High elves
Encyclopedia
Many fantasy
settings contain elves
, often, particularly in western fantasy elves are divided into multiple different kinds. High elves are one of the most common sub-types of elf appearing in many different fantasy settings.
High elves are distinguished from other fantasy
elves
by their place of living, as they usually dwell in stone cities, instead of woods, like wood-elves. High elves and dark elves
can be used to contrast respectively the good elves and the evil elves, as done in Warhammer
. Typically high elves consider themselves the most purely good race of all, and haughtily view all other races beneath them, especially other elven races, and they are usually the most magically developed of all elves.
Many fantasy world
s have High Elf races:
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
settings contain elves
Elves in fantasy fiction and games
In many works of modern fantasy, elves are a race of semi-divine humanoid beings.-Characteristics and common features:Modern fantasy literature has revived the elves as a race of semi-divine beings of human stature who are friendly with animals. Fantasy elves are different from Norse elves and the...
, often, particularly in western fantasy elves are divided into multiple different kinds. High elves are one of the most common sub-types of elf appearing in many different fantasy settings.
High elves are distinguished from other fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
elves
Elves in fantasy fiction and games
In many works of modern fantasy, elves are a race of semi-divine humanoid beings.-Characteristics and common features:Modern fantasy literature has revived the elves as a race of semi-divine beings of human stature who are friendly with animals. Fantasy elves are different from Norse elves and the...
by their place of living, as they usually dwell in stone cities, instead of woods, like wood-elves. High elves and dark elves
Dark Elves in fiction
Elves, a word from Germanic mythology, are frequently featured in Fantasy fiction. In modern fiction, particularly because of the influence from J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, elves are modeled mostly after his original description: tall, human-like creatures of otherworldly beauty, with...
can be used to contrast respectively the good elves and the evil elves, as done in Warhammer
Warhammer Fantasy (setting)
Warhammer Fantasy is a fantasy setting, created by Games Workshop, which is used by many of the company's games. Some of the best-known games set in this world are: the table top wargame Warhammer Fantasy Battle, the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay pen-and-paper role-playing game, and the MMORPG...
. Typically high elves consider themselves the most purely good race of all, and haughtily view all other races beneath them, especially other elven races, and they are usually the most magically developed of all elves.
Many fantasy world
Fantasy world
A fantasy world is a fictional universe used in fantasy novels and games. Typical worlds involve magic or magical abilities and often, but not always, either a medieval or futuristic theme...
s have High Elf races:
- CalaquendiCalaquendiIn the fictional universe of J. R. R. Tolkien, Calaquendi means in Quenya "Light-folk", but was often translated "Elves of the Light". This name has a long history....
are the High Elves in J. R. R. TolkienJ. R. R. TolkienJohn Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's The Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in... - The High Elves are a race in the Warhammer Fantasy setting.
- EldarEldar (Warhammer 40,000)In the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000, the Eldar are a race of elf-like humanoids who look into the future via psychic powers. They are one of the most ancient and advanced races in the universe's history, though younger than the Necrons, the C'tan, and the Old Ones...
of Warhammer 40,000Warhammer 40,000Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop, set in a dystopian science fantasy universe. Warhammer 40,000 was created by Rick Priestley in 1987 as the futuristic companion to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, sharing many game mechanics...
present a science-fictional aspect to the High Elf concept. - High Elves in the Warcraft UniverseWarcraft UniverseWarcraft is a franchise of video games, novels, and other media originally created by Blizzard Entertainment. The series is made up of Four core games: Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, and World of Warcraft...
, or "Quel'Dorei" in their native tongue, are the pale-skinned descendants of Night Elves, that were exiled from the continent of Kalimdor for their dangerous addiction and obsession over Arcane Magic. They should not be confused with their 'corrupted' counterparts, Blood Elves (a playable race in World of Warcraft: The Burning CrusadeWorld of Warcraft: The Burning CrusadeWorld of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, often referred to as TBC or BC, is the first expansion pack for the MMORPG World of Warcraft...
). - In The Elder ScrollsThe Elder ScrollsThe Elder Scrolls is a role-playing video game series developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks.-History:...
universe, High Elves - or Altmer - the golden-skinned elves from Summerset Isles, are noted for their pride and arrogance as well as their potent magic. - In EverquestEverQuestEverQuest, often shortened to EQ, is a 3D fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game that was released on the 16th of March, 1999. The original design is credited to Brad McQuaid, Steve Clover, and Bill Trost...
, they are very proud and arrogant, developed for magic instead of combat. - In the DOS game, Master of MagicMaster of MagicMaster of Magic is a single-player, fantasy turn-based strategy computer game created by Simtex and published for MS-DOS by Microprose in . It is of the 4X genre. The player is a wizard attempting to dominate two linked worlds. From a small settlement, the player grows an empire and banishes the...
, they are powerful long-range fighters, but inferior in magic to the dark elves. - One exception to the rule where High Elves could be considered 'bad' (by anti-napoleonists) is in the Flintloque world of Varlon. Here they march under the banner of the Emperor Mordred, who dreams of world domination. (They are an almost exact parallel of the French Napoleonic forces).
- In Record of Lodoss WarRecord of Lodoss Waris a franchise of fantasy novels by Ryo Mizuno based around the work he originally created for a world called Forcelia for role-playing games . There have since been multiple manga, anime and computer game adaptations, several of which have been translated into English...
, DeedlitDeedlitDeedlit is a fictional character in the Record of Lodoss War fantasy role-playing game setting, light novels and its derivative anime franchise. A female high elf and shaman , she is the romantic interest and inseparable companion of Parn...
is a High Elf shaman (spirit magic user in some versions). - In Dungeons and Dragons, High Elves is one of the terms for Gold Elves or Sun Elves.
- In the DragonlanceDragonlanceDragonlance is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of popular fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived Dragonlance while driving in their car on the way to TSR for a job application...
Campaign Setting for the Dungeons and Dragons game, the Qualinesti, including Laurana, are High Elves. - In D&D 4th edition, the EladrinEladrinThe Eladrin are a fictional race of creatures appearing in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Introduced in the Planescape setting of AD&D 2nd edition and D&D 3rd edition, Eladrin were described as a type of celestial of chaotic good alignment and hailed from the plane of Arborea...
(aka high elves) are a core player race. - In Rift, High Elves are a playable race. Their counterparts, the Kelari, are a sect of High Elves who renounced their racial pact with the gods and left to become denizens of the far-off Fire Islands.