Noviere

The seas and islands of Ossa, the second layer of Arborea, are the home of the noviere eladrins. Like the bralani, the novieres are a people who celebrate the beauty of the lands and emerald waters around them. They're the most straightforward and approachable of the eladrins. The shieres are blocks of ice to the typical cutter traveling in Arborea, the bralani are fickle and flighty, and trying to talk seriously to a coure can drive a sod barmy – but the novieres're willing to take a basher at his word and deal with him the way he deals with them.

The novieres appear to be aquatic Elves or nixies. Their skins are greenish, blue, or golden in hue, and their hair ranges from deep blue-green to pale blond. They’re equally at home in the water or on land. The novieres’re somewhat more human in appearance than a full-blooded aquatic Elf; they're stockier, and have no prominent gills or webbing in their fingers. Their eyes mirror the color of the seas around them. In addition to their demihuman form, novieres can take on the shape of golden dolphins made entirely of shimmering water.

Novieres prefer to remain in the seas of Ossa, but sometimes journey to other planes or prime-material worlds to visit with ocean nymphs or merfolk. They love exploring a new coastline or listening to the sound of the surf on a strange shore. Of all eladrins, the novieres are most likely to be interested in trade or material things; they’re fascinated by gemstones and jewelry.

The novieres're slow to anger and try to avoid combat unless it's absolutely necessary. If pressed, a noviere can fight fairly well – her lithe limbs and graceful frame conceal great strength. Novieres like weapons that can be used on water or land, and usually wield tridents, nets, or long-bladed daggers.

In dolphin form, a noviere's body is composed of water bound together by her magical nature. She can attack by making a powerful ramming strike and can use the surrounding water to shield herself from harm. She can also envelop her opponent, effectively holding it motionless.

After the coures, the novieres are the most social of the eladrins. They do not travel much, but choose a favorite island or coastline and linger there for years at a time. A clan of noviere eladrins is loosely governed by a chieftain, but individuals are not bound to obey this leader. Novieres tend to keep to themselves and are a rare sight in the high eladrin courts of Olympus.

Note: Novieres originally appeared in this form in the Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix II for the AD&D game from TSR. Their use here is for the purposes of providing context for the campaign only.