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AVARIEL
Winged Elves/ Protectors of Elves/ Guardians
Avariel are winged celestial elves that live on the Material Plane by command of Corellon Lorethian. They were placed on the Material Plane as protectors of the elven race. Anywhere there is a large population of elves, such as forests and gray elf citadels, you can be sure an avariel aerie is close. To most humanoids and even some elves avariel are just myth because they are rarely seen except within their “territory”. The typical avariel territory can span several hundred miles depending upon the size of the forest or elven lands that it resides in.
Description: Avariel appear as tall powerfully built elves with feathered wings. They are about a foot and a half taller than the typical elf but weigh the same, as their bones are hollow but very strong. They generally wear toga style clothing. However, while going in to combat they will don specially crafted elven chain mail or breastplates to allow for their wings. They are fierce warriors and talented sorcerers. Avariel never become priests, they rely on the elven community for spiritual and healing needs.
Most avariel are N/G or C/G and take their responsibility to the surface elves seriously. Some however, about 5%, get the urge to see the world and wander off. Stories have spread of evil avariel but to date only one has been confirmed. An avariel that is found to be evil is hunted and exterminated by every avariel and elf available.
Ruler ship: A hereditary matriarch or queen rules Avariel aeries. The queen is typically the either a veteran warrior, a sorceress or both. If a queen is killed prior to her daughter coming of age and skill the aeries ruler ship is given over to the queens second in command. The queens second can be male or female but is always strong in the art of war.
Aeries: An aerie can be as small as a couple dozen avariel to several hundred. The “nests” are usually simple homes and lodges built in to the tops of trees or high in rocky outcroppings but huge elaborate buildings high in the trees have been reported. Normally avariel aerie are cared for by the elven populations they protect by way of the elves providing food, clothing, armor, weapons etc.
Mating/ Pregnancy/ Lifespan: Avariel can mate with nearly any humanoid but can only reproduce with another avariel, an elf or a half elf. Avariel can choose to conceive or not and when they do decide to then the chance of conception is 100%. They never produce half-breeds; the offspring of avariel always have wings. Unlike elves whose pregnancies last 24 months an avariel will gives birth after only 6 months. The children of avariel reach maturity by the age of fifteen and will typically live twice as long as normal elves.
An avariel that loses her wings or has their wings irreparably damaged always leaves the aerie, not because they’re not welcome but because the aeries are precarious places and not meant for wingless creatures. The “Fallen” or “Walkers” as these unfortunates are referred sometimes make a home for themselves in the forest with the elves they once guarded. Others, not able to take the loss of freedom of flight, simply walk away. These “Fallen” are honored for whatever act cost them the ultimate price.
Stats: Add the Celestial Template in the Monster Manual to those of a gray elf. In addition avariel are granted a +2 to Strength and to Charisma. They are approximately 12 to 18 inches taller than the average elf. Evil PC avariel should not be permitted.
But where would you locate them on Oerth?
Wouldn't Iuz, Ivid the Overking, the Flans of the older times and the Scarlet Brotherhoods have hunted them to extinction?
Wouldn't Iuz, Ivid the Overking, the Flans of the older times and the Scarlet Brotherhoods have hunted them to extinction?
Eh, just because the Ur-Flan were evil doesn't mean the Flans themselves were. If anything, I doubt they would have gone to the trouble of climbing tall mountains to exterminate a race they never interacted with. To them, the Avariels would have been "air spirits". Feared at worst, awe-inspiring at best.
Nowadays, it's more a factor of being seeing as a threat. Little to no news about the Avariels' existence means neither Iuz nor Ivid would consider them worth their attention (except maybe if Ivid wanted a new feather mattress :D )
Little to no news about the Avariels' existence means neither Iuz nor Ivid would consider them worth their attention (except maybe if Ivid wanted a new feather mattress :D )
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mmmh... well could be right that the Flan would fear them - I'd personally would not identify an Avariel necessarily as an elf, but as a sprite.
Anyway, though elves are one of my favorite races they have not had it easy in my game. It's only going to get worse for them.
For more info check out my Article on the Elves of Oerth at canonfire.com. It should be under the people and culture section.
On Oerth, I prefer to keep olves without wings and "angels"* relatively rare. I use the asterisk because this term wasn't used in earlier D&D editions. In fact, the denizens of the Upper Planes in 1e didn't seem to constitute "races" analogous to the devils, daemons, demodands, and demons of the Lower Planes. This may have changed toward the end of 2e with Planescape. I have no idea, but I have seen that 3e holds that there are "angels" and other "races" of Upper Plane denizens.
For winged beings on Oerth I tend to use either sylphs or sprites, if I'm telling a faerie tale, or aarocockra or giant (dire) eagles if I prefer a less fantastic but still strange encounter.
While I don't plan to use avariel in any future campaigns, I like some of the other posters' suggestions that this race of olves be near extinction -- due in part to the Great Migrations (Invasions) and the rise of humans in the Flanaess.
However, it is something to think about.
............................Omote
FPQ