Sylvanori
|
| ||||||||||||||
The sylvanori are the least studied and encountered branch of the Children of the Veil. They dwell deep in the hearts of their forest realms or wander in isolated nomadic companies amongst the wood and wild of the world. Their ancient traditions and reverence of the world has transformed them into a warrior race with deep mystical and spiritual ties to shamanism and the animistic elements of the world.
The stories they tell suggest they came to be this way after the sundering of the Tree, that the sylvanori saw the sins of their people and the fall of the mul'niessa into Taara's cradle. The fall of the sildanyar would come from their own hubris, though the long-lived beings, once so powerful in their own realm, were loath to admit to it. However, seeing the coming of the Dark the sildanyari would split in two. The llyranesi would swear to Eluna and becoming warriors against Shadow's assault of mana. The sylvanori would align to Gilead and Dana, who blessed them in turn. They then left the proper Courts and the shining halls for the untamed wilds, and set out to be its guardians.
Over time, the sylvanori have cultivated a unique communion with the natural living world as reflected by their habits, nature and reverence of the spirits and divine powers of the earth. In ancient days when superstition was much more rampant, the sylvanori contributed greatly to the tales of spirits of wood and wild that would ravage mankind when they tread in the wrong places. Today, sylvanori continue to be very territorial and some fringe civilizations struggle with them.
The wild itself has blessed their efforts. Among the sylvanori and only the sylvanori, they of full-blood, the wild places it is said, sometimes grant a spiritual blessing--an inner spirit-being who guides and aids the sylvanori in times of trouble or duress. Whether this is true or not, remains a rumor within the most wild of places. However, it is true that some sylvanori of a certain experience speak sometimes in terms of 'we' at unguarded moments.
Physical Description
The sildanyari exude a potent fae glamour that is further accented by their embracing of the strengths of the natural world. They are shorter then the llyranesi, though almost as tall as men. Though they possess the tapering, long ears of their cousins their bodies are coiled with visible strength and sturdy, being deceptively strong for their slenderness. Their hair color tends to vary more dramatically then the llyranesi, with colors of red, brown and blonde being more common and black and grey being rare.
Society and Lands
Llyranesi are often wary and suspicious of strangers, even other sildanyari. They may mask this suspicion with friendliness and openness, but they deal harshly with those who end up being deemed unworthy of their trust. Sildanyari have no solid realm to call their own, but they gather in large numbers in the forested region that encompasses Llyranost. They dwell outside of The Veil in their own enclaves and villages that are built as sweeping structures that embrace the forest and the nature of it. The Wild Elves of The Vast have a strong nomadic tradition and rarely remain in place for overly long.
Despite their independence, the sylvanori share a common cause: the protection of wild places. When the remaining sildanyari divided, the llyranesi were to act as best they could, they believe, as protectors of the mana flow from Taara's influence, just as the sylvanori were given the wild places.
The Wild's Blessing
Long ago, when the sildanyari split ways, it is said that the then-sil reached out to the servants of Gilead and Dana, and made a pact. Whether this is true or not, from time to time the wild world seems to remember the sacrifice of the sylvanori's ancestors, and blesses their efforts.
Like the wild itself, the sylvanori understand this blessing to be a fickle thing: while some sylvanori manifest this blessing, at other times even the most experienced of them can go a lifetime without ever experiencing it. Those who do it is said, receive an inner, spiritual strength. The eldest of the sylvanori priests understand that these blessings come as part of an ancient pact, sponsored by some of Gilead's servants. These aiding spirits always belong to an animal or an elemental of some kind. Despite their tied histories, the fey are too fickle and proud for this type of bond to work well. ...and never offered.
Other Races
The least understood and known about of all the elven kindreds, on the fringes of civilization, Wild Elves contribute greatly to humanities lack of understanding of the fae world and the nature of elven kind. When their borders are threatened by human encroachment, they tend to respond with passionate defenses of elvish trickery, magic and bow and steel. In more civilized lands they work hard to stay out of the affairs of the greater kingdoms of the world, preferring to attend to their own caretaking of the natural world.
Alignment and Religion
Where Dawn Elves worship the sun, Wild Elves are very nocturnal and have a strong connection to the wood and wild. Eluna is heavily reverenced by them in her aspect of the Ni'essa the Silver Huntress and they likewise reverence Gilead whom they know as Mahal the White Stag. Similarly they have great love for Paulrien the Giver of Fruits, known as Dana in other lands
Adventurers
The Wild Elves are more likely to produce explorers and wanderers then the Dawn Elves. Sylvanori who leave homes are often those trained as Rangers who are seeking out threats to their way of life. The Wild Elves call their druids The Green Word, and they are tasked with the balance of nature and maintaining the circle of life that the Wild Elves have established. Wild Elves developed the art of the Deep Forest Sniper and are renowned archers. Those wild elves who take the path of the sorcerer often find themselves leaning towards their fae heritage more than others.
Sylvanori Racial Traits
Elves normally stand around 4 and a half feet to 5 and a half feet tall, and tend towards unusually thin or slender when compared to humans. They mature at roughly 100 years, and may live to be over 1000.
The below numbers below assume an "average" person. That is, they probably have a strength and constitution within the 9-11 range. Higher physical stats will make these numbers go up. In other words, a character with 18 strength will weigh much more than one with 9.
| Sylvanori Average Height and Weight | ||||
| Name | Base Height | Base Weight | Modifier | Weight Multiplier |
| Sylvanori, male | 4ft 2in | 100 lbs | +2d8 | x3 lbs |
| Sylvanori, female | 4ft 2in | 90 lbs | +2d6 | x3 lbs |
| Sylvanori Starting Age | |||
| Adulthood | Barbarian, Rogue, Sorcerer | Bard, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger | Cleric, Druid, Monk, Wizard |
| 110 years | +4d6 | +6d6 | +10d6 |
- Classification: humanoid (elf)
- +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -2 Intelligence: Wild Elves lack the cerebral training of their cousins but are just as dexterous and not quite as frail or slender. Furthermore they have cultivated a strong tie to the natural world.
- Medium: Elves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Normal Speed: Elves have a base speed of 30 feet.
- Low-Light Vision: Elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
- Ageless: Elves do not suffer the ravages of age upon reaching adult hood and cannot be magically aged. However they still die when their time is up.
- Elven Immunities: Elves are immune to magic sleep effects and get a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells and effects.
- Child of the Forests: A sylvan elf gains a +2 bonus to saving throws from any spell cast from the druid or ranger spell list. This includes spells cast by non-druidic casters that would happen to be on those lists. This stacks with their bonuses against enchantment spells and effects.
- The Voice of the Wood (Sp): Wild Elves hear the whisper of the world and can at times call upon it to yield them potent magical effects. At character creation, he may choose two 0-level spells from the druid's spell list which he may now cast as a spell like ability once per day. The Wild Elf casts these spells as a druid and his caster level is equal to his character level for the purpose of these spells.
- Fae Insight: Wild Elves can perceive the truths and intentions of those around them better then most others. They gain a +2 racial bonus on Sense Motive checks.
- Keen Senses: Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception skill checks.
- Weapon Familiarity: Wild Elves are proficient with all polearms, longbows (including composite longbows), and shortbows (including composite shortbows), and treat any weapon with the word elven in its name as a martial weapon.
- Languages: Elves begin play speaking Common and Sildanyari. Elves with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Gnoll, Halfling, Sylvan, Yrch-Speak.
Character Options
Sylvanori Racial Feats
The below are racial feats for this race. All races receive a bonus racial feat at 6th level (when you level, send in a +request to staff). House feats and feat summaries may be found on the Feats page. Items with a * have had their pre-reqs altered to fit the setting (see Feats page). You must meet the pre-reqs for any racial feat you select.
- Elven Accuracy, Leaf Singer, Attuned to the Wild, Elven Battle Training, Guardian of the Wild, Mage of the Wild, Spirit of the Wild, Warden of the Woods
Optional DM Rules
Ea's magic responds to its people. Wizards, sorcerers, the uncovering of Aspects are not the only ways in which magic manifests.
The following are options for any storyteller, for use in PrPs, scenes, backgrounds, and small stories. If some of these rituals come across as "didn't we always have--!??" that is part of why these are being offered: to illustrate just how active magic is in Ea. Also, just because there are no given mechanics for them does not mean they shouldn't exist.
These rituals and options are beyond the scope of any one PC working on their own.
They are meant to be used as story devices, and tend to require a story element, such as a visit to the sylvanori elders. In addition, they require the presence of more than one person from that community--they are NOT means to add to individual PCs' power levels. Finally, all rituals work according to story. Sometimes rituals sometimes work perfectly, and other times do so to varying degrees (that's just saying they are story-dependent, and not a means of power).
You are welcome to build on these ideas, or expand on them.
Ritual Magic
Estellen calen: The sildanyari were originally, if rumor persists, warriors of light. Though this role has transformed (and scholars argue, corrupted), the sylvanori maintain some of this memory. By ritual and Ea's magic, sylvanori may work together to right a wrong against the natural world--restoring a corrupted tree to its original state, or easing a land's pain against infestation. While druidic unions also possess this ability, it's said they learned it first from the sylvanori.
To see these rituals however, is not the serenity one associates with the llyranesi--the sylvanori are too wild, too tied to the woods and streams. Their rituals oft resemble animal calls and full-throated shouts.
Quendi: Sylvanori elders, through sacrifice to Gilead, may urge a treant to be born. This in effect gifts a sapling with the potential for life. It is up to Nature what happens after.
Faroth-fea: As sildanyari live a long time, so do their magics. The sildanyari developed this ritual to trace a magic's owner or identify its source. The result is not always precise of even conclusive, but rituals such as this enable them to survive in a world ridden with magic.
Curuchuil: The loose translation of Curuchuil is 'life art,' though it loses much in the translation. A Curuchuil is collaborative piece of semi-mystical art that comes from strong emotions between two or more Sildanyar. Families usually invest in a familial Curuchuil, and to be cut out of the Curuchuil is to be rebuked from the line. Families are not the only ones to craft Curuchuil: this can manifest itself when two (or more) individuals share a particularly strong bond, even in some cases between enemies/opponents.
Curuchuil came about because sil experience emotions strongly, and at one time were creatures of the fae realm. Therefore, they more naturally mixed expression with the arcane and later sildanyari, though they lacked these ties, continue the tradition.
It is said they feel compelled to express strong emotion in ways they cannot with words, and over time a work of extraordinary qualities will take form. The actual form of the Curuchuil will vary. Llyranesi are often drawn towards expressions of art, painting and sculpture(or even larger, such as architecture or construction of great vessels), while Sylvanori will tend to the natural world, tending great trees or mystical groves into places of staggering wonder. Mul'niessa do not create life-arts, to Taara's endless frustration. Her attempts at triggering such have ended in horrors.
The Curuchuil of Son'doriel is one particular piece of sculpture that was started by the great-grandparents Queen Cherylindrea on their wedding day, and has been continued by generations of the royal family until it is a home within the great palace in its own right, a living, breathing work of Curuchuil and home dedicated to the love and unbroken line of generations. Conversely, when lords of various territories or families have been in bitter, unbroken conflict for centuries, with skirmishes across the borders and small-scale battles over the years in a stalemate, the Curuchuil they inspire stand as a monument to clashing wills and passions, gradually added to over years of frustrated attempts at diplomacy.
Sacred Objects: It's said that the sylvanori place value on any object that is said to be from the feywild.
Character Page Badges
Want to show off your Sylvanori pride on your Character Page? Use the following wikicode! (More badges here!)
|
|
| ||||||||||
{{Badge}}
{{Badge-Icon|Wildelf03.jpg}}
{{Badge-Content}}
{{Badge-Title|Sylvanori PC Badge}}
{{Badge-Entry|Family Name}}''All'' of the letters!
{{Badge-Entry|Role}}Your role, if any
{{Badge-Entry|Faith}}Your Faith
{{Badge-Entry|Relation to the Fae}}The sylvanori's fae heritage is strongest of all the sildanyar. What are your feelings towards the whisper places, and your relationship to them?
{{Badge-End}}