http://keith-baker.com/aereni-learning/

http://keith-baker.com/ifaq-aerenal/ 

http://keith-baker.com/ifaq-aerenal2/ 

Source: Exploring Eberron

Aerenal is ruled by the living. The Sibling Kings lead the nation from Shae Cairdal, and the high priests and lords of the lines are mortal elves. But the dead guide and protect the living. When remarkable elves die, they are preserved beyond death. Most are tied to spirit idols, statuettes that preserve the soul and prevent its dissolution in Dolurrh. But others are raised as deathless, undead similar to mummies but sustained by positive energy. Deathless soldiers guard the catacombs and temples, and deathless sages and councilors share their knowledge and wisdom with their descendants. Over time, the deathless can rise to an even greater state, becoming beings of pure spirit with little need for a body. These sprits, known as ascendant councilors, reside in the great city of Shae Mordai, and it is when their spirits join together in a mystical gestalt that they wield divine power.

Many outsiders assume that the ascendant councilors are the Undying Court, and it’s true they are the source of its power. But the Undying Court refers to all the undead guardians of the island, from the soldiers to the spirit idols. You may not expect to become an ascendant councilor—this is a process of evolution that typically takes thousands of years—but you can aspire to join the Undying Court after death.

As an Aereni, you have a keen awareness of the duty you owe to the Undying Court. The deathless are sustained by positive energy; this can be drawn from Irian manifest zones—such as the one in Shae Mordai—but it is also generated by love and devotion. Unlike many religions in Eberron, the Undying Court doesn’t rely on faith; there’s no question whether the Court exists. But it does depend on devotion. Your prayers and your faith are the offering you give in exchange for all that the Court has done for you and your people—from protecting your land from invasion, plague, and natural disasters to guiding your leaders and training your young. Your ancestors protect you, but they also need your devotion to survive.

A Magical Kingdom

Both arcane and divine magic are woven into Aereni civilization more deeply than in the Five Nations. Every citizen of Aerenal knows at least one useful cantrip; the skills of a master magewright in Khorvaire would be considered a mere apprentice’s training in Aerenal. Here, spell effects of up to 5th level can be found woven into the fabric of everyday life.

Teleportation circles link Aerenal’s great cities, and sending stations allow instant communication across any distance. Buildings are raised using the principles of stone shape. Diviners communicate with other planes, and healers can break curses and reverse petrification. Spell effects of up to 7th level can be encountered in the hands of master wizards and high priests, and Aereni artificers can craft very rare magic items. As you explore Khorvaire and the lands beyond, bear in mind that in your Aereni eyes, it’s little more than a primitive backwater.

Perfection in the Past

At a glance, the people of Aerenal are simply better at everything than their counterparts in Khorvaire, due to their exceptional work ethic and long lifespan. An Aereni artisan can spend multiple human lifespans perfecting their craft. Even while trancing, an elf may be contemplating their work. However, Aerenal lags behind Khorvaire in industry and innovation. The Aereni aren’t trying to find better ways to do things; an elf artisan’s goal is to match the skills of past masters rather than find new techniques. Challenging the past would be an insult to those ancient masters—and in Aerenal, they’re still around and still teaching their techniques. An Aereni artificer can produce a very rare magic item no Cannith forge can match, but it’s a handcrafted work of art that takes years to produce, while the Cannith forge is churning out a host of common and uncommon items, and constantly searching for ways to innovate. The Five Nations may not match Aerenal today, but over the last thousand years it has evolved dramatically, while Aerenal stands still. You’ve never been encouraged to innovate; you’ve been taught that the old ways are the best ways. Do you agree with this?

The deathless state isn’t the only way to experience eternity. Most honored dead of Aerenal are preserved in spirit idols that preserve the soul from the dissolution of Dolurrh. This stone bust of a dead elf holds relics of their corpse (bone shards, a lock of hair) embedded within it. While dormant, the spirit within the idol is unaware of the outside world or the passage of time, existing in an ongoing trance—a dreamlike existence built from memories and personal experiences. A spirit idol can be awakened with the speak with dead spell, though some remain conscious indefinitely and can be found serving as tutors, provosts, and judges.

Not all Aereni want to become deathless—many consider the spirit idol the superior state. The deathless are sworn to protect and serve the living, and must deal with the ongoing inconvenience of physical existence; within a spirit idol, an elf can experience eternal peace in a dream of their own making. For many Aereni, their greatest goal in life is to gather the memories and ideas that will be their companions in their eternal trance after death.

While there are more spirit idols than there are deathless, not all dead are preserved this way. Spirit idols are reserved for those who have proven worthy of eternal existence. The common dead are embalmed after death and interred in the vast catacombs below the land, along with a record of their life. Only those who have committed truly heinous crimes—such as grave robbers— are denied memory; such criminals are burned after death, their ashes scattered in the oceans, with no records kept of their lives.

Source: Exploring Eberron

The Aereni are the dominant culture of Aerenal. The Tairnadal are a separate culture that came to Aerenal during the exodus and laid claim to the northern steppes. Rather than preserving their ancestors as deathless or spirit idols, the Tairnadal believe they anchor their ancestors by emulating their heroic deeds.

The Tairnadal have a long alliance with the Aereni and fight alongside their cousins when the island is threatened. It’s possible for elves to immigrate from one culture to another; the line of Tolaen is known for having close ties to the Tairnadal. But they’re separate cultures; the Tairnadal don’t worship the Undying Court and its warriors don’t become deathless.

In Aerenal, you might …

• Consult an elven archmage who’s been dead for twenty thousand years.
• Battle sinister forces that have crawled into Eberron from a realm of eternal night.
• Learn secrets of magic unknown in Khorvaire.

The massive island of Aerenal is the ancient kingdom of the elves. Its jungles provide strange and valuable lumbers: soarwood used for the hulls of airships, tough bronzewood, and trees that remain alive after being felled.

The island’s proximity to the planes of Irian and Mabar (both described in chapter 4) allows the lines between life and death to become blurred. Dangerous, dark forces creep in from the plane known as the Endless Night, but that planar resonance also enables the elves to perform feats of necromancy unmatched elsewhere in Eberron. Among the Aereni elves, the honored dead walk among the living. Heroes who died in glorious battle return to serve the Sibling Kings. And in the depths of Shae Mordai, the deathless lords of the Undying Court study the shifting balance of the planes and the path of the Draconic Prophecy.

Necromancy is a pillar of Aereni society, distinct from the sinister power most adventurers encounter. Positive energy sustains the deathless undead of Aerenal—both the light of Irian and the devotion freely given by their descendants. The elves of Aerenal despise necromancy that draws on the negative energy of Mabar, and agents of the Undying Court embrace their mandate to seek out and destroy vampires, liches, and other such undead.

Aereni civilization is over twenty thousand years old. Secure in their island sanctuary, the elves watched nations of goblins and humans rise and fall. The Aereni possess secrets and powers the rest of Khorvaire has yet to discover, but they are more interested in perfecting their ancient traditions than in innovation and discovery. An Aereni wizard might spend a decade refining the pronunciation of a single spell’s incantation. For now, humanity can’t match the power of the elves. If that balance changes, will Aerenal take action?

In Khorvaire, you might …

• Team up with an agent of the Undying Court to bring down a powerful vampire.
• Be summoned by a deathless sage who needs your help to fulfill an ancient prophecy.
• Bargain with a merchant offering rare magic items.

Few Aereni elves are interested in the world beyond their island. The Aereni see Khorvaire as a primitive backwater, and humans as dangerously impulsive. Aereni who travel to Khorvaire have a concrete purpose for the journey, which could drive an adventure.

The magewrights and artificers of Aerenal are more advanced than those of Khorvaire. Aereni artisans fashion rods, staffs, and wands, and other rare or even legendary items may come from Aerenal. However, the nation is less industrialized than Khorvaire. Legendary items aren’t mass produced; some are personally crafted by members of the Undying Court.

Aereni goods make use of exotic plants and woods. Bronzewood has the density and even some of the properties of steel; an Aereni cleric might wear a bronzewood breastplate, while a paladin of the Undying Court could wear a suit of elaborated engraved bronzewood plate armor. Bronzewood leaves are remarkably tough, and the Aereni craft “leaf weave” armor functionally equivalent to leather, studded leather, or chain mail. Bronzewood can also be crafted into weapons, and Aereni warriors use spears or swords made from a single piece of bronzewood.

Aerenal’s elves divide themselves into distinct units called “lines.” These lines contain multiple familial houses tied together by their relationship to a particular ancient tribe. A noble house bearing the same name as the line rules that line. The maintenance of a line is vital; arranged marriages dictated by prominent family members, nobles, priests, or even one of the undying are common among the elves.

A noble house isn’t actually a blood family. Existing nobles choose heirs from among those most worthy in their whole line. Thus, any elf can rise to nobility, and from the nobility to the Undying Court. Nobles also have “siblings” within the line who are unrelated to them by blood.

The elves of Aerenal’s northern plains hold slightly different traditions. These horse-riding warriors are known as the Tairnadal and have three distinct lines: the Valaes Tairn (who now reside mostly in Valenar), the Silaes Tairn, and the Draleus Tairn. They call their houses “warclans.”

From among the noble houses, the Undying Court chooses a brother and a sister to rule Aerenal as Sibling Kings. Whenever either monarch dies, whether he or she becomes undying or not, the Undying Court selects a new pair. Living Sibling Kings rule Aerenal day to day, but the Undying Court ultimately guides the nation.

The current Sibling Kings are Balaereth (male) and Tezaera (female) of the Mendyrian line. 

Elven civilization started on the continent of Xen’drik, where giants snatched eladrin from the Feywild and kept them as slaves for millennia. During their long captivity, the enslaved eladrin lost their connection to the Feywild and became the distinct race of elves. Eventually, the elves revolted against the giants, using powerful magic and bloody warfare. The giants fought back in kind, and it seemed the war would destroy both peoples, the continent of Xen’drik, and perhaps the world. Then the dragons of Argonnessen intervened, shattering Xen’drik and driving the elves to a new home.

A prophet named Aeren foresaw the coming of Xen’drik’s doom. To save her people, she gathered multitudes for an exodus from the continent. Most of those elves fled across the sea to an enormous tropical island they named Aerenal, which means “Aeren’s Rest” in Elven, though Aeren never made it to Aerenal’s shores.

Dragons have attacked Aerenal many times, only to be turned back by the unified might of the elves. Centuries sometimes pass between battles, but elves and dragons have been at war for thousands of years. The battles are often magical in nature, and the lion’s share of the war effort falls on the shoulders of the Undying Court.

Some scholars believe that the dragons know the ultimate plans of the Undying Court, and that those plans are at odds with the Draconic Prophecy. Others, citing that dragons could easily have eradicated the elves if they chose, say that the dragons are molding the elves toward an unknown purpose. Whatever the truth, the majority of elves hate dragons, especially elves whose ancestors were slain in the conflict.

The traditions of the Undying Court and the beliefs of the warclans were not the only creeds among elves. A third belief system rooted in the line of Vol involved darker necromancy. Vol’s methods created creatures such as vampires and liches that required life energy or blood from living creatures. The idea of preying on the living to support the dead was repugnant to the followers of the Undying Court, and it became a point of conflict between the sects. The appearance of the Mark of Death in the line of Vol only made matters worse.

The schism erupted into war when the Cairdal Blades, the elite soldiers and agents of the Sibling Kings, discovered an alliance between the line of Vol and a cabal of dragons. The Undying Court declared that the line of Vol was to be destroyed. For the first and last time in history, the dragons of Argonnessen joined with the elves to annihilate Vol. It is believed that the line of Vol was destroyed, and any who practiced Vol’s traditions abandoned those ways or fled Aerenal.

Common citizens of Aerenal knew little of the reasons behind the assault on the line of Vol. Some of those who bore the Mark of Shadow feared that they would be next in this pogrom, while others believed that the spilling of elf blood by elf hands tainted Aerenal. Most bearers of the Mark of Shadow fled to Khorvaire, where they eventually formed House Phiarlan. Some of those who carry the mark, however, are still born among the Aereni.

In Xen’drik, the struggle between elf and giant was a long and bitter war. The elves relied on cunning and mobility to match the overwhelming arcane might of the giants, striking hard and fleeing before the giants could react. In time, the giants began developing a terrible magic weapon that could end the war, but at an untold cost to Eberron. This activity drew the attention of the dragons of Argonnessen, who ultimately leveled Xen’drik before the weapon was completed. An elf slave named Aeren foresaw this devastation. Using magical knowledge stolen from the giants, Aeren and her followers struck a mighty blow against them with a powerful ritual. In the ensuing chaos, Aeren led a group of elves drawn from many tribes to freedom, escaping Xen’drik before the coming of the dragons.

An obscure myth holds that Aeren gave a prophecy to the founders of Aerenal. This plan for the elves is one of the purposes of the Undying Court. Aeren’s word might be a portion of the Draconic Prophecy, or the two could conflict. Whatever the case, a faction of Argonnessen’s dragons has tried for eons to wrest Aeren’s prophecy from Aerenal.

Aerenal is a tropical island-continent surrounded by a number of smaller islands. Jungle covers most of the isle, but it has mountains in the south and broad steppes in the north. Elves claim the entire island.

Aerenal is noted for its exotic plants, especially its magic-infused trees and herbs. The Aereni are among the world’s best wood workers, and they use wood and leaves from their trees to make all sorts of fine items. Aerenal elves are also masterful herbalists who harvest plants useful for alchemy, potions, rituals, and magic items, especially those related to healing or death.

Aerenal is best known for its mystical lumber. Due to the magical resonance of the land, densewood, livewood, soarwood, and bronzewood trees only grow on the islandcontinent; darkwood also flourishes in the jungles, though these trees can be found in other lands. The elves take care to limit the amount of this miraculous lumber that they export. They have a long view of life, and have no intention of deforesting the land for quick profit. The elves of Aerenal are some of the best carpenters and woodworkers on Eberron, and they export wooden items of all types, from works of art to fine weapons. The lumber and leaves of darkwood and bronzewood trees can be used to produce beautiful and effective weapons and armor. In addition, herbs and plants found only in the Aerenal jungles are useful for the creation of necromantic potions and magic items, while others are invaluable in funerary rituals and for preserving corpses.

Aerenal is an ancient nation. It watched the goblin empires of Khorvaire rise and fall, saw the arrival of humans and the common races, and observed the formation of the Kingdom of Galifar. The elves respect their elders and are devoted to their ancestors. Over the course of thousands of years, elf families have developed distinctive customs, including manners of dress, speech, art, and the use of magic.

Despite the cultural differences that have developed over the millennia, a number of common factors tie the Aereni families together. Most families are extremely insular. They have a strong belief in the importance of preserving their ancestral blood, and generally marry within their own lines; they appear to have few of the negative genetic markers that cause problems for human families that maintain a closed breeding pool. Humans often see the Aereni as cold and distant, but the truth is that most elves are uncomfortable around strangers, especially nonelves. They can predict the behavior of other families and read the emotions of their own kin with ease. But the unpredictable behavior of the shorter-lived races is disconcerting, and until an elf comes to know and trust an outsider, he usually shields his emotions behind an inscrutable facade.

Another trait shared by the Aereni is their attitude toward death. For the elves, death is not something to be feared; instead, it is embraced and ultimately welcomed. Each family expresses this attitude in a different way. Some wear intricate death masks. Others tattoo their faces with skulls or similar patterns. Members of the line of Jhaelian mimic the appearance of the undying while they are still alive, using magical and alchemical substances to induce rigor and apparent decomposition of the flesh. While all these customs are striking, there are many families that internalize their respect of the dead and do not demonstrate it in a physical form. Although Tairnadal don’t share this custom, all other Aereni prefer styles of adornment that recognize death’s influence on life. Most wear ancestral symbols and stylized clothing, such as death masks. Others go as far as permanently tattooing their bodies with stylized bone images, including a skull on the face. And a very few use alchemical processes to appear like a well-embalmed corpse or mummy, despite being alive.

As for the deathless themselves, they are concentrated in the great cities of the nation’s interior. A family estate may have an honor guard of undying soldiers and an undying councilor advising the living elders of the line, but the majority of the undying gather in the City of the Dead. Regardless of family, all Aereni respect the undying as heroes of their race and always treat them with respect and deference. Many humans who hear about this assume that Aerenal is a land of vampires and zombies, when in fact nothing could be farther from the truth. An undying soldier or councilor is an undead creature, but it is charged with positive energy and sustained by the devotion of its descendants. Vampires, liches, and their ilk are abhorrent creatures that destroy life to preserve their own existence, and they are seen as a perversion of the undying. The creation of mindless undead, such as zombies and skeletons, is seen as an unforgivable insult to the body and soul of the deceased.

A final element that permeates all levels of the culture of Aerenal is immense racial pride, a superiority complex that extends thousands of years into the past. The elves of Aerenal are among the most accomplished wizards of Eberron. Their ancestors walk among them, and the greatest of the undying have almost godlike power. Their nation has driven off the dragons of Argonnessen not once, but multiple times. The elves are not blatantly arrogant. Instead, they are completely self-assured, possessing an unshakable faith in their peoples’ place in the world.

Exploring Eberron

Aerenal is effectively a collection of city-states, united in devotion to the Sibling Kings and the Undying Court. Each region of the country (save for the northern territory of the Tairnadal) is governed by a noble line. The original settlers of Aerenal came from different cultures and environments, and the lines represent this; while all are united by the common customs of Aerenal, each line has its own unique fashions and traditions. A line is an alliance of ancient families governed by a noble house that carries the name of the line. Thus, “the line of Mendyrian” refers to multiple families, but someone who uses the surname— such as Belaereth Mendyrian—is a member of the noble line. The noble line represents the best of the region; it’s not a hereditary family, but rather, a meritocracy whose members are chosen from the people of the region. Similarly, the Sibling Kings—the rulers of the united kingdom—are members of the same line and symbolically brother and sister, but they aren’t blood relatives. So in life, elves aspire to be appointed to their noble line; in death, they hope to be raised to the Undying Court.

In creating an Aereni elf, work with your DM to develop details about your family and the line you owe allegiance to. Since each line is an alliance of multiple families, there’s room for you to add your own details even within an existing line. A few of the noble lines are described below, but look to these as a source of inspiration rather than a limitation.

Jhaelian. The line of Jhaelian governs the region around Taer Kalindal. Jhaelian has strong spiritual traditions; its members are deeply devoted to the Undying Court and to contemplating divine mysteries. This line produces many monks, clerics, and paladins, as well as many members of the Deathguard— the Aereni institution dedicated to hunting down Mabaran undead. Members of this line have a tradition of using cosmetic transmutation to adopt a desiccated appearance—not unlike that of the deathless themselves—though other Jhaelian Aereni prefer to wear masks.

Melideth. Governors of the region surrounding Pylas Talaear, the line of Melideth produces the finest sailors of Aerenal and maintains the Aereni navy. Due to its mercantile tradition, Melideth Aereni are more comfortable with foreigners than many of their kin. Facial tattoos are a common practice among the Melideth.

Mendyrian. The line of Mendyrian governs the region around Shae Cairdal, and for most of Aerenal’s history they have also been the source and seat of the Sibling Kings. The Mendyrian Aereni are devoted to arcane lore, and many of the most gifted wizards and artificers are Mendyrian. The Mendyrian Aereni take particular pride in their appearance, favoring ornate patterns and decoration in clothing, elaborate hairstyles, and masks of metal or leather.

Tolaen. Centered around Pylas Zirinth, the line of Tolaen drives Aerenal’s lumber industry, both harvesting wood for trade and producing the finest architects and wood-masons on the island. While they are devoted to the Undying Court, the Tolaen Aereni are more invested in perfecting physical crafts than in contemplating metaphysical mysteries. The Tolaen also produce many of Aerenal’s soldiers and usually have good relations with the Tairnadal. Tolaen Aereni prefer simple, functional clothes with little adornment. Tolaen masks are usually made from wood, and may be intricately carved; Tolaen soldiers often wear half-masks covering their lower faces.

Valraea. All but unknown in the Five Nations, the Valraea are a line of sea elves. Their ancestors were magebred and charged to guard and govern the coastline of Aerenal. While rare, Valraea can be encountered in any of the port cities of Aerenal and are represented in the Undying Court. While Valraea characters use the sea elf subrace instead of the Aereni elf subrace presented in chapter 6, they are culturally Aereni and all the other material in this section applies to them. Valraea typically dress in leather and are comfortable with casual nudity; they fashion masks from shell and bone. More information about the Valraea Aereni can be found in chapter 4.

The line of Vol once governed the region around Shae Deseir, but that line was broken and all ties to the bloodlines bearing the Mark of Death were eliminated thousands of years ago. There are many other noble lines among the Aereni, and you are free to create your own as called for by your story.

In creating an Aereni character, how does your heritage impact you? What line are you tied to and who’s your family? Are they respected? Do you respect your leaders? What’s one unusual custom tied to your line? Do you aspire to join the noble line?

Dragonshard

The nation of Aerenal is an alliance of lines, which serve the Sibling Kings and the Undying Court: Melideth, Jhaelian, Mendyrian, Vaerol, and Tolaen, to name but a few. Each line is descended from one of the tribes that followed the prophet Aeren from Xen'drik. As a result, a line is not a single family: It is a city-state containing a dozen or more separate families, bound together by common history. Thus you can be part of the line of Jhaelian while having the family name Dolorenthi.

Each line is led by a noble house, and by tradition only the members of these houses can be raised as deathless. But membership in a noble house is not hereditary. Aereni nobles are chosen, not born: The current members of the house select their successors from among the most remarkable members of their line. Aereni nobles do not even breed among their house; instead, they breed with other members of the line, keeping the noble blood spread throughout the community. For the Aereni, reproduction and marriage are two entirely separate things: marriage is about love, while children are a concern of the entire community. The Aereni believe that their island is a sacred land, and that it can support only so many souls; given their practice of preserving the dead, population control is a serious issue. An elf must earn the right to sire or bear a child, and the nobility has the right to determine the match that has the most promise. As a result, the elves of a particular line see all members of the line as part of an extended family.

Every member of an elven community has the potential to rise to the nobility and from there to the Undying Court. Normally, nobles are chosen based on the skills that they display, and this is why the elves spend centuries honing their talents. But in recent years, younger elves have sought to prove their worth through exploits in foreign lands, battling the Order of the Emerald Claw or seeking the magical secrets of Xen'drik. As an adventurer, this is likely to be the path you have chosen: Your heroic deeds may be your ticket to immortality!

To date, no half-elf has ever been raised to a noble house. But a few Khoravars have rejoined the lines of their ancestors. Aereni pride and prejudice make the prospect of a half-elf noble an unlikely one. But anything can happen. Perhaps you will be the hero who proves that the wisdom of your elven ancestors is untouched by your human blood!

The Aereni elves care for all of their dead. The elves have perfected the art of embalming, and some practice this trade in the great cities of Khorvaire. As an elf's body is prepared for burial, two chronicles of her life are made. One copy is buried with her body and one kept in the great library of Shae Mordai; thus she will never be forgotten, and anyone who finds her body in a future age will know of her deeds. The bodies of the fallen are preserved in catacombs that stretch deep beneath the cities of Aerenal, filled with the assembled dead of thirty thousand years. Grave robbing is considered a heinous crime in Aerenal, and someone who knowingly transgresses against the fallen may be killed and cremated, with no record made of his death.

The elves reserve the gift of immortality for their greatest heroes. The Aereni respect knowledge and wisdom as well as martial skill, and the Undying Court includes sages and artists and well as warriors and wizards. But most elves are consigned to the catacombs after death. Traditionally an elf can become deathless only after she has lived three centuries. The Priests of Transition view life as a journey, with undeath as a destination; even those worthy of the honor must experience a full life to appreciate what comes next. However, an elf who shows great promise may be raised from the dead, so that she can continue on the path of life.

A deathless elf does not automatically become a member of the Undying Court. Military heroes usually become undying soldiers; they continue to defend of the nation and exist in the catacombs and all of the major cities of Aerenal. Newly raised undying councilors serve as sages and administrators -- although the living perform the most vital tasks, so that they may complete the journey of life and avoid becoming dependant on the Undying. After a thousand years, a councilor is considered for admittance into the court, where she will tend the ascendant councilors and study with the elders. What happens next is a mystery the mortal mind cannot understand; the ascendant councilors are truly alien beings who are thousands of years old and charged with the energy of Irian.

The elves of Aerenal were using continual flame while humans were struggling with fire. Each generation has added new enchantments and artifacts to the great cities of the island, and Pylas Talaer has magical wonders that outshine even Sharn. Many cities contain buried orbs enchanted with a powerful form of prestidigitation; people passing through an Aereni city may hear ghostly music, and they will find that their clothing, hair, and skin remains perfectly clean. Rumors claim that the nobles maintain a network of teleportation gates that connect the great cities, but if these tales are true, the gates are reserved for the important business of the nobility.

The elves of Aerenal consider arcane magic to be both a science and an art. Most elves have a natural gift for wizardry and find it far easier to follow this path than humans do. While most of the inhabitants of Aerenal are commoners or experts, many possess a level or two of wizard, and professional wizards are as common on Aerenal as magewrights are in Khorvaire. While there is a general interest in necromancy, most of these wizards focus on practical magic -- Tenser's floating disk, unseen servant, prestidigitation, magecraft, and similar spells.

While many consider necromancy to be the magic of death, for the Aereni it is far more. In studying death, the Aereni wizard learns about life. In studying fear, he learns about hope. To the elves of Aerenal, the study of necromancy is as much a philosophical voyage as a quest for power; the wizard's ability to strike down his enemy with a ray of enfeeblement is a side benefit of his work, not the point of it. The one path that the Aereni avoid is the creation of negatively charged undead: vampires, liches, wraiths, and the like. The Aereni believe that these creatures are anathema to life. According to Aereni lore, the deathless are sustained by the energy of Irian and the devotion of their descendents -- energy that is freely given. Negative undead take the energy they need to survive -- siphoning away the life energy of Eberron itself. Karrnathi necromancers scoff at this belief, but the Aereni take it very seriously.

Aerenal contains a number of manifest zones that are closely linked to Mabar and Irian. These empower necromantic spells, and Aereni wizards and clerics have developed a number of necromantic rituals that can be performed only in these areas. While deathless can leave the island, the Aereni believe that the Undying Court relies on the energy of Irian to maintain its bond to this plane of existence; as a result, the ascendant councilors of the court rarely venture from Shae Mordai, which is the site of the largest of the Irian zones.

The Aereni seek perfection in everything that they do. Elven clothing is beautiful, typically involving interwoven patterns in two or three different colors. But beyond appearance, Aereni clothing is designed for function: An elven shirt may last its wearer for twenty or thirty years, holding its colors to the end. The elves put equal care into architecture, and some buildings in Shae Mordai are over twenty thousand years old. The elves build their cities from densewood and livewood, creating wooden structures that are just as tough and enduring as buildings of stone.

While the elves take great pleasure in crafting things of beauty, they have unusual ideas about physical beauty. To a follower of the Undying Court, the body is a temporary vessel. Aging and even death are not things to fear -- they are part of the journey of life. The deathless do slowly decompose, and to an elf who plans to spend eternity as one of the undying, physical beauty is a trivial thing. To a large degree, this simply means that the Aereni do not concern themselves with cosmetics to the degree that many other humanoids do. Masks are a common fashion accessory among the elves, and the holy symbol of the Undying Court is a golden mask. Some elves take things a step farther and actually disfigure themselves in life -- abandoning physical beauty to be better prepared for what is to come.

While the Aereni place more importance on mystical knowledge than military might, they still respect the martial traditions of their ancestors. Every elf learns to use sword and bow as a child, and archery and stylized duels are a common form of recreation. For the average elf, this is as much a mental exercise as it is physical. Much like their Tairnadal cousins, the Aereni see war as an art. Aereni soldiers usually rely on speed and skill as opposed to brute force. Swashbucklers and scouts are common among the Aereni, but the island has its fair share of fighters -- deadly warriors focused in the paths of archery or Combat Expertise.

To an outsider, Aereni often seem cold and repressed. This is not actually the case; the elves feel emotions as strongly as any other race. They simply don't display their feelings as blatantly as members of the younger races, and they rarely reveal their thoughts to strangers. Aereni do possess a sense of humor, but it is quite sophisticated; an Aereni joke may take an hour or day to come to fruition. Humans generally find Aereni humor to be dull or confusing, while the elves consider the culture of the Five Nations to be simplistic and crass -- though it can be excused on account of youth.