| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Dennis |
Posted - 16 Dec 2011 : 09:51:50
I'm writing a novella for a Weird Tales anthology. Not as weird as Lovecraft's, but still weird by RW standards. In a nutshell: men grow 5 to 6 ft. tall and become wizards; while women usually grow 7 to 7.5 ft. tall and become warriors and/or the wizards' protectors. Women who don't reach 7 ft. either become common laborers or (if proven fit) undergo the slow and painful Ilugrati (a ritual powered by a chain of Transformation spells) to augment their height.
...And I was wondering, is there a race in Toril that overtly discriminate their members based on their height? As I understand (and in some ways this might be an influence by RW misconception), the big and tall guys in the Realms are sometimes (or often?) considered slow. |
| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Dennis |
Posted - 03 Jan 2012 : 14:20:54
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
I imagine tall drow would probably gravitate toward the magical arts, since greater height aids in targeting (especially in combat).
Unfortunately for them, it works both ways. They can target anyone way better, but so can they be easily targeted. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 03 Jan 2012 : 00:13:55
Probably precisely the way humans do.
It varies from group to group, and from individual to individual.
Just as some men prefer tall women, others prefer short ones, and I guess the same holds true for women's tastes (although I couldn't know that for sure).
I once met a beautiful dancer who told me I wasn't fat enough for her - her boyfriend was over 500 lbs... and she looked like a Playboy centerfold. To each his own.
Except, perhaps, amongst dwarves, I really doubt there is a 'racial consensus' about such things. Drow, if anything, would have even more.... diversified... tastes.
As an aside, in ancient times, leaders were often chosen for height, as much as for anything else - their men had to see them to follow orders. In modern combat that might seem silly, but back then you had tens of thousands of men swarming in a mob, and the guy who could be seen above all the others would be very important.
He'd also make a juicy target, which is why when things got 'civilized', rules were imposed about not killing leaders (rules, of course, made by those same leaders who were worried about their own heads).
A tall drow would have a reach-advantage in combat, but have a great disadvantage in most of the tight quarters drow must fight in. I imagine tall drow would probably gravitate toward the magical arts, since greater height aids in targeting (especially in combat). |
| Dennis |
Posted - 01 Jan 2012 : 08:37:51
How do elves (not drow) generally treat their brothers, sisters, and cousins who are unusually tall? |
| Lady Shadowflame |
Posted - 17 Dec 2011 : 11:04:04
quote:
Originally posted by Dennis
I intend to agree.
As it is unlikely that drow females can be molested by giants, the unusual built and height might be most often attributed to mating with demons/devils of big physique. And, correct me if I'm mistaken, as I understand, drow hardly look down on demons/devils, so those who are ridiculously tall may simply appear striking, and are not necessarily despised.
Edit: On the other hand, in the face of magically powerful (and tall) humans or giants, a drow female is helpless...and therefore can be easily raped. The result of this unwanted coupling (drow-man? giant drow? tall-dark-and-handsome drow?) would either shun the Underdark, (or at the very least, the drow cities) or live there in shame.
Why the mental jump to rape and molestation? Never mind, I do not want to know, actually.
I just think it's a bit easier to attribute it to the fact that drow women, unlike a lot of male drow, are not averse to a bit of kinky forbidden human hanky-panky. Of course, any resultant half-drow would be a blow to one's status unless discreetly killed or abandoned...
Half-drow are the dregs. A drow House with suspected human ancestry, therefore, likely bred at one point way back with someone who was half-drow... or even 3/4 and able to 'pass'. No matter how it happened, that's dirty human blood in the lineage.
It's canonically stated there's at least one House where there are rumours like that about them based upon their appearances - never spoken in front of them, of course, given the deadly insult...
You don't want to be tall if you live in caves; overhanging rockfaces will concuss the hell out of you.
(Maybe tree-branches as a similar threat explain surface elves? As a genuinely short person, I have to say, it's easier when you don't have to duck. ) |
| Ayrik |
Posted - 17 Dec 2011 : 03:20:10
Not all giants are created equal. There's quite a range between hill giants and death titans. |
| Dennis |
Posted - 17 Dec 2011 : 02:55:42
I intend to agree.
As it is unlikely that drow females can be molested by giants, the unusual built and height might be most often attributed to mating with demons/devils of big physique. And, correct me if I'm mistaken, as I understand, drow hardly look down on demons/devils, so those who are ridiculously tall may simply appear striking, and are not necessarily despised.
Edit: On the other hand, in the face of magically powerful (and tall) humans or giants, a drow female is helpless...and therefore can be easily raped. The result of this unwanted coupling (drow-man? giant drow? tall-dark-and-handsome drow?) would either shun the Underdark, (or at the very least, the drow cities) or live there in shame. |
| Lady Shadowflame |
Posted - 17 Dec 2011 : 02:30:27
Drow. Taller drow seem to be considered striking... up to a point. After that point, other drow start wondering if you're really of full drow blood.
See Uthegental, he of the six-foot height, built like a brick sh*thouse. We get a look at him from Jarlaxle's (who is tall for a drow, but nowhere near Uthegental's size) POV, and he finds himself doubting that Uthegental is really all the way drow.
I would assume that the haughtier members of surface elf groups would be a bit dubious about really tall/solid elves; it's atypical in a way that might suggest human blood. |
| Dennis |
Posted - 17 Dec 2011 : 01:58:32
"Tall" dwarves can be very useful in battle. So while they maybe looked down upon, they wouldn't be discarded either. |
| Ayrik |
Posted - 17 Dec 2011 : 01:20:21
Dwarves who were too tall used to be treated by other dwarves with some derision and suspicion, although that sort of changed when (2E) FR11: Dwarves Deep introduced a new notion of half-dwarves. Then again, dwarves tend to treat everybody with some derision and suspicion, so no big deal. They view their race as being ideally and solidly proportioned and the "tall races" as somewhat clumsy, imbalanced, fragile, misshapen forms.
Likewise, humans and others who are freakishly tall (say, at least 183cm/72") are usually assumed to have giant, ogre, goblin, or other "monster" heritage. Or cursed/enchanted/etc. Supertall humans in the Realms don't have as many options in becoming megagold-earning sports celebrities.
Gnomes are often sensitive about their height, many gnomish illusionists use magics to add an inch or three to their height to help cultivate a more commanding presence. I suppose that gnomish illusionists - like human ones - tend to be disinclined towards athletic activities and so bear the gnome equivalent of wimpy pencil-necked booknerd stature. |
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