Allanaki City Elves

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

Meh. I dislike your logic in gameplay terms, but it is logic that makes sense.

[Quirk]

Meh. I dislike your logic in gameplay terms, but it is logic that makes sense.

The best kind of logic!

But, so as not to be a downer, I'll chuck in a couple of uncoded tribe ideas of my own.

The Hara Aganti
Prouder than most elves of their running, for many years the Hara Aganti were couriers employed by many of the merchants of Nak's bazaar, reputed to deliver small packages and messages across the city faster than all others. Their downfall came early in the 21st Age, when they were found by the templarate to be deeply involved in the spice trade and were subsequently hunted and harried by the Arm of the Dragon until the tribe split into numerous small and disunited groups, many of which were victimised by other tribes with old scores to settle. All but a few of the remaining families which still count themselves as being of the Hara Aganti are now poor, and many make their living as grebbers or from unskilled labour. A few of them dream yet of recapturing the tribe's former glory, and repeat still the old boast that a delivery left in Aganti hands is safer than a box stored in House Nenyuk's vaults.

Other elves take exception to the jibes the Hara Aganti level at their supposedly inferior running.

The Sohavirya
Remnants of a desert tribe driven from their lands by tribal rivalries, the Sohavirya fancy themselves superior to the city tribes that surround them, though with the passing of generations it has become hard for outsiders to tell the difference. Scattered and weak from the time of their arrival, they've long been widely dispersed about the city, and most families within the tribe have little regular contact with each other. Lovers of trade, nothing satisfies them more than gently bickering over a price with someone who poorly understands the value of the goods they're selling, and the brightly coloured sandcloth clothing they make can be seen in many of the poorer parts of the Southside. It is an article of faith with them that life in the desert is purer and more beautiful, and they sigh often over the indignities of city living. Of course, few if any of them are foolish enough to actually think they could survive in the sands, though they venture often enough a little way outside the city walls to swagger and talk of their tribe's great past.

Other elves are annoyed by the Sohavirya's claims of superiority and their pretence of being a desert tribe.

[Fujikoma]

Don't forget the rickshaw elves.

[i love toilets]

Yeeeaaaah those are some elves boy

The only thing, though: I don't want to be the streaker in your parade, but I thought tribes were all supposedly tight-knit and trust each other to whatever end?

I like the idea of fragmented tribes who have little contact with each other outside their immediate family, but I'm not sure that's something an elven tribe would end up in.

I love the running. I LOVE IT

[Quirk]

Yeeeaaaah those are some elves boy

The only thing, though: I don't want to be the streaker in your parade, but I thought tribes were all supposedly tight-knit and trust each other to whatever end?

I like the idea of fragmented tribes who have little contact with each other outside their immediate family, but I'm not sure that's something an elven tribe would end up in.

I love the running. I LOVE IT

Well, we already have the notion of tribeless elves: elves who've been separated entirely from their tribal origin by the city. Scaling that up to small groups who have some idea of their origin but have lost contact isn't a big stretch. Still, though, the main rationale for the fragmentation is the need to support uncoded tribes. A coded tribe with imm support can have a clear tribal hierarchy and meaningful alliances, an uncoded one without imm support not so much as it's rather at the mercy of whichever new players wanted to play an elf this week. I feel the fragmentation idea supports players being able to just jump in and make the connection with other elves of their tribe in game.

I'd seriously love to see them scaled up to be close-knit coded tribes, and this would allow dropping the "hard times" motif.

[Potaje]

 IN THE YEAR OF JIHAE'S DEFIANCE, YEAR 12 OF THE 22ND AGE

Born from a desire and innate draw small gangs of tribe-less city elves begin forming in Allanak's south side common quarter.
Conflicts within the elven community are mildly disruptive for a time, but the militia seems to mostly look the other way until such conflict disrupts the human population.

Over a sort time, pressed more when the militia begins breaking them up, smaller gangs either dissipate or form into larger units. The strength and organization offered by those able to lead the larger elven gangs reinforce against the militia through whispers of [edited:a hum *coughs*] bribes and payoffs, carving out their territories.

Two gangs divide up the common quarter and tho tension remains between them as they vie for influence within the elven community, a clear hierarchical presence is formed and maintained with force.

 

[Red Ranger]

I personally like the idea of the uncoded Allanakki elven tribes, such as these and these, and this post offers one mostly plausible explanation of how they may come about, except for one fabulous typo:

The strength and organization offered by those able to lead the larger elven gangs reinforce against the militia through whispers of brides and payoffs, carving out their territories.

"And by the power vested in me by the Highlord as a Blue Robe of the city-state of Allanak, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your elven bride, Sergeant."

[Potaje]

I personally like the idea of the uncoded Allanakki elven tribes, such as these and these, and this post offers one mostly plausible explanation of how they may come about, except for one fabulous typo:

The strength and organization offered by those able to lead the larger elven gangs reinforce against the militia through whispers of brides and payoffs, carving out their territories.

"And by the power vested in me by the Highlord as a Blue Robe of the city-state of Allanak, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your elven bride, Sergeant."

:looks about; red faced, toeing the ground, hands tucked in pockets.

[Scarecrow]

Now we know where the first half-elves came from.

[Zoan]

I personally like the idea of the uncoded Allanakki elven tribes, such as these and these, and this post offers one mostly plausible explanation of how they may come about, except for one fabulous typo:

The strength and organization offered by those able to lead the larger elven gangs reinforce against the militia through whispers of brides and payoffs, carving out their territories.

"And by the power vested in me by the Highlord as a Blue Robe of the city-state of Allanak, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your elven bride, Sergeant."

"Y...yes, Lord Templar."

[lordcooper]

Despite Sergeant Malik's initial reluctance, his wife stole his heart with their first kiss.

[Barzalene]

And a couple of his back teeth.

[Ourla]

And everything in his pockets.

[solera]

Now we know where the first half-elves came from.

That figures. They were a typo!

[Potaje]

Apparently she stole his seed as well, damn that elf for taking serious what the Sarg was poking in fun.

[i love toilets]

IN THE YEAR OF JIHAE'S DEFIANCE, YEAR 12 OF THE 22ND AGE

Born from a desire and innate draw small gangs of tribe-less city elves begin forming in Allanak's south side common quarter.
Conflicts within the elven community are mildly disruptive for a time, but the militia seems to mostly look the other way until such conflict disrupts the human population.

Over a sort time, pressed more when the militia begins breaking them up, smaller gangs either dissipate or form into larger units. The strength and organization offered by those able to lead the larger elven gangs reinforce against the militia through whispers of [edited:a hum *coughs*] bribes and payoffs, carving out their territories.

Two gangs divide up the common quarter and tho tension remains between them as they vie for influence within the elven community, a clear hierarchical presence is formed and maintained with force.

 

Two city elf tribes that are capable of having much more power, but are too busy trying to screw each other over to get anywhere near that level of influence?

Best idea ever. (I understand that's not how the idea was presented but I want to read it like that.)

And imagine being the child of members of both tribes: always afraid for your life in a sphere initially irrelevant to those of the militia and humans. God, what a role.

[SmashedTregil]

Interesting ideas. Though these tribes would have to have "some" regulation in numbers. You gotta remember, elves of the same tribe explicitly trust each other. It is an immensely powerful thing to be able to create a character and suddenly "boom", you've got n amount of completely trustworthy allies. Allies that will never betray you. Pretty soon no human organization in the city will be able to compete with that kind of power.

[Fujikoma]

Interesting ideas. Though these tribes would have to have "some" regulation in numbers. You gotta remember, elves of the same tribe explicitly trust each other. It is an immensely powerful thing to be able to create a character and suddenly "boom", you've got n amount of completely trustworthy allies. Allies that will never betray you. Pretty soon no human organization in the city will be able to compete with that kind of power.

Yeah, but if you abuse that trust, the tribe may find some interesting punishments for you, or so I'd think.

[Patuk]

I've never really liked the 'you can't allow PC elves to create tribes because they'll be unstoppable argument,' simply for the fact that this ignores the fact that elves are a strong force in their own regards. It's the same thing as saying that salarr shouldn't bully independent merchants around because that'd make the GMH's in general unstoppable.

[TimTembo]

I've never really liked the 'you can't allow PC elves to create tribes because they'll be unstoppable argument,' simply for the fact that this ignores the fact that elves are a strong force in their own regards. It's the same thing as saying that salarr shouldn't bully independent merchants around because that'd make the GMH's in general unstoppable.

I agree. A group of PC elves that started overstepping their bounds would get smashed pretty quickly. Imagine how pissed off the powers that be would become. There wouldn't be anywhere for them to go. Leave the city? They couldn't survive. Hide in the Labyrinth? None of the groups there would allow that.

They'd be even more vulnerable than "normal" independent groups. To survive, they would have to find some tolerated niche and level of activity.

There would be a real tug-of-war between "we're elves, our tribe is proud and independent" and "shit, we'd better help out <powerful group> or we're going to get smashed."

Many groups would actually have a reason to try to manipulate a weak but useful group of elves.

Which would be very interesting RP. Much moreso than the useless isolation available to elf PCs now.

[Lizzie]

I think I get the issue with tribal thing. My observation (whether it's on-par for the staff reasoning or not):
There are only "x" number of staff members available to do stuff with coded clans, and unclanned people.

If you form a tribe that -is- starting to do "unstoppable stuff," it will require the "powers that be" to stop them. If those powers aren't available PCs (like - templars available to play 18 hours per day, with PC soldiers to inform them of what the problem is, with PC spies to find out where the culprits are, and maybe even a full Byn unit to track down "The Wandering Unstoppable Elf" who never stays in the city more than a RL hour at a time)...then they'll require the staff to step in.

If the staff is already busy dealing with their own clan stuff (including unclanned people who aren't part of unofficial tribes) then those unstoppables really DO become unstoppable - even though the game world wouldn't "realistically" let them be unstoppable.

And that's when you end up with a bunch of Klestion Brothers running rampant and making the game un-fun for people who are trying to play within the documented RP limits of the game.

[TimTembo]

That same unrealistic mode is available to human PCs currently - and those that take it don't live very long.

They also have the benefit (sometimes) of political backing and a safe haven, which elves wouldn't.

It'd get to the point where an elf wouldn't be able to be visible at any time, anywhere in the city.

It's possible for a non-soldier to just kill someone on the street. Sometimes it isn't easy, but it is possible.

Those elves would only have to make one mistake.

[Patuk]

I think I get the issue with tribal thing. My observation (whether it's on-par for the staff reasoning or not):
There are only "x" number of staff members available to do stuff with coded clans, and unclanned people.

If you form a tribe that -is- starting to do "unstoppable stuff," it will require the "powers that be" to stop them. If those powers aren't available PCs (like - templars available to play 18 hours per day, with PC soldiers to inform them of what the problem is, with PC spies to find out where the culprits are, and maybe even a full Byn unit to track down "The Wandering Unstoppable Elf" who never stays in the city more than a RL hour at a time)...then they'll require the staff to step in.

If the staff is already busy dealing with their own clan stuff (including unclanned people who aren't part of unofficial tribes) then those unstoppables really DO become unstoppable - even though the game world wouldn't "realistically" let them be unstoppable.

And that's when you end up with a bunch of Klestion Brothers running rampant and making the game un-fun for people who are trying to play within the documented RP limits of the game.

The elves would still be far worse at any of this than any human independent group putting their mind into it. During the HRPT, a certain group of independents had more PC's fighting for Tuluk than the bloody Legions themselves did. The argument that staff would be unable to deal with uncoded elf tribes when this kind of thing happens is nothing short of laughable.

[Dar]

It's true. Imms would be able to react just fine. After all Red Fang was destroyed, were they not? After they owned the entire world for a year or more.

[Lizzie]

It's true. Imms would be able to react just fine. After all Red Fang was destroyed, were they not? After they owned the entire world for a year or more.

It's not a matter of whether or not they would be able to react just fine. It's a matter of whether or not they want to invest time and energy into the work involved, if they opened it up again. The issues with the Red Fangs took a -lot- of staff resources, a lot of time, energy, effort. I'd love nothing more than to see more desert elf tribes opened up, whether new ones or existing ones that are presently closed for play.

But the staff has already said - they're closed for a reason, they're not opened for a reason, and really, it's just beating a dead horse - or banging your head against the wall - depending on how much effort -you- want to invest into being a change you're not allowed to be.