Elf, Diaspora (Valthonesti)

D&D 3e (3.0/3.5) Rules

by Terry Doetzel

With the destruction of the elven homelands of Qualinesti and Silvanesti, the elves themselves are a people without a homeland, wandering throughout Ansalon looking for sanctuary. In some lands they are welcomed for their skills in lore or magic, in others they are driven away in hatred. However, since no human realms can absorb the entire population of two nations, and the elves themselves are divided as to the best course of action, they are increasingly splintering into smaller and smaller groups and finding a home wherever it might be. Thus, they have taken the name of the "Valthonesti" (which in the elven tongue means "people of the exile").

Personality: Valthonesti are generally embittered by the loss of their beloved realms, and suspicious of everyone they come across. They keep to their own clans and villages in the frontiers of human lands, or wander the realms of others as transients doing their best to survive as peddlers of magical wares and exotic goods. However, they have not completely lost their joy for life, and delight in their traditional arts of poetry, dance and song.

Physical Description: Valthonesti elves generally tend to be tall and slim, standing about 6 to 61/2 feet tall and typically weighing 130 to 200 pounds, with elven men the same height and only marginally heavier than elf women. Though more frail than humans physically, they have a newfound strength of will that comes from their recent hardships. As well, they have become extremely practical, and thus prefer simple and comfortable clothes.

Other than their height, elves vary widely in physical appearance. As they live close to nature, with respect for nature, they magically adapt to the ecosystems of various terrains. Thus, their features (such as the hue of their skin tone) have begun to vary widely, though they retain their haunting beauty. An elf reaches adulthood at about 80 years of age, and can live to be more than 600 years old.

Relations: Elves have a mostly antagonistic relationship with the world, not only due to human prejudice but also fostered through centuries of their own elitism and isolationism. They are often hostile to half-elves, for they represent the dangers of assimilation (and thus extinction). Dwarves are generally held in high esteem, though the dwarves themselves harbor a grudge from an ancient feud that only they remember. Kender are viewed with amusment and annoyance in equal measure. The technological fascination of the gnomes is incomprehensible to the nature loving elves. Elves actively hate the minotaurs for their occupation of Silvanesti and the genocide of the elves that remained behind.

Alignment: As the Valthonesti have homeland or no central authority, they have grown to be chaotic in nature. They are good however, both by natural inclination and through the teachings of the deities of good.

Elven Lands: The elves of the Diaspora, as their name suggests, do not have a homeland of their own. Instead, they live in small communities among the realms of other races, or as nomads drifting from place to place. The only exception to this is found in the forests of Southern Ergoth, where elven refugees and exiles since the time of the War of the Lance have displaced and assimilated the native barbaric Kagonesti elves, forging a new nation known as Colinesti.

Religion: The Valthonesti revere all the gods of light, though this piety is cold and practical among all the elves save the devout clergy. The elves are only passionately involved spiritually in the teachings of the fallen god Eli, who sacrificed himself in order to save the elven people from absolute destruction and genocide by a dark goddess. He is said to walk among them now in elven form, under the name "Valthonis" (the exile). A rite of hospitality has arisen all the elves of the Diaspora, who will treat every elven stranger (and his companions) as an honored guest, as a way to honor the fallen deity.

Language: Those Valthonesti who remain relatively isolated from human civilizations speak a language that has become known as "High Elven" which is heavily based on the ancient elven tongues spoken in their former homelands, and which borrows few words from other languages. This is in contrast to the "Low Elven" spoken by their kin, who are commonly known as the "Ghetto Elves".

Names: With the loss of Silvanesti, names relating to their caste and place in society have become increasingly hollow. Increasingly, the elves of the exile are adopting the Qualinesti method of naming their children, in which the father's name is appended to the child's own.

Male Names: Arlendaro, Belthanos, Daranthalas, Eriel, Kyriatos, Lembian, Othial, Roquel, Torunis, Xanordras.

Female Names: Ashia, Corana, Fyrelana, Jaerla, Nevela, Pellisa, Serinda, Teina, Uline, Zorinna.

Adventurers: Due to their exile, elves are generally adventurers as a way of life, moving from place to place in order to survive.

Elf Racial Traits

+2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution. Elves are graceful but frail. An elf's grace makes her naturally better at archery.

Medium. As Medium creatures, elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Elf base land speed is 30 feet.

Low-Light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

+2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. Elves have exceptionally keen senses.

Terrain Adaptation: Elves live in harmony with their surrounding environment. As such, they can choose one terrain type from the following list: Aquatic, Arctic, Desert, Ghetto, Forest, Marsh, Mountains, Plains. The elf gains a bonus of +2 to Knowledge (nature) and Survival when in the environment of their favored terrain type. After five years residing in a new environment, they lose all abilities (see below) tied to their old ecosystem. For each terrain type they gain the following abilities:

• Aquatic: Valthonesti elves that live on islands or make their living as mariners can hold their breath for a number of rounds equal to three times their constitution score.
• Arctic: Inured to the cold, elves of the arctic no longer require saving throws to avoid the effects of cold weather when outfitted properly in winter clothing.
• Desert: No strangers to hunger and thirst, elves of the desert have learned to conserve their body's resources. They can go without food or water for twice as long as other characters.
• Forest: Elves who have been fortunate enough to find another forest home, or unfortunate enough to remain in Qualinesti and Silvanesti can move through the undergrowth (see page 87, DMG) with only half the penalty of other characters. Thus, they can move through light undergrowth normally, and heavy undergrowth at half-speed.
• Ghetto: The streetwise elves of the ghetto have learned to adapt to human cities. Therefore they gain one skill point per level, in addition to those normally gained by race and class, which can be spent on the following skills: Bluff, Escape Artist, Open Lock, Sleight of Hand, and Sense Motive. If these skills are cross-class skills for the character, they can be held in reserve so that a rank can be purchased every other level. Maximum ranks based on level and class still apply.
• Marsh: Some of the elves belonging to the more magical castes fled into isolation in the swamps and moors of Ansalon. Their innate magical powers have served them well, adapting to their new environment. An elf of the marshes has the spell like abilities: speak with animals 1/day (reptiles only, duration 1 minute). A marsh elf with a charisma of at least 10 also has the following abilities spell-like abilities: 1/day dancing lights, detect snares and pits, ghost sound.
• Mountains: Many elven griffon riders fled the armies of Nerekan knights and ogres fled to the highest peaks of the Khalkhists. From there they raid and harass their foes, retreating back to heights that their enemies cannot follow them to. Those who live among the mountain peaks do not require any saving throws to avoid the effects of fatigue and altitude sickness (see page 90, DMG) due to living in higher elevations.
• Plains: The wary elves of the plains can always make a spot check to notice enemies within 1500 feet, even when not actively looking for them, barring obstructions to the line of sight. Normal rules for cover and concealment still apply.

Wilderness Lore: Elves receive Knowledge (nature) and Survival as class skills regardless of the class they belong to.

Automatic Languages: Common and High Elven. Bonus Languages: Elves are generally fluent in the tongues of the humans and other dominant races in the area which they live.

Favored Class: Ranger. A multiclass elf's ranger class does not count when determining whether or not she takes an XP penalty for multiclassing (see XP for Multiclass Characters in the PHB). Ghetto elves have Rogue as their favored class.

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