Elves, Ghost (3.5e Race)

Ghost Elves

Ghost elves silently hunt down their enemies, without remorse. Nearly wiped out by the drow, this ancient sub-race was tricked by a pit fiend into servitude in the Nine Hells of Baator. They eventually escaped to the Ethereal Plane.

Ghost Elves dwelt on the fringe of elven society. They made their homes amid the ancient roots of the forest, rarely making contact with other races.

Thousands of years ago, during the elven civil war that led to the fall of the Drow, the ghost elves maintained their isolation and remained neutral in the great racial struggle. After the defeated Drow retreated into the Underdark, they schemed against their distant cousins and launched an attack on the Ghost Elves. The very shelter that had kept them safe became fiercely contested battlegrounds. The Ghost Elves were no match for the seasoned Dark Elven troops. They were virtually wiped out in the blink of an eye. The other surface elves were either unwilling or unable to aid their beleaguered kin, something the Ghost Elves have never forgotten or forgiven.

Help eventually arrived-from an unexpected source. As the defenses of the last settlement were collapsing, an alien entity calling itself Thule appeared and offered to save the Ghost Elves in return for their service.

Appalled by the slaughter of their people the Ghost Elven leaders agreed without second thought only to realize they were tricked later on. Thule revealed himself as the Archduke Thulikazt, a pit fiend of almost godlike power, and took the Ghost Elves to his home in the Nine Hells of Baator. There he enslaved them, slowly destroying their spirits and their strong connection with the land. For hundreds of years, they toiled for the archfiend, and thousands were slaughters the savage arena battles and pointless experiments for Thulikazt's pleasure. This is called "The Tempering" in Ghost Elven history.

Countless centuries passed and the archfiend grew lax, allowing his slaves to take up arms and join his forces in the Blood War. The Ghost Elves learned the arts of war and conquest from fiendish generals and hellish sorcerers. They became Thulikazt's elite bodyguards, drawing admiration and envy from other fiends.

The Ghost Elves secretly contacted their master's enemies and offered to serve those lesser fiends in return for aid in destroying their hated master. Greedy for the service of Thulikazt's elite bodyguards, they lay siege to Thulikazt's citadel only to find his mutilated corpse and a thank you note.

Today Ghost Elves live on the Ethereal Plane. Their cities are usually built deep in woodlands and are at least partially underground. Due to their long captivity and the dangers their settlements attract, their society has a strong martial bent. A thousand years has not cooled the anger of the devils humiliated by the "elven treachery" and even today seek they seek out the Ghost Elves.

Personality

Ghost elves speak rarely, and when they do it is in a hoarse voice. they are serious and cynical, and can use several potent abilities. They are wary; earning their trust namely subtle tests and trials. Dwarves compare them to mithral: beautiful and delicate in appearance, but stronger than the hardest steel.

Physical Description

Ghost elves generally stand a little over 5' and weigh around 110 lb, with males and females being the same height and weight. they have white skin, fair, pale gray. Usually the hair is either grey or white. In rare cases black. Their eyes are the most striking feature; they are like twin mirrors lacking whith, iris, and pupil. Like all elves, they have pointed ears.

They grow up by the age of 30 and live up to 900 years old.

Alignment

Ghost elves tend toward neutrality.

Lands

Ghost elves live in haunted forests, where the sun rarely shines. Some of them also still live within the ethereal plane.

Language

It is an archaic dialect of Elven. The language borrows from Infernal so most who speak both Infernal and Elven can somewhat grasp what a Ghost Elf is saying. They also try to learn as many other languages as possible.

Racial Traits

• +2 Dexterity, -4 Constitution, +2 Intelligence.
• Medium Humanoid (Elf).
• Ghost elf base land speed is 40 ft.
• Darkvision 120 ft. this replaces standard elf low-light vision.
• immunity to magic sleep effects.
• +2 racial bonus on will saves against enchantments.
• Spell-like abilities: 3/day: Invisibility. caster level equal to class level (minimum 3), 1/day: Pass without Trace. caster level equal to class level. save dc charisma based.
• Automatic weapon proficiency with the Longsword, Rapier, Longbow, and Shortbow.
• +6 racial bonus on move silently and hide checks.
• Ethereal abilities like ethereal jaunt, shift, or blink.
• Slip Binding
• +2 racial bonus on Spot and Listen checks.
• Automatic Languages:Ghost Elven(Archaic mix of Old Elven and Infernal), Infernal; Bonus Languages: Common, Dwarven, Elven, Dwarven, Sylvan, and Terran
• Favored Class: Wizard
• Level Adjustment: +1

Vital Statistics

Table: Ghost Elf Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Simple	Moderate	Complex
30 years	+1d6	+1d8	+2d8

Table: Ghost Elf Aging Effects

Middle Age^1	Old^2	Venerable^3	Maximum Age
250 years	332 years	440 years	+5d% years
At middle age, −1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At old age, −1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At venerable age, −1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

Table: Ghost Elf Random Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	4’ 5”	+2d6	85 lb.	× (1d6) lb.
Female	4’ 5”	+2d6	80 lb.	× (1d6) lb.

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