Eladrin, also known as fey elves,[2] are a subrace of elves that live mainly in the Fey Realm. Some of them change their appearance and emotions in ways reflecting the four seasons.
Description[]
Appearance[]
Eladrin share their pointed ears and their elegance with the rest of elvenkind, but their features are distinctively more fey-like.[3] Those who are associated with any of the four seasons present hair, eyes, and/or skin coloration reminiscent of that season.[4][5]
Abilities[]
In addition to the abilities shared by all elves, as playable subrace eladrin have the following abilities:
- Ability Score Bonus: In addition to the +2 Dexterity all elves usually get, eladrin get +1 in Intelligence[6] or Charisma.[5]
- Change of season: Whenever an eladrin with an associated season finishes a long rest, they can change their season if they want, to better reflect their mood and needs.[5]
- Fey Step: Eladrin are able to teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space. Some eladrin can only do this once between short or long rests,[6][5] while others are able to use this ability several times per day.[7] Those fey elves that aren't associated with one of the four seasons merely cast the Misty Step spell with this ability, but the others can produce additional effects:[5][7]
- Autumn eladrin can charm up to two creatures near the place where they appear after using their Fey Step.
- Winter eladrin can frighten one creature near them just before using their Fey Step.
- Spring eladrin can teleport a willing creature within reach instead of themselves when using their Fey Step.
- Summer eladrin can deal fire damage to any creature near them after using their Fey Step.
As non-playable characters they also gain access to Magic Resistance, and they are harder to damage by psychic or elemental forces associated with their season.[8] Moreover, instead of causing miscellaneous magical effects when using their Fey Step, they can use their presence to frighten (summer) or charm (autumn, winter and spring) non-eladrin creatures.[9]
Spells that only affect certain creature types presumably affect eladrin differently depending on whether they are fey or humanoids.[1]
History[]
After the primeval elves were created in the Feywild by Corellon the Arch Heart,[10] some of them traveled to the world of Exandria, in the Material Plane, while others chose to remain in the Plane of Faerie, which would become their home. This realm of magic, change and emotions transformed them into the fey-like beings they are today, still similar to the other elves, but somewhat different from the rest of their kin.[11]
There was at least one eladrin settlement in the Fey Realm, in a deep forest a few miles away from Ligament Manor,[12] but at some point in the past it was struck by tragedy: rocks fell from the sky, and the fey elven inhabitants took valuable objects (such as scrolls) with them while they left others buried, to keep them from being taken; eventually the ruins were reclaimed by nature, although some altars and a well survived relatively intact. When Bells Hells visited the place in a dream-like trial organized by Morrigan the Fatestitcher, Chetney Pock O'Pea used his Grim Psychometry to detect part of the history of the settlement.[13]
Fan art of Ollie Calloway, a fey elf, by Ekaterina Victoria.[art 2]
After his daughter was born under the light of Ruidus, Ollie Calloway, a fey elf who had inherited from his own mother a power known as "the Squint", used that ability to have a vision about the dangers the red moon would bring to the Feywild,[14] so he and his partner stole the Moontide Crown from a machine summoning Ruidus' visage in Unseelie territory, angering several archfey in the process, which is why the couple had to flee to Exandria.[15][16]
As of 843 PD Morrigan liked to torment Vitoren, an academic who once reneged on a deal with her, in small ways to enjoy his suffering; for example, she made the elf's notes go blank in the middle of a public presentation.[17]
Bells Hells fought several fey elves sent by the Unseelie Court to the Shrine of Gilded Gifts in the Amethyst Gulch Sierras.[18][19][20]
Notable eladrin[]
- Oleander Calloway, a fey elven outcast with oracular powers,[21] and the father of Fearne Calloway.
- Unnamed summer eladrin ruler of Illyria, the mother of Gryffin Earandil.[22][23]
- Holly, a young eladrin girl spellcaster touched by Pelor's power.[24][25]
- Vitoren, a fey elven academic who reneged on a deal with the Fatestitcher[26]
- Cashadoor, Unseelie emissary, turned into a bush by the Fatestitcher[27]
- Unnamed Unseelie guard, killed by Bells Hells in the ruins of Pravenier[28]
- Possibly[29] Kamal, another Unseelie guard sent back to his court by Bells Hells[30]
Trivia[]
Official art of Gryffin, a half-eladrin, by Kendra Wells.[art 3]
- Following Critical Role's tendency to use original terms for different elements from Dungeons & Dragons, eladrin are called "fey elves". Similarly, shadar-kai are called "shadow elves".
- These are the only known type of elf that can be Fey instead of Humanoid.
- While humanoid eladrin can produce half-elves, it is unknown if their fey counterparts can do the same, since the only known case, Ollie, allegedly produced a full fey faun with his faun partner, and it wasn't seen as out of the ordinary.
- Although in 5th Edition there are eladrin that aren't associated with any of the four seasons and don't manifest the corresponding powers,[6][31][32] it is unclear if they are able to change to represent one of the seasons, or if an eladrin already associated with one can change to no season at all.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 See D&D: Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, 5th ed., pp. 115–117. See also p. 13. Eladrin as a playable race are treated as humanoids, while the statblocks of eladrin NPCs use the fey creature type.
- ↑ See "Reunion & Revelation" (3x30) at 2:28:55.
- ↑ See "Reunion & Revelation" (3x30) at 2:28:55.
- ↑ See "Critical Role: Bar Room Blitz" (Sx21). Gryffin Earandil, a half-eladrin, inherited the fiery eyes and golden hair of a summer eladrin.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 See D&D: Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, 5th ed., p. 61.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 See D&D: Dungeon Master's Guide, 5th ed., p. 286.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 See D&D: Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, 5th ed., p. 13.
- ↑ See D&D: Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, 5th ed., pp. 115–116.
- ↑ See D&D: Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, 5th ed., pp. 195–197.
- ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 17. See also pp. 13 and 29.
- ↑ See "Hidden Truths" (3x26) at 3:39:50. Imahara Joe recognized Ollie's elven blood, but wasn't able to determine his exact lineage.
- ↑ See "The Eve of the Red Moon" (3x81) at 27:44.
- ↑ See "A Test of Trust" (3x80) at 1:03:19.
- ↑ See "Dark Portents" (3x29) at 2:40:15.
- ↑ See "Hidden Truths" (3x26) at 0:18:08.
- ↑ See "Dark Portents" (3x29) from 2:39:13 through 2:44:53.
- ↑ See "Fractures" (3x78) at 3:35:29.
- ↑ See "Unseelie Interrupted" (3x106).
- ↑ See "Under the Arch Heart's Eye" (3x107).
- ↑ See "Looming" (3x108).
- ↑ See "Reunion & Revelation" (3x30) at 2:52:00.
- ↑ See "Critical Role: Bar Room Blitz" (Sx21).
- ↑ See "Talks Machina #37: 'Bar Room Blitz'" (TMx37) from 0:22:45 through 0:41:45.
- ↑ See "Critical Role: Bar Room Blitz" (Sx21).
- ↑ See "Talks Machina #37: 'Bar Room Blitz'" (TMx37) from 0:20:30 through 0:29:35.
- ↑ See "Fractures" (3x78) at 3:35:44.
- ↑ See "Looming" (3x108) at 3:22:02.
- ↑ See "Unseelie Interrupted" (3x106) at 2:56:34. One of the guards Dorian sees is a fey elf/eladrin.
- ↑ See "Looming" (3x108) at 3:11:41. Several members of his team were fey elf/eladrin. Moreover, when he and Cashadoor were in the garden of Ligament Manor Morrigan told them that in her domain they couldn't use their own powers to get away from their bindings, possibly referencing the Fey Step trait or the Misty Step spell.
- ↑ See "Looming" (3x108) at 3:30:57.
- ↑ See D&D: Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus, 5th ed., p. 133.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast, Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, p. 86.
Art:
- ↑ Depiction of eladrin of the four seasons. From left to right, top to bottom: autumn, winter, spring, and summer from Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, pp. 61 and 197. This page contains unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Wizards of the Coast Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
- ↑ Fan art of Ollie Calloway, a fey elf, by Ekaterina Victoria (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Official art of Gryffin, a half-eladrin, by Kendra Wells (source). This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
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