Asrai

Asrai (Wood Elves)

Children of the Weave, blades of the living forest

Founding FoundedThe first winter after the Coming of Chaos; when the elves fled into Athel Loren FounderThe pact between the first elves and the forest spirits Current LeaderOrion (the Eternal King) and Ariel (the Mage Queen); reborn every season Geography CapitalThe Oak of Ages, heart of Athel Loren Major CitiesWythamreal, Wydrioth, Cythral Glade, the Glade of Woe RegionsAthel Loren and its hidden glades Biology Lifespan1000-2000 years or more; time flows strangely beneath the leaves Height170-200 cm (5′7″ - 6′7″) Culture LanguageFan-Eltharin (the forest tongue), mixed with the speech of treemen and dryads ReligionThe Cadai pantheon, but above all the living spirit of Athel Loren, Orion, and Ariel Government GovernmentSeasonal monarchy of the Eternal King and Queen, guided by the Council of Glades Relations AlliesHigh Elves (distant kin), Bretonnian Grail Knights (by ancient pact), forest spirits EnemiesBeastmen, Dark Elves, Chaos, anyone foolish enough to bring axe or fire

The Asrai are the Wood Elves of Athel Loren: wild, secretive, and utterly lethal. They do not merely live in the forest; they are the forest. Every leaf listens, every branch strikes, every shadow hides an arrow aimed at your heart. They abandoned the marble towers of Ulthuan long ago and made a pact with something far older and far angrier. Now they guard the sacred glades with a ferocity that makes dragons flinch.

Overview

If you want to play an immortal predator who can vanish into a tree, put three arrows through a man’s eye before he hits the ground, and then dance barefoot on his corpse while the forest sings, welcome home.

Appearance

Tall, lithe, and perfectly camouflaged. Skin of oak-bark brown, moss green, or pale birch. Hair of autumn fire, spring green, or winter snow. Eyes that glow faintly in the dark like a hunting cat. Armour grown from living wood, cloaks stitched from living leaves that change with the season. They smell of loam, pine resin, and fresh blood.

Culture & Society

• Regions: Athel Loren and nowhere else. Trespassers are fertilizer.
• Culture: The forest is alive, the forest is sacred, the forest is judge and executioner.
• Names: Araloth, Orion, Scarloc, Naestra & Arahan, Drycha, Skaw the Falconer.
• Religion: The old Elven gods still hear prayers, but the trees hear them first.

Morality, Slavery, and Corruption

• Slavery: Forbidden. Wood Elves prize freedom above all; captivity is abhorrent, and outsiders taken by the Asrai are either released or kept temporarily for protection, not forced labor.
• Non-consent sexual relationships: Condemned. Wood Elves value consent, harmony with nature, and respect for individual autonomy; coercion is considered deeply dishonorable.
• Vulnerability to Chaos corruption: Low. The Asrai are attuned to magic and nature, which protects them, though prolonged exposure to Chaos-tainted forests or dark magic can corrupt vulnerable individuals.

Strengths & Weaknesses

• Strengths: Agile, stealthy, and in tune with nature; exceptional archers, hunters, and trackers; deeply protective of their forests and kin.
• Weaknesses: Isolationist, mistrustful of outsiders, can be rigidly conservative, and highly reactive to threats against their woodland homes.

Relations with Other Races

Category	Faction	Relation
Humans	Empire	Hostile
	Bretonnia	Friendly
	Kislev	Neutral
	Sartosa	Neutral
	Araby	Neutral
	Cathay	Neutral
	Norsca	Hostile
Elves	Asur (High Elves)	Hostile
	Druchii (Dark Elves)	Hostile
Dwarfs	Dwarfs	Hostile
	Chaos Dwarfs	Hostile
Greenskins	Orcs	Hostile
	Goblins	Hostile
Monstrous	Ogre	Neutral
	Beastmen	Hostile
Affliction	Chaos	Hostile
	Vampire	Hostile

Playing an Asrai

You do not walk through the forest; the forest walks through you. Speak softly, move silently, kill instantly. A Waywatcher can stand motionless for days, arrow nocked, waiting for one perfect shot. A Wardancer fights naked but for paint and blades, dancing death in spirals no eye can follow. A Spellsinger sings to the trees and the trees answer with storms of thorn and root.

Outsiders are tolerated only as long as they serve the forest. The moment they threaten it, they become prey.

Physical Appearance

Beauty sharpened to a killing edge. Skin painted with leaf-patterns, hair braided with feathers and bones, eyes that see further and deeper than any human. They do not wear the forest; they are the forest wearing the shape of an elf.

Gender Roles & Sexuality

Gender Roles

• Wood Elf society is egalitarian and closely tied to the forest and nature. Both men and women hold equal status in leadership, hunting, warfare, and magical practice.
• Leadership and Warriors: Both male and female wardancers, rangers, and spellweavers serve as guardians of the forest. Leadership roles in communities and military units are based on skill, wisdom, and contribution rather than gender.
• Commoners: All members of society are expected to be self-sufficient, participate in hunting, crafting, and defense. Women are fully integrated into martial and magical roles, and there is no formal gender hierarchy.
• Society values personal ability, environmental harmony, and community contribution over social status or birthright.

Sexuality

• Sexuality is natural, flexible, and tied to individual choice rather than rigid social norms. Wood Elves are free-spirited, and relationships often reflect personal desire and compatibility.
• Courtship: Courtship is generally informal, often taking place within the context of shared work, hunting, or magical training. Monogamy is common but not strictly enforced.
• Sexual expression is often harmonious with nature, seasonal cycles, and personal freedom, with little social regulation or shame.

Attitudes toward Other Races (Sexualized)

• Wood Elves are secretive and xenophobic, generally avoiding other races, but sexualized perceptions exist in rare or private contexts:
• Humans: Human men and women are occasionally eroticized in stories, particularly those of rangers or outsiders venturing into Athel Loren, but such interactions are rare.
• Elves (Other Subraces): High Elves are respected for skill and beauty; sexual attraction is possible but complicated by politics and pride. Dark Elves are seen as dangerous, and sexualized fascination is often tinged with fear or taboo.
• Dwarfs: Rarely sexualized; male dwarfs are respected for craft, and female dwarfs appear occasionally in private fantasies.
• Greenskins: Orcs and goblins are enemies; sexualized depictions are almost nonexistent, except in crude folklore or cautionary tales.

Notable Cultural Nuances

• Wood Elf culture emphasizes freedom, equality, and harmony with nature, making gender and sexual norms flexible and egalitarian.
• Sexuality is natural and personal, often entwined with artistic, magical, or martial expression.
• Sexualized interest in other races is rare, generally private, and usually framed with caution or exotic fascination.
• Relationships are often based on mutual respect, skill, and personal affinity rather than social obligation or hierarchy.

Notable Ranks & Careers

Glade Guard → Eternal Guard → Waywatcher → Wardancer → Wild Rider → Spellsinger → Treeman Ancient → Consort of Orion