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 Realms of the Elves: "Necessary Sacrifices"
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TobyKikami
Learned Scribe

USA
113 Posts

Posted - 06 May 2006 :  17:43:47  Show Profile  Visit TobyKikami's Homepage Send TobyKikami a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
It wasn't because his son died, it was because the death of his son caused him to lose his faith. Lots of elves have had children that died. You think Corellon would punish them for that?

No, before all that his son went to the Fugue Plane, or at least his wife thought he did - that was part of the reason she freaked (besides the obvious). And yes, at first glance it does seem quite nonsensical.

Then again, it also works the other way - under that logic, if his son went to the Seldarine by default the drow child probably would've gone to Lolth, though whether that would've been better or worse than rotting in a wall is debatable. I suppose it would be part of the "fairness" setup.

Incidentally, Prince of Lies made specific mention of children in the Wall of Faithless - but that was when Cyric was in charge.

quote:
One question I had is: where is Shevarash's Oak? Has it been detailed anywhere?

As noted by the story, it's in Cormanthor. It's mentioned in Demihuman Deities, under "Major Centers of Worship."

Anyway, I did like this story. It was the kind of sad I don't mind. And it looks like the author did her homework, at least regarding Shevarash.

Edited by - TobyKikami on 06 May 2006 18:16:55
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader

USA
7106 Posts

Posted - 12 Aug 2006 :  05:18:02  Show Profile  Visit Rinonalyrna Fathomlin's Homepage Send Rinonalyrna Fathomlin a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Ethriel

A heartbreaking story, but one thing honestly irriated me: At the end, are we to assume the gods have abandoned our hero and the drow on the Fugue Plain? He was more faithful to Elven Gods then than anyone else in his party...



I was wondering about that, myself.

Anyway, even though some of the writing near the end of the story was a little unsubtle (it should be obvious that the vengeful elves were acting just like drow without black skin, for example), I thought the story as a whole was wonderful. I think Lisa Smedman did a fine job of showing what it feels like to be an outsider trying to ingratiate oneself into a group (who hasn't felt that pain before?), and some of the writing made me quite misty-eyed. And if I recall correctly, Sorell does in fact smile at the end when he is will the drow child--nice touch there.

"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time)
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader

USA
7106 Posts

Posted - 12 Aug 2006 :  05:20:14  Show Profile  Visit Rinonalyrna Fathomlin's Homepage Send Rinonalyrna Fathomlin a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Tamsar

One premise of the story is utterly horrific. Because his son died young, he goes to the fugue plane as one of teh faithless!!! How come no one else questions this, can you really imagine Corellon or any of the Seldarine (or any other "good" pantheon or deity for that matter) allowing this.




Actually, I was bothered by that myself, because it touches on a real life religious concept that bothers me (I don't want to discuss it here, as it is not the place). I didn't think the gods of Faerun (at least the goodly ones) would abandon the soul of a child who is too young and innocent to be pledged to any god.

"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time)
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Aes Tryl
Learned Scribe

181 Posts

Posted - 12 Aug 2006 :  05:38:08  Show Profile  Visit Aes Tryl's Homepage Send Aes Tryl a Private Message  Reply with Quote
its a really melancholic story about how one's soul eventually becomes darkened by that relentless quest for vengeance, but yes the ending was really weird, I dont believe Sorrel deserves the wall at all, i suspect in the Great Wheel cosmology he'd have become a petitioner in a goodly plain but the Great Tree cosmology and realmsian rules kinda screw it up a bit
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GothicDan
Master of Realmslore

USA
1103 Posts

Posted - 12 Aug 2006 :  06:03:39  Show Profile  Visit GothicDan's Homepage Send GothicDan a Private Message  Reply with Quote
A lot of bit. :)

Planescape Fanatic

"Fiends and Undead are the peanut butter and jelly of evil." - Me
"That attitude should be stomped on, whenever and wherever it's encountered, because it makes people holding such views bad citizens, not just bad roleplayers (considering D&D was structured as a 'forced cooperation' game, and although successive editions are pointing it more and more towards a me-first, min-max game, the drift away from 'we all need each other to succeed' will at some point make it 'no longer' D&D)." - ED GREENWOOD
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Aes Tryl
Learned Scribe

181 Posts

Posted - 12 Aug 2006 :  06:10:41  Show Profile  Visit Aes Tryl's Homepage Send Aes Tryl a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Haha its also really twisted cos u know the people who killed him are gonna have fun with Shevarash in the afterlife and we're faced with the unsettling prospect of the true hero facing damnation for his ultimate sacrifice, truly gothic :D
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader

USA
7106 Posts

Posted - 12 Aug 2006 :  06:19:27  Show Profile  Visit Rinonalyrna Fathomlin's Homepage Send Rinonalyrna Fathomlin a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Aes Tryl

Haha its also really twisted cos u know the people who killed him are gonna have fun with Shevarash in the afterlife and we're faced with the unsettling prospect of the true hero facing damnation for his ultimate sacrifice, truly gothic :D



Well, it's possible, but I don't think it's that clear that Corellon would reject him (after all, don't most elves revere the Selderine in general?).

"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time)
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Aes Tryl
Learned Scribe

181 Posts

Posted - 12 Aug 2006 :  06:50:22  Show Profile  Visit Aes Tryl's Homepage Send Aes Tryl a Private Message  Reply with Quote
The problem is we don't know and what we do know doesnt comfort us :D
Thats why its kinda Gothic
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GothicDan
Master of Realmslore

USA
1103 Posts

Posted - 12 Aug 2006 :  07:14:37  Show Profile  Visit GothicDan's Homepage Send GothicDan a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Rino is correct-amundo.

Some Elves tend to have specific patrons, but in general they worship the entire Seldarine as divine and worthy of praise. Specifically, Sun Elves tend to focus on Corellon, Lebelas, and Hanali (something that many people miss when they talk about how stoic and boring and such Sun Elves are); Wood Elves go for Rillifane and Solonor; Avariels with Aerdrie Faenya; Moon Elves with Sehanine and Angarradh; and Aquatic Elves with Deep Sashelas.

But.. Yup. They're very polytheistic.

Planescape Fanatic

"Fiends and Undead are the peanut butter and jelly of evil." - Me
"That attitude should be stomped on, whenever and wherever it's encountered, because it makes people holding such views bad citizens, not just bad roleplayers (considering D&D was structured as a 'forced cooperation' game, and although successive editions are pointing it more and more towards a me-first, min-max game, the drift away from 'we all need each other to succeed' will at some point make it 'no longer' D&D)." - ED GREENWOOD
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khorne
Master of Realmslore

Finland
1073 Posts

Posted - 10 Nov 2006 :  20:16:03  Show Profile  Visit khorne's Homepage Send khorne a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Before I read this, I had some sympathies with the worshippers of Shevarash, but now.....
TheyŽre demented lunatics, the whole lot of them. If Corellon lets them into Arvandor when they die, IŽll be very surprised.

If I were a ranger, I would pick NDA for my favorite enemy
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TobyKikami
Learned Scribe

USA
113 Posts

Posted - 11 Nov 2006 :  18:58:12  Show Profile  Visit TobyKikami's Homepage Send TobyKikami a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Aes Tryl

Haha its also really twisted cos u know the people who killed him are gonna have fun with Shevarash in the afterlife and we're faced with the unsettling prospect of the true hero facing damnation for his ultimate sacrifice, truly gothic :D
Well, it's debatable how much "fun" they'd have considering the prohibition on smiling's likely still in effect, but yeah, they'd get to feel righteous about it.

quote:
Originally posted by khorne

If Corellon lets them into Arvandor when they die, IŽll be very surprised.
Indeed, in Demihuman Deities it made mention of some elves worrying about the afterlife issue. (technically, it said Arvanaith, but you get the picture). And in that cosmology Shevarash spent a good bit of his time bumming around Limbo with Fenmarel Mestarine, so it wasn't implausible.
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RevJest
Learned Scribe

USA
115 Posts

Posted - 21 Jan 2007 :  09:04:25  Show Profile  Visit RevJest's Homepage Send RevJest a Private Message  Reply with Quote
An enjoyable story that has an important moral message. However, I think Lisa might have taken some information about the Fugue Plain a bit too literally. There is no way that I would ever believe that the Seldarine would allow an elven child to end up in some sort of hell. Nor any good human, dwarven, halfling, or gnome deity. And Ed has, in fact, discussed this issue in his questions thread. So while the basic story is great, the foundation of the story is in my opinion very, very flawed. There are no babies wandering Kelemvor's realm as faithless.

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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