Greetings, great sage!

I have ran into a conflict of source material concerning the nature of afterlife.

Based on novels, sourcebooks and general elven traits, I understand that elves retain their identity and memories in afterlife (just lock them in reincarnation) However, people who read Planescape novels insist that on death, people are stripped of their identity and memories and are made into mindless automatons.

This I feel clashes with the Chaotic Good, individualistic and freedom loving nature of elves.

Which of us are right?

— Runa_Dacino (@RDacino) July 25, 2021

All of you are right, depending on the individual being, what they’ve done in life, and where and how they die (which all come down to: how interested are various deities in their soul or spirit? or do they die in circumstances where said soul/spirit will be snared?). The specific answer, for elves, is that their sentience (intellect and memories) survives. What becomes of it again depends on circumstances; they are usually reincarnated, but may be trapped in a magic item or something else (though non-reincarnation is rare).#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 25, 2021

Thank you for the reply! When they reincarnate, do they retain their old identity in a way?

I’ve been sort of imagining it like, based on my reading of reveries in 5E, that their soul remembers, just not while on Toril, and when they die they regain it all. That correct? That's correct, and in reveries, every elf gets visions in their dreams that are actually snapshots or short movies from their memories (i.e. they can be informed by their past lives).#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 25, 2021