...Disciplined, enigmatic and distrustful...
That pretty much sums up the graw. These elves live in the underdark where they gather in monasteries waging guerilla wars on each other and the other denizens of this light ridden place. Their society is matriarchal and their monasteries are led by their Mother Superior (often called Mater or Matron). The Matron is always the most charismatic Graw with a perfect control over the ways of the body and the mind.
Although not violent in nature, they are very xenophobic and protective over their order. They consider their order to be the right and only one there should be. They don't really care about conquest or converting the other species that inhabit the world. But, they do consider the other orders of graw to be a thorn in their side, a necessary evil that tests them, an evil that opposes them and wants to destroy them. Living with this idea and cultivating it for years has caused them to shun outsiders and to be in constant war with each other.
Graw worship their ancestors as well as the wisdom and the ways of these ancestors. Although only shamans can summon spirits, the ancestral spirits of the graw elves can manifest themselves to the collective. The desire of the descendants and followers to be closer to their ancestors is so great that it creates some sort of pool of energy. The ancestral spirit can use this to manifest herself freely to her followers. (This so-called pool of energy is only useful for the ancestral spirit to which it is directed.) Of course there are also spiritual guides in a monastery. These Shaman or Monk/Shaman can only call ancestral spirits and only this time literally. If it isn't a spirit that was part of their order, they can't call it. It is not that they lack the ability to do otherwise, they're just a bit too strict, they're not flexible enough. They follow a code, a path of enlightenment that is never questioned.
Graw elves
- Dex +2, Con -2 for males and Dex +2, Con -2, Cha +2 for females
- Graw elves have darkvision 120 ft.
- Skills: they receive a +2 racial modifier to Listen and Spot.
- They can automatically notice a secret door, even when they just walk past it. (same as elven ability)
- Sunlight Vulnerability: Living below ground for ages has left the graw elves vulnerable to sunlight. They get a -1 penalty to all actions in sun or similar light, this penalty can be offset by spending a feat on "sunlight adaptation". This feat cannot be taken at first level.
- Favored class for the graw is monk, their alignment is mostly lawful evil.