Sunday, October 09, 2005

Tower Critique: Skin Color

10/09/2005

The game provides the skin color options during character creation. Do we really need a whole chapter describing what’s available?

Most commonly, Dhe’nar have dark to black skin complimented by silver or white hair.

Apparently, someone’s never looked at the wide variety of Dhe’nar appearances in the actual game. I admit, both my Dhe’nar characters have the stereotypical dark elf white or silver hair, but I’ve noticed that fewer and fewer go this route nowadays. And at least one of my characters has pale skin to go with it.

Some theorize that their time in Rhoska-Tor marked them in this way…

Like those that know anything about the history of the world, and can compare them to the Faendryl, who were affected the exact same way?

It’s not a theory, folks. It’s fact. Rhoska-Tor changed those who have lived there.

...while others state (tongue planted only loosely in cheek) that the black hearts of the Dhe’nar have bled onto their flesh.

Hah, so clever. ::snore:: And nonsensical to boot, since not all Dhe’nar share that skin color.

However, not all Dhe’nar are dark complected. The Dhe’nar village of Eh’lah is nearly filled with pale skinned, dark haired elves.

That’s what happens when your genetic stock is composed of a handful of really lazy scouts who have to interbreed with themselves. Not much diversity there.

No one has yet put forth an explanation for this discrepancy…

Aside from the obvious fact that the genetic base of Eh’lah was a handful of scouts, whereas Sharath had a much higher population.

...although rumors abound, speculating on the more spiritual nature of those living outside of Sharath itself.

But those rumors are put down by anyone with 2 brain cells to rub together, since the reason is so OBVIOUS. Human cultures in the real world have known about the results of inbreeding for millennia, and we don’t have 80,000 years of recorded history like the Dhe’nar. Doesn’t take long for any culture that raises livestock to figure out the basics.