There are some basics that one should know in creating an elfin character. Things that those familiar with ElfQuest should already be aware of as well as some things that they may not be. For those not familiar with ElfQuest these items could be essential. There isn't a lot now... but more will be added.

Age and Aging     Birthing Cubs
Blood Bonds Bonding Information
Character Templates Chief's Line
Elfin Stats Fauna
Flora Glossary of Phrases
List Policy Elfin Magics
Mates and Mating Naming Styles
Origin of Dreamberries Recognition
Soulnames Timeline
Time Words Tribal Positions

        Elves reproduce slowly. In fact it takes two full turns for an elfin pregnancy to come to term. One thing this means is that no two elves born of the same mother and father could ever be closer than two turns. The mother would never recognize immediately upon giving birth, not even if the cub were to die in that same moment.

        It is normal for elfin pairs to have children hundreds of turns apart. What is not normal is for elves to have children closer together than 50 turns, they rarely have children that 'grow up' together. Some may say that means after one cub is 16 or 18 another could be had, but for elves agemates of one cub may span one hundred turns. Those who were young adults at their birth and those who were born while they themselves were a young adult. The older agemates are not agemates with the younger but this is normal too. Clearbrook had a cub we never hear about, a daughter more than a hundred turns before Scouter was born. Strongbow and Moonshade had a cub named Crescent a couple hundred turns before Dart was born. Goodtree had a cub named Wellspeed, born when Goodtree was yet a young chieftess, a great many turns before she gave birth to Mantricker. We have however two examples of siblings growing up together, and here are the explainations for both. (see Cubs)

        One of the issues which seems to be a source of confusion for our roleplayers is whether elfin characters age at the same rate the humans do.

        Information from the books and interviews lead us to this conclusion: Elves age relatively the same as humans until adulthood at which point they reach a plateau, holding at a seemingly unchanging point for hundreds or thousands of years, and then moving quickly through old age if they even live long enough to reach it. Elfin children quickly enter into adulthood; adolescence (puberty) beginning at about 13 to 15 and most are considered to be adult by the age of 16 to 18.

        Conclusions: At least for the early part of elfin aging, it seems that elf characters should expect to reach adolescence at the same time a human character would. Although an elf would be considered adult more quickly than a human in RL.

        One final note: elves, possessing such long lifespans as they do, are highly prone to view time in a different manner than humans will. The sixteen turns of the seasons taken to reach adulthood might seem a significant portion of one's life to a human - but, to an elf, that sixteen years will be a brief portion of his or her life, and perceived to go by much more quickly in proportion to the elf's subsequent years.

        As stated above Elves are long lived with an exceptionally slow birthrate. There are only two instances which have accounted for cubs of the same parents occuring less than 110 or more turns apart. Please understand that we don't want multiple sets of twins and we don't want several people who possess Rainsong's ability. So please have only single births unless you specifically get it cleared with Seedling and Harbinger before you even consider running the plot.

Twins:
        In the 10,000 years or so since the birth of Timmorn there have been 6 sets of twins noted in the books, I can't name all of them but one set was Owl and Greywolf, another set were females born of a rockshaper, and the third I can name are Suntop and Ember. None of the elves in either the wolfriders or the SunFolk had ever heard or experienced multiple births, and since Savah founded Sorrow's End it can be assumed it never happened there before Leetah and Cutter's twins. The wolfriders however had it happen 5 times in the previous 10,000 years so it is a very rare thing. I find no mention of more than two cubs from a single birth.

Rainsong's cubs:
        She gave birth to three cubs (Newstar, Wing, and Mender) within a dozen years, a feat unique among elves. Her father was Rain, her brother Pike. Rain was a healer, the last wolfrider with the magic before Mender (his grandson). He experimented with forced recognition and Pike was the outcome. Rainsong possessed no outward signs of the healing magics such as her father and son had, but it is said that her magic was birthing cubs. The healing magics passed on to her by her father and through her to Mender manifested within Rainsong as the ability to give birth frequently. However it is unknown why she had no more cubs after Mender. It is suggested that with three living cubs, each born through recognition, she never recognized again.

          Wolfriders bond with wolfs. These wolves are the descendants of that part of Timmorn's children who where known as the hunt. Those who were more wolf than elf, the brothers and sisters of Rhanee She-wolf. The original pack was formed by eight wolves that Timmorn brought to Rhanee many years after he left her to lead the tribe. Though there are wolves scattered thru the forest which share elven blood thru the hunt wolfriders bond almost exclusively with wolves born of the pack formed by bonded wolves of the/a holt. It is also noted that wolves of the Hunt could send. So it has been with the rarest of wolves through the years since. Those wolves who are born with a stronger than normal mix of elf blood in them are thought to be throwbacks to the hunt when this was more normal.

          Those not born in a wolfpack of bonded wolves are rarely ever accepted into such a pack without a fight for position. Those who refuse the challenge are forever outside the pack, living on the fringes.

          Bond wolves are more intelligent by their nature than other wolves, and though may sometimes breed with non-bond wolves they rarely seek outside the pack unless they are exiled by lost challenge.

On Wolves that Send: Wolves do not send, wolfriders have an extrordinarily deep empathy with their bonds and the ONLY wolves known to send are the rare 'throwbacks'. Normal wolfrider wolves do not send. Throwback wolves are said to be 'Of the hunt' which was what the elves called Timmorn's children who ran with the wolfpack. Their mothers were usually wolves themself and these 'wolves' were 1/4 elf. Their children and the decendants of their children as they bred with full wolves became the bonds for the elves known as Wolfriders. The elf blood in the bond wolves has thinned to such a degree that only very very rarely do wolves send. It is noted that Bearclaw only had one wolf who could send, Cutter never had one, Ember never had one, none of the elves ever had a wolf that could send that was noted except bearclaw and it was considered by him to be extremely special.

          With this in mind please realize that we shouldn't have a profusion of wolves that send. It isn't likely that so many exist that several people could have them. Just as it isn't realistic for everyone to be able to have twins or special magics. Wolves that send are so rare that there is only 1 mentioned in all of ElfQuest which makes this the rarest occurance in that world. We should honor that rareness by keeping it a rare thing in our ElfQuest world.

          A bond animal should be something large enough to ride. Generally a 'non-food' type of animal. Wolf, Lion, Cougar, Giant birds, Bears. Though in some instances the person with 'Animal Bonding' may bond smaller predatory animals such as falcons, hawks, eagles, bobcats, lynx. No matter what the bond animal is, if it is not a blood bond (a wolfrider with a bond wolf) then the link is empathic only. There is some amount of loyalty from bond to elf, but there is no 'picture' communication. The elf may try to 'send' feelings to the animal and may recieve a sense of feelings from the animal, but it can not progress beyond this.

Ravenbook Chieftain's Line from founding to present.

  1. Timmain Shape-Shifter
  2. Timmorn Yellow-Eyes
  3. Rahnee She-Wolf
  4. Prey-Pacer
  5. Two-Spear (he led a group from the main tribe and founded Wolfhaven Holt)
  6. Sharptongue (Son of Two-Spear & Moonsilver)
  7. Farstalker (Son of Sharptongue & Leafwhisper)
  8. Wolfheart (Son of Farstalker & Rainshadow)
  9. Quickthrust and Talltracker (Sons of Wolfheart & Willowbranch)
    Quickthrust became Chief of Wolfhaven and Talltracker lead a group away from the holt.
  1. Talltracker (he led a group from Wolfhaven and founds Ravenbrook Holt)
  2. Rainseed (Daughter of Talltracker & Cloudwatcher)
  3. Blackstar (Son of Rainseed & Bark)
  4. Long Journey (Daughter of Blackstar & Eveningclear)
  5. Watershine (Daughter of Long Journey & Shuffleboot)
  6. Stomper (Son of Watershine & Underbrush)
  7. Shaderunner (Son of Stomper & Thunderwolf)
  8. Weepingshale (Daughter of Shaderunner & Crystalfrost)
  9. Seedling (Daughter of Weepingshale & Bloodhowler)

There are several types of elves, including CatElf, Gliders, Go-backs, Plainsrunners, SunFolk, Wolfriders, and those who are a mix of these.

SeaElves are not allowed either full-blooded or mixed, neither are 'High One' type elves, all types of elves not listed above are not allowed. We can't go making 'special exceptions' for everyone who refuses to conform to the established policy of the list.

Those born to decendants of the original Ravenbrook Holt tribe will have `Raven Bonding` as an additional magic. They will be able to bond with the giant ravens that live near the Holt. These ravens are about the same size as the bond birds for Gliders. No other elves shall possess this magic.

CatElf
        CatElves are unlike most other elves, they can live in plains or jungle, or even mountains, the only consistancy is that they bond with larger cats. Most bonds are of the 'big cat' variety however lynx, bobcat, mountain lion/cougar, lion, tiger, leopard, panther, long tooth, and others of those sizes are possible. For the most part they have special magics occuring at about the same frequency as wolfriders and live much the same lifestyle.

Eye Color :
  Blues, Greens, Greys, Purples, Lavender, Browns
Hair Color :
  Blondes, Reds, Black, White, Greys/Silvers, Browns
Height :
  Adult height tends to be between 3'2" to 4'8"
Skintones :
  Range from very pale to deeply tanned depending on location and lifestyle
Soulname :
  Have
Magics :
  Sending, Cat Bonding, Magic Feeling (sometimes)
Lifespan :
  Mortal

Note: Full catelves must have `Cat Bonding` not `Cat Bonding - unused`

Glider:
        Gliders are elves with the unique ability to float in the air. They are taller in stature than the other elves, and very thin in build. They have the ablitity to bond with the birds that roost around Wolf Rock. These birds are about 12-16 feet from beak to tail, with a wingspan of about 25-30 feet and they resemble red-tailed hawks.

Eye Color :
  Blues, Greens, Greys, Purples, Lavender, Browns
Hair Color :
  Blondes, Black, White, Greys/Silvers, Browns
Height :
  Adult height tends to be between 3'8" and 5'6"
Skintones :
  Tends to be very pale, almost as if denied any natural light
Soulname :
  Have
Magics :
  Sending, Levitation (sometimes), Magic Feeling (sometimes)
Lifespan :
  Immortal

Go-back
        The Go-backs look much like the Wolfriders, however they train large elk or deer to carry them and respond to rains and carry a saddle. They lack the wolfblood and thereby the ability to bond with the wolves of the holt, in fact they do not bond with any animal unless they have animal bonding magic. The Go-backs are mortal, living about the same number of turns a wolfrider could. They eat cooked meat, are carefree, blunt and brash. They come from the mountains beyond the mountains near the holt, where it is cold and snowy all year round. NOTE: Reindeer are not native to the area of the holt, you would have to go to Go-back lands to gain one.

Eye Color :
  Blues, Greens, Greys, Purples, Lavender, Browns
Hair Color :
  Blondes, Reds, Black, White, Greys/Silvers, Browns
Height :
  Adult height tends to be between 3'2" and 4'6"
Skintones :
  Tends toward palers shades like Wolfriders
Soulname :
  Have
Magics :
  Sending, Magic Feeling (sometimes)
Lifespan :
  Immortal

Plainsrunner
        These elves are from the plains beyond our mountain, they live out in the sun much like plains indians did before America was settled by people from Europe. They sometimes would ride no-humps (ponys or horses) that roam the plains, taming a few for the tribes use. They eat both meat and vegitation, weave baskets from grasses and tend to be tall and slim with long legs. They do not bond with animals but can train mounts, much like the Go-backs do. On their home plains some raised plains cats (lions or cougars) from small kits to be mounts.

Eye Color :
  Blues, Greens, Greys, Purples, Lavender, Browns
Hair Color :
  Blondes, Reds, Black, White, Grays/Silver, Browns
Height :
  Average adult height tends to be between 3'4" and 5' with an average between 4' and 4'8"
Skintones :
  Tanned and tends to range from a light golden brown to a bronzed copper
Soulname :
  Have
Magics :
  Sending, Magic Feeling (sometimes)
Lifespan :
  Immortal

SunFolk:
        SunFolk are from the desert beyond the plains. They live under the harshes rays of the sun which are reflected up off pale rock and sand giving them the darkest of all Elven skintones. They are primarily vegetarian, but from time to time will enjoy a stew which has a meat broth or even some small bit of meat in it. They do not bond with animals however they can train a mount much like the Go-backs do.

Eye Color :
  Greens, Grays, Purples, Lavender, Amber/Gold/Yellow, Browns, Dark Blues
Hair Color :
  Blondes, Reds, Black, Browns. All other colors seem to have disappeared
Height :
  Adult height tends to be between 3'6" and 4'8"
Skintones :
  Tend toward the very richest coppers and the darkest browns
Soulname :
  Do not have
Magics :
  Magic Feeling
Lifespan :
  Immortal

Wolfriders:
        The Wolfriders share a special bond with this planet and the wolves they bond. That of blood. Wolfriders are mortal, living only as long as about 3,000 yearsat the most. Since they are nocturnal, like their bonds, their skin is pale and rarely come out during the day. They eat raw meat though do smoke some to be stored and make stews of plants and blood with some of the bones and fat. They also tend to be very territorial.

Eye Color :
  Blues, Greens, Greys, Purples, Lavender, Amber/Gold/Yellow, Browns
Hair Color :
  Blondes, Reds, Black, White, Greys/Silvers, Browns
Height :
  Adult height tends to be between 2'9" to 4'8". 3'2" to 4'4" being about average
Skintones :
  A wolfriders complexion will most often be very pale or lightly tanned
Soulname :
  Have
Magics :
  Sending, Wolf Bonding, Magic Feeling (sometimes)
Lifespan :
  Immortal

Note: Full wolfriders must have `Wolf Bonding` not `Wolf Bonding - unused`

Mixed:
        These elves have more than one of the above running through their veins. One parent came from one and the other parent from another, or in some cases either one or both parents were mixed themselves.
        Choose your stats from the heritages you claim. For example, if you are ½ Go-back and ½ Plainsrunner, choose your stats from either or both of those categories. If you have a heritage that has a soulname (all except SunFolk) then you will have a soulname. Your magics too should be a combination of all those available to the tribes to which you are claiming a blood bond. If you do not claim a blood bond to a tribe then you can not have anything belonging to it and not to a tribe you are claiming.

        If you are in any part Wolfrider you MUST have sending and Wolf Bonding. There are two types of Wolf Bonding listed on the 'form' page, `Wolf Bonding` (you can or have bonded to a wolf), and `Wolf Bonding - unused` (meaning the magic is so weak you can not bond to a wolf). You must list this on your magics if you are claiming wolfrider blood in any part (1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/12, 1/16 or even less).

        If you are in any part CatElf you must have Sending and Cat Bonding, there are two types on the form page, `Cat Bonding` (you can or have bonded to a cat), and `Cat Bonding - unused` (meaning the magic is so weak you can not bond to a cat).

        If one of the the listed heritages is 'Mortal' then you too are Mortal. This still means that you can live to be about 1500 turns in age, but that even if nothing kills you before that you will die of 'old age'.

Note: Full wolfriders must have `Wolf Bonding` not `Wolf Bonding - unused`
            Full catelves must have `Cat Bonding` not `Cat Bonding - unused`

BLOODWORMS - These are essentially gigantic 6-foot leeches. They live underwater, but can crawl on land for some distance. Even so, they only leave the water in moist environments (such as swamps). A given river might be known to be infested with these dread worms, and hence impassable.

BRISTLE BOAR - Similar to Earth's peccaries, these wild pigs live in the hills, around watering holes in the desert and on the savannah, also in other, wilder, sections of the continent. They are hunted by most predators, including elves, and can sometimes turn on their pursuers and do significant damage with their powerful tusks.

CROCODILIANS - These large saurians live in swamps and rivers. They are active predators, eating fish, snakes, and animals coming for drinking water. They are not social animals, but are often found in large numbers. They are faster in the water than on land, and are likeliest to attack a victim in the water or close on the shore. Moderately large crocodilians are about 3 yards long.

FIN-BACKS - These monsters are leftovers from the equivalent of dinosaurs. They are found in equatorial lands, and sometimes in swamps in more temperate regions. In Book Two, Skywise sees one while hunting for whistling leaves for Cutter. They are herbivores and band together in large numbers in the southern swamps; fin-backs in more temperate regions are likely to be rogue males. These creatures are large enough that they are often avoided rather than hunted, although their eggs or young might be considered delicacies.

GIANT CREATURES

  • RAVENS: These giant bond-birds live in the cliffs above Ravenbrook, and are a rare breed. They reproduce slowly, generally mating only once every 5 or 6 turns. When full grown they can carry a man-sized creature for hundreds of miles. Counting the bulk of their feathers they are slightly larger than a horse in height and have an average wingspan of twice that.
  • SNAKES: These gigantic constrictors live in jungles and rainforests. Some are water snakes, some live and hunt in trees, and some are ground dwellers. Constrictors about 8 yards long are potential elf eaters.
  • SPIDERS: There are thousands of types of spiders. The giant variety should be rare, and expected to live in whatever areas might be likely to house such creatures, such as fetid jungles or dank forests. They hunt by spreading their webs over likely areas; when prey runs under the web, the spider races to the spot and spews more webbing over it. The spider may drape its web over a trail, or silently wall off a clearing where elves or humans are camping. Spider webbing is not flammable, though heat will shrivel it.

LONG-TOOTHS - These solitary big cats, similar to saber-toothed tigers, live in jungles and grassy areas, but also survive well in cold climates. Long-tooths hunt by ambush, and are intelligent enough not to attack clearly dangerous foes.

NO-HUMPS - These plains wanderers are like the direct ancestors of the Earth horse. They have already developed all the characteristics of the horse, such as the ungulate foot, but are still smaller than modern horses. They have not been domesticated on any scale, and are generally considered meat animals. Tribes such as the Plainsrunners are the ones most likely to have domesticated no-humps, although it is not likely that an elf will bond with one.

SERPENT-NOSES - Serpent-noses are similar to Earthly mammoths. They are furred, and can survive a cold clime. They roam alone or in small herds over the northern plains. Serpent-noses are quite intelligent and learn quickly: a reason for dreading rogues. These giant herbivores eat pine needles and other alpine herbiage. They are doubtless hunted by humans, trolls, and perhaps even the elves.

SHELL-BACKS - Similar to Earth's glyptodonts, these are large shelled mammals somewhat reminiscent of armadillos. They are very unaggressive, probably because of their near-invulnerability. They have a turtle-like shell over their entire back, with a cap on their head, and an armored tail, sometimes equipped with a spiked ball. They are related to the ground sloths, and are also mostly solitary.

SWORD-FEET - These fast, bipedal, pack-running dinosaurs are about 8 feet from snout to the tip of their balancing tail. They are clever and vicious predators, and quite intelligent for dinosaurs. In attacking, they will grasp their prey with their forelegs and slash enthusiastically with their scimitar-like hindclaws.
        Sword-feet feed on anything that won't eat them first. They primarily live in the hotter equatorial regions, and have little reason to enter the temperate zones though from time to time solitary or small groups do for unknown reasons. They always attack on the run, using their forelegs to grasp a target. If they miss, they continue on and turn to make another pass. If they hit, they hold on and bite, then slash their prey with their hind claws. When the prey is dead, they will immediately carry it off if it is small enough to hold and run with. Otherwise, they will drop the prey and attack another target in the immediate area, continuing until nothing but sword-feet are left alive. Then, the pack eats.

TREE-GRAZERS - These are large, rather ground-sloth-like herbivores. They have thick tails, used as rests when standing upright, and clumsy-looking clawed feet. They move with a swaying, lumbering ait. Their hair is long and coarse, and they are not remarkably intelligent. They feed by pulling down branches with their foreclaws and stripping off the leaves with their two-foot-long tongues. They are not aggressive nor considered dangerous, but will defend themselves in emergencies, swinging their sickle-like foreclaws in deadly arcs.
       Tree-grazers have few natural enemies. Their size and wicked claws discourage all but the most desperate or largest predators. They have a very thick armor composed of three parts: thick, coarse hair; tough, insensitive skin; and hundreds of bony nodules set just beneath the epidermis. There are several types of tree-grazers, ranging from tiny species only a yard or two long to 20-foot giants; all have about the same thickness of armor, though the smaller ones have thinner skin and hair with a denser profusion of bone nodules. Tree-grazers travel either alone or in tiny family groups.

TREEWEES - These omnivorous animals, similar to Earthly tarsiers, are small tree-dwelling primates. They are nocturnal and are remarkable for their big eyes, large ears, and spatulate fingers. They are sometimes hunted for food by forest-dwelling elves, but are more often the prey of large snakes and small cats.

       Among elves, treewees have a reputation for being stupid and silly-looking. For a good picture of a treewee, see Book Two, in the sequence where Cutter is coming down with his fever. On the page where Cutter is shown falling out of the tree, there is a treewee towards the foreground of the first panel.

WOLVES - Wolves of the ElfQuest world , particularly those who are allied with Wolfriders, are larger and smarter than their Earth equivalents. These giant wolves hunt in packs ranging from under a dozen to over forty individual animals. If too many wolves are killed or wounded in a fight, the pack will slink off, unless starved or accompanied by Wolfrider comrades. If a wolf is not bonded to a Wolfrider, it will not associate with those that are. Only wolves who are descended from the members of the pack that first allied itself to the Wolfriders will bond with them. Wolves bonded to elves share an empathy with their companions. Wolfriders can Send directly to any wolf, but a wolf-friend cannot Send in return. All wolves of the pack consider all elves of the tribe their pack brothers and will carry and assist them if asked. (For more information on Wolves see the Blood Bonds section above)

       Wolf-bonding is a Wolfrider-specific power that stems from the wolf-blood they share. You must have Wolf Bonding or Animal Bonding to bond with a wolf, although a Wolfrider will have a much stronger bond with his or her bondbeast than a non-Wolfrider would with a wolf.

BLUE MOSS - Can be used as an antibiotic. Grows in a circular pattern.

BLUE-TIPPED PINE - Short and squat, the resin from this tree makes an excellent glue in the manufacture of weapons and household items. The branches are also very supple and are used for making bows.

COOLING LEAVES - The broad leaves of this plant are used to insulate food cooked in firepits, and the leaves can reduce the effect of some fevers and infections. The cooling leaf plant thrives in medium-elevation forested areas.

COUGH SAP - This flows from the white pine, and soothes the throat

DEEP TREE - Oak. The name comes from its massive root system that has been known to destroy underground dens if not properly watched

ESCOR BLOOM - A bright flower which comes in pink, red and rose which when added to food gives it a ziggy flavor (used as an herb), and is great for tummy aches.

FEVER ROOT - A tall, three-leafed plant that helps reduce fevers

GOLDENSWEET - This huge, round, golden food-fruit is highly prized by all tribes. Each fruit is large enough to feed several elves; goldensweets grow on small trees in highly forested areas.

GREEN LICHEN - Good as a snack in a pinch.

GREEN PINE - The largest and most common variety of pine, they grow to five elves high or taller and have heavy boughs with wide pine needles. Their trunks make excellent building materials. The bark is edible and nutritious while the needles can be brewed into a hot tea.

GREEN-GREY LICHEN - Normally used as a sedative if illness or pain is preventing sleep.

ITCY MOSS - A soft green and brown tree moss grown on some trees that makes the skin red and very ichy, harmless but irritating

PRICKLEFRUIT - Pricklefruits have rounded, spiny bodies, sharp leaves, and juicy, sweet, edible yellow flesh. They grow on low bushes at medium elevations with a lot of rainfall. A second variety is bright green (bright red inside when ripe) fruit that grows high in the trees and has prickly hairs on the outside like a cactus, (but soft)

PUCKERNUTS - These nuts are commonly found in the forests of Worldpool. They are nutritious to elf and human, but have a sour taste which puckers up the mouth. The name is often used as an expletive by those confronted by a situation which leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

RED-TIPPED PINE - A more slender variety, their tips turn red with age and exposure to the sun. The tree yields a syrupy, sweet sap that the cold climate elves use as a general sweetener.

SCENT MASK - This extremely important herb grows in the shelter of rocks and large trees and is used in the creation of a salve that, when rubbed along the body, removes the scent of the wearer for several hours (or until washed off).

SLEEPBLOSSOMS - Sleepblossoms have several medicinal properties. The seed head is used as a tranquilizer, and slightly reduces the effect of the shakes. The root can be prepared as a mild local anesthetic. These large, white flowers grow singly, in open grassy areas.

SNEEZE FLOWER - This red and purple flower is tiny and grows in clusters. A deep whiff will cause an elf to sneeze but the flowers, dried and ground up, can cause more distracting sneezing fits.

SPICEROOT - The foliage of the spiceroot blends well with that of the jungle in which the root grows. This bulbous, woody root is ground into powder for use in cooking, and can be used to reduce the effects of chills on a sick person.

STINK PLANT - You got it, it stinks like mad and prankster type elves have fun with it. It also has a great by product-when ground and added to another agent it makes a great bug deterant and no longer stinks :)

STRANGLEWEED - This peculiar plant, possibly introduced by the elves, is a mutant, like the result of a pocket of bad magic. Its unnatural ability to twist and move marks it as a newcomer to this planet.
        Strangleweed normally lies near the ground. When someone steps or lies on it, the weed will lie quiescent for a second or two, then strike, wrapping its tendrils about its prey and holding it down until it dies, presumably then providing fertilizer for the plant.
        Strangleweed is found in forests and is known to the Wolfriders. Because it intertwines itself among other plant forms, someone looking for it must be both knowledgeable in plant lore, and specifically paying attention to signs of strangleweed presence.

WHISTLING LEAVES - This exotic plant gets its name from the holes in the leaves which make a whistling sound when struck by a breeze. The plant is normally found in marshy areas and is fairly rare. Characters knowledgeable in healing or plant lore can presume to be capable of preparing the plant as a diuretic, which can purge diseases of the blood out of the body.

WACKROOT - Used as a pain-killer.

WHITE MOSS - An effective cure for nausea.

YELLOWROOT - This fat, meaty, edible root is a wonderful food source and quite tasty. Yellowroot is the root of a small, inconspicuous plant which grows in dense forests and jungles, and is difficult to find in the wild.

Wolfriders
       Ants take your eyes! Bare as a bagfrog... Briars and deadfall!
Bright stars! By all the High Ones! By my Axe!
By the stars and the moons! By the wandering stars! Curse your wayward rumps!
Dung! Dung chips! Farts and fewmets!
Fry me for a fool! Hairballs! High Ones bless you.
Like two burrs in a boot. Muck-eating mater with trolls! Over my blunt sword!
Owl droppings! Owl pellets! Puckernuts!
Double Puckernuts! Rats and Mice! Sleet and Slush!
Stars in the sky! Sure as spit! Troll dung!
Troll warts and lizard skins! Toad turds! Trolls take it!
Well, strike me with skyfire! Wood rot! We're in it up to our hackles.
You're full of dreamberries! You're meat to be Wasted!
As welcome as water in the desert...         By all the wolves I've ridden...
Coat me with honey and call me Beesweets... Fell me and tie me and fry me in a fire!
He's many nuts shy of a full pouch. Slice me and dice me and stew me on a fire!
Suns, moons and bright, bountiful stars. Tie me and skin me and cook me in a fire!
Sun Folk
By the lost dwelling of the High Ones. By the midday fumes! Cur dung!
Great sun protect us! Great Sun! High Ones keep you!
Like sand fleas on a dead zwoot. Sands of the boundless waste! Shade and sweet water.
Sun bless me! Thistles and prickle-pears! To the fire pit with you!
Zwoot dung!
Gliders
Beaks and Claws! By the aeries! By the blood of the Firstcomers!
By the Great Egg! High Ones guard you. To the storm and rain with him!
Go-Backs
Blood and blubber! Buckrot! Clear paths!
Dung! or Dung chips! Fish guts! Frozen buckwads!
Furballs! Go recognize a troll! Gutchucks!
He should fall through thin ice! He should fry in bear fat! I'll be boiled in fish oil!
Just who in the shadow of the Great Ice Wall does he think he is? Open skies!
Owl pellets! Rotten fish guts! Snow's truth!
To the fire pits with all of you! Troll dung! Troll guts!

These are the rules of the list. They aren't really negotiable because we want to keep a nice friendly list where people want to come and have fun!

  1. To have a character approved for play you must fill out a complete CIS If you can't make the form work you should email the completed information to DarkEmber7@hotmail.com, remember not to the list. Mailing to the list will get you in all sorts of trouble. ONLY when it is approved can you mail it to the list. To get your CIS posted to the webpage you must be sure it was emailed to Honeymark@hotpop.com after it is approved.
  2. To play on the list you must have an approved character.
    • No more than 2 characters to new members
    • Your characters may not be lovemated or lifemated to each other
    • We need males, if you aren't deathly opposed to playing a male, please do so
    • You may not have additional character(s) until your primary character(s) has/have a completed and approved CIS, and is/are active
    • There are no special magics for any reason
  3. Round Robins are the order of the day, please please please participate.
  4. Stories are accepted but we prefer you get each person's part approved by the player.
  5. You may never under any circumstances take over, or RP a persons character without their express permission and with the rule that the owner of the character has the right to alter anything done by someone else with the character if the actions/comments are out of character
  6. No cliques! RP with everyone, even if your character would have nothing to do with that other character you can RP that!
  7. If someone posts and you want to post with it be sure to read all the posts around it. Especially the ones after it as you will need to try and fit your post into the timeline you will be joining. We want things to flow here with as little rewrites as possible.
  8. Time jumps happen. EVERYONE should know about them. They should not be arbitarily imposed by a list member. They should be approved by Harbinger. When timejumps occur CIS's will be updated so that ages reflect the timejump. This will keep everyone aging properly and at the same rate. Time jumps are generally a turn (year) or several turns (years). The exact length of the jump will be posted with the time jump notification.
  9. No fighting or bickering on the list! This is not the place for that!
  10. Always remember to read the webpage and above all  HAVE FUN!

A lifemate is the term for the chosen lifetime mate of a character.
A lovemate is the term for a character with whom you have regularly occurring intimate relations.
A pleasuremate is the term for a character with whom you share infrequently occuring intimate relations.
A soulmate is the term for a character to whom you are recognized.
'Joining' refers to the act of making love.

        All three of these terms are used by elves. Elfin society does not restrict one to a single lifemate or lovemate one may possess several of each all at the same time and nothing is thought of it.

        Lifemating occurs when elves decide to live together as mates and partners. Usually a lifemating will be between two elves, though it will sometimes involve three or more. Larger groups are not impossible but would be extremely rare. Lovemating exists between regular mating partners who have not decided to bond for life. Pleasuremating refers to the 'one night stands' that may occur from time to time.

        Elves do not attach any sort of shame to sexual encounters outside the regular lifemating or lovemating bonds. Jealousy is not impossible but is VERY highly uncommon. There is no shame in same sex matings in any way, elves are omni-sexual, meaning that the gender of ones mating partner is not important, only the pleasure or love shared by the pair.

        Recognitions occur when two elves have genes to have the greatest chance of making a healthy child. It can result in the death of both elves if the recognition is denied too long. Soul-siblings are a pair that would have recognized, had they been opposite genders. (In other words, soul-siblings are the same sex.) Children usually are born only through recognition, though there are cases (such a the Sun-Folk, and Go-backs) where no recognition is needed to produce a healthy child.

        One last bit of info that is very important: No elf is gay or lesbian. Elves are omnisexual therefore some choose to have partners of the same sex. This is accepted in the elvin community, and not at all looked down upon. If you have a problem with this, don't join this holt.

There are two general ways of naming for elfin characters.

  1. More 'elfin' names
    Elfin names that are not of the Wolfrider style tend to be short, generally no longer than three syllables, but lyrical.
  2. Wolfrider convention or one similar to it. Tribes that name themselves as Wolfriders do tend to either be ones that do much sending, or that live a lifestyle highly dependent upon deep interaction with nature. Moreover, tribes that use Wolfrider-style names are generally the ones whose members have soulnames.

    The Wolfrider naming style is dependent upon one central idea, that a name should fit the individual who bears it. The following categories reflect the many ways a Wolfrider-style name might be chosen:

    • Birth-names, reflecting some trait of the child that the parents find singular.
    • Commemoration of events.
    • Reflection of parentage.
    • Striking or unusual appearance.
    • Favorite weapons or fighting techniques.
    • Nature names.
    • Skills or talents or favorite pastimes.
    • Extraordinary accomplishments.

    As a rule it is best to avoid the more obvious elements for names. Regardless of the type of name you try for, things such as star, moon, sun, fire, and shadow can become quickly over-used; make use of a dictionary or thesaurus to find less common synonyms. Also.. interesting gender neutral names such as Greensdark, are often very effective and not as overused as something like Shadowrun. One is bound to fit the personality of your character.

    Keep in mind that Wolfrider style names are given to the individual, not chosen by him or her. They should never be rude, tasteless, or derogatory; neither should they be pretentious or boastful. The name should be easily pronounceable, and blend together without breaks or multiple accents; short names are always preferable (after all, a Wolfrider whose name takes five seconds to pronounce might not hear in time about that arrow that will hit him in three).

    Regardless of the tribe of origin for your character, your name should reflect your elf's environment and heritage. Most importantly, an elf's name should enable a stranger to identify him from among his tribesfolk by looking at him or watching his activities.

    It is strongly recommended against using deliberately incorrect spellings of words. This may seem cute at first but it fast becomes annoying to those who keep spelling the character's name /wrong/ because they spelled the words /right/.

            Recognition is an instinct built into the elfin genetic pattern, which sometimes occurs when two elves who can have viable offspring come into contact with one another. Elves attempt at times to rise above this biological imperative when it happens, but it is nearly unavoidable. Its most profound effect is the immediate and undeniable urge to mate; equally profound is its effect of causing the two elves to experience the sensation of "one soul in two bodies". The soul-bond that results from Recognition is so deep that if either elf has a soulname, the other will instantly know it, even if not normally telepathic.

            Recognized elves are in a perpetual empathic bond, each feeling the emotions of the other; sometimes the elves will try to make this grow into love but often this is not the end result. Some classic tragic pairs have failed at this (e.g., Dewshine and Tyldak from the books), for anyone, even mortal enemies, can Recognize. One may Recognize more than once (though NEVER while pregnant, and never more than one occurrence simultaneously; also, it is highly unlikely that a second Recognition will occur within any short length of time of the first), if a second ever happens at all.

            Recognition is *not* love, and it should not be mistaken for the elfin equivalent of marriage; it is not. Elves who have become lovemates or even lifemates have no guarantee that they will ever Recognize. In most cases it seems to ensure that they do not.

            The bond of Recognition need not even result in long-term interaction between the involved elves. It will certainly enhance an existing relationship, with the insight to the soul that it provides. But when the child is born, Recognition's effects will fade somewhat, leaving behind the knowledge of the soulnames involved, and a special empathy for the partner.

            Although some Elfquest stories have depicted the "pre-Recognition" of an adult party and a child (e.g., Raenafel and Barmek in the Wavedancers miniseries), Richard Pini when asked on the matter stated that Recognition should not occur unless both parties were able to bear children. Thus, elves that Recognize will be assumed to have passed puberty (be more than 14 turns of age).

            Soulnames are an elfin phenomenon: a word/sound/concept which represents/embodies all that an elf fundamentally is, their entire soul. It is also a shield for the elf's most private, inner self. The soulname guards that inner self against telepathic contact from all but those closest to the elf (Recognized mates, or the very closest of friends and family). Etiquette among elves dictates that the soulname not be spoken aloud. The soulname might be freely given to another, but an elf is very unlikely to do this except with someone he or she trusts implicitly.

            Soulnames are short and lyrical-sounding, one or two syllables. As a rule, they exist only with tribes who are highly telepathic. An elf in a non-telepathic tribe might have a soulname, but this is very unlikely, and should only be used if the character sends a lot.

            All elves in this holt have a soul-name. It was shown in ElfQuest stories that the soulname for a wolfrider is often the first 2 to 7 letters of their full Elfin name. Rahnee She-Wolf heard long lyrical names at the conception of each of her children, but none of them ever found more than the first part of that true name.

            The name can be made up by you, the creator, or part of a human word or name. The name is a special treasure, shared by an elf to only a precious few. Lifemates often share names, and a recognition automatically lets the other elf know what their recognized's soulname is.

    1. A turn is the elfin equivalent of a year.
      Age is measured in turns so if you claim to be 12 seasons old you are in fact only 3 turns/years of age.
    2. There are 4 seasons per turn
      Season names: Whitecold/Whitefall (winter), Newgreen (spring),         Greentime (summer), Leafchange/Deathsleep (autumn)
    3. There are 3 moons per Season

      There are a wide variety of positions available within the tribe so naturally they won't ALL be included here. Just use your best judgement since we don't need 10 herbal healers or 10 cubwatchers.
      • Cubs
      • Cubsitter
      • Youths
      • Gatherers
      • Lorekeeper
      • Hunters
      • Gatherers
      • Weapons maker
      • Fisher
      • Tracker
      • Scout
      • Fletcher
      • Elder
      • Stone carver/knapper
      • Juice/Wine maker
      • Musicians
      • Antagonist



Main Page | Create an Original Character | Adopt a Character | Ravenbrook Holt