary ways of humans and dwarves. Th~ e1v(:S have been acdimated to the rush-rush life of the shonlived races, and can deal with the busine$S of trade and with deadlines that arc mea· sured in terms of days and hours instead of months and years. Alf/J£iM GOVE'RNMf!Nt ----- There ate twO overlapping systems of gov· ernment in Alfheim Town: the nominal dven rulers of the city, represented by the Guardian and his Counsdors, and the Merchants' Brotherhood, a fluid system

of guilds and syndicates which organizes Ute daily conduct of business in Alfhcim. The Guardian concerns himself with limiting traffic into Alfheim to exclude known enemies of the elves. and maintaining :l general sort of peace. The Guardian :also enforccs trade tre:uies and ensures that the mding enclave inside the clven forest remains JUSt that and d~s not turn into a colonization attempt by onc or morc outside countries. In wartime. the Guardian organizes the defense of the city. In peacetime he maintains a police force and runs the fire brigade. The current Guardian is Taragin Oakbranch, a former adventurer from the Grunalf clan. appointed by the Council of the Clans. The tl1lde guilds and syndicates all send representatives to the Merchants' Brotherhood. The Brotherhood elects a Mayor, who mak(:s d(:cisions with th(: advic(: and conS(:nt of th(: Broth(:fS in th(: ar- (:as of trad(: polici(:S. Th(: Broth(:tS also ke(:p an (:y(: on d(:alings ~tw(:(:n nonelv(:s, and maintain a polic(: forc(: of th(:ir own, call(:d th(: Customs Office. Trad(:, m(: main busin(:ss of Alfheim Town, is conduct(:d und(:r 1h(: auspic(:S of th(: various important trading hous(:s from Karam(:ikos, Mintothad, Darokin, Glantri and th(: other cities and (:mpir(:s. Th(:r(: ar(: agr(:(:ments betw(:(:n th(:s(: compani(:S forming guilds and syndications which dat(: back hundr(:ds of y(:ars and which hav(: survived every imaginable SOrt of war, ((:volution, or oth(:( disast(:r. The trad(: in dv(:n goods is important to most of m(: gr(:at mercantil(: houses on th(: continent, and pains ar(: tak(:n to insur(: that it g()(:s on as smoothly as possibl(:, without visibl(: strife and bick(:(ing which would off(:nd the dv(:s and int(:(- rupt th(: flow of goods. I( ~y t o Al l) ~i M 'COWN --- AI£h(:im Town has a total popUlation of 1),000 souis, comprj~mg about 10,000 humans, 3,000 dv(:s, 300 dwarv(:s, 200 orcs, 800 halflings, and 700 miscdlan(:- ous sentienu. including c(:ntaurs, ch(:vall(:s, and gnom(:s. The circular city of Alfheim is organiud into districts, Alfl)~iM 'COWN calkd quart(:r5, ba5(:d on m(: cultural ~ cularities of (h(: folk who dwdl (h(:r(:. Each quart(:r is to som(: (:Xt(:nt selfcontain(:d, as th(: inhabitants commonly gath(:( togem(:r through common int(:r- (:St, usually a business ent(:cpris(: Of na· tionalistic loyall)', although (h(: smilier populations of nonhumans and d(:mihumans usually band rog(:th(:r for mutual 5OCi(:ty and prot(:ction. EMbassy Row-------- Th(: Embassy quart(:( of Alfhdm Town is th(: district wh(:c(: all the (:mbassi(:s from th(: various foc(:ign cQumri(:s ac(: located, mostly on th(: boukvard connttting th(: Trade Gat(: with Cd(:dryl's Plaza. Th(: quw(:r is n(:ar rh(: c(:nt(:r of [Own, on th(: W(:St(:(fl sid(:. Th(: various (:mbassi(:s arc located in mansions and townhous(:s which hous(: th(: ambassadors, thdr offic(:s, and thdr countrym(:n and wom(:n (of((:n call(:d nationals) S(:nt along (0 Alfh(:im to help m(: ambassador in his daily busin(:ss. Th(: (:mbassi(:s cannot hous(: all (h(: p(:opie associat(:d with th(:m. Th(:s(: (:Xtras pc(:f(:c to find housing J

- :' ...... " ........ " ............... . • . ......................... , ...... ,' near the embassy, as do Q[her nationals of the same country who live in Alfheim, even though they do not work for the em· bassies. Thus. there is a block or so around each embassy devoted to the major nations who trade with the elves, such as Kanmcikos. Minrothad, Darokin, AI· phatia, Thyatis, etc. KanaMelkos Block ------ 1. Embassy/Resident Factor's greathouse. the Ambassador from Karameikos, Lord Sergei Pyotrev, also tepresems the major trading company of that land. His residence is half diplomatic establishment, half showplace/warehouse. In essence, his major efforts are direaed toward his business interests. 2. Tavern - The Silver Chalice. This is a posh son of place run by Boris Beerthumb (see "Personalities") and frequented mostly by humans. This is where rich adventurers and high level ambassadorial Staff go. 3. Tavern - The'fraveler's Boot. This is a somewhat lower class establishment popular with less successful human adventurers and low rank clerks and workers. 4. Merchants' Brotherhood Hall. This is a large former warehouse given to the Brotherhood by lord Sergei. It is generally guarded by a minimum crew of clerks and workers unless the Brotherhood is meeung. MINRotl]aO QuaRteR ----- 5. Embassyl Greathouse. Like Kara· meikos, Minrothad combines its ambassador with its business representative. The Minrothad embassy is also a sales emporium, just like the Karameikan one. However, Ambassador/Faceor Jerovis Manag (sec "Personalities") is much more likely to panicipate in government business than his Karameikan associate. 6. Tavern - The Counting House. This is a favorite hangout for clerks who don't like rubbing elbows with the adventuring set. 7. Shipping Office - Island Connections. This is the office of the Minrothad representative of the largest shipping firm outside the Empire of Thyatis. Alpl]atiaN COMPOUNO----- 8. Palace of the Prince-Legate. JUSt why Prince.Legare Daricon was sent to AIfheim is a mystery no one is talking about. Apparently, the essentially magicoriented nation of Alphatia wanted some sort of watch on the essentially magicoriented elves of Alfheim. The Palace is the scene of many parties for visiting dignitaries. and Daricon seems content to do nothing else. There is certainly no direct trade between the twO countries. 9. Mercenaries' Guild HaU. This building is not connected officially with the Prince-Legate, but it is known that Alphatia wants to recruit elves for its own military, and this is one of the few places the Prince-Legate visitS outside of his own palace. 10. Alchemist Shop. Jugwon the Alchemist is an immigrant from Alphatia who makes his talents as a concocter available to the populace. He is capable of manufacturing any magical potion described in either the Basic or Expert rules sets, but the COSt is very high - twice that given as examples on page 26 of the Dungeon Master's Companion, because of the need to ship some of the ingredients into Alfheim. 11. Magic School- Edrccort's Academy of Thaumaturgical Science. this is just what it says, a school of magic for anyone who wishes to learn spells. Master Edrecort (see "Personalities") is a 1 ~th level Magic-user from Alphatia who came with the Prince-Legate but has no official tie with the embassy. 'CI]yatis MissiON ------- 12. Imperial Embassy. This imposing edifice is the official residence of the ambassador of the Empire of Thyatis. Duke Jarandros Monikar is longtime veteran of Thyatis's squabbles with Alphatia and keeps an eye on his rival. They often trade invitations and visit for hours. 13. Trade Palace. not for the mighty Imperium is this business of embassy and trade establishment in the same building. The Thyatian 'Ii"ade Palace is run by Count-Factor Varus Dominikon, an able businessman who has made good con- '6 tactS with the Chossum clan of traders. He is said to be a potent magician, though he never shows any sign of it in public. 14. Cathedral. religion is a major part of Thyatian tradition, and the Duke is not WOnt to slight the spiritual side of life. Here, Pauiarch CJovis, Rector of the First Thyatian Church in Alfheim offers regu· lar prayers to the glorious ancestors that made Thyatis great. There are also several other members of the Thyatian religious orders in the area. Notable is Dominicus Greybeard (see "Personalities"), a holy man known for wandering throughout the forest, making friends with the Treekeepers and lending his own magic to anything the elves might need it for. G/aNtnl COMpOUNO------ 15. Embassy. This is a light and airy building suitable for an elf used to living in an area where Home Trees cannot be grown, but that's only natural considering the ambassador - Erhrilord Bilgrammusof the Erewan clan ofGlanui. While the Ambassador is rarely available. his able assistant. Don MwmiJian de Bdcadiz (sec "Personalities") is ready to assist all petitioners during normal business hours. 16. Magic Users' Guildhall - The Unified Magician'5 Beneficial Association. This organization is an example of the Glantrian mania for organizing new clubs. Any magic-user, elf or human, may join. but SO far the membership consists of two Glantrian magician-members of the Embassy Staff and three low-level adventurers who thought to get some extra-special Glantrian instruction. 17. Tavern - The Wizard's Mug. This fancy establishment caters to wizards of any race and power level, though there are instances of elitism within the clien· tele. The Tower Room, for instance, is only available to those magicians with a fly spell (food and drink go up by dumb waiter).

DaRo kiN Q ua RteR - - --- - 18. Oarokin Embassy. The: Republic of Darokin has mamt2ined an embassy hel"(: for as long as that nation has been in existence. The Darokin position of Ambassador to Alfhdrn is an imporunt one in their goverruneDt, and Grindolf the Whire (Stt "Personalities"), once a member of the loner Council, took this position when he retired from that ruling position. 19. Cathedral of the Church ofDarokin. This started as a small shrine to the accord between the elves and Darokin. Gcm:r'ations of ambassadors have built it into a major institution of the Darokin church. Ambassador Grindolf is also a Patriarch of this church and holds ~rvices there . 20. Library. The Library is a relatively new institution in Alfheim Town, started by a Duolin embassy s(llfer who ~d the libraries he: was used to. The book collection is still smaH, but is slowly growing to match the size of the building. So far it is a good ref rcnc~ source for tomes on the lore of the Immorta1s and basic magic. 21. Ta ~m - Durnheld's Ax~. This edi· fice was meant to be an adventurer's hangout. but a change of management and the popularity of other tav~rns has turned it into more of a reading room and literu-y discussion house fo r members of the library who often come here to sip ale and read their books. Rock/JOMe Distnict----- - 22. Guildmasters' Hall. The dwarves of Rockhome do not have a formal embassy. However. the dwarves of the Wyrwarf clan in Rockhome (see ~ Dwarves of Rockhome Gaz~tt eer) have established a surreptitious trading enterprise based around this building. Dwarves from Rockhome and other areas have settled around this establishment, making an unofficial Rockhome section. The "em· bassy" is led by Domin Finehammer (sec " Personalities"), a cousin of the head of the Wyrwarf clan, Belfin Elf.Friend. 23. Tavern - The Rock Drink. This stone· built pall is the main hangout for dwarves and gnomes in Alfheim. 24. Money Changer - Gringold's House of Gold. This dwarven establishment is the best place in Alfheim to exchange money from vatious lands. Although Gri ngold takes 7% of the tOP of each transaction, he always ma.lces a fair assay, which cannot be said for others. 25. J eweler - The Elven Eye. Glarmli· Ruby Eye, dwarf lord and gemologist ex· uaordina.ire , operates this jewelry shop which specializes in imported jewelry, both for elves and others. t:l]e Five Sl]inf:s - Ha/fliNCi HIIIThe Ha1fling district is built on the only hill inside Alfheim Town. It serves as a center for both the formal embassy from the Five Shires and a civic area fo r the halflings who fo r one reason or another, happen to reside in Alfheim Town. The distriCl consists of a number of single story buildings halfway sunken into the hillside, and a series of snug tunnel dwellings. 26. Halfweigh House. This is the officia1 residence of the Ambassador from the Five Shires, and is the most complete ex· ample of classic halfling architectu re standing in Alfheim . Benji Frankfoor (see " Personalities"). the ambassador, performs his offi cial duties here, bu t is more likely to be found down at his news office (27) during the day. 27. Newsdealer I Rumormonger I Script· orium. Benji Frankfoot deals in current news and rumors. He has h«ome the of· ficial news source for the lown; &nji has established a reputation for truthfulness and impartiality which has made him a key figure in the wheels of commerce in all of Alfheim. Every week. Benji pub· lishes all official decrees from the Guard· ian, the current prices for certain standard commodities (based on recent contracts), and as much other news of Alfheim (both COUntry and city) as will fit onto a series of posters on the walls of the Guil dmasters' Hall . which has bee n kindly leant to the cause by Dorran Fine· hammer. 28. Cartographer - Frankfoot's ChartS & Maps. Brewster Frankfoot is Benji's sec· ond son, who seems to be establishing a commercial dynasty of hal flings in Alfheim. AlflJeiM 'COWN One ENc/a vE- ----- - - Most cities present a cosmopolilan face to the world , yet the presence of an are pop. ulation in an elven city - even the win· dow on the world that is Alfheim Town - surprises many visitors. The orcs are descended from the remnants of an inva· sian force that was left hi nd when the main army retreated. Although initia1ly used as slave labor, the orcs were eventu· a1ly offered parole, it was just too much work fo r the elves to keep slaves. Most orcs chose to leave , bUI 67 petitioned the Gu ardian to be allowed to stay in Alfheim Town. The elves accepted . per· haps viewing the affair as a social experi. ment. The orcs began by accepting the undesirable jobs. Now, their d~sce dants have made their own stable niche in the rown's economy. 29. Tavern - The Gut Buck~ . This is a very low class dive. If you don't look like an ore, stay out. 30. Drayers - Reliable Heavy Hauling. This is one of the most successful a rc en· terprises. Most moving inside town is done by these orcs. However, they are not allowed to move anything outside the town walls. Urgham the Quiet (see " Per· sona1ities") monopolizes that business. t'OWN HUMaNS' - - ----- Alfheim Town has a large human popula. tion which is nOI associated with the for. eign enclaves, but is instead indigenous ro the cilY itself. Over 6,000 people have roots in Alfhcim Town that extend baek for many generations. Their 10ya1ry is nOI to the various human nations from which their forebears came, but to Alfheim Town . of which they are as much natives as any elves. The~ is a certain amount of exclusive· ness to these town humans. They distrust all people from the various enclaves, lx· cause they assume that the newcomers will place the interests of their homelands ~. fore the interests of Alfheim Town. There are some establishments in the human pan of [Own where people from the foreign en· claves are distinctly unwelcome.

= PURveYOR Distnict------ This is perhaps the nicest of the town human ucas. The purveyors are the town's native businessmen, adept at making connections both within the town human population and with the dyes. This is the busiest part of town, the one place in the entire country of Alfheim that even approximates the hustle and bustle found in human cities. Elves, even returning adventurers, are not generally found here. 31. Illuminator - Jansten's Uncials. 32. Bowyer & Fletcher - Shafter's Shafts. A human-run establishment, disdained by elves. 32a. Silverblade School of Arms. Andronicu$ Leo of Karmc:ikos. Armsmaster. 33. Engraver - Fine lines & Fancy. 34. Tavern - The Oaken Mug. This has a good reputation. 35. Furrier - The Ermine's Tip. This is the establishment run by Emmit Kelso (see "Personalities"). 36. Scribe - Honorius's Scriptorum. This is the beSt place to get scribework done outside of Benji Frankfoot's establishment. The work is done quicker here, since they ate not distracted by newsgathering, but the end produC[ is less elegant. 37. Tailor - Deever's Magic Shears. 38. Food and Drink Purveyor - A Feast in the Forest. Not an eating house, it sells food for preparation elsewhere. ARtisaN Distnict------- This is the other "nice" district inhabited by town humans and is more devoted to labor, cmt, and the making of things to be used and consumed locally. Away from the frenetic Purveyor district, the town slips back into the relatively slow, easygoing ways which dominate Alfheim. The town humans here make their goods in peace and quiet, then take them over to Purveyor's District for a fast sale. 39. Carpet & Tapestry Maker - The flying Yeti. 40. Inn - The Crafter's Rest. The building contains offices for dealers and brokers such as Elisa~rh Hobnobby (see "Personalities" ). 41. Fishmonger - Scales on Scales. 42. Veterinarian - The Great Creature. 43. Outfitter - sign of the Kitchen Sink. A favorite spot for non-elf adventurers. 44. Horsetrader - Ephraim's Forest Ponies. Ephraim is an elf-friend who actually does have the occasional elf horse for sale, though it is usually one found to be unfit for service in the elven army. Wane170use Distnict----- This is the goods srorage and handling area of Alfheim Town, including a caravansary which ships goods to Ylarum run by Abdullah Hazarkan (see "PersonaJities"), also known as Uncle Silk. 45. Carvansary - Abdullah Hazarkan. 46. Cobbler - Sign of the Cushion. 47. Potter - Sign of the GargoyleJug. 48. Baker - Sign of the Golden Kernal. 49_ Leatherworker - Sign of the Awl & Hide. 50. Barber - Sign of the Clean Chin. 51. Warehouses. Various owners, and mostly unnamed. 52. Tavern - The Mule's Skin. This is a very low-class tavern dedicated to deayers, muleskinners and warehouse workers. RefuGe--------------------- This is the low end of the rown human section. It's called Refuge for a good reason. Human habitations everywhere have a gradation of life styles, based on both economic ability and personal preference. This area is home to those foreigners who have come to Alfheim Town to disassociate themselves from other humans and to the working class town humans who simply need to live in a low rent district. Every year, the Guardian allows a small number of persons displaced from their former homes by monster raids, wars, ideological persecution, etc. to set up new lives in Alfheim Town. This is where they make their stan. 53. The Grand Order of the Grey Mouse Lodge - Thieves' Guild. This is ostensibly a meeting hall for a cmtsman guild society. However, it is the meeting place of choice for pickpockets, muggers, thugs and other robbers who prey on the populace of Alfheim Town. 54. Moneylender - Sign of the Saved Imperial. Office of Violet Pismire (see "PersonaJ ities"). 55. Public Bath - Sign of the Godly. 56. Gambling Hall - Sign of the Busted Nugget. 57. Candlemaker - Sign of the TwiceBurnt Taper (burning at both ends. 58. Pawnshop - Sign of the three Bezants. 59. Tavern - The Human's Right. Town humans ONLY are allowed within these walls, a prohibition the Guardian's elven patrols and the human officers of the Customs Office take delight in ignoring whenever the situation warrants. ElF Distnicts - -------- Finally, of course, there is the e1ven population in what is generally viewed from the outside world as the capital city of the elves. Of course, the elves really don't have much use for cities, and generally communicate among themselves without needing physical meetings between lead- ,~. However. since aJl the major clans have trade representatives here, and since this is also the place where the foreign representatives live, the concentration of elven diplomatic function here seems logical, even to elves. Nevenheless, most forest elves find the activity of even relatively quiet Alfheim Town to be maddening. For that reason, the elven districts are mostly populated by elves who have spent time abroad - who are making the transition back to forest life. They are able [Q deal with the outside world, but must redevelop the skills and awareness needed to return [Q forest life . Here too are the returning elves who maintain a twilight son of existence, incapable of living happily in either the world of men or the extended ritualistic play of the forest. RUliNG Class Distnict----- 60. The Guardian's Garden. This open, airy, tree-planted diStrict is the home of :~ ..................... _ ............................ : ............................................... ... .

~ "...... ........ . .. lh~ ultimal~ rulers of Alfheim Town: Taragin Oakbl'2Jlch . th~ Guardian (S(:~ "P~rsonaliti~s"), his staff, and hous~ hold members. Th~ only Hom~ Tre~5 in Alfheim Town are here , but th~ young tr~ currently support only a f~w small ottag~s . Th ~ rest of the residential pal. ac~s ar~ as large , tall, and airy as elven athi[~ ts can make them. 61. The Druid's Glove. Here can b~ found th~ druidic human religion favor~d by the elves. A small sacr~d grov~ is situated in th~ gard~ns n~ar [he most important residenc~s. The druids hav~ a small shrine wh~r~ histori~s and records a~ maintained, m~~ting hous~s wh~re th~y buy and Slor~ supplies from th~ city purveyors, and cloisters wher~ most of th~ priesthood and all of the lay staff live. This central spot supplies th~ needs of all th~ druidic circles in th~ forest. 62. Hiring Hall- The Elven Army. This military office is a nominal recruiting point for non-elv~n merc~naries who would S(:II their S(:rvices to defend against monsters and more organized external enemies. This office also authorizes nondven expeditions into the Forest for various purposes. C2pc2in T2IlgJcthorn has run this post for 250 years, and met most of the important generals of recent history while they were posted to Alfheim in their early are~rs . 63. Offices of the Seven Clans. This larg~. airy mansion houses representatives of ~ach of the seven major clans in th~ forest. Each clan is represented by a counS(:lorwith about five Staff elves to do every job from butler [0 assistant legate . The serup is strange by human standards; each clan is assigned a small suite of rooms here, and are limited to th~ number of d ves for which th~re are living pac~s in their section of the mansion; this rule was prevents the clan representatives from increasing their numbers for either bureaucratic confusion or the establishment of private armies. 64. Professional Office - Represent2tive to the Clans. Dc1ol'2Jl of the MealidiJ Clan sp«ializes in representing outsiders to the Council of the Clans in legal matters. In other lands h~ would be called a barrister or lawyer. 65. A1cbemist - Ferian Leafgather. This Grunalf elf specializes in potions derived from non-Tree-of-Life sour s in Alfheim. 66. Professional Office - Translator, 67. Dealer in Monsters and Exotic Animals. Demoncarchcr of the Long Runners is an expert monster hunter and prides himself in bringing them back alive for wha[ev~r his client's purposes may be. He often hires adventurers. 68. Residence (and aCiidemy) - Scholar Tulenil of the Mealidil Clan. BusiNess Distnict------ Elven commerce , of course, is almost exclusively based on the sale of the fabulous artworks and magic items produced by craftsmen deep insid~ the closed forest. These artWorks ace exchang~d for mon~y, which is th~n used to purchase goods not readily made in the forest. The commerce houses act as middlemen for their forest brothers. Except for the commerce houS(:s. the elves who buy, S(:ll and trade here deal almost exclusively with other elves. In addition to the e1ven commerce houses, this district contains the homes of e1ven merchantS and other dealers. brokers, and their assistants. It is a prosperous place, with incredible hustle and bustle (for elves that is). Again, the dves who dwell here are not forest elves, but worldly-wiS(: former ad· venturers. 69. Cartographer - Vine1eaf Maps. 70. Horse Trainer - The Lonely Pony. 71. Tavern - Quickneed.le's Rest. This is a meeting place for elves only. EngJedoc DcWS1lp (S(:e "P~rsonalities") is the proPfJ~tor. 72. Armorer - TroUproof. 73. Artist - Dewpoint Images. Elf HiII---------- This is the human name for this rundown district mosdy occupied by former adventurer elves who are unable to readjust to the forest. "Smalltown," as it is called by the elves, contains the misfits of the elven race. These are adventurers, Alfl)EIM 'COWN normally respected (although not altogether understood) by the forest elves for their bravery in leaving the assured security of the forest for the demonstrably dangerous outside world. Yet those who dwell here have found the pressures of living in human lands (any area outsid~ the forest) unbearable. and are now unfit for life either in orout of the forest. In elvim, they are known as the ej/eid~ Jeina" or "wind blown leaves." Here are the usual assortment of "skid row" businesses here. many which are a functional part of the city as a whole. Some enterprises are subsidiz~d by the Guardian to assist the cjJeidel~jn2. 74. Medium Quality Stable - The Heard Meadow. 75. Laundry - Night Run Laundry. This is the bailiwick of Daisy of Desn2e (see "Personalities") and a number of downand-out former adventurer dves. 76. Low quality tavern - Ore's Breath. 77. Cooper - Dwarf's Run Barrels. 78. Distiller - MorrunS- IWn Liquors. Sky Pa/ace--------- About a century ago , the Council of the Clans came up with the notion that Alfheim Town lacked any peculiarly elven architecture. They cauS(:d the fabulous Sky Palace to be construct~d , an aerial building extending over much of the e1- ven quarter. Since the forest magic in Winrd's Glen was destroyed in th~ beast man invasion, no Hom~ Trees had grown to maturity here. The sky palace was an attempt to create something similar to the lordly Home Trees using conventional construction techniqu~s. It is a lanice construction of bridges connecting a number of buildings that hav~ been elevated high above the ground and buildings bdow on posts and trestles. The tallest possible trees were started alongside the consttuction, and heavy vines were interweaved with the lattices. Unfortunately, after investing thousands of gold pieces in the project. the first elven families to move into the Sky Palace found what most elves to enter the project later confirmed - the

AlflJEIM "COWN wooden supportS in no way compared to the living , dynamic support of the natural Home Trees. Living in the palace was not worth the trouble to climb up and down the dead wood structure. The whole project was disgum:dly turned over to the human CUStoms Office to deal with as they found appropriate . For 80 years, the Customs Office has attempted to find a financially rewuding scheme [0 dismantle it. Meanwhile . the palace stands as a fourth dveD district, populated by eccemrics, thieves. and adventurer elves who can no longer live comfortably in the constantly swaying Home Trees. Sky Palace is accessible from the ground to all who wish [0 climb UO feet up the rickety stairs. At several points, the palace connects with the catwalk ne[- work of "sky city," but thl:' dveD guards will not allow non-dves on them without dven escorts" 79. Residence - AstronomerfAstrol· oger. 80. Medium Quality Tavern - The Dird's Feast. 81. Poor Quality Rooming House - The Grand View. All rooms have a view of the city below (sometimes through the floor· bouds). 82. G:lmblin, Hall - Highest Odds. ~ii · Flnst FlOOR MEEtlN<; ROOMS I ~ 1 I SECONb Floolt "bMINlstRatlw OffiCES 6). OffiCES Of tl)E SeveN ClaNS ON1i/ SQUaRE EQUalS TO FE'!t. I I =0 "t17IRl;l FlOOR StORaCiE / I I -D FOUR'" FlOOR 67. DealeR iN MONsteRS aNb Exotic ANiMals FlllSt flOOR Asslsta Nt; Cl)aMbE g 111111111111 IT± T SECONb FlOOR DEMoNcatct)ER"S QualttERS

INCOMe aNt> ResouRces Of tl)e FORest ------- Area: 23.500 square miles Total Population: n.ooo (very approx.) Cities: Alfheim Town: Clan Seats: Ainsun: Desnae: Elleromyr: Feador: Mealidor: Pinitcl: Shield tree: 15.000 500 2.500 3,000 1.000 1,500 1,500 3,000 For all basic needs. Alfheim is self· sufficient. For many centuries. Aifheim had littk economic contact with sur· rounding countries. The few outside uaders were from Darokin. However, in the centuries since the es· tablishment of AI£heim Town, trade has opened up with most surrounding lands. Any nation with any possible interest in Alfbeim products is represented in AJiheim Town, although trading anywhere else in Alfheim is still as strictly controlled as c:lves can control such things. For the most part. the elves arc self. sufficient hunters and gatherers who usu· ally make their own clothes and hunting weapons. Their crops are nuts. rootS, ~r· ries, etc. gathered from the fo~ts (not from farms or orchards). Since they have a measure of control over the forest's bounty, this presents no hardship to them. They also hunt the creatures of the for· est that they breed and conserve for that purpose:. Elves breed animals by eohanc· ing natural selection, culling Out the weak, the slow and the careless. The re· mainder arc fast. sly, and often dangerous animals - just the way the dves like them . Elven craftSmen, either specialistS or hunters and gatherers. frequently craft the byproducts of their hunts and gatherers into objects of art and utility. Fur, bone, and assorted woods become objects d'art. Many of these art pieces are meant for the adornment of the elrs own home , or trade with other craftsmen in the viJ· 'ClJe ECONOMY Of AJfIJeiM lage or tOwn. However, equal amounts of these items are taken into the towns for trade to out· siders for money or valuables. One major valuable the dves need is metal ingots from which to make weapons and armor, which the elves use to match the forces that invaders wield against them. 'Cl)e HistORY Of 'CRabe -- The traders from Darokin used to come into Alfhc:im from all around the forest. Most of them were long-established merchants who had contacts among the dves and knew where to travd to avoid the pit· falls of the forest. The uaders brought in cloth, metal weapons. exonc foodstuffs, and often seeds and cuttings from plants not found normally in Alfheim (e1ven gardeners arc notorious for their experiments with non-native plant life). Now that the Alfheim town acts a central trad· ing point, most of the Darokin traders take their wares there. 5tiU a few yet u1lide on their special familial relationships with certain elf clans and come directly into the forest. Longstriders Trading Company. a dwarven commerce group that does not trade direnly in Alfheim Town. makes its contacts through Dorran Finehammer of the Guildmasters Hall. Some centuries back, dwarves of Rock· home settled the southwestern slopes of the Rockhome Mountains. They found it was easier to trade their metalwork to the nearby Darokin humans than to risk the dangerous and costly journey back to Rockhome's main runnels. It did not take long for the dwarves to realize that the humans were turning around and reselling their wares to the Feadiel elves in Alfheim, at a considerable profit. Rather than support these middlemen, the dwarves founded their own trading company (named for their propensity for hiking long distances. not the length of tlleir individual paces) and the Longsttiders began trading in Alfheim. Although initially suspicious of these short. gnarly interlopers, the qU:lliry of their wares and the honesty of their deal· ings soon set aside interracial fears. AI· though the dwarven group known as the Thorns (sec The Dwacves of Rockhome Gazetteer) raid in Alfheim, strangely enough, no Longsuider trading group has ever run afoul of a Thorn raiding party. These days, the Longstriders ride rafts laden with their metal ingots down the GreenfJood river to Desnae , then pole back upriver to Rockhome with exotic foods and imported goodies from Daro· kin, Glantri, and the Five Shires - a much lighter load all around. ElveN COMMeRCe ----- The towns arc centers of commerce for the dves. Elven export trade largely revolves around the various crafts practiced by elves, such as woodcarving and the var· ious textile arts. Although they arc com· petent metal workers. e1f·made weapons (especially magical ones) are made for use by elves, nOI foreigners. Town anisans can usually coum on ~. ing able to sell more of their craft items than can village crafts-elves. so they arc able to make a more SC;rious study of their art, without having to spend time forag. ing for food in the forest. Town elves arc also more likely to use money for some transactions than the vii· lage elves. although they have not aban· doned baner. The sight of a gatherer elf hauling in a year's supply of nuts and other forest delicacies to a craftS·elf to trade for a prized decoration is by no means unheard of in even the largest of the purely e1ven settlements. For elves, money is used only when trading with foreigners. CoiNaGE-------------------- In Alfheim. elves barter. coins are superfluous. When dealing with outsiders, coins are a convenience and occasionally a necessity. The king and Council and some larger dans usc: coins to pay debts with outside nalions. Elven coins are relatively rare , minted more as novelties or art objects than as money. They are also nonstandard and

'OJ" ECONOMY Of Alfl)"iM may vary in size and gold-comem value by as much plus or minus )0% of a stand· ard gold coin! Therefon:, the official (i.e. most common) coin in Alfheim Town is the Darokinian gold piaster. Once, king Doriath contracted mints in Da.rokin to produce an Alfheim trade coin. The leaf, as it was called. was soadmired by the elves that one trader acquired the entire run, sold it back to the elves as novelties for an unprincipled profit, then retired comfortably to Ierendi . caxes-------------------- Each as a contribution to communal life. the clan traditionally asks for 10 lO 20% of the individu21 dfs earnings. including what he gathers and hunts. N~d is the . . pnmary cmenon. This "gift to the uees" is used lO finance building projects, pay craftsmen for goods used for the ~nefit of the clan (such as weapons), and suppan of those unable to provide for themselves. There are no e1ven beggars in Alfheim. Elf adventurers who have returned home from their wanderings are expected to give the dan a percentage of their accumulated treasure. Through this means. the dans obtain precious metals and magical items they would not normally make themselves. The king and Council do not tax the clans, yet each clan contributes food, goods, valuables and service. whatever is needed or requested by the Council of Clans without complaint. StnoNC;I)OIOS - ----- Establishing a Stronghold Many adventurer elves are unwilling to submerge themselves in their old s<xiety. The ~e drive for prestige , fame and something different that made them be· come adventurers, leads these elves to es· tablish their own Strongholds. There are differences be[W~n what happens in A1fheim and how the process is described in the D&D® game Players Companion rules. In Alfheim. the dans are too large to move 40% of their num· ber into a new stronghold. No stronghold n~ds an influx of 12,000 elves. Instead. the usual number is about 0.5% of the Clan membership, or about 150 elves. Of these elves, the oldest (usually an adviser to the Clanmaster of the main Clan) is appoimed the Clanmaster's represemative of the stronghold. The Clan Holder (the former adventurer) is the leader of the stronghold. but must repon to and take advice from the Clanmaster's representative (usually referred to as a Counselor). Whether the stronghold gets a 'free of Life and a 'freekeeper depends on its dis· tance from the main clan's 'free of life (must be at least 50 miles distant to get a Tree). All e1ven strongholds are considered to be established in wilderness. However, in Alfheim. one gains a dominion in the wilderness by colonization. While all of Alfheim is under the rule of the king. any place that is not already a stronghold is considered "new" terrilOry and ripe for colonization.

~: ................................................... ' Stronghold Size Each stronghold is a dominion, with an area of conuol extending 4 miles in each direction (or one hex on the Fold.up color map of Alfheim), but the actual domi· nated are:il is no more than a mile or twO in any direcuon from the actual strong· hold. This maintains the wilderness that the elves prefer and the distance between strongholds. However, there is no more than one suonghold in any hex on the Alfheim fold-up map. An Alfheim family of gatherers - equivalent, economically, to peasants - is considered to be 2 individuals (or perhaps 2 and 1/2, counting the occasional child), not 5 as is counted among humans. By this token, there arc about 60 such families in a basic suonghold. This population docs not change unless members have !x:en lost in natural disaster or battle. The elves keep their population constant. Stronghold Income The Clan Holder gains only twO sources of Income: Standard (or service) income and Resource Income. The Standard income is 10 gp wonh of hunted or gathered food and incidental crafts or building from each of the fami· lies. The Resource income is the bypro. duct of the hunting and craftwork, animal skins. leather and handicrafts. In general, the Resource Income for the Stronghold is 2 gp per family, or about 100 gp a month. The Standard Income and the Re· sou rce Income together represent the "gifts to the nee" described above. A player Clan Holder gets the XP for the Resource Income as described in the Dungeon Master's Companion, page 5. Stronghold Expenses Fortunately for the e1ven Clan Holder, the expenses of an clven stronghold are as small as his income. First, only 10% of the income of the stronghold need be paid ro the Clan. Second, visitors are very rare, and even the King of Alfheim has a cost of visit per day equivalent to a human Marquis (Dungeon Master's Companion, page 6). Clanmasters can be entertained on the COSt of a human Baron. This is primarily because elves travel with much smaller entourages than do humans. Holidays are vinually nonexistent, since an elfs life is basically one long holiday. There arc no national days of ccle· bration; The elf penchant for taking a day off and lazing around is already factored into the Standard income. Of course, Clan Holders must mainta.in tbc.ir pan of the army of Alfheim. However, the Peasant Army called for consists of Average troops, a condiuon which only drops to Fair if the normal muster is doubled. 'This reflects the expertise of all of the elves in hunting and scouting. Tournaments arc a uniquely human ac· tivity in which most elves have no interest. The Clanmasters of the great clans occasionally hold similar cdeb~tions to impress each other and any visiting hu· mans, but they arc rare and no pan of a normal Clan Holder's cash flow. DOMiNioN EV£Nts------- Dominion Natural Events are much the same for elves as for men, with the excep· don of Market Gluts, Market Shortages. T~de Routes Lost, and Trad~ Routes Found, which have little to do with the elven way of life. Dominion Unnatural Events tend to be a bit more limited in Alfheim. Use the following probabilities: Unnatural Events Assassination ... ..... ....... 10 % Bandits ................... 30% Birth in Ruling Family ........ 1 % Border Skirmish ..... ..... 0·30%* Lycanthropy ................ 25 % Magical Happening ......... 45% Raiders from Other Dominion .. 5% Resident Specialist, New ..... 10% Spy Ring (Shadowelves) ...... 45% TraitOr (Shadowelf) .......... 15% Accidental Death of Official .. 20% VIP Visitor .................. 5% Wandering Monst~rs . 12 HD + 80% * depending on location within AI· fheim. 'el)e ECONOMY Of Alfl)eiM ElveN DefeNse INI)UStTty - Despite the quality of Longstrider goods, the dwarven traders cannot possi. bly match the weapon needs of the entire nation of Alfheim. The main providers arc other elves. Elv~n smiths arc almost a breed apan from their brethren. Their love of beauty and quality is th~ same, but they seck it in unliving iron and other metals, not the living plants and natural stOne. A normal elven blade is equal in qualiry to any other weapon found anywhere else on the continent. However, those smiths who work together with the Treekeepers to make the unique eJv~n longsword arc another thing entirely. These smiths arc wizards as well, and oft~n form pan of a Treekeeper's entourage. By using the sap of the Tree ofLif~, which is only available at certain times each decade, and specially grown oak wood, they make enchanted weapons whose like is found no where else in thl: world. Elven bowyers and fletchers arc some· what more in the main line of elven society. They work with the more natural substances (most dveD hunting arrowh~ads arc stone, not metal) and their products arc essential for daily life as well as warfare. Again some bowyets and fletchers arc 'f/izards who work with the Treekeepers to create the famous eJven bows and eJv~n 2Itows. EIV€N MaGical WeapONS ---- Th~ Elven Longsword. This blade is mad~ from enchanted oakwood treated with the sap of a Tree of Life . It is as light as a shortsword but as long as a normal sword (or broadsword) and harder and sharper than steel. The damage done by this weapon is Id6 + 1 (2- 7) and it counrs as a magic weapon, though not as a Weapon with pluses. Thus, it can affect lycanthropes, gargoyles and spectres or any other mant~r that can be affected only by magic weapons. but it docs not affect monsters that must be struck with a + 1 we:apon or better. ;t!!'''''!!!!!!!l!!!!!''!!!'!I!I!!!!!!,''-''!!'!''''!!!'!'!!!'I!''''.'!' ••••••• !.,_~

t:l)e ECONOMY Of Alfl)eiM Furthermore, all dven swords have a built-in detect danger spell which is always in operation, though it must be u~d as shown in the description of the druid spell of the same name. The detect shows the presence of danger by making the sword's blade glow. The intensity of the glow denotes the distance to the danger, or in c~s of obvious danger, the threat it poses. A longsword can be further enchanted to (ontain plusscs to hit and do damage and other special abilities. There are armories of the~ swords available in each major clan's central holding, for USc.": by the dveD army. Adventurers are not provided witb the~ weapons as a maner of course, though some may gain the weapons as rewards or be issued them for special missions for Alfhcim. Many have been lost over the centuries, and they may be found in treasure hordes, particularly th~ of tradition21 df enemies_ They 2fe very rardy sold. On the common market, the price would be 8,000 gpo The dven longsword works for anyone who holds it, hut those who hate elves may fed uncomfortable or even desperately ill while holding it. Elven bow This bow is about 4 feet long, but has all the handling characteristics of a longbow. The dven bow is treated as a magica.l longbow + J. Since they are made from the limbs of a Tree of Life, there are not very many in the world, even after so many centu ries. Common price on the human market is 10,000 gp o 'O}e ElveN Annow------ Elven :urows are made from the limbs of a Tree of Life; the stone points are (empered in the sap of the Tree of Life . Since both superfluous br:mches and sap come ava.ilable only a few times in a de<ade, dven :urows are rare. They are unique in that they have no pluses to hit (unless they are further enchanted), but the magic is permanent. The arrow always counts as a magic weapon, affe<ting creatures that can only be affected by magic. There is a 10% chance the arrow will break after each time it is used. The cOSt of an dyen :urow on the human market is usually 2found 1,000 gpo These arrows are only used fo r special missions. Elven army archers who know they may be facing enchanted monsters generally have one or rwo in their quivers along with their usual, non-magic, stone or metal-tipped arrows. ElveN Mac;/cal CIOtl}INC;---- Elven weavers make fantastic clothing from plants and animal skins. Most noted for this is the Long Runner Clan of Pinitel. who do wonderfu l things with leather. The most wondrous items of elven wear known to lhe world are the dyen clam and dyen boors. These are made with dements from the Tree of Life. Due to the nature of the materials needed, they 2fe made ~rely. Only the most trustworthy scouts of the Alfheim army have these items, but the clothing is sometimes part of the trade with Darokin. Kings of Alfheim have been known to give samples of this wearing apparel to those who perform services for Alfheim. Elven Cloaks. These cloaks are made from the carefully treated leaves of a Tree of Life. The leaves are pulped with great rimal and very little of each leaf is usable, so many are needed. As described in the Dungeon Masters Rulebook of the Basic DUNGEONS & DRAGONS«l game set, wearing this cloak makes one virtually invisible. There is a 1 in 10 chance that someone will spy a person wearing one this cloak unless the wearer is attacking physically or casting spells. This means that a company of elf archers wearing these cloaks are virtually invisible to cou nterfire in a banle. If the wearer normally has a Hiding Skill roll (See the "Pullouts"), it takes a roll of I on Id20 to find him. The Clan Council of Alfheim has enough of these cloaks in reserve to equip one warband of the dven army (700-800 elves). Elyen Boots. The upper portions are made of finely crafred leather, bur the soles are made of the specially. treated bark of the Tree of Life. For any normal person or elf, it takes a roll of I on IdlO for the wearer to be heard. For anyone successfully using the Hide Skill (see the "Pullouts"), it takes a roll of Ion Id20. II :~- ,.,,", ........ " , ........ ,., ........ , ",." .. . ", .. ," """,."." ... ",.,"'" ., ,... .

~ ..................... . Any cultur~, ~v~n one :lS d~t~rmin~dJy hom*og~nous as th~ dv~n on~, has politics. C~rtajn matt~rs have to be dealt with, and c~rtain people ar~ going to b~ willing to d~al with them, or at least be persuad~d to deal with th~m. This section deals with th~ gov~rnm~nt of ALfh~im - who is in charg~ and th~ir politics - what they do to maintain th~ir base of authority. Along with d~scriptions of the political system, is a look at the main movers ~d shuers of each c1~. Th~se characters and their subordinates ar~ id~al contacts for adv~ntures in and around Alfheim. Note: This section is done with the assumption that the dves of an Alfheim campaign have not yet accomplished the quest of The Tree of life (CM 7). If that adventure has been accomplished successfully. there will be differences in Alfheim. For one, the Sylvan Realm will be a viable (albeit distant) force again, and, twO, the motivations of the F~adid clan will probably change. 'CIle COUNcil Of ClaNS --- Outsiders t~nd to accept King Doriath as the ultimat~ ruler of Alfh~im. and for the day-to-day running of the kingdom this observation is correct. Howev~ , it is not the case. The king follows the policies set by the Council of the Clans. which consins of the king and th~ Clanmast~rs of th~ sev~n clans, all of whom hav~ an equal voice. Of course. any tim~ a new problem arises, th~ Council must meet to decide the new policy. Since dves have a con· stant do-it-wmorrow attitud~. th~se pol· icy decisions can b~ postponed for months or ev~n y~ars, leaving the king to make immediat~ decisions and hope it will be in accord with the Council's final policy decision. Th~ I~ading families of the r~alm (th~ seven clans) compos~ 90% of the dv~n population. The remaining 10% consists of the folk of Alfheim Town (2%), and the scatt~red mini.clans who owe no all~ gianc~ to th~ sev~n gr~at clans (8%). Unanimity of attitud~ and action is highly prized among the dyes, but each Politics Of tlJ€ EIV€N COURt clan has its own traits. shaped by its his· tory and home. Their auirudes towud the king ar~ basically favorable. but their attitudes toward humans and other d~mj-humans vary widdy. The Council has no set meeting time. Th~ king may call one together or the Clanmast~rs may assemble on their own to present troubling matters before the king. There is also no set place of meeting. Outsiders tend to think of ALfheim Town as the capital of Alfheim, but they are mistak~n. Y~t th~ Council rarely m~~ts in Alfh~im Town , pr~ferring inst~ad. to m~et in a favored glade in the middle of Long Runn~r t~rritory, or at Doriath's own suonghold in the Er~ndyllands. Traditionally, th~ C1anmast~r, also call~d a chj~ftain, is th~ oldest member of the dan. In truth. this translates to one of the oldest active mcmlxrs of th~ clan. Elves who h"ve retired to bask in th~ sun are not asked to be Clanmaster and neither are elves who have spent their ~ntir~ Jives hunting and gathering without taking on a position of responsibility. Each Clanmaster usually h:lS sev~ral Counsdors who overs« various aspeCts of the dan's activities. Th~se Counsdors vary from b~ing simple advis~rs to actual powers behind th~ [hron~, d~p~nding on the individual Counsdors and Clanmaslers. Wh~n a Clanmast~r is dose to d~ath or retir~ment. he usually picks one of his eld~st Counselors to replace him. In the case of a sudden death, th~ king appoints the oldest Counselor to th~ POSt until th~ dan can make its own f~elingson the subject f~lt. There is never anything resembling an el~ction - th~ dv~s JUSt k~~p talking until an obvious cand idat~ ap· pears. 'CIle ROle Of tile I<iN<; --- If the Clanmast~rs ar~ the true power in Alfheim, th~n what function does the king serve? The King of lfh~im is the leader of the country. His is just ~ vote in th~ Clan Council. but h~ is the policy of Alfh~im in action. Unlike the Clanmasters. who must spend much of their time dea.ling with th~ probl~ms of th~ir individual dans. th~ king deals with matt~rs affecting the entire nation, including calling OUt the army of Alfheim in times of gr~at need. King Doriath, in panicular, has acted ind~pend~nd y many times in th~ int~rest of AI£h~im, answering to the Clanmast~rs only aft~r action is tak~n. In each cas~, the Council def~rred to the decisions of th~ king, finding th~m well within th~ constraints of pr~viously decid~d policy. In general, King Doriath promotes a non-isolationist policy with increas~d trade agreements and firm~r alliances. This is ~p«ted of a king. It is this outward· looking attitud~ of adv~ntur~rs that th~ Clanmast~rs look for wh~n it b~ comes time to choose a n~w king. 'CIle ClaNS ------- Thes~ d~scriptions list th~ g~neral ar~a of inter~st for each dan and some id~a of how its r~pr~s~ntatives act on qu~stions befor~ the Council. ClaN CI}OSSUM-------- Th~ Chossum dan is firmly in favor of outside contact and progr~ss, as lorg as th~y can turn a profit. Some mor~ conservativ~ dyes call the Chossums th~ "dwarves of AI£h~im"; their lov~ of money and d~sir~ for a good business d~al s~~m decidedly unelvish. Others think them a regression to the ways of the elves of the southern conti· nent, from whom I1sundalled his immi· gI<ltion. Most of the wand~ring traders who go from dan to dan with hard·to-g~t food· stuffs. weapons, and wearing apparel ar~ members of the Chossum dan. The ChoS$ums ar~ wheelers and deal- ~rs. Clan leaders hav~ proposed that major trade toads be built into Alfh~im from Corunglain and Selenica and ~ven the Rockhome mountains, so as not to stifle tI<lde by focussing it through the Darokin road. Th~ ChoS$ums r~sent the Erendyl posi. tion as ambassadors to Gianni; they f~eI

POlitics Of tl)~ ElveN CouRt that the Erendyl ambassador h:u no can· (Cpt of Alfheim's trade n~ds. There is talk of Shadowelf infiltration of the Chossum clan, but this is regarded as the idle gossip of folk from clans who don't undcrst:lnd tcue entrepreneurial spirit. Clanmasu:r Lynnwyll is in favor of anything th:u pUts (Iven products in the mar· kets of the world. and the world's gold into Clan Chossum's pock('u. ClaN En€NOyl- ------- This dan refers to itsdf as the "royal clan," because it is the family of Doriath, current king of Alfheim. About 300 yeats 2g0, a branch of the clan, the Erewan, moved to Gianni and now is one of the major powers there. A member of that cian, Sire Galladin, is the ambassador to GI:a.nui from Alfhcim, juS[ as a member of the:: Gianni brmch is Glantri's ambassador to Alfhcim. There is much comact between this clan and outsiders from Darokin as well as Glantri. As King, Doriath has foresworn ties to the dan. Regardless, many Eyrendyl dves hold positions within the Alfheim government, such as it is. Erendyl dves are some of the ~st cmtsmen in Alfheim. Artists and artisans come ftom allover to study under the carvers of Elleromyr. the dan holding. The profits from Elleromyr carvings and other artwork has brought the dan much outside money, which they use [0 equip the Elleromyr Guard. Clanmaster Brendian usually agrees with Clanmaster Lynnwyll on any subject dealing with outside contacts. ClaN FeaOil----- --- This is the most recent major clan [0 join the clans of Alfheim. The progenitors of the dan first arrived magicaJly through the rainbow gate as they fled Moorkroft's conquest of the Sylvan Realm. Feadid is perhaps the most pannoid of the dven dans. Anyone and anything not of Alfheim, and sometimes not of the clan. is distrusted - after all, Moorkroft first came as a friend. Only druids arc not ~ ............................................. ~ distrusted . As a result of their lale-comer SUl.tuS. the Feadid dves make a point of their clan name in all dealings with outsiders and take umbrage when it is forgotten. The Feadiel dves are on good terms with most dwarves. However. this attitude is strongly tried by the antics of the Thorns ofRockhome (see The Dwarves of Rockhome G:u:etteer). Feadiel has many adventurers. The clan wishes to expunge the record of its cowardice for not staying to face the onslaught of Moorkroft. Feadiel also has the highest percentage of adventuring elves who return to the forest after wandering. Feadid dves are also the least likely to ask another dan for help. They feel a need to show they can take care of themselves. Feadiel is foremost among the clans in its lore of the Tree of Life, and Feadiel Treekeepers are valued anywhere that there are uees of Life. Clanmaster Dyradyl Feadid continually argues for restricted human access to Alfheim and a renewed dven regard for the worship of I1sundal. He thinks that Lynnwyll and Brendian are dangerous adventurers. ClaN GnuNalf-------- The Grunalf clan holding of Ainsun lies in the de~t forests of Alfheim. ~ (Ween the River of Monsters and the Black Lake Rivers. This has produced a dan of avid monster-hunters, foresters, and gardeners. The Grunalfs arc involved in maintaining the forest of Alfheim. The greatest foresters, the best trackers, the most pro· digious hunters arc said to come from Ainsun. The Grunalfs ate also the best boatsmen of the Alfbeim dves. They specialize in canoes and kayaks which act as platforms for their monster hunting. The Grunalfs bore the brunt of the Shadowelf invasion centuries ago, and are especially vigilant in sniffing out new outbreaks of the Broken Landers. Many great Treekeepers have come from the Grunalfs. Their ability at grow· ing things and keeping them alive is unmatched anywhere in Alfbeim. The Grunalf naming convention is similar to that of Long Runner and Red Arrow in that they each take a uS(: name, which has no magical signilicance. but in addition to. rather than instead of, a real name. Clanmaster Durifern Widefarer is frequently absent from Council meetings. When present. he stays quiet and then votes in a way no one expects him to. He stays on good terms with his fellow Council Members, though few consider him an asset to the council. ClaN LONe; RUNNeR ------ The Long Runners arc the most ingrown of the clans. They have little contact with the outside world and little love for any· one but elves, and not tOO sure of any from ouuide of Alfheim. Their territories include both the twisted magic site of Stalkbrow and the good magic sites of Glow Tree. Shadowdown, and Goblin Park. This makes their territory idea! for the study of magic in many different forms. Elves from aU over Alfheim come here to study with the master wizards ofPinitel (their clan holding). The Long Runners are known for their cate in costuming and cosmetics. Where other clans may ape human styles. the Long Runners arc sticklers for primitive clothes of leather and fur. donning armor only when war is at hand. One faction of the clan is fanatically resistant to the presence of anyone but elves in the clan territory. although clan leadership strongly favors it, especially considering the helpfulness of human druids and wizards in controlling the Sta!kbrow site. Like Red Arrow elves. Long Runner dves tend to keep their rca] names (and even the real name of their clan) a secret. Instead, they take names indicative of some aspeCt of their personalities, personal histories, favorite activities, or prowess. These names change over the course of an elrs life. A Longrunner whose name was Hornhunter in his . ,-if. •••••••• •• •••• ••• • •. . •• •••.•. . ..... -. ...... .... . ................ . . ..

youth, due to his prowess in hunting deer, may become Bugwatcher in l:oner years, as he devotes himsdf to studying the effects of the twisted magic on local insect life. Clanmaster 8easthunter is the youngest of the Clanmasters and has a tOtal disregard for the needs of outside contact. He considers Brendian a prissy bureaucrat :md Lynnwyl a materialistic fool. At the same time, he has a hard time allying with Dyradyl and Mcalidan because of their lack of interest in hunting. His best friend on the Council is Durifern Widefaret. ClaN Mea/lOIl-------- CJan Mealidil chums to be the true clan of the founder of Alfheim, Mealiden Red Arrow. They claim that this achievement by one of their own grants them the position of cultural arbiters for all that is truly elvish, and they back. up the claim with an extensive library of wrilings and other recordings on the history of elves and those they deaJ with. The collection is so large that they bad to grow a special combined Sentinel and Home uee to hold it all. Most books or other records of historical imerest found by adventurer elves wind up in the library of Mealidor. Mealidil is easily the most conservative of the clans. Their leaders consistent1y wear out-of-date clothing fashioned after that worn by the followers of Mealiden l,800 years ago. Their answer for any problem is to research the Annals of Mealiden and find what he did in a similar situation. Clanmaster Mealidan can be counted on for the most conservative reaction to any question that comes before Council, but, is not an isolationist like Beasthunter or a pannoid like Dyradyl. He JUSt wants everything to be done "as Mealiden would have us do it." ClaN ReO AnROW------ - This is a clan of militam warriors. Where the Grunalfs provide the scoutS and trackers, Red Arrow provides the rank and file of any dven army. As the clan responsible for StOpplDg Slx major mvasions, they take their position as defenders of Alfheim and the forestS very, very seriously. As a result of their cominual comact with outside realms, the leaders of Red Arrow waver between isolationism and cosmopolitanism. They favor a closed Alfheim as the ultimate protection against foreign influence and conquest, but at the same time they have seen and adopted the practices of many foreign military establishments. Among the elves, the closest thing to dwarven or hu· man discipline can be seen in the elite archers of the Red Arrow clan. This clan was once a part of the Mealidil clan. During Mcaliden's long march to find a homeland, the Red Arrows were his honor guard who protected him and provided most of their military force. At that time they were simpl y the Red Arrow Guard. Eventually, their way of life changed so much from the Mealidil1cinsmen that Mealiden declared them a new clan. When the dans finally settled in the steppes which became the Alfheim forest, me Red Arrows purposely established themselves on the easiest access from the human settlements which became Darokin, just so they could be the first elves to feel the brunt of an invasion. They have been granted their wish many times. Like the Long Runners, the Shieldtree elves hide their real names and take use names suited to their personalities, personal histories, or enthusiams. Unlike the Long Runners, the Red Arrow tribesmen tend to keep their use names throughout their lives, sometimes taking on extra names if some other facet of their existence becomes supremely important to them. Clanmaster Redsword Truetalker represents the military viewpoint on the Council. He favors anything that will build up Alfheim's ability to defend it· self, which includes weapons from other lands. However, he dislikes having large numbers of unaccounted-for nonAlfheimers in Alfheim at anyone time and would JUSt as soon tear Alfheim Town down (which he proposes at each meetPolitics Of tl)e ElvEN COURt ing). In any non-military question, his participation is usuaUy a disaster. 'CI1e MINOR C/aNS - - ---- Some 20,000 elves do not owe any allegiance to these major clans. They are split up into about 10 minor clans ranging in membership from SOO to 4,000 elves. Their Clanmasters are on the Council, but f2.tely get called to meetings. In most cases, these are the most isolationist of the elves, frequently refusing to have anything to do with the other clans, much less outsiders. As might be ex· pected, the isolationist dans are the lowest in number. One once boasted over 10,000 members, but now has less than 1,000, due to attrition, lack of new births and desertion to other dans. 'Cl)e MilitaRY StRuctURe Of Alfl)eiM ------- - The largest unit of the elven army is the warband. Each warband of about 700 elves (equivalent to a division in other lands) is formed of a mixture of melee fighters and archers. magicians, and scouts. In forest environments, there are few military forces in the world who can stand against them. Each warband is divided into seven trOOpS of lOO elves, with the same m~ of members. While each warband going into combat contains each of these elements, in peacetime the war band breaks down into three component units of specialists (magic-users, scouts, and fighters) which train separately and only meet for combined training every year or so. This speciali zation docs not contradict the e1ven natu re of being both fighter and elf at the same time. All elven warriors have magic. but the "Magicians" specialize in battle-oriented magic, "Fighters" (or Guard as they are often called) specialize in protective spells, and "ScoutS" specialize in detection and stealth-oriented spells. Every dan has at least one unit of Guard, one unit of Magicians, and one unit of Scouts. The Guard units are mainly Red Arrow fighters with bows, the Magicians are largely Long Runner

• Politics Of tl)e ElveN Count magic.u~rs. and the Scouts are mainly Grunalf foresters. Military service is a lifelong obligation of the elves. Many a front-line archer has fought humans, orcs, dwarves, and the Shadowelves over the period of six centuries. Since so few elves are experienced adventurers, the elf soldier is only:l. third level elf. but they are Jed by more experienced comrades. Peacetime Deployment In times of peace, the members of the warbands are put on a rotating schedule (or as much a schedule as dyes can maintain). A third of a warband (about 250 elves) is on duty at anyone time, which usually is about four months a year. The third-of-a-warband division h2S littlc relationship to the uoop divisions of a war· time: warband. The seven warbands each have an area of responsibility; called a Guardpost. The peacetime unit is called a Guard. Each Guard has a roughly equal mix of 'o'er· erans and green troops. The Wesrgu:ud: this unit is made up of primarily Red Arrow clansmen and is reo sponsible for gu:uding the western ap· proaches to Alfheim. They are stationed in Shielduee. CLAN CHOSSUM CLAN REO ARROW The Crafrgu:,ud: this unit is not to be confused with the locally controlled EI· lerornyr Militia . The Craftguard mostly guards the main production areas of Alfheim and the approaches from the Broken Lands. It is headquartered in EI· leromyr. There is a friendly rivalry with the Militia. The Foresrguard: this unit has a roving commission that has it patrolling all the trails of Alfheim and is headquanered in A.insun. The Easrguard: this unit is responsible for guarding the eastern approaches to Alfhcim and is headquartered in Feador. The Nonhgu:ud: this unit is responsi. ble for guarding the Rockhome border and is based in Mealidor. The Southgu:ud: this unit is responsi. ble for assisting Darokin in panolling the Trade Road to Selenica. It is based in Pinitel. The Weirguard: this unit is responsible for keeping monSters OUt of the Sump. It is based in Desnae. Any unit near a Bad Magic Point is responsible for keeping a watch on that point for monster incursions. The organization of the Guard units has little to do with the organization of a warband. Every time the elven army goes CLAN ERENOYL CLAN GRUNALF CLAN MEALIDIL to war, the warbands have to be com· pletely reorganized along wartime lines. In a Guard unit, there are no specialists, all are expected to do anything a Guard unit is called on to do. War Machine Statistics Unit Name: Elven Irregulars Type of Unit: Regular Division Number ofVnits: 7 MV: 18 DR: In Personnel: 746 Troop Class: Excellem Division Commander: E8 Deputy Division Commander: E6 A.1I units: Elite E3 cavalry, longbows and longswords + 1, riding warhorses, 3 ser· geants (E4), 1 Captain (E~). t:l)e HOnses Of Alfl)eiM -- The most astonishing thing for any foe who meets the Alfheim army for the first time is that it is a cavalry army, though their mounts look like frail little ponies. Further surprises await anyone fighting these forces, because the elves frequently dismount to concentrate on archery and magic, while the horses fight the melee alone. Eiven horses are described in game terms in the" Adventures" section. CLAN LONGRUNNERS CLAN FEADIL

Many of the following nonplayer charac· (crs (NPCs) have been memioned in the preceding text. Others appear in the Ad· ventures section. They ale arranged here in alphabetical order with all their game n-atistia and some possible campaign in· teractions. To ~IVC space, none of the following folk an: givm the full roster of spells they uswJ.Iy cany in mind or in their spell books. just the JDOS( wdi.J1 or probable. UK the spdl! from the "Secreu of the Elves" K'C. lion to £ill OUt the ~pc::noire: of dven chal' actetJ as you nttd them during play. Similarly, only the most imponant magic items possessed by the characters arc given. Others may be added (includ. ing special abilities of armor and weapons) as needed for your campaign. A LaNGu aGe Note------ Mlny of the elves are shown to know Thy· atian as a language. This empire's Ian· gUlge is the equivalent of the Common language usually known by humans. Abdullah Hazarkan Merch:mr of YIMlIanJ History: Abdullah Huarkan is a suange contradiction - a carann master from Ylaruam doing a suong and profit· able business in the heart of elf country. UDd~ Sill. as he is commonJy known in town, came from a long·established trad· ing family from Ylaruam Ciry itsdf. who lost most of their money in a shameful trading scandal engineered by scheming merchants of the Kin faction . These Khemers were SC'Cmingly abetted and or· ganized by a (v.reaching plot never en· tirc:ly unea.nhed. Abdullah was forced to leave the Emirates, working his way around the vuious trade routes first as a lowly aravan guard, then more and more: as a merchant in his own right. As he in· creased his wealth. he naturally planned with glee his triumphant rerum to Yla· ruam , to re·purchase his old family es· tate, and esl2blish himself in an early retirement. As it happened, when he returned to his home town. the same cabal which ruined his parenu and beggared his other rdatives strude , robbing PeRSONalities Of Alfl}eiM him ofhoth money and reputation in one disastrous evil plot, and lellving him run· ning in fear of his life . Abdullah has resided in Alfheim for five years now, and finds it the ptrfcct hide·out from his countrymen. since there arc so few Ylari who would even consider journeying to Alfheim. that any agents sent against him arc easy to spot and counteract. Meanwhile. this honest son of the dcscn has found it within him· ~If to become an upstanding citizen of AJfheim Town. AJ he amasses his third (onune. he fondly considers the po:s.sibil. ity of never leaving his adopted home town . Person:lliry: Abdullah Hazarkan is a typical merchant from the Emirates - crafty and subtle. bUI ultimately reliable and lawful. Abdullah is now driven by the desire [0 give back as good as he re· ttived from the evil cabal which twice caused his downfall. Ap~nce: Hnarkan is 4) years old. ) ' 11 " tall and weighs 2)0 pounds. He is clean-shaven, has thin black hair worn in naturally oily ringlets. and favors cos· tumes made from purple silk cut in the desert style. He rarely leaves his com· pound without several of his trusted bodyguards. DMing Nores: Abdullah Hazarkan can be: the source of many merchant·type ad· ventures - elves could find employment as agents or caravan guards. or could be sem seuching elven lands in the forest or in Glanui or Ku-ameikos to locate specific treasures known to the merchant from strange sources. Humans will find employment as caravan personnel to loca· tions fu afield, in areas clOStd to elves. or on special missions back to Ylaruam or 10 Ylari outposu around me cominent, chasing down lellds or abetting Abdul's plotS and coumerplou. Comb:u Nores: C8; AC 7/0; hp 30; MV 12';IAT I; o 2·7 (scimirar +1, +1 V5 spell ~rs); Save C8; ML 10; AL L; S 12. I 13. W 16. 0 13. Co 13. CIl 11. Abilities &- Skills: Bargaining (CIl + I). Knowledge of the Teachings of AJ·Kallm (I), Persuasion (CIl). Riding (0). Storytdling (Ch) unguages: Ylari. Alignment (lawful). Thyatian. Spells Usuvly Carried: Abdullah usu· ally carries the clerical spells that do him and his small flock the most good. Nores: Abdullah is faithful to the teachings of AI-Kalim and ministen: to his sadly diminished flock of family and workers as beSt he can. He has recently reo ceived an offering of a porion of giam strength, which he houds tOlnIds his eve.ntual rerurn to Ylaruam. Arloen Trttli(c Senior Clan Repcesencw'ye, and Reprc· senraciye o[cb~ Grun~Cbn History: Arloen is a former adventurer who never quite made it back to the for. CSt. Indeed. he is enthusiastically making a name for himsdf in the service of the Council. After a mere: 120 ye:m: repre· senting Grunalf imeresu in AI{heim Town. he is ~ry pleased [0 finally be the clan's senior representative . a position which allows him to better reprC$Cnt Grunalf and his own imerests. Personv;ry: Arloen is an elf in the he· roic mode. As Representative and Senior Representative . he is grand and lofty, seemingly granting his petitioners a favor even when turning them down cold. Appearance: Arloen is tall (for an dO, muscular. and golden.haired. He has no facial hair. DMing Notes: This is the formal con· tact with the real government of

• PensoNalities Of AlflleiM • Coolhonds. Storwolcher ••• Alfheim. Non-dven adventurers need to obtain approval from ArI()(:n before being -able to deal with higher levels of the dven government, and elves find him a useful substitute for other contacts back in the forest. Combar Notes: ElO; Ae -1 (or 7); hp 40; MV 120' (40'); IAT 2 (Attack Class D); 0 6-13 (dven longsword + 3 plus strength bonus); Save ElO; Ml12; AL L; S 15, I 15 , W 10, 0 16, Co 15 , eh 17. Nores: When garbed for combat, Ar· loen wears pl:Hc mail + 2 without a shield. He often wears his armor when meeting slrange non-dfs and even elf. advcmurers. Abilities & Skills: Hiding (1), Knowl· edge of Elven Politics (I + 3), Riding (D). Tracking (I). Treewalking (D). Lmgufl.ges: elf, Alignment (Lawful), are, gool1 , hobgoblin. Thy:ol.tian, Darokin. Spells Usu21ly C:uried: Arloen 's spells are usually defensive and perceptive. He prefers doing damage with weapons rather than magic. Nares: Besides the weapons indicated above, Arloen has a ring of animal conuol and a ring of fire resiseance. 8e;uthunter Cb.nmaster of Clan Long Runner Hisrory: Beasthunter has never been outside the borders of Alfheim, but he has adventured mightily within it. Like aJl Clanmasters, he is the oldest member of his dan, and he has fought invasions and monsters and strange holdovers from [he pre.forest days of Alfheim. He gets his name ftom single-handedly slaying an incredible monster, half-dinosaur and half-giant lion, that escaped from Thornbush ~oo years ago. Person21iry: Beasthumer is a singleminded elf of great intensity. He is constantly moving when he talks. His seat of power is probably the least·used article of furniture in his clan holdings. He toler· ates outsiders (unlike some others of his clan) but continually uies to prove elven superiority in any endeavor. Appearance:: Beasthunter is remark· ably brawny for an elf, standing the usual ~' 6" but weighing almost l~O pounds. He is blond and light.eyed, and usually Wtl[S huming leathers. Pan of his long, shaggy, hair is tied into a topknot. He is considered a master of sword and bow. He is the youngest Clanmaster, at age 6~O. DMing Nores: Beasthumer is called on whenever a major monster escapes the guardians at one of the Twisted Magic sites. Adventurers who want to make points with the dans by slaying monsters can do no better than to contaer Beas· thunter. Combar Norcs: EIO (Fighter Class E); AC 0 /3; hp 66; MV 120' (40'); IKI 2 (bastard sword); 0 ~-12 (ldB +4); Save E10; ML 12; ALL; S 15, 112, W 16, D 1B, Co IB, Ch 17. Abilities & Skills: Due to his long ex· perience , Beasthunter is + 2 on his Tracking ability. and + 2 on his Hiding ability. unguages: elf. ore, gnoll, hobgoblin. SpeJls Usually C:uried: Level I - locate. protection from evil. Level 11- detect evil. Level III - speak with animals. LevellV - polymorph self Level V - neurralize poison. Notes: In battle, Bcasthunter puts on chainmail armor and carries a shield. Usually he relics on his leather and Dex· terity. He carries a bastard sword + 2 which was given to him by his father. Benji Fr.lnkfoot Amba5S:1dor and Newsmonger History: This halfling of good fortune arrived upriver from the Shires ~O years ago as an assistant to a long-since· departed Thyatian merchant. Benji decided that he liked what he saw of the small half1ing community in town and stayed. Since then, his interest in corre· spondence and informacion.gathering has allowed him to r~ to an important position in the city. For the same talents, he has been named the official Ambassa· dor from the Five Shires, although he has not set foot in his home country for half a century. Personality: Benji is studious, truthful, and wordy. He is also a bit of a gossip. ea· ger to spread the latest facts garnered from strange corners of Alfheim Town and beyond. Appearance: Benji is a halfling of me· dium height and appropriate huge girth for his age. DMing Notes: Naturally, this is where you come to find the facts. Adventurers who have read the news·posters on his walls are free to ask Benji what else he knows on a topic. Once in a while, the halfling gentleman will have a small job of an adventurer - ''just go to we Alphatian Embassy and ask them about .. ," or something else equally we and honest. Benji's " little favors" often

cause even prudent adventurers to get into trouble. Combat Notes: H8; AC 5 (leather armor + 1 and Dexterity bonus); hp 48; MV9~; 'AT 1; D 1-6; Save H8; ML8; AL L; S 10. I 12. W 14. 0 U, Co 14. eh 12. Abilities & Skills: Knowledge of Alfheim Town (I + 2). Knowledge of Shires (I), Persuasion (Ch). Languages: halfling. Alignment (Law. full. df. Borls Beenhumb L:uJdlord of tbe Silvc:c Cbalice. History: Boris is a native of Karameikos, a Traladaran. Boris was born in 965 in Knosht, a small f2.Cming village in the wooded foothills [0 the East of Threshold. He spent a few years as an adventurer after Shearing, and evenwally settled in Alfheim when he found the Silver ChaJice up for sale just after the end of a rcw2.Cding but scary encounter with a smaJl 2.Cmy of Trolls in the Rockhome Mountains. Boris has been the landlord of the Silver Chalice for about 10 years. Personality: Boris came to town as a naturally pleasant man whose native openness had been muted by the strange and wild experiences he had while adventuring. Now. Botis is honest and truthful in his dealings. yet is selective in terms of what he will tell people. He will keep secrets and will not give sensitive information to adventurers unless he feels they can use it and use it wisely. Boris impresses many people as a good man with a secret. so he hears more about things than many a more loquacious person. Appcannce: He is a typicaJ TraJadaran, heavily built, but of medium height. Boris has medium-long hair and a trimmed beard, both dark brown. Boris wears TraJad2.Can-cut working clothes under his bar 2pron, although he dresses on occasion in imported Minoth2.Cd or Th2Yalian finery. DMing Notes: Boris is, with 211 of his taciturn nature. the best cont2Ct for relatively low-level 2dventurers arriving in Alfheim. Boris can tip off adventurers to jobs 2vailable around town and to occa· sional advenrures in the Alfheim Forests, and somerimC5 beyond. Com bar Notes: 6th level fighter; AC9; hp 31; MV 120'(40); IAT 1 (sword); D 1· 8. SaveF6; ML 10; ALL; S 15, I 13, W 10, D 14. Co 11, Ch 14. Abilities & Skills: Batkeeping (I + 1), Knowledge of City H2ppenings (I), Liter· acy (I), Riding (0), Tracking (I), Languages: Traladaran, Elf, Align· menr (Lawfu l), Thyatian. Notes: As a heritage of his adventuring days, Boris has boots of levitation and a scroll of protection from undead which he k~ps in his owner's qU2ners. ~ndian E~ dy l Cl:mmaster of Cl2n Erendyl History: Brendian has remained in Alfheim most of her life. She initially trained as a Treekeeper, but decided that crafrswork was her true vocation. After 2 couple of cenwries as a crafts specialist in leatherworking, she was recruited by the then-Master of the Clan ro assisr him in its governance. Thus, while Brendian is a master crafter of Clan Erendyl, she has not had much to do with crafting for several centuries. including the twO she has spent as Clanmaster. Personality: As a crafter, Brendian w2S considered norable for the rime she spent on a single project. She was known for 2CtuaJly getting a project done in a matter of weeks, instead of months. She took that spirit of "get-it·done" to her POSt as PensoNalities Of AlflJeiM Clanmaster. which makes for a lot offrusnation. Even Erendyl dves cannot be bullied into getting their projects done sooner. Appearance: Brendian is an old elf. approaching 800 years old. Her face has a few wrinkles and her hair is a lovely silver grey. She still st2nds straight and strong, but her eyes are forever darting about. looking for signs of sl2Cking. DMing Nares: B~ndian is a worrier. continually concerned that everything is going smoothly. She is aJso a primary motivaror behind the effo rt to get Alfheim materials into the outside world. Beasthunter dislikes her and she dislikes him, whom she considers a reactionary slob with no idea of the needs an dven nation. She is a Strong supporter of King Dori2rh. Player characters will hear about this woman but are unlikdy to meet her until they reach high level. Dominion.holding elves may find her dropping in to check on the state of the crafts in the stronghold. Combat Notes: E8; AC 6; hp 40; MY 90' (30'); IAT 1 (elven longsword); D 2- 7; SaveE8; ML II; ALL; S 10, 117, W 14, D 13, Co 15, Ch 16; Abilities & SkilJs: Craft Leatherdyeing (I), Craft Leatherworking (I + 1). Knowledge Elven Ways (I). Persuasion (eh), Teaching (W), Tracking (I), Trc:ewalking (D). unguages: elf. orc, gno11, hobgoblin. Spells Usuuly Carried: Level II - locate object. produce fire. Level III - heat metal. Notes: Like most Clanmasters. Brendian has an elven longsword. Brightsword Captain of the Guard of Clan Red Arrow History: Brighuword is a bright young df in the Red Arrow clan. Despite his relative youth, 2 mere 450 ye2rs, he is a full Division Commander. commanding the Wcstgu2.Cd, which is aJways on duty. As such, he is deputy commander to Gilfronden. Personality: Brightsword is a military elf who tends to see everything in military applicarions. He is a slave to duty and .--. ~ .

PERSONalitiES Of Alfl)EiM ralh~r appallro at thl:: attirudc:s of some of his subordinates towards thdr duties of monsu:r-watching and border guarding. He: has nry liuJc: regard for adventurers. whom he: considers the: uh.ima(c slackers - thriU·~du=rs who abandon their dul}' to their countries to go uasure-hunting in foreign climes. Ap~cc:: Brighuword looks like: a living perJOnifiC2tion of his ~·namc:. honed razor sharp on a whetstone:. He: is sharp. quick and nry impressivc:. Like: his commandc:r, he: is dark-skinned and rcd haired. He: demands. and geu, absolute: loyalty from his troops, even ifhc: doesn't get discipline:. DMing Notcs: BrightsWord is ulti· mately loyal to Alfheim. not his com· manding officer. He: will not jump at the: chance: to discredit Gilfrondc:n, but he: bditves his duty to Alfheim demands that he: look at any possible: threat. Anyone: coming up with a way to prove GilflOnden's perfidy C2ll get Brighuword as an ally - one he will sorely nero. Comb.1t Nares: E8; AC I; hp 48; MV 90' (30'); IAT I; 0 4-10 dvcn longsword and strength); Save E8; ML II : At L; 5 16. lB. W 14.017. Co U, Ch 14 . Abilities de Skills: Craft - Bowyer (I). Miliwy 1ilctic:s (I + I), PeBUasion (Ch), Singing (Ch), Tracking (I), Treewalking (0). Languages: elf, Ort, gnoll, hobgoblin, Thyatian, Alignment (Lawful), lerendi. Spells Usually Carried: Level 1- command word. Level II - dereCf danger. Level III - protcction from normal missiles. Level IV - confusion. Notes: BrightsWord carries an dvcn Jongsword + 2 and wean chain mail + 2. Carlisan CowucJoc ro the Cbnmasrer ofChossum History: Carlisan came to Chossum clan as a young (about 35) refugtt, the only survivor of a stronghold wiped out in a narunJ disaster. He was adopted iota the clan and ingratiated himsdf. He has not much aperience for a counselor, and has never been an adventurer. How~r. he is favOrM by both Lynnwyl and Sharlikran and is their most trusted advisor in matters of policy and trade details. He is the one who picks out the :lCtualtraders for the caranns thai Sharlikran staffs. To the ~ of anyone's knowledge. he has rarely budged from the clan seat at Danae; he prefers gening his information second-hand and evaluating it. Person2iiry: Carlisan scems very open and above·boud in all his dealings with everyone in and outside the clan. He agrees with Sharlikran's Staffing policies and even suggests some non·elves who might be good Staff members. To every new acquaintance he is friendly and very imerested in anything the person has to say. Of course, he is actually something of a sad*st. who loves to butter up his potential victims. See DMjng Norcs. Appcanmce: Unlike most Chossum elves, Cariisan is fair, with light.colored hair and no facial hair. He is about average elf height and weight. DMing Notcs: What no one knows of <:arlisan is that he is a Shadowelf. planted young among the clan members of Chossum with the purpose of gaining a position of power. Right now. he seems to be working for the best intercsu of the clan, but he is actually building up a network of contacu throughout the southern ate1 of the continent to help facilitate the shadowdves master pla.n. Player chuacters meet Carlisan early in their careers when dealing with the Chossum clan. and may run into his machinations (Ke .• AdvcntUlCS" section). He is always affable and ingratiating, but will usc spelb like command word and chatm person in situations that do not normaJly call for them. Combar Nares: E6; AC 5; hp 30; MY 90' (30'): IjJ I; 0 2-7 ; Save E6; M1 9; ALC; S 12. 118. W 14. 0 11. Co 16. Ch 18. Abilities de Shils: Bargaining (Ch). Hiding (I), Knowledge of Shadowelf Plans (I). Persuasion (Ch +2). Tracking (I). uecwollcing (0 ). Languages: elf. Otc. gnoll. hobgoblin , Alignment (C). Thyatian. Glantrian, TraJadaran, gnome. SpeJJs UsuaJJy Carried: Level I - chatm person, command word. Level II - ESP. mindmask. Levc:1 UJ - dairvoyance, hold puson. Notes: Carlisan has Dever shown any magic items to his as.soc:iaces. He has, in fact, stolen an elvm Jongsword. He abo has a ring of flying (acts JUSt like the spell. but can be used thrtt times a day). CooUundt Mate of the OUUD2Srer of the lmt, Runn~Cl2n History; Coolhands is actually Dona II· ona. de BeICadiz. a Glantrian elf who

came to Alfheim to study the Trees of[jfe and ended up staying with Ikasthumer. who won her heart. She has been adopted into the clan and given a use name, but her real name is well known and she does not get either the benefits or the penalties of the use name. However. Coolhands is how she is known now. Personality: Coolhands is a fonhright lady who stands up for herself and her male. She parted from her family over their dislike of her choice of life mate. She often seems a little bewildered by life in the forests of Alfheim - it's not like GJamri. Appcarancc: Coolhands is a darkhaired beauty with bronze skin - a typical Belcadiz elf. She wears clothes made of the usual leather of the Long Runners. but cut in a very stylish (as of twO hundred years ago in Glantri), civilized style. DMing Norcs: Coolhands is a civilizing influence among the Long Runners. Her proficiency with healing magic has made her a special member of the clan. Player ch:uacter elves from out of Alfheim can use her as an example of what outsiders can do. Combar Norcs: E10 (Magic level 18); AC6; hp 6~; MV 120' (40'); tAT I; D 1·4 (dagger); Save EIO; ML 10; At L; S 10, I 1~, WI), 0 13, Co 18, Ch I). Abilities & Skills: Craft - Weaving (I), Knowledge of Gianni (I), Profession - Medicine (I +4), Tracking (J). Treewalking (D). Languagcs: elf. Alignment (Lawful). Thyatian, Glanuian, orc, hobgoblin. gno11. Spells Usua/ly Carried: Level J - cere· mony. Level II - produce fire, purify food and warer. Level III - cure light wounds ()( 3). Level IV - remove curse. Level V - neutraJiu poison. Level VI - cure serious wounds ()( 2). uvel VII - dispel evil. Level VIII - permanence. Level IX - heal. Notes: Coolhands has weapons profi· ciency with a thrown knife. the only weapon she uses. Daisy of Desnae MistreSS oftbe Night'S Run ~undry History: Daisy is one of the commercial Chossum elves, versed in the ways of money and business. The Night Run Laundry, while functioning as a legitimate business serving all areas of Alfheim Town, also serves as the distribution point for the elven equivalent of the dole, the system whereby civiliuuon·shoc.ked elves may obtain the subsistence needed to survive in the town. Personality: Daisy is a typical Chossum elf. with all the characteristics attributed to her dan by popular stereotype. She is concerned with numbers, piasters. ducats or gelava - gold by any name, and has very little of the spirit of joyful living common amongst the elves of the forest. In this respect. she is not much different from the dwarves and humans encounteted by the former adventurers she ~rves, and so is acceptable to them where a proper elf would be easily offended by her attitude. In her own way she is as civilization-shocked as they are. Appc;l.rance: Daisy is a thin, pa.le elf, with rare grey colored hair. She wears a sour expression and clean, well-mended, dothing of the most starkly-plain cut imaginable. DMing Notes: Daisy is a useful contact for any elf needing to talk to the dwarves, as many of that race find her the most sensible and approachable elf in town. She is also a good place to stan when looking for a former adventurer elf. Combat Notes: E7; AC 8; hp 28; MY 120' (40'); IAT I; 0 1-4 (dagger); Save E7; ML9; ALN; S 11, 117. W 10. D D. Co 9, Ch 10. Abilities & SkiJJs: Bargaining (1). Accounting (1 + 3), Tracking (I). Treewalking (D). Lmguagcs: elf. dwarf, Alignment (N). Thyatian. ore, hobgoblin, gnoll. Daco*kin. Spells USU;l.}}y wried: Daisy specializes in perception spells such as ESP. know ;l.}ignmellt. and so forth for her work. Notes: Daisy has a scroll of protection from lycanthropes and a w;l.nd of paralyzarion ready for emergencies. The wand is like new, with n charges. PensoNalities Of Alfl)eiM Dominicus Greybeard P:mi:uch of the Church ofThy,uis History: Dominicus is a holy man known for wandering throughout the forest, making friends with the Treekeepers and lending his own magic to anything the elves might need it for. Personality: Dominicus has a friendliness tempered by his years of life as an adventurer and by the knowledge that he sh:ues this town with the likes of people such as Master Edrecon. He often puts a potentially friendly group of adventuren to some simple test of good works before opening up to them. Appearancc: Dominicus is tall, well muscled, and ba.lding. In the manner of his order. he wears his grey be:ud long while in town. but he cuts it short when he hits the adventuring trail. DMing Notes: Dominicus is a highlevel cleric (higher level that the authorities of Alfheim Town realize). willing to help a p:uty which has proven itself not to be evii. He knows much of elf lore , and can bring adventurers into contact with certain forest elves. especially Lynnwyl and Carlisan ofChossum. and Coolhands of the Long Runners. Comb2f Notes: C14; AC 911 (plate and shield and Dexterity bonus); hp 46; MV 120' (40'); IAT 1; D 2-7 (mace); Save C14; ML 10; AL L; S 14, I 13, W 16. 0 14, Co 1~, Ch 17. Abilities & Skills: Elven Lore (I), Church HiSlory (I), Knowledge of Thyatis Society (I), Knowledge of Thyatis Politics (I). Oratory (Ch), Persuasion (Ch), R;d;ng (D). Langu;l.ges: Thyatian, Alignment (t.wful), df. Spells Usually CMried: Dominicus uses mostly curative and protective spells. He commonly uses spctlk with Vlimals. but dislikes sped with dC;l.d. Nores: Dominicus has a ring of holincss. a ring of wishes (2 left), a potion of polymorph self, a broom of flying, and a scroll of pro(ecrion from lyc3.nthropes.

PensoNalities Of A1flJeiM Donath Erendyl King of Allbeim Hisrory: Ooriath has been King of Alfheim for about two centuries. Before that, he was an adviser to King Celedryl for another century. and spent two hundred years before that as an adventurer. Personality: The king is grave and solemn on the throne. He never makes a snap judgement and seems to have no particular prejudice against any race except goblins and trolls - and who can blame him? Off the throne, he is informal and relaxed with other adventurers, happy to trade stOries and lend assistance. Appearance: Ooriath is an averagesized elf, about 5'5 ff and 125 pounds. He is fair-skinned and. light haired and speaks Thyatian with a decided Ierendian accent ("like, y'know really"), a legacy of the years he spent there. DMing Notes: King Doriath is far more accessible to his people than most kings, another vestige of his adventuring career. PCS who have performed any service for Alfheim can get his ear anytime. They might also get recruited for special missions which the king feels the Council will either disapprove of or take forever to settle on. Combat Notes: EIO; AC -2; hp 56; MY 90' (30'); IIAT 2 (Attack Class 1); 0 5- 21 (sword + 3 and girdle of giant strength); Save £10 (automatic 1/2 damage from breath weapon); ML 10; AL L; S 14, I 15, W 16,0 16, Co 16, Ch 15. Abilities & Skills: Craft - Weaponsmith (1 + 1), Hiding (I), Persuasion (Ch + 1), Singing (Ch), Tracking (I), Treewalking (0), Languages: elf. are, gnoll, hobgoblin, Thyatian, Makai, Darokin. Spdls Usually Carried: Level I: fdlowship. Level II : detect danger ( x 2). Level III: dispel magic. Level IV: dimension door. Level V: neutralize poison. Notes: Ooriath has a sword + 3 and always wears his girdle of giant strength. On formal occasions and in battle he wears his plate maij + 2. Dorcan Finehammer Represcntan'vc of Clan wyrwarf of Rockhome. History: Dorran is an adventurer from the Syrklist clan of Rockhome. He met Balin Elf-Friend, the lcader of the Wyrwarf clan, while both were adventuring. & an adventurer, he had discovered some rede<=ming qualities in elf adventurers, and it was easy for him to fall in with Balin's scheme to set up commericial representation of Rockhome in Alfheim, despite the objections of other dwarven clans. Personality: Doccan is as much of a workaholic as any other dwarf, but he ~,~ -................................. - ............. ~. rather envies the clven ability to let a project ride for awhile - though he'd never consider following the example. He takes out his envy in making wisecracks about the laziness of his elven associates, an attitude which only amuses the elves. Appearance: Dorran is a normal-sized dwarf with pale skin and jet-black hair. He habitually wears the cha.i.nmail he wore as an adventurer. DMing Notes: Doccan is the dwarf to talk to about getting into Rockhome and where to go for the least xenophobic treatment. Combat Notes: D8; AC 2 (chain mail + 2); hp 52; MV 9"; 'AT 1; 0 3-10 (battleaxe and +2 from strength); Save 08; ML 9; Ai N; S 16. 1 13, W 12, D 12, Co 17, Ch 13. Abilities & Skills: Engineering (I), Mining (I), Knowledge of Alfheim (I). Smithcraft (I + 1), Gemcraft (1). Lwguages: dwarf, Darokin, kobold, Alignment (Neutral), gnome, goblin, df. Notes: Dorran has chain mail + 2, a dagger + 1, a ring of fire resistance, and dven boots (a gift he rarely wears). Draugin Smalihammer Craitmastcr of the Brendyl Gemcutters History: Draugin was a child prodigy some centuries back, and is still considered the finest hand with a gemstone in Alfheim. Some years back the other gemworkers in Alfheim (always a small and select fraternity) made him their craftmaster - the person they look to as the examplar of their work. Despite his mania for gems. Draugin has been active in the militia and in trade missions outside of Alfheim, and has a fair knowledge of the outside world. He has fought against a couple of the invasions of Alfheim, including the attempted Shadowclf invasion. Personality: Aside from his fascination with gemstones, there is little to differentiate Draugin from other craftsdves. He is normally merry and bright. but the appearance of a particularly inuicate piece of jewelry Ot a strangely cut gemstone will catch his attention immediately; he will (Continued on page JJ) \

~ ........ ,., .............................. , ...... ~ ... .. .............. . WlJat EVeRYONe KNOWS About AJfIJeiM CaveRN RUMORS fROM Otl}eR LaNOO-------------------- The People: "The elves of Alihcim are stuck.up folk who don'r have rhe time of day for anyone withour no pointy Qrs. They live in tteC$ and JUSt spend their whole time wandering around che forest pickin' flowers 'n stuff. "No one tries to invade Alfheim 'cause everydfisa lord 'n a wizard. Theycan'f be !xu in a fight, and thar's the trurh." The land: "Alfheim is all forest, dark and gloomy. There's no place to PUt a field ofbonest wheat. It wouldn't ripen anyway, it's always rainin'." Alfheim Town: "There's chis city smack dab in the center of the forest where the king lives. It's all built up in crus where no one but elves can go. The only folic who go (here a.re traders who want to buy elfscu(£." Other Towru: "Other towns? The elves don't live in no towns. They jus' keep Alfheim Town around for the traders." How to Get Rich and famow: "Go hunt monsters or come ba.ck wich the 5ccref of the dven swords and find OUt how they raise such smart holSC$." HO( Tips: "1lle a rain cape - it always ra.ins at night. Never ever rdWe a.n dven meV, but get Indy CO C2t r./W mC2t, bugs a.nd toOCJ." FROM CON veRsat ioNS witl] a vetE'RaN AOVE'NrUReR ------ The People: "Elves Ix: a preny closemouched folk MOUnd when it comes to their personal feelings. bur cher do love to ralk about anyrhing else though. "Never gee in a fight with an elf. They use both wea.pons and magic can fry you before you know what hit you. "My main problem with dves is they have no drive. Theyseem to think they have aIJ the time in the world. The land: "Alfheim is a magic place. wich dark forest surrounding sunny glades. The m:es atc gigantic and ehere arc all kinds of them there - something wiJj have froie or nuts every d2Y of the year." Alfhcim Town: "A1lhcim Town sits in the only unforested 2R'a. in Alfhcim. It's not f'Ca.lJy an dfeown, but it a.in 'r a human one. either - there's even orcs a.nd dwarfs wandcrin' atOUnd, if you believe if. "Alfhcim town is where you go if you're not an df and you're loolring for work." Other Thwns: "What other towns? Demae and Shidduee are worth visiting. bUl that's aboul it." How (0 Get Rich and Famous: "Never uy co get f2[flous by swindling an elf. If chey ca.tc:h you, you've got a couple minuees to be emblut2SSed 2fore yer de#.d. "The best way is co do a favor for one of the clans. They always got jobs they don't want co get dirty doing. That's what "short-livers" arc for, so they $2y. Kill a couple big ugly cn'trers fo{ 'em and you're a pal fer life." Hot: Tips: "Lessee ... uh .. . always remanber that these folk all be a lot older than you and a lot of them have never been oura the forest ... bUI a bunch have, and they know more about the world than you 'n me ever will have rime to learn. "And, oh yeah ... never hurry an elf. Just makes rhem sure char wharever you want is too uh, 'femeral ... yeah chat's che word, tOO 'femeral to be worth worryin' about. "Yup, make a good repuration with che dves and you'lJ gef lots to do." As 'ColO by aN Elf AOVE'NrURE'R-- The People: "The folk of Alfheim are generally set in chcir ways. )bu will ncvcr meet such grear hunters and canny c:nfumen. bur they ha.ve no love of real advenrure. You will find rhal I a.m not very rypical of my people." The land: "The land of Al/heim is gorgeous - full of dm mysterious shadows, deep-blue la.kes, brilli2nrly sun-lit ghdes, and majcscic trees, UnforrullSl.rdy. ie rends to have 2 general S2lDClICSS a.bour it. Somc:one unfamiliar with the forest CUI become iosf quirt: C2Si1y.

WlJat EvenyoNe KNOWS About Alf lJeiM "After a hundIed yeats or so, i/O advenwrO~$ soul like mine cr.aves something different ~ mountains, cities, oceans - but most of my folk are content with that awesome, if monotonous, forest." Al£heim Town: "Ths/y, Alfheim Town is .a good place to go if you do not belong to the forest. There you am meet people who call do you the most good." Other Towns: "In II sense, a humlilfl sense rh;l[ is, there are no other towns in Alfheim. Still, the elm centers have some of the stability and population that humaos expect in a town. In panicul;u Desnat: of the Chossum clan and Shiddrree of the Red Arrows somewh2t ~mble towns. "If you wish employment by dves, Desn:.u: is best place. It is:illo the best ph.ce ro sell to dves. If you wish to cmp/oy dves and do nor wish to go through the Factors of Alfheim Town , go to ElJeromyr for cnJismen, Ainsun for foreseers, Mealidor for lellming (though you mlly hllve little luck emering their library), Uld Shiddtree for warriors." How to Get Rich and Famous: "You CUl bring honotllnd wn/lth to yourclUl by llullching yoursdf to rhe gutudiUls of rhe bad magic areas, though the creatures you must battle may be your death." Hot Tips: "Beware of pale dves with whire hair; they mean only ill to Alfheim Uld no good ro you, whatever their promises. "You will find the best wdcome UIlong the Chossums and Erendyls. Eeadids Uld Long Runners will likdy snub you, and the other clans will have mixed reactions." As roll) by a DwaRf Al)veNtuReR-------- The People: "The dves tue great craftsmen, even if they do work on learher and wood. They arc entirdy too flighty, though. Never stick to a ptoj«t for long - always dropping it Uld not coming back for years. "Elven soldiers arc tOO fond ofche bow for my raste. You lose the proper fighting edge if you hold your enemy a bowshot away. Sharp axes arc the beSt; that way you know who your foe is and you put yoursdfin the same danger. Makes you fed alive." The Land: "Alfheim has too many trees and nor enough rocks, [00 many shadows and nor enough darkness, tOO many animals and not enough d\V2lVes." Alfhcim Town: "Alfheim Town is all righr enough as sleepy b2ekwoorls villages go. There's not enough action there ror a re:d town." Other Towns: "Aliheim has no other towns, unless you call a bunch of tree-houses balanced in branches for any wind to knock over a town. Hetud they gOt a nice wall at Shiddrree though." How to Get Rich and Famous: "You can get rich by stealing clven crafts wd selling them in Ylaruam wd Ethengar. "lliu cw get f.unow by killing some monsters that come out of their woods. "lliu can get dnld either way, real quick." Hot Tips: "Don 'r go to Alfheim; rhe mining is lousy." COURtesy 'Clps fOR StRaNGeRS to AIFI]eIM --- --- --- A Kanme1kos m erchant briefing his newlyarrived apprentice on the e ve of his first rnd- ..... . '.j.;, ing journey into the forest: "When we meet with dves, they offet us the hospitaliry of rhe forest. Eat the nuts and drink the water they offer. The water is far clCilner than that in Spccularum, [assure you. It's part of rhe enchanrmenr of the forest. "[fwe arc invited to car, be prepared for a long night. They will celebrate rheir successful hunt unril dawn. "The elves are sophisticated in their own way. If we mere humans wish to use utensils to Cilt with. they do not despise us. Ho~er, eating one's food as raw as possible with nothing bur your hands and bdt knife impresses them. "While we arc talking to the dves, never mention our w;ucs. [ have :uranged them so they arc prominent on the pack horses - thar is enough. Elves do not really understand the concept of a price for goods. They realize that you have some things that interes.t rhem, and they have some things thar interesr you. As a favor, they mighr want to trade some of these items with you. "But never try to drive a bargllin unless they start the process. A.t all times it is simply a tnde among friends. Even if they have nothing but money (and money is the last thing they wiIJ offer), they will insisr thar you are doing them a favor by taking the htud stuff our of their pouches while they do you the favor of relieving your pack horse of irs load. "Remember, elves both disdain and distlUSt humans. Most are highly tolerant of our behavior as long as we do not do anything to rhreaten chem. They arc usuaIJy fairminded and will nor consider you a threat unleS$ you have proved yourself one." .,,'" TSR, I~. All Righ" R'H"od r ~ _ .............................................. """"-, - ~-ww~ ~Ii ~~~~~ ~~~ "",,iliI~WWgilggggililgililililIiWW>lc:Jj!C",C,c,c,c,c,c,c,-,------_-----,c,c---,-----'@ . . ~ ~ .'................... .... .... -.-. : ,,-

CReatiNG aNb PlayiNG aN Elf ClJaRacteR s.>GiNNiNG GuibEliNes -- First, let's go over what we already know from the D&oe rukbooks and see what i5 also added in this book. Physical Description: Elves are slender and graceful. They stand between ~ and )112 feet tall and weigh around 120 pounds. They have dcliouc fc2tures and pointed ears. The dves of Alfheim are genen1ly fair-skinned and fairhaired; they Clln lightly and nevcr sunburn. Minimum Scores and Experience Bonuses: An elf character must hllve a minimum Intelligence score of 9. If both his Strength and Intc:lligcnce are 13 or morc , he gains an Experience bonus of)%. If his Intelligence is 16 or more, and his Strength is 13 or more, his Experience Bonus is 10% . Hit Dice: Elf rut points arc determined on one six-sided dice for each level, with the normal additions for high Constitution. Ninth levc:l is the last onc in which an elf gains a hit dice. From there on he gains 2 points per level with no Consutuuon bonus. Normally, elves tOP OUt at lOth level. However, with special training under humans they can extend their fighting ability (though not their hit dice) to match that of high level hu· m"". Similarly, elves who study with the Ttcekeepen of Alfheim can increase their command of magic, though the spells accessi· ble to them arc not the same as those of human magic-users (See "Elven Secrets" section). In panicular, killing spells (c/e2rh, duinregrare, power words, erc.) are not availa· ble to elves. Speci.a1 Abilities: Besides their ability to operate as both fighten and magic-users at the same time, elves have narural infravuion with a range of 60' in the dark. Also, they cannot be paralyzed by ghouls and naturally learn three languages of their greatest enemies, gnolls, orcs, and hobgoblins. h is Hid that these aces stole their language from the elves, and this is why the elves can speak. with them so well. The fLOai special ability of the elf is the keen vision to spot hidden doors and other objects. Whenever an elf is trying to fLOd something, the DM will toll Id6 and allow the elf to find the object (assuming the elf is looking in the tight area) on a roll of 1 or 2. Note that this applies to any elf search for anything, not just a hidden door. HOW to ROll Up aN Elf-- The basics of rolling up an elf character are the same as for any character. Roll the dice. If the chaf2Cter isn't sman enough to be an elf (an elf must have a minimum Intelligence of 9) roll again until you get a smaner one. Once you have your elf rolled up, there arc: three more steps to creating a good df charac1er. The Three Steps 1. Select a name. 2. Select adan. } . Select a personalily quirk. NaMes --------- Research liu:ratufC for elven names. They come in £wo main rraditions, and both are represented here. One is the euphonius tradition of names that sound son of Cdtic Ot Norse (the main sources for e1ven nories, utet all). Many havt been used in this book and others wherein elves have llppeared. The following are some examples llnd where they appeared: Lculyl Fndiel, Vwar feuliel, Dylen Feadid, Tuladin feadiel, FClldris FClldid. Fillindyl fClldicl, Qllntit feadid, Myris Feadid (CM7, The Tree ofLife); Prestde Callarii, Shalander, Thalatic, Allandaros, Sythllndria, and Stellara (The Grand Duchy of Kar:a.meikos Guttteer); Esmeralda Er.:wan, Carlotinll EreWll.D, Eleesa Erewan, Norelill Erewlln, Bethys Erewllll, QenildorErewlln, Thenedain Eccwlln, Unedy. tin Ercwan, Galladin Erendyl (The Principalities of Gianni Ga:r.eueer); Quillan Elm-Grower (CMI, Tesr of the W.ulords); Enoreth, Miridor eX 11, Saga of the Shadow Lord); Delsel Outree (M2. Vengeance of Alphllks); Goriidel Vyalia (BI0, Night 'l Dark Terror); and KaVVll. Lindendm llnd Clanmu· tet Uueflower (M), Tlllo05 of Night). There are also the Spanish names affect.:d by the elves of the Belcadiz clan in Glantri. but the Belcadiz are not Alfheim elVC5, llnd their naming tradiuons have other roots. Many of the above characten forego clan names in their adventures outside Alfheim or Glantri. Either elves arc rare enough thllt there is no need for funhet identification than , for instance. Durfendor the Elf; or thtre is only one clan present, such as the Calarii of Karameikos, $0 any elf encountered is likely to be of that clan , In areas like Glantri and AIfheim, where more than one clan is present, dan names become imponant. The other is the tradition thll( is mirrored in some of the llbove names as well. thllt ofnUDing dves fot some aspect of their 2CUOns or ap· pearance or previous history. The basic concept is that the df has II true name that no one knows, and a use name ba.sed on some as· pect of his personality or personal history. There is a magiclli reason for having a true name and II use name, which the OM can ex· plain to you. ClaNS - - ------- While picking II name, you should lliso hllve an eye on which clan you wish your character to be from. five of theclans use the euphonius style of name. However, the Long Runne" llnd Red Arrows hllve usc·names for dlly.to. day activity. ChO$S\lm: This is the most mercanule of the dven clans. Characters who are likely to want to work with buying llnd selling goods gener· ally come from this dan. The dan is very progressive and interested in COnt2Ct with the other nuions of the world. &codyl: This is the llnisanclan - a piece of clothing or ornamentllUOn from the Erend)'1s is wonh more thlln II similar piece from an· other dan. Chllf2Cters who are ctW oriented should come from this dan (the cllln of the current king). Feadicl: These ltCe elven over-2Chieve($. They abandoned their previous homeland, the Sylvan Realm, when it was being invaded, and tend to over-react to prove their bravery. A disproponionate number of e1ven wanderers come from this dan whose Trttkccpers are considered the beSt in Alfheim. GruoaJf: While all Alfheim elves are foresten, this clan is the gfClltest of the forester clans - the finest trackers and hunters come from this dan. Long Runner: This is one of the most isolationist of the clans. It is also one of the best nurturers of magic in the nuion. Th.: 1kckeepers of the Long Runnen arc the best wizards in Alfh.:im. irrespective of their profi· ciencies as Trttkeepcts. Mealidil: The clan of Mealidil is steeped in the past of Alfheim. Their progenitor brought the elves to Alfheim, and they warl( to keep the world JUSt as it was in his dllY. They have the finest library in Alfhelln, and probably the finest on the continent although they are disinclined to allow usc by non-elves. Rt:d Arrow: The Red Arrows arc the finest warriors in Alfheim. Combat oriented elves are probably Red Arrows, Neanby NON-A/flJeiM C/aNS-- Bdadiz: The.K dves arc not from Ailheim, but are very prominent in nearby Glanrri.

• ) """, .. "., I ......... , ...... "., ........... . en"atiNG aNIl PlayiNG aN Elf Cl)anact"R They have names and mannerisms with a Sp~ish flavor. They arc fiery, proud, and con· tenuous. . Callarii: This is one of the "lost tribes" of Mealidcn's migration who stopped and stayed in what is now Kal'aIllcikos. Individuals of the clan have interests simil:u that of any of the Alfhcim dans. p"RSONality QUiRI<s --- When playing an elf character, the player should realize that he is dealing with a noohuman personality. There arc several facets of this person:.llity that a rolc player cm turn into a memorable character. The common picture of an elf is a lazy, happy-go-lucky son with no goal other than having a good time. "Merry elves" is a st:.l.nd· aId description 211 over the continent. There arc rc::asoru for this perception of elves. Here 2ce tips.on how to justify this behavior in a member of a scrious adventuring party or how TO justify breaking the elven mold with a charaaer who doesn't meet every adversity with a snappy remark. First, This is a pc!rson who, with a little caution, am live 800 years. This fan (Quid play out in a number of different possible ways. Normally, an elf is cautious. With 800 or more years ahead of him, he does not want to risk a shortened life on a too-chancy maneuver. Elves tend TO be conservative and weigh all possibilities before acting. However, longevity can have an entirely opposite reaction, especially TO the elf who chooses the adventurers' path. The character might be reckless - already tired of his overlong life and trying anything to break the boreddm. What matter if his life is cut shon, as long as he has UVED. The other major quirk resulting from the elven lifespan is a definite manana ("tomorrow") attitude. An elf knows that he has lots CLAN ARROWS ~ .... '" CLA.N FEADIL CLAN LON(jRUNNERS of time to do something. Therefore, he frequently pUts off tiresome chores or doesn't take the timing of activities as seriously as do his non-elf companions. Again, a PC elf might have c-xact..ly the opposite motivation. Disgusted by the: b.ziness of his e1ven brothers, an adventurer elf might look for dflCiency and timeliness in everything. A favorite line might be, "La's hurry this up. You're nor going to live forever, you know." Second, the elf grows up with magic all around him. He has a natural affinity for magic that is the envy of any human magician: yet the elf often takes it for grmtcd, as something as natural as breathing or wa.llcing. A player character elf might flaunt his magical ability at every opportuniry, ignore it as something he only thinks of at odd moments or when reminded, or self-consciously downplay his ability 50 as not to offend and cause jealousy among his human magic-user compatriots. Of course, when the elf who doesn't study with the Treekeepc!rs runs into his natural block against learning more than fifth level spc!lIs, he frequently flaunts his fighting abilities as a t2.Unt TO the physically more limited hum2.n m2.ge. Third, an elf is very concerned with m2.tters of clan. No m2.tter how 2.dventurous an elf may be, no m2.tter how much he may enjoy the company of non-elves, his d2.n is still very impon2.nt to him. Adventurer elves often "2.dopt" an adventuring band as their c12n. This means that they tre2.t their comrades as clan members, even to the extent of forcing a camaraderie that doesn't exist among 2. ch2.nce-met collection of 2.dventurers. Not 2.11 elves are so fervently pro-clan, of course. Like any intelligent being, an elf is Cll.- pable of throwing off a cultural holdover. In faa, this is especially the case with adventurer elves, who are escaping the way of the Forest P2.th, and may see any other aspect of their .. ' .. ~ CLAN ERENDYL <€'====~o ~~li3o~ , ~ CLAN (jRUNA.LF ~e"oo ft - CLAN RED ARROW culture as stultifying, too. Such elves, usually considered to be Chaotic, make it a point [0 treat fellow adventurers like the clansfolk they abhor. An elf who setS OUt to defy normal clan ties through his actions with his fellow adventurers is a ~al danger, as he feels no remoISC in betraying or abandoning them. Fourth, elves have funny ideas about property. An elf usually wants to split up 2.ny loot immedi2.teiy, so he can go and use the money to buy gifts for himself or for a friend. Saving money is like owning land - a foreign concept. This doesn't mean th2.t an elf would not b«:ome a miser: he would just be se:en as an untypical elf by other elves, perceptive hum2.ns and other demi-humans. A dwarf might think he's finally found an elf who realizes what's important. Wl)at is Exp"ct"ll Of Elv"N Allv"NtUR"RS by tl)" POW"RS Of Alfl)eiM ---- While most elves stay 2.t home in the forest, adventurers are seen as throwbacks [0 the d2.Ys when Elves wandered the world freely. Called W2.nderers, they are said to be following the Wandering Piilth. Traditionally, elf adventurers have the drive needed to become powers in the forest and former adventurers, the best chance to be King. Knowing that these Adventurers can be the last defense: of their !and, Alfheim encourages the young elves to go out and gain experience and come back as st2.lwan defenders of the home forest. This has the reverse oblig2.tion on the young elves to come b2.ck. The true goal of any elf should be to either come back to Alfheim and build his own stronghold to aid his clan, or to build a Stronghold in some other land and expand the holdings and prestige of the d2.n. ~ Me " ~ _ . _ "' _ CLAN CHOSSUM I" CLAN MEALIDIL -,~""""""""""""""""""""""'" . . ............................ , ... ,. , .............. . '.1 .

(ENG) D&D - Gazetteer - GAZ5 - The Elves of Alfheim - Flip eBook Pages 1-50 (2024)