D&D General what are the setting functions of elves?

[Celebrim]

I do not really grasp outside of being magic call and mystical in a vague sense what they bring to a setting and why a player might play them outside of magic being overly romanticised and being able to outlive most nations

So the purpose of elves is to utilize the very iconic role elves play or have been made to play over the years in Northern European mythology. They have massive mythic relevance in multiple ways in the Northern European myths that have shaped and dominated most fantasy up until say 10 years ago, when I think people began to lose touch with those myths and stories in much the same way that modern kids growing up are much less in touch with the Myth of the Old American West than my generation was. Since we've lost touch to many of the stories that made elves relevant to fantasy, we've lost touch to their purpose. Nobody lives in Northern European myth much anymore, and probably the only touch point people have these days is PJ's 'Lord of the Rings' movies and these themselves eschewed a lot of the mythic resonance of Tolkien's books in favor of being modern and proximate and easy to relate to for a modern audience that no longer has connection to the deep past.

One of the reoccurring motifs of Northern European myth is, "There was something here before us and they were better than us. We are but weak shadows of the Older Better Days." Tolkien interpreted that older better thing as elves, which was not entirely true to the overall lore of Northern European myth but was close enough. So that's one example of the purpose elves tend to play in settings - they represent the unsullied, unspoiled, better times before whatever happened that made the world unpleasant. They represent, "In the old times, they lived longer, they were stronger, happier, and more beautiful. And then we happened. We live in the less good times after the end of the Golden Age."

Pratchett who is also very steeped in English folklore, has them play a related but different role, and plays up the fear involved in something that thinks it is and you may be tempted to think actually is better than you, and uses them for that purpose in the story. His elves are arrogant beautiful predators, and that is also true to the lore.

 

[Scott Christian]

how is it everyone keeps giving me things I did not ask for?

this is not about the role of an individual elf
this is not about the roles elves occupy but the area of sapient people design the elves have monopolised
the role they occupy in setting like the way we have a thousand strong guy races for different settings I want to know exactly the area elves have consumed so I can make competition for it why is this so hard to get across?

Hmm... Perhaps you misunderstood. You asked what role elves play in a setting and are they needed. It sounds like you want an antithesis, or perhaps a similar competitive group. But, as I stated, elves are already there in 95% of players' heads, and I fail to understand how you don't recognize their niche. They are there as Legolas, Drizzt, Cutter, Elrond, Jen, Elric, Tanis, etc. whether you want or have them in your D&D game or not. And everyone knows their setting function - they are better than humans. They are older, wiser, and more in touch with magic. They commune better with nature. Yet, their great days are behind them.
If you want competition, try something just like them, but new to the setting. Cultures extremely similar, yet competing for the same title and resources and space in the established politics rarely get along. Try some strange githyanki that has arrived from some outer plane that houses many of the same skills and ideals of the elves.

 

[Tonguez]

Try some strange githyanki that has arrived from some outer plane that houses many of the same skills and ideals of the elves.

so the antithesis of Elfs is more Elfs?

I understand OPs question as about distilling the essence of Elfishness so that they can be opposed by something that isnt Elf. What is the fundamental platonic Form of Elf? Is there an opposite that can be invoked to help define Elf and act as its counter?

 

[Shades of Eternity]

I always thought the dialectic of Fantasy was:

Elf: Thesis
Dwarf: Anti-thesis

Synthesis: Human

 

[niklinna]

so the antithesis of Elfs is more Elfs?

That was indeed the gist of an earlier thread by the OP, how their anti-elfs wound up just being elfs and how could they avoid that because they didn't want elfs.

I understand OPs question as about distilling the essence of Elfishness so that they can be opposed by something that isnt Elf. What is the fundamental platonic Form of Elf? Is there an opposite that can be invoked to help define Elf and act as its counter?

I think I said as much as I care to about that a few posts up; there are multiple possible "opposites".

 

[Mind of tempest]

so the antithesis of Elfs is more Elfs?

I understand OPs question as about distilling the essence of Elfishness so that they can be opposed by something that isnt Elf. What is the fundamental platonic Form of Elf? Is there an opposite that can be invoked to help define Elf and act as its counter?

not antithesis the aardvark to its anteater similar role but not related and clearly different or the wolf to its lion/velociraptor.

 

[Yaarel]

not antithesis the aardvark to its anteater similar role but not related and clearly different or the wolf to its lion/velociraptor.

Not sure it is possible to displace the elf.

The archetypal elf is fate-magic-beauty mythic human. D&D downplays the fate aspect, but fey, and other themes imply it anyway.

Most race concepts in D&D are a mythic human, because truly an alien is less roleplayable for most players.

Suppose the D&D elf is in essence: magic-beauty.

You use an other race to displace the elf, for example, using the celestial aasimar to represent magic-beauty.

But then, the aasimar is simply an other word for "elf".

 

[Krachek]

Elves make the ultimate has-been bunch of folk.
Walk with gods, build empire and mighty artefact,
and now got the same power level as a orc. what a drop!

 

[Tonguez]

Elves make the ultimate has-been bunch of folk.
Walk with gods, build empire and mighty artefact,
and now got the same power level as a orc. what a drop!

I read this and thought well why can’t Orcs be the ancient race who once walked with gods, built and empire then fell into savagery - then remembered that is the History of the Irda ogres

So there you go Elves v Ogres

 

[lall]

I want to know exactly the area elves have consumed so I can make competition for it why is this so hard to get across?

Per the 2e book of elves, elves were meticulously created over eons, whereas the other races were hastily and shabbily thrown together. If you go by that, there is no competition.