Is it sadder when an elf dies than when a human dies?

[Elrik_DarkFury]

Arghhhh.I REALLLY hate elves and every other snobbish bastard who believes that his stupid race is above others.I have never played the "elf" and i will never do.90% of my characters are chaotic and they get overfrustrated when such matters arise in a campaign.I felt as much sorry for their death as for any other who died in the movie facing Sauron's forces.Needless to say,my favored character is Gimli and i was dissapointed watching that fluffy,swanky elf being overpromoted for cash reasons.

________________
The Wizard

 

[kirinke]

actually, from what i've read in the books, elves do have a here-after, called the halls of mandos, so that means they do have a soul.

 

[tonym]

Thanks for that informative, interesting post, Sigil. The soul of an elf dying along with his/her body is a waaay cool idea, and one I don't remember reading about in the LotR books (it's been a while since I read them).

I know I'm missing your point by saying this, Sigil...but the idea of the elf's soul dying along with his body now makes his death EVEN MORE tragic to me.

Humans dying? Pfffff. Humans in LotR have heaven or something similar, as you pointed out. Since they have heaven, it seems less of a big deal when one gets skewered by an orc. They have heaven, after all.

But an elf? D-d-dead? Along with his frikkin SOUL?

*choke*
.

...human life is more valuable than elf because it is so short...

Haha, nifty. But then an orc's life would be 'more' valuable than a humans, because it is even shorter!

Man, a lot of people on this messageboard like HUMANS, for some reason. Weird... Humans have dull, uninteresting ears, and they miss more often with a bow. Elves, on the other hand, are quieter in the forest. And their bread is better for you.

I mean, humans are obviously inferior to elves, right?

All you people like humans for sentimental reasons, I bet. Like your parents were human or something.

If I was at Helm's Deep during that battle, I'd be yelling, "Kill meeee, filthy orcs! I'm just a human! I have an afterlife! Don't kill the elf and destoy his soul! Kill me instead! ME!"

Okay, maybe that's taking things a LITTLE too far. But still, you get the point. The death of a LotR elf is sadder than the death of a LotR human, because LotR elves live so much longer, and--as Sigil pointed out--their soul is destoyed when they die.

Am I alone with this thinking?

If you were picking teams for paintball, I bet all of you would trade 10 humans to get an Elf on your side.




Tony

 

[tonym]

Arghhhh.I REALLLY hate elves and every other snobbish bastard who believes that his stupid race is above others...

Wha'? Your name is ELRIK! The Melnibonians are the ultimate racist race! They used humans for pipe organs! And--

Oh, you spelled Elric with a "K," not a "C." Still...

actually, from what i've read in the books, elves do have a here-after, called the halls of mandos, so that means they do have a soul.

Thanks.

I did a quick search online and I am not understanding exactly what the Halls of Mandos are. It seems like elves 'may' have a chance to get born again as a baby elf, but they would have to be born on an island that doesn't exist anymore.

I must be misreading something.


Tony

 

[dreaded_beast]

If you were picking teams for paintball, I bet all of you would trade 10 humans to get an Elf on your side.

Yeah, so I could have the pleasure of shooting him in the back!

 

[evileeyore]

Was she cute? Ah wait, it was an elf, of course she was cute...


Seriously now.

I have played in campaigns were the life of one race was held above all others. In our Thracian games, Thracians citizens are the only ones with rights. If a non-Thracian is murdered it will only be investigated if a Thracian pursues it with the authorities. In order to be a citizen one must be human and either born in Thrace and have purchased the citizenship, or been sponsored to citizenship.

I have run games were one race was enslaved by another. The slave race of course has considerably less rights.

Who hasn't played in campiagns where the whole sale slaughter/genocide of Orcs/Gobos/other wasn't considered a good thing?

I have run games were the Elves are the Prime Evil... and killing them is considered a capitol offense. Afterall who do you think runs the system.

On that note, Spelljammer much?

My favorite race... Kender--EvilE

 

[shilsen]

In a generic game, I use the long lifespan of elves and dwarves to justify the approaches each takes to combat (ranged combat and skirmish tactics for elves, heavy armor and defensive tactics for dwarves). Elves and dwarves tend to be keenly aware of their potentially long lives and while having to take part in martial activities in a dangerous world, tend to minimize risks in differing ways. Or my NPCs, that is. The PC elves and dwarves are just as suicidal as the humans.

 

[TracerBullet42]

If you were picking teams for paintball, I bet all of you would trade 10 humans to get an Elf on your side.

Psssh...give me halflings. Not some pretentious captain of the sissy patrol.

Stupid elves.

 

[The Sigil]

That's right... I forgot about the Halls of Mandros... still, reincarnation is an entirely separate thing from afterlife, as you are "not the same person" in reincarnation, no?

Again, there are plusses and minuses either way, I suppose... which explains why nihilism, reincarnation, and afterlife/resurrection all have large followings among humans IRL.

--The Sigil

 

[The Sigil]

Thanks.

I did a quick search online and I am not understanding exactly what the Halls of Mandos are. It seems like elves 'may' have a chance to get born again as a baby elf, but they would have to be born on an island that doesn't exist anymore.

I must be misreading something.

Tony

Try www.glyphweb.com/arda - excellent resource.

--The Sigil