Saturday, 10. December 2005
Dlabraddath

Elves

The elves are one of the major races of the Realms. They are known as the fair folk and the long lived, and once ruled large sections of the Realms after the time of the dragons and before the coming of humankind. Now the majority have retreated from the onslaught of humankind, seeking quieter forests or refuges, and their numbers in the Realms are a fraction of those even a thousand years ago.

The elves of the Forgotten Realms are of human height, but of a much more delicate build. Their fingers and hands are half-again as long as a human's, and delicately tapered. Elves are said by some people to be flighty and not dependable. Some elves, especially wild and sylvan elves, have a mischievous sense of humour and can be unpredictable and even fickle, but others have a serene and dignified manner. They are a very graceful and dexterous race, and can be strikingly beautiful. Elves have an affinity with magic and although the high magic was lost to Fearun they are still some of the most powerful mages in the Forgotten Realms.

Cormanthyr - Empire of the Elves

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© Meilin Wong


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© Robert Chang

Half Elves

Half elves are always a mix of elven and human. Those extremely rare beings that are a cross with another race are given other names, and described elsewhere (n.b. These are not part of official Forgotten Realms material). The mix is not necessarily half and half – but they are always at least 50% elven. They either have an elven parent or at least two elven grandparents. The exception to this is those half elves born in a half elven community. The offspring of two half elves will also be a half-elf.

The children of those half elves who mate with elves are themselves considered to be half elves.


In fact elves will always consider any being that has human somewhere in their ancestry to be a half elf, no matter how small the proportion of human blood in their veins.

Yuirwood - Half Elves of the Forgotten Realms

The Halflings

The name halfling is a term used by other races and considered a misnomer by halflings. They refer to others as “big folk” and to themselves as the Hin, or “small folk.”

There are two other key things you need to know before you can begin to understand halflings.

Just like their notoriously large appetites for food Halflings have a huge appetite for life. They fling themselves into everything they do to experience it to the full. They are joyful optimists, full of curiosity and ingenuity; life is full of new experiences and pleasure.

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© Rafal Hrynkiewicz


Halflings love to poke fun at “the big folk” when they take themselves too seriously. They seldom grieve, and never for the loss of material things. However when they do grieve, they do so with all their heart. When a member of the family dies halflings are overwhelmed by grief for weeks if not months. When it is a spouse this intense grief can dominate the rest of their lives.

The heart of halfling life, the centre of all that they do is home. However to a halfling home is not a place, home is people. The extended family or commonwealth of several clans is home – no matter where they happen to be. Whole clans can migrate from one village to another, and the big folk can mistakenly think halflings are rootless and unsettled. However the truth of it is when the families move the take their roots and their “home” with them.

Beluir - Halflings Hin

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© Johnny Gruelle

Gnomes are one of the “small folk” races. Depending on subrace they range from 2 to 3 ½ feet in height. The size of a gnomes head in proportion to her body height is the same as in a human. However, the face is proportionally larger, especially the ears. Gnomes have strong bones, a wiry muscle build and a good immunity – they are tough. However as they are so much smaller than a human, they tend to be less strong.

Gnomes have excellent hearing, possibly as a result of their large ears. They spend a considerable amount of their time underground (svirfneblins spend all their time underground) and they enjoy the light of the moon and stars as much as the sun.


It is not surprising that they see well in low light conditions. Gnomes have somewhat prominent noses, and find very large noses attractive. Their sense of smell is as keen as their hearing, and they frequently use this in their practice of the alchemical arts.

High Haspur - Gnome Artificers of the Realms

Elminster is a white haired, grey bearded human with a gruff voice, a twinkle in his dancing eyes and non-descript clothing. His weathered face is now finally showing the signs of his age. Like his onetime apprentice Vangerdahast, this ancient wizard is finally starting to seem truly old, prone to long reveries in which he sees again people and places now long vanished. This is not surprising as records place his birth in Athalantar at 212 DR; and his entry to Myth Drannor as a young prince at 241 DR.

Elminster smokes a meerschaum pipe and can drink heavily without apparent ill effects. He can be witty and clever in conversation if he so desires, or haughty, or charming or terrible and commanding. As he has grown older, Elminster has become more whimsical, given to sudden impulses and doing things "for the hell of it."

Sha'Quessir Isyar - Elminster Elf Friend and Wizzard

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© Sylvia Polster


Welcome to the Dlabraddath. This consists of an umbrella site, Dlabraddath, and a group of subsidiary sites celebrating the Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) Elves, Half Elves, Drow, Halflings, Humans and Gnomes especially those of the Forgotten Realms. It includes information on language; culture; physical description; physical and mental attributes; psychology; life cycle; relations with other races; races (subraces); history; music; architecture; pantheons or gods (including the Seldarine and the Drow pantheon), societies and much more. It also includes a site devoted to the most famous human citizen of Myth Drannor ~ Elminster.

Dlabraddath (English)
Enjoy!
Category: Fantasy & Utopia |


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