| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| moonbeast |
Posted - 13 Apr 2018 : 04:55:51
So I take it that Male Elves (pure-blood Elves, not the Halfs) rarely grow facial hair. Is that due to cultural grooming, or do the Elves simply lack follicles in their facial areas?
None of the D&D books that I have (which is almost all of published 5E, and a few ancient books from AD&D) actually don't discuss the subject of Elven facial hair. But I've always taken my cue from the Tolkien images of Elves.
Now Half-Elves… I'd assume that the men have no problem growing a beard or mustache if they so desire, since this is from their Human heritage.
And then you have Dwarves. I'll skip the Male Dwarves, because the assumption of beards is a given. But what about the Dwarven Females?? If I recall, in certain settings (or maybe it was different fantasy games) there are portrayals of bearded females. Has this ever been supported or canon in D&D? For example, did Bruenor Battlehammer ever have a wife or did he ever court a bearded female dwarf? Maybe his mother had a beard? I don't know, since I've hardly read any of the FR paperback novels.
Clarification appreciated!
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| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Ayrik |
Posted - 17 Apr 2018 : 06:24:15
Elven facial hair. Hirsute female dwarves. It's all been talked (and argued) many times before. Elves and dwarves. I usually just kept it simple, went with whatever was described in the artwork of whichever edition I was playing.
But nobody ever asks about halfling facial hair. Are they all as clean shaven as Frodo and his gang? Do unshaven halflings normally look like fluffy ewoks?
And what of orc (or half-orc) facial hair? Are they all villainously bald or does an ungroomed orc look like a scruffy rampaging viking?
Or gith facial hair? Judging by the few giths seen in artwork, they seem (as a race) to be somewhat hairless except for sporting sinister Fu Manchu variations. |
| CorellonsDevout |
Posted - 17 Apr 2018 : 02:39:31
quote:
Originally posted by BenN
quote:
Originally posted by CorellonsDevout
Elves do not have body hair (other than what is one their head). It is a racial trait.
Au contraire! This topic sprouts up from time to time (so to speak....) I found some previous discussions:
Elves and body hair
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=20322
Ed & The Hooded One on elven women's 'topiary' habits:
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1901&whichpage=80
 
Thus why I said it is a rare occurrence lol. Elves can grow beards, but it not as common as human males, and their body hair, if present, is usually light (if not in color, then amount). what I took from THO's comment is that there are exceptions, but the "general rule" is that elves have little to no body hair. And elves often note how hairy humans are . So, even the one who do "sprout" facial or body hair, it is lighter (in quantity) than humans and dwarves. |
| BenN |
Posted - 17 Apr 2018 : 01:21:16
quote:
Originally posted by CorellonsDevout
Elves do not have body hair (other than what is one their head). It is a racial trait.
Au contraire! This topic sprouts up from time to time (so to speak....) I found some previous discussions:
Elves and body hair
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=20322
Ed & The Hooded One on elven women's 'topiary' habits:
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1901&whichpage=80
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| CorellonsDevout |
Posted - 16 Apr 2018 : 21:28:47
Elves do not have body hair (other than what is one their head). It is a racial trait. A few elves here and there may sprout beards, but it is a rare occurrence. Dwarves, however...from what I have read, both genders have facial hair. |
| LordofBones |
Posted - 13 Apr 2018 : 09:56:41
Since FR blatantly steals Dwarven facial hair from Tolkien, I goes it's the same with Elves. Cirdan has a beard, but he's very, very old even for an elf.
"As they came to the gates Círdan the Shipwright came forth to greet them. Very tall he was, and his beard was long, and he was grey and old, save that his eyes were keen as stars; and he looked at them and bowed, and said 'All is now ready.'" |
| Storyteller Hero |
Posted - 13 Apr 2018 : 08:23:34
I imagine that regional and sub-racial differences could also affect follicle growth, much as it does for humans.
There is also the possibility of a human or half-elf ancestor passing down what could be facial hair genes to future generations of elf.
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| Gelcur |
Posted - 13 Apr 2018 : 06:27:41
Dwarves Deep by Ed:
"Most dwarven females dress, walk and fight as males do, and have similar low-pitched, gruff, husky voices. Like males they naturally grow beards, and only some shave."
If I remember correctly some D&D source had female dwarves unrecognizable from male dwarves to non-dwarves. This most likely came from Tolkien's work, a note in an appendix saying something along the lines that most assumed all dwarves were male and they were born from stones because no one had ever seen a female dwarf. |
| sfdragon |
Posted - 13 Apr 2018 : 06:03:47
well....
as for elven beards, what I hear is that whatever Ed Greenwood states is cannon unless published stuff says otherwise.
he has said that male FR elves do grow facial hair but they are so light you don't oft see them or some such line( been a while since I read it).
published stuff says no facial hair.... so... |
| Murray Leeder |
Posted - 13 Apr 2018 : 05:18:21
There is a bearded female dwarf, FInellen, in the Moonshae Trilogy. |
