Felaari

Considered the oldest nation of the elves of Encara, the Felaari are a people as stoic and enduring as the mountains they once called home. Reclusive and contemplative, they are most at ease in the high peaks, where the air is thin and the world feels timeless. In these heights, they shaped their homes from living trees and sung stone, weaving natural elements into structures that stood as testaments to both beauty and permanence. A Felaari architect will proudly declare to any who ask that in all their history, not a single one of their constructions has leaned, much less collapsed.

The Felaari are the longest-lived of all the elven peoples, their lives tied to the vast geological forces of the world. Their connection to magic flows through the ancient and the enduring: the steadfast rock, the patient mountain, the primordial forest. This deep bond has shaped their culture, imbuing it with a quiet resilience and a reverence for memory. For the Felaari, the past is a living presence, etched into their songs, their stories, and the very fabric of their being. Their recorded history spans tens of thousands of years, a tapestry of memory that is both a treasure and a burden. They remember the old world with painful clarity, every loss etched as sharply as every triumph.

Since their arrival on Thaedros, the Felaari have struggled to connect with this new world. The songs they once sang to the stones and trees fall flat, and the magic of Thaedros often seems to actively resist their touch. Where once they wove their homes from living materials, now they are forced to carve stone with chisels and shape wood with saws. Despite this, the Felaari have adapted, turning to their oldest allies—the Athandr dwarves and Fiskarn gnomes—for guidance in rebuilding their craft. Together, these three peoples were among the first to leave Ylda, united by a shared determination to build something lasting in this unfamiliar world.

In Enethir, the nation they have founded in western Arakol, the Felaari have become the cornerstone of a fledgling elven unity. Centered around ancient, weathered mountains that mirror their own culture, Enethir stands as a sanctuary for all elven peoples. The Felaari have called out to their kin across Thaedros, inviting them to join in a shared dream of survival and solidarity. Many have answered that call, drawn by the Felaari's ancient wisdom and quiet strength. Yet, not all elves find a place among them. The Felaari's stoicism, their deep connection to the past, and their unyielding traditions can feel stifling to those who value freedom or novelty.

The Felaari see themselves as guardians of legacy, protectors of what was and what still can be. To them, the mountains they inhabit are not just homes—they are symbols of endurance and immutability. Their culture reflects this: slow to change, but unshakable once rooted. Though they mourn the loss of Encara, they carry forward its memory, carving it into the stone of their new world. They are a people who endure, weathering the storms of time like the mountains themselves. And though the magic of Thaedros may be strange and unyielding, the Felaari remain, as always, immovable.

Racial Traits

Special Abilities

Fey Ancestry You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic cannot put you to sleep.

Trance Instead of sleeping, you enter a deep meditation for 4 hours, gaining the same benefits as an 8-hour rest.

Enduring Spirit Your connection to the ancient and the immutable grants you proficiency in History. Additionally, you have advantage on saving throws against effects that would age or physically transform you against your will.

Stone's Resilience You gain resistance to force damage, and your movement speed cannot be reduced by difficult terrain made of natural stone or earth.

Basic Traits

Speed Your base walking speed is 35 feet (30 feet + 5 feet elven bonus).

Languages You can speak, read, and write Common and Elvish.

Backgrounds

Stonekeeper

You were trained to preserve the histories and wisdom of your people, carving their knowledge into stone and weaving it into song. As a scholar and scribe, you carry the burden of memory, ensuring that nothing is lost to time.

• Skill Proficiencies: History, Arcana
• Tool Proficiencies: Calligrapher's Supplies, Mason's Tools
• Languages: One of your choice
• Feature: Keeper of Lore - When encountering ancient writings or structures, you can recognize their age, cultural origin, and potential magical significance with a successful Intelligence (History) check.
• Ability Score Increases: +2 Intelligence, +1 Wisdom

Architect of the Ages

As a Felaari builder, you once shaped structures that stood for millennia. Though Thaedros resists your craft, you have learned to work alongside its forces rather than against them, blending dwarven and gnomish techniques with your own.

• Skill Proficiencies: Investigation, Perception
• Tool Proficiencies: Mason's Tools, Carpenter's Tools
• Languages: One of your choice (Dwarvish recommended)
• Feature: Master Builder - When inspecting a structure, you can determine its integrity, hidden weaknesses, and how best to reinforce or dismantle it.
• Ability Score Increases: +2 Wisdom, +1 Strength

Sentinel of the Peaks

Among the Felaari, there are those who do not merely live in the mountains—they guard them. You were trained as a warden, watching over the high places and ensuring that those who trespass upon your sacred lands do so with respect—or not at all.

• Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Stealth
• Tool Proficiencies: Climber's Kit, Herbalism Kit
• Languages: One of your choice (Sylvan recommended)
• Feature: Guardian's Vigil - You have advantage on Perception checks made to detect hidden threats in mountainous or forested terrain, and you require only half the usual food and water when traveling in high-altitude environments.
• Ability Score Increases: +2 Dexterity, +1 Wisdom