Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnny1A.2
I understand that reaction, but the possibility of such things kind of comes with the territory if you discover that magic is real and that the 'legends' of history are factual. Of course that particular incident might still have been no more than what it seemed, even if magical history is real. But if everything we think we know is wrong, or might be wrong, then everything we think we know comes into question.
Also note that the notion that the elves are a 'good' race, or friendly to humans, is also something of a modernist notion. Historically, they and the rest of Faerie were generally seen as either evil or at least unpredictable and dangerous, and you did best to avoid contact if you could.
In that light, the word 'eldritch' originally derives from the same linguistic root word as 'elf'.
It can be both at once. To use The Dresden Files as an example, in it the masquerade is a loose thing, lots of people know something or suspect something of the truth, but TPTB will come after you if you violate it in a big way. It exists to protect both mundane mortals and the supernatural types, from each other.
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Concur - especially given the topic of Horror, we need to be thinking of the fact that if the Supernatural did exist (and the majority of our ancestors seem to have taken this for granted) then we, like our ancestors are right to be afraid of it. Recent fantasy - especially RPGs - have made us far too comfortable with the idea of magic, whilst for most of history it was viewed with great suspicion if not fear and hatred. Any given historical event might be mistaken identity, but "kill it with fire*" turns out to be a reasonable and rational response to the supernatural in most folklore.
The Dresden Files is unusual in that it actually probes the horrific consequences that magic might have even if used for the best of motives ... although it also shows some remarkably dark magic being used for benevolent purposes: discipline and control are a big thing in 'verse.
And friendly elves? Victorian bowdlerisation, polished off by Tolkien. Historically no-one in their right minds would mess with the fae - to add to the comments above, there was a historical rumour that the fae paid an annual farm of human souls to hell as a sort of "protection" racket.
*iron, salt, holy water ... whatever. Just kill it.