Quote:
Originally Posted by Urlik  a tall elf like race of which Elric is the Emperor ...
the Melniboneans are depraved and decadent |
Traditionally (which is to say in folk tales, sagas, mythology, etc.) when humans have dealings with elves or other races it is rarely to our advantage. After all, the Fairies, the Sidhe, the Elves -- in all their numerous guises -- do not live by human rules, and while they may give in to the odd magnanimous impulse and be quite lavish in their gratitude, they can be terrifying when offended. Their loves, hates, and other passions are generally much larger in scale than ours.
An excellent interpretation of the Elves of legend is Poul Anderson's
The Broken Sword. You do NOT have to rely on modern clichés in order to make use of ancient archetypes.
Even the idea that Elves have to be tall, wise, and good is based on an imperfect reading of Tolkien. Some of the Elves in the
Silmarillion are proud, cruel, covetous, impulsive, obsessive, and violent. It is simply that characters like Galadriel who have survived into the era of
The Lord of the Rings have benefited from some hard lessons -- as any rational person would have to do after spending tens of thousands of years watching one's friends and relations cause untold suffering.