I hate elves
The 4th edition Living EnWorld project has consumed me recently.
It really bangs on a few of my obsessions. One in particular: matching OOC reality with IC game structure -- something about which I should probably actually produce a coherent post.
Anyway, I hate elves. Or rather, I loath the way they're they're presented as near flawless super humans who never do anything. [warning: link to nigh incoherent post containing following spoiler block]
Of all the published settings I've dealt with I think Eberron tends to handle it the best.
Of course I prefer my tack. Keep 'em as superhumans, with very human failings.
It really bangs on a few of my obsessions. One in particular: matching OOC reality with IC game structure -- something about which I should probably actually produce a coherent post.
Anyway, I hate elves. Or rather, I loath the way they're they're presented as near flawless super humans who never do anything. [warning: link to nigh incoherent post containing following spoiler block]
My bias against superheroic elves that don't do anything
Of all the published settings I've dealt with I think Eberron tends to handle it the best.
Of course I prefer my tack. Keep 'em as superhumans, with very human failings.
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Comments
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Heh. I know how you feel. And I'm curious - have you ever taken a look at Urbis?
In it, the "background assumption" I've come up with for elves is that they are basically the results of some transhumanist experiments by an ancient group of wizards - which explains the "we are so much better than you" thing the elves have going on for them. After all, their abilities are the direct result of a wish fulfillment trip of a group of humans!
I've also made sure that each of the three major elven kingdoms in the setting is messed up in its own way:
- Avareen; The eladrin "nobles" are beginning to outnumber the "commoner" elves, with rather embarrassing results for the class structure of the place.
- Narevoreen: Used to be a Elven Island Paradise in the West (TM), but after its navy was defeated by human invaders, it is now going through its own equivalent of the Japanese Meji Restoration...
- Tuvareen: The ruling eladrin nobility faces eventual extinction since they were all cursed with sterility, and are now panicking - with rather unpleasant results for anyone nearby.
My goal here was to use all the common stereotypes about elves - while subverting them at the same time and making them more interesting. I hope I have succeeded.Posted 23rd July 2008 at 11:44 AM by Jürgen Hubert
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Interesting, both the Avareen and the Narevoreen remind me of Japan. (obviously the Avareen connection is fairly explicit).
Narevoreen --> The tokugawa period saw a massive rise in the number of samurai; not convenient since they didn't make anything (and didn't really have any fighting to do).
I know I've seen the tendency to poach from Japan when looking for "alternative societies"
I've peeked here and there at Urbis. As I mentioned in one of the comments on your blog you've been working on it forever (forever=the dawn of enworld).
Actually I'm in a slight bit of a bind. If I recall correctly there are certain similarities between Urbis, and the current LEW Transitive Isles proposal.
(maybe, I haven't read it; the tech levels are completely different but I realized when I was proposing that isolates/islands could be "magical cities linked by portals" that I was channeling some specific half-memory)
People really seem to want to "create our own setting" so I guess I feel compelled to respect that and not (deliberately) poach.Posted 24th July 2008 at 04:17 AM by Graf
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