Elvish Traits - The Half-Elf is not associated with its life force to a particular plant, however will certainly feel a degree of association and empathy with the plant world. Such a thing might lead to quite hippy-like characters, with the Gloranthan equivalent of environmental-friendliness and a general respect for nature.
Night Vision - Elves can see well in the dark, but cannot see in total blackness. How well the half-elf can see will vary, certainly better than a regular human.
Elfsense - This is a touch based empathic sense, detecting how stressed emotionally or physically a plant or natural animal/being is. I suggest that it is given as a Psychic Skill with upper level restrictions for half-elves (say POWx3 as %). This sense may have limited game usefulness anyhow.
Longevity - There are so many types of elves. Elder Secrets says that Redwood elves live over 1,000 years, however it says average lifespan for greens is 300 years, browns 250, and yellows 200. Therefore half or two-thirds this amount could be expected for the hybrid.
Diet - Yellow elves alone eat small quantities of animal flesh, therefore it seems fair that half-yellow elves will eat fairly regularly but avoid large quantities of meat, whereas brown and green hybrids will noticeably avoid flesh as a rule although they can eat it when they must in small quantities.
Resilience - Elves are much more resistant to the elements than humans, which can simply be taken into account when bad weather slows movement and reaction times. The half-elf may suffer less or no penalties depending on the severity, and will have no difficulty in sleeping well curled into the crook of a tree branch when necessity demands.
Sleep - Brown elves hibernate in the winter, but otherwise never sleep. Green and Yellow Elves never sleep as such, but must rest for several hours each day, normally at night. These can be transferred to the same rule for half-elves - they need about half as much sleep as a human, however are prone to go into waking trances when not required to be physically active. In these trances they are fully aware of their surroundings and can snap into action at any moment if it becomes necessary.
Elf Bows - Only half-elves Initiated into elf-cults, or accepted as special elf-friends, can be gifted an elf bow. This will have been grown for an elf who died before it was fully grown and has been sustained by others. Passing it on to a new owner is an extremely rare privelege.
Dealing with Others
Relations to Other Races - Only elf-hating humans will have a problem with a half-elf, other humans will have no greater problem than any prejudice afforded to an obvious outsider (if this is how the half-elf is perceived). Trolls will smell elvishness about the individual, however if the trolls are prepared to deal with humans likely they will also be prepared to deal with a half-elf amongst their number. However this is not necessarily always the case, some trolls tolerate humans and fanatically hate elves, other trolls just look for any excuse to pick a fight, with racial slurs being a good kickstarter. Dwarfs will be more civilised about any dealings, as a rule. If they hate elves violently they may deny a half-elf to accompany its human friends into the dwarf lair, or refuse to have dealings with a human group containing a half-elf. Unlike the trolls, with their superior olfactory sense, regular dwarves may fail to notice the elven taint if the person looks human (pe!
rhaps with a hat pulled tightly
over the tops of their ears?).
Relations to Aldryami - Certainly not automatic friendship. A lot depends on the half-elf's companions and the general attitude of the aldryami in question to foreigners. A lone half-elf in an area where the local aldryami have neutral relations with humankind might be received as if a visitor from a distant forest. If relations with humans are bad, they might be treated as a spy or traitor, or at best a freak of nature. Less intelligent aldryami might sense elvishness about the person and be able to approach them timidly, as opposed to fleeing from regular humans without a second's thought.
Religions - This is totally dependent on the individual. Most cults open to humans are available to a half-elf. Exceptions would be troll cults such as Argan Argar, who have rigorous requirements for humans to enter, and possibly dwarf-related cults such as Flintnail or Quicksilver, whose dwarven personnel might still have remnants of ancient prejudices making it tougher for a half-elf to pass the tests.
Sample Half-Elves
Kinlae Elf-friend
STR 14, CON 13, SIZ 11, INT 17, POW 18, DEX 16, APP 15
Spirit Magic: Mobility, Glamour, Glue, Mindspeech, Food Song, Heal, Speedart
Kinlae is an Initiate of Issaries from Belernos in Esrolia, and is a much respected trader with the elves in the region. His outward appearance gives little sign of his elvish heritage, although his skin is more tanned than the rest of the locals, however he is 97 years old and looks no older than 45. In secret he is also a Lay Member of Aldrya, and has a Runner as a faithful companion, perhaps as a Sartarite hunter might have a dog. He has never been known to eat meat and those who know him well claim he rarely sleeps but seems to know how to relax. He could easily become a Rune level member of his cult but likes the freer status of being an Initiate. If encountered far from home he will be on the trail of some rumored long-lost item, and will be accompanied by Babeester Gor mercenaries who will protect him with their lives if necessary. Kinlae's mother was a brown elf who fell in love with an Issaries trader after being his guide for several years. They both heroquest!
ed successfully in order to be a
ble to interbreed, and this resulted in one child only.
Faolin the Tracker
STR 14, CON 15, SIZ 12, INT 15, POW 17, DEX 16, APP 13
Faolin's origins are unknown as he was born in the Big Rubble to a in 1563, his father a follower of Dorasor, and his mother a Pavis survivor. Whilst Faolin is of course 56 (1619) he looks only 30 and his parents are long since dead. His mother knew only a rumor that there was an elf in the family line, long ago in the time of Lord Pavis, and wondered if this accounted for his excellent night vision and agility. He has pursued a career as a hunter and guide, and knows the regions round Pavis and up towards the Rockwoods well. Despite his origins he is not an expert in the Big Rubble, except the Garden area, where he has often negotiated passage for adventurers, and ransoms for prisoners. Faolin is actually an Initiate of Aldrya and carried an Elf Bow he was granted at a special ceremony a decade ago.
Aulidia
STR 11, CON 14, SIZ 11, INT 18, POW 16, DEX 17, APP 14
Aulidia was a thief from Refuge in Heortland who was hired for her skills of dexterity on an expedition to the Clanking Ruins. The party did reasonably well and most survived, finding only a few things, but each of immense value. At one point deep in the ruins three of them were trapped in a partitioned room that sealed itself. One man was turned blue, another gained a metal arm, whilst she was transformed into a half-elf. After the expedition she was unable to find anyone prepared to make a return trip, and has traveled far and wide seeking how to reverse this effect, but after all that has now become used to her condition and is noting its benefits. These include much less need for sleep, the ability to withstand the elements better, and superb night vision. The main drawback is that her ears are now slightly pointed, forcing her to always wear a hat or helm, and keep her hair long. She has noticed much less of a desire to eat meat since the event.
Powered by hypermail