Half Elves
A good looking race, that combines the positive attributes of both races, humans and elves.
Contents
History of the half-elves
The history of the half-elves started some time after the human race appeared on the world of Dural. In earlier times, when both races coexisted peacefully with one another and mistrust wasn't prevalent, humans and elves interbred and half-elves were born. Though the individuals following from such unions are usually sterile, the half-elves somehow retained the ability to breed. But descendants are rare and so it is always a great pleasure and blessing for half-elves, to have children. If half-elves breed with humans or elves, the typical attributes of the race whose blood flows the most through the half-elf will get stronger again.
Characteristics
Half-elves really look like a mixture of both races: They are as big as humans can be without loosing the elegance and lightness of the elves. Their features aways show something elegant, reminding of the elves. As a relict of their elfin origin they have slight vestiges of pointed eares. They got eyes with a acute gaze and as the elves the ability of infravision. Another characteristic is their "Aura", which unique and only visible amongst half-elves. It appeared for the first time, when the first half-elf was born, as a sign for the union of two foreign races. The aura becomes more and more faint, the more a half-elf has only human or only elvish relatives again. Elves use this phenomenon to "recognize" true members of their race and seperate them from the renegades. So the Aura is not only a sign for the courage and conquest of social frontiers, but also an everlasting reminder of the quarrel between elves and halfelves...The Aura is sometimes visible for very sensible persons or mages, too.
Humans in nowadays are usaully a bit frightened, if they meet half-elves, as they are no more well acquainted with elves and half-elves. It is the well known human part mixed up with something really unfamiliar, that makes them unsure and leads rather to bann the half-elves or to avoid them like the plague, although they are very fascinated by their appeareance. Be that as it may, some humans have a good relationship to the half-elves, though. On the other hand, the elfin relatives now look down upon the half-elves, because they dislike the human touch of half-elves, which makes them look strange and a bit inferior in their eyes.
A half-elf got the thirst for knowledge, imagination and the ambitions of their human ancestors and from their elfin side sensitive senses, love for nature and art. If an half-elf has decided to stand up for a honourable matter, he would give his life, if he had to. Half-elves are extremly good qualified for surviving in nature, even under extreme conditions. Summed up, the half-elves are a really attractive and resistent race, which has to accept being feared and avoided sometimes.
text and artwork by Uta Szymanek
Society
Being avoided many times half-elves are dependent on each other. Trust in each other has a high position in their society and treachery is the worst crime they can think of. They live in small groups in nature, usually far away or well hidden from the other races' settlements, or lone wolf or maybe as an hermit searching their wisdom of live. So the totality of the half-elves is only organized within the small groups, leaded by an usually older and wise man or sometimes a woman. Some groups of half-elves are said to live at the border of the Manadusk Forest in Sabar and in depth of the Maenementon Forest in Cambria.
The lone wolves sometimes meet the small communities and join in for a while, in order to pass knowledge to the younger ones. But the lone wolves are most likely to become a bad character because of being avoided by humans and elves, too. Then they act on the basic princip to repay punishment ten times. Sometimes, if the lone wolves are welcome, they join in groups of adventures or travellers, being a reliable companion. Half-elves defend their group well, if necessary and they agree to share their knowledge with the other party members.
Half-elves don't celebrate often, but on appropriate occasion, for example when a child is born, they make full use of it.
Names of half-elves
The half-elves usually mark their names with "o'" to show their origin. This also goes sometimes for members whose relatives have married members of the human or elvish race over many generations. The following names are used by half-elves living in Cambria:
- o'Diudubdy
- o'Gesacor
- o'Chilmantaar
- o'Byrtildin
- o'Chanor
- o'Prydoe
- o'Eddlorowe
- o'Rustal
- o'Dolite
- o'Tusk
text and artwork by Uta Szymanek
Special types of half-elves
Half-elves can be devided roughly in two types:
- Half-elves, who tend more to their human side: Either alone or organized in groups, the are eager to take part on honourable task in their life. They usually become warriors or rangers, strong, healthy and with the ability to survive in the wilderness. These are the ones, who, for obvious reasons have a good relationship to humans.
- Half-elves, who tend more to their elfin side: They prefer to live retired alone or in groups of individuals having the same conviction. Amongst them clerics and druids are often found. They refuse to give their knowledge to other races except their own one. Some individuals of this type of half-elves has magical abilities mostly concentrated on healing and defence.
text and artwork by Uta Szymanek
