Re: Darnannon Expanded Part 2

PART 2

Elenai Elves (WildSpace Elves)
(+1 DEX, -1 CON: Varies)
     The Elenai, or “Star Elves” are the standard WildSpace Imperial Fleet 
Elf found throughout Known Space.  In Darnannon, they still retain their 
air of superiority and arrogance towards “Groundling Elves.”  However, the 
relationship forged between the Mithe and the Aran has toned down this 
over all feeling, or at least the Elenai keep their mouths shut when 
visiting the locals.  
     The Elenai appearance is extremely flexible, for as a people they are 
a bit of a mish-mosh of all Elven races.  Different and/or unusual 
heights, weights, hair, and eye colors are not at all uncommon.  It is 
usually easier to identify them by their uniforms than their heritages.  

Khelimbe Elves (Ice Elves)
INCOMPLETE

Yanwae Elves (Adapter Elves)
(+1 DEX, +1 CHA, -1 STR, -1 CON)          
      The Yanwae are an ancient Elven race with close ties to nature.  The 
Yanwae, or Adapters, or Joiners as they have been called, have an inherent 
Chameleon-Like power that extends through their physical bodies.  This 
power allows them to alter their appearance.  Beginning at a Yanwae’s 
adolescence, their true forms begin to fade and they start to blend in 
with their environment.  A Yanwae need only to have at one time come in 
contact with whatever it is she chooses to succumb to, and she can make 
her body alter to fit its form.  For example, if a Yanwae lies down upon 
the grassy fields of Darnannon, her skin color slowly will begin to take 
on the greenish hue of the plains.  Her hair will also begin to fade to 
match the colors of the fields and flowers.  A Yanwae who holds a rose 
petal may begin to slowly change her features to that of a rose.  Her hair 
will turn to a deep red, her skin will soften into a velvety petal-like 
texture, and even her scent will be that of the rose.  A Yanwae in the 
frozen wastes of Sha Loch will bear pure white skin and hair, with a 
frigid touch to her skin.   In the morning, the Yanwae appear bright and 
vibrant with golden hair like the sunrise.  At noon they appear radiantly 
swathed in light with platinum hair.  At dusk, they begin to fade to the 
pinky-purplish hue of the clouds at sunset.  And at night they take on the 
midnight blue shades of darkness.
     This power gives the Yanwae distinct advantages in that they can 
alter their body temperatures to match their surroundings.  If given 
proper time to alter their physique, this can give them bonuses to save 
vs. heat & cold related damage.
      It also can make them virtually invisible.  Although they cannot 
alter their material consistency, (in other words, they cannot become 
liquid, gaseous, or made of energy, nor can they alter their general body 
shape), in total darkness, they can appear completely black to match their 
lighting.  They are also virtually invisible when bathed in light such as 
that of a Radiant Ship.  This gives them effectually a 100% to Hide in 
Shadows.  
     As long as a Yanwae remains in physical contact with an object or 
creature, she can hold its features indefinitely.  However, all the Yanwae 
would need to do is had come in contact with the object just once, and she 
can in effect “become” the object.  This power lasts for a number of 
rounds equal to their Constitution score.  Afterwards, she must roll under 
her CON on a D20 to maintain the shape.  Each subsequent round reduces 
this roll by one.  She cannot hold the unique features longer than twice 
that of her CON if she is NOT in contact with the object or creature.  If 
she would however touch the object again, the timed process would start 
all over.  Many Yanwae keep a piece of tree bark or fresh flowers or a 
small piece of steel or leather strapped somewhere to their skin so they 
can continue to hold their features.  It takes one full round for the 
Yanwae to use her power.  During this initial round, she can do nothing 
else.  
     For example, a Yanwae can take a full round before battle to alter 
herself to that of an oak tree.  Her skin becomes rough and bark-like, 
effectively granting her the AC bonus of a “Bark Skin” spell.  Her arms 
would extend like branches and her hair would become leafy and green.  If 
she held very still and in the right position, she could very well pass 
for a young tree or a Treant.  She could harden her skin to that of the 
look and feel of an Iron Door or Dragon Scales.  If holding still, she 
could possibly even pass for a suit of finely crafted Plate Mail or a 
Marble Statue.  She could be completely nude, but appear to be wearing 
chain armor, or an elegant silk gown.  She could have the look, feel, 
temperature, and scent of virtually anything!  In fact, the only body tone 
the Yanwae cannot alter is the color of their radiant, sparkling eyes.  
Their eyes always belie their true nature.
      Yanwae are typically employed by the Imperial Fleet as spies.  When 
near the Drow, not only can they take on the ebony skin tone of the Drow, 
but they match the Drow skin texture and scent.  She could turn herself 
blue to blend in with the surrounding Sea Elves, but she would not have 
gills or be able to breathe water.  Likewise, if impersonating a Drow, she 
would not be able to “Levitate” or invoke globes of “Darkness.”  She could 
however alter her skin to appear leafy and ivy covered, or perhaps soft 
and furry or even feathery or leathery.  This power does NOT allow her to 
alter her weight, height, or general body shape.  She cannot appear 
skinnier or taller or alter her facial features, or her limb length.  She 
could not grow wings or a tail or additional appendages.  
     The Yanwae of Darnannon tend to be very intelligent, charismatic, and 
even a little devious, but they are not known for their battle prowess.  
They typically make up for this with their cunning.  The Yanwae tend to be 
a little fairy-like and mischievous.  They are peaceful and like all Elves 
lean toward Chaotic Good.  They love pranks and hide-and-seek type games, 
as even other Elves can’t seem to find them, even with Infravision!  They 
like clever tales, jokes and riddles, particularly those about out-
smarting or avoiding an adversary.  When making love they often 
erratically shift their appearance, sometimes uncontrollably, to that of 
their surroundings, their partner, or sometimes embarrassingly, to that of 
an ex-lover, or whatever else in on their minds!
     The power of the Yanwae has a few distinct disadvantages as well.  
The longer the Yanwae remains in a certain area or in contact with certain 
objects, the harder it becomes for them to maintain their uniqueness.  For 
example, when lost for a time drifting in the void of WildSpace, they have 
to fight to NOT fade to blend in with the environment.  And when 
unconscious, their power becomes automatic.  A Yanwae who falls asleep in 
unfamiliar woods may become lost forever to her comrades.  Unconscious 
Yanwae, who have fallen into the sea, will likely drown before they can be 
found.  Much like altering their features to be consciously different, 
they can only hold onto colors, tints, hues, temperature and textures for 
as many rounds as their CON.  After that they need to begin to roll CON 
checks in order to keep unique.  The power does not apply to clothing made 
by Non-Yanwae, such as Imperial Fleet uniforms.  Yanwae, when in highly 
emotional states, may unwillingly alter themselves, either randomly, or to 
something in their thoughts or subconscious.  A violently angry Yanwae may 
glow in a fiery orange and emit searing heat from their skin, or a happily 
laughing Yanwae may glow with a bright unearthly radiance.  As the Yanwae 
reach into their ancient years, which very rarely lasts less than 1200 
years, their power begins to wane.  When old-age features set in, their 
skin tone and texture becomes less defined, their colors less vibrant.  
The power begins a long slow process of decline, and with age eventually 
dies.  After a few hundred years of declining power, it just simply goes 
away.  It is at this time that the Elder Yanwae retires from their duties, 
and spends their last few years in quiet contemplation, advising their 
replacements in society, and teaching the younger generations in ancient 
arts.  Whether young or old, in death do their true forms become revealed, 
and they appear nothing more than a frail High Elf with a few Fairy-Like 
features. 
     During the First Unhuman War, the Imperial Fleet made great use of 
Bio-Weaponry.  They included many Yanwae in their elite ranks.  Because of 
the great number of casualties amongst Yanwae, the Elder Kings and other 
rulers of the Yanwae have overall distanced their people from the ranks of 
the Imperial Fleet and discouraged their involvement with the Navy.  
Still, the Yanwae are a noble race with strong sense of right and wrong, 
and a few young Yanwae find themselves among the ranks of the Imperial 
Navy.  In order to placate the elders, most Yanwae never see duty outside 
DarnannonSpace and few ever make the rank of a Commanding Officer.  Yanwae 
Flitters and Flitter Pilots are however, in high demand, for the Ships 
grown by the Yanwae and the Yanwae clothing can be magically imbued with a 
similar Chameleon-Like power.  This is a well kept secret only taught to 
Yanwae shipwrights, never even to other Elves!  Any Imperial Fleet War 
Captain would pay a dear price for an Armada filled with Flitters and 
Pilots that would change from the blackness of the dark void of WildSpace 
to the sky blue of a planet’s atmosphere, and finally to the forest green 
of the local flora, all in one trip to the surface.  The enemy would never 
see them coming!  Rumors continue to persist with regards to Yanwae built 
Man-O-War and Armada, effectively giving them a sort of “cloaked” 
appearance.  And although the thought of invisible Armadas may cause many 
an Imperial Fleet Admiral to entice an entire crew of Yanwae aboard, the 
current politics of the Elder Yanwae make this venture seem rather 
unlikely.                            
 
Olvane (Tree-Elves)
(+1 WIS, +1 DEX, -1 CON, -1 CHA)
     Olvane, also known as Verdant Elves or Plant-Friends, also have very 
close ties to nature.  Like the Yanwae, they are a breed of Elven 
changeling.  They hold great power over plants and plant-like creatures, 
often treating the local flora of Darnannon like brethren.  As a people, 
the Olvane appear much like common Wood Elves or Wild Elves, with perhaps 
Dryad-Like features.  Like the Dryad, they tend to have features that 
change with the weather, climate and seasons.
     Like the Yanwae, the Olvane can change their appearance, but only 
with respect to plant-like features.  The advantage the Olvane have over 
the Yanwae is their ability to lengthen and grow appendages.  The Olvane, 
at will, can grow bark-like skin, and lengthen their arms into branches, 
sprouting with leaves, giving them the strength of a small Treant.  They 
can cause their arms to grow into long creeping vines to pull friends 
safety, or bind their enemies.  They can virtually change themselves into 
any type of plant or plantlike creature of roughly their same size or 
mass.  They do not use up any of the air supply envelope on a Spelljamming 
ship, and in fact they CREATE Oxygen for the crew to breathe.  One Olvane 
can provide enough fresh air for ten crew members, and uncomfortably allow 
a crew of 20 to breathe and just barely keep alive a crew of 30.   
     The disadvantage this has is their plant like necessities.  Although 
they can survive on Photosynthesis alone, this is generally undesirable by 
the Olvane.  They will wither and die if deprived of Carbon Dioxide, 
Sunlight, Water, and even the Nourishment the Earth provides.  They are 
extremely susceptible to fire.  Although an Olvane is basically a Seelie 
creature, there is evidence that in plant form, they have been known to 
accidentally cross-pollinate with another Olvane, or another species of 
plant or plant-like creature, creating some interesting hybrid 
combinations, to say the least!  An Olvane may not have any idea that he 
has fathered a, ahem, child of some sort.  This gives them a very 
lackadaisical view of marriage and parenting that seems to not be 
emotionally lost upon the child itself.  The Olvane children seem to be 
okay with their parents’ “hands-off” approach to child rearing.
     The Olvane lean toward True Neutral and like the Dryad, many take a 
Druidic Path.  The Olvane of Darnannon are very loose-knit and 
independent, almost never joining with the Imperial Fleet unless they are 
promised missions which support their individual interests.  Even so, 
beware to the Fleet Captain who chooses to scuttle his ship or take it 
through unnecessary risks.  The Olvane tend to act very Druidic and 
Mysterious and many rituals and festivals have strong ties to the 
Priesthood of Rillifane Rallithil.
     The Olvane are closer to their natural surroundings than the Wood 
Elves are, but they seem to take less of an interest in animal life than 
in plant life.  Although, as a typically recluse people, most Olvane would 
prefer animal companionship and that of the Fey over the “more cultured” 
Elven folk.  They tend to be more withdrawn than even the Wild Elf and 
seek to avoid contact with trespassers rather than confront them.  They 
have all the abilities granted to a Sylvan Elf, plus the ability to 
befriend non-evil intelligent plant life.  Like the Wild Elf, they tend to 
be unfriendly and unhelpful to non-elves and bear a disdain to ship life, 
cities, and being underground.  
     The Olvane can hold their shape for a number of rounds equal to their 
CON, before they need to begin to make CON checks.  It takes one full 
round for the Olvane to alter his shape, and he can do nothing else during 
that round.  The Olvane may grow thorns that inject various types of 
naturally occurring plant poison onto their enemies.  They may emit 
various plant-like scents that either attract or repel certain types of 
creatures and/or insects.  These scents can be also be used like 
pheromones to attract or repel the opposite sex.  
     The older the Olvane gets, the more withered his appearance becomes.  
He shares the ancient life span of the elves, but spends a lot more time 
looking like an elder, but keeping up with all the vitality and vigor of 
his younger kin.  Their death rituals always include an earthen burial, 
where they are allowed to decompose in the soil and eventually, like all 
plant-life, they feel they shall be reborn through their old body. 

Aran (Imperial Elves) 
(+1 INT, +1 CHA, and -2 CON.)  
     Darnannon Imperial Elves are referred to by some as Steel Elves.  
They appear to be Grey Elves, although slightly taller with a little bit 
darker complexion.  Their hair and eyes never quite reach the true sheen 
taken on by the silver hued Grey Elves.  Nor do they bear the same air 
about them of arrogance and regality.  Their eyes are friendly and their 
smiles are warm.  Their gestures and body language are accented with 
smooth down-to-earth phrases.  They never attempt to claim superiority 
over other Children of the Seldarine.
     Originally and sometimes still called the Aran, these Elves are 
descendants of the Mithe of Daldamar and the First Imperial Fleet Elves to 
colonize Darnannon.  As with Ancient Imperial Fleet Policy, contact was 
made between the great Mithe Elven kingdom of Daldamar and the Fleet 
Admiral.  The initial reactions were so positive on this new great Elven 
home world of Darnannon that the Council of Admirals decided to hence 
forth claim the entire sphere in the name of Tel'Quessir. 
     The Imperial Elves over time have become the true rulers of 
Darnannon.  They are realistic in their goals and their requests made unto 
their people and tend not to argue amongst themselves or others in power, 
particularly among the Mithe.  They are highly intelligent, skilled 
politicians and debaters and rarely become enraged or frustrated.  They 
are generally very charismatic and well respected and befriended by all.
     Imperial Elves lean toward Lawful Good, sometimes with Neutral Good 
tendencies.  They will always do what’s right to benefit their people, but 
woe to any Non-Elf whom should bear ill will to the Seeie Folk, for the 
love the Aran have for their kin can be quickly invoked into wrath borne 
towards the enemies of the Elves.
     Imperial Elves bear superior intelligence and are skilled warriors.  
Many study the art forms of Elven war, ship building, and weaponsmithing.  
Most are artists or musicians.  As natural born leaders, many have risen 
to the ranks of the Imperial Fleet and have served as Ambassadors, 
Captains, and even Admirals.  They spend much time in the vast libraries 
of Darnannon and aboard Elven ships. 
     Unfortunately, it is said by some that they have lost touch a little 
with nature and fare far better in Elven cities then in the wilds.  This 
is typically why the Imperial Elves seem particularly fascinated by the 
Woodland Fey, whom are a people they can trace their origins back to.  It 
is said they bear a great hidden sadness for having disconnected with the 
world around them.  They can no longer choose to follow the path of the 
Ranger or the Druid, without great exception.  They have also lost their 
ability to blend into their surroundings to gain the advantages of typical 
Elven Hide and Surprise.  
     Darnannon Imperial Elves spend their lives duty bound to their people 
and forever seek to better the lives of their brethren.  Even in old age, 
they hold onto their positions until forced into retirement by their 
peers, which usually translates into a very long death sentence for an 
Imperial Elf.  The Aran, being very duty-bound, have a deep sense of self-
worth and feel the uncontrollable need to be helpful and useful to their 
kin.  Even after retirement, they seek to control things from behind the 
scenes and rely heavily on a network of personal, loyal spies and 
eavesdroppers who tell them about the goings on of various ruling councils 
and Imperial Fleet meetings.  They need to know not only exactly where 
that ship is headed off to, who is on board and why they are going, but 
what they can do personally to help the mission along.  It usually takes a 
direct order from a Fleet Admiral or Head of Council for on Imperial Elf 
to stop their post-retirement activities, which only means they will try 
to find an alternative project to work on.  Only when the aged Imperial 
Elf has exhausted all of his political information and his contacts have 
been all but rooted out, do they finally give in and submit to 
retirement.  Without the driving need to feel useful and beneficial to the 
Elves, they usually pass away and into Arvandor within the next few years, 
where they hope that once again the Seldarine may put them to good use.

Elatae Elves (Radiant Elves)
(+1 INT, +1 WIS, -2 STR, -2 CON)
     The Elate, or Radiant Elves, are an  unusual sub-species distantly 
related to the Mithe.  They are noticeably shorter and frailer than most 
other elves, and tend to have hair color of metallic hues, particularly of 
silver and platinum.  They are very pale of skin, but have long slender 
appendages.  Their facial features and fingers appear to be “extra-
pointy,” but this could just be due to their slender bodies.  Typically, 
they wear clothing of white, black, or metallic hues, and are fond of 
tight-fitting garments that cling to their features.  They are also quite 
fond of jewelry, donned for any and all special Elatae occasions.  Most 
unusual however, are their eyes; for they can be any hue, although most 
likely an exotic color, such as violet, amber, midnight blue, or even 
red.  Their eyes however, have no pupils, for the Elatae are completely 
and blind.
     Some say that the Elatae were cursed for their dark part in the 
Elfwar, but this would be just another Morwaeni  lie.  As a matter of 
fact, the powerful magics that the Elatae summoned kept the Morwaen from 
destroying Daldamar.  Surely their inability to see was not a direct 
result of the ElfWar, but it is instead linked to the Elataen strong 
connection to magical energies.  They are especially fascinated with 
radiance, and are rumiored to use it to fuel some of their strange 
magics.  Elatae in fact do “see” so to speak, but not by conventional 
means.  They have an innate sonar like ability that bounces back 
information to the Radiant Elf.  They can personally navigate by “reading” 
the sound waves generated by nearby objects.  The sonar is generally 
limited to 60 feet, but sound can be “read” at any distance. 
     The Elataen are natural born wizards, and every young Elatae is 
trained in ancient magical arts and as such all Elatae are wizards.  
Elatae are trained to have power over energy; particularly light and 
sound, but also control of raw forces of energy, such as magic missles.  
Every Elatae can evoke areas of light and/or darkness, in any shade or 
depth.  They can cause light to bend and refract, much like a displacer 
beast.  They can create areas of white noise or deaden all sound in a 
specific area.  They can redirect raw magical energy.  This means that 
they can cause magic missles and the like to actually miss their intended 
target!  They can effect one magic missle per every three levels of 
experience, and of course a more powerful caster can negate their powers 
over light, darkness, and sound.  All of the innate powers of the Elatae 
require concentration, and the elf can do nothing else in the round.   
(The DM is encouraged to come up with other similar individual powers, as 
appropriate to his or her campaign.)
     All of this magical prowess comes with a price.  As a race, the 
Elatae are physically weak, and rarely become warriors.  They are 
generally not taught even the basic arts of swordplay.  Because they 
cannot see most intended targets, due to their limited sonar range, they 
are also never trained to become archers.  Therefore, they do not receive 
the standard elven bonuses to use bows and swords, and they begin play 
without any knowledge of how to use any weapon other than a staff or 
dagger. 
       As a people, the Elatae are kind and generous, albeit a bit 
reclusive and prone to thoughtful introspection, and the contemplation of 
the universe.  This calculates into a negative reaction bonus during first 
contact, as they seem just plain weird.  Typically, Elatae are Lawful 
Good, although some drift towards Lawful Neutral.
     It is said that the rumored Cloaking Helms of the Imperial Fleet are 
Elatae in design, and most certainly they have had a hand in the creation 
of the Radiant Ships.  Elatae make excellent helmsmen, as they can in 
fact “see’” their surroundings while on the helm.  Some will join the 
Imperial Fleet as elite Battle Mages, and most war captains are happy to 
have them aboard.  Unfortunately, there aren’t many other positions on a 
IEN ship that are appropriate to the Elatae.
     Persistent rumors exist of a strange organization of Radiant Elves 
that are incapable of using magic.  Apparently, they are instead powerful 
psionicists, with much of the same abilities as their magical 
counterparts.  Shalless, the eldest Elatae in Daldamar, and a Darnannon 
council member, will say nothing of these rumors. 
     Elatae are immune to spells and spell–like effects that involve 
sight, but are especially vulnerable to sound-based attacks and take 
additional damage from them.  Elatae can get easily confused in crowded 
rooms or places with excessive noise, especially when they are not 
permitted to use their sound deadening abilities.  No one knows what 
happens to the eldest of the Elatae, as they simply seem to vanish from 
existence, leaving behind all of their worldly possessions.  Some say that 
they plane shift into the demi-plane of radiance, as radiance seems to be 
a force in the universe that the Elatae are strangely immune to the 
effects of.   
 
BIBLIGOGRAPHY
“The Complete Book of Elves” TSR Supplement
“The Elves of Evermeet” TSR Supplement
“The Shadow Elves” TSR Gazeteer
“The Silmarillion” by J.R.R. Tolkien
“The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien
“Beyond the Moons” website
“Dungeon Magazine” articles by Steve Kurtz
The dark recesses of the mind of Blackmaer 
And for “Spike,” the original poster of Darnannon on the list, back in 
1998.  I hope I don’t step on your toes, because a lot of this is from 
you!!