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  1. #11
    Senior Member Beruin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ryancaveney View Post
    I'd really like to read this, if for no other reason than to see just what you think the economic necessities of life are for the Sidhelien.
    I hope you won't be disappointed. The text is part of a larger text on different cultures for my campaign. I also wrote up descriptions for the Anuireans, the dwarves, a heavily modified version of the Rjurik and the Vistani (imported into my campaign from Ravenloft). The earliest parts of the document are at least ten years hold. My intention was to get a better grip on the different cultures and to give my players something they could use to portray their characters. The text therefore provides a basic overview for each race and provides a few snippets of information and a few quirks I found interesting and helpful for portraying characters, but it's not a comprehensive description.

    Also, as I said in previous posts, while I use BR as a basis for my campaign, I also changed a lot of details. Well, basically I wanted to create the ultimate campaign world, using the best things of a number of published campaign worlds and tying it together in a credible way. For the elves, I originally wanted to include three different cultures, a very civilized and highly organized culture and a a tribal society patterned after Dragonlance's Kagonesti, with the Sidhelien occupying the middle ground. I never got around to write up the other two, though.
    The text is also heavily influenced by what I had available and read at that time, mainly FR material and it also owes a lot to Tolkien and Tad Williams. I hope that doesn't sound to defensive - in general, I'm quite proud of my write-up -, but I want to make it clear that the text shouldn't be read as a description of the canon Sidhelien. Otherwise, you'd be pointing out a lot of things where I got the Sidhelien wrong in no time.




    The achievements of each house determine its rank and its the duty of the Taelinri to evaluate each house. A Taelinir visits the Taeghyrion for a period of at least a year and determines its standing by a complicated system which takes into account its size, e.g. how many members it has, and its economic, cultural, military, and magical might. Using this system, a good poet can improve the rank of his house as well as or even more than a mighty warrior or a crafty artisan or mage.
    Quote Originally Posted by ryancaveney View Post
    This is a really fascinating idea! Unfortunately, I don't think it fits the Sidhelien at all (far too formal and structured). I'd really like to use it somewhere, though, so I think this could be a magnificent description of *Khinasi* society, with priests of Avani and Rilni playing the role of the taelinri.
    I have to agree - in part. If the rank of the houses is basically decided by the whim of the Taelinri, who in theory should take the factors mentioned above into account, it's not so formal anymore. I developed this idea from the description of the FR drow, where the rank of a house is basically determined by murder and vanquishing other houses. Going from the premise that drow society is a perverted form of the basic elven society, I wanted to find a non-violent and non-evil way to determine the rank.


    Quote Originally Posted by ryancaveney View Post
    Being a detail-obsessed know-it-all *is* a real function in society! I've made a career out of it, and so have most of my friends. =)
    I envy you. For me, being a detail-obsessed know-it-all has proven to be more of a bane than a boon

    Quote Originally Posted by ryancaveney View Post
    Ja, bitte! At this point I remember almost nothing but snippets of the poetry Frau Spier forced me to memorize 15-20 years ago, but I'd love to see you post it here somewhere (perhaps in the downloads section?). Even if no bored translator wanders along to help us out, at least some of the other people here will be able to read it.
    Well, I might get around to doing a translation, but RL is quite hectic at the moment, as I'm currently a bit occupied with finding a new job, suing my old employer and finding a suitable kindergarten for my son. Perhaps, when things have settled down a bit...

    which would make the Taelinri into a high-level second stage prestige class - though I'm not too sure that it even makes sense to develop them as a prestige class, given that they can come from all walks of life.
    Quote Originally Posted by ryancaveney View Post
    I would rather have said the fact they can come from all walks of life makes them perfect for a prestige class.
    I would really like to see a Taelinri prestige class, but I always found it difficult to develop one. The way the Taelinri are described emphasizes that they can be out-standing mages, warriors, philosophers or craftsmen, because the elves see the merit in each and every profession without distinguishing socially between blue and white collar professions so-to-speak. I for one can't really see how a playable prestige class would look like that really offers something to all basic classes. An alternative might be to develop a number of prestige classes based on a common theme, i.e. Taelinri mage, Taelinri warrior, Taelinri expert and so on.

  2. #12
    Site Moderator kgauck's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Beruin View Post
    The way the Taelinri are described emphasizes that they can be out-standing mages, warriors, philosophers or craftsmen, because the elves see the merit in each and every profession without distinguishing socially between blue and white collar professions so-to-speak. I for one can't really see how a playable prestige class would look like that really offers something to all basic classes.
    Sounds like the bard class to me.

  3. #13
    Senior Member RaspK_FOG's Avatar
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    The Taelinri are based on real-world bards to some extent, actually.

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