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ID: 5936
Hits: 778
Comments: 12
Ideas: 0
Rating: 0
Condition: Stub
Submitted:
November 25, 2009, 3:21 pm
Updated:
November 25, 2009, 3:21 pm


Elves and their Ways
By: MoonHunter

Have you noticed that The Elves all belong to the same culture, all speak the same langauge, and all seem to be equally good at everything?  I have a theory about that.

Elves are being from "The Time Before".  They are the first race, given Divine Knowledge from the Gods to do their will.  Well they are finished with those Gods. It is hard to tell if they rebelled, the Gods were destroyed, or the Gods no longer can interact with the world. Either way Those Gods are no longer part of the world. That leaves The Elves to be their own masters. 

Elves are superior to Humans in many ways. That is the nature of their bodies. They are immune to natural forces and the elements.  They do not suffer from Disease or Old Age.  They seem perfect in their nature. 

They are all master craftsmen, master archers, masters of the staff, master musicians, and seemingly perfect at most things.  Well that is not true. They know how to do these things well, improving with practice. 

Elves are born with knowledge - everything they need to know, they are birthed with. Their history and lineage is wired into their very souls. The Elves are smarter, faster and generally better than Humans. They easily master their arts and crafts because they know the basics.  So why haven't they taken over?

The Elves cannot learn.

They cannot speak the human togues. They cannot create new tools (though the tools they use are elegant). They can not trade for new ones (trade is a skill they never needed befor the rise of the humans). They cannot handle the way humans can change the enviroment to suit their wills, while the elves suffer the seasons in their gracefully weaved branches. They have no new artistic ideas, they merely draw to represent the world (in a beautiful style that predates time). They have no philosophy or science, as they just know. 

They are creatures of stagnation. While they are masters of the skills they have, they fear the younger race's will one day surpass them.



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Comments ( 12 )
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Cheka Man
2009-11-25 09:20 PM
0xp
Stuck in the past, poor them.
colntrax
2009-11-25 10:52 PM
0xp
Not to criticize - just happened to me...

...If they do not learn, how did they "learnt" of their new fear of being surpassed?
Anyway, excelent submission, as always. ;)
EchoMirage
2009-11-26 03:16 AM
0xp
It's ... weird. Hard to use as a player race; somewhat tragic. It's different, yes, and an interesting explanation.

Considering it, I propose an offshoot: There is a Truth, penned before time, and Elves can only learn from this truth. Individual advancement is possible within boundaries of the Truth. A wise elf simply knows more of the truth.

I have to make my mind up about how to see this. Not voted yet.
Scrasamax
2009-11-26 05:09 AM
0xp
An interesting angle, I very much like it.
Ancient Gamer
2009-11-27 08:11 AM
0xp
Certainly a new angle on the elves, and an angle I find difficult to like. Perhaps I am horribly stuck in the low birthrate explanations of old, or perhaps I just see this version as improbable.

The definition of intelligence is the ability to learn. The more intelligent you are, the quicker you learn. This theory would make elves mindless automatons, like Golems, automatons incapable of holding enlightened conversations.

Such a PC would be reduced to a fixed level character that said and did the same things over and over again, like a record set on repeat.
Mourngrymn
2009-11-28 12:36 AM
0xp
OK because this is a Moonhunter sub I always expect the best. The size of this disturbs me as the norm for Moon is exceptionally detailed. I like the idea first and foremost as an NPC race. I can not see this as a viable player based race. Their limited knowledge is an interesting angle, I like the stagnant evolution they seem to be stuck in, however, not knowing how to trade... or not learning how to trade as it is a skill seems rather limiting and seemingly a death sentence in the long run. Sure they can be self sufficient and continue to produce life and their society, but eventually the outside world will find them. And just like the seemingly primitive tribes of our history, they will perish under the technologically advanced and free thinking societies.

I like the concept... but I feel it may need a little work.
Siren no Orakio
2009-11-29 11:44 AM
0xp
Well, since it's a stub, we expect that it's just a supporting idea seed for another submission. As such, it is quite an interesting concept, and I look forward to seeing what comes of it in the future.
I also wonder of you could do this by making every elf the kwizatch haderach- they do not learn because they have forgotten that there are things that are not in their fantastic racial memory.
Cheka Man
2009-11-30 05:51 PM
0xp
What would happen if Elves got hold of tech?
EchoMirage
2009-12-01 03:31 AM
0xp
Another alternative: Elves are born of nature, thus have an intimate connection to it, and can learn to understand anything natural. Humans are not natural, neither are their works - and elves simply don't and can't "get them".
Murometz
2009-12-02 12:31 PM
0xp
Very stimulating concept, the inability to learn. I look forward to more on this topic.
valadaar
2009-12-06 07:23 PM
0xp
A neat take on elves, but I would think this would be an irreconcilable weakness compared to any race that could learn. Even orcs would outdo them given time.

I don't think I'd make my elves this way, but this concept is still really cool. Perhaps if I used elves of Tolkinesque power.
gulkien
2011-02-01 09:25 PM
0xp

i agree cheka totally

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