Race and Guild

[My 2 sids]

Ok, I've been playing the same race so far, but I'm thinking about maybe trying a new one.  I've read all the docs and all, but still don't see why people would choose that race.

I was wondering if people could maybe say a few of the advantages to playing a race or guild.  This could be helpful because some of us may over look a really neat role because we can't picture how fun it would be.

[mansa]

The advantages are all in your head, really.  It's a story.  Armageddon is a story.  You get these character concepts in your head, and you want to try and play them out.

A dwarf who's focus is to make the best wine in the world.

An elf who's handicap is that he studders, but he wants to swindle the best deal this side of the 'rinth.

A human, who's parents were killing by a raging mul slave of Borsail, and now wants to take revenge on Borsail itself.


You play the character, in the world of Zalanathas, for the fun of the story you create...not for the best skillz and p0w3rzzz.



But, other than that.

Elves are known thieves.  Good thieves, too.  They are quick and tall.
Dwarves are strong and short and anal about their focus.

Half-elves have all the socialogical problems.  Who is my daddy, and what does he do?

[Barzalene]

Do it! Do it!

Playing another race and certain guilds is like playing a whole new game. To do it well, you have to really separate from you pc and find a place in your head where the way you think and what you value is very foriegn the roles you've played in the past.

I think playing these roles (assuming we're not making our human pcs and reincarnating them in a differently shaped body) adds depth to the game world, and makes us better players.

[Rindan]

I almost exclusively play half elves and humans.  Humans are the shit for obvious reasons.  They can do anything, be anything, and pick on anyone.  Half-elves are awesome in my opinion because they are a character with some serious personal issues.

Let's say you are a half-elf.  How do you view yourself?  Imagine if you grew up in a human family.  Your family was nice enough to keep your around because they desperately needed the extra hand.  Let's start with how you were born.  If you grew up with a family of humans you probably were a product of rape.  Mommy wandered into an alleyway that was too dark and something bad happened.  Nine months latter a slimy little half-breed slides out.  Mommy doesn't like you.  In fact, Daddy, the kids, and anyone else in the entire family circle probably hate your gates.  Why?  You are a constant reminder of a terrible rape.  Even if they didn't hate you for that, then you can bet they would loath you for what you are.  All the other kids have nice rounded ears.  You are a skinny little bastard with pointed ears.  You are and embarrassment to the family and probably are stuffed into a closet or told to go get lost in the street if a neighbor comes over.  The other kids in the family are also probably stronger then you, though you probably are probably a better runner due to your blood and simply out of need.  So you grow up in this family and constantly take shit.  Everyone has probably had the pleasure of beating you.  Mom and Dad beat you, as do your own brothers and sisters.  Your tainted elf blood doesn't help make the beatings any less sever.  If anything, being as skinny and as lanky as you are it probably hurts you terrible.  You have very few friends.  Maybe you get dragged into a child gang simply for protection, or perhaps you never find protection and suffer constant abuse.  How does this affect your mental development?

You are probably going to hate yourself.  There will be an entire side of you that you consider tainted.  You probably consider half of your blooded to be coursing with poisoned and tainted blood.  You will likely be so used to being called half-breed that when someone calls you it like a casual name, "Hey half-breed, come here for a moment" you likely will not even think to be offended.  If you survive your childhood mentally intact, you probably will be an extremely strong an independent person.  It would take a lot of physical and mental abuse for you to break down by the time you become an adult simply because you have seen it all.  You might not be the most honest of people.  If you got through childhood you probably got through it with little help from anyone else.  You fought your own battles and got your own food.  In fact, acting independently to serve yourself might very well be something that is deeply ingrained into your persona.  You simply don't trust others to do what you should do yourself.  Others probably view you as being independent to a fault, but you just view it as relying on the only person you can truly trust to provided and not inflict harm, yourself.

At the same time you became a violently independent creature trusting the helping hand of no-one, you also probably became attention starved.  You probably cherish the moments when you can have a normal conversation without what you are getting too much in the way.  Hell, you probably might not even mind being yelled at so long as it is some sort of attention.  Mommy and Daddy never paid you any mind unless it is yelling and beating, why should your adult life be any different?  You might intentionally put yourself in a position to be scorned just for the attention.  Of course, that scorn is still going to hurt, but it beats nothing.

You probably switch from being violently independent to violently needy at random and often times are both at the same time.  It is as much of a contradiction as it sounds and could lead to having a violently unstable mood.  You might starve to death before begging for food, but might take getting punched in the stomach for attempting to befriend a Tor guard as good attention.  You might love the friends you have dearly and be absolutely fanatical in your protect of them, but at the same time might utterly refuse to trust them for help when you desperately need it.  Your life is caught between a fanatical sense of independence and an equally (and often times at odds) fanatical sense of wanting to belong.  People might view you as having violently mood swings, but it is really you just trying to accommodate both impulses at once.

If you like abuse and putting yourself into bad social situations, half-elves are the way to go.

A sharp blow from the human Byn runner's practice club sends the Byn half-elf to his knees, doubled over and gasping for breath.

In-between terrible wheezing gasps, the half-elf says in Sirihish,
  "Great shot."

Offering a hand with a concerned look on his face, the human runner says in Sirihish,
 "Shit man, that was a hard blow, let me give you a hand up."

Snapping at the human Byn runner with sudden venom in his voice, the half-elf says in Sirihish,
 "I can get up myself!  I don't need help."

The human runner backs off with a look of surprise.

With a suddenly pleasant and warm smile, the half-elf says in Sirihish,
 "How about we hit up the Gaj.  I got a few 'sid on me from that last job.  Tell the unit drinks are on me."

The half-elf thinks, "I have enough to cover everyones' drinks I think.  I won't be able to buy that new sword I need, but I bet everyone will really appreciate free drinks."

The human runner thinks, "That half-breed is stark mad.  His mood changes every ten seconds, but Krath scorch me, I won't pass up free drinks, even from a half-breed."