Extinct Elven Sub-races: War Elf

I promised this, so here is a first hack! [grin]


War Elf - 12/Aug/06

War Elf is a believed extinct elven sub-race.  Their name for
themslves was 'Joyous Warriors', in elven, but they were also
referred to as 'Battle Elves' and 'Death Elves'; if they heard of
someone using the last name it might come true.  War elves lived
for the joy of combat, and believed war to be the purest
expression of civilization, and weapons the highest form of art. 
The more civilized war elves held to the 'rules of war', which
included only attacking those they believed wished for war
(attacking them was one demonstration of this), honouring
messengers, being willing to parley, and things like offering
honourable surrender to those who had fought bravely.

Ancient legends, found in only the most obscure texts, suggest
that more than ten thousand years ago there was a major falling
out among the elven races.  Exactly what this was about, or what
happened, is unclear, but apparently the more civilized war elves
co-operated with other elven races to quite thoroughly wipe out
the less civilized war elves, and then withdrew from any further
contact.  The most effective questions of the gods and higher
powers have indicated that the war elves became completely
extinct as a living people, across all the dimensional planes,
somewhere between two and five thousand years ago.

Not even a legend, more a wisp of a myth, is that all the war
elves withdrew by some means of dimensional travel to a distant
world, where they intended to practice the arts of war
exclusively between themselves.  The name of this world is lost,
but it seems likely that they eventually wiped themselves out,
completely.


War Elf Abilities

A war elf could sense the effective way to use all obvious
features of a new weapon with just a little study and some
practice swings or shots.  They were skilled in the use of all
varieties of armour and shields.  Many of them were skilled
craftsmen in the arts of making weapons and armour, of the
highest quality.

Over the millenium war elves had modified themselves magically in
many ways.  One modification common across all of them was the
ability to regenerate, in most respects similar to an Ogre Magi. 
This allowed them to experience all the joys of battle, including
receiving terrible wounds, and 'dying', but be able to fight
again.  The main difference that the base ability had was that
regeneration was comparatively slow (one per turn), but various
battle magics could improve this to a level that would make a
troll envious.

Other elven traits of the war elves were in common with other
elves, but they did not gain any improved Listen, Search and Spot,
or ability to Spot secret doors.  They were also not affected by
normal diseases, and had the longevity of the highest of the
elves (thousands of years).

-- 
Dreamer
dreamer@??????.?????.??.uk
http://www.romsys.demon.co.uk/