Elves, Winged (3.5e Race)

Winged Elves

Introduction

The winged elves, known as Avariel by other elven races, are a species of mercenary elves who took it upon themselves to make the world a more peaceful place for the elves. They never do anything without considering the effect it would have on their species and elves in general. The winged elves fought in six major wars; the first, a fight for control over the skies against the dragons, left the winged elf population severely crippled. The second was a civil war against a hawk-worshipping cult that had sprung up in their midst, which eventually ended when the Avariel banished them and took from them their power of flight. However, the ousted cult members quickly used magic to take up traits of the hawk, and became the "Raptorans". The third war saw goblins trying to take control of the forest for usage of the mining veins, which brougt them into conflict with the Avariel in the region. The goblins allied with the Raptorans to try to take over the forest, but the elves fled through the haven realm, taking their beloved forests with them. After that, the five beacons were placed; all that belonged to the winged elves was replaced with desert, inhospitable to all but their thri-kreen allies, who guard the desert till they return from the haven realm. Many years later, Kurtalmak and Grumush hid the misty isle in the haven realm - and 10,000 years later, the Avariel returned to a realm that was somehow worse than they had left it.

Personality

A winged elf is much like any other elf. They are patient and aloof, but quickly rise to anger in defense of their people and culture.

Physical Description

Avariel resemble half-elves in many physical features, though they have wings. They average around 4'5" to 6'4" tall and weigh approximately 80 to 150 pounds, with men the same height and only marginally heavier than women. The full grown winged elves generally possess a ten foot wingspan. Due to their close racial relationship with the unknown, An Avariel hears the call of death sooner, causing them to cherish life even more so than their land bound cousins. They reach adulthood at 20 and can live to be a little older than 180 years. They tend to be pale-skinned with eyes slightly larger than their cousins.

Avariel usually have long white or black hair. Rare exceptions are usually thought of as being omens or closer to the divine and result in being granted positions of power. These exception sometimes have eyes of the same color.Like other elves they do not have any facial or body hair. From their back feathered wings arise that are long, soft, and are usually black and white in color. Their angelic nature gifts Avariel with unnatural beauty. Some Avariel tend to take advantage of their Angelic appearance and presence by making humans do their bidding or keeping them away from certain areas.

Avariel wings are extremely susceptible to fire. Keeping their wings away from open flames is a priority, leading them to distrust anyone, especially wizards, who wields fire, even those of the elven race. If their wings do sustain a burn it will take 1d6 weeks to fully recover. They have hollow bones weighing about 1/3 the humanoid norm to allow their wings to carry them aloft, but this also make their bodies frail. If one of these creatures loses half their health they will glide to the ground, unable to continue flight. If they lose 75% of their vitality while airborne they will plummet to the surface and likely die on impact.

Relations

Dwarves are hard for winged elves to get along with because of their opposite domains and behaviors. The only thing they share is sometimes the general region. Gnomes are a bit easier to get along with, but not that much due to domain. They share a common usage of magic. Orcs are hated by the winged elves and so is their spawn half orcs. They view all elves as friends, even evil species, because the winged elves believe that all elves should live together in unity regardless of the past and would go to the lengths of slaying a deity to achieve that unity. Winged elves view humans as corrupters of the elves and do not understand them and their practices. Previously the winged elves viewed them as allies, but because of all the damage dealt to the wilderness by the humans and the prevention of the creation of full blooded elves by mating with elves, they are regarded with fear. Half elves are viewed as a race that can be helped because winged elves have spells that can bring out their elvish blood, however they believe that any who turn them down on these offers is viewed as a lost cause. Winged elves hate dragons because they were nearly driven to extinction by them. Winged elves have great relationships with treants, centaurs and good & neutral fey. Winged elves view halflings as allies and will often help guard halfling caravans winged elves and halflings share the same love of family. Winged elves hate raptorans and view them as traitors and will kill them on sight in the wilderness. Winged elves also hate goblins for war with them forced them to flee to the haven realm. Winged elves regard lizardfolk as allies as they too live in harmony with nature.

Alignment

There are few pockets of the Avariel race left in the world. Even still, most live their lives to their full extent and would rather die than to be confined to the an abundance of laws. "Do unto others as you would do unto yourself" and "If it harms none, then it can be done." are some of the words most clans live by.

• Chaotic Neutral

Classes

- adept: normal, even weak spellcasters are useful to the winged elves;
- aristocrat: rare, there is almost no winged elf noble families;
- barbarian: none, winged elves shun these uncivilized people;
- bard: abundant, winged elves love music;
- beguiler: common, enchantments are loved by winged elves;
- cleric: common, the Winged Elves are particularly religious,but do not try to preach their beliefs.
They almost exclusively worship Aerdrie Faenya, the Elven Goddess of Air and Weather.
- commoner: none, winged elves are extremely war-ready;
- dragon shaman: none (pre 5th war) or uncommon (after 5th war, metallic & green only);
- druid: abundant, druids were created by the winged elves;
- duskblade: common (obvious);
- expert: normal;
- fighter: common;
- monk: none, winged elves are not bound by the law in their beliefs;
- paladin: none (see cleric);
- ranger: abundant;
- rogue: common;
- sorcerer: none, until after 5th war;
- warrior: abundant, war ready people;
- wizard: abundant, needless to say;

Lands

Winged elf settlements are very isolated. Most are in environments where flightless creatures would have a hard time finding them, such as on mountains or caves in the sides of sheer cliffs. Others, driven by their elven connection with nature, tend to inhabit gigantic forests and live in the treetops.

Religion

Winged Elves are particularly religious, but do not try to preach their beliefs. Like the aquatic elves, the avariels acknowledge the Seldarine as a whole and pay lip service to most of these elven deities, holding a special reverence for a single member of that pantheon above all others-- in their case Aerdrie Faenya, the elven goddess of the skies, weather, and avians of all sorts. Although they do not elevate their religious beliefs to the level of fanaticism, the avariel as a whole are deeply religious, and the thought of not venerating a deity is alien and unwholesome to most them. Avariels believe that it is due to Aerdrie Faenya's intervention that they are able to survive at all. Ages ago, Aerdrie Faenya gifted the avariels with their wings because she knew that they would face great trials and danger in the future and would need the advantage of flight if they to have any hope of survival. Avariels also believe that she takes a more direct hand in their lives than do the gods of the other elves. Avariels often attribute to Aerdrie Faenya's intervention events that most other races would view as simply fortuitous coincidences.

Language

Winged elves speak old elven, old common and elven. They can learn any language, including dead languages and dialects, with time. Using up two languages, they can also learn a secret language.

History

Once the winged folk were found almost everywhere as mercenaries, adventurers, and scholars. Men greatly desired to have them as scouts and messengers (not to mention as regulars) in their armies. The winged folk even organized bands of 50 to 100 mercenaries to hire out to more mundane races, The winged folk fit in well with humans and demi-humans, and for hundreds of years there was much interaction between the races.

Some 2,000 years ago, King lmruk of the city state of Erlacor (now in ruins) sought to overthrow the High King of all the land. The High King had turned to demon worship. lmruk intended to put a halt to this exercise of evil power, and the movement to oust the High King became nigh unstoppable when Hawkwing, king of the winged folk, proclaimed that because the High King had sacrificed several winged folk to the demons, the winged folk warriors would gather into an army and aid Imruk’s effort, With command of the air provided by the winged folk, lmruk was able to crush the High King’s armies. The last battle of the uprising was fought on the plain to the north of the High King’s capital. The winged folk Clerics called upon their gods for aid, and their prayers were rewarded when the High King’s demons were destroyed by the gods’ wrath. Seeing his demons and his army being destroyed, the High King called down a curse upon the winged folk and upon Imruk, proclaiming that lmruk would become as he, but less than he, and would die for treachery. Seconds after proclaiming that curse, the High King fell dead with scores of arrows in his body as Imruk’s warriors burst through the High King’s last defenses. lmruk was awed by, and apprehensive of, the power the winged folk had shown. He feared that unless he acted quickly, he would rule only by their sufferance. Therefore, lmruk invited Hawkwing to bring the winged folk army to Imruk’s encampment the following day so he could give the winged warriors great rewards for their part in winning the battle.

The following day the winged folk army landed in the designated area in the center of Imruk’s camp. As soon as the air was no longer stirred by the beating of wings, Imruk’s archers fired upon the winged folk, and only a few of them again reached the safety of the sky. Hawkwing was one who escaped. Three days later he killed lmruk in a raid upon the camp, but was himself mortally wounded. Thus did lmruk die for his treachery, and was ruin wrought upon the winged folk, just as the High King’s curse had prophesied.

The winged folk lost 80 percent of their male population and many of their female Clerics and Magic-Users in the ambush, even though many of Imruk’s men were also slain. The best estimates of the winged folk population at the time of the ambush placed their numbers at around 50,000, including 40 percent males, 40 percent females and 20 percent children. Most of the females and all of the children did not go to Imruk’s camp and thus were spared. Before he died, Hawkwing charged his successor with the responsibility of removing the winged folk from their relationships with other human and demi-human beings. Hawkwing’s successor followed this order, secreted the remaining winged folk from the society of men, and thus the winged folk began their long and slow recovery from the disaster into which Hawkwing had unwittingly led his people. During their self-imposed exile, the only outside contact the winged folk had was through their friends, the elves and half-elves, who served as their intermediaries in trading and commerce.

In the last few years, winged folk have begun to move back into the mainstream of human affairs, establishing trade, hiring out as mercenaries, and traveling throughout the world in search for adventure. But the leaders say they will never again involve great numbers of their people in the battles of humans.

• Source: Lanox, William "The Winged Folk" Dragon Magazine #51 July 1981: PG. 19

Romantic behavior

In winged elf culture young are produced to keep the species alive, only sometimes out of love. Winged elves mate for life (until their own death), but will reproduce with others if the community demands it (example: different subspecies). Winged elves, often being immortal, will spend immensely long periods of time alone with their loves. To avariels mating is an optional practice and doesn't happen before adulthood.

Names

A winged elf receives a name from both parents, a clan name, and a within clan name for each clan (only one after adulthood ceremony). She/he can also gain a childhood nickname, any names acquired from other cultures (as marks of acceptance), any adulthood nicknames, and the right of passage name.

Racial Traits

Winged Elf

• +4 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma: Winged elves are often aloft so they developed better strength and dexterity. Due to their flight, they are more graceful, even on land.
• Humanoid (elf, feyblood)
• Medium-size: No bonuses or penalties however when aloft treat as large size for AC purposes.
• Winged elf base land speed is 30 feet: Winged elves have a glide speed of 40ft and a fly speed of (30 at level 1 with average maneuverability 40 at level 5 with good maneuverability and 50 at level 10 with perfect maneuverability).
• Dark vision magical and non magical darkness
• +2 to Spot, Move Silently, Survival, Search, Knowledges, and Perform. These skills are added to a winged elves class list.
• Automatic Languages: Elven & Avariel. Bonus Languages: Any (including secret languages but they count as two languages an they can learn old languages[mainly in ancient tomes or ruins])
• Favored Class: Druid and Ranger
• Level Adjustment: +0
• Proficient with all Elvin equipment

Vital Statistics

Table: Winged Elf Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Simple	Moderate	Complex
60 years	+4d6	+6d6	+10d6

Table: Winged Elf Aging Effects

Middle Age1	Old2	Venerable3	Maximum Age
2500 years	4000 years	5000 years	N/A (immortal) years
At middle age, −1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At old age, −2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At venerable age, −3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

Table: Winged Elf Random Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	6' 5"	+2d6"	125 lb.	× 1d4 lb.
Female	6'	+2d6"	115 lb.	× 1d4 lb.

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