Ondabrae (Grey Elves) – World Of Zenith

Grey Elves – Ondabrae (The Somber) – Mortannia

~12% of overall population

Not all of elvenkind was isolated in Avalon when the land was sundered at the end of the Battle of the Fall. Those that remained behind were part of a great diaspora as they settled the untamed and tainted lands. Those that remained in Mortannia became known as the Ondabrae, or “the Somber” in the elven tongue. Silent and stalwart historians they see it as their responsibility to continue to shepherd the human survivors in Mortannia and were instrumental in keeping hope alive in the early years of the Tenebrous Age. Generations have seen the Ondabrae mostly assimilated into Mortannian society and they have adopted much of the same fatalism as their human natives.

Physical Description: The Ondabrae closely resemble their native Avalonian kin at least at a glance though the tones of their hair and skin seemed washed out and faded compared to their cousins. Their skin ranges from deep slate grey to pale white, sometimes resembling the dhampir of the land, and their hair usually ranges on the same grayscale, going from deepest ebony to shocking white. Some more urban Ondabrae have taken to dying their hair and painting their flesh in an effort to add more color to their palette, though they are seen as eclectic for doing so. They wear pragmatic clothing, eschewing much of their native elven craftsmanship in favor of practicality and ease of use.

Government: Ondabrae have largely congregated to Mortannia’s cities and integrated into the social structure there. Many of them do rise to positions of authority, either as seneschals for old bloodlines or local boyars for a number of smaller villages. The few Ondabrae settlements that exist are typically run in a pragmatic and democratic fashion with each adult voting in council on a particular course of action before the settlement commits to it. These villages are typically no more than a few extended families and are as insular as their human counterparts.

Economy: The Ondabrae generally are drawn towards professional careers in Mortannian cities, often becoming bankers, lawyers, scribes, or similar roles. Those with magical talent are often highly sought after by those in power and can fetch a fairly high price for their services compared to humans with the same talents. Even so many centuries later there is a lingering cultural belief that elven magic is innately superior to humans. Most of the Ondabrae have eschewed the intricate craftsmanship commonly associated with their Sylandrae cousins.

Religion/Spirituality: A pious people, the Ondabrae know full well that it is only by the grace of divine spirits that the Battle of the Fall ended with victory for their kind. Most grey elf homes house a dedicated shrine devoted to Illerial, Aleksandr, or any number of the virtues. They are regular attendants at church and are often the first to set about building one if they move into a settlement that only has a small shrine. Though even in their faith they are pragmatic, and not prone to a lot of superstition that pervades Mortannia.

Lifestyle: Although seen by most outsiders as even more joyless than their human neighbors, the Ondabrae have a rich cultural history surrounding education and communing with the natural world. Many of them tend gardens even in the most dense urban centers, and they can commonly be found at the nearest foundation dedicated to learning, expanding their knowledge of all things esoteric and pragmatic alike. Many Ondabrae participate and often lead their settlement’s religious festivals even if not officially associated with the church.

Diplomacy: Contrary to natural Mortannian xenophobia, the Ondabrae have assimilated well into their culture, mostly by remaining as neutral as they possibly can during any amount of internal political strife. They are often called upon to neutrally arbitrate all sorts of disputes within the kingdom and have recently seen extra demand for their services in dealing with foreign politics. Some of the highest ranking diplomats in the kingdom right now are Ondabrae.

Military/Defense: Like all Mortannian citizens, the Ondabrae are expected to rise in defense of the kingdom when threatened. Though few are drawn initially to military service, some will transfer into the Endless Crusade or the Mortannian Army after establishing themselves in their own field as they see their lives as far too precious to waste as common soldiers on the field. Their half-human kin, on the other hand, often find themselves welcome in the ranks of the crusaders. When drawn to battle, the Ondabrae adopt typical elven tactics and make excellent archer units and divine casters.

Adventurers: Despite their dour disposition, many Ondabrae are drawn to the life of adventuring, either as a means of broadening their understanding of the world, or in response to some tragedy that befell the communities they watched over. They excel as inquisitors of the Church of Unyielding Light and some of the most notorious Ondabrae adventurers are famous slayers of undead. In keeping with their nature, Ondabrae adventurers tend towards lawful alignments.

Half-Ondabrae: Ever the pragmatists, there is a significant minority of Ondabrae that believe that the maturation rate of their own species does not lend itself well to the prosecution of the Endless Crusade or any other number of troubles facing Mortannia and Zenith as a whole. These Ondabrae are (somewhat derisively) called “hantrara” or “breeders” and see it as their solemn duty to sire as many half grey-elves as they can. As such, most of their half-human kin are raised by their mothers or taken to a local orphanage when necessary. With little connection to their elven ancestry, they often grow up as any other Mortannian orphan would.

Names: Ondabrae naming conventions follow standard elven naming conventions, though some tend to blend their names with Mortannian customs, resulting in names like Elyotr, Llamrinka, Shantonia, Andrespar, or Gaspariel.

Geography/Borders: Though most of the Ondabrae have assimilated into Mortannian society, there remains a few distinct settlements and cultural sites littered throughout the land. Most of the grey elves feel no particular cultural connection to these sites.

Calanas (N Council Village (population 102; 89% grey elf, 7% human, 4% half-grey elf)) – The village of Calanas rests in southern Northreach on the other side of the mountains from the Oracle’s Commune. Quiet and unassuming, they respectfully pay homage to the fey of the Voidsedge forest and subside mostly on fish from the Bay of Shallows.
Coriolis Monument – This tall obelisk stands in the city of Novogan and stands as a testament to the countless heroes that gave their lives to ensure the continuation of Zenith. To become a Nameless Warden of the Endless Crusade, one must stand vigil before the monument for three days and three nights, at the end of which the crusader renounces their former identity and is said to be empowered by ancient spirits to do battle against the Nameless Dark.
Kas Arenora – This ancient fortress was built before the Tenebrous age during the war with the Nameless Dark and stands to this day. Located just inland from the Bay of Teeth overlooking Glassbottom Lake this haunted monument stands eerily defiant against the ravages of time. Indeed despite the numerous centuries that have passed, not a single stone seems to have fallen out of place and though no lights can be seen coming from the castle, it is known to the villagers across the lake to be thoroughly haunted. Legends state that a powerful weapon from the war is hidden somewhere in the castle’s catacombs, but those few to search the place and return are unable to speak of the horrors that dwell within.

Variants/Rules: Grey elves and their human offspring are variants on base elves and half-elves.

Grey Elf Racial Traits

Ability Score Modifiers: Grey elves are nimble in body and pragmatic in mind, and though hardier than their cousins they are not as strong. They gain +2 dexterity, +2 wisdom, and -2 strength.
Size: Grey elves are medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Type: Grey elves are Humanoids with the elf subtype.
Base Speed: Grey elves have a base speed of 30 feet.
Languages: Grey elves begin play speaking Mortannian and Elven. Grey elves with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aklo, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Fiendish, Sylvan
Urbanite: Grey elves with gain a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy checks made to gather information and Sense Motive checks made to get a hunch about a social situation.
Blightborn: Grey elves gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against necromancy spells and spell-like abilities and spells and spell-like abilities with the curse descriptor, as well as on saving throws to remove temporary negative levels.
Elven Magic: Grey elves receive a +2 racial bonus on caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance. In addition, elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Spellcraft skill checks made to identify the properties of magic items.
Weapon Familiarity: Grey elves are proficient with longbows (including composite longbows), longswords, rapiers, and shortbows (including composite shortbows), and treat any weapon with the word “elven” in its name as a martial weapon.
Low-Light Vision: Grey elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

Half-Grey Elf Racial Traits

Ability Score Modifiers: Half-grey elves characters gain a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature.
Type: Half-grey elves are humanoid creatures with both the human and the elf subtypes.
Size: Half-grey elves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Base Speed: Half-grey elves have a base speed of 30 feet.
Elven Immunities: Half-grey elves are immune to magic sleep effects and gain a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells and effects.
Adaptability: Half-grey elves receive Skill Focus as a bonus feat at 1st level.
Wary: Half-grey elves with this trait gain a +1 racial bonus on Sense Motive and Bluff checks. This racial trait replaces the keen senses racial trait.
Low-Light Vision: Half-grey elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
Elf Blood: Half-grey elves count as both elves and humans for any effect related to race.
Multitalented: Half-grey elves choose two favored classes at first level and gain +1 hit point or +1 skill point whenever they take a level in either one of those classes.

Prominent Figures:

Aubron Kurakin, the Shadow’s Gasp (LN female grey elf inquisitor of the Church of Unyielding Light) – There are some who say that Aubron is immortal, a powerful warrior who has walked the land since the Tenebrous Age. Seen as something of a folk hero, this masked and heavily obscured grey elf wanders the land in search of the most dangerous of ravaging monsters and makes it their mission to permanently and personally put them in the ground. They never remain in one place for long.
Vaeril (NE male grey elf druid) – A proponent of the ‘hantrara’ philosophy and ruthless in its execution. Vaeril wanders from town to town, often purchasing any number of slaves he can afford in an effort to propagate his philosophy. His detractors say he keeps a stock of breeding humans somewhere in the woods of Crownslight, an accusation that he tersely denies, citing the notion as “far too impractical to maintain for any length of time.”