OOC Chat

[Kafen]

Kender warfare is awesome by the way - I would smite them from the air rather than go to ground with those little buggers.

[Kafen]

Indeed, Kenders have little love for the elves in general if you read the histories - most of the elves from their past are either arrogant or rather violent. There is a bit from one book where a kender says it for the best that the elves go away.

[JadedDM]

It's a little unfair to the elves, I think. Yes, they are arrogant, but so is every other race on Krynn.

The minotaurs believe they have a divine right to rule the world and that all other races are inferior.

The dwarves want nothing else to do with anyone else, and there's a ton of in-fighting among their own clans (mountain versus hill, for instance). And they don't even consider gully dwarves to be real dwarves.

The gnomes actually rewrite history books so their race plays a more important role in world events (one of my favorite short stories was about the 'forgotten' 10th Hero of the Lance, a gnomish poet; in the story, the gnome was pretty much responsible for everything that happened to the party; Tanis was emo, Goldmoon was a huge snob ('Goldmoon's staff' didn't refer to the blue crystal staff, but rather a 'staff' of handmaidens and servants that went everywhere with her), Tasslehoff was pure evil incarnate and only acted innocent, and Sturm was just fabricated by the humans to make themselves sound more important).

The proto-ogres, the Irda, are especially bad at this. They make the Silvanesti seem open-minded in comparison.

Humans are pretty bad, too. The plainsfolk are generally pretty racist against anyone not human. The Seekers actually let the dragonarmies walk into Haven on the promise of them destroying the elves. The Solamnics won't allow non-humans into the knighthood.

The higher tier draconians are pretty bad; although ironically enough, the lower tier ones don't seem to really care that much. Except for elves; they tend to really hate elves.

So that just leaves kender and gully dwarves, I suppose. Kender tend to be too innocent and naive to be racist. Gully dwarves are just too stupid, I think.

But yeah, long story short, everyone hates everyone. That's sort of how the world is in this mess. I think putting all of the blame on the elves, though, is just as bad as the elves putting all of the blame on the humans.

There is a bit from one book where a kender says it for the best that the elves go away.

Which book was that? Was it an afflicted kender who said that?

[Kafen]

Not really, the Knights help the elves defend the area in the coming war - If they were as racist as the elves, they would have let them rot in the woods.

The Balif story has the kender/elf bit. One of the background/npc Kender remarks on the arrogance and behavior of the elves in it in regards to the kender city. Tas would know the general details - just that the kender were confused with the elves and content to let them wander off.

[JadedDM]

In the books? Yeah, the knights and elves worked together, eventually. Most of the Whitestone Council was spent with both sides arguing and bickering pettily throughout, though. Remember how they practically came to blows with each other over who would get the Dragon Orb? Which led to Tas doing something rather dramatic...I don't want to spoil things, though, so I won't elaborate on that.

Sturm's sacrifice kind of shook up the knighthood, helped get them back on track and remember their roots. Before that, though, the knighthood had pretty much descended into petty politics. The wealthy noble elite lorded it over the lesser-born knights and there was a lot of corruption and political backstabbing going on.

So, yeah. In the end, the elves, humans and dwarves united to fight the darkness, but they very nearly didn't, because they were all full of hatred and arrogance toward each other.

[Kafen]

Yup yup, gm-wise... The difference between racism and politics is pretty large in game. Bad politics tends to imply violence as a general rule. Racism incites very little aside from exclusion and division which precludes politics from having much an impact on the setting. Certainly, it limits a rational response from the NPCs - the elves have to beg humans for help after sending humans to their deaths on the previous day for example. :/

I know the other races have some issues, but the elves are the only race in the book to simply cast out factions and people based on race. The other races all use politics to throw groups/characters out of their lands. Even the afflicted kender are not that "serious"...I think it stems from the authors using the Elves as a plot point instead of fleshing out their politics in the early books.

[JadedDM]

Kafen, Jenara, do you mind naming your targets? I have no idea which kapaks you are aiming at...

[Kafen]

one within range after moving, I guess. Nearest one...

[Jenara]

Added.

[JadedDM]

You guys realize that the elves never 'engaged' the kapaks, but it was the other way around, right? The elves were trying to fight them with bows, but the kapaks engaged them, forcing them to melee. Even if the elves 'fall back' the kapaks are just going to follow them. The only way to get the kapaks off of the elves would be to engage them yourselves, so they can't keep on the elves.

[Jenara]

Sturm gets that, he'll engage himself don't worry.

[Breila]

Goldmoon too realises that she has to help the elves now.

[Kafen]

Indeed, Tas has to choose his friends over the elves.

[Kafen]

I will reply in morning to the ff if it is up, I came home to one of my dogs passed away in the bedroom. Not feeling very plucky at the moment for Tas...

[Jenara]

You know i am thinking of you my friend. Sending my love to you both.