I hate that elves live for a 1000 years. I don’t care if it’s the staple. It’s jarring.

[Deleted member 84247]

@RepresentingEnvy Another one.

She's been around even longer than me somehow. I am 2600 years old.

I'm a vampire that has lived for 20000 years.

Mom?

 

[ChronicSleeper]

I think 1000+ year lifespans are great if executed well, But that can be rather difficult since for a race to live that long on average they would have likely played a large role in the development of the world, Which means you would have to take in account the cause and effect of there existence and what that might effect when less long lived races exist in the same world.

We have already had people doubting or not believing in the authenticity of events in the past two hundred years. And this is with instantaneous communication, a database larger than an ancient scholar could even conceive with psychedelics, and more education than ever. I would imagine that after just a few decades, or even within a generation, the effects of what an Elf/long-lived race would accomplish would be relegated to myths or their deeds given to human heroes.

 

[Deleted member 165068]

The few things that bother me about elves in terms of long life spans actually stem from their usually useless feelings offspring:

1. They always outlive their children and lovers if they're not pure blooded.

You mean to tell me I can have any written adventurer I want marry one, but their offspring or lovers get few to no benefits in terms of longevity, due to the "I will be alive a long ways after you" aspect because your bloodline is impure or not elven.

2. Do you have an elf that can do magic? Well, expect them to be highly skilled in one element or just it all while their offspring suffer as weak wizards who can't make a rock float.

3. Elves can literally make friends with most beasts or forest creatures but their offspring get nothing. No cool giant forest cats, wolves, or giant eagles for you. The most you're getting trusty half elf is a horse and maybe a trained hawk. Mommy or daddy can't provide you with a large forest animal for your adventures.

Elves are essentially lazybones in terms of parenting and it sucks to see because with 1000 years of life they should be the most matured existence ever and be able to accept and raise offspring.

 

[ChronicSleeper]

The few things that bother me about elves in terms of long life spans actually stem from their usually useless feelings offspring:

1. They always outlive their children and lovers if they're not pure blooded.

You mean to tell me I can have any written adventurer I want marry one, but their offspring or lovers get few to no benefits in terms of longevity, due to the "I will be alive a long ways after you" aspect because your bloodline is impure or not elven.

2. Do you have an elf that can do magic? Well, expect them to be highly skilled in one element or just it all while their offspring suffer as weak wizards who can't make a rock float.

3. Elves can literally make friends with most beasts or forest creatures but their offspring get nothing. No cool giant forest cats, wolves, or giant eagles for you. The most you're getting trusty half elf is a horse and maybe a trained hawk. Mommy or daddy can't provide you with a large forest animal for your adventures.

Ngl I think that's mostly on the author. Usually don't Half-Elves get some of their parent's powers/gifts?

 

[CrimsonGenius]

Ngl I think that's mostly on the author. Usually don't Half-Elves get some of their parent's powers/gifts?

I think some cases half elves are equal to if not have a longer lifespan than elves… at least that’s what I got from Tales of Symphonia.

 

[ChronicSleeper]

I think some cases half elves are equal to if not have a longer lifespan than elves… at least that’s what I got from Tales of Symphonia.

Yeah, it's really up to the author to do what they wish with Half-Elves. I personally like them being stronger than purebloods, because they incorporate the versatility and ingenuity of humanity with the raw overwhelming power of Elves.

 

[Kenjona]

Yeah, it's really up to the author to do what they wish with Half-Elves. I personally like them being stronger than purebloods, because they incorporate the versatility and ingenuity of humanity with the raw overwhelming power of Elves.

Most Half elves, I have read of or seen in games. Do not live as long as elves, get some of the perks but generally those are not as good or as many. But they are not as robust and well rounded as their other parent.

 

[Chaos_Sinner777]

Okay. Eternal youth, flawless beauty, and innate magic beyond what even the greatest individuals of any other species can gain, for every single elf, it is. In fact, let us make the average elf equal to the greatest GODS of every other species. And, just for funsies, they're alien invaders with super advanced magical technology who randomly decided to take over a fantasy world and just pretend to live a mere thousand years, cause that's how long it takes them to go from the equivalent of a teenager, to accepted as an adult, so this world functions as little more than a playground for them.

 

[ChronicSleeper]

Okay. Eternal youth, flawless beauty, and innate magic beyond what even the greatest individuals of any other species can gain, for every single elf, it is. In fact, let us make the average elf equal to the greatest GODS of every other species. And, just for funsies, they're alien invaders with super advanced magical technology who randomly decided to take over a fantasy world and just pretend to live a mere thousand years, cause that's how long it takes them to go from the equivalent of a teenager, to accepted as an adult, so this world functions as little more than a playground for them.

That would actually be an extremely funny premise, the "teenage" elf pretending to be scared by the big bad because their human friends are (they need to fit in), even though they were in no real danger because of the gigantic fucking death ray in orbit ready to laser anything that is a threat.

 

[georgelee5786]

Then you won’t be a member of the group knowm as, Realist Against Guiless Elves.

Man, I hate when my fantasy isn't realistic. When I see magic in a fantasy book, I just throw it right away coz it ain't realistic. Everything needs realism in it, particularly the genre literally called fantasy

 

[bulmabriefs144]

I think I had pureblooded elves live forever. Half-elves (and I considered "half-elves" to also include elves of two elf races, such as wood and aquatic elves) have a lifespan, though it was something like 3000 years or so.

Pureblooded elves have only four fingers (I was reading Elfquest) vs half-elves because of the latter's "muddy" genes. But it was also possible to gene-splice elves back to pureblooded (I was reading Elfquest!) with enough healing expertise.

Oddly, The Dragon Prince has that four finger thing, but also some weird deal with giving elves horns.

 

[Cipiteca396]

Okay. Eternal youth, flawless beauty, and innate magic beyond what even the greatest individuals of any other species can gain, for every single elf, it is. In fact, let us make the average elf equal to the greatest GODS of every other species. And, just for funsies, they're alien invaders with super advanced magical technology who randomly decided to take over a fantasy world and just pretend to live a mere thousand years, cause that's how long it takes them to go from the equivalent of a teenager, to accepted as an adult, so this world functions as little more than a playground for them.

Oh, Warhammer 40k elves... Or so I gather as an outsider.

In my story they live 200 years max. No exceptions. You can’t tell me they control everything, The asari from Mass Effect are also guilty. The Krogan… they’re fine, but just as guilty.

Do we always have to make some species live past 300? Why?

You're biased by your puny human perspective. MOST magical creatures live past 300 years. Usually much, much longer. It's humans that are weird and weak for reasons that just plain old don't make sense.

 

[cabbag3]

I think some cases half elves are equal to if not have a longer lifespan than elves… at least that’s what I got from Tales of Symphonia.

I think Dungeon Meshi also has an interesting spin on this idea. I think the half-*insert long-lived species* in the story weren't necessarily getting only half of the perks of the long-lived parent. With magic in your genes, you can live twice as long compared to your long-lived mother, but you won't get childhood friends and you're sterile. So good luck on your long, lonely, and magic-filled life.

That would actually be an extremely funny premise, the "teenage" elf pretending to be scared by the big bad because their human friends are (they need to fit in), even though they were in no real danger because of the gigantic fucking death ray in orbit ready to laser anything that is a threat.

Kinda also feels like you're friends with a rich kid. You use a bike to go to your part-time job, and you discover your co-worker drive to work with a McLaren.

 

[Jocelyn_Uasal]

Probably stems from a shared human desire for life to be longer. We're always asking for more time, another chance, a rewind, an eternal afterlife, etc. Though the older I get, the less I cherish the idea

 

[bulmabriefs144]

That would actually be an extremely funny premise, the "teenage" elf pretending to be scared by the big bad because their human friends are (they need to fit in), even though they were in no real danger because of the gigantic fucking death ray in orbit ready to laser anything that is a threat.

I think Aqorm in Oracle of Tao did pretend to be about 1000 years younger than she was.

Probably stems from a shared human desire for life to be longer. We're always asking for more time, another chance, a rewind, an eternal afterlife, etc. Though the older I get, the less I cherish the idea

I think long life is fine... as long as you got someone to spend it with. I basically worked that idea in, that powerful mages could extend their lifespan, though it required loads of magic to pull that off.

 

[Daitengu]

In my story they live 200 years max. No exceptions. You can’t tell me they control everything, The asari from Mass Effect are also guilty. The Krogan… they’re fine, but just as guilty.

Do we always have to make some species live past 300? Why?

Elementals, spirits, undead, and Fey often also have psudo-immortality.

Elves and the like tend to be tied to mana/magic, the divine/demonic, and in the case of elementals laws of reality. That gives them extraordinary life spans.

That's the base mechanics of why. As for plot, authors tend to use long lived species as monstrous others, conservative foils, and other worldly view points. Frieren properly uses elvish age as a plot device.

Other long lived examples:

Eleminster in classic D&D is thousands of years old, and so are many other wizard type humans for that matter.

Artoria and Scathach in the Fate series are both still living after centuries. One from dragon blood, and the other from soaking in the blood of magical beings in battle.

 

[GlassRose]

If a vampire does not have to suck blood, has a mirror image, can endure the sun, then how are they still vampires?

Okay but everything besides sucking blood is, very variable. First off, vampires didn't originally die in the sun, mostly all it was was that some of their special powers (like turning into fog, possibly also turning into a bat or wolf as well. Shapeshifty stuff) stopped working in the sun. Second, the reflection thing only applies to back when they made mirrors out of silver, which they don't do anymore, so a vampire would have a reflection in a regular mirror or a glass window (that's also a weird choice of specific vampire lore to say defines vampires).

Most of vampire's weaknesses stem from 'pure' things that ward off disease, because vampires are largely an allegory for disease. Garlic isn't really 'pure' but iirc it helps with anemia, flowing water is cleaner and less likely to be contaminated, silver is a disinfectant. Not sure where the sun fits into that, I don't think it was a purity thing so much as 'reveals the true form'. Could be making that shit up though.

Vampires were also originally undead and that is the source of some of their weaknesses as well, so the weaknesses from that would be dependant on the setting. Not all modern vampires are undead anymore though, so those weaknesses wouldn't be relevant. But perhaps that's part of the, losing special traits until they're just humans with pointy canines and a goth aesthetic problem.

I never got why living that long was an huge advantage. Peoples memories aren’t good enough it’d really matter and how useful is ancient knowledge anyway?

“Ah I did electronics 50 years ago, I can help”

No you can’t, you’ll remember fuck all about it and are 50 years out of date.

“I studied the blade for 200 years”

cool you still die to a musket dipshit. Nobody uses swords anymore.

Okay but now apply that to magic, and they maintain an active presence in a well-regarded magical learning/research institution. And note that the rate if technological innovation has skyrocketed the past couple centuries, in a setting less advanced, they wouldn't be so out of date. They would also probably be the ones defining the majority of innovation, because their knowledge and skill base can keep growing, whereas with humans, our researchers die sooner and then we have to spend time training new ones and no one lives long enough to learn everything so they have to specialize. Short lived species might have an edge in R&D because they would get more perspectives more frequently to take innovations in different directions, but elves would be masters of applying learned knowledge on a broader scale and getting learned knowledge a practical use quicker, because they would be familiar with all the disciplines where the knowledge could be applied.

Another direction to consider as well, an elf that practices something like psychology or politics (and not just study but actual practical experience). Those are more timeless. Well, politics changes but also stays the same. The point is, social manipulation. Someone who has mastered social manipulation, is a terrifying foe.

Also, if elves live longer, they're naturally also going to have better memories, or perhaps more efficient memories, to be able to handle that, using human memory limits doesn't make sense, they're not human.

 

[bulmabriefs144]

Nowadays some vampires even just have an aversion to garlic. I think in Mayonaka Punch, garlic just gives them diarrhea.
And then of course there's the Twilight series. *cringe_induced_amnesia* Wait, what novel was I talking about?

 

[JayMark]

I solved this problem, my elves have a maximum lifespan of 10 minutes. For vampires it's 20 minutes.

 

[Cipiteca396]

I solved this problem, my elves have a maximum lifespan of 10 minutes. For vampires it's 20 minutes.

Screen time or real time?