High Elf Archer

The bulk of Ulthuan's armies are composed of Spear and Archer regiments. These expertly trained and finely armed and amour warriors are actually citizen soldiers of Ulthuan. Every Elf, though he may be a craftsman, tradesman or artist in peace time, must become a resolute and deadly fighter in time of war.

Over a thousand years ago, in a time of desperate need, the Phoenix King Morvael introduced a levy system whereby all Elves received military training so that they could be called upon to fight for the defence of their hi eland at any time. These levies were organised into companies based within their cities, towns and villages. Morale accurately predicted the need for a well organized but flexible army to defend Ulthuan in the troubled times that lay ahead. This system has stood the test of time and remains the cornerstone of most Elven armies to this day. It is common for a High Elf to spend twenty or thirty years as part of the same Archer regiment - a short time for those as long lived as the High Elves.

When a High Elf begins his martial training he will first be educated in the rudiments of warfare, armed with a finely wrought sword and a longbow. He is educated in the use of both of these weapons until his skill far exceeds that of a man, and only then is he allowed to see battle as an Archer. In disciplined ranked, these Archer regiments of Ulthian unleash accurate volleys of arrows upon their foes.

The longbows of the High Elves are constructed from alternating layers of wood, taken from the many forests around Ulthuan, which endow them with great power and range. Each Archer maintains his own weapons, and a great deal of pride and care is placed into the act of fletching new arrows for war. An Archer will often carve intricate patterns or ruines onto the shaft of his individual arrows, so that after a battle he can prove which foes were slain by his shots.

The leaders of the High Elf Archers regiments are known as the Hawkeyes, and they are counted among the finest archers in the world. In Elven mythology, hawks are considered the swiftest of the hunters of the skies and the Hawkeyes bear their title and pride. Unlike the other members of Ulthuan's Archer regiments, the Hawkeyes do not move on to join Spear regiment. Having proven their expertise, a Hawkeye's services are retained indefinitely, allowing him to pass his experience on to new citizen warriors.