Like all members of the seven races, the elves harken back to the second age, when the gods of other planes walked Gandel and warred with the Fristuul. The most popular creation account as recorded by numerous visions inspired by priests of the twins follows in an abbreviated form (a full account of any version would likely fill a small volume).
In the beginning, the members of the Seldarine wandered the world, looking upon its vastness in wonder. Many creatures and abominations also walked the world, and the Seldarine, individually and as a whole, had not yet decided what path they would take to enrich the world, though they were of a mind to do so. And it came to pass one day that Corellon and Gruumsh were walking the world, debating (many accounts say arguing) over how best to enrich the lands they travelled, when they became aware of Lolth the spider goddess, attempting to raise an abomination. With her was Erevan, god of mischief (and some say paramour), directing her efforts. The brothers had often warred with the goddess, and sensed she was seeking another ally in her long standing feud. But the goddess was aware of their presence and assumed the form of a spider, drawing up to enormous height and engaging them in battle from which she did not withdraw, as was her wont, but pressed the brothers terribly with her fell magics. Other members of the Seldarine drew near, attracted as they always are when they sense a time of cooperation is nigh. They did not partake in the battle, but instead focused their attention on the lake where Lolth was found. There, rising from the depths, came forth the abomination freed by Lolth. While Corellon and Gruumsh fought with Lolth, the other members of the Seldarine engaged the beast. For time unknown, the battle was at a standstill, for Lolth was enhanced by the abomination, allowing her to stand fast against the brothers while simultaneously the beast, enhanced by Lolth, pressed hard the other members of the Seldarine. All that is, except for Erevan who stood aside and watched, perhaps with some amusement, the results of his machinations. At the last, all looked lost as Lolth and the beast began to gain the upper hand in the battle, until the unpredictable Erevan joined Corellon and Gruumsh by jumping upon Lolth and distracting her while the brothers both coordinated blows. Shaken, Lolth paniced and flew in retreat, abandoning her support of the abomination who, without support, was bested and imprisoned by the remainder of the Seldarine.
With the battle won, the Seldarine gathered about the elder bothers to celebrate, but stopped in further wonder at the blood shed in the battle with Lolth. For lo! All the blood shed had formed bodies, clustered upon the world, and the Seldarine did wander about and stare at the wonder of the brother's blood. Then Corellon stepped forth and bade the blood bodies awake, and the bodies rose up and stared in wonder at the Seldarine. And each group that was near a member of the Seldarine adopted them as their patron. All except the twins, who were standing apart from all when the blood awoke, took their adopted childer and bade the twins to grant long life and spirit. All, except Gruumsh, who took his kind in jealousy and left the Seldarine.
Notes: In many versions of the creation myth, both the drow and twilight elves took Corellon as their patron. But the drow, carrying the taint of poison from Lolth's wound, later abandoned him and took Lolth as their true patron. In just as many versions, the drow are not mentioned, and in still others they fell from Lolth when she returned to her lair and shook Corellon's blood from herself (a popular version amongst drow).
In some versions, orcs rose from Corellon's blood, just as elves did, and they were simply the cluster standing near Gruumsh when they awoke, and Gruumsh took them in jealousy because his blood did not form bodies like his brother's. Other versions depict orcs coming from Gruumsh's blood, and he spirited them away for fear that other members of the Seldarine would "take" them as he perceived happening with his brother's blood creations. Either way, it is notable that the creation account is the only elven myth which portrays Gruumsh as a member of the Seldarine, and after (most likely because of his coveting the orcs) as a defector and opponent.
Towards the end of the second age, the elves lived in a paradise fostered and protected by the Seldarine pantheon; of all the races they could be said to have achieved the closest to satisfaction in that age. The Seldarine had carved out a section of Gandel that they managed to keep free from the strife of the other gods and fristuul battles. Once the formation of the pact robbed the elves of their protectors, their paradise quickly shattered and it can be seen that the elves had become very dependent on the Seldarine for their livelihood. During most of the third age, the elves wandered about, never settling in a place and always quick to abandon when threatened. This worked in the elves favor during the dragon dominion. Unlike the other races, the elves never suffered losses from defending their homes from dragon incursions. However, it hampered their ability to form a structured society and left them vulnerable to Elohym slavery.
During the reign of the Elohym, virtually all elves existed as slaves. Their favored status is apparent in the literature that survives from the time. One Elohym king was reputed to own thousands of elven slaves, and some laws indicate that mistreatment of elves (as opposed to other slave races) was severely punished. Because of their sheltering by the Elohym, elves began to multiply in great quantities and thrive. In many ways, this was the undoing of the Elohym, for towards the end of that age, the Elohym became increasingly cognizant of their slave races abilities and potential status as equals--particularly elves who had managed to mimic the Elohym language (after a fashion) and some even displayed a disposition for magic. This led to a schism in Elohym society over the status and future of slaves, and eventually to a bloody civil war. Because elves enjoyed a favored status as slaves, they rarely participated in the fighting (unlike other races, which suffered heavily during the civil war) and towards the end of the war they had sufficient numbers to rise up and mount a successful slave revolt, which is regarded as one of the three key events leading to the fall and extinction of the Elohym (the civil war, and the outbreak of the Elohym wasting disease being the other two).
With the Elohym nation overthrown, the elves turned to building their own societies for the first time. Each of the different races began to carve out domains for themselves, modelling their society after the Elohym with one important difference--no slaves (an attitude which remains strong today among all the elven races, except the drow). Because of their superiority in numbers, the elves easily managed to fend off other races and keep them controlled, ensuring that they never grew powerful enough to threaten the elven nations, with one exception. Dwarves early on proved to be strong allies, and lovers of terrain that other elves tended to avoid. Because the two races never seemed to compete for the same space, and pursued differing agendas, they formed an unusual symbiosis that propelled each of their nations to great achievements.
Around the middle of the age was when the first disaster struck. A fristuul arose within the Istaak realm, decimating that race. The disaster was more than just the loss of a powerful nation, but a potent forshadowing of later disasters. The Elohym were well versed in fristuul lore, and for the most part insulated the other races from them during their dominion. With the Elohym gone, and their lore unexplored or misunderstood, the elves were hard pressed to deal with the first age threats. Other, less powerful fristuul began to appear, and the elves devoted vast resources to understanding and dealing with them. Still, the fristuul only served to weaken the elven nations, and not destroy them. That came from another threat unforseen by the nations worrying about fristuul appearances.
Senseing that their other bretheren, and the dwarves, had been weakened by fristuul attacks, the Drow (who, living sheltered beneath the earth, had avoided suffering any losses against fristuul risings) chose to mount a war to conquer the other elven nations and subjugate the dwarves. The war was devastating, costing the elves, including the drow, great numbers and depleting the dwarven resources and holdings. The war was fought to a literal standstill, with neither the dark elves, nor the alliance against them, able to gain ground upon the other. In the end, it only served to weaken the nations and make them vulnerable to the next fristuul loosed by the dwarves.
The rise of Thaural was as swift as it was terrible. Already depleted by years of warfare, the elven and dwarven nations were, one by one, engulfed by the horde which Thaural was able to muster and made slaves to the fristuul's whims. The drow held out longest, but were the last of the elven nations to fall to the raging fire lord. It fell to the other races of Gandel to mount the offensive against the fristuul (notably the humans and goblins). During Thaural's reign, most elven accomplishments were destroyed and the elves once again found themselves slaves and relegated to the sidelines, with their slave revolt at the end of the age barely worth a mention in the histories of the final war against the fristuul.
After the defeat of Thaural, humans began to multiply and create nations, while the elves took to wandering and lamenting the loss of their once great kingdoms. While the drow returned to their ruined underground and managed to rebuild a fraction of their former glory, the other races seemed barely interested in rebuilding vast nations, and so only small city-states ever developed, and none seemed lasting. The only highlight of elven participatioin in the next two ages was their mustering forces to aid the defeat of Thaural when he was raised again by the foolish human nation of Milan. Sadly, much of their resources were lost during that fight, and it only served to reinforce the decline of the elves.
The cataclysm is perhaps the best thing to have happened to elves since the fall of Elohym society. With the new face of Gandel, the elves have taken to the challenge of exploring the world anew. Once again they have started to claim vast areas and conceive of themselves as rulers of nations.
It is a well-known saying amongst sages that elves are the tenders of life on Gandel and should they become extinct, Gandel shall surely perish. Certainly, no one can deny that the elves have done more than any other race to heal the wounds left by the cataclysm, and some are still alive who remember it. Elves are universally conscientious about nature and the environment and habitat they inhabit. They are curious creatures by nature, and also much enamored of magic (which they often treat as a mystery to explore, rather than a path to power as many humans do).
One of the hallmarks of elves and their society (as perceived by non-elves) is the apparent debauchery observed within their communities. They seem to have a limitless amount of energy for procreative purposes, which stems in part from their biological makeup. Elves (but not orcs) have a low birth and fertility rate. Given the longevity of elves, this is rather a good thing, as too high a birth rate would cause the world to become overrun by elves, but it means that either pinpoint precision is required when parents are attempting to conceive or take the route that the Elohym "evolution" decreed and make sure that whenever conception was possible most likely the elf would be engaged in activities to take full advantage. Elven promiscuity is well deserved, but it is nowhere near as rampant (or free) as other cultures perceive it. The elven mindset towards such things is, however, loose by any other culture's standards. Just as many children are born out of wedlock than in, and unlike other races the elves attach no particular stigma to such. Elves consider marriage a bond of love, and not an institution through which to rear children. It is a common practice among elven women to give a newborn away to another wishing to raise it (childrearing is an honored profession among elves).
Another telling indicator of the difference in elven mindset is their universal acceptance of women. There are no "traditional" gender-based roles in any community; any position has an equal chance of being filled by a woman as opposed to a man, including child rearing.
All elves possess the following racial abilities:
All half-elves posses the following racial abilities:
The description of the various sub-races includes a list of special abilities possessed by the race, or half-elves from that race.
Twilight elves (or true elves, as they often refer to themselves), are generally nomadic wanderers though in the current age they have once again taken to building a large nation. They consider all of Gandel their territory, and often act as stewards of the larger picture with an eye towards global concerns. This tends to cause strife with other, more short-sighted (by Færie standards) races--including other elvenkind. They tend to be very worldly, having knowledge of things on Gandel that other elves often lack. Their reputation of wizardry is justly deserved. They will often be found in other elven communities lending advice, or even a helping hand, when things warrant (in their opinion).
Færie are the tallest of the elves, being in stature an average of 4'8". Hair tends to be silver-hued with blue or sometimes copper tones; blond hair is rare. Eye color tends to be amber or blue. Skin color tends towards light beige.
Faerie have the following racial abilities in addition to the standard elven abilities :
Faerie half-elves have the following racial abilities in addition to the standard half-elven abilities :
The cloud elves gained their nickname from the days before Milan, when their realm existed in a pocket dimension whose entrance floated about Gandel inside a cloud. Most of the race sacrificed themselves to banish a Fristuul creature kept prisoner in their realm. [Note: Elven loremasters claim the Fristuul held prisoner in the cloud elf realm was the very same abomination appearing in their creation myth.] Shortly befor the cataclysm, however, a small surviving community was discovered. After the cataclysm, their realm became part of what is now known as the Void Islands Chain, a long stretch of islands suspended in the void and traversible in special craft that the Istaak kept knowledge of from their days inhabiting the old realm. In the years that have followed, they have grown significantly in number.
Istaak are generally slimmer than other elves, weighing in at an average of 95 pounds. Average height is 4'6". Hair tends to be white, often with silver or blond tones; blond hair is rare. Eye color tends to be green, bright green, bright blue. Skin color tends towards light beige.
Istaak have the following racial abilities in addition to the standard elven abilities :
Istaak half-elves have the following racial abilites in addition to the standard half-elven abilities :
If it were not for the Drow, it is likely that the Valley elves would become the scourge of elven society. It is not because of their disposition, but more because of their lack of one. Of all the elves, they are the most chaotic; in the eyes of the Twilight elves they are no more elves than orcs are. They tend to have the most frequent (and memorable) encounters with human races, and are responsible for many bad feelings some societies bear towards elves. Much of this stems from their patronage of Erevan , elven god of mischief (or, as they like to say, practical jokes). As a side note, they get along famously with Gnomes.
Istræ are the shortest of the elves, being in stature an average of 4'3". Hair tends to be silver-hued with blonde or gold copper tones; blond hair is common. Eye color tends to be dark yellow or brown. Skin color tends towards yellowish-beige.
Valley elves have the following abilities in addition to the standard elven abilities :
Half-elves of this type have the following abilities in addition to the standard half-elven abilities :
As wood elves take to the forests, the Sindaræ take to the sea. They are mariners extraordinaire and always seem drawn to the sea with a longing bordering on psychosis. While they are also known as good forresters, their gardening activities are always done with a mind to keeping wood on hand for shipbuilding. The known Sindaræ kingdoms often maintain a sailing rivalry with one another and are mindful of keeping an eye on what new ship innovations the others have designed. [This is in stark contrast to the various wood elf nations, which couldn't care less what the rest of elfdom, especially other wood elves, is doing.]
Sindaræ are average for elves, being in stature an average of 4'5". Hair tends to be gold-hued with blue or sometimes copper tones; blond and red hair is rare. Eye color tends to be amber or green. Skin color tends towards dark beige.
Sindaræ have the following racial abilities in addition to the standard elven abilities :
Sindaræ half-elves have the following racial abilites in addition to the standard half-elven abilities :
Sylvæ tend to be xenophobic, shunning contact with other non-sylvan races (and sometimes they shun contact with sylvan races). They are the undisputed masters of the forest, and anywhere they live, the forest will thrive. A good description of the wood folk can be found in the Complete Book of Elves or in the Player's Option™: Skills and Powers.
Sylvæ are slightly shorter than other elves, being in stature an average of 4'4". Hair tends to be silver- or gold-hued with green or sometimes brown tones; red hair is uncommon. Eye color tends to be brown, dark brown, or rarely leaf green. Skin color tends towards pale brown.
Sylvæ have the following racial abilities in addition to the standard elven abilities :
Sylvæ half-elves have the following racial abilities in addition to the standard half-elven abilities :
Snow elves are, by elven standards, a very hardy bunch. They brave some of the most inhospitable frozen wastes to tend the flora and fauna that thrives under their care. Despite their reputation for xenophobia, they are not so different in temperment from their Sea elf cousins, and are much more open than Wood elves. They also lack the competition with other races for living space, which gives them the advantage necessary for surviving the frozen climes that they inhabit.
Vindiel stand an average of 4'5" in height. Hair tends to be black- or brown-hued with blonde or gray tones; white hair is rare. Eye color tends to be various shades of brown. Skin color tends towards olive.
Snow elves have the following abilities in addition to the standard elven abilities :
Half-elves of this type have the following abilities in addition to the standard half-elven abilities :
The Avariel, also known as Winged Elves, are fully described in the Complete Book of Elves. In Gandel, they are reclusive, but friendly to non-hostile strangers (unlike their Wood elf cousins). They are great lovers of mountains.
As is obvious, Avariel are different from other elves, but not just for their wings. They lack inter-fertility with the other races and humans. It is believed, though no texts exist for support, that the Avariel are the result of ancient Elohym machinations much the same way many of the goblinoid races came about through Elohym experimentation.
Avariel have the following abilities in addition to the standard elven abilities :
The true anomoly of the elvenkind, drow are as inherently evil as the remainder of their kin are good. However, despite the difference in outlook, they are as much masters of their environment as the other elven races. It is not their fault that few other races find the underworld as fair (and compared to most other underground races, drow communities are sheer works of emvironmental art). This is due in large part to the influence of Rillifane, who still retains a large following of Drow.
Drow stand an average of 4'7" in height. Hair tends to be black-hued with silver or rarely reddish tones. Eye color tends to be dark brown, dark blue, or rarely dark green. Skin color tends towards charcoal.
Drow have the following abilities in addition to the standard elven abilities :
Half-elves of this type have the following abilities in addition to the standard half-elven abilities :
It should be noted, however briefly, that the Elohym of old considered Orcs to be an offshoot of the elven races (which never really sat too well with elves, even though one of their oldest fables links the Orcs into their mythology). None of the elven deities besides Gruumsh (including, oddly enough, Erevan) accept orcish worshippers. Even in the annals of fallen Slisprin, where Orcs are said to have lived relatively peacefully, they worshipped other gods. Because Orcs (and half-orcs) and their cultures comprise a volume of work by themselves, they are dealt with elsewhere.
While often dismissed as pure fantasy, not even worth the trouble of discussing, many of the elvenkind who survived the cataclysm remember fallen Slisprin, where it is said such creatures existed. While many theories abound concerning them, they were certainly either the result of unions between elves and Orcs or possibly the offspring of Half-elves and Half-orcs. It is conjectured that they were sterile (much in the way that mules, the offspring of horses and donkeys, are) and generally considered pariahs by other elves. Like Orcs, none of the elven gods, except Hanali and Gruumsh, would accept them as worshippers. They were slightly longer-lived than humans were (but not by much), and now are thought to be as extinct as Slisprin. [If, indeed, they ever existed at all.]
The Elven Pantheon is generically called the Seldarine, although the term is correctly applied only to those deities present at the creation myth (including Lolth, but excluding the abomination). In modern day usage, the Seldarine is used to mean those gods recognized and worshipped by the mainstream of elvenkind (excluding Drow ), which would include all gods listed herein, excepting Gruumsh and Lolth . This work takes the position that all gods listed herein are modern members of the pantheon, and so the term Seldarine will be applied to all recognized members of the pantheon, and exceptions to this usage will be noted where distinction is necessary.
As a general rule, the Seldarine is a perfect reflection of elven society. Each member of the pantheon (except Gruumsh and Lolth) goes their own way, seeking to enliven and enrich their realm. They do not compete with one another, and when two or more do meet they engage in cooperation to accomplish common goals, and with few exceptions are always ready to compromise in one area to advance in another. All the Seldarine can appear as male, female, both, or neither, and do so with random regularity. [It should be noted that Gruumsh and Lolth are capable of performing the sex-change bit as well, but it is rare in tales that they do so. Gruumsh prefers to always appear male, and Lolth prefers to appear female in the bulk of all myths.] Their lack of gender association is another indication of the odd society that Humans find difficult to fathom.
Notes on Religion Descriptions: Several deities in the Seldarine are recognized as the patron of a particular elven subrace, and such is noted where applicable. Many of the Seldarine share portfolios, often exemplifying constrasting yet overlapping aspects of the portfolio (such as Corellon's representing physical love in contrast to Hanali's emotional love). Only a few of the elven portfolios are represented by only one member. Generally, most of the pantheon have no following among the Drow, except where noted.
Dedicated to the Seldarine as a whole, rather than a specific deity, these clerics maintain a much broader perspective on religious doctrine than the servants of specific deities. They are not as common as general priests of other races, as elves prefer to dedicate themselves to a specific deity. They tend to have a more subordinate role in religious instruction, yielding to dedicated priests in matters of dogma or practice. However, because they have a more global perspective than the other priests, they are often involved in more functions, and can stand in for another priest should his deity remain underrepresented at an affair.
Symbol: Crescent moon with a multi-pointed star at the upper point.
Granted Abilities: Turn Undead, Swap Spells (cure)
Domains: Crafts, Flora (Sylvan), Health, Magic, Protection
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Symbol: Winged eagle, wings stretching into a triangular shape
Patronizes: Cloud (Istaak )
Favored Animal: Eagle
Portfolio: Air, Fauna (Winged Creatures), Protection, Weather
Granted Abilities : Turn Undead, Trade Spells (cure)
Description : Aerdrie is the mistress of the air and weather. Additionally, she protects the winged creatures and represents their interests within the Seldarine. She is also known as the subtle protectress, acting unseen through wits and subtlety to prevent violence and destruction. Her priests are generally responsible for providing favorable weather and actively promoting the defense of elven holdings.
While one would think the Avariel would be her chosen people, in typical incomprehensible elven fashion they follow Areinli and the Istaak are the lovers of heights and all animals of the air. [Note: elves don't understand why other races see this as an oddity.]
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral (tend towards Chaotic Good)
Symbol: Ice capped mountain
Patronizes: Avariel
Portfolio: Flora (Mountains), Mountains, Water (Springs, Waterfalls), Weather
Granted Abilities : Turn Undead, Swap Spells (cure)
Description: The mountain lord is mainly worshipped by Avariel , but other elven communities may have one or two clerics to him. He, like Emrel, is not listed among the original gods of the Seldarine in the creation myths so he may be a latecomer to the pantheon (though the faith has no official stance on this position). Unlike other members of the Seldarine, he is often depicted as uncooperative and very headstrong. He is seen as the giver of rain and water as well as the immovable force which holds back the flows of lava from the earth. His displeasure can be seen as the withholding of protection allowing the deadly lava flows to scourge the mountain slopes.
His priests are charged with promoting the interests of the mountains, especially the flora which grows there.
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Symbol: Staff entwined with a hermaphrodite
Portfolio: Death, Lustful Love (Sex)
Granted Abilities : Rebuke Undead, Swap Spells (inflict)
Description: While Corellon and Hanali represent positive aspects of fertility, Burrae represents the negative. He is predominately worshipped by Drow (who none-the-less view his cults with suspicion), but he does have (very) few cults among other elves. He alone among the Seldarine favors the undead, and while he has not been ostracised as Gruumsh has, the rest of the Seldarine do not often get along with him. There is a lot of strife between him and the twins, Labelas and Tanedar .
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Symbol: Quarter moon, with a star inset
Patronizes: Twilight (Færie )
Favored Weapon: Long Sword
Favored Animal: Cooshee
Portfolio: Combat (Melee), Journeys, Magic, Physical Love (Sex), Society
Granted Abilities: Turn Undead, Swap Spells (cure)
Description: Corellon is the leader of the Seldarine, in as much as they have or recognize one. He is always represented as the giver of form, having birthed the elven races from his blood and symbolizing fertility of the races. As such he is held as the elven ideal, and the Færie have adopted him as their patron. Correlon is the eternal wanderer, travelling the length and bredth of the realm seeking out mysteries (though not necessarily finding the answers). It is theorized that Corellon and his brother Gruumsh encompassed the dual nature of war, Corellon representing excellence in personal combat (or the ideal of the honorable fighter) while Gruumsh represents victory on the field (or winning the contest regardless of cost). With Gruumsh ostracised by the rest of the pantheon, Corellon has become the default war god even though his portfolio does not reflect this.
Priests devoted to him are generally concerned with the quality of elven life, and the continuance of elven ideals. They tend to advance elf-dom as a whole, and work towards ensuring harmony between the various elven races, except for Drow followers of Lolth which they will always attempt to slay on sight.
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Symbol: Curled Dolphin
Patronizes: Sea (Sindaræ )
Favored Animal : Dolphin
Portfolio: Fauna (Sea), Flora (Sea), Journeys, Society, Water (Sea, Turbulent Lakes and Rivers),
Granted Abilities : Turn Undead, Swap Spells (cure)
Description: Deep is the father of all sea life and lord of turbulent waters, especially the sea. He is unique among the Seldarine, in that he represents both flora and fauna aspects. He is credited with giving the gift of boats to theSindarae (though it is Rillifane who is the patron of their making).
Most of the faithful of Deep are sea worshipers, with few clerics promoting his interestes in turbulent lakes or rivers.
Alignment: Neutral Good
Symbol: Antlers on top of a multi-pointed star
Favored Animal: Antelope
Portfolio:Crafts (Leathercrafts, Weaving), Fauna (Woodland creatures), Magic, Protection
Granted Abilities : Turn Undead, Swap Spells (cure).
Description: Emrel is the spouse of Rillifane (sometimes protrayed as the sibling). She is not mentioned in the original list of gods in the creation myths, and it is generally acknowledged that she came into the Seldarine from "without" after the pact. Despite her exclusion from the original myths, she appears to be a well accepted member of the Seldarine (unlike Areinli, whose main following is almost exclusively Avariel) and cooperates often with endeavors. While she does not favor the Drow, she seems complacent about Rillifane's following among them (she is viewed as the temptress keeping Rillifane from abandoning the surface world by Drow faiths).
She is the master of the fauna of the wood, and counterpart to Rillifane’s flora. She also embodies crafts dependent on animals, such as leatherworking (hides) and weaving (hair). She is often portrayed as an enchantress who uses her vast magical powers to keep animals safe from evil. Her priests work to ensure that animals maintain their place in nature for the betterment of all.
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Symbol: An elven happy face.
Patronizes: Valley (Istrae )
Favored Animal: Elven cat
Portfolio: Journeys, Mischief, Protection
Granted Abilities : Trade Spells (cure), Trade Spells (inflict)
Description : None of the elven cults are as fervent as Erevan’s. His priests are devoted to having a good time, especially if that involves the spread of mirth and good cheer through good clean fun at the expense of someone else. Often, this takes the form of elaborate practical jokes (and with several centuries to build to a punch line, these jokes can become pretty elaborate). Erevan is also the patron of thieves, which at the very least is insight into elven mentality concerning theivery.
Erevan has a large following of Drow.
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Symbol: Crossed Spears
Patronizes: Orcs
Favored Weapon: Spears (Any)
Portfolio: Death, Journeys, War
Granted Abilities: Turn Undead, Swap Spells (inflict)
Description : Gruumsh was the father of battle and victory, or at least that was how he was portrayed in the ancient myths. Debate rages by elven theologians over the split between Gruumsh and the rest of the Seldarine, but clearly the rift involved the orcs. It is said that the elves were birthed from Corellon's blood, while orcs were birthed from Gruumsh's. It is clear that the Seldarine favored the elves, and Gruumsh may have left out of jealousy or rage. However, elven clerics of Gruumsh have advanced the idea that orcs were birthed from wounds poisoned by the monster fought by the Seldarine, much the way elves believe that the Drow were birthed from the blood poisoned by Lolth . When none of the other Seldarine came forward to teach the hideous orcs, Gruumsh took it upon himself and the Seldarine turned their backs upon him. Betrayed, Gruumsh left and gave the gift of war to orcs, consigning elves to lesser warfare.
During the previous age in the mythic kingdom of Slisprin, some elves returned to worship of this ostracised deity and a very few still continue the practice. His priests will tolerate orcs, but won't hesitate to show them their place if necessary--they consider Gruumsh the patron of expendable troops as far as orcs are concerned. They are viewed with a great deal of suspicion by other elves, though it cannot be denied that their help and limited influence aided Slisprin and in a few rare cases proved invaluable to elven campaigns. Clerics are charged with returning to the practice of war and they alone among all elves have returned to the very ancient practice of calling their god by the ancient form, Gruumsh Larethian.
Note: While Gruumsh is a greater power in the orcish pantheon, he remains a lesser power within the Seldarine.
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Symbol: Rainbow
Patronizes: Half-elves
Portfolio: Beauty, Protection, Romantic Love (Sex), Water (Still Lakes and Streams)
Granted Abilities : Swap Spells (cure), Charm/Fascination (simliar to suggestion spell). Can affect a number of hit dice equal to twice the priests level. At 5th level, can employ twice per day. At 9th level, can employ thrice per day.
Description: Hanali is the counterpart to Corellon, representing the emotional aspect of love and the protectress of marriage. She is a fertility goddess, and portrayed as the most beautiful of the Seldarine (however, her rivalry with Lolth over this is legendary, and the Drow faith dispute the most beautiful title). She is also known as the patron of still waters, in honor of her home which she makes about a magical pond fed by a spring (a gift, it is said, of Areinli ).
The followers of Hanali are charged with promoting love and harmony. They are also concerned with healing and defense of elven lands and strongholds, though she prefers to defend eleven lands through avoidance of conflict. Her priests maintain a network of information for spying purposes to facililtate the avoidance of confrontations--a much less active defense than other members of the Seldarine advocate.
All elven marriages are presided over by a priest of Hanali.
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Symbol: Twin moons, quarter and half, one laid over another (Quarter over half for Labelas, Half over Quarter for Tanedar)
Portfolio (Labelas/Tanedar): Health , Longevity/Afterlife, Prophecy, Time
Granted Abilities : Swap Spells (cure), Swap Spells (inflict)
Description : Labelas and Tanedar are always depicted as twins, and govern the life cycle of elvenkind. Labelas represents the longevity and death (or fading away, as elves refer to it) of elves, while Tanedar represents the afterlife and eventual rebirth. A priest will be devoted to one or the other, but the faiths are otherwise identical. The faiths often aid one another as a matter of general policy.
Priests are usually charged with promoting the devolopment of the elven spirit, and often devote themselves to medicine.
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Symbol: Ten-legged spider
Patronizes: Dark (Drow)
Favored Animal: Spider (Shadow)
Portfolio: Beauty, Crafts, Fauna (Underground), Poison, Society
Granted Abilites: Turn Undead, Swap Spells (cure)
Description: Lolth, as a deity, is viewed depending on your perspective. For most elves, she is the demon who tempted the Drow away from grace; she is the devil of the Seldarine (commonly referred to as the "mistress of spiders" and sometimes she is portrayed as a spider) and always works against their interests when she can. She resents incursions into her domains, especially Hanali, Emrel, and most especially Corellon. Drow, as can be expected, have a different perspective on their goddess. For them, Lolth is the savior that keeps the remainder of elfdom at bay, braving incursions by the surface gods who continuously attempt to put an end to Drow existence.
Alignment: Neutral
Symbol: Great oak tree.
Patronizes: Wood (Sylvæ )
Favored Animal: Bear
Portfolio: Crafts (Woodwoork), Flora (Forest, Underground), Health, Journeys, Protection
Granted Abilities : Turn Undead, Swap Spells (cure)
Description: Rillifane is the spouse of Emrel (somtimes protrayed as the sibling). He is the master of the wood, representing both the flora above ground and those which reach unto the deepest roots below ground. Unlike most of the Seldarine, he maintains a large following of Drow (second only to Lolth ).
Priests devoted to him concern themselves with the tending of land so that it will produce the best growth and harvest.
Alignment: Neutral Good
Symbol: Triple snowflake.
Patronizes: Snow (Vindiel )
Portfolio: Flora (tundra, glacial) , Winter
Granted Abilities : Turn Undead, Swap Spells (cure)
Description: Sarrous is represented in the myths as being born during the time of eden, before the pact but after elves were created. It is said that he was given the Vindiel to protect by Hanali, who wished to extend her influence instead to half-elves. While he is very fervent about his patronage of the Vindiel, he does so at the expense of other elves. He has even less of a following among other elves than Areinli does.
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Symbol: Long bow with arrow nocked and ready.
Portfolio: Combat (Archery), Hunting
Granted Abilities : Turn Undead, Swap Spells (cure)
Description: Solonar is the master of the hunt. He is seen in two lights--first, as the master archer, searching for the next menu item; second, as the tracker who seeks out the fleeing enemies of the elves. While Corellon tends to represent armed or close-combat, Solonar represents ranged combat. More often than not, he is seen as the friend of animals, never taking an animal's life unless it is necessary for survival.
See entry for Labelas Enoreth.
Alignment: Lawful Good
Symbol: Crossed short swords
Granted Abilities: Turn Undead, Swap Spells (Inflict)
Description: Another testament to odd elven ideals, Vorova is the taker of vengence and master of fire. However, he is not seen as the crusader or champion of justice, as one might expect, but rather as the thief who steals in to dole out swift rewards. As the sibling of Erevan, he is often patronized by thieves.
AirDeities with this portfolio hold sway over the air and creatures from the elemental plane of air. This aspect usually represents the purity of air as well as the wind as a force separate and distinct from weather. Granted Power: You may use Turn Undead attempts to rebuke, command, or detroy air creatures.
* Cast as an air spell only. BeautyClass Skills : Gather Information Granted Power: Turn Undead.
CombatThe deity embodies excellence through some form of personal combat, either melee or missile. Granted Power: At first level, and every 4 levels thereafter, the cleric gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls when confronting elven racial enemies. This bonus does not stack with the ranger's chosen enemy or similar bonuses. At 6th level, the cleric may choose the Weapon Specialization feat, but only for his deity's favored weapon.
* These spells have "Range: Personal" and "Target: You". CraftsThe deity is the patron of some craft, representing the ulitmate in creative force embodied in the skill. Granted Power: You gain 1 bonus skill point per level which must be used to gain 1 rank in a craft skill.
DeathThe deity represents death, either as the opposite of life, or the antithesis of the natural elven life/longevity/rebirth cycle. Granted Power : Death Touch.
Fauna (Totem)The Deity is a parton of animals in nature. The deity particulary favors, or is closely associated with one species in particular. Class Skills: Handle Animal. Animal Empathy may be treated as a cross-class skill. Granted Power: Cleric has a limited form of the animal friendship spell which can be cast as an orison. The spell allows the caster to gain one animal friend of the favored animal for the deity. Unlike the regular animal friendship spell, you may only have one animal as a friend. If you also have the Journeys domain granted power, you do not gain the animal friend from this power (the Journeys domain power supercedes the animal friend from this domain). At 4th level, you gain the ability to assume the form of the favored animal (cf. druid wildform). You may stay in the form of the favored animal for a total of 5 minutes per level per day. You may assume the animal form and return to your regular form as many times as you have levels, so long as total time spent in the animal form does not exceed your allowance.
FireThe deity represents the purity of flame, particularly its consuming nature. Special: Clerics with this domain substitute flame blade for spiritual weapon on their cleric spell lists. Granted Power : Cleric gains a +2 divine bonus to checks when attempting to turn undead specially vulnerable to fire or light. Gain +1 divine bonus for rolling checks to overcome target SR when casting fire prayers.
FloraThis portfolio represents command of a particular foilage habitat type. Class Skills: Wilderness Lore, Knowledge (Nature) Granted Power: You can use Turn Undead attempts to rebuke or command plant creatures.
* Can only be cast in an area controlled by the diety (ie., forests or underground for Rillifane, at sea for Deep, etc.). JourneysDeities with this portfolio are wanderers that have no permanent home but instead choose to tirelessly wander their realm to some purpose. They always have one (sometimes several) companions which accompanies them. Granted Power: You gain a celestial companion of the type favored by your god. Its hit point total will be equal to hit points derived from you clerical levels (excluding your Con modifier), divided by 2. The companion is intelligent (use table 3-19: Familiar Special Abilities in the Player's Handbook, only to determine intelligence) and can converse with you. You understand it's speech and it can understand yours; the two of you do not gain a special language that only the two of you understand. You do not gain abilites from your companion (cf. familars), but you also do not lose experience if it dies. When you lose the companion, you must wait 1 month before you will be allowed to cast summon monster I to get him back.
HealthThe deity represents medicine. Granted Power: Medicine [todo].
HuntingThis deity represents the dual aspect of hunting creatures for food (never for sport), and also pursuing enemies. Class Skill: Wilderness Lore Granted Power : Todo
Longevity/AfterlifeTechnically two domains, Longevity represents long life and coninued existence through the next, while Afterlife represents the time between lives and the promise of the next. They share the same granted power and spell list. Granted Power: Turn Undead
Love (Sex)The deity is a fertility god. Granted Power: The cleric may use turning attempts to end rage effects (both those from a class ability, such as the barbarian or dwarven defender, and caused by spell or supernatural ability)
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MagicThe deity holds power over arcane magic and it's use in the world. Granted Power: A cleric with this domain can maintain a small spellbook, knowing 2 wizard spells from a chosen school of level 0 through 8. The cleric chooses the school when selecting this domain (he cannot choose the school of necromancy). The cleric may use his domain slots to memorize a wizard spell from his spell book that is one level lower than the domain slot (ie., the first level domain slot can be used to memorize a 0-level wizard spell). The cleric must choose what his spells will be when he gains a level sufficient to cast them, and cannot change his choice thereafter. If the cleric is multiclassed as a wizard, he may use his domain slots as wizard slots of the same level, provided he uses the slot to prepare a spell from his chosen school. [Domain slots cannot be used in this fashion by sorcerers.] Note: If the cleric chooses this domain as his primary domain, he may use a regular slot to memorize wizard spells as above (ie., as a wizard spell one level lower than the regular slot). Only actual domain slots may be transferred to wizard slots. In either case, the cleric must still have sufficient intelligence to know the level of spell being used. The spells are cast as arcane spells (not as divine spells), taking into account spell failure chances for armor, calculating DC using Int modifier, etc. A cleric cannot chose this domain just to gain the granted power, it must be chosen as a full domain choice (the wizard spells are considered the spells unique to the domain). MischiefDeities with this portfolio favor mischief, jokes, and general chaos for the sake of humor. Class Skills: Bluff, Disguise, Hide, Move Silent, Pick Pocket Granted Power: You gain 2 bonus skill points which must be used to purchase ranks in the domain's class skills.
Mountains (Volcanoes)The deity represents the timeless mountains. In a curious aspect, the deity is also seen as the protector from fire, encasing lava within its stony embrace and showing displeasure through allowing volcanoes to erupt. Granted Power: You may use Spellcraft to identify any type of fire spell. You can Trade Spells [counter fire].
* Cast as an earth spell only. PoisonThe deity is the antithesis of good health, controling all forms of poison and rot to the body. Granted Power : Trade Spells [Inflict].
Prophecy (Secrets)
Granted Power : Prophecy power from the Complete Cleric's Handbook.
ProtectionThe cleric with this domain is charged with the protection of elves and good travellers. Granted Power: The cleric gains the same reflex save progression as a rogue. When surprised, the cleric may make a surprise check (d20 + level + Wisdom Modifier) against a DC of 10 + d20. If the check succeeds, the cleric is not considered flatfooted.
SocietyThe deity is concerned or involved with society as a whole, and cooperation or conformity among members in particular. Granted Power: Todo
TimeThis portfolio represnts mastery over the passage of time. Granted Power: Todo
VengenceThis portfolio represents just retribution for misdeeds. Class Skills: Hide, Move Silent. Granted Power: A cleric with this domain gains a sneak attack ability similar in all respects to the rogue's, except that he gains 1d6 at 3rd level and gains another +1d6 every 4th level thereafter (7th, 11th, 15th and 19th ). Vengence sneak attack dice stack with sneak attack dice from other classes.
WarThe deity is the patron of large scale battle, and represents victory to the favored side. Granted Power: ???.
Water (All)Deities with this portfolio represent a natural water phenomenon, not necessarily water as an elemental form. For instance, Deep represents the sea, turbulent lakes, and large rivers, while Hanali represents still lakes and streams, and Areinli holds sway over waterfalls and springs. Generally, all three domains are identical (except as noted below). Granted Power: You may use Turn Undead attempts to rebuke, command, or destroy water creatures.
* Deep provides the tsumani spell, while Hanali and Aerinli provide elemental swarm, castable only as a water spell. WeatherThe deity holds sway over the weather, particularly lightning and storms, but also represnts the withholding of unfavorable weather. Granted Power: ???.
WinterThis deity embodies the very essence of winter, cold, and ice, particularly glaciers. Special: Clerics with this domain can cast flame strike, fire storm, etc., except the damage done by the spell is cold rather than fire (flames will appear bluish in tint). Granted Power: The cleric may add half his fortitude bonus (derived from his levels as a cleric, not from levels in other classes) to saving throws as a divine bonus versus cold and fire based effects.
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