The Ancient Order of Elves has always sought, first and foremost, to create an atmosphere which draws like minded individuals together where they can create friendships, expand their horizons and better enjoy the full extent of what Ultima Online has to offer. As Pacific's largest elven role-playing guild, and indeed, the largest elven role-playing guild in Ultima Online as a whole, we are often looked upon with a magnifying glass of scrutiny. Many expectations, warranted or not, have been placed upon our guild by the community.

The ages old question: "What is an elf? How should an elf be role-played?" is one that has plagued our organization for years. Though much of our Lore is based on Tolkien elves, we have come up with a general and basic outline of qualities describing what an elf is, no matter where they come from. Those who do not agree with our qualities may wish to look for an organization that is more in tune with their own beliefs and practices.

What restrictions does ELF place on its members?

- We have certain Name and Appearence Restrictions which we adhere to when accepting new members. These restrictions are somewhat flexible and are judged on a case by case basis.  For those who are beyond our acceptable tolerance, they are requested to join with a different character, or create a new one to join the guild.

- We continually encourage the use of Quenya, our elven language, as a role playing tool.  Most elves know several words of Quenya but all are expected to learn at least the basic terms: "Aaye" (hail), "Namaarie" (farewell), "Uma" (yes) and "N'uma" (no).
Our Quenya Reference Page can help you learn our tongue.

- Role-playing:   We are a role-playing guild. There are many levels of role-playing, some more extreme than others. Role-playing is an aspect learned through experience and encouragement. For more information on role-playing standards please see: 
Role Playing 101

Things to keep in mind when Role-playing an elf

- The single most influential aspect of elves is longevity. Elves are the longest-lived sentient race and it molds everything about an Elven character. Elves basically live until they tire of the world, or die through violent means and due to their long lives elves are very patient. This patience pervades all aspects of their lives. One example of this is how elves are difficult to provoke, being just as content to watch an enemy die of old age as to directly confront them. They have the luxury of waiting lifetimes to get revenge on someone who has wronged them.

- Elves are not destructive like other races. They know how long nature takes to repair the damage done and they go out of their way to live in harmony with nature, as opposed to the attempts to control and dominate nature by the other races. Since elves are more in tune with the world around them, they notice temperature and weather extremes less than others. They can be comfortable in freezing weather or tropical weather while wearing the same clothing.

- Elves gather knowledge. It's what they are best at. They try not to act on something unless they are satisfied they know everything about the subject there is to know. Due to their long lifespan, many elves have been part of events which humans consider ancient history. This helps ensure that their records are very accurate.

- Elves are not snobs and are not racial elitists. On the contrary, they believe that all forms of life are important, and if the shorter-lived races have a serious fault it's that they don't share this belief and tend to destroy and/or manipulate other living creatures. It is also very painful for elves to grow attached to shorter lived races, for inevitably they watch them die. This can cause elves to stay at arms distance from others simply to protect their own emotions.

- Elves have a low birth rate. There is no need to have a child every few years when you have such a long lifespan. As a result, elves tend to be more promiscuous and have fewer moral dilemmas where temporary relationships are concerned than other races. However elves do not enter into long term relationships lightly. Marriage is especially sacred for the couple is joined together for what may be forever.

- Elves have a glorious and very sacred origin which they are fiercely proud of. Their Pantheon of Deities is held in the highest regard and many elves dedicate their lives to the service of it. All elves have at least some knowledge of the Pantheon and history. Most elves choose a patron Deity to hold in particular regard, usually one that involves their own personal interests.

- Elves are creatures of nature. Bright unnatural colors do not capture our eyes and we consider them eyesores and inappropriate. We prefer to wear the colors of our surroundings; greens of the forest, blues of the sky and browns of the earth. Some elves may chose to wear less subtle clothing but are expected to have very good reasons for doing so.


Code of Conduct for an ElF

1) The inherent nobility of the Elven race should shine through in every action that you take, whether it is fighting a foul beast or speaking to a lovely elf maiden.The Chivalry that humans must learn comes naturally to an elf. Always show respect to your fellow elves and never sink to the level of your enemies.

2) When you go up to a house and see the owner is inside please wait at the door, do not barge in. You would not walk into someone's house in the real world so try to keep the realism in game. If the building is a public place (such as Eldamar or the Library) you may walk in but please be aware and courteous because they also double as homes. Usually the first floor is open to the public and the second floor is where the player's personal space is. It can be quite awkward if you happen to barge in at the wrong moment.

3) Do not ride a mount into a building or home. Leave them outside and command them to stay. This includes dismounting from ethereal mounts.

4) Discarding items everywhere on the ground is unacceptable. Elves have a great respect for nature and would never be so disrespectful as to leave trash strewn about. This is especially true of places like Eldamar which are considered holy. (This is also very important because items on the ground can block marked locations).

5) Be respectful of the Elven Culture and its customs. For example, some buildings in Eldador (our elven land) have rules in place due to its function. The holy temple of Eldamar does not allow pets inside nor does it allow arms to be displayed within its walls. Please be courteous enough to follow these rules and the rules of all the establishments in Eldador.

Please see our "RPing an ElF For Dummies" Guide