Elves are like unto men in appearance, but do not have the same attributes. Elves are taller and more slender then men, and more attuned to natures ways. They live in the wild, taking shelter in only the most severe weather. Elves are not great builders, and in general, lack the focus for great works. Their attention is rarely focused, always mindful of their surroundings. As the saying goes, elves are often busy, but accomplish little. Elves are easily distracted, with few exceptions, and those that are not invariably rise to the leadership. Elves are quick, sure-footed, and perilous, and their thought is subtle and keen.
Elves build only small underground shelters, well hidden, where they store their supplies and escape from extreme weather. They are excellent craftsmen, and the things they build are always clever and engaging, as indeed they must be in order to hold the creators attention. Elves seldom engage in battle, unless their beloved forests are threatened. An elf in battle is a terrifying sight, for though they are perhaps weaker then men, they are a great deal faster, and no man dares stand for long within reach of their vicious long-bladed spears. Another unusual aspect of the elves that their females are leaders or warriors as often as the males, which though somewhat strange to the ways of men, seems to bother them little.
The elves have not enchanters as men do, but periodically, a mystic will arise. These mystics practice a form of magic not duplicable by enchanters, and working in strange manners. Whereas the spells of enchanters can create such diverse effects as the summoning of fire or lightning, the mystics art seems to affect living things. Circlets allowing the wearer to understand the thoughts of beasts, staves that purify water, and rings that heal the body are all proven examples of the mystics work.
Elves have a communion with nature, and at times it seems that they are almost like the animals, feral and untamed. This wildness exposes itself most in times of grief, but all elves share some bond with nature that men cannot understand, and love the living world as much as, or perhaps more then themselves.
… Return to the Tome of Nadra
