A Gentle Reminder Concerning Half Elves

[EvilRoeSlade]

I just finished reading Whira's Post, and I think it's a great guideline of Role-Play.

For elves though, not half-elves.

Humans distrust elves.  They don't hate them universally, because if they did then it would be impossible to co-exist with them in the same city.  They're just careful around elves, and if they want to appear honest, they avoid them in social settings.

Sometimes humans and elves even have sex.  This isn't a socially accepted practice in the conservative society that is Zalanthas.

Half-elves, the off-spring of humans and elves, give people an unpleasant feeling when looked upon.  The same kind of feeling that a homophobe would get if he looked at a gay couple.

This can at times inspire negative emotions that far surpass distrust.  Half-elves will end up dead in alleys, and the militia won't bother to investigate.  Every half-elf in the world has probably been beaten up at some point in their life, in a situation that wouldn't have occured were they a human or an elf.

They don't have a place in society, and they aren't useful in the eyes of the government.  It's not easy being a half-elf.

[Whira's Luck]

Right, but I'm talking in regards to the human outlook on half-elves. There are humans (more than a few) who would go out of their way to be outwardly hostile to half-elves, moreso than humans. (I don't mean calling names I mean -hostile-, i.e. physically hostile.) But I don't think most humans would do that by themselves unless they were pretty sure the half-elf was harmless. They'd generally get like-minded folks to assist-them. Though that's the way humans are with each other, as well.

What I'm addressing isn't mob mentality but individual mentality, since while we play, we end up getting into positions like this as individuals. I don't think, save under the penalty of worse things happening to them if they don't, a human would EVER stand up for a half-elf against a mob. Not unless they had an even bigger mob behind them.

[amoeba]

Half-elves, the off-spring of humans and elves, give people an unpleasant feeling when looked upon.  The same kind of feeling that a homophobe would get if he looked at a gay couple.

Paraphasing Delierium: "shades of grey".  Not -every- individual will feel it to the same level.  Some people will be heavily phobic towards breeds, some they will make highly uncomfortable, some won't give a shit. Thats life.  To play things black and white is to limit your roleplay.  It is the varied reactions that make life interesting. Is this person being nice to me because they don't have a problem, or because the have an agenda and are scheming to have me killed. It is the very shades of grey that help fuel a half-elves conflicts.   They desperatly want to be accepted but expect the worse.  To have every single person -feel- exactly the same way is very one dimensional.

They don't have a place in society, and they aren't useful in the eyes of the government.

Not sure I agree with that.  May not always be a place they want to be, but the govenment uses them plenty.

It's not easy being a half-elf.

Agreed.

Oh.. and I think Whira's Luck's post is one of the best written I've seen in a long time. I for one would like to see more things like this in the documentation.

[Manhattan]

Not hate, but discriminate.
Some people wouldn't go up to a half-elf just to spit at him and bitch him out. But most people -will- ignore half-elves or at least act uncomfortable when they are near them. Prejudice, if you will.

[Morrolan]

Great post, WL.

Half-elf leaders can be very dangerous to those who follow them.

Half-elves' need to prove themselves can lead them into doing very dangerous things, and taking their followers down with them.  Combine impulsiveness with a need to be accepted and a feeling that they don't measure up, and you get a recipie for disaster.

As for half-elves in general...

With a half-elf, the social distance (not formal rank, but perceived rank) between them and a human is always there.  It is a bit like the social distance between a noble and a commoner in this way.  When the noble speaks, his views carry more weight.  His desires carry more weight, as well.  When a human speaks, his words carry more weight pretty much automatically.  And not just to onlookers, but to the half-elf as well.

When a human disagrees with a half-elf, it can actually cause the half-elf to doubt himself.  In the most extreme cases, this can happen even if the half-elf knows more and/or was actually there.  And if the half-elf knows he's right, he's just as likely to keep his mouth shut as to argue.  Why?  Because he knows that even if he is right, he won't win the argument.

Just a few thoughts,

Morrolan

[Spoon]

I think everyone's going the same sort of direction here.

It seems people have a kind of "kill em all" attitude towards racism, when I'm sure it's far more intricate and complicated than that.

[Anonymous]

I think the opportunity that one player has to observe another who is playing a half elf (likely limited in perception) and come to the conclusion that they are not playing within guidelines is presumptuous.  I play a breed, and a damn good one!  Not many more than a psion would know the conflict with my character's psychi on a one or two time, or five time meeting basis.
Who wants some?

[EvilRoeSlade]

Paraphasing Delierium: "shades of grey".  Not -every- individual will feel it to the same level.  Some people will be heavily phobic towards breeds, some they will make highly uncomfortable, some won't give a shit. Thats life.  To play things black and white is to limit your roleplay.  It is the varied reactions that make life interesting. Is this person being nice to me because they don't have a problem, or because the have an agenda and are scheming to have me killed. It is the very shades of grey that help fuel a half-elves conflicts.   They desperatly want to be accepted but expect the worse.  To have every single person -feel- exactly the same way is very one dimensional.

Did I say that everyone should react the same towards half-elves?  No, that isn't what I said.  What I said is that half-elves are usually the spawn of rape, are thought of the spawn of rape even if they aren't, and therefore humans (and elves) would have a much stronger reaction to them than simply "Well, I don't really trust them since they're part elf (human)."

I don't like to see people pussy-footing around the subject of prejudice while justifying it as merely having a variety of (non-offensive) reactions.

Not sure I agree with that.  May not always be a place they want to be, but the govenment uses them plenty.

Well yeah, you're right.  In either city they can get a job as a worker or as cannon fodder fairly easily.

[amoeba]

Did I say that everyone should react the same towards half-elves?  No, that isn't what I said.  What I said is that half-elves are usually the spawn of rape, are thought of the spawn of rape even if they aren't, and therefore humans (and elves) would have a much stronger reaction to them than simply "Well, I don't really trust them since they're part elf (human)."

I don't like to see people pussy-footing around the subject of prejudice while justifying it as merely having a variety of (non-offensive) reactions.

I will politely disagree with you on a couple of points.  First I'm not talking "reactions" I'm talking peoples "feelings" towards breeds.  People are not cookie cutters, there will be a range of feelings about them both from the breeds themselves and from the population in general. Now granted if you were to graph out the populaces "feelings" it would lean towards the revulsion scale. However there would be a small, maybe miniscule portion on the other end.  Blanket statements such as -all- people feel xyz are problematic and limiting. Most yes, all no.

I regards to the rape issue, breds are not Muls, interbreeding does happen, as does more consentual agreements.  Now it is likely that the populace belives it is mostly rapes, much as they believe all magickers eat babies.   I am in no way discounting  or "pussy footing" the need to play out this predjudice. But often I have seen an approach of extremism. No I'm not saying you do it.  The reason I belabor this point is not to justify actions that ignore the inherent prejudices and conflicts, but rather to point out how complicated it truly is.  Having "everyone" play it as though "everyone" hates them, with no chance of finding someone who doesn't is limiting. I mean why even try if there is "never" a chance to find acceptance?  It is the struggle to overcome the odds that is enjoyable.

Well yeah, you're right.  In either city they can get a job as a worker or as cannon fodder fairly easily.

Breeds can and do find places at times. I played one that rose to a fairly high status in one clan. I have also seen breeds in places where you normally wouldn't see them, such as the militia. Once again, some can achive some semblance of sucess and prove themselves usefull, not the norm, but not impossible.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

Half-breeds should be viewed just as half black/white people were viewed in the days of slavery.

Some of them succeeded, some of them were nothing.

Blatant hatred was certianly accorded some of them by some folk, and others were accepted. I can draw no better comparison.

[Naiona]

Breeds can and do find places at times. I played one that rose to a fairly high status in one clan. I have also seen breeds in places where you normally wouldn't see them, such as the militia. Once again, some can achive some semblance of sucess and prove themselves usefull, not the norm, but not impossible.

Just to be clear, the Allanak and Tuluki Militia are both firm on the issue of not accepting half-breeds into their ranks.  On occasion, one slips in by 'passing', but never with their superior's knowledge.

[Cuusardo]

Now I am confused.  There was a thread previously that said that the militia does occasionally allow half elves into their service.

[Naiona]

The militia has not accepted half elves as long as I have been an AoD IMM, and really as far back as I can remember as a player.

[amoeba]

Breeds can and do find places at times. I played one that rose to a fairly high status in one clan. I have also seen breeds in places where you normally wouldn't see them, such as the militia. Once again, some can achive some semblance of sucess and prove themselves usefull, not the norm, but not impossible.

Just to be clear, the Allanak and Tuluki Militia are both firm on the issue of not accepting half-breeds into their ranks.  On occasion, one slips in by 'passing', but never with their superior's knowledge.

In truth the one I saw suprised me. I didn't think it was allowed either. This one was definetly not "passing", very obviously a breed.  I  remember it distinctly, ended up being a very cool plot twist.

[Yokunama]

This is just a friendly bump.

Roleplaying: Accepted by neither humans nor elves, half-elves tend to be extremely self-reliant, and they pride themselves on this trait. Half-elves try to do everything for themselves, such as hunting for their own meals and camping well apart from others they are with. Despite this, half-elves typically try to gain acceptance by elves or humans and will go out of their way toward that end.