Introduction

Elves are the prehuman spirits of the wild wood. Once worshipped by ancient man, they are now shunned and reviled, only half believed in. Elves appear man-like but they are more slender and have delicate pallid features. They have pointed ears. Nowadays Elves live only in the deepest and most ancient forests, in great halls and chambers seemingly hollowed out of the stumps of mighty trees. These halls are of course much greater in size than the trees that contain them, and do not truly exist in this world.

Elves inhabit the very depths of the woodland, where, it is said "the moon raises a luminous ground mist from the rotting leaves, and fay sorcery drips from the boughs of old oaks..."

Character Creation Summary

• A. Str, Ref, Int, Psy and Lks roll 3d6 each. Str must be no greater than 13. Ref, Psy and Lks must be at least 12.
• B. Basic ATTACK 13, DEFENCE 6.
• C. Basic Health Points: roll 1d6+3.
• D. Basic MAGICAL DEFENCE 4.
• E. Basic EVASION 5.
• F. Basic STEALTH 18, PERCEPTION 8.
• G. Initially equipped with pack, flint & tinder, ringmail armour, shortsword or spear, bow, quiver with six arrows, 2d6 florins.

Elves do not carry lanterns.

At each rank Elves gain +1 to ATTACK, DEFENCE, MAGICAL DEFENCE, STEALTH, PERCEPTION & Health Points.

They gain +1 to EVASION at 5th and 9th rank.

Elves may wear any armour without penalty, except non-magical plate (in which they suffer -2 ATTACK & DEFENCE). They suffer no penalties in magical plate armour.
Elves have Elfsight (see book four).

Skills & Abilities

1. Elves have a movement rate of 12m (25m).
2. They gain +2 ATTACK when using a bow. They have a 50% chance of being able to shoot a second arrow at the end of the round.
3. In woodland settings, a stationary elf can camouflage himself to be invisible to all non Elves of 5th rank of less.
4. The immortal Elves do not die of old age. They have no soul. This means that they cannot enter or cross holy ground (eg. a church, graveyard, shrine or mosque), they suffer +1hp damage from weapons made of cold iron.
5. The very touch of the metal or the touch of a crucifix causes 1hp damage to an elf.
6. An Elf of 3rd rank or lower must make a Psy roll each round to advance on an outstretched crucifix, or to cross running water. Stagnant water, or a cross held without conviction has no effect.
7. Elves cannot be restored to life by magic, and are immune to the effects of an amulet of soul storing.
8. Elves count as unholy for the purposes of a priest (qv) and will never be sheltered or given sanctuary by abbeys, like a Sorcerer*.
9. Elves gain ESP* and Premonition*, as a per a Mystic* (5%+3/rank and 35%+2/rank respectively).

Rank-based Skills

• At 2nd rank the Elf becomes in tune with magical fields, and can divine their presence. The Elf may employ the 2nd level Sorcerer* spell Detect Aura* once per day, for a cost of no magic points.
• At 4th rank an Elf is at one with the woodland environment. He will never starve in such an setting - he can always find food for himself. When fighting in the forests, the very land works against his opponent. Roots seem to trip up the enemy, and opponents become entangled in hanging foliage. The elf can disappear behind a tree or boulder, and reappear in another location behind the attacker, causing disorientation. This means that the elf gains +2 ATTACK & DEFENCE and +1 to armour bypass rolls when fighting in hand to hand in such an environment.
• At 6th rank the Elf gains spellcasting ability. The Elf starts with a MAGICAL ATTACK of 12, which *is* modified for high statistics, and increases by one point per rank after 6th. The Elf begins with three magic points which increase by two per rank after 6th. The magical spells available are listed below. They cost a number of MPs equal to their Sorcerer* of Mystic* level, indicated by the letter and number codes, S - Sorcerer*, M - Mystic*, # - spell level.
• 6th rank - The 6th rank Elf can impose, by force of will, his wishes upon others, recreate the eldritch glow of the full moon, call to his side the creatures of the forest, and bend reality with bewildering illusions. (Moonglow* S1, Wolfcall* S3, Command* S3, Mirage* M1).
• 8th rank - The 8th rank Elf can lay a hex upon his enemies, pass through the lands of men undetected, cause mortal missiles to drop harmlessly to the floor, and fire upon his enemies even if blindfolded. (Hidden Target* -bows only - M4, Curse* S4, Mantlet* S5, Pass Unseen* M5).
• 10th rank - The 10th rank Elf can summon a faerie horse to ride, call up ethereal mists, change his form to that of a woodland creature, and travel with great celerity along the ancient ley-paths. (Destrier* S8, Raise Fog* S9, Teleport* M9, Transformation* - woodland animals, birds and fish only - S10).
• At 12th rank the Elf gains the ability to merge with the woodlands. An Elf can merge his very essence with a tree to escape pursuit, and must remain there for 1d12 months. If the tree is cut down, the Elf may become trapped in the wood and must make a Psy roll to escape from whatever is made from the wood. A trapped Elf is only released when the wood is burned. Old Elves can choose, at the end of their lives to merge permanently with the mossy floor of the woods, and become one with the forests. It is these Elves who provide the woodland assistance gained by Elves at 4th rank.