| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Sylmaer |
Posted - 15 Nov 2018 : 03:53:19
For the past few days, I've been wondering what the Realms would look like if the Elves had stayed in Faerie/Feywild. The most obvious is that the lands would still be Merrouroboros (assuming continent drift doesn't occur), but there are some areas that aren't so obvious. So, I was curious what the 'Keep might think about and if they have any ideas. |
| 11 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Bladewind |
Posted - 25 Nov 2018 : 18:54:26
_Dwarves were quite able to topple the draconic or giant civilizations without help from elves. So from the dwarven arrival in the Yehimals and on (-17 000 DR), dwarven holds could have steadily pushed the terrestrial dragons to the coasts of Faerun. Dwarves would probably be at an eternal war with the Duergar and Mindflayers over the strategic parts of the Underdark.
_Humans would probably topple a dracocracy with enough organized spell power eventually. Perhaps after the rise of a planar traveling interloping civilization, like Mulhorand or the Shou Empire, who can spread the faith or arcane arts. This would lead to devastating wars between bickering magocracies fighting crusading tyrannies, with a war torn landscape and more anauroch deserts to count for.
_Alternatively human magocracies could have obtained illusory or artifice magic from gnomes, creating gloomy port-cities trying to wrest the seas from dragons in steampowered ironclad boats. Gnomes would be organized in global guilds, accelerating magical inventions at breakneck speeds.
_A human and halfling alliance might topple monstrous tyrannies through luck and defiance, they might need metallic dragon allies to succeed though. Here governments led by knightly orders following the Ptarian Code might have formed, eventually creating color coded draconic paladin crusades sweeping over Faerun.
_Orcs could just have outgrown all other races, swarming from the Mountains each year to wear down the defenses of dragon kingdoms or the Giant Empire. Faerun would be turned into a land of seasonal orcish stampedes, with wide muddy roads able to carry large armies easily to and fro, interspaced with former battlefields littered with carrion.
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| CorellonsDevout |
Posted - 24 Nov 2018 : 21:45:02
I think even the elves we know would have remained in Faerie, there likely would still be elves on Toril (or some kind of fey, elf-like being). |
| TBeholder |
Posted - 20 Nov 2018 : 16:41:31
quote:
Originally posted by Lord Karsus
-This is, I think, the most accurate guess. Dragons are powerful mofos and assuming no one stepped in to topple them, they'd still be in charge.
-But, I'm sure at some point, someone would have stepped in from elsewhere to topple them. Time seems to always have a way of correcting itself.
More likely, not as much soundly beaten by anyone in particular, as slowly dwindling and retreating under endless waves of threats and rivals.
After the dragons, elves came to think of themselves as running the place, but they, too, lost the throne. One reason why it was inevitable, as Iliphar Nelnueve noted, they share with dragons. Sooner or later, one way or another...
The dragons definitely are big kids, but they are not the only big kids in that town, much less in the entire country.
For example, remember that one subcontinent (on Toril) which flying dragons avoid, and why?
They'd have to deal with still-holding giants, raising dwarves (with humans waiting in line), possibly kreen (expanding without elves keeping them in check, developing, and perhaps eventually reaching allies who would complement their abilities well), various feisty and arcanely competent extraplanars, certain tough critters from space and/or underdark like beholders and illithids, opportunistic remnants of the Creator Races, occasionally avariel (whether made by the Aearee from the local elves or "imported" separately from the rest)... oh, and each other. |
| Lord Karsus |
Posted - 19 Nov 2018 : 17:29:04
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
One thing also to remember is that not all elves came to Toril via the Feywild. Some were even supposedly naturally occurring. Another thing to consider is that it was the elves that created the dracorage, effectively ending draconic rule. If they hadn't done that, the dragons and giants may have continued to have fallout with one another. Essentially, without the elven influence... things might have looked like Abeir.
-This is, I think, the most accurate guess. Dragons are powerful mofos and assuming no one stepped in to topple them, they'd still be in charge.
-But, I'm sure at some point, someone would have stepped in from elsewhere to topple them. Time seems to always have a way of correcting itself. |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 15 Nov 2018 : 21:14:34
Also, without the elves (or other powerful elf-like fey like the LeShay), a lot of the great magical human empires (Netheril / Imaskar) might never have grown. |
| Gary Dallison |
Posted - 15 Nov 2018 : 20:05:18
A simplistic view I will admit but I think a valid list of their crimes and achievements |
| Demzer |
Posted - 15 Nov 2018 : 14:53:17
quote:
Originally posted by dazzlerdal
make elves great again
This is so elven-centric it's not even funny |
| Gary Dallison |
Posted - 15 Nov 2018 : 13:53:23
I'm not sure I can think of any native elves on Toril.
Wild elves were there way before dark, sun, and moon elves but I just assumed they travelled to toril way before the other subraces.
You really can't separate the elves from toril without it completely altering how toril would be.
Elves ended the rule of dragons and giants thus allowing the lesser races to flourish. The elven empires kept the orcs at bay and contained in the northern mountains, again allowing the lesser races to flourish. The elves decorated much of toril with their own wars again allowing the lesser races to flourish. The elves also potentially ended the fey creator race before they existed by creating evermeet.
Without elves then giants and dragons still potentially dominate faerun. Without elves the land is still covered with forest and those forests are swarming with orcs and humans that endlessly war with one another in bands of uncivilized tribes. |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 15 Nov 2018 : 13:41:34
One thing also to remember is that not all elves came to Toril via the Feywild. Some were even supposedly naturally occurring. Another thing to consider is that it was the elves that created the dracorage, effectively ending draconic rule. If they hadn't done that, the dragons and giants may have continued to have fallout with one another. Essentially, without the elven influence... things might have looked like Abeir. |
| George Krashos |
Posted - 15 Nov 2018 : 06:39:38
I suppose it depends what the impact that created the Inner Sea would have wrought.
-- George Krashos |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 15 Nov 2018 : 04:35:14
The Standing Stone would be considerably less well-known.  |
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