Should Shadar Kai look old in the Shadowfell?

Hriston · Jun 17, 2018

Yes, think of the elves made thralls by Morgoth in the mines of Angband. For example, Gwindor, a Noldo, was a slave in Angband for fourteen years, where the strength and beauty of his body was ruined. He also lost a hand.

gyor · Jun 17, 2018

I bet those who choose yes are the same ones who thought 17 pages of names was the best part of XGTE.

gyor · Jun 17, 2018

Hriston said:
Yes, think of the elves made thralls by Morgoth in the mines of Angband. For example, Gwindor, a Noldo, was a slave in Angband for fourteen years, where the strength and beauty of his body was ruined. He also lost a hand.

This isn't the Lord of the Rings.

cbwjm · Jun 17, 2018

It wasn't the best part of XGTE, but I do like those name charts.

As for the looks of the Shadar Kai, do what I do, ignore the bits that you don't like. I might have my shadar kai appear as shadowy versions of themselves while in the shadowfell, they wear masks because that ties their lifeforce to a physical form, without them, they are danger of fading into the shadowfell.

Hriston · Jun 17, 2018

gyor said:
This isn't the Lord of the Rings.

"This"?

gyor · Jun 17, 2018

Hriston said:
"This"?

D&D 5e.

gyor · Jun 17, 2018

cbwjm said:
It wasn't the best part of XGTE, but I do like those name charts.

As for the looks of the Shadar Kai, do what I do, ignore the bits that you don't like. I might have my shadar kai appear as shadowy versions of themselves while in the shadowfell, they wear masks because that ties their lifeforce to a physical form, without them, they are danger of fading into the shadowfell.

That's at least more flavourful and cool then they look like they belong in a retirement home.

Hriston · Jun 17, 2018

gyor said:
D&D 5e.

It's fantasy fiction about elves, isn't it?

gyor · Jun 17, 2018

Hriston said:
It's fantasy fiction about elves, isn't it?

D&D elves are very different then Tolkien elves, in a whole bunch of ways, although I admit its hugely obvious that Tolkien's influence on the D&D races was massively increased in MTOGs in alot of ways, so perhaps he did inspire the unfortunate choice to make the Shadowfell literally the last realm any Shadar Kai would ever want to set foot in and which most Shadar Kai would flee from at the first chance. Really the Shadar Kai section was the weakest section by far in the whole book, which is a shame because I like the Shadar Kai.

Seriously Shadar Kai went from a bad ass Sadomachotistic race of passionate overachievers, to a race of boring, dispassionate old geezers, those only leave their eternal damnation in the Shadowfell to go on missions for the Raven Queen (the being whose fault it is they are damned to an eternity in the Shadowfell in the first place), to steal creepy momentos of memories and souls.

Even the Drow feel bad for the Shadar Kai, whose entire existance appears to be going through the motions of their apathetic meserible existance because even the release of death is denied them. Being damned to hell would be a step up for the Shadar Kai.