So, the following is the lore on Amian snow elves so far. At this point, changes and additions can still be made, so be very liberal with your criticism and suggestions, from grammar and vocabulary to historical impossibilities and whatever mistakes I may have made.



Overview


Snow elves are among the lesser known of elven subraces, along with avariel, lythari shadow elves and star elves. While their population is probably larger than any of the former, their homes in the endless glacial wasteland of High Ice, the forbidding Great Glacier and the backwater island of Forstakkr are remote enough for any but the most dedicated scholars and the elves' few neighbours to be clueless about this fabled race.

Snow elves are, as the generally accepted theory goes, some kind of an offshoot of wild elves. Both races share the somewhat short and stocky build, heavily muscled but not as graceful as their civilized brethren. Snow elf skin and hair colours vary from ashen shades of gray to crispy white, sometimes even taking on a blue tint. Their eyes are typically blue, gray or silver. They never grow facial hair. Unlike other elves, snow elves aren't particularly beautiful: their facial features are rough and grim, their small eyes deep in their skulls, their jaws more human in shape. You couldn't say they're exactly unattractive, for they are elves, but they seem to lack a certain delicate grace that's made elves across the Realms so envied. Perhaps this is the doing of Fenmaril, a reminder that they are outcasts and different than the rest, or perhaps it is a biological coincidence.

Snow elves live a nomadic life centered on hunting and protecting their territories. They do not have villages or stable meeting points. They're a hard and unrefined folk who care little for outsiders or the trivial pastime activities other elves so fondly refer to as ”culture”. Eating and avoiding being eaten are the two favorite hobbies of a snow elf.

Even if they are naturally resistant to cold, snow elves still wear warm furs and leathers to cover their legs and torso, though they usually leave their arms bare for better mobility in combat. The exception to this are the clergy of Auril who, due to a divine boon, don't seem to be affected by natural cold at all and often wear light leather clothing so as to display the power of their faith. The elves wield crude weapons made of bone, wood and stone, designed for hunting: bows, spears, knives, light axes and clubs. Many tribes do have a small assortment of steel weapons, taken from those unfortunate travellers who intruded upon their territory. Very rarely do they trade with other races for weapons.


History


There is no certainty as to the origins of snow elves, but there are those fair elves in the Moonshaes and Ardeep Forest who still tell a legend that might have some truth in it. During the Crown Wars, the green elven nation of Illefarn had succeeded in staying relatively detached from the worst conflicts. An end to this came a little before Aryvandaar's fall, when coronal Giilvas Vyshaan attacked Illefarn. The nation was almost destroyed and the surviving sylvan elves fled to weakened Shantel Othreier and the unsettled islands of Moonshae. This is well-known history, but the Ardhavian and Moonshavian descendants of Illefarn, and its northern colony of Llewyrr, say it is not the whole truth: there were those tribes in both Illefarn and the Llewyrrwood who refused to flee, and spent years fighting the sun elves with fierce guerilla tactics. Eventually they were pushed further north by the superior Aryvandaarans, whose mages would scry the locations of these rebels and burn their homes with magical fire.

Years later, when the Vyshaanti were defeated and Illefarn was being re-settled, some wild elves came looking for their lost kin. They travelled north along the Spine of the World and all the way to the glacial ice sheet known as Anauroch, today called the High Ice. There they found something that took them by surprise: elves clad in primitive furs, their hair and skin tinted in shades of gray, white and pale blue. Feasting over a still-warm corpse of a huge yeti, the creatures didn't react to their approaching sylvan cousins. Suddenly, ice cracked under the feet of the expedition and they tumbled down into a pit. As they shook off the disorientation, a pale face twisted by anger appeared above the pit, and said: ”We have been exiled from your lands, and so shall you be exiled from ours. You are the ones who left, do not come looking for us.” That was the last this expedition ever saw of the snow elves. When they had managed to climb out of the trap, their shaman attempted divinations to locate the snow elves again, but his vision was blocked by a pair of stern eyes that stared at him from the darkness. That convinced the expedition that the exiles were under Fenmarel's protection, and they returned home.

That is the legend, as told by sages of today's Ardeep and Moonshae. How much of it really happened is unclear, though, and the story is not well-known among other elves around Faerûn and Evermeet. The snow elves themselves do not know this legend, as they don't keep records of history. In fact, they are widely an illiterate race. However, something similar is told among many tribes: snow elves say their lands were taken by other elves, their homes burned and food eaten, and they were driven into the cold North to die. There, Fenmarel Mestarine came to them when no other god would. He made them strong and resiliant to the cold, taught them the lore of the land and showed them how to find food. Many snow elves still believe they are Fenmarel's People, created and protected by the Lone Wolf. They do not know how long ago this exodus and transformation happened, though.

The more recent centuries of snow elven history are slightly better documented by human scholars, surprisingly enough. In -2250 DR, the Great Glacier began to form north of what are today known as the Cold Lands, eventually swallowing the lands encompassing today's Vaasa and Damara. This meant new opportunities for the weak and scattered tribes of snow elves, and many migrated east. Despite competition with the human Ulutiun people, the snow elves were able to find sustenance and territory aplenty in the new magically-born glacier. This resulted in a population boom, spreading snow elves wider and diversifying their culture more than ever before. As they made contact with the Ulutiun, some turned to the worship of Ulutiu, The Eternal Sleeper. Others were lured by Auril the Icedawn. It is unknown which of the snow elves' gods desired to strengthen their people even further, but from some divine source came a vision to the snow elves living on the unhospitable western shores of the High Ice: they would build a ship and sail west, to an uninhabited paradise island rich in food and shelter. Two tribes did, building ships of poor design but good enough to keep them afloat. As soon as they stepped onboard, a mighty blizzard caught their sails and carried them far beyond the Sea of Moving Ice, to the south and west, until they stranded on the shores of a forest-covered island. They named it Ipiutaq'atui, and prospered (in comparison to the even harder life in the glacier) for centuries. This story, as well, is likely coloured by myth. Eventually, human arrived to settle the island, naming it Forstakkr. They built a town with walls and drove the wandering elven tribes deeper into the woods and up the cold mountainside of Firth. There they have dwelled in relatively small numbers up to this day, keeping to themselves, rarely visible to human eyes.


Snow Elf Society


Snow elves are organized into tribes, generally the size of a dozen to two-score elves. These tribes are ruled by a chieftain, the First, who may also be referred to as Eldest if he's the tribe's spiritual leader at the same time. Oftentimes these two are different positions, though. Apart from that, there is very little in the form of social hierarchy among the elves. The tribe is essentially an egalitarian structure, and no difference is made between male and female. Children are raised and cared for collectively, though there is understandably a stronger bond between child and parent. The transition from childhood to maturity happens when the child kills his or her first prey on a hunt. Traditionally, eating the heart of one's first kill is an important ritual that almost all tribes still practice. Upon reaching adulthood, a snow elf gains the right to challenge the chieftain for tribe leadership. The tribe shaman will study omens and speak to gods. If the signs are favourable the challenge must be accepted. While it's no rule, often a newly-ascended chieftain will get to keep his or her position for at least a decade or two, because losing too many of the tribe's best warriors in a short period of time would compromise the success of the whole tribe.

Considering their habitat doesn't particularly facilitate farming, the snow elves are primarily hunters and gatherers. In fact, it is the basis of their culture and the primary activity of their day. Unlike other elves, they have no respect for the arts, songs or stories. The only trace of culture remaining in snow elven society is the host of religious practices and rituals they so revere. When snow elves aren't looking food, they're either preparing for a hunt, eating, sleeping or fighting off intruders to their territory. While the tribes have no stable territories, the elves can still be very territorial: any outsiders are be killed or driven off, and if the elves aren't strong enough to do that, they will move themselves until the intrusion is over with. Elusive as they are, they rarely interact with other races by choice or in a peaceful manner. Outsiders are hated, feared, or at best, distrusted, and anyone who is not of the tribe is an outsider. This even extends to other snow elven tribes, though they're not uncapable of agreements and co-operation if it proves absolutely necessary. A snow elf who leaves his tribe is thereafter considered an outsider, and will not be welcome back without the chieftain's approval. This doesn't apply to individuals on a particular mission for the tribe, of course, but such quests are unusual.


The snow elves make little difference between outsiders of various races, though they too hold a special contempt for the drow. They have long since forgotten why this is, but it is an established tradition or perhaps a biological urge. They react to the races of their habitat with due pragmatism, which often means responding to hostility in kind. The humans of Forstakkr they despise, but the ones in the Great Glacier have some understanding for the Ulutiun peoples. Old legends still remind them of the violence elves acted upon them, so many consider the Fair Folk little better than drow. In fact, the snow elves don't generally think of themselves as elves at all. Other races know little about snow elves, and therefore there's no commonly accepted attitude towards the individuals that might be encountered outside of their tribal society. Elves are often suspicious of these mutated outcasts who despise elven tradition, but the prejudice is rarely strong enough not to be overcome by snow elven individuals who wish to prove otherwise. Few snow elves have any desire to make that effort, though. They prefer to be left alone and have little reason not to give other races the same courtesy.


Religion


The nomadic lifestyle of snow elves doesn't favour the construction of large temples, and neither does their tribal organization facilitate organized religion. Fortunately, their usual patron deities don't demand such tribute, anyhow. Snow elven tribes usually have one chief spiritual leader: either a cleric, shaman or a druid. Sometimes he or she is also the tribe chieftain, othertimes simply an advisor. In tribes that follow the latter model, the godspeaker is typically known as Eldest, whereas the mundane leader is called the First. The Eldest is responsible for reading omens and consulting the gods in regards to important decisions, appeasing animal spirits after great hunts, guiding the spirits of the dead into the afterlife and, of course, healing whatever wounds and illnesses the tribe suffers from. On Forstakkr, the snow elves are particularly skilled at interpreting the Aurora Borealis in the sky. It is believed the spirits of the dead, if probably guided, will arise into the heavens and shine their guiding light on future generations. Communing with the ancestors directly is rarely done, as a skilled reader can learn an answer to most questions simply by interpreting the northern lights. Under the Eldest, any number of apprentices and lesser healers partake in the tribe's daily life with their own talents. Even if the tribes don't build regular temples or shrines, every tribe Eldest maintains some form of a shrine to the tribe patron, whether it's a portable altar or a different blessed rock, hill or grove in every new place they travel to. Particularly devoted individuals may have their own private shrines, as is particularly typical among the faithful of Fenmaril.

Snow elves worship various animal and nature spirits, some of them actual divine entities and others merely imagined. However, there are three real deities that serve as the snow elves' typical patrons: Fenmarel Mestarine, Auril and Ulutiu. Snow elves learned the worship of the Eternal Sleeper from the human tribes of the Great Glacier, and very few individuals revere him in the High Ice and farther west. The tribes in Anauroch and Forstakkr are roughly seperated in two: those who remain loyal to the Lone Wolf and those who've succumbed to the worship of the Frostmaiden. Sometimes, entire tribes change their allegiance as their spiritual leader is killed and one of the opposing faith manages to seize the position. The snow elves have a very practical attitude towards religion, and generally respect the clergy of both deities, provided they serve the tribe and their rivalry doesn't put the community to risk. Both deities, along with an assortment of other ones from Umberlee and Akadi to Malar and Mielikki (depending on which ones the tribe knows of) are given due respect and appeasement, either way. Curiously, with perhaps the occasional exception of Solonor Thelandira, Fenmaril is the only elven deity the snow elves pay their respects to.


Snow Elves as PCs


Snow elves rarely wander out of their freezing homelands. Those who do are either tribeless outcasts or on some sort of a quest for their tribe. The latter return home as soon as the task is complete, but the former can have any number of motives for adventuring. Snow elven society does not cherish goodly intent, and therefore they are virtually always neutral or evil in alignment. Every snow elf is taught the basic skills of survival so that they might benefit the tribe. That's why they all have at least some levels in ranger, fighter, barbarian or druid. Those who wander out into the world or pursue a career in the clergy may take on other classes. Arcane magic isn't practiced among snow elves.

Snow elves are normally illiterate, for their tradition is passed on by word of mouth. They speak both Common and Elven, but during their interaction with the Ulutiun of the Great Glacier they also picked up the language of those humans. Eventually it evolved into a unique verbal language, called In'innatuin. It's known only to snow elves, but the vocabulary is quite similar to that of the original speech.

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this is really good iron, and it does have some of the ideas I myself was thinking of that would fit them. I do have some questions though.

1.) What do snow elves call themselves?
2.) what do other elves know about snow elves?
3) how is the snow elves' elven different from normal elven?
4.)What do they think of magic?

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made by Gem.
Elven information links

1. I don't know. I would assume something like the People or the Tribe would suffice, unless you want to bastardize some Inuit language and come up with a new word.

2. I think it was covered well enough?






Unless your character is Ardhavian, Moonshavian, lives on the edges of either of the large glaciers of Toril or is an Amian who has encountered/heard about snow elves in Forstakkr, it's very likely the character doesn't even know of their existance. If they do, it's considered myth, much like lythari and avariel (though the latter are better-known than either lythari or snow elves).

3. I'm not a linguist. It's understandable but different in advanced vocabulary, suffice to say. They apparently speak both Elven and the bastardized Ulutiun language.

4. Divine magic is important, as has been covered. They don't practice arcane magic, and therefore arcane magic is only wielded by outsiders. That makes it, by definition, unwanted. They're superstitious but know divine magic well enough not to cower in undue fear if a mage were to cast cantrips, in all likelyhood.

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Thank you very much for this Lore Iron. This has helped me finish my concept of my character and I will soon request him.

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thanks iron, as for question number 3, I am mainly wondering how would a normal elf from say evermeet understand snow elven? would they be able to communicate? easily or with some difficulty?

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made by Gem.
Elven information links

Awkwardly, probably, but it's understandalbe like I said.

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I've combined the lore with whats found on the sidebar and put it on the wiki. Bloody nice work Iron.

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...Hereof follows that the social contract is only beneficial as long as all have something and none have too much...
- Rousseau Book 1 Chapter 9 in "The Social Contract"

I would suggest to copy it to the lore thread as well. I always look there for the lore I need, even before I visit the wikiamia page.

I am thinking on making a full elf for a while, snow elves seems quite interesting.

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Signature by Qualiz

Del's Characters Entry - Amiawiki.

It will be in the R&L topic that discusses character races, once it's finished. The purpose of posting it here first is to get some feedback and edit as needed.

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Very nicely done and incorporated the ideas I gave too around Illefarn. I have often thought about Ulutiu and how his alignment is around lawful and could never quite fit that in with Elves being chaotic in nature. Given that most Snow Elves are either NE, NN or CN I guess there might also be snow elves who are a bit more LE or LN in alignment to worship him?

One other question is around art. I would think that most wild tribes would practice drumming at the very least no? Tribal drumming would fit in nicely with their culture, but I'm guessing you're trying to discourage bardic classes (with their arcane magic)?

Still I can't see why Bards can't be part of Snow Elven culture given that it could fit around the Shamanistic Drumming etc...

There's one spelling mistake in one of the last paragraphs. But should be put.

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Illithira Frostmaiden (Snow Elf) Guardian of the Frostfell
Elithiel Issatheerin (Shadow Elf) She who Lurks
Isolia Oussea'lylth (Sun Elf) Apprentice Wizardess

You get it, Iron! Nice stuff.

I've never been all that convinced about elves being Chaotic. They appreciate freedom, for certain, but they also know honour, their coronals and nobility rule with absolute authority (it's often been said that an elven nation faithfully adheres to the decision of their ruler(s) after it's done) and they've formed very advanced societies during history. Their Chaotic nature is only one aspect of their personality, and they can be quite lawful in other ways.

To snow elves, this translates as an adherence to tradition and tribal law. If the Eldest reads the omens and says a youth cannot challenge the First this year, then the aspiring champion will generally obey tradition and wait for a fitting moment. If the First says a tribe member must go hunt a snow beast alone as penance for some crime, then it's done. (Unless, of course, the criminal doesn't care for the tribe and tradition.) I can see Lawful elves of all subraces as quite common, though it really depends on what you mean with the Chaos-Law axis. Is it adherence (or lack thereof) to mundane law and tradition, an orderly/unpredictable mindset, respect of either the individual or the community, or perhaps loyalty to some supernatural idea of Chaos or Law?

But much more important than deity alignment and dogma is cultural influence. Most people in Rashemen worship Mielikki, Mystra and Chauntea whether they're evil or good, because that's the faith of the land. An elf worships the Seldarine, even if he's an industrous, Lawful inventor who might very well find Gond a more fitting patron. Those elves who live on the Great Glacier, a magical chunk of ice created by the deity will have picked up the worship from the only other folk they occasionally interact with, the Ulutiun people. When the gods are real and you know it, you generally worship all of them. Banites worship Ilmater, goodly sailors worship Umberlee, farmers ask Malar not to eat their cattle, even if it's just appeasement worship rather than reverance worship (Ed's discussed these two forms of worship online). The snow elves rarely even get to know very many gods, so they'll obviously pick up the worship of those who they learn about and who have dominion over some portion of snow elven life, in Ulutiu's case, the glacier they call home.

As for art, I'd say that their music is related to religious practice. In shamanistic cultures, drumming is often used as part of the shaman's spiritual journey to contact the spirit world. In many "primitive" cultures, unless I'm mistaken, drumming is often part of plays that have religious signifigance, such as re-enacting deeds of ancestors, the creation of the world or whatnot. So, I'd say whatever music they practice (drumming, most likely) isn't done for the sake of entertainment or art, but religion. They don't have time or interest for revelry.

Bards aren't the only class with musical skill. Even I know how to play the guitar and piano, but I'm hardly a master who can invoke supernatural effects with music or cast arcane cantrips. Perhaps some sort of skalds would be possible among snow elves, but the bard class is far from appropriate to simulate it, IMO.

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http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak- ... 6_5979.jpg

This should be part of Snow Elf lore as well. A nice illustration of how they look like in their environment.

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Say 'no' to JSBF!

When dealing with 'exotic' tribal cultures, the alignment system's many flaws become even more obvious than usual, IMO. I guess, mostly because (I think) game designers have used alignment to convey that barbarians behave in a way that deviates from the civilized norm, suggesting relativism, as they appear chaotic to civilized people, but then you have spells like Detect Law etc, which hammers in the absolution of the alignment system.

For instance, every barbarian I have encountered in a DnD Game has been a noble savage cliché (Daelan the Red Tiger), with a super lawful approach to life (honoring tribal tradition, family etc), while being mechanically 'chaotic' to fulfil the required alignment of the barbarian class.

Alignments suck. Especially along the Law/Chaos Axis!

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To err is human; to forgive divine, but VENGEANCE IS MINE!

Exactly my thoughts! I'd apply the same to elves in general, because humans see them as chaotic for running in the woods whenever they feel like it, for favouring natural beauty and individualism rather than efficency in architecture and many other practical fields, etc. Honestly, I can't bring myself to see the Chaotic nature of beings whose lives are full of serenity, dedication and care in all undertakings, careful contemplation before acting, fealty and loyalty to the People, the gods and the realm's ruler, and a deep respect for ancestors and one's ancestry.

Same goes for barbarians; I've often thought they should be Lawful. The only "chaotic" aspect about them would be the Rage ability, and I don't accept that dismissing careful planning in combat makes you a chaotic person. Similarly, a monk could very well devote his life to the ideal of change, changing course and doing whatever the shifting tides of the multiverse lead him to do at any given moment.

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Disco. That one got me a bellyache because it made me laugh so hard! xD

Sorry about the Off-Topic comment, Iron. I shall post no more, unless if it's On-Topic. ^^;

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BlackDahlya

Once Upon A Time Played
Adr'ael Ken'rahel, Auron Teken’ath, Aurora Mesodias, 'Daniel' Daoskinaxarijikkym, Eilin'ira, Helena Rios, Layla Faircurrent, May'Une Do'Ndar, Mellinda Tellus, Michael of Cliffside, Rizzen of Twilight, Valkirya d'Claddath