Build-A-Setting #1: Orcs, Dwarves, and Elves in the 21st Century

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by maximara

Imagine if Ramses was an elf and they ruled for 1,000 years.

Statues, statures of Ramses the elven _everywhere_.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

I'm going to do the GURPS thing and recommend a book, but not a GURPS book:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product...ath=9730_31898

It's an old TSR Amazing Engine setting that's modern Earth but with fantasy races and magic doing most of the tech stuff.

[maximara]

Originally Posted by SilvercatMoonpaw

I'm going to do the GURPS thing and recommend a book, but not a GURPS book:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product...ath=9730_31898

It's an old TSR Amazing Engine setting that's modern Earth but with fantasy races and magic doing most of the tech stuff.

"The elves are the people of the Mayan republic, minotaurs rule the nation of Texas, and a dwarven attempt to build an empire in Europe led to World Wars I and II. "

It tries to have history similar to our own with the Manifest Destiny stopping the United States from expanding past the Mississippi River and other ASBs (such as a Starjammer like colonization of Mars and Venus in the 900s).

If Technomancer had logic problems Magitech has them by the truckload. The idea even with magic the Mayans (TL (0+1) in OTL) could stand up against a host of TL 5 civilizations even before you throw in the magic they likely had is a laugh.

And that is ignoring the fact with manned space flight in the late 900s everybody and his brother would have known about the Americas, Australia, and Antarctica. A few orbital bombardments with magical mass drivers by the aggressive colonial powers such as Spain and England and the Mayans go into history.

[RGTraynor]

I'm remembering an old thread many years ago where the GM was running basically Fantasy Effing Vietnam. And the deal was that the orcs were seriously misunderstood as Dangerous Savage Barbarians. The truth of the matter was that the orcs were the parallel to the Montagnards -- the original inhabitants of the region, driven into mountain fastnesses, and engaged in a bitter guerilla conflict against the disdainful lowlanders seeking to exterminate them.

(The impetus of that thread was that some of his players were enraged at the "bait-and-switch," and how dare the GM not make his orcs Just Like Everyone Else's, but never mind that.)

Anyway, why not go with that? Those jungle islands in the Philippines, the mountain fastnesses of Central Asia, the remote regions in the Congo ... do the orcs raid from their because it's their nature, or because they just have no other options left?

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Originally Posted by maximara

[snip for brevity]

We can agree to have differences in realism tastes.

Though using magic to bump the Mayans up to comparable TL would be fun.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by maximara

If Technomancer had logic problems Magitech has them by the truckload. The idea even with magic the Mayans (TL (0+1) in OTL) could stand up against a host of TL 5 civilizations even before you throw in the magic they likely had is a laugh.

Given that they're now elves it seems to be that if anything they'd be higher tech than anyone else, or rather higher "magitech". They may occupy the Maya's place in geography, but they're still elves.

[thrash]

Originally Posted by FF_Ninja

Setting Summary: A modern fantasy environment modeled after the real-life 21st century, but where fantasy elements like magic, monsters, and numerous classic fantastic races have always existed.

Today's Topic: What would the presence of Orcs, Dwarves, and Elves look like in the 21st century?

San Diego Comic Con.

Seriously.

If magic, monsters, and fantasy races have always existed but the setting looks like our 21st century anyway, that means any influence they could have had on events is already baked into our history. We may never be able to untangle the threads.

On the other hand, one could posit a wainscot society of non-humans, split between Naturals, living in the uninhabited (by humans) margins of the world, and Pretenders, using illusion and charms to pass as humans. For most of history, there could be a balance between the two: Naturals form a reservoir of traditional knowledge and powers; Pretenders keep tabs on human society and bring back the best parts to trade.

In the last hundred years or so, however, rising populations and increasing technology have virtually eliminated the places where Naturals can hide their existence (satellite imagery, seismic monitoring, etc.) and put most Pretender tricks at risk (surveillance cameras, photo ID, etc.). The time is rapidly approaching when both groups will be forced out into the open. So, what do they do?

What if the mainstreaming of fantasy and science fiction over the last, say, 40-50 years was the result of a conspiracy by Pretenders to "soften the landing," by getting the human population to at least consider living alongside non-humans? Star Trek, Star Wars, cosplay, Buffy, World of Warcraft, big-budget Tolkien movies, all of it. Pretenders used their mind-magic to ensure that these projects got made, and helped their success.

The result is that some Pretenders can drop the masquerade and mingle with humans in their original form -- but, so far, only at sf&f conventions and the like. The next step might be mainstreaming cosplay, to make odd appearances commonplace. How often do we see blue or green hair these days and not react? In that sense, mask mandates would be a lucky break.

[maximara]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Given that they're now elves it seems to be that if anything they'd be higher tech than anyone else, or rather higher "magitech". They may occupy the Maya's place in geography, but they're still elves.

The thing is, tropewise, elves aren't generally thought of as being technologically advanced. A common trope of long lived races is technological and cultural stagnation.

Remember, part of Magitech's back story is the Mayan civilization basically disappeared for a 500 year period (1000 to 1500 CE) with the other powers developing space travel in the 900s CE.

Look at the insane level of ETL progression many of the Azoth realities have had. For example, Azoth-1 went from TL 4 to TL(4+3)^ with an ETL 9 in transportation (Manned interplanetary spaceflight) in just 80 years.

Azoth-7 is even crazier going TL 4 to TL(4+2)^ with what amounts to cross dimensional travel ("interstellar" formt he local's POV) with is TL 11 in 90 years.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by thrash

S

The result is that some Pretenders can drop the masquerade and mingle with humans in their original form -- but, so far, only at sf&f conventions and the like. .

Does this mean Orcs look like Klingons?

The link between Elves and Vulcans has been noted before. Back in High school I was making jokes about "double-duty pointed ears" as Halloween makeup.

Put halloween in there too. First it's expansion as a major holliday for children and then having adults dress up for it too.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

It's not like there isn't a popular manga/anime that deals with non-humans revealing themselves and trying to integrate into human society. (Albeit, being fanservice-fueled and not too realistic.)