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Elf - Galiadre The Galiadre are a race of elves which may be used for player characters. For additional information regarding this race, read their entry in our online creature compendium. Presented here are guidelines for the play of Galiadre characters. Personality Galiadre, called gray elves by some, are a stoic and emotionally reserved race of elves. They are naturally analytical, observing the world as a detached scientist and with a care to not interfere in the course of nature unless vitally necessary. They are well known for their masterful craftsmanship of stone and the brilliant carvings that they are able to create from gems. They are also known as brilliant academics and painfully aloof ethnocentrics. Their long contemplative lives allow them a perspective on world events unrivaled by other races and granting them a patience. Races familiar with the Galiadre often have a saying that a Galiadre could even "drive an elf to impatience". Once involved with an activity a Galiadre can be relentlessly focused to achieving its perfection, for some Galiadre this happens to be the unlikely activity of adventuring. Galiadre prefer purity over variety, fortitude over flexibility, past over present, meditation over impulse. They take pride in finding simplicity in complex situations. Some races might say that pride is the greatest vice of the Galiadre. Whatever might be said against them, most Galiadre are dependable and honest beings. Physical Description The Galiadre are graceful, poised, and slender elfin beings. Most stand at, or a little less than,
5 feet tall and rarely weigh more than 100 pounds. Their skin complexion is a creamy grey and their
hair is often a deep brown, subdued grey, to raven black. Their eyes are often a nutty hazel, fern
green, or stormy grey color. They do not grow facial hair.
Relations Galiadre consider all races other than elves to be rather unrefined. In their eyes, most races are so uneducated that they can hardly describe or remember their own history beyond even one Galiadre lifetime into the past. They consider the Lerether to be too attached to comfort and too willing to mingle with short-lived races. The Tenerthor are nearly as bad as humans and are too restless for a Galiadre's tastes, Selere are foreign and seem brutally uninspiring, the Drakher are too vicious and crude, and the Earinai at least have the will to remain aloof and legendary to the world around them. The other elfin races think of the Galiadre as somewhat elitist, a little too self-absorbed, even though they may admire the purity and beauty of the works that Galiadre produce and some individuals even go so far as to only write poetry in the Galiadre language. Generally, dwarves respect the Galiadre for their common tie to the womb of the earth and their craftsmanship; humans admire them for their physical beauty and wonder at their mystery, but find them to be unapproachably haughty; and halflings and gnomes wonder at how the Galiadre can live so long without an expression of joy or revelry in the pleasures of comfort. Galiadre are adamantly opposed to and disgusted by half-breeds, half-elves only being marginally better than revolting half-orcs. If any non-elfin race could be said to be closest to the Galiadre it would be the Haruninki, each respecting the other for their sense of disipline, honor, and appreciation of the natural world. Secretly, the Galiadre pity the Haruninki for their lack of magical gift. Alignment Galiadre, more than any other elfin race, display a bent towards law, but it is carefully tempered by their belief in non-intervention and appreciation of the natural order of the world. Most Galiadre are either Neutral or Lawful Neutral in alignment. Their society is not perfect, though the plague of crime rears its head less often than among other races. Lawlessness and evil are weeded out with magical means, by geas or other self-correcting methods, rather than by imprisonment and violence. The most terrible of crimes are answered by magical immolation or, more commonly, banishment. Galiadre Lands Two Galiadre nations exist, one in the south of Irendi, called Alfheim,
the other is hidden in the Arnorian Valleys of the north and is called
Schaelenray. Separated Galiadre communities in the Crescent Mountains and in the
Parnor Woodlands, west of the United
Kingdoms. Most Galiadre dwell in and around great civil centers of art of beauty. These centers are known for their
beautiful towers and spires, connected by impossibly delicate bridges of stone high above the ground. These buildings
are made from sung stone and take a great amount of time to fashion. The largest population centers rarely exceed
5,000 inhabitants but in the surrounding hundreds of square miles many times more Galiadre often dwell in smaller
communities. Galiadre lands are plentiful with wildlife, which the Galiadre sparingly hunt and guard from poachers
with dedication. Families provide for themselves through gardening and hunting as necessary. Though the Galiadre call the
earth their kin, they do not typically dwell beneath the surface. Some strongholds are the exception to this rule, but
most Galiadre prefer to listen to the wind in the trees and feel the weather of the surface upon their skin.
Religion Galiadre worship art, craft, and the spirit of nature before the gods. They acknowledge the existance of gods as powerful beings who work their will through many of the other races, but most Galiadre are put off by the idea of serving a non-Galiadre, no matter how powerful the being might be. Nevertheless, there are sub-cultures among the Galiadre that worship Illustree (Iarine, the Earth Mother), Shistar (Emmanael, the Secret of Enlightenment), Arden (Vornamen, the Eternal Font) and even Brakah (Scaeinrein, the Foundation and End). Language
The Galiadre elves speak Nalaoni, a low and murmuring tongue. It is a steady language of soft intonation and gentle
inflection. It is a poetic language of flowing syllables, steady measure, and with little variation in enunciation.
One idea flows into the next in a way that suggests some deep relationship between all things both spoken and not
spoken of. The vocabulary and design of the language is not difficult to learn, but the philosophy, sensation, and
poetic craft that distinguishes a native of the language takes many decades to develop.
Names As with the Lerether, the Galiadre
choose a new name for themselves usually around the same time that they become adults. This new name is often
derived from some virtue or skill that the Galiadre holds dear and often also bears some legacy of their
parents name. Most other Galiadre cease to address the new adult by their child-name, though close friends may
playfully still refer to it. Galiadre retain their single name through-out their lives. Masculine names tend to
end in consonants and feminine names tend to end in vowel sounds. The "sh" sound is almost exclusively feminine
in use.
Adventures Though it is rare for a Galiadre to choose adventuring as a profession, those which do are often successful and devote a great amount of time and energy to perfecting their adventurer talents and skills. The accumulation of wealth is not what drives most Galiadre to adventure. Most find the acquisition of knowledge, secrets, and magical oddities to be of far greater incentive. An opportunity to learn something of the worlds forgotten past and bring it back to living minds of the present is seen by many Galiadre scholars as granting immortality to the actions of those who dwelt in the past. As long lived as the Galiadre are, they place great value on the knowledge that a mind acquires over the course of a lifetime and the loss of such knowledge is tragic to them. Most Galiadre are wizards, though some find the aestheticism and simplicity of the monk profession to be more to their liking. While most Galiadre consider fighting to be a savage act, those who pursue the martial arts of the fighter or ranger do so with typical Galiadre single-mindedness. Galiadre sorcerers are not uncommon, nor are druids. Rogues, bards, and barbarians are rarely the choice of a Galiadre as they represent a wildness that most find unappealing. Even less likely are Galiadre clerics due to their aversion to following deities, but as presented above, there are indeed some Galiadre priests in the world. Galiadre Racial Traits
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