RE: Re: Darksense carried by darkness, brilliant!

From: Sam Elliot <samclau_at_u4RFRE3bNUn3uDie7h-OwwJrceqCQjaQmpEO7v8VuQusmf9BkUtnGgWW9za4Brhc79Uo>
Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2007 21:33:56 -0300

Ian:
> Honestly, I've long toyed with the idea that elf "eyes" are just
> eye-spots, developed solely so that when dealing with non-Aldryami the
> meat-sacks don't freak out. Elfsense and detecting chemical (including
> scent) cues at high enough levels of sensitivity would do everything
> they need in terms of perception, and c'mon, everyone knows plants
> can't see. It would be problematic with mostali, who are difficult for
> aldryami to perceive, and when they finally can be perceived "they all
> look alike".

Like it.
I'd quite like to get out some textbooks and some (scientific) papers and make Gloranthan elves *really* like plants. It's great that they are so alien already, but IMO they should be more so. Start with their reproduction, get going with mycorrhizae and endophytic fungi, get them to release volatile signals when attacked. Make them genuinely blind as you say (except in the way it matters, growing toward the light and similar). Go to town on galls, wilts, rusts, caterpillars and so on. Just my own fantasy.
Sam.