Whenever the name Elf is mentioned, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit comes to mind. These are amazingly written scripts that gave great insights about the Elves, their lifestyle, and their doggedness in fighting evil. Not to worry if you haven’t seen these movies, this is 2021 and Netflix is in full bloom. In J.R Tolkien’s works, Elves are a fictional race inhabiting Middle-earth in the remote past. Unlike men and dwarves, Elves are immortal.
An elf (plural: elves) is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. In medieval Germanic-speaking cultures, elves seem generally to have been thought of as beings with magical powers and supernatural beauty, ambivalent towards everyday people and capable of either helping or hindering them. However, the details of these beliefs have varied considerably over time and space, and have flourished in both pre-Christian and Christian cultures.
When we were introduced to the Elves in the movie titled Lord of the Rings, which I consider one of the best movies I had ever seen, the time of the elves is over and they are on their way out of middle-earth. They have accomplished magnificent feats, they built kingdoms and crafted pieces of jewelry.
They had shown great power in fighting off and eschewing evil anywhere that it may be seen. Moreso, they also have helped the needy. Regardless of these, some elves were known to have partaken in the greatest evil in their order; Kinslaying.
The Elves are a race that is unique in their ways, their countenance is remarkably adorable. They are fairer than the fairest with pointed-tip ears and golden hairs.
Appearance
Skin color(s): Same range as humans with shades of copper, bronze, and bluish-white
Hair color(s): Same as humans plus green and blue
Eye color(s): Same as humans plus gold and silver
Distinctions: Little to no body hair.
Typical build: Slender
Languages
Elven commonly called Elvish and sometimes referred to as the True Tongue, was the language or language family of the eladrin, elves, and drow, or better said the Tel’Quessir. Its script was known as Espruar.
You can speak, read, and write Common and Elvish. Elvish is fluid, with subtle intonations and intricate grammar. Elven literature is rich, varied, soothing to the vocal chord, and their melodic songs and poems are top-notch and famous among other races.
I have provided a link to one of the best English to Elvish converter. For his novel, Lord of the Rings J. R. R. Tolkien constructed many Elvish languages. These were the languages spoken by the tribes of his created Elves. Sindarin and Quenya are two of the major languages spoken by the Elves. You can find Elvish Translators for Sindarin and Quenya in the link. You can also name an Elf by using the Elf name generator.
How long do Elves Live?
Elves do not age, and so their bodies live indefinitely. This doesn’t mean or suggest that they cannot be badly wounded in combat which consequently may lead to their death because it is not true. In fact, they can be killed. In Tolkien’s universe, elves are immortal. Once they are physically mature, they stop aging. As long as they’re not murdered, they can live forever.
It is worthy to mention that Corden, Galadriel, and Elrond are each ten of thousands of years old. They can also weary of life itself, in time, at which point they can only find peace if they leave and go to the Undying Lands. This is particularly true of those who have been to the Undying Lands and come back the Noldor.
In the movie The Lord of the rings, Elrond Half-Elven chose to be of Elf-kind, but his children were given a different choice: either to go with him when he finally left Middle-Earth and remain Elves or to stay behind and become mortal. Arwen stayed and married Aragorn. Her brothers Elladan and Elrohir also stayed behind, continuing to live in Rivendell, and so apparently became mortal also.
Arwen died, seemingly of her own will, sometime not long after Aragorn her beloved died. I think it’s in the Appendices to the Return of the King that Elves do not die naturally. But they can be killed (or their bodies can) and they can expire through sheer weariness of the world. I don’t remember any reference to say that any Elf actually did so. They seem on the whole to have loved Middle-earth.
Sub-race
The divide that happened in ancient times among the elves gave rise to three sub-races namely, high elves, wood elves, and dark elves, who are now commonly called drow. These sub-races are further divided into the Sun elves, moon elves, etc. So just in case you are seeking a more specific race, this will help you in your quest.
Combat
Often times when seeing movies such as The Lord of the Rings, The battle of the five armies, etc, we see the elves as a race with incredibly strong combat skills though they look feeble in appearance.
Traits
Your elf character has a variety of natural abilities, this is probably as a result of thousands of years of elven learning and unlearning skills, trial and error, and refinement.
Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity score increases by 2.
Alignment: Elves love freedom, variety, and self-expression, so they lean strongly toward the gentler aspects of chaos. They value and protect their own from mishaps, and they are more often good than not with the drow as an exception; their exile into the Underdark has made them vicious, unforgiving, and dangerous.
Age: Elves grow and undergo development until they reach adulthood. Once they are physically mature, they stop aging. As long as they’re not murdered, they can live forever.
Size: Just like humans, Elves range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium.
Trance: Elves don’t need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is “trance.”) While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.
Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Keen Senses: You have proficiency in the Perception skill and manoeuvering
Darkvision: Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Fey Ancestry: You have an advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.