The Sylvans are a magical people of otherworldly grace. They live deep within the sprawling expanse and ethereal beauty of the woods in the far east, where soft music drifts through the air and gentle fragrances waft on the breeze. Sylvans love nature and magic, art and artistry, music and poetry, and the good things of the world.

 

With their unnatural grace and fine features, Sylvans appear hauntingly beautiful to the other races of Eldar. Their ears are long and pointed, and they are more often than not slightly shorter than Humans on average, ranging from well under 5 feet to a little over 6 feet tall. Their forms are slender, ranging from petite to well-built and weighing only 160 to 245 pounds. Males are usually just a bit taller and are only marginally heavier than females.  

 

Sylvans’ coloration encompasses the normal Human range and also includes skin shades of copper, bronze, and other earthly tones, hair of brown, blonde, or platinum, and almond shaped eyes like pools of liquid gold, silver, or gemstones. Sylvans have no facial and little body hair. They favor elegant clothing in bright colors, and they enjoy simple yet lovely jewelry.

 

Sylvans have unpredictable lifespans. Some may live only as long as a Human, while others are able to live well over 300 years, giving them a broad perspective on events that might trouble the shorter-lived folk more deeply. They are more often amused than excited, and more likely to be curious than greedy. They tend to remain aloof and unfazed by petty happenstance. When pursuing a goal, however, Sylvans can be focused and relentless. Sylvans feel a bond with the natural world and strive to live in harmony with it.

 

Sylvans are slow to make friends and enemies, and even slower to forget them; once an outsider is accepted as a comrade, ally, rival, or enemy, such alliances and relations can last for generations. They reply to petty insults with disdain and to serious insults with vengeance.

 

Like the branches of a young tree, Sylvans are flexible in the face of danger. They trust in diplomacy and compromise to resolve differences before they escalate to violence. They have been known to retreat from intrusions into their woodland realm, confident that they can simply wait any invaders out. When the need arises, Sylvans reveal a stern martial side, demonstrating skill with sword, bow, and strategy.

 

Sylvans dwell deep in the heart of their kingdom, hunting game, gathering food, and growing all manner of crops. Their skill with magic allows them to support themselves without the need for clearing and plowing land. They are talented artisans, crafting finely worked clothes and artistic objects. Their contact with outsiders is usually limited, as most Sylvans value their privacy, though a few Sylvans make a good living by trading crafted items, sometimes for various metals and ores, which they have no interest in mining, nor do they possess the land to do so. Sylvans posses powerfully acute senses. They can see, hear, and smell across vast distances, marking many of them as skilled trackers and hunters.

 

Sylvans encountered outside their own kingdom are commonly traveling minstrels, artists, or sages. Many nobles compete for the services of Sylvan instructors to teach swordplay and archery to their children. Sylvans focus on professions that will let them travel freely and move at their own pace. Sylvans also enjoy exercising their martial prowess or gaining greater magical power; the ability to improve upon one’s self is an important quality to Sylvans.

 

Sylvans are considered children until they are declared adults by their elders. They use the common tongue of the land, but also have large collections of Sylvan texts that can be read only by a well skilled translator. Few Sylvans continue to speak in their ancient native tongue, which has not been spoken aloud in hundreds of years.