Svartlfar - Really Evil?

[Ekolite]

Hi. Simple enough really, What makes the dark elves evil?

Just wondering, I know that there are already quite a lot of neutral civs but what makes the dark elves evil as opposed to neutral.

I know they're supposed to be against the woodelves but that's simple enough to do with relationship modifiers. As far as I'm aware there isn't anything suggesting they're really evil compared to, for example the sheaim.

Like I said, just wondering, if I'm completely wrong that's fine lol.

 

[Sureshot]

Oh come now, the dark elves aren't evil, you act like they stab all their friends in their back (they so don't!), its just bad propaganda spread by Arendel.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Well, I guess it is mostly because they worship on Evil god (Esus). They also like to do their target practice on live prisoners (precision tech text). They clearly aren't good, but they aren't the most evil civ in the game by a long shot.

I actually think it might be interesting if Faeryl's alignment were changed to neutral, but where given a huge weighting toward the Council religion, which I assume would turn any one evil or to give them another leader who starts as neutral (if they light elves get a choice of different alignments for different leaders, why can't he dark elves? I actually often make Thessa available to either elven civ so that they could start neutral and build the Altars, even if they turn evil later)

 

[OctopusOverload]

Im going to go philosophical and say: Define evil!

There's such a large variety of variables and factors in defining evil including but not limited to religion, culture, Armageddon Counter, etc.
Basically, the Unseelie are evil in the eyes of good (Ljusalfar) and good in the eyes of evil (themselves).

 

[TheJopa]

IIRC in FfH lore it's: Good will sacrifice one for benefit of many, evil will sacrifice many for benefit of few.
That's why order is good even if it is evil

 

[MagisterCultuum]

I'm pretty sure that definition has never been officially endorsed by Kael or the team, just proposed by a few ordinary posters.

Evil in FfH is defined by open rebellion against the plan of The One, and Good is fighting against evil.

 

[Grey Fox]

I don't care what alignment they are. I wanna be Faeryl's prisoner.

 

[Rex rgis of Ter]

Considering they hyave no morales and take a savage pleasure in killing and backstabbing, I would consider them evil.

 

[Ekolite]

Yeah but even still I don't think they're really that evil lol. I definately agree that faeryl should start off neutral if the council of esus neutral -> evil or that there should be another, neutral leader. Slightly off-topic, I also would quite like a new centaur Kuriotate leader, at some point in the future I'm pretty sure all their cavalry units will be centaurs so it would dit in quite well. What does everyone else think?

 

[Rex rgis of Ter]

Yeah but even still I don't think they're really that evil lol. I definately agree that faeryl should start off neutral if the council of esus neutral -> evil or that there should be another, neutral leader. Slightly off-topic, I also would quite like a new centaur Kuriotate leader, at some point in the future I'm pretty sure all their cavalry units will be centaurs so it would dit in quite well. What does everyone else think?

If they were neutral, they would be the same as the Ljosalfar (barring Arendel) negating their differences.

 

[MacGyverInSpace]

About the 'tates, their leader in the back story is Cardith, but yeah, maybe some sort of Centaur General.

I don't care what alignment they are. I wanna be Faeryl's prisoner.

^ Plays on monarch and wbs just so he ends up her vassal.

 

[vivictius]

I'd like to see a neutral Svartlfar leader down the road, mabe end up with 2 evil and one neutral, like how Ljosalfar have 2 neutral and one good.

 

[Ekolite]

Yeah a centaur general was my original idea.

I think there should at least be one evil and one neutral leader for the svartylfar.

 

[Dora190]

What was the rational behind changing the artwork? In earlier incarnations you were using the drow artwork from the old D&D, which i always liked, never mind the cleavage they just looked evil, The drow males looked really really bad tempered (which is understandable if you ever ready their background). Now its kind of wishy washy fairy style. Its a nice picture, but I think it lacks something.

 

[Psychic_Llamas]

i always pictured Svartalfar as extremely mischevious little gits who take being tricksy to the next level.

 

[Grey Fox]

i always pictured Svartalfar as extremely mischevious little gits who take being tricksy to the next level.

With big boobs and a matriarchal society.

 

[sylvanllewelyn]

You keep forgetting the importance of these "greater angels" on the speaking peoples. Their entire society, morality, values and systems depend on the beliefs of the angels, without which they are less than the cavemen in our society. The fall of Bhall not just left her people abondoned, but they were physically deformed, literally undergoing a mental and physical transformation so that they become weaker, less intellectually capable and became a downright inferior species, forever and irreversibly. It isn't a simple realization that your cult leader was just trying to scam your money. The mind, the psyche, spirit and body are totally tuned to the mood and will of the angels.

What I am trying to say is, there may be difference in the races, but if you worship an angel and take him/her as your guardian, the minds, bodies and emotions of the entire race becomes completely in tune with the aspect that the angel represents.

 

[Nikis-Knight]

There isn't much written about the svartalfar, other than the story showing their split. So basically they are evil because Kael says so, to match with the gods, and wants to have a variety of good neutral and evil civs, including some evils that don't necessarily want to kill the world or eat people.

Writing Faeryl's dialogue, I assumed that traditional fantasy elven arrogance went into overdrive for them. There are only two groups of people the svartalfar don't see as (miles) beneath them--other elves, and non-elves.

 

[Psychic_Llamas]

dosnt other elves and non elves kind of include the whole of the rest of erebus?

 

[Khai]

I kind of like the ambiguity of their current description. The 'drow' evil is so cliched...'We're evil and we do a lot of femdom BDSM...' that typically includes a lot of scantily clad women with whips. Instead of being empowering women, the characters just end up degrading women...

I think a cooler and more interesting type of evil for the Svartlfar would be the type of evil that places power and progress over the morality and ethics. Evil through amorality. The other evil races are either insane, barbaric or apocalyptic in nature...but a cunning, civilized and ruthless evil would be something new for FFH.

Imagine a race that is educated, arcane and powerful...but utterly willing to sacrifice those weaker/beneath themselves in pursuit of a higher, perhaps even noble goal.