The Sanctity of the Elves (Philosophy)

"Elves do not pay homage to any gods. The elven religion is entirely based on the adherence to the principles of the great philosophies, evenly poised between the 'light' and 'dark' sides of emotion and life. The philosophies gain their power through the devotions of all elves across the world, including the black elves that live under the surface of the world. The Adherents are those elves that dedicate their lives to a particular Philosophy, and can use the power of that philosophy to wondrous effect." Adherent Silvarion Jeshowa

Elven Theology

In the early days of elven society, the developing race knew that they had not been created by the gods that now roamed the cosmos, but must have come from some higher, unknown entity. Knowing this, they chose not to worship the gods as divine beings, instead viewing them as more powerful mortals. Instead, they devoted themselves to perfecting the elven race, identifying the various traits that form the backbone of a cohesive and functional society where everyone can benefit. Then, as with the present, they set about dedicating themselves to become a living reflection of those traits.

Elven Cosmology

The philosophies have no physical form, and hence do not reside on any of the outer planes.

The Elven Pantheon

Elves do not worship any physical gods. Instead they have a list of philosophies which they revere. These philosophies are based around the Ten Principles of life that the elves first practiced during the First Age of Cellworld, and which have remained largely unchanged to the present day.

The philosophies themselves draw power from the devotion of elves from around the entire world, giving them an effectively unlimited supply of power. It is by attuning themselves to the tenets of their philosophy that the elves are able to draw the power for their special abilities, and to cast their spells.

Elven worshipers do not use the title of priest. Instead they are known as Adherents.

As the philosophies are formed from belief, with no physical aspect, they do not have a holy symbol as do other religions. Rather, each philosophy has its own sacred color, which is commonly worn by the Adherents. When using the power of their philosophy to cast spells, the adherents are surrounded by a faint aura of that same colour.

  • These are the subraces where adherents of that religion are more readily accepted (though they still may not be encouraged). This does not mean that these adherents won’t be found in the other subraces, just that they are not as socially acceptable, for whatever reason.