All elven races are related, though it may be a distant relationship. Once, all elves were of one race, many thousands of years prior to the emergence of humans, when they were a slave race to mysterious and dark masters of whom they do not willingly speak. Over the aeons of their bondage, they splintered into sub-racial groups, which further split after the events leading to the disappearance of their masters and the breaking of their slavery (events in which the elves took no part, and have no more knowledge of than any other race). All elves have an innate ability to recognise another elf, and identify which sub-type they belong to. This applies even when an elf has not encountered a particular sub-type for centuries (or, indeed, ever). This ability is an instant recognition that works even if an elf is masquerading as another sub-type through disguise or other non-magical means. This ability even has a chance to pierce magical disguises (such as illusions, and polymorph, though not shapechange). The elf who sees another elf under any form of magical disguise makes a Will saving throw against a DC of 15 + caster level of the magical disguise effect, less their Intelligence modifier.

The eled are at once the noblest and the most reclusive of all the elven species. They have withdrawn from the world after making their mark, which was to ensure that the world was well on the path to Balance. The eled view themselves as the protectors of the Balance and of knowledge in the world, but they will stir themselves from their hidden strongholds to protect the “lesser” races only when faced with immense evil. Eled are rare, with only small enclaves within The Unification, though there are rumoured to be other enclaves in lands held by The Fallen, though how they fare, none know.

   Personality

Of all elves, the eled rely the most on their Intelligence. While other elves are by no means stupid, the eled trust less in physical prowess than they do in the mind. Their line breeds more mages and mage combinations than any other, and some of the most esteemed of their sub-race are scholars of great note. Their entire existence is based on developing and discovering new knowledge, and they therefore spend less time on the pleasurable pursuits that occupy other elves’ lives. Their mages are without peer in the elven world. Even mages of greater power from other races speak of the knowledge of the eled with no small measure of fascination.

   Physical Description

Taller and more slender than the other elves, the eled have silver hair and amber eyes. This does not give them any special abilities, but it does serve to distinguish them from their more common elven brethren. Somewhat rarer are those eled that have pale golden hair and violet eyes. These elves are often known as faerie and are probably those who first made contact with humans. The eled garb themselves in wool tunics of gold, silver, white, or yellow. Over these, they wear cloaks of dark blue or purple. Their dress alone often makes them the most striking of the elves and their elegant bearing and pure beauty makes them almost appear as supernatural creatures. When arming themselves for battle, they don shimmering suits of plate or chain mail, protecting the head with winged helmets. Their weapons, created by master elf crafters, shine brightly under any light. Mounted warriors ride griffons or hippogriffs into battle, swooping down upon their enemies with dreadful perfection.

   Relations

The eled often seem intolerant of other races, but this is not truly the case. The eled rarely speak out loud and communicate amongst themselves using a telepathic ability similar to that of a sorcerer (who, incidentally, can use their own telepathic ability to communicate with any known eled as though that particular eled were another sorcerer). This, combined with their seclusion makes them seem bigoted and arrogant to other races. The eled, however, are equally tolerant of all races and will treat with all races equally and fairly, when they deal with outsiders at all. They have no particular hatred of The Fallen, though they are wary of them, for they understand that the individual may not reflect the norm.

   Alignment

Being keepers of the Balance, eled are generally neutral in their outlook on the world. Whilst they aim to preserve the balance, they recognise that law, chaos, good and evil all have their place in the world, and eled can be any of the neutral alignments, though neutral evil is exceptionally rare.

   Eled Lands

The eled disguise the entrances to their hidden realms with powerful magic, ensuring that only those who are elves, familiar with the elven dweomer, or are specifically invited can find their way to their retreats. If uninvited members of any race find their retreats, they are not averse to casting high-level forget spells. Eled lands are located in remote wilderness areas which do not see much traffic from other races. The eled often have the most extensive libraries of anyone in the world. Any eled community of more than 50 years will have a communal library rivalling those of any major city or wizard. Such libraries are open to all elves that wish to better themselves and increase their knowledge, and are even open to select members of other races as well. Since the eled value the constant expansion of their stores of books, many spend their lives in research (either magical or scientific), writing learned treatises.

   Eled Racial Traits

• +2 Intelligence, +1 Dexterity, +1 Wisdom, -1 Strength, -2 Constitution. Eled are highly intelligent, wise, and agile, but they are somewhat frail due to their focus on cerebral pursuits.
• Medium: As medium creatures, eled have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Eled base land speed is 30 feet.
• Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +3 racial saving through bonus against enchantment spells or effects.
• Spell Resistance: Eled are familiar with the workings of magic and have developed resistance to many of magic’s effects equal to their Hit Dice +5.
• Low-light Vision: An eled can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. The eled retains the ability to distinguish colour and detail under these conditions.
• Inborn Power: An eled gains 3 bonus power points at 1st level, regardless of whether they choose a psionic class or not. Eled may choose any two 1st level powers from the psion/wilder power list to become their inborn powers, which they can manifest using their power points. Eled use their inborn powers at a manifester level equal to their ECL. If the eled takes levels in a psionic class, simply add the 3 bonus points to the character’s available power points and add the chosen powers to the character’s known powers list.
• Weapon Proficiency: Eled receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the long sword, rapier, longbow (including composite bow), and short bow (including composite bow) as bonus feats. Eled, like all land-elves, esteem the arts of swordplay and archery, so all eled are familiar with these weapons.
• +4 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. An eled who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if they were actively looking for it. An eled’s senses are so keen that they practically have a sixth sense about hidden portals.
• Knowledge: An eled gains two ranks in Knowledge (arcane) as a bonus skill, and 2 ranks in any one other Knowledge skill as a racial bonus. This reflects the study undertaken by the character prior to starting their adventuring career.
• Level Adjustment: +2.