Wood elf

Wood elves (also known as copper elves ) are the most populous of the elven races. Wood elves see themselves guardians of the Tel-quessir forest homes that were largely abandoned after the Crown Wars and before the Retreat, but unlike most Tel-quessir they do not view themselves as a people apart from the rest of Faerûn.

Physical characteristics
Wood elves are easily identifiable by their coppery skin and green, brown, or hazel eyes. Wood elven hair is usually black or brown, although hues such as blond or copper red have also been observed. Wood elves tend to dress in simple clothes, similar to those of the moon elves but not with fewer bold colors and a greater number of earth tones that blend into their natural surroundings. Accustomed to a harsh, naturalistic lifestyle, wood elves love to wear leather armor, even when they are not under immediate threat. Wood elves are roughly identical to other elves in height and build.

Wood elves are often stronger than other Tel-quessir, including other elves, but are frequently less cerebral than the eladrin, who put a greater value on education.

Psychology
As a people wood elves are largely seen as a calm and steady-headed people. Arousing strong emotions in wood elves is not something that is easily done, although many do have a strong aversion for large cities, having lost the passion for urbanization after the fall of Earlann. To wood elves, the trappings of civilization, including the mightiest of fortresses or tallest walls, are transient and impermanent things that will eventually be overcome by the long processes of nature. To many, this attitude seems condescending, weakening the bonds between wood elves and other races. Additionally, wood elves can sometimes seem off-putting compared to other Tel-quessir, with a gruff manner that makes them less charismatic, in spite of their avowed compassion and humility.

Compared with other Tel-quessir, wood elves have a notable disinterest in the arcane arts. To a wood elf, the wizard's spells are little different from the mason's castle walls or the tiller's plow - a means of controlling the natural world, which is contrary to the common ethic of living in harmony with nature rather than trying to dominate it that so many wood elves espouse. As such, wood elven adventurers are more likely to take on careers that do not require the use of arcane magic. In particular, many are drawn to the path of the fighter, the ranger, or the rogue, relying on their natural-born skill to overcome obstacles. Compared with other Tel-quessir very few wood elves go on to be come spellsingers or bladesingers. The one major exception to the wood elven taboo on arcane magic are the arcane archers, who count among their number several wood elves. Other wood elves, from more remote areas, are drawn to the ways of the barbarian while many religious wood elves become druids, with clerics often seen in much the same light as wizards. Those wood elves who do become clerics might eventually become hierophants. Many wood elven adventurers also became Harpers, prior to the organization's decline in the Era of Upheaval.

History
Wood elves are the last of the elven subraces to appear on Faerûn, though not through the same method as the other subraces. The wood elves are actually native to Faerûn, the descendants of wild elves, moon elves, and gold elves who decided to retreat to their deepest woodland sanctuaries after the last of the Crown Wars. Unlike the majority of the dispossessed survivors of the Crown Wars, who abandoned their homelands and went on to found new kingdoms elsewhere, the ancestors of the wood elves stuck to their ancestral holdings and swore to never wage war on their kin again. While not following the same path as the wild elves, they formed tightly-knit, networked communities, leaving behind high magic and becoming closer to nature. It was from the interbreeding between these peoples that the wood elves emerged.

In the eastern High Forest the wood elves founded the realm of Earlann around -4700 DR. There, they befriended the dwarves of Delzoun and later taught the Netherese about magic, a decision they would later have reason to regret. Following the Netherese discovery of the Nether Scrolls, Netheril blossomed into a mighty empire that soon overshadowed the elves who had helped it find its feet. The elves of Earlann were worried about this sudden rise in power and attempted to subtly check the humans' pride and expansionism for centuries. Their efforts would be undone when Karsus attempted to gain godhood and failed, causing the death of Mystryl, the fall of Netheril, and the eventual fall of the first empire of Illefarn. Taking responsibility of Netheril's beleaguered people, the wood elves allowed many of the empire's refugees to settle in Ascalhorn.

For a time, peace rained in Earlann but once again the folly of the nation's human allies would bring disaster. In 882 DR, a mass summoning of devils by Ascalhorn's mages would backfire, resulting in the conquest of the city by the fiends. A year later, after a long struggle against the devils of Ascalhorn that severely weakened the nation, Earlann fell to a horde of conquering orcs.

Earlann was the last of its kind so far and no new wood elven nations have arisen since its fall, though attempts have been made. Instead, wood elves have largely kept to the lands they already inhabit, fortifying their position rather than expanding into new territories. The wood elves ignored the call of the Retreat, staying on the mainland to look after their small villages and protect their forests but with the Retreat over, they have emerged once more as a people devoted to protecting their native forests. Although some wood elves still dream of restoring Earlann they feel that they have learned their lessons and so seek to avoid the empire-building of their kindred or of humans, instead maintaining a strong, but largely non-aggressive, role in regional geopolitics.

Homelands


Wood elves can be found in the Elven Court (Semberholem, Tangled Trees, and the old Elven Court itself), the Great Dale, Tethyr , the Western Heartlands , the Forest of Lethyr , the High Forest , and the Wealdath.

They are among the most numerous of elves in Faerun.

Relations with other races
Although a proud people themselves, wood elves often feel that their Tel-quessir kindred too often put on an air of superiority and xenophobia that is ultimately detrimental. Wood elves look to the examples of the ancient eladrin empires and, seeing failure after failure, feel that their aim should be compassion and humility, rather than political or military strength. Unlike many of their kin, wood elves feel that their fates are inextricably tied to that of Faerûn's other races and they make no effort to pull away or isolate themselves.

Behind the scenes
Under 1st and 2nd Editions, wild elves and wood elves were considered to be one sub-race, the difference merely being one of naming, with wild elf being considered somewhat derogatory, much like calling a moon elf, grey elf. At this time, the entire race was often referred to Sylvan elves, as well as Copper elves and Green elves. The elven name for themselves was Sy'Tel'Quessir and it is not entirely clear whether this continues to apply to both of the new sub-divisions, or only one and if so, which one. Given the earlier materials' physical descriptions, it would seem that the originally described sub-race is what is now under 3rd edition referred to as Wood elves.

In 4th edition, wood elves and wild elves were revised once again to become separate cultures of the single race known as "elves." Other elven subraces were categorized under other labels.