> I have some recollection (maybe in Elder Secrets?) of elves
>having plants that grow copper weapons. That'd likely be a fairly
>slow, although possibly magical, process. I figure that they would
>also have to be properly harvested with a "Food Song" or they
>would immediately corrode to powder; okay, that might not be
>real world realistic but it seems esthetically pleasing to me.
> Still, one could probably produce a pretty decent spear out
>of just wood, and maybe even a good wooden sword with a bit
>of work and the right sort of wood.
There are several implications here. I haven't seen the idea that elves grow copper stuff on plants, so I doubt it is in Elder Secrets (which is on of the few sources I do own). Metal just doesn't seem like something that would interest elves. It's so dwarfish. Sure, they use it and other manufactures, but it is not something they like to do. I think they'd end up trading for it. And before anyone tells me, yeah, I know that Aldraya gives the spells needed to enchant a manipulate copper. I don;t know what to think about that. Perhaps it only applies to copper that don't have to heat?
I think elves have a very set code on what an appropriate use of other plants may be when it involved harm to plants. For instance, I think they can justify eating plants because they need to eat in order to live in order to defend the forest. They justify cutting up plants for weapons because they need to defend the forest. They may justify harvesting fruit and edible portions of plants because they can do it more kindly that a human would and any food they harvest will reduce the amount harvested by the cruel humans. Besides, then they can trade this stuff for stuff they do need, but are too squeamish to make themselves, like things made with (horrified gasp) fire. On second thought, perhaps they would be willing to make paper, as long as they could find a method that did not involve cooking. Papyrus (made by bashing reeds together) would be a possibility, especially for red elves.
I think elves might have a spell that makes wood as hard as bronze. It is probably laborious and time consuming.
Elves are always room temperature. Since they are mobile, do they have to move around like cold-blooded animals to get some sunshine? I think not. Any opinions?
On what I intend to do with my thoughts, whatever it is, it won't contradict published sources (until, not "if", it is Gregged). However, it will be delayed until I can find an affordable copy of Griffon Mountain and perhaps Griffon Island.
My thoughts on what the elder wilds used to be like is that the woods stretched from the mountains to the Elf Sea more or less east-west. Jarst was on one side, Balazar on the other. The Lunies torched Rist and the elves were on the defensive for a long time, to the extent that Jarst & Balazar now have a common border. (My goegraphy is probably off here, because I don't have the map in front of me, but you get the concept.) Is this logical given any descriptions in Griffon Mountain of the cultures in those areas? If they are indistinguishable culturally, that argues for a long-existing common border.
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