Basic ElfQuest Character Creation Guide

[Westering Holt]

Below is a basic guide to character creation. Not, "make this kind of character." But basic facts about elves, their physical appearance, what their clothes are made of, what weapons they use, etc. Take a read over this before creating your character. It should be very helpful!

If you have any questions or want to discuss any aspects of the guide, please do! Nothing is ever written in stone!


Basic Elf Facts

Physical Description

• Four digits on hands and feet.
  
• Large ears with pointed tips.
  
• Eyes are larger in proportion to their face.
  
• Heads are larger in proportion to their bodies than with humans.
  

Longevity

• Wolfriders are mortal, but may live for several thousand years unless they die of unnatural causes - as they usually do. Most Wolfriders only live a few hundred years.
  
• Pure-blood elves are effectively immortal, and must live at least 5,000 years to be considered aged.
  
• It is believed, by some, that an elf only dies when he wants to (excluding misadventure).
  

Birthrate

• Elves have a very low birthrate, a consequence of their long life-span.
  
• Wolfrider females bear approximately a child every century. Almost all births are due to Recognition.
  
• The biological urge of Recognition is inevitable and mostly unavoidable.
  
• Recognized mates do not have to like each other. They just have to have a baby together.
  
• An elf can Recognize more than one mate in his/her lifetime.
  
• Recognized mates do not have to become lifemates, especially if either elf has an existing relationship. However, existing relationships can be expanded - if all so choose - to include the newly Recognized elf. (example: Scouter & Dewshine included Tyleet in their lifemating after Scouter and Tyleet Recognized, but Tyldak and Dewshine never even became lovemates once the demands of Recognition were met)
  
• Recognition is described as 'two bodies with one soul' and Recognized mates share a perpetual empathic bond. Loss of a Recognized mate can cause suicidal frenzies and near-catatonia if the Recognized couple also have emotional ties.
  
• Second Recognitions to a new mate after the death of the first are unlikely within the first several centuries of the first mate's death.
  
• As elves age, their chances for Recognition increase. Genetic sensors become more desperate for a match and become less discriminating. If a new group is encountered, Recognition is almost guaranteed. If not, then Recognition will almost certainly happen with a tribemate known for centuries.
  

Respect for Life

• All elves instinctively respect life.
  
• No elf will take a life needlessly.
  
• Elves do not hunt for sport.
  
• Elves try not to kill their enemies, if they can.
  

Social Customs

• Wolfriders have a full-time chief, but other elf tribes depend on elders to provide leadership and guidance. Crisis leaders are chosen at need for short periods of time.
  
• There is no custom of marriage among elves. Matings are temporary (lovemate) or a serious commitment (lifemate). There are no ceremonies or celebrations for these relationships; it's simply indicated in the terms of endearments the partners use with each other.
  

Wolfriders

• Because of the wolfblood in them, Wolfriders are the most likely to die of old age. It is also why any male Wolfrider older than 500 will have facial hair and none of the other elf tribes do.
  
• All Wolfriders have great skill and ferocity in battle as a result of their wolf blood.
  
• Wolfriders are hunter/gatherers.
  
• The wolves who run with the Wolfriders are descendents of Timmorn, with few exceptions.
  
• All Wolfriders have the Animal Bonding power if used with the wolves of their traditional pack, and the bond is much stronger and deeper than the power is with any other animal.
  
• Wolfriders live by a code call "the way." It is based on the natural cycle of the wolf, life and death, and celebrates the free, wild, hunter's life. Their loyalty, first and foremost, is to the pack and their chief.
  

High Ones

• They had great power on their original world, but the world of two moons greatly diminished their power.
  
• It is assumed all the High Ones are now dead, but that is merely an assumption.
  

Sea Elves *

• Sea Elves have minimal shape-changing ability, shaping gills for time spent in the water, and sealing them for time spent in the air.
  
• Some sea elves are descended from half-shapechanged High Ones and wear mer forms: half elf, half fish.
  
• Most sea elves reside in the tropics for the warm water. There are exceptions, however - such as the Westering Holt sea elves. Ocean vents send a warm current into Westering Bay, allowing the sea elves comfortable and fairly warm waters to live in year-round.
  
• Sea elves live as much in the water as out of it, and some of their members have extremely limited mobility on land.
  

Plainsrunners

• They are hunters/gathers.
  
• They have a nomadic lifestyle, bonding to horses and herding cattle.
  
• Remain in fairly small family groups.
  
• Gather once a year to trade information, celebrate the turning of the seasons, establish new relationships (lovemates, lifemates, Recognitions)
  

Many facts taken from Elfquest: the Official Roleplaying Guide (2nd Edition). Facts altered, adjusted, ignored, changed, or added to as determined necessary by the Holt managers.


Physical Appearance

Below are physical attributes that can be used when you're creating your character.

Hair Color
Silver
Pale Blonde
Golden Blonde
Red-Gold
Red
Red-brown
Dark Blonde/Golden Brown
Light Brown
Dark Brown
Black

There are variations of shade and intensity, but these are the 'base' colors for hair.


Eye Colors
Gray
Gray Blue
Frosty Blue
Baby Blue
Dark Blue
Blue-Green
Green
Violet
Amber
Brown
Black


Eye Types
Narrow (Rayek/Strongbow)
Average, slanted (Cutter)
Average, level (Rainsong)
Rounded (Pike)


Nose Types
Snub nose (Pike)
Straight (Strongbow)
Turned up/short (Cutter)
Downturned (Skywise)


Mouth Types
Overbite (Skywise)
Wide (Pike)
Thin (Voll)
Full (Joyleaf)
Short upper lip (Kahvi)
Small (Dewshine)


Clothing Styles
Short tunic/dress
Pants with tunic
Pants with tucked shirt
Pants with vest/halter
Breeches with tucked shirt
Breeches with vest/halter
Tights with tucked shirt
Tights with tunic
One piece jump suit
Jumpsuit with tunic
Long one-piece dress/robe
Knee length skirt with top


Clothing materials
Leather/skins
Fur
Linen
Wool
Feathers


Footgear
Moccasins
Knee boots
Ankle boots
Sandals


Resource: ElfQuest: The Official Roleplaying Game (2nd Edition)


Ages and Honorifics

Elves reach physical maturity at approximately the same rate that humans do. However, they are immortal or - at least in the case of the Wolfriders - very long lived. This effects the way their tribemates see them. Childhood lasts a long time. Below is a table that explains the different 'stages of life' for an elf.

Age	Honorific
01-20	Child
21-100	Youth
101-400	Adult
401-800	Elder
800+	Ancient

Resource: ElfQuest: The Official Roleplaying Game (2nd Edition)


Elf/Troll/Human Size & Weight Comparison

Below is a height/weight comparison table for adult elves, trolls, and humans. Please keep in mind that these are 'ideal' weights for each, with the assumption that they have average build, bone structure, and musculature.

Human heights/weights are also based on a medium frame.

Weight	Elf	Troll	[tr]Human Female/Male
0-12 lb	N/A	N/A	N/A
13-25 lb	N/A	N/A	N/A
26-37 lb	2’-3’	N/A	N/A
38-51 lb	2’6”-3’6”	N/A	N/A
52-77 lb	3’2”-4’2”	N/A	N/A
78-90 lb	3’4”-4’4”	N/A	N/A
91-108 lb	3’8”-4’8”	N/A	N/A
109-120 lb	4’-5’	N/A	4’10”/NA
121-129 lb	4’6”-5’6”	N/A	4’11”-5’5”/NA
130-142 lb	4’8”-5’8”	3’2”-3’7”	5’2”-5’10”/5’2”-5’6”
143-155 lb	4’10”-5’10”	3’3”-3’8”	5’6”-6’0”/5’4”-5’11”
156-168 lb	5’2”-6’2”	3’4”-3’9”	5’10”-6’0”+/5’8”-6’3”
169-184 lb	5’4”-6’4”	3’5”-3’10”	NA/6’2”-6’4”+
185-201 lb	5’6”-6’6”	3’6”-3’11”	NA/6’3”-6’4”+
202-219 lb	N/A	3’7”-4’	N/A
220-239 lb	N/A	3’8”-4’1”	N/A
240-261 lb	N/A	3’9”-4’2”	N/A
262-287 lb	N/A	3’10”-4’3”	N/A
288-309 lb	N/A	3’11”-4’4”	N/A
310-338 lb	N/A	4’-4’5”	N/A

All Wolfriders "...who are descended more than three generations from those who came to the world have shrunk from the tall, perhaps 6-foot stature of the original elves to a general range of height from about 3'6" to 4'3". Their general weight ranges from 50 to 75 pounds, though the latter weight is rarely reached except by particularly indolent Sun Folk." (ElfQuest: The Official Roleplaying Game, 2nd Edition, page 11)

We are taking some exceptions with this statement and applying it only to Wolfriders. In our interpretation of the world, Plainsrunners and sea elves will retain the height of the High Ones as it better suits their adaptation to the World of Two Moons.



Resource: ElfQuest: The Official Roleplaying Game (2nd Edition) and www.healthchecksystems.com/heightweightchart.htm


Weapons

The World of Two Moons can be savage and cruel, as well as beautiful and plentiful. Elves, being omnivores, hunt for food. Being elves, they too often must fight humans and trolls to survive.

Below are a list of weapons common to the elves.

Hand Weapons
Battleaxe
Hatchet
Trollaxe
Dagger
Heavy mace
Light mace
Wooden club
Quarter staff
Shield
Javelin
Short spear
Long spear
Short sword
Troll sword

Missiles
Arrow Whip
Bow
Blowgun
Crossbow
Sling
Boomerang
Dart
Javelin
Short spear
Talon whip
Throwing axe
Throwing knife
Whip



Resource: ElfQuest: The Official Roleplaying Game (2nd Edition)


Magic

All elves have magic. Most elves' magic is limited to Sending and the talents native to their tribe. However, some few elves have more abilities. If you would like to have an elf with more magic than is naturally given to that particular tribe, please contact the Holt managers to determine the strength of that ability, or if there is room for an elf with that ability.

Remember! MOST elves are the hunters/gatherers, warriors, and providers for their tribe! Magic users are a group apart. It will be required that if you have a magic using elf, you have at least one other elf in the same tribe that isn't a magic user.


Sending (Telepathy): all elves

Magic Feeling: can sense magic, where it has been, how long ago, and what it did.

Shielding: protection from physical and mental harm

Healing: healing of physical injuries.

Levitation – objects/self: ability to levitate objects, people, things.

Bonding – other than Wolf-Bonding: ability to form mental bonds with animals who do not bear elf blood.

Finding (Dowsing): ability to find things: water, objects, etc.

Astral Projection: ability to leave one’s body and travel outside.

Hypnosis (Mind-Stun): ability to stun other people or animals.

Rock Shaping: ability to shape rock.

Metal Shaping: ability to shape and mold metal.

Deep Sense (range, 10 yards): ability to see into the heart and soul of a person or persons. Good for a general ‘sense’ of a person's intentions, but both more and less precise than Sending.



Resource: ElfQuest: The Official Roleplaying Game (2nd Edition)


Skills

All elves possess basic skills and abilities that exceed normal human abilities. However, even among elves, there are those who have an exceptional talent. Dewshine could jump unlike any other Wolfrider. Scouter's sight was highly valued by his tribe.

Each type of elf has evolved particular skills that helped them best in surviving. Wolfrider's learned stealth, agility, tracking, wolf-bonding - the things that kept them hiddent and safe. Sea elves learned swimming and minor flesh-shaping, reading the tides and the moods of the water.

Below is a list of inherent skills all elves have. If you want your elf to be especially skilled or talented in one particular area, let the Holt manager know and we'll work up just how skilled or talented they can be!

Animal Lore: has made a study of animals and their habits.

Climbing: trees, cliffs, mountains, etc.

Communication: storytellers and people communicate clearly and persuasively with others.

Agility: fast, sure, steady, excellent balance and fast reflexes

Elf Lore: history keepers, folk who maintain the oral traditions

Healing Lore: not healers, but herbalists. Elf versions of doctors and nurses, midwives

Human Lore: has made a study of humans and their habits.

Jumping: can jump especially far/high

Language Lore: someone who had a gift for languages and can speak several

Manipulation: dexterous fingers and hands

Mechanical Lore: likes to work with machines or tools

Mineral Lore: elfin geologists

Perception: keen sight, keen hearing, keen nose, keen instincts. Just ONE!

Plant Lore: has made a study of plants.

Riding (animal): someone who is unusually skilled at riding animals.

Stealth: someone who is exceptionally skilled at moving unseen without using magic.

Swimming: someone who is exceptionally skilled at swimming.

Throwing: someone who is exceptionally skilled at throwing something at a target and hitting it.

Troll Lore: has made a study of trolls and their habits



Resource: ElfQuest: The Official Roleplaying Game (2nd Edition)