Winter Elves of Skandahar

[Havard]

Note: This is a fan creation by Havard.

Background
Some say it was the Egg of Coot that caused the waters around Blackmoor to rise and the land begun to sink. A few centuries ago, the Black Sea and the North Sea joined as lands north of Maus were flooded. The elven realm had already become divided a few centuries earlier, but now the elves living in the northern woods became separated from their cousins in the Redwood. Most of the northern elves sought refuge in the Winter Woods, north of the Gremlin Woods, stretching deep into the Skandaharian Jarldoms. Many of the elven groups living in the Winter Woods already had their own 

Description
Most Winter Elves are somewhat taller than their Redwood cousins. They are usually fair skinned with blonde to white hair and frosty blue eyes. They wear deerskin clothes and furs. They reach maturity at 100 years and can live up to 800 years or more. Few live that long however as the Winter Elves live in a region with harsh climate and many are killed in conflict or in the struggle to survive. 

Alignment
Winter Elves lean towards Neutral Good alignment, although may variations exist. 

Culture
Winter Elf culture is based around hunting. They travel often using dogsleds, showshoes or skis. They often gather around the fires and entertain eachother through song and dance. Many are pranksters, enjoying to play pranks on each other and on peoples from other cultures. 

Male Names
Thiordannar, Trudelithim, Niarlar, Niarlothim, Marlothar, Golithim, Grolithar, 

Female Names
Thiordanna, Thiorella, Truteldia, Grolithella

Lands of the Winter Elves
Most Winter Elves live in the lands north of the Black Sea. Most are found in the Winter Woods (north of the map) and the Gremlin Woods. The Winter Woods stretch deep into the lands of the Skandaharians. Most of the lands controlled by the Winter Elves are dominated by coniferous forests, but also includes lakes, hills and mountains. The most notable feature is perhaps the volcanic Mt. Fiumarra. The largest settlement is called Icehold which is the home of Lord Esthioran Windwalker, the de facto ruler of all the Winter Elves. Formally they still recognize Mendander Ithamis, even though contact between the two groups have dwindled.

Gods and Beliefs
Druids are highly respected among the Winter Elves. Gods commonly followed include Ferros (N), Hydros (N), Aeros (N), Fiumarra (CN), Dealth (CN), Faunus (CN) Sylvian (N), Ordana (NG), Terra (LN). They also follow Sacwynne whom they refer to as Skadi.

Allies and Enemies
The Winter Elves are allied with the Cumasti. They are also on civil terms with the Westryn whom they sometimes encounter in the Wolf Woods. Their relation to the Skandaharians is sometimes peaceful, but at other times they are in conflict. 

Trivia
In the Mystara cosmology, these Winter Elves could be among the ancestors of the Icevale Elves, although officially those elves lived farther to the west. 

-Havard

[RobJN]

I was gonna say..... "Icevale"...?

[Havard]

I was gonna say..... "Icevale"...?

Yep! This is actually not where I got the idea from, but I have been looking sideways at the very small amount of informaton we have on those elves. I also think there was a race of Snow Elves in an early issue of Dragon?

In any case, this is for the most part a Blackmoor centric project. The idea came from the past discussions of whether the elves had lands north of the Black Sea before the seas began to rise. The DA modules make it clear that the land was once connected and began to split due to the rise of the Egg of Coot, but the idea of the elven woods existing on both sides comes from a fan (Zimriel) and his extrapolation on how to fit the early Blackmoor map from the FFC with the poster sized map made by Judges Guid which became the main map in subsequent publications. 

This thread is not so much about those ideas though, but rather about the idea that there are elves living there close to the Skandaharians. I really like the idea of a unique elven culture based on a colder climate and coniferous woodlands. 

I'd like to introduce other winter based creatures too such as the Winter Stags which could be a kind of equivalent to Unicorns(?) living in the same woods. The d20 Blackmoor line also gives ups plenty to work with, with the elemental elven gods as well as Sachwynne.

More to come!

-Havard

[Yaztromo]

With the importance of hunting and the dogsleds, I suspect they may have a much stronger affinity with dogs than perhaps their southern cousins?

[RobJN]

Half-frozen, drowned elven woods sounds like a wonderful place for a  vacation adventure.