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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mercurius" data-source="post: 8096912" data-attributes="member: 59082">Tolkien's elves were essentially more perfect human-like creatures, halfway between humans and angels. And of course it depends upon the type, and whether or not they went to Valinor to live amongst the Valar and Maiar (gods and demi-gods). Tolkien's breakdown is complex, but it is almost a hierarchy of proximity to the Valar.The elves were "born" in Cuivienen, and shortly invited by Orome--the hunter god--to join the gods in the West. Those that refused were called the Avari, or "unwilling" - and never show up in any story, as far as I know. Those that heeded the call were called the Eldar.The Eldar are sometimes sub-divided into two groups: the Calaquendi, or those who set foot on Valinor, and the Moriquendi, those who never did. All of the Calaquendi are Eldar, but some of the Eldar are Moriquendi.Of the Eldar, there are three main groups: Vanyar, Noldor, Teleri. All of the Vanyar and Noldor reached Valinor, while some of the Teleri stopped on the way west - one group becoming the Silvan Elves of Mirkwood, another settling in Beleriand and becoming the Sindar. When the War of the Jewels took place, a host of mostly Noldor but a few Vanyar headed back to Middle-earth. After the war, I believe all of the Vanyar went home - although Galadriel is part Vanyar- most of the Noldor, and some of the Sindar.At the time of end of the Third Age and the War of the Ring, the elves of Middle-earth were mostly Silvan (in Mirkwood and Lorien), some Sindar (a few in Lorien, Rivendell, and Lindon), and a handful of Noldor (Lorien, Rivendell, Lindon). The Avari mixed with the Silvan elves, I believe, although it is unknown whether some lived far to the east, where Cuivienen was.The Silvan elves of Mirkwood, particularly as depicted in the Hobbit, are probably the main source for Gygax's elves. They aren't as noble or fair as even the Sindar, certainly not the Noldor or Vanyar, both of whom were very tall and beautiful, almost radiant - especially the fair Vanyar. They also didn't have the crafting of the Noldor. Gygax's high and gray elves are probably somewhat based upon the Sindar and Noldor, but don't carry the same degree of nobility and power.</blockquote>

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