Grey elves were a sub-race of high elves endemic to the planet of Oerth and Greyspace.[7]
Description[]
Grey elves bore a resemblance to the silver elves of Faerûn.[8] Standing nearly as tall as humans,[2] grey elves had tall, slim builds and pale grey skin. Their hair tended to be a silver hue while their eyes were like amber. Some grey elves, known among their kind as "faeries," displayed pale-golden hair and violet eyes.[2][3][4][9][10]
All members of this race tended to favor bright garments of gold, silver, yellow, or white.[2][3][4][10] Especially wool tunics in those colors.[9] In terms of cloaks, they most often wore ones that were deep shades of blue or purple.[2][3][4][9]
Personality[]
Grey elves had attitudes and outlook comparable to those of most silvanesti on Krynn[11] and sun elves on Toril—very arrogant and believing themselves to be superior to other races, even elven races.[7][12] They considered themselves to be the purest form of elf, despite the fact they were a sub-race.[10][12] Though of course, not all grey elves possessed a snobbish demeanor.[6]
These elves also tended to be highly intelligent,[4] the most intelligent of all elven races according to some estimates,[5] and such a quality was very valued in their society.[3] They preferred to rely more on their mental talents than on their physical abilities.[9]
Combat[]
Grey elves generally wore winged helmets with shimmering suits of plate mail[9] or chainmail while carrying shields,[3][4] particularly elven chainmail.[13] They typically fought with bows, spears, swords, and two-handed swords.[3][4]
However, they did not value physical prowess. Thus, many grey elves took up of the profession of a mage, though they usually did not become specialized wizards.[12] Those that did specialize tended to take up roles as bladesingers or spellfilchers.[14]
History[]
In the Year of the Tankard, 1370 DR,[15] grey elves were occasionally encountered by travelers in the forests of the Savage Frontier.[16]
Society[]
Grey elves were a very reclusive people.[4] They highly valued this seclusion, viewing it as independence from a corrupting outside world, and would fight fiercely to remain secluded from all,[3][12] sometimes even from other elven sub-races.[12] Outside of that they spent much of their lives indoors,[17] seeking scholarly pursuits. Studying, researching, contemplating, and writing treatises learned.[3][12]
Their societies were very rigidly defined, hereditary monarchies.[17][18] Much like the socities of drow, personal freedom was not valued and movement was carefully restricted,[19] With citizens of their cities being divided by a caste system.[20]
Their craftsmen were capable of making items that could hold the strongest of enchantments, with subtle charms worked into them that made the item more receptive to whatever magic a mage might use to enhance them.[12] One such item was the ring of faerie.[21] Their craftsmen were particularly focused on the creation of spellbooks and scrolls.[12]
They often had hippogriffs as mounts,[3][4] and giant eagles as guard animals.[3] Though a few grey elves were known to instead have griffons acting as both guards and mounts.[3][4]
Homelands[]
On their home planet of Oerth, they were known to inhabit isolated meadowlands[4] atop temperate mountains,[2] where they built large citadel cities. The entrances to these meadows and cities were hidden by powerful magic, ensuring that only elves could find them.[12] Their cities were made almost entirely out of stone and divided into five walled concentric rings, with inner rings having more decorations and ornamentation.[20]
On their home planet these cities had some of the most extensive libraries of any city. These were communally open to all elves who wished to expand their knowledge and better themselves.[12]
Relationships[]
Out of all elven sub-races, these were among the least tolerant of other races.[12] Grey elves almost never associated with other non-elven humanoids for long or frequent periods of time.[4] And they feared the possibility of other, shorter-lived races tainting their bloodline.[12] However, members of other elven races often readily chose not to befriend them, for they disdained how arrogant and serious they were. Some even felt their behavior and way of life was comparable to that of humans or dwarves.[17]
Because they spent so much of their lives studying, grey elves had many elves of other races as servants for menial and physical labor.[12] Though not harsh, they would swiftly punish any servant that failed in a task or performed it poorly. Some elves of other races perceived these servants to be slaves — if not in fact, at least in spirit — since their servants tended to lack the typical elven love for life.[17]
Grey elves allowed only a select few outsiders entry to their cities,[2] such as very powerful mages and wizards, but even these individuals were treated with great suspicion.[12]
Trivia[]
- Some of the oral traditions of the gray elves spoke of Atropus.[22]
- Visitors to Toril that were familiar with this race of elves sometimes suffered from confusion, due to the fact that the planet's silver elves,[23] whom they a bore a resemblance to,[8] were also sometimes referred to as gray elves.[23] Though this term was considered by them to be a pejorative.[24]
Appendix[]
References[]
- ↑ Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (2014). Player's Handbook 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 23. ISBN 978-0-7869-6560-1.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook (July 2003). Monster Manual v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 102, 104. ISBN 0-7869-2893-X.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), pp. 109–110. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 Gary Gygax (December 1977). Monster Manual, 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 39. ISBN 0-935696-00-8.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Colin McComb (1993). The Complete Book of Elves. (TSR, Inc), p. 80. ISBN 1-56076-376-0.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Colin McComb (1993). The Complete Book of Elves. (TSR, Inc), p. 13. ISBN 1-56076-376-0.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (2014). Player's Handbook 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 23. ISBN 978-0-7869-6560-1.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Roger E. Moore (January 1999). Demihumans of the Realms. (TSR, Inc.), p. 5. ISBN 0-7869-1316-9.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Colin McComb (1993). The Complete Book of Elves. (TSR, Inc), pp. 16–17. ISBN 1-56076-376-0.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Douglas Niles (1995). Player's Option: Skills & Powers. (TSR, Inc), p. 28. ISBN 0-7869-0149-7.
- ↑ Colin McComb (1993). The Complete Book of Elves. (TSR, Inc), p. 24. ISBN 1-56076-376-0.
- ↑ 12.00 12.01 12.02 12.03 12.04 12.05 12.06 12.07 12.08 12.09 12.10 12.11 12.12 12.13 Colin McComb (1993). The Complete Book of Elves. (TSR, Inc), p. 17. ISBN 1-56076-376-0.
- ↑ Grant Boucher, Troy Christensen, Jon Pickens, John Terra and Scott Davis (1991). Arms and Equipment Guide. (TSR, Inc.), p. 30. ISBN 1-56076-109-1.
- ↑ Colin McComb (1993). The Complete Book of Elves. (TSR, Inc), pp. 88, 90. ISBN 1-56076-376-0.
- ↑ slade, et al. (April 1996). “The Wilderness”. In James Butler ed. The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier (TSR, Inc.), p. 12. ISBN 0-7869-0391-0.
- ↑ slade (April 1996). The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier (Tables 1 to 15). (TSR, Inc). ISBN 0-7869-0391-0.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Colin McComb (1993). The Complete Book of Elves. (TSR, Inc), p. 18. ISBN 1-56076-376-0.
- ↑ Colin McComb (1993). The Complete Book of Elves. (TSR, Inc), p. 26. ISBN 1-56076-376-0.
- ↑ Colin McComb (1993). The Complete Book of Elves. (TSR, Inc), p. 48. ISBN 1-56076-376-0.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Colin McComb (1993). The Complete Book of Elves. (TSR, Inc), p. 65. ISBN 1-56076-376-0.
- ↑ Gary Gygax (August, 1985). Unearthed Arcana (1st edition). (TSR, Inc.), p. 93. ISBN 0880380845.
- ↑ Schwalb, Robert J. (December 2007). Elder Evils. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 16. ISBN 978-0-7869-4733-1.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Anne Gray McCready et al. (March 1994). Elves of Evermeet. (TSR, Inc), p. 104. ISBN 1-5607-6829-0.
- ↑ Anne Gray McCready et al. (March 1994). Elves of Evermeet. (TSR, Inc), p. 19. ISBN 1-5607-6829-0.
Aquatic Elves: Aquatic elf • Marel
Dark elves: Drow • Aevendrow • Lorendrow • Udadrow
Sylvan Elves: Wild elf • Wood elf
Miscellaneous: Astral elf • Athasian • Avariel • Dusk elf • Lythari • Poscadar elf • Snow elf
Related races
Planetouched: Celadrin • Draegloth • Eladrin • Fey'ri • Shadar-kai
Humanblood: Crinti • Half-elf • Half-drow • Half-sea elf
Dragonblood: Drow-dragon (shadow) • Drow-dragon (deep) • Zekyl • Zar'ithra
Miscellaneous: Drider • Maraloi • Vampire