Stone Elves

As with all elves, there were once no Stone Elves. There were only the Grey Elves, who acted as mentors and protectors for the other races, providing them with tutelage and the knowledge they needed to eventually live on their own. However, the youngest race, humanity, resented their ‘masters’. They rebelled unexpectedly against the Grey Elves, murdering their leaders and driving the race from their capital.

The belief grew among some members of this exiled race that they had failed utterly and completely. They had lost their way. Their methods, morality, spirituality, and even physicality were wrong. They headed east into the Bakuran mountain range where they stayed for many years in isolation. During this isolation they discussed among themselves how they should change so as to never fail so completely again. The discussions became increasingly heated, eventually devolving into armed conflict. The ensuing conflict saw the isolated Grey Elves nearly wipe themselves out. Only the words of the first Stone Elven King, Adan, stopped the fighting. Adan declared that emotion was the failing that had caused their empire’s destruction, and was it not emotion that was sowing their ruin even now? Seeing the wisdom in his words, the fighting stopped. The Stone Elves entered a period of meditation and when they finally emerged from the mountains once more they had become something different: the Eleghast’Thalan.

In the centuries since, they have established the city of Dul’Agan, their capital, in the Bakuran mountain range and their numbers have slowly grown. Even so, they remain a numerically small people, and the volatility of their emotions means Stone Elves rarely leave Dul’Agan where the Order of Adan ensures they keep their emotions in check. Although they are known throughout the land now, actually seeing a Stone Elf is something of a rarity as they continue to remain a reclusive and isolationist people.

Geography

The Order of Adan

Founded shortly after the first Stone Elven King’s death, the Order of Adan is responsible for teaching young Stone Elves to control their emotions and for ensuring that all Stone Elves remain in control of their emotions. Stone Elves who forsake emotional control are hunted by the Order and exiled upon discovery, or killed if they turn to violence to resist. The Order also has liaisons to the Court of Dul’Agan, who make sure that decisions made by the King, Queen, and their advisers are based on logic and reason.

The Exiles of Dul’Agan

Those exiled from Dul’Agan for choosing not to control and suppress their emotions have over the years slowly congregated together. Together, the Exiles of Dul’Agan have worked to try and find a way to stabilize their volatile emotions without suppressing them entirely. They have thus far failed to find an alternative, but remain confident that with time and study they will find a way, and when they do they shall return to Dul’Agan and teach their people so that they may be free to feel once more.

Culture

Stone Elven life is dominated by the pursuit of logic and self-control. All Stone Elves are taught from a young age how to suppress their volatile emotions and instead rely on logic and rationality to make choices and decisions. Only once a Stone Elf has proven mastery over their emotions are they considered to have reached adulthood.

Stone Elves who choose instead to forsake emotional control are usually exiled from Dul’Agan. They are viewed by the majority as dangerous elements who will corrupt youth and draw them away from the structured life of emotional control that most Stone Elves rely on. Some of these exiles may eventually return to Dul’Agan and seek to learn emotional control again, but such instances are uncommon. Love among the Stone Elves is a tricky and complicated matter. Even with emotional suppression, love is an emotion that can all too often influence a Stone Elf’s decision making. Rather than shy away from these feelings, Stone Elves believe it safer to openly declare love, so that others can warn them if they allow love to influence their decision making too much.

Their solitary and isolationist nature means Stone Elves don’t often leave their homes, and even when they do they largely keep to themselves, usually having only a few close friends.

Politics

The Stone Elven City State of Dul’Agan is still ruled by a King and Queen, as it has been since its creation. Currently, it is ruled by King Leoncio and Queen Bellineth. Although Leoncio and Bellineth are the final word on all issues and decisions facing Dul’Agan, they are advised by a council and by liaisons from the Order of Adan, who ensure that emotions do not become involved in the decision making process. Decisions made by the monarchy are rarely contested as all Stone Elves can see and appreciate the logic of a particular decision.

Since Stone Elves rarely travel beyond Dul’Agan and their numbers remain small, they have not to date involved themselves in the conflicts of outsiders. Despite this, Stone Elves remain prepared for the possibility of conflict. They have laced the paths leading up to Dul’Agan with traps and choke points where even large armies of outsiders could be held at bay. This army is led in name by the King of Dul’Agan, but in actuality by the Captain of the Guard, Captain Malena.

Although Captain Malena commands the entire Stone Elven military, it is divided into several smaller ‘sections’, which are led by a Sergeant and consist of twenty to thirty guardspeople. ‘Sections’ are responsible for defending sections of the path to Dul’Agan, hence their name. The King and Queen appoint a Captain at the beginning of their reign but, barring scandal or old age, the previous Captain is usually reinstated. Sergeants are appointed by the Captain but, as with the Captain, are usually reinstated barring scandal, retirement, or old age.

Common Personalities & Views

Stone Elves are a profoundly emotional people. Every feeling and emotion is felt more intensely than any other race can understand. As such, Stone Elves suppress their emotions and maintain a strong degree of emotional control, relying instead on logic and rationality to make decisions. Outwardly, they appear unemotional or despondent to the other races, contrary to their nature.

However, their self-control is always flawed, and every Stone Elf possesses a trigger, something which regardless of their suppression and desire for control will bring all their emotions spilling forth as the proverbial floodgate is lifted. When triggered, Stone Elves enter a frenzy, usually attacking anyone involved in instigating the emotional tidal wave before attacking anyone and anything around them until they can calm down.

The danger of these sudden acts of unreasonable violence has led some Stone Elves to instead choose not to suppress their emotions. These Elves appear mad to outsiders, prone to sudden and extreme mood swings; friendly and happy one moment and then launching unexpectedly into a fit of crying and screaming the next.

Views on Other Races

No other race suppresses their emotions and relies on logic in quite the same way the Stone Elves do. Some Stone Elves may view the embrace of emotional thought and ideology as a weakness of a lesser race, too naive to understand the danger that emotional thought poses. Others instead envy the other races their lack of emotional intensity, allowing them to lead lives influenced by emotion, but not solely dominated by it.

Roleplaying Tips

Emotional control is the main aspect of playing a Stone Elf. The other races do not understand that your emotions are dangerous. An important thing to consider when playing a Stone Elf is how you view the other races’ emotions. Do you envy them the ability to allow their emotions to be part of their lives, or are their emotions just as dangerous as yours and it is your responsibility to inject calm rational thought into heated emotional arguments?

Another important thing to consider is your trigger. As a Stone Elf you must have an emotional trigger and depending on how old you are, you likely know what your trigger is. What are you prepared to do to avoid encountering your trigger and how do you deal with the damage you caused while in a berserk frenzy?

Stone Elves are unlikely to have a large circle of friends, since to outsiders they do not seem to form any kind of emotional connection. You should hold close those who can understand that you must control yourself, and move past it, but never allow an emotional attachment to a friend to influence your decision making. Always do what is logical and rational.