| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| The Cardinal |
Posted - 10 Nov 2003 : 03:04:02
Yet another bizzare yet intresting question for the realms. The Blood Elves I speak of are from... NO! I'm not talking Warcraft, but a rave from an Earthdawn campaign set or something.. (My knowledge of them is somewhat limited, I have the campaign set but not the actual rules for the game... go figure ). I wonder though, if such a race could fit in with the various cultures on Faerun, or Toril for that matter... Personally I figure they'd be an even match for even the Drow since they don't feel... Plus having a race of Elves that have thorns burst forth from their skin would be pretty neat  ! |
| 11 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| The Sage |
Posted - 13 Nov 2003 : 06:45:54
I keep notes on just about everything I read. Never a day passes that I don't read, watch or think of something that generates some form of inspiration or idea that I can incorporate into my games, whether they be the official published settings or my homebrew worlds. In fact given the frequency of ideas, I normally carry a black and red notebook around with me where ever I go.
Anyway, as for the elves, I may try my hand at some stats for the them (I'll need to think of a different name if I intend to use them for my campaign), provided I have some free time this weekend.
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| The Cardinal |
Posted - 13 Nov 2003 : 06:40:39
I envy your ability to keep notes. I myself do not care for writting things down (as much good it would do me )
I perfer my insane inspiration and dumb luck to carry me on. Usually I'm pretty good at remembering things and theories as long as their in the FAAAAAARRRRRR out there realm.... the further out, more mad cap, and more unlikely the better I am at remembering them... Getting a loaf of bread from the corner store... well we can't be perfect.
Anyways, these creatures seem to be of the far out there realm. I was going to try to describe it but as I look at them... well i can't  . One would remind you of the 3e version of an ogre in shape formation but the head looks more like a bulette except more fangs, no eyes, and a large mouth. the body is steeped in muscle and the finger are short stubby... little more than slightly clenching claws. At least 2.5 humans in height and with squat stubby legs. Of course this makes the arms appear longer in length. I tell you this thing gives off a feeling of raw power and hunger... mostly hunger...
The question though is how to justify elves like the blood elves but by bypassing the scourge.. (I'm not about to lay waste to all of faerun... yet )? |
| The Sage |
Posted - 13 Nov 2003 : 06:22:35
Cardinal Deimos said -
quote:
Oh, and Sage, I believe these horrors may be from the Far Realms you are studying. For while the wrtiter of this tome says they are from the astral plane, I seem to think from the sketchings in this tome I would wager the Far Realms...
Actually it really all depends on what 'theory' of the Far Realm you subscribe to. In my long time of study with regards to the Far Realm, I have come across many different and wild ideas concerning what the nature of the Far Realm is, what is it's origin, and more importantly where it is exactly. In fact sitting right next to my left arm (as I am typing this, is the notebook I use to summarise most of the ideas I read about the Far Realm. Contained within are many pages worth of summarised discussion both online with the PS community, or conversations and 'brainstorms' both me and my players have had.
The reason for my 'current' interest in the Far Realm is because I am slowly building up to something (I can't say too much because some of my players may be reading) with regards to the Far Realm and FR in my latest series of adventures.
Anyway, the Far Realm/Astral theory is just one of the more 'basic' ideas. I really prefer the Far Realm as illustrated in the Sargonne Prophecies...wild stuff .
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| The Cardinal |
Posted - 13 Nov 2003 : 06:12:11
Always glad to be of service to a Master of Realms lore... At least while Alaundo doesn't have me mopping the lower levels of the keep.
I'm sorry to bore you and the other scribes with a history lesson but well, If we are not of are past then what are we? |
| The Sage |
Posted - 13 Nov 2003 : 06:07:25
Interesting, thanks Cardinal I appreciate the effort  .
On this information alone, I now have a few ideas that I would like to incorporate into my own elven race creation (that has been progressing slowly of late) for my mini-game planar campaign. I have been tinkering with an idea for months about running a campaign in the earlier days of the multiverse, several hundred years after Asmodeus's 'Fall'. In this early period of the multiverse there is only the Good realm of Mt Celestia, and the Evil realm of Baator - all the colours and variations of alignments are not yet apparent as there are very few races in existence that can give the other alignments meaning.
At this point, the percursor race of the current Baatezu (the ancient Baatorians) currently hold dominion of Baator, and the Eladrins are the ultimate force for good in Mt Celestia. So far my ideas for a 'fallen' ancient fey race of Elves (called Eldar) has met with little success (mostly because I have had little time to develop the idea fully). However your brief input on the Blood Elves has provided afew hooks, and ideas that will hopefully generate something more interesting.
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| The Cardinal |
Posted - 12 Nov 2003 : 20:40:21
Ok I will attempt to summerize the Nature of the Blood Elves and how they came to be. The nature of a race is not bourn out of their present thoughts, deeds or even appearence, these and who they are, are infact born from their past and choices the made. I shall elaborate by providin a history of the events that led to the creation of the blood elves as best as my knowledge will allow:
*Clears throat*
In the beginning the earth was without form and void .... oops wrong tale
I myself have only found hints and clues to the exisence of a land far removed from our beloved Faerun. Another plane of the material... yet it is not a plane I would dare to venture to.. I will provide what knowledge I can on the only realm have heard of from this plane, the realm of Barsaive...
The realm of barsaive is a shattered land. A land that is under the rulership of Dwarves how occasionally hire orcs to be guards on caravan trails, flying ships are common, while flying castles are still somewhat of a rarity but the castles usually belong to slavers. Trolls raid anything they can to gain both magic and goods.
The T'Skrang, a odd refelction of the lizard folk of faerun but more like the flying beast lizard of Chult; Pterodactyl I believe it's called, that live on large barges and value brovado over anything eles, ply their trade, which is trade and piracy on the waterways.
Odd little creatures called Windlings, faery type folk with wings that only slightly reseble a butterfly-like wings and shorter than a halfling... perhaps only a foot or two, serve as thieves and rouges more often than not. Living for the moment and changing the way they live from second to second.
Obsidian men, a race of people that would remind one of a stone golem, but not a smooth like a form that has been chiped from the earth itself, are rare but moreso because they live far from other races in high mountain peaks.
Elves are split between the common folk who took shelter with others underground, and the Blood elves of the Queen's court who attempted to form a shelter out of their home Wyrmwood... and both failed and succeeded... I will now tell you of how...
In ages past, from what I can gather, the realm of Barsaive was rich in magic, just as mighty Netheril of age past. Magic unheard of, was used as the wielder saw fit... All watched over by the protective gaze of the passions, the Gods of that land. Life was good and the people more or less happy. True there were various other evils, an oppressive and biased Empire of humans seemed to threaten most non-human folk, while humans seemed to have an easy (more or less) life, troll raids, Orc battalions. All this fro what my research has told me was nothing but a smalltime skirmish compared to the evil to come.
The use of magic appearently does not go unnoticed throughout the multiverse. Somewhere, beyond the bounds of time, reason and sanity, creatures of such inexplicable evil hunger. Magic the drawing strand while suffering, pain, misery, maddness, hate, anger and anguish their food. These creatures named simply horrors by my research, can only enter a realm when the power of magic is great. The power of a lands magic, when high enough, acts like a beacon and lightening rod for these things allowing them entry into a realm. No two horrors are alike, some great and some small, but all are drawn to the world by magic's power.
Once there they lay waste the entire world leaving nothing behind alive, animals, men, plants, everything is consumed by these dreadful beasts. They infest a mind like a parasite and while tormenting the soul, commit great evils in their host's name. Killing the host does not however kill the beast, for they would have eventually kill the body anyways, it frees the beast to wreak more havok now that it needs not keep the secret.
One man saw their coming and implented a fail safe. Shelters known as Citadels, woven with protection from one of the elements: earth, air, fire and water and wood, provided some measure of protection of what was termed the Scourge. Few appearently survived.... Kaers, shelters dug undgeround large enough to make homes for people seeking shelter live somewhat comfortably for several years... roughly how long it would take for the horrors to ravage the surface. Most Kaers included traps and wards to prevent Horrors from entering.. Kaers had a higher success rate but woe to those that a horror breached for these shelters became mass tombs... with none of the burial rights except horror, atrocity and may have become home to the beast that had entered...
But I promised to speak of Blood elves and so I shall, for while many elves sought refuge in dwarven Kaers, the Elven court in it arrogance, wove itself a Citadel of elemental wood, but they had not even regarded the teachings of the man who had forseen the scourge, and dictated the ways to survive. In honor of the elven powers as the scourge arrived Horror after horror did not, could not breach the elven court's citadel... but alas the elves did not plan for years and that lead to the final weakening and obliteration of their barrier... As their barrier weakened, the elves begun to make their own Kaer... although it was shoddy abest. As the barrier weakened and as they attempted to well up the power of it they began to go deeper and deeper. The barrier now shrank and the elves decended deeper a slow and painful retreat in the only direction that was possible. Eventually the barrier was destroyed.
Bitter and angery at the other races for thinking that they had turned their backs on the Elvish Court, the Elven archmages were forced to pour over every magical tome they had in an effort to save the few that they could as the horrors drew ever near.
Fate was both kind and cruel, as it showed the Elves a way to save themselves. As the horrors fed on the pain they inflicted upon their victems, the Elvish court decided it would make itself unappealing to the beasts. Thus the Ritual of Thorns was created. The ritual twists elemental magic and causes exteremly sharp thorns to grow out of the body and cut through their flesh. With body and Mind awashed in constant agonizing pain they forced the Horrors to leave them and the wood alone. Like I had said the Horrors feed on other things than just suffering, fear, dispair, and other Anguish of the heart the elves forced themselves to feel little. As a result they can only feel so much emotion. This is not to say that they do not love or show compassion of according to my reseach they can... only to a very limited degree, the limit are also imposed on their dreams and goals.
Thus the blood elves as they were named after the scourge, survived in their hastily dug Kaers, and awash in their self-inflicted pain and torment, wyrm wood was ignored by the horrors... An intresting side note the ground of Wyrm Wood (now called the Blood Wood) is an odd red color. And the elves while still striking (as elves always are) have an even more haughting beauty to them.. of course if it is their choice they could look perhaps even more frightening and deranged than the greatest orc or troll... Survival at a great cost.. perhaps there is a lesson to learned here?
Well that is all my reseach can tell me at this time. Please if you know of this realm then share some knowledge. Perhaps we might bring the Blood Elf race to Faerun... or perhaps attract the attention of these horrors if unlucky.
Oh, and Sage, I believe these horrors may be from the Far Realms you are studying. For while the wrtiter of this tome says they are from the astral plane, I seem to think from the sketchings in this tome I would wager the Far Realms... These things are only the greatest creatures of nightmare.. and for the information the Scholar who 'saved' the Barsaive, he died under mysterious causes... after he was driven insane.... |
| The Sage |
Posted - 12 Nov 2003 : 09:24:41
Forget the stats, how about a nice little description of this race for those of us without access to the Earthdawn game?.
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| The Cardinal |
Posted - 10 Nov 2003 : 16:41:08
For those that are wondering, Teh Blood Elves could be found In the OLD( ) Earthdawn: Barsaive campaign setting (as close as I can figure it). I'll have to come up with some stats for creating the race next time I DM....which is rare since I have no Idea how to DM well.. |
| SiriusBlack |
Posted - 10 Nov 2003 : 16:36:59
The last time I checked, there were new races being rediscovered throughout Faerun. I mean we've had the Shade, Star Elves, and now Deep Immeraski (I know I butchered the spelling on that one). Thus, why not your blood elves? |
| kahonen |
Posted - 10 Nov 2003 : 14:53:50
quote:
Originally posted by Cardinal Deimos
Yet another bizzare yet intresting question for the realms. The Blood Elves I speak of are from... NO! I'm not talking Warcraft, but a rave from an Earthdawn campaign set or something.. (My knowledge of them is somewhat limited, I have the campaign set but not the actual rules for the game... go figure). I wonder though, if such a race could fit in with the various cultures on Faerun, or Toril for that matter... Personally I figure they'd be an even match for even the Drow since they don't feel... Plus having a race of Elves that have thorns burst forth from their skin would be pretty neat !
Why not?
It's like asking if a duck-billed platypus could survive on Earth (think about it, a mammal that lays eggs!).
Remember that there's still a huge area of Toril which is unexplored (Terra Incognito on the maps) - who knows what you would find there.
As for how they would fit in with the rest of the races, perhaps they are unaware of the the existence of these other races. |
| Dracandos the Spellsage |
Posted - 10 Nov 2003 : 11:55:26
Hmm, Blood Elves...sounds interesting, so this race isnt exactly from FR??? Or is it from a similar campain like Greywolf or something??? |
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