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Created by the god Corellon, the first elves could change their physical forms at will. The elves lost this ability when Corellon exiled them from Arvandor for plotting with another elven deity named Lolth, who tried and failed to usurpCorellon’s dominion. When Lolth was cast down into the Abyss, most elves renounced her treachery and earned Corellon’s forgiveness, but that which Corellon had taken from the elves was lost forever.
No longer able to shape-shift at will, the elves retreated to the Feywild, where their sorrow was deepened by that plane’s influence. Over time, wanderlust and curiosity led many of them to explore other planes of existence, including various worlds in the Material Plane.
Elves have the mystical ability to take on characteristics of the environments with which they are bonded—drow to the Underdark, high elves to fey crossings in the Material Plane, and wood elves to forests. These connections grant elves access to certain kinds of magic.
Elves are blessed with long lives and long memories. From birth, they don’t sleep but instead enter a trance when they need to rest. In this state, elves remain aware of their surroundings while immersing themselves in their own memories. What an elf remembers during this reverie depends largely on how long the elf has lived and the events that have shaped the elf’s existence.
Elves have pointed ears and tend to be light on their feet. Another common physical characteristic of elves is their lack of facial and body hair.
After leaving the Feywild, elves established deep roots on worlds throughout the multiverse. Within their respective domains, elves often use their magic and other resources to build fabulous enclaves. The subterranean cities and outposts of the drow, the gleaming towers and citadels of the high elves, and the forest sanctuaries of the wood elves are nothing short of architectural wonders, which reflect their builders’ otherworldly origins.
Drow. Known for their white hair and duskygray skin tones, drow typically dwell in the Underdark. Noteworthy exceptions include Drizzt Do’Urden and Jarlaxle Baenre, two drow adventurers of the Forgotten Realms who shun their subterranean homeland. Some drow societies avoid the Underdark altogether. On the world of Eberron, for example, drow dwell in gloomy rainforests and cyclopean ruins on the continent of Xen’drik.
High Elves. On some worlds, high elves refer to themselves by other names. For example, the sun elves and moon elves of Toril (the world of the Forgotten Realms setting) are high elves, as are the Silvanesti and Qualinesti of Krynn (the world of Dragonlance) and the Aereni of Eberron.
Wood Elves. Wood elves are known across the multiverse by many other names, including wild elves, green elves, and forest elves. Grugach are reclusive wood elves on Oerth (the world of the Greyhawk setting), while the Kagonesti and the Tairnadal are wood elves of Krynn and Eberron, respectively.
| Elven Lineages | |||
| Lineage | 1st Level | 3rd Level | 5th Level |
| Drow | The range of your Darkvision increases to 120 feet. You also know the Dancing Lights cantrip. | Faerie Fire | Darkness |
| High Elf | You know the Prestidigitation cantrip. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can replace that Cantrip with a different Cantrip from the Wizard Spell List. | Detect Magic | Misty Step |
| Wood Elf | Your speed increases to 35 feet. You also know the Druidcraft cantrip. | Longstrider | Pass Without Trace |