I believe there are quite a lot of references to this special link, although I would accept that the elves were most definitely affected by the Time of Troubles, as well as dead magic and wild magic areas. But then, even during the Time of Troubles, the guidance of the Weave was gone, but the Weave itself remained. I think it would be interesting to see if the elves died, if the Weave itself was destroyed.
Anyway:
From “Cormanthyr: Empire of Elves”
To elves, magic is less a power or force to manipulate and more an energy source and something that permeates their entire existence. To separate elves from their magic is to pull a fish from water or rob a scholar of his ability to read. To an elf, magic is as everpresent as life itself, and the use of it in common spells as well as High Magic is almost as much a religious experience as communing with the Seldarine. Perhaps the elves. Affinity for magic helps explain their longevity and other special abilities, though the elves prefer not to comment.
Elves understand the Weave, the mystical balance of forces and energies that govern magic on Toril, and even those elves whose preferences lie with swords can feel it surrounding them at all times.
Also from the same book:
Magic is as natural as thing to the elves as water, air, and the earth below.
Plus various other instances throughout that resource. Also, Evermeet: Isle of the Elves (a very good read) tells tales of the special link many elves have to magic. Unfortunately, I haven’t got that book at the moment, or I would let people know.
In relation to High Magic, it is not simply a 10th level spell. It is given that title for the sake of game mechanics, but story-wise, (also found in Empire of the Elves) High Magic still continues after Mystra-2 banned 10th level magic. In Evermeet: Isle of the Elves, High Magic is still used, though by the end of the book there are some references to the “death of High Magic” with the destruction of the towers of the wizards. However, in a recent trilogy about the elves which I have not yet had the chance to purchase, High Magic is again mentioned.
So, personally, I have always roleplayed my character as having that special link to the Weave. She has never said she was a better caster for it, but personally, I feel the examples back up this point of view.
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On a side note, as one of those OOCly “elite” elven players, I would just like to defend my position, if I might. I freely admit I am quite elite, because personally, like we like to have dwarves, orcs and drow acting in the same way, I feel it adds to the atmosphere to have elves acting with at least some elven characteristics. Yeah, feel free to make your sun elf like humans, but at least let him have some idea of tradition/reverie, etc. Anything else is just unrealistic.
Now, my character IC is a purist, believing in all the traditions, etc. OOCly, I am not, but there are some limits to this. It is a fact that every elf knows certain things. I personally don’t feel it is elitist to hope that other people who have chosen to roleplay an elf should know those things. There isn’t a cost for moon elves in kismet, fine. Moon elves are known to be the most “human” of the elves, anyway. But there is a kismet cost for sun elves, and the others. If we don’t in the game expect elves to be roleplayed (I won’t say correctly) with at least some accordance to how elves act, then why have a kismet cost at all? If every person is able to roleplay a sun elf as just your normal human, why is that anything special any more?
Sorry, I agree with mostly everything you ever say on these forums, Dalvyn, but not this particular bit. If any player has been rude or obnoxious OOC to another person because of their roleplay, that needs to be dealt with. But I don’t think elven players who make an effort to try to find new bits out and slip it into roleplay, should be criticised. After all, if a dwarf can’t walk into a Market Square and insult a moon elf, and have the moon elf respond about etc… etc… where does the RP between races, take place? If we aren’t even expected to make roleplaying an elf, or a dwarf, etc, even remotely resembling that race, then we should just be limited to making humans. Part of the fun I have personally had here, is building my elven character, slowly exploring each of her prejudices. I have really enjoyed that, and the discussions involved with other characters as a result.
No hostility at all is meant here. I just feel quite strongly, that elven players are able to roleplay their characters with as much gusto as they want, and also to feel disappointed if other elven characters are so completely not elven, they may as well be human. i.e, the elf having no knowledge of reverie. Maybe I'm not actually elitist, because personally I still feel that that is the only piece of knowledge elves cannot NOT no. Anything else, is up to the player.
I hope some of that made sense.
~Ol
If you have knowledge, let others light their candles with it.
--Sir Winston Churchill
"This place is boring, I'm gonna go eat whatever I can find laying on the ground"
-- Hoildric
Cacie asks Larethiel 'Did that air just bow to you?
), but being a special mage, learning high elven magic is totally a different thing. As I don't have a magician elf, I haven't read about it alot, but this is the first thing came to my mind.
lol