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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tonguez" data-source="post: 8091010" data-attributes="member: 1125">the thing is DnD elves arent that much like Tolkien Elves, they do share similar background mythology but they have diverged a lot. The factors that are most Tolkien like are Orcs and their general antagonistic approach to the 'good race' set of Humans, Elves, Dwarfs and Pecks. Plus the lame Dwarfs and Elves just dont like each other trope.I think people are a bit hard on Elfs too and as much as I wont play one, it does seem that the Elf as a concept has become the global go-to for 'Other' Fey Race. Arguably Vulcans are Elfs (and Klingons Orcs) and as much as Talislanta boasted "No Elves" it has races like the Dhuna a reclusive people who live in the forest, in sacred groves, and practice magic (but Not an Elf according to Talislanta).which does beg the question: is the prominence of the Elf attributable to Tolkien or is it a pre-Tolkien thing.  Different societies across the globe have folklore about reclusive, magical 'people' who live in the forest, and sometimes enchant humans. Tolkien and DnD have certainly helped codify the ideal of Elf, but perhaps the ubiquity is ingrained as a genetic memory of a time when Others shared the planet.</blockquote>