Elf, High

Description: The ancient origins of the high elves are a legacy of tragedy and conflict, a series of events that has profoundly affected the development of the Quel’dorei. The high elves are a stark contrast to their nocturnal cousins, the night elves (or Kaldorei). Embracing the light of the sun and forsaking the night, the high elves are the descendants of the very elves who served Azshara in the time of the Well of Eternity. The Kaldorei regard the high elven penchant for using arcane magic as careless, akin to a foolish child playing with fire. The schism that separates the Highborne elves and the night elves is one so ancient that no amount of diplomacy or offerings of peace can soothe the scars of history. The arrogance of the high elves led to the War of the Ancients and ultimately to the downfall of the golden age of elven civilization. Through the reckless use of arcane magic, the high elves allowed darkness to seep into the world and corrupt Azeroth. Even now, the high elves find  themselves enslaved to the very thing that often destroys them. Arcane magic is a powerful drug to the high elves and it can be a lure to a dark and perilous path. Yet too many wield it as if they were doing no harm, and few but the oldest and most sage can recall the true reasons why the use of such magic is a dangerous and potentially damning practice. Regardless of the risks, some high elves press onwards to revel in the euphoria and power that the use of magic brings them. The high elves are a tragic example of a race in decline. Their centuries of arcane practice have led them into an ever-tightening downward spiral. Now there are few true Quel’dorei left. Most have gone with Kael’thas Sunstrider to become the blood elves, and in doing so have allied with the sworn enemies of elvenkind, the naga. Now the scant remaining Quel’dorei are typically those who have embraced the Light and seen past the powers of arcane magic and darkness. Distrusted by almost all of the races, the remaining high elves are pariahs in an age when there is little left for them but a life of mistrust and woe. Appearance: High elves stand slightly taller than humans do. A high elf is usually a little over 6 feet in height and weighs between 100 to 175 pounds, depending on gender. The elves are slim, with sharp symmetrical features, often an exaggeration of perfect beauty. The high elves are uniformly fair in complexion, with white to flaxen colored hair. Their eyes are incredibly intense in color, seeming to glow with an inner light. While many high elves have blue or green eyes, violet and red are not unheard of.

Region: The high elves are a people without a home, now dwelling in the lands of humans after the forces of Prince Arthas and the lich Kel’Thuzad destroyed the city of Quel’Thalas. Now, most of the remaining true high elves dwell among humans, living in small communities and villages. Many of the high elves journeyed with Prince Kael’thas, the last leader of the Sunstrider dynasty, to join with Illidan and the naga. These elves eschewed their high elven ancestry in search for some way to placate their magical addiction and became the blood elves. This change has forced the high elves into decline, causing them to doubt the future of their onceproud race and drawing animosity toward them from other races who feel that the high elves have betrayed the Alliance.

Affiliation: Alliance. Most of the high elves have placed themselves under a self-imposed exile, ashamed of the damage that they have wrought upon the world of Lordaeron with their abuse of arcane magic. While humans still accept the high elves because of the aid that both races provided each other during the most recent attacks of the Burning Legion, many of the other races will only deal with the high elves if absolutely necessary. This is especially true after the acts of Kael’thas Sunstrider. The night elves in particular do not care for the company of high elves and in some cases can be openly hostile toward their sun-blessed brethren. The passing of time may heal these wounds, but the use of arcane magic will always draw a rift between these two breeds of elf.

Faith: High elves who embrace the path of religion take on the mantle of the Holy Light, sharing in the same faith as dwarves and humans. While this philosophydoes not penetrate deeply into high elven society, those who do follow the path of the Holy Light are much more approachable than most.

Names:The past is a burden to the high elves, yet they maintain naming rituals that are millennia old. Many of the names of elven priests and heroes have become the names used for elves in modern times. The high elves share a connection with the sun that is quite prevalent in their choice of family names.

• Male Names: Mariel, Athaniar, Anandor, Tharama,Viridiel, Malanior.

• Female Names:Anarial, Freja, Driana, Coria, Alanassori, Azshara.

• Family Names:  Boughstrider, Dawnblade, Lightbringer, Morningray, Suntreader.

High Elf Racial Traits
• +2 Intellect, – 2 Stamina. The high elves are magically adept; however, their willowy builds are frail.

• Medium: As Medium creatures, high elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

• High elven base land speed is 30 feet.

• Low-Light Vision: High elves can normally see two times farther than a human can in starlight, moonlight, torchlight and similar conditions of poor illumination. High elves retain the ability to                                         distinguish color under these conditions.

• Magic Addiction: High elves are addicted to the use of arcane magic. A high elf must spend 1 hour eachmorning in meditation, resisting the distractions of addiction, or take a –1 penalty to                                        effective caster level for all arcane spells and a –2 penalty on all saving throws against spells for that day. Devoting time to resisting the addiction is unnecessary if the high elf                                is within 50 feet of a moonwell. If the high elf is able to drink directly from a moonwell, the addiction abates for a number of days equal to the high elf’s Spirit modifier (minimum                                  of 1 day).

• Racial Animosity: Night elves and tauren can instinctively sense the disturbing innate arcane energies that addict the high elves. Because of this, high elves suffer a –2 circumstance penalty on                                 all Charisma-based skill checks made when relating directly to night elves and tauren.

• Weapon Proficiency: High elves receive for free the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the longbow, composite longbow, short sword, and longsword.

• +2 racial bonus on saving throws against mindaffecting spells or effects.

• '''+2 racial bonus on Concentration, Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft skill checks. '''These skills are also considered class skills for all high elf characters.

• Automatic Languages: Common and Thalassian.

• Bonus Languages: Darnassian, Dwarven, Goblin, Kalimdoran, Orcish.

• Racial Levels: Unlike humans and some other races, high elves can take a few levels in “high elf” as a class to develop their racial qualities more fully.

• Favored Class: Mage. A multiclass high elf’s mage class does not count when determining whether he suffers an experience point penalty for multiclassing (see Chapter 3: Classes, “Multiclass Characters,” XP for Multiclass Characters).

High Elf Levels
High elves can take up to three levels in “high elf” at any time. A high elf with racial levels embarks on an inner quest to master the arcane energies that tempt him and disrupt his day-to-day existence. High elf levels stack with an arcane spellcasting class level for purposes of determining caster level for spells. If the high elf has two arcane spellcasting classes, add the racial levels to the higher of the two. This increase in caster level stacks with that provided by the increased caster level ability.

Hit Die: d8. Skill Points at 1st Character Level:(2+Int modifier) x4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

“Class” Skills:Concentration (Sta), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (arcana)                           (Int), Listen (Spt), Sense Motive (Spt), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Spt). See Chapter 5: Skills for skill descriptions.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency:High elves with levels only in high elf (no actual class                                                       levels) are proficient in the use of simple weapons,                                                          their standard racial weapon proficiencies and light armor. Spell-Like Abilities:A high elf with an Intellect of 10 or higher can cast four 0-level spells chosen from                                                         the arcanist spell list each day as spell-like abilities. His caster level is that of a mage of his racial level.

Increased Caster Level (Ex):All arcane spells are cast at +1 caster level, except for spell-like abilities.

Empower Magic (Ex): Once per day, the high elf may apply the Empower Spell feat to an arcane spell as he casts it. The spell does not take any additional time to cast and does not use a                                                higher-level spell slot.