Pallid elves are a subrace of elves distinctive by their skin, which is said to be as pale as Catha due to centuries of living underground away from all light following the destruction of their home.[3]
History[]
The ancestors of the pallid elves were a group of reclusive elves who worshiped the Moonweaver and lived in a woodland on top of a mountain plateau in the Cyrios Mountains, protected by illusion magic by their moon priests. During the Calamity, however, the plateau on which the woodland stood sunk as minions of the Crawling King burrowed beneath it and sucked the life and color from the roots of the trees, leaving behind a valley of bleached, petrified trees that came to be known as the Pallid Grove.[4]
During the Crawling King's attack, many of the elven denizens were dragged underground and tortured, but some survived among the sunken roots of the Pallid Grove under the protection of the Moonweaver. The survivors lived in fear of the Crawling King and hid underground from the destruction of the Calamity.[5] Over time, the Moonweaver's blessings mingled with the elves' natural adaptation to the Pallid Grove, eventually forming a new subrace of elves known as the pallid elves.[4]
The pallid elf clans did not start to venture out of the Pallid Grove until the first few decades of the 800s PD, confused and curious about the world that had developed without them.[4] Within the Clovis Concord, pallid elves are generally viewed with a cordial curiosity.[1]
Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep[]
One of the founding leaders of the Consortium of the Vermilion Dream, Vrill the Moth, is an elf who shows several characteristics of being a pallid elf, though she is not explicitly identified as such. Pursuing knowledge of Exandria's other moon, Ruidus, Vrill wandered far from her origins in the Menagerie Coast,[6] but, unlike most elves of the region, who descended from the darker-skinned desert elves of Marquet,[7][8] she has white hair and shields herself from the sun; and she is curious and has piercing, incisive eyes.[9]
Traits and abilities[]
In addition to the typical traits of elves,[2] pallid elves are seen as mystical and insightful; having only recently emerged from the Pallid Grove, they wander Exandria with a childlike curiosity. Pallid elves have two subrace abilities: "Incisive Sense" and "Blessing of the Moon Weaver". [1]
Incisive Sense[]
Pallid elves have advantage on Intelligence (Investigation) and Wisdom (Insight) skill checks.[1]
Blessing of the Moon Weaver[]
Like most elf subraces, pallid elves have natural spellcasting abilities, using Wisdom as their spellcasting ability. They naturally know the Light cantrip, and they can eventually learn to cast Sleep and Invisibility (targeting only themself) once between long rests. Casting spells in this way does not require pallid elves to use material components.[1]
Behind the scenes[]
Pallid elves were introduced alongside the sea elf in the 2020 sourcebook Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, in their case as an entirely new subrace of elves. They are first mentioned in Chapter 3: Wildemount Gazetteer,[4] and are fleshed out in Chapter 4: Character Options.[10] Its official artwork was created by French fan artist Axel Defois, depicting a pallid elf with dark eyes, white hair, and pale skin in leather armor and a cloak, wielding two daggers.[11]
So far, pallid elves have yet to appear or be mentioned onstream.
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 163.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6
Elf on D&D Beyond
- ↑ See "Explorer's Guide to Wildemount Q&A and Fireside Chat with Matthew Mercer" (Sx53) at 1:13:36.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 70.
- ↑ See "Explorer's Guide to Wildemount Q&A and Fireside Chat with Matthew Mercer" (Sx53) at 1:13:02.
- ↑ See Call of the Netherdeep, p. 78. See also p. 82.
- ↑ Most elves on the Menagerie Coast are descended from the desert elves of Marquet. See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 162.
- ↑ See "Homeward Bound" (2x48) at 1:36:51.
- ↑ See Call of the Netherdeep, p. 78.
- ↑ See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 163.
- ↑
Axel Defois (@adragonswinging) on Twitter: "Another work I made for Explorer's Guide to Wildemount - the pallid elf, lotusden halfling and the ravenite & draconblood dragonborns! Again thank you to art director Kate Irwin and everyone at #CriticalRole ✨" (2020-04-03). (backup link)
Art:
- ↑ Official art of a pallid elf, by adragonswinging (source). Used with permission.
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