Humans and elves must deal with each other from time to time, and in some cases – whether by force or through genuine love – children are born of mixed parentage. These are the half-elves, beings who combine features of both races, creating something different in the process. Half-elves generally grow taller than their human parents but rarely approach the height of their elf side. They average about 6 1/2 feet tall, though they tend to inherit some of the bulk of their human half. In most cases, a half-elf can pass himself off as a human with greater ease than he can a full elf, though telltale elven features can be spotted if he is examined with care and scrutiny. Half-elves don’t form their own communities. Instead, they live either among or on the fringe of human society. Half-elves are most often encountered in the cities of the Tyr Region, though some can be found in the villages and tribes of ex-slaves that inhabit the wilderness. Unlike muls, half-elves can produce offspring.
Elves have no tolerance for children of mixed heritage.
Their tradition demands that children born from the
union of elves and humans be left for lirrs and other
predators. Humans are more tolerant of half-elves, but
only to a limited extent. Humans will work with them,
but few will call a half-elf friend unless they mistakenly
believe him to be human. Half-elves born in a human
society have a better chance to survive, but life is never
easy. Humans have no faith in a half-elf’s elven side, and
elves likewise distrust the human in them. As such, they
go through life as outsiders and loners, developing high
levels of self-reliance in order to survive.
The intolerance of their parents’ kin doesn’t extend
to other races, however, and some half-elves find
companionship among dwarves and thri-kreen. Still,
the typical half-elf goes through life trying to gain the
acceptance of one side of his parentage or the other,
usually in vain.