Elven Bow "Paradox"

[Quickleaf]

Here's the "paradox": Elves in 4e never cut living trees, but every elf learns how to fire a bow proficiently. So...just how are they making so many bows? Last time I checked both self and laminate bows require live wood... Seems like there's a great story in there somewhere. Are they magically training yews somehow to spit out chunks of sap/heart wood? Have they developed a bone or other material bow? Are there a small number of bows passed thru family lines? What's the solution enworld?

 

[Aulirophile]

Trees die eventually. They talk to the elves and warn them, they kill the tree. See: Eskimos floating away on glaciers.

The forest is a garden, elves weed it and use the weeds.

Being in tune with nature is not synonymous with being a literal tree hugger. Elves kill and butcher animals to eat. They just cut down trees, just sustainably. How do they know it is sustainable? They live a long time.

The make bows out of very large branches from trees, which grow back.

Old people cast tree form on themselves and get cut down and used for bows.

Probably gonna be a hundred possible reasons when you throw in "A wizard did it."

 

[Cute-Hydra]

Generally wooden weapons are more sustainable to the forest anyway as to make steel you need a lot of fuel, so a lot of tree burning. Sure you can find coal etc but it is a lot easier to maintain wood crafting sustainably than it is to have forge.

 

[FireLance]

They buy them from wandering merchants, of course!

 

[Shin Okada]

Elven bow may be made of bamboo, like traditional Japanese bow. Bamboo is grass, not tree.

 

[Zaran]

Here's the "paradox": Elves in 4e never cut living trees, but every elf learns how to fire a bow proficiently. So...just how are they making so many bows? Last time I checked both self and laminate bows require live wood... Seems like there's a great story in there somewhere. Are they magically training yews somehow to spit out chunks of sap/heart wood? Have they developed a bone or other material bow? Are there a small number of bows passed thru family lines? What's the solution enworld?

They sing to the tree and the tree grows the wood needed for bows. They do the same thing for housing and pretty much anything they need of wood. It makes their bows precious to them since they are basically a gift from nature.

 

[Ebylon]

Even if Elves were to cut down trees in order to make bows, they're a 'green' enough people to use every inch of the tree. They'd ensure seeds were planted to birth new trees, they'd use all of the wood to help create homes and other needs. And they'd weave thousands of leaves into pretty pretty cloaks.

That last part might not be so selfless but it's preeeetty.

 

[Mengu]

They hire dwarves to do it for them.

 

[the Jester]

Horn, bamboo, etc.

Hell, elven bowyers can probably make an exceptional quality bow out of pinecones and dirt.

 

[RangerWickett]

They make their bows from the bones of halfling children.