Pieter A de Jong
01-27-1998, 03:17 PM
Given the recent discussion of high level elves on this list I thought that
I might present a few of my own views.
1. The Humans winning the Human-Elven war before Diesmaar.
The reasons the humans won this war was not priestly magic. The
humans initially came to the Cerilian continent as refugees after getting
their but kicked by the adurian empires controlled by Azrai. Their
population base could not hope to match that of the elves, even after they
had had 2-3 hundred years of recovery. Thousands of years prior to the
human arrival, the elves had already established a practically continental
wide hegemony. Human priest are not going to make up that kind of a
difference, especially, because the humans had no true mages. If it comes
down to a society with priests vs. a society with mages in war, I will take
the mages. Especially seing as in this case the mages are likely going to
be much higher level (elves are immortal, humans aren't effectively limiting
the levels they can attain on a relatively low magic world like Birthright).
So, why did the humans win this war ? Simple, direct Divine intervention.
Remember, this is pre-Deismaar, the gods are not limited in their
appearances on the material plane. While elven sorcerers are capable of
dealing with human priests, divine avatars are another matter!
2. High level elven characters
Yes, there will be some incredibly high level elven characters
running around. They are not, however, likely to be doing much (unless the
PC's or major NPC's try something like elven genocide). Why? because it is
unlikely that they are actually blooded. Remember that very few people
actually recieved bloodlines at Deismaar. Most of today's blooded are the
results of 20+ generations of families spreading things out.
Also note, that there will be *very* few of these characters around.
Why? Deismaar again. When the elves switched sides at Deismaar they a) held
the Vos and humanoid hordes (remember that comment in TOTHW {tribes of the
heartless waste} that one Vos Champion could take three champions of
Anduiras and win!) as well as distracting Azrai himself long enough for the
other gods to regroup for their final self-annihalating assault on Azrai!
This resulted in large numbers of casualties (and also explains why in all
the supplements I have senn there are no churches advocating a general
policy of elven genocide).
Finally, for those of you who want some ideas as to the power levels
I ascribe to these characters, Elminster in the forgotten realms (blech) is
a 29th level mage. He has a conscious age (long periods of statis) of about
2000 years. It is clear from the elven timeline that was presented in the
Tuarhievel sourcebook that elven history extends back at least 10000 years.
The characters that are most likely to survive Deismaar are the most
powerful ones (the oldest ones) meaning that it is quite possible that there
is a mage or two out there of at least 30th level and perhaps more.
3. Elven Gods?
Finally, a plot suggestion. From the above, it is clear that it was
gods not men that won the Elven-Human war. Also, it was gods that caused
the elven tragedy at Deismaar. For such high-level and long-lived
characters, it would be clear that the elves need a god/gods to protect
them. Also, it is clear that in Cerilia divine ascension is possible by
collecting enought bloodline strength. I can think of several examples
Haelyn, Nesirie, etc, as well as the Serpent. Could he actually be granting
low level priest spells to his followers (perhaps following the rules for
Demi-powers)? There are some elves with bloodlines and I could see a
concerted effort being made by the elven people to raise one of these
bloodlines in power to the point of divine ascension to ensure the future of
the Elven race. That would make an interesting plot complication in a
predominantly human campaign (what would the other gods think of such a
plan?). Or for Elven PC's it would be difficult establishing the neccesary
alliances between Realms, and transfers of regency, not to mention deciding
who they will try and raise to divinity (note that this should be a case of
which NPC!!). Finally, if you allow travel to other prime material planes
from birthright I can see the elves attempting to get the aid of foreign
(non-Birthright) powers in this endeavour, for example Correlon Lareithon
would likely be glad to help, or given the elves Elemental origins they
might contact the powers of the elemental planes.
Pieter A de Jong
Graduate Mechanical Engineering Student
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
I might present a few of my own views.
1. The Humans winning the Human-Elven war before Diesmaar.
The reasons the humans won this war was not priestly magic. The
humans initially came to the Cerilian continent as refugees after getting
their but kicked by the adurian empires controlled by Azrai. Their
population base could not hope to match that of the elves, even after they
had had 2-3 hundred years of recovery. Thousands of years prior to the
human arrival, the elves had already established a practically continental
wide hegemony. Human priest are not going to make up that kind of a
difference, especially, because the humans had no true mages. If it comes
down to a society with priests vs. a society with mages in war, I will take
the mages. Especially seing as in this case the mages are likely going to
be much higher level (elves are immortal, humans aren't effectively limiting
the levels they can attain on a relatively low magic world like Birthright).
So, why did the humans win this war ? Simple, direct Divine intervention.
Remember, this is pre-Deismaar, the gods are not limited in their
appearances on the material plane. While elven sorcerers are capable of
dealing with human priests, divine avatars are another matter!
2. High level elven characters
Yes, there will be some incredibly high level elven characters
running around. They are not, however, likely to be doing much (unless the
PC's or major NPC's try something like elven genocide). Why? because it is
unlikely that they are actually blooded. Remember that very few people
actually recieved bloodlines at Deismaar. Most of today's blooded are the
results of 20+ generations of families spreading things out.
Also note, that there will be *very* few of these characters around.
Why? Deismaar again. When the elves switched sides at Deismaar they a) held
the Vos and humanoid hordes (remember that comment in TOTHW {tribes of the
heartless waste} that one Vos Champion could take three champions of
Anduiras and win!) as well as distracting Azrai himself long enough for the
other gods to regroup for their final self-annihalating assault on Azrai!
This resulted in large numbers of casualties (and also explains why in all
the supplements I have senn there are no churches advocating a general
policy of elven genocide).
Finally, for those of you who want some ideas as to the power levels
I ascribe to these characters, Elminster in the forgotten realms (blech) is
a 29th level mage. He has a conscious age (long periods of statis) of about
2000 years. It is clear from the elven timeline that was presented in the
Tuarhievel sourcebook that elven history extends back at least 10000 years.
The characters that are most likely to survive Deismaar are the most
powerful ones (the oldest ones) meaning that it is quite possible that there
is a mage or two out there of at least 30th level and perhaps more.
3. Elven Gods?
Finally, a plot suggestion. From the above, it is clear that it was
gods not men that won the Elven-Human war. Also, it was gods that caused
the elven tragedy at Deismaar. For such high-level and long-lived
characters, it would be clear that the elves need a god/gods to protect
them. Also, it is clear that in Cerilia divine ascension is possible by
collecting enought bloodline strength. I can think of several examples
Haelyn, Nesirie, etc, as well as the Serpent. Could he actually be granting
low level priest spells to his followers (perhaps following the rules for
Demi-powers)? There are some elves with bloodlines and I could see a
concerted effort being made by the elven people to raise one of these
bloodlines in power to the point of divine ascension to ensure the future of
the Elven race. That would make an interesting plot complication in a
predominantly human campaign (what would the other gods think of such a
plan?). Or for Elven PC's it would be difficult establishing the neccesary
alliances between Realms, and transfers of regency, not to mention deciding
who they will try and raise to divinity (note that this should be a case of
which NPC!!). Finally, if you allow travel to other prime material planes
from birthright I can see the elves attempting to get the aid of foreign
(non-Birthright) powers in this endeavour, for example Correlon Lareithon
would likely be glad to help, or given the elves Elemental origins they
might contact the powers of the elemental planes.
Pieter A de Jong
Graduate Mechanical Engineering Student
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada