(grabbing a double mocha and warming to the debate)
I still think your counting the elves out to quickly. There are plenty of models in fantasy where you have a culture that is advance yet still in tune with nature.
The Hawk brothers from Mercedes Lackey’s Vladimar series comes to mind. All they were missing from being your classic elf was the pointed ears.
What might be interesting is if instead of having elves who are your barbarians, give them the outlook of living with nature means adapting it so everyone survives.
So to a outsider it looks like a forest. But that’s because the elven city is hidden above you in the huge trees grown by the elf tree mages. Heck just using shape and warp wood you could sculpt a nice house without ever harming the tree. Also you could add a new non-pc class of character, sort of like a alcamist only they work by breeding plants to get new strains. The possibilities are endless, Huge trees that extract metal from the ground without needing to dig for it. Need a well? Pant this seed here and cast “plat growth” and it will bring water up to the surface. Paper is child’s play here. Need ink? Mash that root up with those berries. The reason no one has figured out mitheral is because its not metal but a reed that when it drys and is treated becomes as hard as steal. Herbal medicines will be left as an exercise for the student
I could keep going (and will if you don’t stop me)
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momijizukamori and
no subject
Date: 11 Jun 2006 00:46 (UTC)I still think your counting the elves out to quickly. There are plenty of models in fantasy where you have a culture that is advance yet still in tune with nature.
The Hawk brothers from Mercedes Lackey’s Vladimar series comes to mind. All they were missing from being your classic elf was the pointed ears.
What might be interesting is if instead of having elves who are your barbarians, give them the outlook of living with nature means adapting it so everyone survives.
So to a outsider it looks like a forest. But that’s because the elven city is hidden above you in the huge trees grown by the elf tree mages. Heck just using shape and warp wood you could sculpt a nice house without ever harming the tree. Also you could add a new non-pc class of character, sort of like a alcamist only they work by breeding plants to get new strains. The possibilities are endless, Huge trees that extract metal from the ground without needing to dig for it. Need a well? Pant this seed here and cast “plat growth” and it will bring water up to the surface. Paper is child’s play here. Need ink? Mash that root up with those berries. The reason no one has figured out mitheral is because its not metal but a reed that when it drys and is treated becomes as hard as steal. Herbal medicines will be left as an exercise for the student
I could keep going (and will if you don’t stop me)
Storm