What Are You Wearing?

[Praefection]

He's nicely put together. One of mine was looking at him the other day and I was going to post under the outfit award topic but then got sidetracked.

[Nilandia]

Concerning Ta'Vaalor (and Ta'Illistim, although I've never been), I'd really like to better understand what you mean. The race issue is all I can come up with. Irregardless, I will not be deterred!

Before the Nations opened, Ta'Vaalor and Ta'Illistim had a certain mystique, since no one could go there, yet they were centers of Elven culture and society. Now that they're opened, they've lost what they once had, and they're now just another place to go in game. In general, it seems the average player has lost respect for the Illistim and the Vaalor, and I don't want to see that happen for the Nalfein.

As others have mentioned, being able to see Ta'Nalfein from the rail of the WD was awesome, and I'd love something like that, but I'd fight tooth, nail, fan and poison that Ta'Nalfein will never open permanently.

Gretchen

[Fairborne]

I have a lot of saved information about the Nalfein, since Issi is one.

Dice games, fan language information, etc.

Mind tossing me a few links, or emailing?

I did read an amazing loresing on a Nalfein fan, as well as a host of rogue paraphernalia.

[Fairborne]

Before the Nations opened, Ta'Vaalor and Ta'Illistim had a certain mystique, since no one could go there, yet they were centers of Elven culture and society. Now that they're opened, they've lost what they once had, and they're now just another place to go in game. In general, it seems the average player has lost respect for the Illistim and the Vaalor, and I don't want to see that happen for the Nalfein.

As others have mentioned, being able to see Ta'Nalfein from the rail of the WD was awesome, and I'd love something like that, but I'd fight tooth, nail, fan and poison that Ta'Nalfein will never open permanently.

I see. Thank you for explaining.

With that in mind, and just out of curiosity, what are your thoughts on a more exclusive setting? Say it were open to all Elves, Aelotoi, and maybe Sylvan, but all other races would require accompaniment by an Elf, with Dark Elves, perhaps, entirely banned. Although I'm likely in the minority, I can't help but hope such a place can exist and not "go the way of" the other two cities. Something to think about, anyway.

[Nilandia]

I see. Thank you for explaining.

With that in mind, and just out of curiosity, what are your thoughts on a more exclusive setting? Say it were open to all Elves, Aelotoi, and maybe Sylvan, but all other races would require accompaniment by an Elf, with Dark Elves, perhaps, entirely banned. Although I'm likely in the minority, I can't help but hope such a place can exist and not "go the way of" the other two cities. Something to think about, anyway.

Any attempt to open Ta'Nalfein would have to include a lot of work to balance being true to lores with being fun. Whether that's possible remains to be seen, but I'd be open to suggestions.

Opening Ta'Nalfein would also require some amount of defining the Nalfein themselves, saying that one way of roleplaying a Nalfein in a certain area would be correct while another would not. For example, would a typical Nalfein associate with other races? Some people would say they would not because of the racism inherent in most Elven Houses. Others would say they would, recognizing that other races can be tools to achieve their goals.

Other than a reference to the Nalfein seeing half-elves like tools, there is no mention of how they view other races. Whether the Nalfein would allow other races to enter the city, or how the town NPCs would react to other races could render someone's carefully thought-out roleplay meaningless, even if before then it was completely in line with the documentation.

I adore documentation, and have often referred to myself as a doc addict. The docs, however, typically speak in generalities, allowing the individual player to interpret as they see fit. I love seeing players able to craft their own vision of a race that's in line with documentation, even if it might disagree with someone else's. Opening a city leaves far less 'wiggle room' than documentation while also relegating the city to the mundane, which is something I would like to avoid for Ta'Nalfein.

Gretchen

PS: I have copies of a lot of player lore concerning the Nalfein. PM me with an e-mail or if you'd like it sent by PM and I'll get them to you.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

Well said, Gretchen.

I'm glad that the official documentation is in part not very specific.

No offense to Simu but there have been times when they have made something official about a race seemingly just to spite people who have played their entire time in GS with a character of a race a certain way. In the seconds it takes to release a document that character's credibility as an "example" of a race can be utterly destroyed. And it *is* upsetting to see it happen, especially if you've spent hours carving out, researching and developing tools so you can RP what you think is a better character. I am however glad to see them opening things up so that players who have a talent for developing/researching sound documentation can actually (and rightfully, IMO) be included in documentation.

Granted there are times when player groups still give Simu the finger. I remember during the premium festival one year there was some shop that had a bunch of really ugly shit in it and a sign that said they were the latest fashions from Ta'Nalfein. I think most of the Nalfein players laughed and said "Bullshit, my character isn't gonna walk around looking like a clown" and ignored it. The Dhe'nar also come to mind as being a roleplay group that isn't afraid to stand up to Simu when they view something as being bull.

I don't see them being able to open up Ta'Nalfein and not have it turn into something mundane like Ta'Vaalor or Ta'Illistim. Most things they could put in place would be easily circumvented by people who simply aren't interested in RP, won't separate IRL from the game, or else they just RP far outside of what is "normal" for an elf (i.e. an elf who hates racism). Due to the very diplomatic and yet extremely underhanded and slightly sociopathic nature of Nalfein life (one thing that is made clear in documentation) I'd say that as a whole the Nalfein are extremely paranoid. It doesn't make sense to me that they would allow any outsiders into their city without some extreme scrutiny before hand.

Also related. A while ago I was practicing coding and started to make my own Mud. I ended up first coding Issi's mansion and then coded part of how I imagine Ta'Nalfein to be. I may be prejudiced about this issue for that reason-- I happen to really like my "version" of it and I would be pretty annoyed for a Ta'Nalfein to open up that I feel is inferior to my own version. Call it stuck-up or elitist, but I know that truly they won't be able to meet my standards. (And before anyone attacks the legality of me coding a Mud based "in" Elanthia, no one plays it and it's not something I'd open up to people for play. It was merely for practice)

[DCSL]

You guys need to shut up about the Nalfein. You're making me nostalgic. ;_;

[Fairborne]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. Grechen, I will be thinking about suggestions. Probably just for giggles, but ya never know what may come.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

You guys need to shut up about the Nalfein. You're making me nostalgic. ;_;

I have an extra Vanne fan if you ever do decide to..

*whistles innocently*

[DCSL]

You are a tempting strumpet, my dear. -.-; When Andraste is no longer a GM. Or I break mentally.