Wood elves, sometimes called Sylvan elves, are a reclusive and frugal sub race of elves. They live in harmony with nature in a lifestyle geared towards survival, rather than enjoyment. Yet they find that this life, more than anything, gives them the greatest pleasure. They enjoy their simple life; theirs is the music of the wind through the leaves, the howl of the wolves and the cry of the birds. Their art is in the form of tattoos and is inspired by the ever-changing cycles of the seasons. Theirs is a tough life, but a life they are well suited for.

   Their villages are built in a way that respects the environment and blends seamlessly with the area around it. They make their homes on both the ground and in the trees using that which nature has given them. Homes on the ground are built with natural fieldstone and pounded earth, while those in the trees are lovingly made of carved wood and shaped wood. Natural vegetation is allowed to grow up around the homes helping to conceal them even more. Between this and the camouflage already used a human hunter could walk right through the center of a wood elf village and not even know he had done so!  Wood elves have no need of high walls and fancy buildings, the cities made by their elven kin seem foolish to them, as they feel that in time wall crumble and cities fall and the forest moves in to reclaim these areas. Some of the villages belonging to smaller clans are made so they can close down when the seasons indicate they must roam the woods in search of sustenance. Their homes are the deep forests and jungles, those places that are far from civilization.

    Wood elves rarely use magic, preferring to use mundane talent and adaptability. Wizardly magic, while understood, is of little use to them. They see it as one more way of expressing dominion over the natural order of things, something they do not believe in. It is this view on arcane magic that makes wood elves the one type of elf that is not fascinated or even interested in arcane magic. A wood elf would never consider the studious path of a wizard. The concept is just too foreign to them. Those few, rare Individuals that ever develop sorcerous powers find themselves outcasts in their own community. Outcast that are eventually asked to leave, forced to leave or leave of their own accord to find a place they do fit in. Many of these outcast become bitter and turn to evil, wrecking havoc and revenge on those that cast them out. Something that further strengthens the concept that magic of the arcane type is something to be avoided. Others become hermits living on the edges of society, find a place in some town/village far from civilization or they become adventurers. Clerics are also rare, but tend to be more readily accepted. They are not looked favorably on though, because their powers come from distant gods and not from the land around them. Of all the types of magic users druids are the most common, respected and prominent spell casters of the race. This is because they get their power from nature itself, and this power is considered to be the truest expression of power available. Not only do they draw power from the natural world, druids use this power to protect and nurture the natural world, not to command or shape it according to their whim.

    Wood elf society is organized into a clan-like structure, led by a ruling council. This council is formed by the oldest, and most experienced members of the clan. It is this council that sees to the day-to-day affairs of the community. In turn, the council is advised by the community's druids and a smaller council that consists of the clans hunters and scouts. Because of the conflicting nature of being a council member and a druid, you will not find a druid sitting on the actual clan council. Though anything the druids say or advise will be given a great deal weight and thought to. The council of hunters is made up of the clans strongest, wisest and most experienced hunters. It is their job to see to the clans sustenance, protection and defenses. In times of trouble they work closely with the leading council to protect the clan and its territory. While the main council remains constant, the hunters council can change, and does change, frequently. Anyone can challenge a member of the hunters council to a contest of strength and wits if they feel hes not doing his job.

   Wood elves are a passionate people, more prone to violence their civilized cousin. This is because logic plays a very little part in their lives. Instinct and intuition are the trusted because they are the best tools for survival. They are wild and temperamental, living by their hearts not their minds. What they feel, they know is right. They dont hesitate to act when they know they are doing the right thing. They believe it is better to ask forgiveness than to ask permission. They are intense in thought and demeanor, never afraid to say exactly whats on their mind. They feel the hardship of survival is what gives them their character and their strength.

    As tall as other elves, wood elves look shorter due to the fact they re more muscular than their kin. Their movements are powerful and deliberate. Their skin is a light milky brown to a warm golden brown, with hair that comes in intense blondes and reds, echoing the fire in their spirit. Their eyes are generally light brown, hazel or green. Blue eyes are exceptionally rare, cropping up 2-10 times in an entire generation. Twins who are born with blue eyes are an omen of good fortune for both the twins and their community as a whole. Great things are expected from them, and so far there have been no disappointments! Woods elves tend to have a shorter life span than other elves; this is because of both their passionate ways of jumping into things before thinking them through, and because of the hardships of survival, which ensures that only the strongest reach an old and venerable age.

   Wood elves dress in practical clothing of browns, greens and other natural colors in order to better blend in with their surroundings. The color of their clothing reflects the season. Decorations are often worked into the clothing itself. No gaudy, flimsy impractical clothing for a wood elf! Their clothing is functional, especially their everyday clothing. Clothing for special occasions, like celebrations, weddings etc, will be more elaborate, yet still be functional and not hamper the movement of the wearer in anyway.

Wood elves are adept at dying leather armor in the exact shade of green and brown of the surrounding forest. When in their home forest, wood elves wearing armor treated with the camouflage dye receive a +4 circumstance bonus on hide checks.

   Wood elves are masters at building bows and arrows of all kinds. (But not crossbows) They have developed a large number of specialized arrows as well as arrows that fly farther than normal or serve as signal devices. These arrows are not generally sold to visitors as wood elves have little need for money in their society, but they often give these arrows to allies as gifts. Of course, the majority of wood elf arrows make it to the outside world after they are shot at intruders. Any fletcher not trained by the wood elves suffers a 4 penalty on any craft check made to construct these specialized arrows.

  Privacy is a sacred thing, something they protect at all cost. They do not likely brook strangers in their territory, even other elves are greeted with suspicion. They hold gray elves in contempt because of their frailty and highhanded ways; high elves they feel are too frivolous while drow are outright hated. The elusive Avariel are little more than legends to most wood elves. Members of other races are greeted either with open suspicion or hostility. Orcs and their evil humanoids are slain outright, no questions asked. Anyone who draws within 3 miles of a wood elf community will have a constant, if unseen, escort of at least two or more elves until the intruder leaves the area. Unless the village is directly threatened the intruder is left alone, no need to alert anyone from the outside of the village presence by needless death. If the stranger gets too close, they will be given warning, if the warning is ignored, death may follow. Wood elves have no compunctions about utterly destroying those with hostile intent. In general wood elves are unfriendly and unhelpful. Any wood elf PC who is friendly to people he or she has just met (within the past five years or so.) should be docked experience points for bad role-playing. Some wood elves, do trade, if somewhat limitedly, with the outside world. This is usually done at set places where the elves meet with traders at certain time of the month, season or year.

    Because of this distrust of outsiders few wood elves leave their forest homes, they withdrew to the woods to escape the outer world, not embrace it. They take a dim view on those who try to force them to leave the woods. Those that do leave, tend to be outcast or because they have been sent on a mission by their elders. Those that leave usually return as quickly as they can, as they have an aversion to most settings that are not of the woods. They hate the sea (although they can travel on lakes) and will not willingly board a seagoing ship. They hate the underground and become claustrophobic beneath the soil. They are even worse in cities, including those of other elves. They cannot deal with technology and civilization, for it was civilization that drove the woods elves to their isolation. Those that tarry too long and pick up new ideas, ways beliefs often return home to find they no longer fit in. They have become strangers to their own people. They are no longer welcome as they dont think like their kin anymore. Eventually they leave again as they no longer feel at home among their own kind, outcast by choice. Though some are able to re-adjust and learn to fit in again, most do not. These are the wood elves that one encounters most living the life of an adventurer, for it is among these kind of people the find they do fit in and it is with these people they will from a bond of friendship with and care to even call family.

     The wood elves venerate all the gods, but it is to Rillfane Rallathil, the Leaflord, Solonor Theldandira, the great Archer, and Halimath Arnuanna, the wild hunter, the pay particular homage to. Solonors name is often invoked before a wood elf goes into battle as Halimaths is invoked before a hunt. Celebrations and festivals are usually held on full moons, equinoxes and solstices, although spontaneous celebrations have been known to occur too. These celebrations involve oakwine, bonfires, dancing to wooden drums and singing. The carousing is primitive, even savage, but fiercely exciting to them. Their every instinct is aroused, taking them back to the roots of nature.

    Wood elves do not keep pets, as that would be going against the natural order of things. They do however work with certain animals with whom they share their territory. They favor the various great cats, especially mountain lions. Wolves are also favored allies. They share a kinship with the giant owls, one of the few sentient creatures with whom they feel completely at ease. The two groups often live in harmony with the owls serving as advance scouts for the elves and the elves serving as protectors in times of peril to the owls. They also from alliances with unicorns and centaurs.

    Because of their isolation, the language of the wood elves has been affected. It has shifted enough that even other elves have difficulty understanding them. Most are taught common, especially those that may find themselves dealing with outsiders, like scouts, druids and the council. All can write their own language, save those that become barbarians. The average wood elf has no need to learn any other languages beyond his native tongue and perhaps common. Some of the hunters and scouts may learn the various goblin tongues, in order to spy one these creatures when they wander into their territory, or the sylvan tongue to communicate better with their neighbors.

     Wood elves make excellent fighters, rangers and rogues because their natural strength and quickness help them to meet the challenges of these classes. Because of their natural affinity with nature make excellent druids. Their favored class though is Ranger, which serves them well as they spend much of their time patrolling their clans chosen territory in search of food and intruders.

    They tend towards neutrality as all they desire is to be left alone. They dont, for the most part, care whats going on in the world outsides their homes. Only when it directly affects them do they take notice. This alignment fits well with their survivalist nature, trusting the wisdom of nature, following instinct over ideals. They do not care for the promises of law or chaos.

Racial traits:

  Height & weight: Males  410 +2d10    100lb  x  (2d4)lb

                               Females  45  +2d10   80lb  x (2d4)lb  (see PHB Table 6.6 for

                                                                                                      Description)                                                                                                                       

   +2 strength, +2 dexterity, -2 intelligence, -2 Charisma

   Special advantages: Wood elves have an instinctive, natural connection to the land. Their skills in dealing with the woodland are surpassed only by rangers, whose bonds with the forest are legendary.

  Wood elves easily befriend natural woodland creatures, similar to the animal empathy ability, but it only works against woodland creatures (or creatures natural to the wood elfs home territory). Thus a wood elf from a temperate area can try to calm a wolf, but would have to be just as cautious as any other race around a desert lion. This ability works just like the skill animal empathy and it applies only to natural woodland creatures. It is not a charm spell and cannot be used to enthrall creatures of the forest. Creatures friendly to the elf will not accompany him unless persuaded some how. This ability does not work on monsters.