A half-Elf with race issues [Archive] - Wizards Community

A half-Elf with race issues [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
shadowmimiiru
03-05-08, 08:22 AM When I was invited to join a new game a few months back I decided to try something new. Usually I play the silent warrior type (sometimes silent because of injury in battle) but when this new game began I decided to go in a completely different direction: A 19 year old half elf bard.

Now my DM loves back story and so I figured I'd create a back story and character personality that was, in my mind, unique (note: I had no idea about any characters from Dragonlance when I created this character). So I created a half elf that hates elves with a passion and does her damnedest to hide and repress that part of her nature. So first let me post the backstory I did write for this and then I'll ask my question.

The Background:

Dahla (was not allowed to receive family name)

Family: Grandfather, Half-Brother (younger), Step-father, Mother (deceased).

Background:

Dahla is the oldest daughter of Miriam Winterpine, a bard from a small farming community on the northern edges of the Summerwood Forest. Dahla herself Is the latest in the long line of Winterpine bards, although she does not share her family’s surname due to her half-elf blood. Despite her obvious heritage Dahla knows little of Elven culture, or of her father. Her mother, she knows, meet an Elven rogue during her Time of Travel, a family tradition which calls for the latest bard in the family to travel the world, seek adventure, and gather and create stories to bring back to the family. The Elven rogue had been one of her mother’s traveling companions during her Travel, and many of her stories involved him and her other companions and the adventures and people they met. However, the Elf would have nothing to do of Miriam’s pregnancy, and so before the Time of Travel was completed, and with far too many uncompleted stories and songs Miriam journeyed home.

Years passed, Dahla was born, and raised quietly, but sheltered. Her mother while kind was distance, and while her grandfather too was kind he would give her no freedom, afraid she would follow in her mother’s footsteps. Despite this, Dahla was a rather happy child with a natural gift towards singing. However, she found out when she was sixteen that her Grandfather would not allow her to go through the Time of Travel, and that he was planning on sending her off to become a priestess of Langa. Because of this Dahla ran away from home, determined to complete the Time of Travel on her own, without her family’s knowledge, so that someday she could return and would receive their praise. When she ran away from home she stole two objects from her family. The first had been an ancient fiddle, said to have been created by Langa herself, and whose cords never broke. The second object was far simpler, a necklace, which according to her mother had belonged to Dahla’s father.

Setting out from home (4 years before adulthood) Dahla soon found herself in the capital city of Beshetha, collecting songs from the working class, and dealing in information brokering. This information wasn’t always true, but she never got caught. After a while she joined a performing troupe and soon found herself performing at the palace for the young princess’s birthday. Over come with curiosity, Dahla snuck out of the ballroom and soon found herself in the Palace’s archives. Her natural need to collect stories over powered her sensibility and soon she found herself neck deep in books, reading everything she could in hopes to crafting the best tale ever. However, before setting quill to paper she was caught by the captain of the Palace Guard who, mistaking her for a spy had Dahla arrested. Dahla spent months in the palace dungeons and during this time her family’s fiddle disappeared. After some time, and lengthy “interrogations” Dahla’s was released, her name cleared. The verdict: She wasn’t a spy, just an idiot.
Since then Dahla has found herself as a member of a group of adventurers, and uses them and their adventures as source material for her obviously tall tales.

Personality:

Dahla is a very naive young woman, she doesn’t quite understand how the world works, and easily gets truth confused with the fiction in the stories she reads and writes. If Dahla says she and her friends fought a legion of Undead she believes it. Beyond being naive, Dahla can be rather rude and insensitive when she either doesn’t get her own way or does not grasp a situation. Despite this she cares for her friends, and shows almost a puppy dog like loyalty to them, despite the fact that she snaps at them quite often. She is also quick to befriend most people from any race, the exception being Elves who she doesn’t trust, and in some respects hates. While she has friends who are elves the relationship is rather cold.

Her distrust for elves comes from her father, or rather the lack of his presence in her life. She blames him for her having to run away from home and all the problems her mother faced from their home village because of him. However unfounded these feelings are Dahla believes them utterly, and has planned to punch her father if she were to ever meet him. Because of this distrust, Dahla regards herself as a human with minor elfish features and denies any kinship with elves.

-----------------

So now the question: What can I do when playing Dahla to not only make her a more rounded character but to also make her distrust and hatred of Elves an understandable thing?
Orchomenos
03-05-08, 12:58 PM Years passed, Dahla was born, and raised quietly, but sheltered. Her mother while kind was distance, and while her grandfather too was kind he would give her no freedom, afraid she would follow in her mother’s footsteps.

I understand her mother being distant. Dahla's elven heritage would probably reminds her of her elven lover and how he dropped her at the worst time ever. Her mother could even never sing a song or tell a story involving any elf, out of grief.

But I'm not sure to get why the grandfather is afraid she would follow in her mother’s footsteps? The Time of Travel being a familly tradition, I thought everyone in the familly was bard?

However, rebellious children who are cut from one of their parents sometimes idealize this parent. Even more, if her grandfather prevented her from doing her Time of Travel because she was an half-elf, she could think: Right on, I will find the elves, THEY will accept me! I even thought it was the reason why she left with the necklace coming from her father...

Unless she always shared her familly hatred of the elves. Too ashame of herself, she never wanted to do her Time of Travel, instead insisting on becoming a servant of Langa instead. She was not at the temple since long when the novices were presented to the Princess. She found her way to the Palace Archives, and her natural curiosity put her the nose in the middle of all that. And then the guards caugth her, and accused her to be a spy for the elves, putting her in the dungeon long enough to hate the elves even more.

After this trial, the temple of Langa no longer wanted you, so you started to trade stories and informations, reluctantly starting your "Time of Travel"...

So now the question: What can I do when playing Dahla to not only make her a more rounded character but to also make her distrust and hatred of Elves an understandable thing?
You could make her sarcastic, always with some racist jokes about elves. Everytimes someone breaks something, asks if it was "elven-made". You could consider yourself the most beautiful girl around, wouldn't it be for your elven half...
The first time you actually meet an elf, you could keep on refering to him as "Thief", or other derogatory terms.
I_roll_ones
03-05-08, 05:02 PM If the grandfather was afraid that she too, would come home with a child out of wedlock that brought shame on the family, he might prevent her from traveling, to prevent more shame that the family could not recover from marring the family.

Or, he wished to prevent the pain that her mother felt. Or he was afraid that she would meet with unkindness and perhaps even violence because of her mixed blood. He wished to shelter her, and put her where he could look after her.

Or, he is not a part of the family that does this. If he married in, he might not have the authority to allow her to take up the family business and become a bard. The mother might wish to keep her daughter closer for a bit longer, or pass on the tradition to her brother, so would not allow her daughter to take up the mantle. If the tradition dictated that only one of the family could, the half elf might not count since she does not possess the name, ergo, is not a part of the family.

Her goal to travel might be, ironically, stemming from her elven blood, and she doesn't even realize that her wanderlust is a parent from her father.

If hating elves, refuse to associate with those flighty, haughty jerks. She wouldn't call them stupid or smelly, but go with what is already present. They are arrogant, vain, and unconcerned with other races. So why bother with THEM?

Meet an elf? The character already broke some rules, so I wouldn't go with the thief business. Maybe ask the elf to hurry up, and make fun of the elf's aloofness.

"Oh, so we're not good enough to associate with? Well, I think that I am proof that some of your kin can for a few moments...And then vanish like the wind, like the rest of your cold hearted kin! Lower Planes take you, you snobbish fop! We don't need your pity!"

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
shadowmimiiru 03-05-08, 08:22 AM	When I was invited to join a new game a few months back I decided to try something new. Usually I play the silent warrior type (sometimes silent because of injury in battle) but when this new game began I decided to go in a completely different direction: A 19 year old half elf bard. Now my DM loves back story and so I figured I'd create a back story and character personality that was, in my mind, unique (note: I had no idea about any characters from Dragonlance when I created this character). So I created a half elf that hates elves with a passion and does her damnedest to hide and repress that part of her nature. So first let me post the backstory I did write for this and then I'll ask my question. The Background: Dahla (was not allowed to receive family name) Family: Grandfather, Half-Brother (younger), Step-father, Mother (deceased). Background: Dahla is the oldest daughter of Miriam Winterpine, a bard from a small farming community on the northern edges of the Summerwood Forest. Dahla herself Is the latest in the long line of Winterpine bards, although she does not share her family’s surname due to her half-elf blood. Despite her obvious heritage Dahla knows little of Elven culture, or of her father. Her mother, she knows, meet an Elven rogue during her Time of Travel, a family tradition which calls for the latest bard in the family to travel the world, seek adventure, and gather and create stories to bring back to the family. The Elven rogue had been one of her mother’s traveling companions during her Travel, and many of her stories involved him and her other companions and the adventures and people they met. However, the Elf would have nothing to do of Miriam’s pregnancy, and so before the Time of Travel was completed, and with far too many uncompleted stories and songs Miriam journeyed home. Years passed, Dahla was born, and raised quietly, but sheltered. Her mother while kind was distance, and while her grandfather too was kind he would give her no freedom, afraid she would follow in her mother’s footsteps. Despite this, Dahla was a rather happy child with a natural gift towards singing. However, she found out when she was sixteen that her Grandfather would not allow her to go through the Time of Travel, and that he was planning on sending her off to become a priestess of Langa. Because of this Dahla ran away from home, determined to complete the Time of Travel on her own, without her family’s knowledge, so that someday she could return and would receive their praise. When she ran away from home she stole two objects from her family. The first had been an ancient fiddle, said to have been created by Langa herself, and whose cords never broke. The second object was far simpler, a necklace, which according to her mother had belonged to Dahla’s father. Setting out from home (4 years before adulthood) Dahla soon found herself in the capital city of Beshetha, collecting songs from the working class, and dealing in information brokering. This information wasn’t always true, but she never got caught. After a while she joined a performing troupe and soon found herself performing at the palace for the young princess’s birthday. Over come with curiosity, Dahla snuck out of the ballroom and soon found herself in the Palace’s archives. Her natural need to collect stories over powered her sensibility and soon she found herself neck deep in books, reading everything she could in hopes to crafting the best tale ever. However, before setting quill to paper she was caught by the captain of the Palace Guard who, mistaking her for a spy had Dahla arrested. Dahla spent months in the palace dungeons and during this time her family’s fiddle disappeared. After some time, and lengthy “interrogations” Dahla’s was released, her name cleared. The verdict: She wasn’t a spy, just an idiot. Since then Dahla has found herself as a member of a group of adventurers, and uses them and their adventures as source material for her obviously tall tales. Personality: Dahla is a very naive young woman, she doesn’t quite understand how the world works, and easily gets truth confused with the fiction in the stories she reads and writes. If Dahla says she and her friends fought a legion of Undead she believes it. Beyond being naive, Dahla can be rather rude and insensitive when she either doesn’t get her own way or does not grasp a situation. Despite this she cares for her friends, and shows almost a puppy dog like loyalty to them, despite the fact that she snaps at them quite often. She is also quick to befriend most people from any race, the exception being Elves who she doesn’t trust, and in some respects hates. While she has friends who are elves the relationship is rather cold. Her distrust for elves comes from her father, or rather the lack of his presence in her life. She blames him for her having to run away from home and all the problems her mother faced from their home village because of him. However unfounded these feelings are Dahla believes them utterly, and has planned to punch her father if she were to ever meet him. Because of this distrust, Dahla regards herself as a human with minor elfish features and denies any kinship with elves. ----------------- So now the question: What can I do when playing Dahla to not only make her a more rounded character but to also make her distrust and hatred of Elves an understandable thing?
Orchomenos 03-05-08, 12:58 PM	Years passed, Dahla was born, and raised quietly, but sheltered. Her mother while kind was distance, and while her grandfather too was kind he would give her no freedom, afraid she would follow in her mother’s footsteps. I understand her mother being distant. Dahla's elven heritage would probably reminds her of her elven lover and how he dropped her at the worst time ever. Her mother could even never sing a song or tell a story involving any elf, out of grief. But I'm not sure to get why the grandfather is afraid she would follow in her mother’s footsteps? The Time of Travel being a familly tradition, I thought everyone in the familly was bard? However, rebellious children who are cut from one of their parents sometimes idealize this parent. Even more, if her grandfather prevented her from doing her Time of Travel because she was an half-elf, she could think: Right on, I will find the elves, THEY will accept me! I even thought it was the reason why she left with the necklace coming from her father... Unless she always shared her familly hatred of the elves. Too ashame of herself, she never wanted to do her Time of Travel, instead insisting on becoming a servant of Langa instead. She was not at the temple since long when the novices were presented to the Princess. She found her way to the Palace Archives, and her natural curiosity put her the nose in the middle of all that. And then the guards caugth her, and accused her to be a spy for the elves, putting her in the dungeon long enough to hate the elves even more. After this trial, the temple of Langa no longer wanted you, so you started to trade stories and informations, reluctantly starting your "Time of Travel"... So now the question: What can I do when playing Dahla to not only make her a more rounded character but to also make her distrust and hatred of Elves an understandable thing? You could make her sarcastic, always with some racist jokes about elves. Everytimes someone breaks something, asks if it was "elven-made". You could consider yourself the most beautiful girl around, wouldn't it be for your elven half... The first time you actually meet an elf, you could keep on refering to him as "Thief", or other derogatory terms.
I_roll_ones 03-05-08, 05:02 PM	If the grandfather was afraid that she too, would come home with a child out of wedlock that brought shame on the family, he might prevent her from traveling, to prevent more shame that the family could not recover from marring the family. Or, he wished to prevent the pain that her mother felt. Or he was afraid that she would meet with unkindness and perhaps even violence because of her mixed blood. He wished to shelter her, and put her where he could look after her. Or, he is not a part of the family that does this. If he married in, he might not have the authority to allow her to take up the family business and become a bard. The mother might wish to keep her daughter closer for a bit longer, or pass on the tradition to her brother, so would not allow her daughter to take up the mantle. If the tradition dictated that only one of the family could, the half elf might not count since she does not possess the name, ergo, is not a part of the family. Her goal to travel might be, ironically, stemming from her elven blood, and she doesn't even realize that her wanderlust is a parent from her father. If hating elves, refuse to associate with those flighty, haughty jerks. She wouldn't call them stupid or smelly, but go with what is already present. They are arrogant, vain, and unconcerned with other races. So why bother with THEM? Meet an elf? The character already broke some rules, so I wouldn't go with the thief business. Maybe ask the elf to hurry up, and make fun of the elf's aloofness. "Oh, so we're not good enough to associate with? Well, I think that I am proof that some of your kin can for a few moments...And then vanish like the wind, like the rest of your cold hearted kin! Lower Planes take you, you snobbish fop! We don't need your pity!"