Basic History
While the elf that became the ascia elf may have indeed come as a part of divine punishment for elven vanity and pride like the other elves, the ascia elf of today is no longer the same as whatever their original identity was. Though the name might be lost to the sands of time, throughout ascia folklore hints of their tragic past can be seen. It is said that they were once very similar to their xeno elf cousins, very social and blended well within normal society. However they were a very curious race, especially in the studies of the paranormal. Since no elf knew for sure of their own life span, or what would come of them should they die, the original ascia elves were gripped by fear of the potential of no longer existing. So they would commune with spirits and darker things, all looking for an answer to the age old question of when does their life end and what awaits them when they finally take that long sleep.
Throughout generations of doing this the original ascia elves become psychic. They could easily foresee impending doom on the horizon, so they pleaded to whoever might listen to save them from the coming apocalypse of the Great Magic War. It is said that the very spirit of the dark god Zodo, Yu Yuri, answered. Yu Yuri promised protection for the entire race, all that was needed was once the dust settled each one needed to sacrifice one offspring.
The Great Magic War came and went and a time later the races began to once again walk the land. At this time Yu Yuri appeared before the decedents of the ones that made the deal, asking now for the promised payment. These descendants didn't have it in them to obey and make such a sacrifice, which greatly angered Yu Yuri. The Spirit of Zodo then cursed them that since they did not keep their end of the deal for their salvation, they would still survive, but no longer would they ever be whole. And with but a thought the bodies of all ascia elves lost their physical nature, changing them forever more into spiritual-like beings.
Ascia Elf Positives and Negatives
Ascia Elves are able to lose physical form and travel like spirits among the veil. This allows the Ascia Elf to go into places that others could not and to be able to escape certain death more easily than others. In spirit form, they can only be harmed by magic or energy weapons, with physical weapons only dealing a quarter of the damage to them. Given this, Ascia Elves make great rogues and mages.
However losing one's body, even if only temporary, comes with its own penalties. It is taxing on the Ascia Elf to maintain a connection with the physical realm while in spirit form. Should they lose this connection, they would lose themselves and no longer exist among the living. Many believe that a large amount of hauntings could simply be Ascia Elves who have gotten themselves trapped in the veil. Another problem for the Ascia Elf is that they cannot bring or keep on them any physical thing, be it weapons, armor, packs, or even clothes, if those things are not magically enchanted and bear the same connection to their runic element. This could make playing as an Ascia Elf very challenging. The player would need to hope for a lot of money or very good friends.
Ascia Elf Skills
Ascia Elves have the skills shared by all elf races as well as have the following skills:
| Skill | Stat Cost | Range & Area | Duration | Check Roll | Effects | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Affect Form | 2 Soul | self | until changed back | Normal Arcana |
This skill allows the ascia elf to drop their physical form and become spiritual. Their physical form will disappear, and any clothing, weaponry, armor, or packs on them not enchanted to their element will drop to the floor. The ascia elf will then be a spirit, like any other spirit or wraith, and thus able to move about without any physical restrictions. However, each round (in battle) or each hour (out of battle) that the ascia elf remains in spirit form the ascia elf must make an easy mental balance +2 check. Each additional round (or hour outside of battle) a penalty of 1 is added to the check, with the penalty increasing by 1 per round. Should the ascia elf fail the mental balance check, the ascia elf will need to make 1 vitality save check, and should that fail the ascia elf will be haunting, only able to be restored by Miracle Summoning or Resurrection. When the ascia elf is ready to regain physical form, the ascia elf needs to use this skill again. The spirit elf cannot affect the physical world in this form. |
be an ascia elf |
| Affect Reality | 2 Soul | self | instant | Normal Arcana |
This skill allows the ascia elf to affect the physical world while in spirit form. Using this skill will allow the ascia elf to open doors and chests, set and disarm traps, cause physical damage, and anything else as if physical. However, any physical damages will be halved. Their magical power however is improved, giving them a -5 evade penalty to their target when casting spells at them. |
be an ascia elf |
| Magic Sense | N/A | self | instant | Easy Arcana |
Allows you to sense magic and its element. You can sense the magic in a room or 100x100 square foot area. |
N/A |
They also have the following talents:
| Talent | Effects | Requirements | Handicap Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychic Foresight |
The Ascia Elf gains a +4 bonus to Initiative and can never be surprised in combat. |
be an ascia elf |
Echoes of the Veil: The elf occasionally sees "ghosts" of possible deaths, causing a -2 penalty to Mental Balance during high-stress situations. |
| Soul Binding |
The Ascia Elf can magically bond their runic element to a piece of non-magical equipment (weapon, armor, or pack). This item now travels with them into Spirit Form. |
be an ascia elf |
The Anchored Soul: Every item bound this way increases the difficulty of Mental Balance checks by 1 level while in the Veil. If the check fails, the elf risks becoming a haunting. |
| Walking the Veil |
When in spirit form the ascia elf has no penalties or restrictions to movement. Walls, doors, they do not exist while in this form. |
be an ascia elf |
N/A |
Appearance
Ascia Elves are slightly shorter than humans. They have ears that are 2" long that stick out horizontally instead of at an angle like other elves, pale and slender faces, and pointed noses. Ascia Elves tend to keep their hair long, and it comes in shades of gray, white, silver, or steel blue. Ascia elf eyes are very cat-like in appearance and are gray. One noticeable feature is that they cast no shadows.
Living Habitat
Ascia Elves tend to seclude themselves from the outside world. Instead they typically live in mountain ravines, caves, or in small shacks atop steep mountain peeks. Those that travel do their best to not draw attention to themselves.
Ascia Elf Culture
Ascia Elves are very spiritual and secretive. Often used to being blamed for crimes they'd never think of committing, they tend to keep to themselves. Ascia Elves don't tend to worship gods or goddesses, largely due to their past where they broke a covenant they made with Yu Yuri and in turn became as they are. Instead, they worship the very power of magic and spiritual energy. They are also very spiritual and many are into the occult. Ascia Elf shamans often hold retreats for spiritual cleanings and Ascia Elves often take part in seances. Ascia Elves are also one of the only elf type that will and do give surnames, using surnames as a way to honor and give worship to their departed ancestors.
Ascia Elves fear that which they do not know. They do not know what non-existence is and it fears them to the core. They do not understand death and therefore are equally afraid of it. They will not live in or near graveyards or areas where a lot of people died. However their own homes tend to become the most haunted places in all of Nor'Ova given that eventually the ascia elf looses hold of reality and becomes hauntings.
Ascia Elf Racial Relations
Ascia Elves suffer from forms of paranoia which causes them great difficulty in dealing with other races. They are the only elf type that will get along with dark elves, simply because of their spiritual beliefs. In fact, if they could get past their paranoia, they'd easily get along with anyone regardless of race. They just have to learn to trust that person first, and trust from an Ascia Elf is hard to obtain.