AMIA ARCHIVE • View topic

Last edited by princessmi on Fri, Aug 13 2010, 4:04 AM, edited 2 times in total.

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I'm interested too. Please clearly state the sources you use, and post page references if possible. I haven't found much Realms-specific stuff, just the general bore in the Complete Book of Elves.

BoEF is a strange book that has this sort of information (on pregnancy). I won't bother posting it here since Tormak will probably rant, but I will PM the information if you like. Should be careful with it, though ... they're very much guidelines as opposed rules.

There are not much canon lore on elven weddings and births, however I can give some advice on elven weddings and births. Most of this is not canon but just what I thought made sense. Let me know your opinions on what I have here.

weddings

Elven weddings by human standards are long affairs but they are certainly joyful ones. Just as elven courting takes many years for elves to truly believe that they are meant for each other, so does Elven weddings last longer than human weddings. Elven weddings can last several days or even a week. The finial day or days is the most joyous and it cultivates with the actual union of the two elves. A priestess of Hanali Celanil is almost always present, as she is the elven goddess of Love. However that does not mean other priestess and priest of the elven gods do not have a part to play in the wedding festival. before the two couples kiss each other, they exchange gifts between one another. Some Elves prefer to make the gift themselves others do not mind buying a gift if their love prefers something they are not skilled in, say fletchery.

Following the union, which usually involves a kiss, There is a feast with Lots of merry Making. Drinks are often allowed to flow freely among the various guests of the couple. Evermead, Feywine, and other elven drinks are part of the festivals. Songs, especially songs of Love are sung throughout the festival.

Pregnancy and birth

Elves are renowned for their long pregnancy. It takes a full two years for a child to be born. The mother will usually stay within the sanctuary of the elven city that she lives in, even if she normally would go outside of the town say as a scout. As elves are connected to magic, both arcane and divine, many elven soon to be mothers use the arcane to assist them through the pregnancy, especially as it come closer to giving birth. Though despite the magic, elven pregnancy is a lot less painful on the mother than it would be if the mother was human.

Like everything with the elves, longevity pervades even pregnancy. Elves spend a long time to prepare for their new born child. It is not surprising for an elven mother to take a couple of months to decide upon a name for her child. When it gets close to the time of birth of the child, the mother would spend time speaking with elven priests and priestess of the Selderine, in particularly those of Corellon Lareithian and Labelas Enoreth. It is said to be a good sign if a priest or priestess of Labelas Enoreth is able to attend the birth of the child, usually it means that the child will live a long and joyous life. If a priest or priestess of one of the Selderine is attending the birth they will bless the child to have a happy and joyous life, They will do so even if they are not dedicated to Corellon Larethian or Labelas Enoreth

Last edited by Torzeng on Sat, Aug 15 2009, 2:53 AM, edited 1 time in total.

I'd go to Races of the Wild, there is a good segment. I have a PDF >.<; Not really time right now to try typing it up. Might be able to send it to you if you MSN.

Edit for Below: Cheers on that Yurell.

Williams, S. Races of the Wild, Wizards of the Coast, Renton, 2005 pp. 12-13

I double-pot because I think anything else said in that post would likely get lost beneath the picture.
I know this contradicts a lot of the information gained from other sources, but as far as I'm aware this is not FR, so an FR source that says otherwise would 'trump' this information.

Note: I also disagree with some of this information, but since it's from a sourcebook it's up to you to decide.

I'm curious, which parts don't you agree with? o.o? *is reading the same pdf and found it fascinating* Though I do agree with the uncertainty of if it is FR. Though do other worlds share Corellon as an elven god and Hanali as a love goddess as well?

I know some of the gods tend to overlap so....really uncertain. Though if these are FR elves....wow, this is some nice info to have!! Thanks Yurell!

colanah wrote:

I'm curious, which parts don't you agree with? o.o? *is reading the same pdf and found it fascinating* Though I do agree with the uncertainty of if it is FR. Though do other worlds share Corellon as an elven god and Hanali as a love goddess as well?

I know some of the gods tend to overlap so....really uncertain. Though if these are FR elves....wow, this is some nice info to have!! Thanks Yurell!

I don't think it's FR because the intro mentions generic D&D, and it doesn't mention once any FR books. Corellon is the vanilla D&D god of the elves, so that doesn't really help much, either.
As for what I don't like, I much preferred the elven 24-month pregnancy. Also, I don't like the idea of elves reaching full maturity at twenty and not even another elf can tell them apart - I know if I look at an elephant or an orang-outang, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between one that is older or younger, yet I'm reasonably sure said animals would be able to.

I like the 24 as well and it just said they couldn't tell the other's age, not differences between one elf and another if I read it correctly. I'm pretty sure with their attention to detail, even twins among elves would be easy to tell apart. Thank you though for answering!

colanah wrote:

I like the 24 as well and it just said they couldn't tell the other's age, not differences between one elf and another if I read it correctly. I'm pretty sure with their attention to detail, even twins among elves would be easy to tell apart. Thank you though for answering!

I meant picking the age difference, not the identity ^^

The point I'm trying is that if I showed you two pictures of the same orang-outang taken five years apart, would you be able to tell which was taken earlier (ignoring things like picture quality - only from the oran-outang itself)? Probably not.
However, if I were to do the same with a human, it would likely take you less than twenty seconds to pick which is the older.

I'd imagine it works the same way with elves.

I didn't even catch that is suggests only "9 months" instead of "24months". I always just remembered it as that half-elves were hard because they'd always be born pre-mature from human blood messing with elven blood gestation. With elven pregnancy taking longer naturally. I'd agree on that bit of 24months is better than 9months.

I do however like how they age only a fraction slower than humans. I always assumed the elven kind could tell their ages because they know how they mature over 100years. Expecially given they wait to be seen as a responsable adult at 100 years [implied].

Yet, knowing Elven vanity, why should other races be able to tell? Expecially since Elves can live for 700 years and hardly change at all in features until near their death?

I would wager you can stand an elf who's age 25 when they finish "filling out" next to their older self at age 400, given "after that, elves remain virtually timeless, decade after decade." That only confuses other races I should think though. Elves like their wisdom as they age; the "not even another elf can tell at a glace whether an elf is 25, 50, or 100 years of age" seems horribly mistaken. A simple as a motion on how to greet another of their kind [waves hand versus nodded head or bow; eye contact or not, upturned or downturned facing, ect] would be a huge clue-in amongst their own kind.

9.9 ..I can't say for certain about that Yurell. People have carded and mistaken me for a 16 yo. I'm 30.

My grams was 97, they thought she was 50. My mum is almost 60, she looks 25.

Little brother is 25 and he got pulled over by a truant officer. >.>..sometimes you can't tell by looking though other times you cannot mistake someone's age. You can take stabs in the dark or the light....buuuut.

Still elves are magical and if they really do get set features around 25 and don't change until close to death....wow. Oil of Olay anyone? I'm almost certain that they can tell the difference though. Humans aren't that good yet. X3

Whist exceptions exist, I'm still inclined to believe that one can nail down ages relatively accurately.
As for elves being magical, in D&D all creatures are magical, including humans. But I don't like the idea that the elves can't tell a difference in age that amounts to over 95% of their life expectancy in general.

Yurell wrote:

But I don't like the idea that the elves can't tell a difference in age that amounts to over 95% of their life expectancy in general.

Agreed.

But I think it's more pluasable Elves -can- tell Elves apart on age.

Other races have more difficulty. Much more.

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