Either that or it devolves into a Greenpeace campaign.
Seriously, you point out exactly the problem I've been trying to overcome.
So far, I've postulated that:
1. Aldryami Unity in the Song is rather like the Unity described in the
Julian May books; i.e. it is not so all-encompassing that elves are
incapable of individual initiative. They may be plants, but they are not
vegetables.
2. Young elves are not even that Unified. Until they grow sex organs,
they can't hear the song. These are the ones that often leave the forest.
Rebellious youth and reconciliation to society are obvious themes here.
3. Different forests have markedly different traditions. So much so
that that may seem as foreign as humans in some cases. We know that there
have been inter-elven wars. What the heck were these about? Have these
issues really been resolved, or do they fester under the surface? I've
always thought that the proximity of Eronwood and Ballid, which are
identified as separate forests, must make for occasional warfare between
them.
4. I suspect that there may be different ways, within a single forest,
to interpret and add to the Song. (Is it heavy metal or rap?) Mike
Dawson's thoughts on speciation are a good materialistic basis for
differences in the "tome" of the Song between parts of the Forest.
5. An RQ elf-campaign would be dull. (Even more so if you prefer the
gritty clan-based style of play. "Ho hum, another day of tending my
trees.") An HW campaign might not be. After all HW is about changing the
face of the world. What better followers could a hero have than a nearly
mindless bunch of hyped up war trees? (For the military strategists, all
that thinking about the need for supply lines goes right out the window.
They just put down roots until morning.)
6. Most conflicts will be with the humans. A number of Aldryami
forests have extensive interactions with humans. Many hay actually have
hsunchen living in them, more or less at Aldryami sufferance. The Umathelan
and Erriroru Jungle elves have varying degrees of dominance over and
conflict with humans. The Winterwood will grow all the way to Rathorela
overnight at some point; what happen to the reindeer hsunchen living there
now?
Chris Lemens
End of The Glorantha Digest V7 #819
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