| From: | L Canthros <lobo1@****.COM> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: greetings and the search for Excalibur |
| Date: | Sat, 24 May 1997 21:25:36 EDT |
writes:
[...]
>Don't say it's Tolkein. That tends to upset a lot of people :)
>Seriously,
>Tolkien was too namby pamby where elves and things were concerned.
>Shadowrun is based on fantasy, but I'd say not on Tolkein.
Actually, I think you'll find that it is based a lot on Tolkien, at least
where elves are concerned. Namby-pamby or not, Tolkien really created the
notion of the elf as a fair, tall, thin etc. . . Myth, on the other hand,
generally regarded elves as fairies/sprites/etc. Short, childlike, fair,
thin, but definitely not tall. Even though much of the rest of the basis
for Shadowrun's fantasy element doesn't come from Tolkien (well, orks and
trolls also seem to be based off of Tolkien references), Tolkien quite
heavily influenced the way many people think about elves. While I don't
believe that the IE should go anywhere near the 'save the world' use as
an element of SR, I do think they make for a nice plot device along the
lines of an 'Illuminati'-type organisation, to (try to) control things
from behind the scenes. I don't agree with how the IE was made into every
other exceptional person from ages past (kings, queens, Leonardo Da
Vinci, etc). They will never be used like that in my game. On the other
hand, they do constitue a major element in SR, as background players,
like the Great Dragons.
[...]
>> Hey, there's a question in here too?
>> I'm wondering if any published material has (or will) announce the
>location
>
>Nothing has been written telling the location. It is unlikely that
>anything about it will appear in the future, as Mike Mulvhill (the
>Shadowrun Line Developer) doesn't like the Immortal Elves or Horrors
>much.
>This one will be left to individual GMs.
Could be, but I wouldn't be entirely surprised to find a piece of
fiction, a novel, written on it. I think that if they're going to use it,
they'll use it within the next few years, give the sword to the H-man,
and we probably won't hear of it again. Which will be much the preferred
path to me. That gives a definite end to it, takes care of the thing, and
takes care of it until the Horrors return (which won't happen for a very
long time, if Mike has any say in things).
<snip>
>You'd be surprised. The way some of the novels go with the Immortal
>Elves
>being queens and kings and the like, Harlequin may well have been
>Arthur.
>As for Avalon, no idea.
I'd much prefer for Arthur to be a separate, real person. I don't think
that it would be right for Harleqiun to be the Once and Future King. Now,
it does make sense, sort of, I just don't like the idea...what if
Harlequinn were Merlin? That, I could live with...I guess...
--
-Canthros
And ye shall know the truth, and lobo1@****.com
the truth shall set you free. canthros1@***.com
--John 8:32, KJV
http://members.aol.com/canthros1/
