Mordant Spire inspiration

[Virgil]

I'm looking at making an elf from the Mordant Spire, which is a little difficult since there's a grand total of two paragraphs about them in the Elves of Golarian sourcebook. and I was wondering if they're equivalent to any other culture, mainly so I can get ideas of what kind of masks they wear; or even why they wear them.

[Thomas Bowyer]

Virgil wrote:

I'm looking at making an elf from the Mordant Spire, which is a little difficult since there's a grand total of two paragraphs about them in the Elves of Golarian sourcebook. and I was wondering if they're equivalent to any other culture, mainly so I can get ideas of what kind of masks they wear; or even why they wear them.

I believe some details are specifically not provided with the intent to allow the DM/players some room to be creative. I think this is one of those cases. In my campaign, the Elves of the Mordant Spire are somewhat misunderstood and the Spire itself is in fact a magical stone barrier, created by the ancient Azlants that covers a tower, containing an Elf gate. Their ancient enemies managed to take the tower briefly, knowing that they would not be able to hold it for long. Shortly after they captured the tower, they created the barrier with the intent to cut off the elves escape back to Sovyrian. They had hoped to completely annihilate them. The only reason the elves from that area today are so territorial is because they still consider themselves at war with humans but desire to return to Sovyrian. They live in the hope that they will one day figure out a way to return.

[Jeff de luna]

Inner Sea Magic has the Spire Defender archetype. Perhaps you can get some ideas from there.

I've kind of though of the Spire as a somewhat twisted version of the Irish and British myths of fay islands in the Atlantic like Tir nan Og, Avalon, etc. Those all have a sort of "land of the dead" quality to them.

[nighttree]

I've been doing the same thing, but you right, there is not a lot to go off of.
A couple of things that may help you find flavor....

Traits....

Mordant Heritage (Mordant Spire): You lived among the Mordant Spire elves and know their strange ways. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Swim checks and a +1 trait bonus on saving throws against enchantment effects.

Sovyrian Pantheist (Any Elven Deity): Strongly influenced by the elves’ mysterious other realm, you embrace obscure
elven deities that have little influence on Golarion. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (history) checks to recognize
or evaluate art, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) checks, Survival checks to hunt game, Constitution checks
to run, and Spellcraft checks involving crystals or gems.

Azlant Fanatic (Race):Your years spent in libraries reading every musty tome you could find about the ancient lost civilization of Azlant have given you insight into the subjects of history and the arcane.
You gain a+1 to Knowledge (arcane) and Knowledge (history) checks; one becomes a class skill

[drayen]

nighttree wrote:

I've been doing the same thing, but you right, there is not a lot to go off of.

A couple of things that may help you find flavor....

Traits....

Add to the above the elf racial trait:

Spirit of the Waters: Some elves have adapted to life in tune with the sea or along the reedy depths of wild rivers and lakes. They gain a +4 racial bonus on Swim checks, can always take 10 while swimming, and may choose Aquan as a bonus language. They are proficient with longspear, trident, and net. This racial trait replaces elven magic and weapon familiarity racial traits.

There is also information on the Mordant Spire in the Inner Sea World Guide under the Steaming Sea entry.