Elf

Tel-quessir (also Tel'Quessir or Tel'Quess) were a number of closely related, long-lived fey races commonly known as elves, though this term was acknowledged to be technically inaccurate. Nonetheless, the name was common and many of the Tel-quessir consider themselves as one larger culture, an attitude not unjustified given that nearly all Tel-quessir spoke Elven and shared a common history together. Perhaps more importantly, the Tel-quessir were once one race, generally assumed to have been the eladrin or "high elves."

For these reasons and others, the Tel-quessir were often considered as though they were one race and called "elves." Except when stated otherwise, the word "elf" and "elven" were used in this context throughout the article.

Physical characteristics
Although individual Tel-quessir races exhibited a number of unique traits, there were some features which were common to all of the races. Tel-quessir tended to be fair, beautiful and graceful, though they were very often frail as well. Tel-quessir were also universally long-lived, achieving what they consider adulthood at 110 years of age and living for up to 700 and more years thereafter.

Abilities
Many Tel-quessir did not sleep but instead go into "trance," though this was an ability universal only for eladrin. During this state, Tel-quessir were partially aware of their surroundings and were less asleep than an act of meditation. In this state, Tel-quessir achieved the same results as a human might through sleeping in roughly two thirds the time. Tel-quessir able to trance were also often resistant to the effects of supernatural powers such as sleep, since they did not themselves sleep but instead rested in a semi-aware state.

Tel-quessir, as a rule, tended to be supremely aware of their surroundings, with more potent senses of sight and sound than humans. All Tel-quessir had the ability to see in low light conditions unhampered, though drow also possessed the ability to see in the dark.

Tel-quessir death
The elven term for dying was “passing west” and while some Tel-quessir actually did travel to the western isle of Evermeet just before they die, most just use it as a euphemism.

Most Tel-quessir were buried rather than cremated, though a Tel-quessir's body was always treated in accordance with the individual's wishes when possible. The only exception being when a Tel-quessir had been slain by some form of undead. Due to the reverence for life common amongst most Tel-quessir they would never willingly permit their dead to rise as evil undead. To avoid this their bodies were cremated to prevent their “resurrection” as undead. If a Tel-quessir who had reached the extent of their natural life wished to live on there were four other options to dying.

Warriors could petition priests of Corellon or Labelas to allow them to become Reverend Ones. These fighters still died and went to Arvandor but whenever a Tel-quessir nation was under threat they returned to Toril to protect that nation. These spirits spent little, if any, time enjoying their afterlives, instead they nearly continually honed their skills of the battlefield.

Tel-quessir more inclined towards nature could choose to be buried under the roots of a tree in Cormanthor and be subject to a particular blessing of either High Magic or druidic magic. They were then transformed into a Treant. Female Tel-quessir could also choose to transform themselves into either a dryad or a nymph when they died through a ritual. These reincarnated Tel-quessir were then tied forever to the place where the ritual was performed.

Psychology
Tel-quessir were a relaxed people, with a degree of patience and detachment granted to them by their long lifespans. Tel-quessir were not easily excited and lack the greed that sometimes characterized other races. Most Tel-quessir were unconcerned with the events that only affected the short-term and were likewise slow to make friends or enemies since time for them was measured in centuries, not decades. Focused on whatever they apply themselves to, Tel-quessir ignored the slight but rarely forgot the serious.

Because of their long lifespan, most Tel-quessir had a patience uncommon to other humanoids. Tel-quessir viewed the lives and concerns of younger races as fleeting and took less joy in the short-term victories that other races had to content themselves with. Instead, Tel-quessir took pleasure in things that had more endurance, such as the arts or the honing of one's skills.

Culture
Tel-quessir had an affinity for freedom more than anything else, preferring the way of unrestricted liberty to the restraints of civilized law and order. Liberty, both of one's self and of others, tended to be the greatest virtue in Tel-quessir cultures. This love for freedom was often tempered by a good and generous nature, though not always, drow In particular stood out as an example of evil amongst the Tel-quessir.

Because of this, Tel-quessir governments tended to be very loosely organized, with small groups of Tel-quessir accepting the legitimacy of a respected noble, who in turn acknowledged the authority of a monarchical king. The Tel-quessir did have some empires but, most Tel-quessir, be they eladrin or elf, prefered to live in natural harmony with nature. Prior to the Spellplague many moon, sun, and wood elven rulers paid their respects to the Elven Court, presided over by Queen Amlaruil in Evermeet.

Tel-quessir were typically omnivorous, like humans, but tended to eat very little meat. This was not so much out of a concern for the animal as an effort to make as little of an impact on the natural world as possible, with Tel-quessir believing that the consumption of vegetation had a slighter effect on the natural harmony. Additionally, this partially came from many Tel-quessir cultures' traditions of nomadic life, which required food to be easily preservable.

Tel-quessir tended to take up the adventurer's lifestyle for a number of reasons. Some did so out of, more than anything, boredom or a sense of wanderlust that drove them to explore beyond the boundaries of their homelands. Tel-quessir did not like being tied down and most often pursued careers that lent themselves well to adventuring. Some Tel-quessir enjoyed adventuring as a way to demonstrate their own skill, such as with a bow or sword, while others did so in order to help others.

Relations with other races
“Tel-quessir” was the elven word for “the people.” Likewise, “N-Tel-Quess” was the elven word for "not people" and was used to refer to races outside of the Tel-quessir. This often gave other races the impression that Tel-quessir were elitist, racist and condescending to other races, but most simply saw these as words with no hidden meaning or agenda.

Although the other races sometimes believed the Tel-quessir to be arrogant and condescending, the fey races didn't hold any particular hatred for any races as a whole, though individual races may have had particular attitudes. The harshest racial conflict for the Tel-quessir was actually often within, given the long-standing feud between the drow and the other Tel-quessir races. The Tel-quessir could seem distant and unfriendly because many of the other races, such as humans and halflings, had a much shorter lifespan. It was easier for one of the Tel-quessir to avoid contact with these races, rather than befriend individuals who lived only a small fraction of the elven life.

Dwarves and the Tel-quessir generally had a different problem in forming relationships. Dwarves favored hard work whereas the Tel-quessir generally enjoyed relaxation. Dwarves enjoyed carving homes from the rock and engineering unswerving straight lines, while elves prefered more natural, flowing shapes. Dwarves and Tel-quessir could form strong bonds of friendship, but only when both agreeed to overlook each other's differences.

Gnomes and Tel-quessir, both fey creatures in origin, generally got along well due to their mutual love of life, combined with the gnomes' love of fine art and illusion magic. On the other hand, halflings and Tel-quessir shared only a lukewarm relationship. The Tel-quessir trait of eating sparingly was not welcomed in halfling society, and Tel-quessir sometimes deemed a halfling's curiosity as childlike and troublesome.

Tel-quessir regarded humans with both fear and respect. Humans grasped magic and adapted to many situations incredibly fast from the perspective of the Tel-quessir, but the fey were wary of the human tendency to claim lands as their own, often regarding them as greedy. It was quite possible for strong friendship to develop between humans and Tel-quessir, but it was equally possible that hostilities might arise.

History
The Tel-quessir's origins were uncertain but evidence suggested they were born in the war between Gruumsh and Corellon. During the battles Corellon shed some of his divine blood and it was said that from this blood the eladrin were born. Elves, who did not like the implication of superiority that often preceded the eladrin's supposition that they came first, were not always so convinced of this tale, however. Given the Feywilds had a tendency to produce "echoes" of creatures from the Prime it was also possible the Tel-quessir were one such echo. Regardless, it was well-acknowledged that the Tel-quessir originally came from the Feywild, also known as Faerie, and immigrated to the then united worlds of Abeir-Toril, with the green elves arriving first.

After their arrival the Tel-quessir went about building their empires and the first such state was created in approximately by the gold elves although ancient texts suggested that the Tel-quessir were present on Toril at around  which was approximately when the draconic species established their first empires.

The Tel-quessir reigned on Toril in relative peace until when the gold elf nation of Aryvandaar invaded the dark elf and green elf nation of Miyeritar, starting the first of five Crown Wars which, in total lasted for 3000 years.

At the end of the fourth war, the dark elven Ilythiiri were banished to the Underdark, becoming the drow. Finally the fifth war that followed resolved matters, ending the conflicts. The Tel-quessir remained at peace with each other (with, of course the exception of the drow) and the dwarves had established themselves fully.

For many millennia, thousands of Tel-quessir, particularly moon elves and sun elves, left Faerûn for the isle of Evermeet in a long migration known as the Retreat. However, by 1374 DR most of the Tel-quessir who desired to leave had already done so, as remarked upon by Cambrizym of Candlekeep, and in fact, the Retreat began a gradual reversal, with many who had left or their children returned to the continent.

Homelands
Tel-quessir, regardless of their native plane, tended to favor woodlands over other terrains, though exceptions exist. Most Tel-quessir communities were relatively small in scale, around a few hundred in number, and blended easily into the natural landscape. These communities were usually very well isolated and contact between Tel-quessir and outsiders was usually a matter of deliberate contact rather than accidental as a result.

Tel-quessir who lived among humans, of whom there were many, tended to take on lives that favored the arts, such as that of minstrels, artists, or sages. Many were also valued as martial instructors, given the Tel-quessir races' well-known skills with both the bow and the sword.

Tel-quessir races


There were at least three different sub-categories of Tel-quessir. Many elves were quite proud of their particular sub-race. It was said that to insult a moon elf, call him a gray elf. To insult a sun elf, call him a moon elf.

Eladrin or High elves

 * Sun elves: Also called gold elves, sun elves were highly civilized elves with a natural gift for wizardry.
 * Moon elves: Also called silver elves, moon elves were one of the most common subraces. They lived a nomadic lifestyle, and often interacted with other races.
 * Star elves: Also called mithral elves, they were an isolated subrace that lived on the demiplane of Sildeyuir.

Elves

 * Sy-tel-quessir, or sylvan elves, were either considered as one race, two cultures of one race, or two separate races.
 * Wood elves: Also called copper elves and often confused with wild elves, wood elves were a populous subrace that lived simply in the forests.
 * Wild elves: Also called green elves; feral, reclusive elves who scorned civilization and its trappings, preferring a wild existence close to nature.
 * Drow: A dark-skinned subrace of elves that predominantly lived in the Underdark.
 * Aquatic elves: An aquatic race of water-breathing elves.
 * Avariel: A mostly extinct race of winged elves.
 * Lythari: A rare and reclusive race of sylvan elves who transformed into wolves.

Other Tel-quessir races

 * Celadrin: Descended from Tel-quessir coupled with a celestial eladrin, usually firre.

Other non-Tel-quessir but related races

 * Half-elf, half-drow or Half-sea elf : the result of a human and Tel-quessir mating
 * Fey'ri: the offspring of a Tel-quessir and a fiend
 * Draegloth: created by the ritual sexual intercourse between Lolth's ascending high priestess and a glabrezu

Connections
Elfen