Winning Races:

Dusk Elf
By Robert J. Schwalb
Illustrations by Wayne England

At the dawn of creation, no difference between the
eladrin and elves existed, and no wickedness sundered
the drow from their light-dwelling kin. They were one
people, bound through common love and life, and
united by the eagerness and curiosity for the natural
world’s many wonders. All this ended during the dread
wars between the Houses, because Lolth’s poison
sundered family, shattered bonds, and altered the
eladrin’s course for all time.
Even as the eladrin rallied against their dark kin,
some chose no side. They sought escape from the
escalating violence and retreated to the mortal world.
The nobles who led the sylvan armies against the dark
host deemed those who fled traitors, and Corellon
vowed vengeance against them for their cowardice.
Sehanine did not share her counterpart’s wrath and
saw their flight as fitting for those who embraced her
tenets. So when the drow were driven into the world’s
Underdark and Lolth was cast into the Abyss, Seha-
nine sheltered those who abstained from the war as
her chosen people, raising a veil to hide them from
anyone seeking retribution.
Over the intervening generations, these eladrin
lived in secret, forbidden from returning to their
homeland and afraid to range too far from their
hidden redoubts. Only after the ancient wars and
their part in them began to fade did such eladrin ven-
ture farther afield. Fey memory is long indeed, and
some eladrin and elves bear the lost tribe, now called
dusk elves, ill will, but many find ways to look beyond
the ancient offense and take these people for who
they now are.
DUsK ELVES
Dusk elves are represented mechanically by taking
the Dusk Elf Stealth feat. Otherwise, dusk elves are
mechanically identical to normal elves.
Physical Qualities
Dusk elves are a slight folk, and they look almost
identical to their elf counterparts. Where they differ
is in complexion. Although common elves favor tans
and browns, dusk elves are as pale as moonlight,
with fair hair and light blue or violet eyes. They favor
subdued colors and are rarely ostentatious in their
apparel.

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Playing a Dusk Elf
Where common elves are free-spirited and mercu-
rial, dusk elves are furtive, haunted, and suspicious.
Dusk elves restrict their emotions to a narrow range,
showing little joy and less grief. For all their disincli-
nation for emotional displays, dusk elves are a people
of deep feeling. When alone or among a trusted few,
they give in to their happiness and sorrow with sur-
prising intensity.
Dusk elves value their privacy and guard their
lands from trespassers. During private moments, they
reflect on their nature, their people’s history, and the
plans Sehanine has for them. They see the natural
world as a prison, albeit a beautiful one, and pine for
the fabulous cities and verdant fey lands they aban-
doned long ago.
Those who shrug off this melancholy sometimes
leave their hidden communities to see what the world
has to offer. Adventuring is a common pastime for
these bold souls, and they prove constant, though
detached, comrades. They show little of the joy shared
by other elves. However, dusk elves are sensitive
about their reputations and might go overboard to
prove their loyalty.
Sehanine remains a powerful presence among
the dusk elves, and many exclude other gods on holy
days. Dusk elves forbid worship of Corellon in their
communities, and those who maintain shrines must
do so in secret lest they face exile and ostracism. A
few dusk elves follow Ioun, the Raven Queen, and/or
Melora. Rumors persist about Lolth cults in dusk elf
communities.
Dusk Elf Characteristics: Constant, detached,
furtive, melancholic, quiet, reserved, secretive, sly,
somber
Dusk Elf Backgrounds
A dusk elf has access to the following backgrounds.
Corellon Dedicate: Sehanine’s children chose no
side in the Kin Wars, and their neutrality won them
scorn and self-imposed exile. Since the eladrin held
family ties to be stronger than any other consider-
ation, some among the refugees disagreed and were
loyal to Corellon, but found themselves swept up in
the flight to the world. You descend from these tragic
dedicates, and though your people were shamed,
your family has remained loyal to Corellon these long
years. How have you kept your devotion secret? Some-
thing must have led to your leaving the community.
Was it a revelation about your allegiance? Or were
you tired of living a lie? How has the faith of your
family served them and you?
Associated Skills: Arcana, Stealth
Gloaming Guardian: Dusk elves protect their
communities from trespass thanks to the gloaming
guardians’ efforts. Deadly sentinels, they guard the
routes into their communities, and if they encounter
intruders, they use their considerable talents to drive
interlopers away. Failing that, the guardians pick such
trespassers off one at a time until they realize their
error and return from where they came. You were
trained to be one such sentinel. Why did you leave
this responsibility? Gloaming guardians are some-
times the only dusk elves who meet other peoples.
Was an intruder responsible for your break? How do
your dusk elf family and friends see your leaving?
Associated Skills: Intimidate, Stealth
Dusk Envoy: Factions within dusk elf communi-
ties push for reconciliation with elves and eladrin.
They face strong opposition, but a few communities
have been successful in establishing talks with their
estranged kin. Why were you chosen to be your peo-
Dusk Elf
ple’s envoy? How do you see the larger world? Have
you made any connections beyond your homeland?
Associated Skills: Diplomacy, History
Heroic Tier Feats
Any feat in this section is available to a character of
any level who meets the prerequisites.
Dusk Elf Stealth
Prerequisite: Elf
Benefit: All allies within 6 squares of you that
do not have this feat gain a +1 racial bonus to Stealth
checks.
Dusk Elf Weapon Training
Prerequisite: Dusk Elf Stealth
Benefit: You gain proficiency with simple and
military light blades, and you gain a +2 feat bonus
to damage rolls with these weapons. The bonus
increases to +3 at 11th level and +4 at 21st level.
Gathering Night
Prerequisite: Dusk Elf Stealth
Benefit: Whenever you take the total defense
action while you have any concealment, you become
invisible until the start of your next turn.
Gloaming Ward
Prerequisite: Dusk Elf Stealth
Benefit: The first time you are bloodied in an
encounter, you gain concealment until the end of
your next turn.
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Sehanine’s Boon
Prerequisite: Dusk Elf Stealth
Benefit: Whenever you spend a healing surge
while you have total concealment, you regain extra hit
points equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Umbral Wind
Prerequisite: Dusk Elf Stealth
Benefit: When you use your second wind, you
gain concealment until the end of your next turn
instead of gaining a +2 bonus to all defenses until the
start of your next turn. If you already have conceal-
ment, you instead gain total concealment.
Darkening Blade
“I am the dark of the new moon. My sword is the sharp
crescent that heralds the doom you have earned.”
Prerequisite: Dusk Elf Stealth feat
Gloaming guardians protect their communities from
intruders and occasional trespassers, but even the
barrier they create cannot catch all who prowl their
lands. Should their communities come under attack,
the dusk elves flee, vowing vengeance on those who
wrong them. The darkening blades embody the ven-
geance they swear and to them the dusk elves turn to
destroy their enemies.
As a darkening blade, you have mastered a secret
fighting style perfected through generations spent in
exile. Shadows gather around you so that when you
move, you blend into them, making it hard for your
enemies to track your movements and attack you.
When you strike, you do so with speed and accuracy,
darting in, then melding into the gloom.
Dusk Elf
Darkening Blade Path Features Blinding Assailant Darkening Blade Attack 20
Gloaming Action (11th level): Whenever you You strike and dance away, eluding a foe’s counterattacks even
as you set up your next strike.
spend an action point to make an extra attack, you
Daily ✦ Illusion, Weapon
can shift your speed into a space adjacent to your
Standard Action Melee weapon
target before the attack. Target: One creature
Night Eyes (11th level): Whenever you have total Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
concealment, you also have darkvision. Hit: 3[W] + Dexterity modifier damage, and you become invis-
ible to the target (save ends).
Flitting Shadows (16th level): When you charge Miss: Half damage.
or run, you are treated as being insubstantial for the Effect: You can shift 1 square. Until the end of the encounter,
purposes of taking damage from opportunity attacks. whenever the target moves or shifts while it is adjacent to
you, it takes damage equal to your Dexterity modifier, and
you can shift 1 square as a free action.
Darkening Blade Powers
About the Author
Robert J. Schwalb is an award-winning game designer
Vanishing Cut Darkening Blade Attack 11
whose more recent work can be found in Martial Power™
Your attack slashes the foe, but before it can respond, you dis-
appear into swirling darkness.
2, Draconomicon™ 2, and Primal Power™. Robert lives in
Tennessee.
Encounter ✦ Illusion, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Dexterity modifier damage, and you become invis-
ible to the target until the end of your next turn.
Gloaming Shroud Darkening Blade Utility 12
Light flees when shadows envelop you to whisk you to safety.
Encounter ✦ Illusion
Free Action Personal
Trigger: You miss with an attack
Effect: You shift 3 squares and gain concealment until the end
of your next turn.
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