Twilight Elves

Twilight Elves, or Shar'dorei in the elven tongue (trans. "forsaken children"), are a race of Elves who live primarily in the frigid pine forests of the extreme northwest of the continent. Cursed in ages past by their Kel'dorei cousins to lose their forms and identities to their insatiable craving for arcane power, the Twilight Elves are a wretched and somber people. They are shapeshifters, able to take any humanoid form they can imagine, any form except their true selves.

Where once they served the Astral Phoenix under the rule of their beloved Prince Calendor Sunsworn, ever seeking the power to have their revenge on the Kel'dorei who cursed their people, in the wake of Ashrael's rebirth and Sunsworn's death many have lost what little faith they could hold onto for their own redemption. Twisted by hatred and self loathing, the Twilight Elves have only grown ever more mistrusting of other races, but none more so now than the Dawn Elves, whom they see as traitors, undeserving of the gifts that have been showered upon them.

With the Prince dead, Twilight Elf society is now dominated by the shadowy cabal of arcanists called the Order of Twilight, who rule the Twilight Elves from their twisted towers in the city of Shar'sindor. There these figures rule from within the shadows, with none knowing their true identities, experimenting with dark magic and seeking out ever more powerful energies to lift their people's curse and destroy their Dawn Elf rivals.

Some few Twilight Elves manage to escape their twisted society in search of creating new lives for themselves as members of other species, or even to find their own means to lifting their terrible curse. Many of those that do travel as far away from their homeland as possible, wanting to get as far away from the Order of Twilight as they can. There is one thing however that they can never escape, no matter what form they take; their ever-present thirst for arcane power.

Play a Twilight Elf if you want...
 * to be graceful, somber, and manipulative.
 * to play a hero with a tortured past, or one who struggles to find or create a new identity for themselves.
 * to be a member of a race that favors nearly any class and can adapt to almost any role or society.

Physical Qualities
A Twilight Elf's true form is a pale shadow of elven grace and beauty, stripped of nearly everything which makes a child of the World Tree unique. Their forms are twisted, muted and blank, with smooth, pale grey skin and stringy grey white or pale blonde hair. Their features are blurred and indistinct, with only the hint of a nose, blank milky white eyes, and thin lips. The only feature which remains somewhat distinct identifying their fae heritage are their pointed ears. Some particularly old Twilight Elves, or those who delve deeply into the arcane arts can have strange crystals growing from their flesh; crystals formed of the raw stuff of magic.

Because of their shame and self-pity or loathing, most Twilight Elves choose another form to appear as. Some will attempt to look Elvish in appearance, while others will choose entirely different races to appear as, to get as far away from forms which remind them of their curse as possible. Because of a Twilight Elf's unique ability to shapeshift, these forms can be of nearly any humanoid imaginable, even those of other living beings. This is much of the cause for the deep mistrust and paranoia that exists surrounding these "changelings."

In general, Twilight Elves have shorter life spans that other elves of Erasis, few living beyond their 4th century. The cause for this is unknown, but could be related to the damage done to their fae heritage by the curse which afflicts every Twilight Elf. The common theory is that by existing in forms which naturally have shorter lifespans than Elves, the Twilight Elves have further damaged their connection to the immortality granting World Tree. Another common theory, particularly provided by Wood Elves, is that it is the Twilight Elf addiction to arcane power which caused this separation long before their curse.

Average Height: 5’6” – 6’2”

Average Weight: 130-180 lb.

Like other Elves, Twilight Elves are still known for their superior vision, and instead of sleeping, they continue to trance.

D&D 5e
In addition to the basic Elf traits listed in the Player's Handbook, Twilight Elves receive the following traits.

Ability Score Increase: A single score of your choice increases by 1.

Manipulative: You may add half of your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to Deception, Intimidation, and Persuasion ability checks that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus.

Minor Change Shape: Twilight Elves have the supernatural ability to alter their appearance as though using an alter self spell. They can however only choose to Change Appearance, but they can do this at will and the change lasts either until they are forced to revert to their natural forms (such as by choice or dying), or they choose to alter their form again. Doing so requires 1 action, but does not require any sort of verbal or somatic components.