Elves and riding

[theebie]

I never really understood why elves consider it such a shame to ride, but it is as it is. Anyhow, I've got a question:

Under what circumstance would an elf ride ?

Would he...
... climb on a mount after losing a leg in the desert to a beast, using the mount to reach cizilisation to stay alife ?
... after he lost both legs ?
... to save her/his child which is starving in the desert, at a place further away he knows he could run, but in range of a mount ?
... if a superior orders her/him to ?
... if a superior orders her/him to with the choice "ride or die" ?
... if he/she would get 100 / 1000 / 10000 / 100000000 sids for doing so ?
... as a demonstration of willpower ?
... for losing a bet ?

questions after questions ... I'm sure lots of you will have proper answers

[jhunter]

Would he...
... climb on a mount after losing a leg in the desert to a beast, using the mount to reach cizilisation to stay alife ? -He'd crawl or die.
... after he lost both legs ? -Crawl.
... to save her/his child which is starving in the desert, at a place further away he knows he could run, but in range of a mount ? -Only a non-elf can't outrun a mount on foot. So no.
... if a superior orders her/him to ? -He'd tell him to fuck off. Have them killed.
... if a superior orders her/him to with the choice "ride or die" ? -He'd run away.
... if he/she would get 100 / 1000 / 10000 / 100000000 sids for doing so ? -His pride is worth more than those 'sids, but if you've really got them...let's see them first. Then steals them.
... as a demonstration of willpower ? -Got nothing to prove. Not going to degrade themselves in such a way.
... for losing a bet ? -Wouldn't honor the bet. Find a way to cheat. Still not going to ride.

[theebie]

... to save her/his child which is starving in the desert, at a place further away he knows he could run, but in range of a mount ? -Only a non-elf can't outrun a mount on foot. So no.

That's -soooooooooo- _completely_ NOT true.
Go play a city elf and try to move outsides in the wilds. It's -ridiculous-.

[jhunter]

That's what elves believe though. Only a weakling shortleg would need anything other than their own legs for transportation. I'm not saying that it's codedly true (although in the case of d-elves it is).

[Kalai]

What about if their legs are both cut off and to save their starving child? 

[theebie]

... climb on a mount after losing a leg in the desert to a beast, using the mount to reach cizilisation to stay alife ? -He'd crawl or die.

Seriously ? He'd rather die than take the mount to get to savety ?

(The situation would be: He lost his leg, and there are hordes of enemies showing at the horizon already, so crawling is not an option, but would lead to certain death.)

[jhunter]

I believe the staff have stated: Elves do not, and will not ride for -ANY- reason whatsoever. As in, there is no justification for an elf to ride a mount or in/on a vehicle of any kind -EVER-.

[theebie]

That's what elves believe though. Only a weakling shortleg would need anything other than their own legs for transportation. I'm not saying that it's codedly true (although in the case of d-elves it is).

This can't be true either. Elves, (especially city elves) will have found out by simple try-and-error that if they try to move with any group of riders, they'll suck and can't keep up even closely to any mount. They -would- know that they can't keep up with mounts, no matter how hard they try.

[Kalai]

I believe the staff have stated: Elves do not, and will not ride for -ANY- reason whatsoever. As in, there is no justification for an elf to ride a mount or in/on a vehicle of any kind -EVER-.

At least willingly. If you knock them out or kill them I imagine this can be circumvented.

[theebie]

I believe the staff have stated: Elves do not, and will not ride for -ANY- reason whatsoever. As in, there is no justification for an elf to ride a mount or in/on a vehicle of any kind -EVER-.

This is correct. Staff said it is like this. I'm considering the situation from an IC point of view though.

[jhunter]

That's what elves believe though. Only a weakling shortleg would need anything other than their own legs for transportation. I'm not saying that it's codedly true (although in the case of d-elves it is).

This can't be true either. Elves, (especially city elves) will have found out by simple try-and-error that if they try to move with any group of riders, they'll suck and can't keep up even closely to any mount. They -would- know that they can't keep up with mounts, no matter how hard they try.

Except that city elves typically don't leave the cities to go racing mounts out in the wilds. They can however outrun almost anything -in- cities.

[jhunter]

I believe the staff have stated: Elves do not, and will not ride for -ANY- reason whatsoever. As in, there is no justification for an elf to ride a mount or in/on a vehicle of any kind -EVER-.

This is correct. Staff said it is like this. I'm considering the situation from an IC point of view though.

ICly, elves DO NOT ride. You're looking for IC justification for them to ride. There is none.

[theebie]

Except that city elves typically don't leave the cities to go racing mounts out in the wilds. They can however outrun almost anything -in- cities.

This may be true.
Now take a city-elf joining the Byn. He'll be within cities and outsides frequently.
He might even get in situations like "has to be at point x within y hours, or friends will die".

[jhunter]

Then they'll die if he can't get there on foot.

[theebie]

ICly, elves DO NOT ride. You're looking for IC justification for them to ride. There is none.

Well, proving this true or false was the initial idea of this whole thread.

[brytta.leofa]

I'm not saying that humans will never ever drink raw sewage; I'm saying that it's repugnant to them and they can't understand the value of doing so even when it's clearly presented.

[Semper]

The possibility of an elf riding just doesn't come to their thoughts. So, even if there's a mount standing right beside them, and they're facing eminent death, it wouldn't even be a temptation for an elf to consider riding it.

It's like you were raised on an island your whole life with an airplane. You use it as a home, a place to store things, and so on, and even see other airplanes flying in the sky above you, but you don't make the connection that -you- can ride the airplane to get away because you don't know how to and can't trust a very heavy piece of metal to fly.

[theebie]

The possibility of an elf riding just doesn't come to their thoughts. So, even if there's a mount standing right beside them, and they're facing eminent death, it wouldn't even be a temptation for an elf to consider riding it.

It's like you were raised on an island your whole life with an airplane. You use it as a home, a place to store things, and so on, and even see other airplanes flying in the sky above you, but you don't make the connection that -you- can ride the airplane to get away because you don't know how to and can't trust a very heavy piece of metal to fly.

this is not the point. an elf does know that a mount is used to sit upon, and that it carries a person from point-a to point-b (and they do use them occasionally to transport heavy things, don't they ? (by leading them, not riding them)).
so an elf -will- know that if he climbs on that beast, and rides on it, he will save his/her beloved tribemates from certain death.
the question is, wouldn't that be more valuable to said elf, than the shame of riding ?

[Semper]

The possibility of an elf riding just doesn't come to their thoughts. So, even if there's a mount standing right beside them, and they're facing eminent death, it wouldn't even be a temptation for an elf to consider riding it.

It's like you were raised on an island your whole life with an airplane. You use it as a home, a place to store things, and so on, and even see other airplanes flying in the sky above you, but you don't make the connection that -you- can ride the airplane to get away because you don't know how to and can't trust a very heavy piece of metal to fly.

this is not the point. an elf does know that a mount is used to sit upon, and that it carries a person from point-a to point-b (and they do use them occasionally to transport heavy things, don't they ? (by leading them, not riding them)).
so an elf -will- know that if he climbs on that beast, and rides on it, he will save his/her beloved tribemates from certain death.
the question is, wouldn't that be more valuable to said elf, than the shame of riding ?

They don't make that connection. That's the point. They know other races use it, but riding mounts is not something they apply to themselves. Elves are different from humans in the way they think. The documentation has plenty of evidence supporting this.

[Xeran Van Houten]

There's plenty of old threads about this.

Trying to find an excuse to deliberately circumvent elf docs is probably going to end badly for you.

[Thunkkin]

Besides, a tribe that only survived because one of its members rode a mount might be saved in the short-term, yes, but would most likely die of shame over the next few days. They would just wilt away like a neglected plant.

[SMuz]

It's in the documentation, guys.

To rely upon another beast to carry one around is considered an extreme sign of weakness among elves (even more than the inability to steal!). Even at the point of exhaustion, and when it comes to life and death situations, an elf would never admit to riding a mount. Now, this isn't a biological certainty - but rather a social standard that has been very deeply ingrained in all elves. So it is conceivable that if riding a mount would save an elf's life, that he would do it. But this act would be the most shameful thing that could be committed. Never again could such an elf have the respect of their tribemates. Even in the rare case of old age and in sickness, elves would refuse to ride about on a mount.

So, basically, an elf might as well be dead if he were to ride a mount. He would be so ashamed of himself that he might as well cut off his legs and such.

It's an elven thing in that one thing that they're good at.. that they're better than any other race in the world is running. If an elf were to ride a mount, they're completely worthless. An elf could never respect himself if he ever rode a creature.

If an elf were bet to ride or something, they'd simply refuse to do it, even if they had to pay it. If they were offered money, they'd take the money and run, or simply refuse the money. If a superior orders them (and this has happened many times), they've always refused, even to the point where they'd quit the job if it were a necessity.

[jhunter]

Yeah, so shameful that they would likely be outcast from their tribe which for most tribal people, is a fate worse than death.

[Potaje]

If you can't let your self understand the mind set of an elf, then don't play one. What you as a real world human call -untrue- is merely you keeping a limited view point. For elves, pride is a fault, identify that point, embrace it, rub it, stroke it taking it under a blanket and whisper sweat somethings to it, what ever or however you do it know that you, as an elf,  have more pride in a deeply ingrained way of life. Even if far removed from any tribe, this one point your wish to argue is a mark of what makes you an elf.

You will not ride.

Your child wouldn't ride.

If someone proposes through context, bet or order to ride then they are insulting you, tour tribe, your race. They are saying that you are less that what you re and not worth the legs you stand on, the blood in your veins or the pointed ears on your head.

If you can't keep up with moving mounts, well be smart enough to catch up, or simply figure it out. There are ways.

Again if you can't handle what is set forth for a race, restrictions and or ways of behavior then don't play them. there are half elves for you to enjoy who do ride.

I only say it this way because of the countless other conversations on this topic in other threads. Read through them and perhaps you would understand even more.

[Spoon]

Under what circumstance would an elf ride ?

Would he...
... climb on a mount after losing a leg in the desert to a beast, using the mount to reach cizilisation to stay alife ? I doubt this would cross the elf's mind.
... after he lost both legs ? Likewise
... to save her/his child which is starving in the desert, at a place further away he knows he could run, but in range of a mount ? Using a mount for something like this simply isn't an option for an elf.
... if a superior orders her/him to ? No one orders an elf around unless they're happy with it. It's one of the reasons they make useless slaves. If it was a tribemate/trusted person, they would cease to be from this point on.
... if a superior orders her/him to with the choice "ride or die" ? Similar to above. Elves don't take orders like this.
... if he/she would get 100 / 1000 / 10000 / 100000000 sids for doing so ? Pride is the most valuable thing to an elf.
... as a demonstration of willpower ? Not riding is the demonstration of willpower.
... for losing a bet ? There wouldn't be a single moment where the elf would consider honouring such a bet.


End of the line is, if you have OOC problems and hang ups, you shouldn't have played a city elf. It's a hardcore role if you want to travel around.

-that's not supposed to be harsh  What I mean is, it's very clear that elves can't/won't ride. It's like having a dwarf without a focus.