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sparkindarknessWorld Building continues, well, because I likes it. This place interests me and the more I poke at this pretty world the more opens up to me. Eventually i may have enough world building that plot will just unfold like a pretty flower (I live in hope)
Some more poking at the elves because they're so interestingly ALIEN
Isolation:
Simply put: elves like to be left alone. This doesn’t just apply to other races, but to other elves as well. Elven houses are usually much larger than seems necessary, with multiple storeys and numerous rooms where the inhabitants can retreat to to be left alone. Elves value times spent alone and are very reluctant to disturb someone if they are by themselves. An elf will be more inclined to approach you and even interrupt your conversation if you are with someone than if you are alone - if you are in company you are making it clear you are not currently adverse to companionship. If you are alone then you are enjoying your privacy and should not be disturbed. Most elven rooms have a small alcove in the entrance way, usually screened off. If a visitor wishes to approach a lone elf within that room then he will stand in this alcove and await acknowledgement. It is considered unforgivably rude to enter until you are acknowledged and if the elf wishes to retain his privacy he may keep the visitor waiting for 20 minutes, an hour, or even longer. It is not considered rude to make a visitor wait. The length of time the visitor is made to wait indicates just how much the elf doesn’t want to be disturbed. If the reason for the visit is not pressing then the polite thing to do is to leave, since the visitor’s continued presence (and disturbance) after a long wait indicates that the visitor MUST speak with the elf.
The idea of privacy is paramount through most elven interactions. Elves NEVER ask personal questions, no matter how minor (even a simply “how are you?” or “how is your mother?” is considered extremely rude. Even enquiring after his tastes or preferences - a simply “do you like parsnips?” is actually extremely offensive. It is none of your business what kind of food that elf prefers). If you MUST ask a question that directly relates to the elf then it is polite to make a subtly nuanced statement that the other may follow up on (if, for example, you want to know whether a friend’s mother has recovered from her illness you would say something like “there are few blessings in this world as valuable as good health for my family.” This leaves the other open to say something like “I wish I were so blessed..../I am glad to say my household is so blessed....” if they wished to do so). Similarly, it is shocking and crude to display emotion, preference or otherwise indicate your feelings through body language, tone or facial expression. This can make elves seem unnervingly still and aloof to other races (who may not understand why their smile is annoying the elf so much...)
If, through some unavoidable circumstance, you are exposed to an elf whose barriers of privacy unintentionally break down (say, an elf in mourning collapses into tears) then the polite thing to do is to IGNORE IT and pretend it isn’t happening. To comfort them or act on that exposed privacy (even as simply as offering them a dish of prawn canapes because you have observed that they prefer them) is humiliating.
The penultimate main alien quality of the elves’ love of privacy is their conversation. Elves don’t do small talk. EVERYTHING they say has an important reason - even if it is so nuanced that only another elf could see it. If you don’t have a good reason to say something to an elf then you shouldn’t be bothering them with your company. Elves view conversation and companionship as a chore - making them endure that chore for no good reason is rude and annoying.
The last main quality of the elves’ love of privacy (but still a major one) is personal space. Elves hate it when people stand too close to them. They have a very strong sense of personal space. The only thing worse than standing to close is touching them - no elf is a casual toucher and they hate it when people touch them without reason. In fact, it is not unknown for elves to react violently to people who touch them, since no elf would do so unless they meant harm.
Arrogance:
Actually, elves are not as arrogant as most people assume - they mistake the elven love for privacy for arrogant aloofness (elves tend to be even more aloof among other races simply because other races don’t understand an elf’s need for privacy so elves try to drive them away)
Despite the exaggeration, there is some basis to the assumption. Elves can live for thousands of years - centuries longer than most races. They have a culture and a history that was creating complicated classical literature centuries before most races had discovered the joys of burny burny fire and languages that contained more than 3 syllables. Even the least of them has magic beyond many common wizards and all of them have magical potential that outstrips the greatest of mages of other races.
To put it bluntly: elves r0x0r and can pwn you if they want. And they know it.
Elves tend to regard other races like children - if not animals. On the positive side this means that other races get a lot of leeway to make mistakes and cause insults (they can’t help it, they’re only human/dwarfs/etc). At it’s most negative, it means that other races’ lives and wellbeing mean no more to them than sheep - or ants - mean to humans. Especially since humans are so short lived - if you are 600 years old and not even middle aged, you tend not to worry as much about the lifespan of someone who may only have 50 years to live.
Some more poking at the elves because they're so interestingly ALIEN
Isolation:
Simply put: elves like to be left alone. This doesn’t just apply to other races, but to other elves as well. Elven houses are usually much larger than seems necessary, with multiple storeys and numerous rooms where the inhabitants can retreat to to be left alone. Elves value times spent alone and are very reluctant to disturb someone if they are by themselves. An elf will be more inclined to approach you and even interrupt your conversation if you are with someone than if you are alone - if you are in company you are making it clear you are not currently adverse to companionship. If you are alone then you are enjoying your privacy and should not be disturbed. Most elven rooms have a small alcove in the entrance way, usually screened off. If a visitor wishes to approach a lone elf within that room then he will stand in this alcove and await acknowledgement. It is considered unforgivably rude to enter until you are acknowledged and if the elf wishes to retain his privacy he may keep the visitor waiting for 20 minutes, an hour, or even longer. It is not considered rude to make a visitor wait. The length of time the visitor is made to wait indicates just how much the elf doesn’t want to be disturbed. If the reason for the visit is not pressing then the polite thing to do is to leave, since the visitor’s continued presence (and disturbance) after a long wait indicates that the visitor MUST speak with the elf.
The idea of privacy is paramount through most elven interactions. Elves NEVER ask personal questions, no matter how minor (even a simply “how are you?” or “how is your mother?” is considered extremely rude. Even enquiring after his tastes or preferences - a simply “do you like parsnips?” is actually extremely offensive. It is none of your business what kind of food that elf prefers). If you MUST ask a question that directly relates to the elf then it is polite to make a subtly nuanced statement that the other may follow up on (if, for example, you want to know whether a friend’s mother has recovered from her illness you would say something like “there are few blessings in this world as valuable as good health for my family.” This leaves the other open to say something like “I wish I were so blessed..../I am glad to say my household is so blessed....” if they wished to do so). Similarly, it is shocking and crude to display emotion, preference or otherwise indicate your feelings through body language, tone or facial expression. This can make elves seem unnervingly still and aloof to other races (who may not understand why their smile is annoying the elf so much...)
If, through some unavoidable circumstance, you are exposed to an elf whose barriers of privacy unintentionally break down (say, an elf in mourning collapses into tears) then the polite thing to do is to IGNORE IT and pretend it isn’t happening. To comfort them or act on that exposed privacy (even as simply as offering them a dish of prawn canapes because you have observed that they prefer them) is humiliating.
The penultimate main alien quality of the elves’ love of privacy is their conversation. Elves don’t do small talk. EVERYTHING they say has an important reason - even if it is so nuanced that only another elf could see it. If you don’t have a good reason to say something to an elf then you shouldn’t be bothering them with your company. Elves view conversation and companionship as a chore - making them endure that chore for no good reason is rude and annoying.
The last main quality of the elves’ love of privacy (but still a major one) is personal space. Elves hate it when people stand too close to them. They have a very strong sense of personal space. The only thing worse than standing to close is touching them - no elf is a casual toucher and they hate it when people touch them without reason. In fact, it is not unknown for elves to react violently to people who touch them, since no elf would do so unless they meant harm.
Arrogance:
Actually, elves are not as arrogant as most people assume - they mistake the elven love for privacy for arrogant aloofness (elves tend to be even more aloof among other races simply because other races don’t understand an elf’s need for privacy so elves try to drive them away)
Despite the exaggeration, there is some basis to the assumption. Elves can live for thousands of years - centuries longer than most races. They have a culture and a history that was creating complicated classical literature centuries before most races had discovered the joys of burny burny fire and languages that contained more than 3 syllables. Even the least of them has magic beyond many common wizards and all of them have magical potential that outstrips the greatest of mages of other races.
To put it bluntly: elves r0x0r and can pwn you if they want. And they know it.
Elves tend to regard other races like children - if not animals. On the positive side this means that other races get a lot of leeway to make mistakes and cause insults (they can’t help it, they’re only human/dwarfs/etc). At it’s most negative, it means that other races’ lives and wellbeing mean no more to them than sheep - or ants - mean to humans. Especially since humans are so short lived - if you are 600 years old and not even middle aged, you tend not to worry as much about the lifespan of someone who may only have 50 years to live.