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Elven Bonding and Familiars
Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2005 9:04 pm
by Lerytha
I have been trying to find information on "the Elven Bond" and although I have picked up little bits here and there, most of the information comes from the Myth Drannor site. Now, that information might be suspect (I heard somewhere that you read with a pinch of salt what it says on that site).
But anyway, I have worked out that the elven bond brings elves closer together, so much so in fact, that they work scarily together, feel each other's emotions, and generally "share" themselves.
I think I have the bond worked out fairly well.
However, I was curious as to the effect this bond would have on an elf's familiar? Does anyone know if the familiar could be "shared" as it were?
If not, what exactly would happen?
If there is no information, would it be left to the discretion of the RPers, to decide what would happen?
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 2:48 am
by Kregor
The best information I have found about bonding in RP terms comes from the Complete Book of Elves, a 2nd edition book. I have it in a big 24mb PDF compendium of the entire 2nd edition ruleset, Angel also found it in print on ebay for about six bucks.
Very rarely, an elf will form a mystical and unbreakable bond with another being, whether elf, human, dwarf, or otherwise. Some signify this bonding through the giving of gifts designed to demonstrate one's love. Others merely forge the bond quietly, without any outward signs. Whatever the process through which this bond is formed, the elves involved and their chosen can sense the strong emotions of each other. They feel the joys and sorrows of each other, their triumphs and angers. Should distance separate the two in this bond and one pass away, the other can feel the death through the breaking of the bond. This is an even stronger version of the communion ability elves share, for this is a lifelong bond and not lightly broken.
For this one person, elves become truly altruistic. Their lives are focused around making their loved one happy, even to the extent of sacrificing their own life. When this bond is broken, whether through betrayal or death of one of the pair, it is a tremendous shock to the other member of the union. Elves can die from the grief caused by such partings.
Because they can enact this union only once (or twice, in extremely rare cases) in their lives, elves are very careful about those to whom they attach themselves. Many elves go through life without joining their spirits to another, for many find no mates suitable for or deserving of such an important union.
Few elves bestow this gift on humans, for humans are so short-lived that the bond would be all but wasted on them. Still, there are some who consider this a small sacrifice for the love of a particular human. The very number of half-elves attests to this, for although most half-elves aren't children of this union, there are enough who are. The blink of an elf's eye spells an end to these ties, but the love they gain lasts for the rest of their life.
This bond applies, to a lesser extent, to the earth itself. If confined or kept away from the land or the company of other elves for too long a time, an elf can die from grief and loneliness. Even if being held prisoner near nature or with other elves, the elf can lose hope and without sustaining physical injury force his or her own death. This is done only in the darkest of times, and only when there is no hope left at all to the elf.
This ability to choose death over life is one that defeats captors and would-be torturers, for they are unable to maintain their grip on their victim for long should the elf choose this method of "escape."
It doesn't say anything about familiars, I would assume that your familiar is yours alone, and is a mental link separate from the bond, I don't know that your bond with a mate would allow you any contact with that mate's familiar. Maybe a passage in a novel would tell.