The majority of Faerûn’s sun elves live on Evermeet, having abandoned what remained of their ancient realms during the centuries following the falls of Illefarn and Cormanthyr. They are only now returning to the mainland to reestablish their presence there. The sun elves are famed for their command of both arcane and divine magic, which exceeds that of any other living race. Works of elven high magic thousands of years old still survive in the hidden refuges of the sun elves.
Sun elves are responsible for the majority of the great elven cities of legend, although other elven sub-races aided the construction of many of these cities. Myth Drannor is perhaps their most famous creation, although probably not their most magnificent. Sun elf realms are the stuff legends are made of, an integral part of the history of Faerûn for thousands of years. The sun elves certainly know this, for they distance themselves from non-elf races and often won’t let such “lesser beings” into their lands.
Sun elves have bronze skin, hair of golden blond, copper or black, and eyes of green or gold. They favour contemplation, lore, and study over the quick games and light-hearted songs of other elves, but seem to embody the unearthly beauty, grace, and presence of the elven folk.
Sun elves dress in clothing that is at the same time magnificent and understated, favouring cool colours such as blue and green. They decorate their clothes with intricate gold- or mithral-thread embroidery in exacting patterns whose subtle designs are easy to miss at first. Jewellery is simple but painstakingly crafted.
Of all the elven sub-races, sun elves are the most arrogant and haughty — even more so than the avariels, whose haughtiness is rooted in pity for the landbound races. Sun elves believe that they are the true elven race, the builders and the leaders of the elven realms, and that the other elven sub-races fail to live up to the solemnity and dignity of their ancient stock.
History: The sun elves migrated to Faerûn at the same time as the moon elves and the dark elves. Although they were the least numerous of the three peoples, they nonetheless quickly established several great nations, including Aryvandaar and Othreier. Under the leadership of House Vyshaan, a dynasty of sun elves, the nation of Aryvandaar in particular soon became the most powerful elven realm of its time.
The Vyshaanti were aggressive expansionists, and their obsession with increasing the size of their empire at the expense of the other races is thought to be the major cause of the terrible Crown Wars of ten thousand years past. After the Fifth Crown War, the Vyshaanti were finally overthrown, and the sun elves returned to a less aggressive lifestyle that has changed little over the intervening millennia.
The next great nation founded by the sun elves was Cormanthyr in the year -3983 DR. This time they chose to build a realm founded on compassion, lore and subtle magic instead of military might and great battle-mages. As a result, the nation was much kinder and more powerful in the long run, and the elves of Cormanthyr accomplished many amazing magical wonders. For thousands of years, Cormanthyr stood as the most powerful realm in northern Faerûn, eclipsed only briefly by Netheril at its height. From their city of Myth Drannor in the heart of the forest, the Coronals of Cormanthyr checked for centuries the burgeoning strength of young human lands such as Cormyr or Sembia that rose in the years after Netheril’s fall.
The raising of the Standing Stone and the Dales compact of 0 DR, peaceful though they were, signaled the beginning of the end of elven might in Faerûn. Although Myth Drannor achieved its greatest flowering in the years of peaceful human and elven co-existence, its days were numbered. Cormanthyr finally fell in 714 DR, when an overabundance of portals in the vicinity of Myth Drannor weakened the boundaries between worlds, allowing a disastrous invasion of fiends.
Today, the bulk of Faerûn’s sun elves live in a third great nation, the distant island of Evermeet. First settled in -9800 DR by sun elves from Aryvandaar, the young realm’s remoteness protected it from the ravages of the Crown Wars and the ensuing rise of human power on Faerûn. For more than ten thousand years, Evermeet has been the safest haven for elven-kind and the hidden refuge of elven civilization. From Evermeet came the call for the Elven Retreat in 1344 DR, and the sun elves of Faerûn felt that call most deeply of all the elven peoples.
Now that the Retreat has ended, the haughty sun elves are among the last to return to Faerûn. Most sun elves still prefer to remain sequestered on their island nation, even though recent events have proved that Evermeet is not safe from harm. Today, the only large community of sun elves remaining in Faerûn is the hidden city of Evereska, on the borders of Anauroch.
Outlook: The sun elves believe that they were selected by Corellon Larethian to be the defenders of elven tradition and history. They are also the most patient of the elven races, and they devote their time to perfecting a task rather than just merely completing the task. To a sun elf, rushing a job or finishing a project in anything less than perfection is betraying the elven ideal. As a result, they tend to have a much narrower range of skills than other elves, but they are the unrivaled masters of the skill, art or craft to which they turn their efforts. The only exception to this rule is combat. Sun elves have no love for combat, but they are nevertheless well trained in its ways. They view combat as a necessary evil, and one that should be resolved quickly so the task can be done and one can return to more pleasant and constructive pursuits.
Sun elves are the least likely of the elven sub-races to take up the adventurer’s path. They see little point in roaming around the world and meeting other peoples, especially when any sun elf can enjoy as much comfort, study and contemplation as she likes by remaining in one of the hidden sun elf realms. Most sun elf adventurers are more properly thought of as spies, dutiful scouts who make it their life-long task to observe the other peoples of Faerûn and keep a vigilant watch for the rise of any threats to the elven homelands. A few sun elves are also drawn to the mystery of ancient power and seek to add to the lore of their people by exploring ruins of ancient empires all across Faerûn.
Characters: Sun elves favour the traditional paths of the elven folk: fighter and wizard. No sun elf could truly be described as a barbarian, although a sun elf raised among wilder kin might, on very rare occasions, choose to take levels in the barbarian class. They make good bards, and even if they are not noted for their light-hearted revels, the ancient songs and lore of a learned bard are worthy of a sun elf’s respect. Sun elves are also the foremost clerics and paladins among the elven races. The arts of stealth and archery are not widely practiced among sun elves, so rangers and rogues are relatively scarce among them.
Favoured Class: Sun elf society and culture is steeped in a fascination with magic and learning. They often become incredibly talented wizards, and their natural intellect makes them powerful ones as well. Few sun elf adventurers do not take up the study of magic at some point in their careers.
Prestige Classes: Sun elves often choose prestige classes that allow them to continue their specialized studies. They are particularly drawn to the arcane devotee, archmage and loremaster prestige classes, although some of the more war-like of the race practice the uniquely elven arts of the arcane archer and bladesinger.
Society: Sun elves are deliberate, patient and solemn, and their society reflects this. Their buildings, while aesthetically beautiful and architecturally brilliant, tend to be ostentatious. Nevertheless, the sun elves take great pride in their buildings, believing that nothing less than perfection will do for the chosen defenders of elven tradition and history. Their art, poetry and songs also reflect their deliberate and regal attitudes. They prefer tales of ancient battles, songs of the gods, and stories of great heroes beset with terrible tragedies.
Sun elves revere wisdom and learning. Even the humblest sun elf abode features a room or two filled with old scrolls, maps and books. Sun elves have a strong tradition of rule by nobility, and most sun elf communities are ruled by a monarch who can trace his or her line back to the First Crown War. Where a human noble measures his power by the expanse of the lands under his rule and the numbers of soldiers at his command, a sun elf noble is known by the honour of her family name, the magical power and lore her family has accumulated, and the wealth and beauty of her palatial home.
Language: All sun elves speak Elven, Common and the human language of their home region. Although they often learn other languages (in particular Auran, Celestial, Chondathan, Gnome, Halfling, Illuskan and Sylvan), they prefer to use magic to communicate with neighbours or simply insist that visitors learn Elven. Many sun elves choose to study dead languages such as Aragrakh, Loross or Seldruin in order to increase their access to ancient works and lore.
All sun elves are literate, except for barbarians, if any exist.
Magic: The pinnacle of sun elf knowledge is elven high magic, spells that can ward an entire city against evil, conceal an invading army, or cause a forest to grow up overnight. Such magic is not without its risks, a fact that the sun elves are keenly aware of since the fall of Myth Drannor. While the sun elves still remember the secrets of high magic, they refuse to share such knowledge and are hesitant to use such power themselves beyond the borders of Evermeet.
Sun elves have another key advantage — an unparalleled collection of spellbooks, laboratory notes and other accumulated lore. For ten thousand years, the sun elves have been practicing magic, and the libraries of Evermeet and Evereska are full of magic secrets too numerous to properly catalog.
Spells and Spellcasting: The art of high magic is still practiced in Evermeet by the sun elves, who in this day and age comprise almost all elven high mages. They guard the secrets of high magic jealously, and are reluctant to teach its ways to other elves (see the Elven High Mage prestige class).
Magic Items: Whereas the moon elves prefer to focus on smaller, easier to craft magic items, the sun elves view such things as wastes of time good only for young wizards to practice on. To a sun elf, a magic item must be powerful and perfect in all ways. Sun elves know that their magic items often find their way into the hands of lesser races, and as a result they view these items as the true legacy of their race. To craft anything less than perfect is to do a disservice to the lesser races — and the reputation of the sun elves.
Common Items: Among the more affordable of sun elf magic items are celestial armour and elven chainmail, which is made of mithral and often magically enhanced.
Religion: Religion infuses every aspect of sun elf society. Sun elves believe themselves to be the chosen representatives of the Seldarine in the mortal realm, and are quick to offer prayers of thanks to their deities. These prayers and ceremonies are invariably long, drawn-out affairs during which loud voices, merry songs or joyful worship are deemed disrespectful. Religion is a serious, solemn subject to the sun elves. They worship all the Seldarine equally, and most choose Corellon Larethian as their patron.
The sun elf devotion to magic, skill at arms, and the superiority of elven civilization means that they have a great and abiding veneration for the leader of the elven pantheon. Like their own nobles, Corellon is a wise, generous and firm leader who brings forth beauty in the world, then defends his work resolutely. Clerics of the church of Corellon advise the rulers of sun elf communities, and Corellon’s clerics form the heart of a sun elf army when the sun elves must take the field to defend their lands.
Sun elves also venerate Labelas Enorath, the elven deity of longevity, time and wisdom. While Corellon is seen as the divine leader and protector of the sun elves, Labelas is revered as a counselor and advisor, a source of wisdom in times of trouble. Clerics of Labelas are charged with the keeping of knowledge and records among the sun elves.
Relations: The sun elves feel affection for the moon elves, although this affection is often unintentionally patronizing. They fear that their moon elf cousins are too flighty and irreverent, and they strive to help them return to the proper elven path with stern lectures and fatherly advice. They admire the wood elves and feel that they embody the elven spirit of nature. Relations are good between sun elf and wood elf, although the reclusive nature of the wood elves makes direct contact rare. Sun elves are a bit puzzled by the wild elves, and hope one day to civilize them. Aquatic elves are thought of as near-equals, and the sun elves believe that their water-breathing kin were placed in the world to bring to the seas what the sun elves bring to the lands above. The sun elves deeply regret the sufferings of the avariels, and occasionally send out explorers to seek out avariel aeries and offer them a place on Evermeet.
Sun elf prejudice toward other races (humans in particular) can be quite severe. Many sun elves won’t even deign to speak to a human and would rather leave a dying man to meet his fate than to save him. This attitude is somewhat understandable, given the way humans have historically treated the sun elves and their lands, but it wins the sun elves few friends among their human neighbours.
If there is one race that the sun elves hold in absolute contempt, it is the drow. They view the dark elves as abominations and insults to the Seldarine, and often attack these hated enemies on sight. As word of the drow invasion of Cormanthor begins to spread through Evermeet, it is likely that more and more sun elves will return to the mainland, if only to bring war to the drow and force them from the ruins of what sun elves still consider their lands.
Equipment: Two things are almost certain about any item of sun elf manufacture: it’s of the finest quality and it’s exceedingly old. Given their long lifespans and obsession with perfection, sun elves make their goods very slowly, throwing them out if even slight imperfections are discovered. Their reverence for history encourages them to keep and treasure antiques. Even a beginning sun elf adventurer might wield a sword that’s several centuries old, and she can probably describe its history and the lineages of its previous owners in great detail.
Sun elves favour gold for decorative elements and mithral for anything that must be strong, such as weapons and armour. Sun elves also know how to make items from glassteel, although they have only used the transparent material on Evermeet and in the enclave of Evereska.
Arms and Armour: Sun elf weapons and armour are only rarely of less than masterwork quality. They are viewed as works of art in and of themselves and are carried or worn proudly into battle. Sun elves are known to make some of the most exquisite suits of chainmail armour in Faerûn. Some suits of elven chainmail actually contain entire texts of ancient elven works, the words of the work carved with painstaking detail into the very links of the armour.
Sun elves also fashion other suits of armour, including suits of streamlined, beautiful full plate. While the quality of this armour can rival the best work of the dwarves, the sun elves are so obsessed with perfecting every possible aspect of their creations that in the time it takes a sun elf armourer to build one suit of armour, a dwarven smith can crank out a dozen suits of equal quality.
Animals and Pets: Unlike the other elven sub-races, sun elves do not usually keep animals in their homes or cities as pets. Their communities are at peace with nature, though, and the sun elves welcome the company of any animals who pass through the area or choose to make their lairs nearby or within a city. Sun elves are far more likely to call upon powerful elementals or outsiders than good-hearted beasts and woodland creatures to aid in the defence of their homes.
More than the other elven sub-races, sun elves are keen riders, though they favour winged mounts such as pegasi and giant eagles over more conventional steeds.
Regions: Evereska, Evermeet, Silverymoon
Source: Player’s Handbook (Page 15), Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (Page 15), Races of Faerûn (Page 40)
Your character can be either male or female.
Every player character starts as an adult. You can choose or randomly generate your character’s age. If you choose it, it must be at least the minimum age for the character’s race and class (see Table: Starting Ages). Your character’s minimum starting age is the adulthood age of his or her race plus the number of dice indicated in the entry corresponding to the character’s race and class on Table: Starting Ages.
Alternatively, refer to Table: Starting Ages and roll dice to determine how old your character is.
| Adulthood | Intuitive1 | Self-Taught2 | Trained3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 110 years | +4d6 (114—134) years | +6d6 (116—146) years | +10d6 (120—170) years |
1 This category includes barbarians, rogues and sorcerers.
2 This category includes bards, fighters, paladins and rangers.
3 This category includes clerics, druids, monks and wizards.
With age, a character’s physical ability scores decrease and his or her mental ability scores increase (see Table: Aging Effects). The effects of each aging step are cumulative. However, none of a character’s ability scores can be reduced below 1 in this way.
| Middle Age1 | Old Age2 | Venerable3 | Maximum Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 210 years | 315 years | 420 years | +6d% years |
1 -1 to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution; +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma.
2 -2 to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution; +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma.
3 -3 to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution; +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma.
When a character reaches venerable age, the DM secretly rolls his or her maximum age, which is the number from the Venerable column on Table: Aging Effects plus the result of the dice roll indicated on the Maximum Age column on that table, and records the result, which the player does not know. A character who reaches his or her maximum age dies of old age at some time during the following year, as determined by the DM.
The maximum ages are for player characters. Most people in the world at large die from pestilence, accidents, infections or violence before getting to venerable age.
Choose your character’s height and weight from the ranges mentioned in the appropriate race description or from the ranges found on Table: Height and Weight. Think about what your character’s abilities might say about his or her height and weight. A weak but agile character may be thin. A strong and tough character may be tall or just heavy.
Alternatively, roll randomly for your character’s height and weight on Table: Height and Weight. The dice roll given in the Height Modifier column determines the character’s extra height beyond the base height. That same number multiplied by the dice roll or quantity given in the Weight Modifier column determines the character’s extra weight beyond the base weight.
| Gender | Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 4’ 10" | +2d10 (5’ 0"—6’ 6") | 90 lbs. | ×2d4 (94—250 lbs.) |
| Female | 4’ 5" | +2d10 (4’ 7"—6’ 1") | 70 lbs. | ×2d4 (74—230 lbs.) |
Source: Player’s Handbook (Page 109), Races of Faerûn (Page 40)