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Elf, Nadristi

Appearance

The legendary Nadristi (rhymes with majesty) are a race of elves which has disappeared from the world. All that remains of their fabled race are hidden ruins in the depths of the mountains, far from the realms of civilization. All that is known of the Nadristi is known from the few texts which have survived and been translated.
    The Nadristi were a race of tall and graceful elves, quite unlike those which can still be found in the world. Their skin was a pale opalescent white and their hair worn long, braided, and dyed to faded and light colors which signified what class of society the elf belonged to.
    Among the highest in their society were those who ruled in the mageocracy that governed their civilization. These white haired individuals were the leaders of the Nadristi and also were powerful sorcerers.
    The clothing of the Nadristi was thin and gauze-like, colored to match their hair. Despite that the Nadristi made their homes in the cold mountains and foothills, it seems they were not affected by the seasonal cold which covers those parts of the world during much of the year. It is thought that Nadristi were naturally unaffected by the cold, or perhaps the power of their considerable magics allowed them to dress in this manner.

Combat

The Nadristi are known to have been a pacifistic race. Thus perhaps was part of the reason behind their living so reclusively in the mountains of the world. It seems that the Nadristi would prefer to simply leave a hostile situation rather than engage in what they termed "barbaric" conflicts. With the power they wielded over magic it and the written accounts available it seems that the Nadristi would simply move their entire civilization and cities through magical gates should some predator appear which threatened the well-being of a settlement.
    Many Nadristi warriors are equipped with magical armor and weapons, even those of minor rank. Nadristi fight in well formed groups with ranseur wielding warriors attacking from behind a rank shield and scimitar warriors. Groups of nadristi warriors are often accompanied by a spell caster.
    Low-light Vision (Ex): Can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, etc.
    Spells: All Nadristi receive a minimal education in magic. All Nadristi can cast 1d4+1 0th-level wizard/sorcerer cantrips. These spells are cast as a sorcerer and one spell may be cast for each intelligence modifier bonus. This is in addition to any normal spellcasting abilities the Nadristi may receive from a character class. Thus a Nadristi with a 14 intelligence can cast 2 cantrip spells per day in addition to their normal spell allotment.
    Resistances: Nadristi are immune to enchantment (compulsion or charm) effects and gain a +2 bonus to Will saves against Illusions.
    Spell Resistance: A Nadristi has spell resistance equal to their level (or HD) plus 11.
    Skills: All Nadristi receive an education and gain a +1 racial bonus to all Knowledge checks.

Habitat/Society

The Nadristi are thought to have been incredible mages of vast potential. Scholarly mages who have examined their prized and ancient texts often remark that such magics that they possessed are unknown in the present world and they marvel at the ability and magical skill of the Nadristi mageocracy masters.
    The cities which the Nadristi left behind when they disappeared from the world are clusters of monoliths hidden in high mountain vales. The buildings are often painted with an acrylic paint, depicting historical scenes and what appear to be prominent figures in their society. There are no signs of deific worship.
    It appears that music and poetry were important aspects of Nadristi society. Rare and elegant musical devices which were left behind by them are the prize of royal courts. Among their ruins are stage-like areas where numerous plays and oratories were made. The translated writings of the Nadristi are also very poetic and rhythmical. Besides being poetic, all recovered texts seem to show that elegance and a level of courtly manners were expected from all citizens.
    Though there are no signs of deity veneration, many sages believe that the hand of the god of magic, Shistar, had a heavy influence on Nadristian society.
    Nadristi are thought to have been incredibly long lived, even by elven standards. It appears the Nadristi were even very reclusive from the other elven races and may elven sages cast doubt on whether the Nadristi were even elves at all. Some radicals though claim that the Nadristi are the founders of the elven races and used their great magics to shape the elves to be their children and perfect in design. These same radicals say that the Nadristi left once they were sure their creation was good, leaving to populate other worlds with yet more elven races. Others still say that the Nadristi left because the elven races they had created were a disappointment and had become corrupted by their dealings with humanity. As one can see, even the elves are uncertain as to exactly who the Nadristi were.

Ecology

Not one Nadristi has been recognized in a great many millennia. It is doubtful that even a person who had studied the ways of a Nadristi would even know one if they met face to face. Even those rare sages who know something of what the Nadristi were like at the height of their civilization may not recognize a Nadristi if they were to meet one. Such an unlikely encounter is the hope of many mages who seek ancient and lost magical arts. Some sages speculate that Nadristi, though omnivorous, provided for their race by magical means rather than by hunting and agriculture.

History

No one knows exactly when the Nadristi disappeared. It is thought that it was sometime in the seventh millennium after the end of the Age of Chaos was when the decline of their civilization began. Some sages speculate that it was much earlier; even as early as the UnHoly Wars sometime in the third millennium. Reasons behind this include thoughts that the megalomaniac warlord Torim Zurkies waged a merciless genocide against the Nadristi to capture their magical secrets and to crush and keep them from sharing those secrets with anyone else.