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So, I have seen two interpretations of how elven eyes are supposed to look:
1. Their pupils are so large, that they take up almost the entire front of the eye making elvish eyes appear to be black.
2. Their irises are so large as to take up the most of the entire front of the eye, making them appear to be without scleras.
Which is it? Or is it some other option I somehow missed?
I think it's both.
Nominally, it's option 2. However, keep in mind the entire point of the iris is it opens to let in more light when it is dark, so at night (i.e. when using their low-light vision), you'll get option 1.
Elven eyes would probably also have a tapetum lucidum layer at the back of their eyes. Which is what makes many animal eyes seem to glow in the dark. It's a layer of reflective tissue that bounces light around in the eye to intensify it.
Or 3. Like human eyes.
Since it's just cosmetic, it can be any of the three or a fourth option you prefer (cat-like slitted pupils, perhaps).
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Or 3. Like human eyes.
Since it's just cosmetic, it can be any of the three or a fourth option you prefer (cat-like slitted pupils, perhaps).
Of course, I have the option to pick whatever. But I am trying to sort out what the official Golarion canon is, since I have seen it interpreted differently in different games/books etc.
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Doesn't that mean "the official Golarion canon is" whatever options you've seen in said books?
Advanced players guide reads as: "Their eyes are wide and almond-shaped, and filled with large, vibrantly colored." (Core rulebook says the same.)
Inner Sea World Guide Reads: "Elves tend to have bright green or dark blue, ranging to nearly black, eyes. The irises of the elven race are far larger than those of other humanoids, often making it seem like they have little or no white in their eyes."
Campaign Setting Reads: "They have long, pointed ears and eyes dominated by pupils so large as to fill most of the eye."
Then there are the pictures of Merisiel which make it hard to tell.
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I'd agree with Ross. Large Irises, to display the depth of , and easily dilating pupils set within the large iris, for quick plunges into almost darkness.
I'd like to think their color perception delves into the ultraviolets and/or infrareds as well :) Imagine being able to see colors when others can't.
Maybe the tapetum lucidum is prismatic :)
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James Jacobs on Golarion elves' eyes:
The eyes of elves in Golarion. I really like the way that you've used them to distinguish Golarion from other settings, it makes your elves look a lot cooler, but, are they monochromatic or do they just happen to have really big irises? I've seen both in the art you've released across the various books. Also, Half-elves, do they generally have elven eyes or human eyes?Elven eyes are monochromatic... until you get up close and see there are indeed irises and pupils and all that... they just look weird. They do not have "whites" to their eyes... except when artists mess up and we don't catch the error in time...
Half elves have human eyes, but the eyes are often weird colors like red, bright green, purple, or the like.
He's the creator of Golarion and in charge of setting lore, so he ought to know.
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The important thing to remember is that Elvin eyes, they're watching you. They see your every move.
The important thing to remember is that Elvin eyes, they're watching you. They see your every move.
They see you when you're sleeping. They know when you're awake. They know if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake.
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James Jacobs on Golarion elves' eyes:
He's the creator of Golarion and in charge of setting lore, so he ought to know.The eyes of elves in Golarion. I really like the way that you've used them to distinguish Golarion from other settings, it makes your elves look a lot cooler, but, are they monochromatic or do they just happen to have really big irises? I've seen both in the art you've released across the various books. Also, Half-elves, do they generally have elven eyes or human eyes?Elven eyes are monochromatic... until you get up close and see there are indeed irises and pupils and all that... they just look weird. They do not have "whites" to their eyes... except when artists mess up and we don't catch the error in time...
Half elves have human eyes, but the eyes are often weird colors like red, bright green, purple, or the like.
So would that mean their pupils can be colors other than black?
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I think they are like huge almond eyes, they tend to be very much like the alien out of the first Star Trek movie with Chris Pine, where Kirk's mother is giving birth to him. However, the shape of the face tends to curve down with grace with a pointed end. Their pupils tend to dilate to where their eyes are almost like cats where it's tough to see the whites of their eyes. But in the day, they are generally proportional with their almond eyes.
That's what I tend to view elves as in Golarion.