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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Oofta" data-source="post: 8372088" data-attributes="member: 6801845">This can be difficult because we humans have limited capability of envisioning how someone different than us really thinks.  It's difficult to do with other people, much less an entirely different species.  Throw in that most races really just take some aspect of humanity and crank it up to 11.So what I try to do is two-fold.  First, I limit the major races to human, elf (high or wood), dwarf, gnome, halfling along with half-elves and orcs.  The latter two don't really have their own society.  By limiting the major population groups I can try to do something distinctive with each one.Elves try to live with nature, taking the long term view of the habitat around them.  While some are farmers, their farms are not something most humans would recognize.  Instead they use magic to encourage plant growth either for food or to support the wildlife that they rely upon. Being so long lived gives them a different perspective on the impact they have on the land around them, but also their interactions with the other races.  This long view can lead to conflict as they are viewed as standing in the way of progress while also being hesitant to form close bonds with the shorter lived races.While it may seem to humans that elves are quite orderly with set kings, queens and royal courts, positions of power are rarely permanent or even binding.  They are simply the words in the common tongue for roles that elves consider temporary, something to have fun with for a century or so before moving on.  A king will often decide one day that they tire of the responsibility and shift to being a cobbler or open a bakery.  Such is the way of elves, no role in society is more important than another.  What matters is that the individual embrace whatever role they have chosen and experience it to it's fullest.  Only by embracing the joys of daily life can they live a fulfilling life.High elves are more likely to become adventurers in their early lives or to live in cities (human dominated or otherwise) for a period of time.  While they may appear to be stand-offish because of their reluctance to befriend those who live such short lives, young elves tend to more rapidly form associations and join adventuring groups.  Most elves that people encounter outside of elven dominated lands are high elves.There are some high elf cities where some of the finest architecture can be seen and weapons of legend are occasionally forged.  When they live in cities of mixed races, they still tend to create their own sections of town dominated by gardens and soaring architecture.Wood Elves generally reject large cities and trappings of civilization.  They are scattered around various parts of the world living as either hunter gatherers or nomadic tribes.  When they do have permanent settlements they are typically limited to a few hundred individuals at most, frequently embedded in their natural surroundings to such a degree that people passing through may not even realize there are people living in the trees above them.Phew ... maybe I'll write up some of my other races later.</blockquote>

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