Inmate Escaped From Paul Bunyan Asylum!

[valder]

Are all of the stumps & logs around Elvander natural, or the result of players cutting down trees? If the latter, why would anyone want to cut down trees? Is it profitable? How is it done? And why in the world would elves allow unrestricted foresting in their lands?

(For those who don't know who Paul Bunyan is, check this article on Wikipedia.)

[Abharsair]

They are the result of someone cutting down trees. And why? Well, either they hate trees, or they hate elves, or maybe both? No idea, but someone could ask him/her. Other than that, it can be useful if someone sits on that tree who really irritates you. And if you want some use for those logs, someone should go bug Pennywise into finishing his project.

[stilgar]

Bugging pennywise? Hmm....

Anyways.. why would elves get bothered by anyone cutting down trees? I do not think elves in GEAS are close related to fantasy elves so not really close related to woods none of their cities were built from wood. Nor they live in forests

So really do not get the point to bother about it. Even the "patrol" takes more care about kicking "badie" ass than caring about the trees

[tessa]

Nor they live in forests

Well, Elvandar is surrounded by the forest. :p

[stilgar]

I would not call guys who's town is surrounded by forest, people who live in forest

[Delia]

There are other elves in GEAS than the ones in Elvandar, ones that in my opinion differ from the current "city" elf,and those live in the woods.

[Abharsair]

Defending a city made of wood (or possibly a city on a tree if we want to use a completely overstretched and boring stereotype) is kind of hard if the enemy knows how to use fire and siege engines. Therefore I guess the elves weren't quite as stupid when they decided to use stone for their city walls and buildings.

[stilgar]

Defending a city made of wood (or possibly a city on a tree if we want to use a completely overstretched and boring stereotype) is kind of hard if the enemy knows how to use fire and siege engines. Therefore I guess the elves weren't quite as stupid when they decided to use stone for their city walls and buildings.

Hmm.. we speak about this in a fantasy world with magic? I doubt if they were able to magically create a race, they would not be able to bend elemental magic to their will and create a protection circle against hostile magic or natural fires

Of course, this is your world, so you know it better, I argue just to learn mora about GEAS and the original intentions of its inhabitatns

[anglachel]

Yes, Geas is a fantasy world with magic! But even in such world
is still the question about: investment and benefit.
It would be possible to build a wooden city and make a magical
protetion against fire. But why invest much work and magic power
in such a project, then it is possible to get the same result with a
fraction of this work (simple use stones).
Even Elves can calculate and think! All this power can be use
to make the life more comfortable, if is not vaste in one single
huge project!
Magic in Geas should be rare und and not easy to get! So everyone
should think twice about it, before it is used!

[jezz]

And don't forget that tree chopping guy can quickly find his head drilled by an arrow coming from a ranger, or attacked by an assasin vine controlled bya druid (if that ever exists)

So I think it's more a matter of "player policy", rather than giving that tasks to any npc

[stilgar]

Yes, Geas is a fantasy world with magic! But even in such world
is still the question about: investment and benefit.
It would be possible to build a wooden city and make a magical
protetion against fire. But why invest much work and magic power
in such a project, then it is possible to get the same result with a
fraction of this work (simple use stones).
Even Elves can calculate and think! All this power can be use
to make the life more comfortable, if is not vaste in one single
huge project!
Magic in Geas should be rare und and not easy to get! So everyone
should think twice about it, before it is used!

Investment and benefit?

In my opinion it is easier to preserve something with magic than repair it from time to time. Bigger cost instantly, but pays of in a longer period. And YES.. elves think in longer terms.. like.. Eternity?

Benefit and investment also vary if you count other meanings too.. like.. why make something from silver if polished steel does it? Why eat at all if you can feed yourself with singing?

In a world with magic people usually do things while they WANT to do it that way. So I think elves in GEAS just simply like more stone buildings than forests

If people in a fantasy world would think like benefit and investment, necromancers were the most wanted ppl around a town. Imagine undead workers (skeletons) minig all day, cleaning sewers, building roads etc. MUCH cheaper than pay, feed, and shelter living workers

Also easier to set up troops from undeads than mortals, as no one cares if they die
Also gold is a resource that is usually limited, thus has a bigger price, while magical flow is a resource that is unlimited

Of course I accept the thoughts of the creators. I even accept if you just declare: we wanted it this way

[Abharsair]

Of course I accept the thoughts of the creators. I even accept if you just declare: we wanted it this way

Considering that the elves in most fantasy games remind me more of the Muppets from "Return of the Jedi" (also commonly referred to as "Ewoks"), we really didn't want the frequent and very boring stereotype of tree-hugging longears, who have a hard time preserving their race because they find their opposite sex less attractive than a strong, gnarly oak. An example for elves with buildings made of stone, and who are highly skilled in both forging and stone masonry, are the elves from Tolkien's Silmarillion. Well, we don't really want to copy those elves either, but neither do we want the other stereotype.

[stilgar]

Considering that the elves in most fantasy games remind me more of the Muppets from "Return of the Jedi" (also commonly referred to as "Ewoks"), we really didn't want the frequent and very boring stereotype of tree-hugging longears, who have a hard time preserving their race because they find their opposite sex less attractive than a strong, gnarly oak.

That's the spirit! Much better

I think I'm starting to like Abharsair

[valder]

The elves of the Elder Days and the First Age were certainly no limp-wristed tree huggers; it was totally in keeping for them to have towering cities of stone. After all, they had to fight dragons and balrogs and things. Flammable = not smart!

But not all treetop-livin' Eldar are goofy Ewoks. I doubt siege weapons would do anybody much good if they tried to use them against Lothlorien. (At the height of its power, I mean. Not after Galadriel left.)

Anyway, there's precedent for both kinds of elves (woodsy & urban), but one fairly constant thing is that they are connected with the land. Purposeful logging would may necessary, but wanton destruction of a forest would probably not sit well with them.

[Josephus]

After all, they had to fight dragons and balrogs and things.

What?
The original Eldar didn't have to fight anything, as they LIVED IN PARADISE.
It was only when Feanor and his company left that any Balrog-ing went on.
To be truthful, elves WERE "limp-wristed tree huggers". Think Naga, except multiplied to an entire race. Yeah. That bad.

[valder]

The original elves lived in Middle-earth until the defeat of Melkor by the Valar, at which point the Valar invited them to live in Valinor. Some went, some stayed behind, some just missed the boat.

When Melkor later stole the Silmarils from Valinor, some of the elves went back to Middle-earth, against the advice of the Valar. These were the Exiles, the Noldor, who learned from Aulë the smith. They knew more about building stuff than anyone, and they were the ones who led the war against Morgoth in Angband. If there were stone fortresses in Beleriand for fighting dragons and balrogs, they were built by the Noldor.

I will NOT be out-Tolkiened!!

[Abharsair]

While Tolkien's elves surely had a certain affinity with nature, they also built quite impressive cities which were neither located on trees, nor made of wood. Nargothrond and Gondolin are just two examples for that. The first one actually makes them even cave-dwellers.

[valder]

Code: Select all

> emote does the dance of joy to be among such fine geeks

Valder does the dance of joy to be among such fine geeks.

[iske]

And don't forget that tree chopping guy can quickly find his head drilled by an arrow coming from a ranger, or attacked by an assasin vine controlled bya druid (if that ever exists)

Don't you make those poor noobs think they couldn't play a woodcutter (apart from that it isn't profitable yet... but you can still rp about it! )

If that was really the case then Darg would have an even harder life. Of course if your name is Jezz, then you might find an arrow drilled in your head .. no matter if you're chopping a tree or not .

[jezz]

Hahaha well... actually, even if you rp a woodcutter like Darg, you can find yourself beeing killed by a fanatic ranger who hears the screams of agony of the trees falling

I always try to remember newbies that Geas can be a dangerous place... with dangerous guys... who lose all their reputation writing in this forum

Anyway, feel free to rp everything you might like to rp But always think about every option and result!