This will be another of my boring posts. It was better written originally, but then I got logged out while writing. Ye gods.
To quote Christopher Lee pretending to be Saruman on film:
"Let us examine what we know."
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Darkelf NPCs are often the uninteresting slaughter-all kind. However, I do not think this dumb representation is representative of the darkelves. Indeed; darkelf PCs are usually much more nuanced, and there are other more nuanced darkelf NPCs as well. Smugglers, shopkeeps, assassins (assassination requiring quite a bit more elaborateness, being a change from "kill all, now" to "kill a select few, as efficiently as possible". As such, I believe the darkelf "race" can be portrayed as nuanced as any other. Surely, darkelf shoemakers have the same degree of skill as any other, despite working with dwarf intestines as material?
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Darkelves worship Lilith or Sathonys. There is as large a difference in philosophy between these two deities as between, say, Taniel and Evren, or Asral and Zhakrin. However, due to many monsters being of these faiths, there is a mental tendency to lop them together as 'those evil things'. At least I have noted this tendency in my own mind.
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As for physical changes: http://www.geas.de/?page_id=319&help=darkelf
[quote]Not really distinguishable otherwise from an elf, darkelves tend to have paler skin due to their increased nightly activity.[/quote]
This is in contrast to how some poDarkelves have RP'd. Byspel, at least one has RP'd an increase in muscular tissue. Of course, if the helpfile is not considered correct anymore, it ought be updated :lol:
However, according to helpfile, there are no physical changes - even the skin colour comes about only from lack of sunlight. (Ghouls are another matter, of course). This, then, raises the question of how to spot a darkelf? And why the race even shows up as darkelf - surely it would be more reflective to make them appear as elves in terms of keywords displayed?
One major point of debate is whether darkelves are sterile or not; some state they are, from the tidbit that darkelves are not born, but "made". However, if there are no physical changes, then this can be understood as darkelven genitalia and reproducing as identical to elven - no one is born a darkelf, as darkelves are elves who turn to the dark gods. Can a newborn elf turn to the dark gods? When can such things be carried out? How effective is such indoctrination?
And: If darkelves cannot breed, then there is a significant problem with numbers: where do they all pop up from.
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As darkelves are elves who turn to the dark gods, with no physical changes: is the ritual actually a transformation? Or a pact? or a cultural ritual with no actual content?
I can see two broad ways for an elf to become a darkelf: turning to Lilith; turning to Sathonys.
Lilith is chaos, darkness and blackfire: Byspel:
Bob the normative elf decides the life of an adventurer is for him, and is thus not that normative, I guess. He fletches a bow and some arrows and shoots some gobbers for the queen, returning the filthy, filthy scalpses. Then he sees others get dragged to the Tanielite cathedral for 'correction' after having too much skin on the scalps. Then he observes the council waste everyone's time and accomplish nothing. <insert dozens of similar hypocrisies here>. Bob realises order is a wasteful joke, and turns to the truth: Chaos.
Sathonys is death, death and destruction: Byspel:
Bob the other elf grieves as his cousins (all elves are cousins) are put in pain, and as he is put in pain. Illnesses strike, with no meaning. All that is built crumbles. Nothing lasts, nothing, except elven life. Elven life drags on and on and forever on. One night Bob finally lies down, sobbing in the earth as he grieves his lost cousins. It is all too much to bear. Then a slightly pale but otherwise entirely normal elven hand appears in his sight. A friendly voice speaks: "My master sees your pain and your anguish, cousin. He sees all the torment the self-righteous gods and goddesses of so-called good rain down on you and your kin. How they torture you, making you go on and on and on, ever back on the breaking wheel. My master grieves with you, but He is immensely powerful. He can take the grief. He offers you a way out, away from all this grief. Do not be troubled, cousin, the pain, the fear, it will all go away. The pain was multiplied thousandfold at the curse known only as Evren's curse. You know what it is, the so-called 'free will'. My master is willing to lift it from you; in return, He only wishes that you serve him in everything, forever." Bob takes the friendly hand.
I advocate slow changes above sudden turncloakry, though. It is more realistic a process, offers plenty of RP possibilities 'on the road', and leaves no one thinking of OOC factors. Allow me to paraphrase part of a very enjoyable conversation Zehren had with someone I will render anonymous and represent with 'A' (relevant to this last point, though not darkelvenry):
A: You have changed. When I see you, you are not the same as before - and not in a good way.
Z nods slowly.
Z: Yes, that sounds very probably. Surely, I have changed - had I not, then I would be stagnant and without motion; quite wasteful. As for whether this hypothetical change is benign or not I cannot say - I do know, however, that it oft takes numerous attempts ere arriving at the best. Perhaps you might enlighten me as to the nature of these changes?
A shakes head slowly.
A: No, I cannot. I am unable to set my finger on them exactly, but I feel them plainly and I do not like it.
Z: I see.
(If something is unclear, do not hesitate to point out/ask - some meaning might have gotten lost in my forced rewrite *grumble*)