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Old 11-08-2018, 09:34 AM   #1
roguebfl
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Default Elven Poltics

Granting the assumptions that the elves we're talking about have longevity that effectively Unaging once they finish their 100 year adolescence, and due to their magic they economically live in effectively post scarcity prestige economy.

I was consider ennui be a one of the intractable issues that divide their politics which the major divisions would mastering a skill vers dabbling in many. What do you see the political system evolving out of this situation?
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Old 11-08-2018, 09:55 AM   #2
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Default Re: Elven Poltics

Quote:
Originally Posted by roguebfl View Post
Granting the assumptions that the elves we're talking about have longevity that effectively Unaging once they finish their 100 year adolescence, and due to their magic they economically live in effectively post scarcity prestige economy.

I was consider ennui be a one of the intractable issues that divide their politics which the major divisions would mastering a skill vers dabbling in many. What do you see the political system evolving out of this situation?
Ennui and post-scarcity prestige economy are internal factors. What are the external factors affecting this elven society?
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Old 11-08-2018, 10:21 AM   #3
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Default Re: Elven Poltics

You've mentioned a potential difference between specialists and generalists. This has a lot of cultural value.



  • Generalists will kind of all form one community that talks with itself a lot.
  • Specialists will not be able to band together as a whole, but will know people in their chosen specialization extremely well.
  • Specialists will likely be in charge/the best at any given endeavor, But at any given moment, one or more groups will be struggling to find work.
  • Generalists will see specialists as arrogant and stubborn, and accuse them of seeking to rule and being complainers when things don't go their way
  • Specialists will see generalists as quitters and feeble-minded, and may also characterize them as being lazy or short sighted.
  • Generalist and Specialist are probably a continuum, and elves find themselves on a spectrum.


You haven't mentioned the government type, and that will effect these things a lot.
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Old 11-08-2018, 10:31 AM   #4
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Default Re: Elven Poltics

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Originally Posted by Apollonian View Post
Ennui and post-scarcity prestige economy are internal factors. What are the external factors affecting this elven society?
Somewhat stable.their eastern and north borders are Mountains which only one major pass not far outside their North western borders. To surface of the Mountains is Controlled Gnomes and under by Dwarves, though occasional Orcs, Goblin, Kobolds and Drow raiders make though minor passes/underdark (the Drow is considered the Major threat no just because the other more easily stopped by the Gnomes, but because Drow were a warped "offshoot" of elves (Action of two evil gods who cannot create their own from scratch) as well as undark entrances are closer.

The Western border is a Human kingdom with a minority Halfling population (mostly made of wandering traders)

The Southern border is Bay control by Antro-Penguins who pirate most fishing.

That Major mount Pass is technicly in Human lands, but the Humans, Elves and Dwarves have a Mutual alliance the Guard the Pass, to the North of Pass is the "Warped lands" which has no government more powerful than a city state , before you get to the Orc empire.
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Last edited by roguebfl; 11-08-2018 at 11:14 AM.
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Old 11-08-2018, 10:43 AM   #5
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Default Re: Elven Poltics

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Originally Posted by ericthered View Post
You've mentioned a potential difference between specialists and generalists. This has a lot of cultural value.
  • Generalists will kind of all form one community that talks with itself a lot.
  • Specialists will not be able to band together as a whole, but will know people in their chosen specialization extremely well.
  • Specialists will likely be in charge/the best at any given endeavor, But at any given moment, one or more groups will be struggling to find work.
  • Generalists will see specialists as arrogant and stubborn, and accuse them of seeking to rule and being complainers when things don't go their way
  • Specialists will see generalists as quitters and feeble-minded, and may also characterize them as being lazy or short sighted.
  • Generalist and Specialist are probably a continuum, and elves find themselves on a spectrum.
The short sighted accusation probably goes both ways as Generalist will Specialist suffering from tunnel vision and trouble see the big picture.

Quote:
You haven't mentioned the government type, and that will effect these things a lot.
That because that one primary things I want to discuss what would be something that evolves to match that culture 8)
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Old 11-08-2018, 10:47 AM   #6
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Default Re: Elven Poltics

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Originally Posted by roguebfl View Post
Granting the assumptions that the elves we're talking about have longevity that effectively Unaging once they finish their 100 year adolescence, and due to their magic they economically live in effectively post scarcity prestige economy.

I was consider ennui be a one of the intractable issues that divide their politics which the major divisions would mastering a skill vers dabbling in many. What do you see the political system evolving out of this situation?
I once did a version of elves for D&D based on their being majority Chaotic Good and vastly long lived. So my version had "kings" who didn't pass on their position to the offspring and just abdicated when they realized they had lost the respect of the people in favour of someone who was more respected. It was unofficial democracy.
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Old 11-08-2018, 10:51 AM   #7
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Default Re: Elven Poltics

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Originally Posted by David Johnston2 View Post
I once did a version of elves for D&D based on their being majority Chaotic Good and vastly long lived. So my version had "kings" who didn't pass on their position to the offspring and just abdicated when they realized they had lost the respect of the people in favour of someone who was more respected. It was unofficial democracy.
The Aristocracy would more the families with trations to "Serve" and those drawn to Diplomacy as a skill to master.
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Old 11-08-2018, 10:54 AM   #8
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Default Re: Elven Poltics

It really depends on too many factors. But in general, any government of immortal elves will be as unchanging as they are. If we assume a generally good chance of continued life — that is, no constant wars to roil the population — then you would either have the government be static, or you would have constantly rotating positions. In the former case, if there's a king then the king will always be the king, etc., so there's no Game of Thrones-style court intrigue. Elves' ambitions would not tend toward the acquisition of limited resources like political power, because there's only so much of it to go around and those who have it can be expected to keep it forever.

If there are no fixed political positions, then I'd expect a very democratic, egalitarian society. No one expects to keep their position for very long, because there's no such thing as "very long" to immortal elves. And if you can't expect to keep political power for much time, it's not much of a draw to you to abuse it. So elves would just consider it a civic duty and do it. And everyone would do it, because eventually every elf will have had opportunities to serve.

So it depends greatly on what kind of society you're dealing with. A more interesting exercise might be to posit a society of elves, and then figure out what immortality would mean to that society.
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Old 11-08-2018, 11:02 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by roguebfl View Post
The Aristocracy would more the families with trations to "Serve" and those drawn to Diplomacy as a skill to master.
Oh yeah, the successor would also be an elf of status established over millennia because lets not get crazy here.
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Old 11-08-2018, 11:25 AM   #10
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Default Re: Elven Poltics

I would see almost regardless of how it works, the head of the state is chosen, the Elves would be mostly be fine with humans translation the title as King, as most humans will not know more than one head of state in their lifetime and most of the time it not worth explaining the difference. Or maybe I'm wrong there maybe the limits of their power might be worth them not be mistaken for king. Internally hance speaking in elven they would definitely care though
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