A note from Turor Sunderstone

[Diamondedge]

Is it too much to ask that drow, dark elves classically known for their obvious worship of evil things, be required to wear hoods when visiting civilized areas, to at least conceal their identities so that the commoners do not get all up in a panic again? I move that we make it a requirement, for the sake of those who do reside within these civilized, proper places. They would not know how to deal with seeing a dark elf, no matter the dark elf's intentions or particular interests, be they good or terrible.

We let these drow escape their lives of evil for whatever reason they need to leave, to live among us, and to benefit from our wonders and peace and well meaning. I think they should return to the community this little bit of stable sanity, so that no longer do parents lock their doors and close their shutters and keep their children inside during the day.

Why should these folk be forced to live in fear because a few drow, however well meaning, choose to blatantly show off their identities for all to see, for all to fear? If I have children, I should certainly not want to have to keep them away from the public places such as the well or the inn, and I don't think I should have to.

You refugees of the underdark, you claim to love the community, to mean it no harm... then why do you instill fear in the populace? If you really do care for these people, don a cloak and wear your hood low, so that they may at least go about their days in ignorance of your residence amongst them.

There was a time when drow weren't allowed in Hlint. We have made major steps since then in the world of tolerance, but you cannot expect too much from simple farmers, hunters, millers and miners. These are not adventurers. These do not do great things and learn that fear has no place in their lives.

It should be made a law to protect the common folk that drow are required to hide their identities while in city-limits all over Mistone. Let us start with Hlint and Port Hampshire, and expand from there. The residents came first, after all, and we can consider the drow as visitors. Would it not be more fair to service the people who have worked for so many hard generations to make these lands what they are now?

Especially in this time of darkness, with the skies clouded over with pestilence and decay. The people need safety and security in their daily lives, not to see a haunting figure from so many scary stories told as children, the flesh and blood boogeymen of their worst nightmares everytime they go out to fetch a pail of water.

~Turor Sunderstone

[merlin34baseball]

Mr. Sunderstone,

I think I know why you write this note, as I was there.  The drow in question is a good man, a better person than perhaps I am.  I find no need for racial hatred.  I judge others on their merits as people, as I hope people would judge me.  I understand that race has long been a divider amound the peoples of Mistone, Dregar, the Dwarven lands, the Planes, the Underdark. But... during wars and famine, does a skin tone matter?  What matters is the heart.

Sincerly,

[Acacea]

Who cares if their fear and hatred is deserved or not in the case of one? It is clear from the posting that he was not even mentioning all of the things that drow have done to deserve it. He was cruising past that to say that the common people the good ones wish to protect are more likely to drive them out with torches and pitchforks. He even said that we'd gained levels of tolerance or something, not "Get oot ye bloody drow!" He was just stating the differences between adventurers who know them, and the strangers who suddenly see a dark elf in their midst.

Children grow up with horror stories of the dark ones, and they regularly raid the surface--would you rather kill a city's worth of innocents protecting a drow fool enough to announce the fact, or tell him to put on a bloody hood?

I am certainly not out to get anyone, but if a whole city for some reason wants to kill me on sight, I will definitely be trying to keep undercover, thanks. Saves me the trouble of dying, them the trouble of killing me, and my friends the trouble of defending me, period. Without ever getting into whether or not it is deserved...

She laughs to herself and adds a small note to the bottom...

In fact, most people would insist that everyone have their identies open and above suspicion...lest someone be a drow in disguise...and disguise must surely suggest ill-intent..

[Stephen_Zuckerman]

Though many adventurers have no ill will towards the Drow, thier race is feared and hated among the commonfolk after years and years of war and raids. Asking that they wear a hood is no great thing, when compared to how once we would have barred them from any city, or simply killed them on sight.

*The note is unsigned.*

[Hellblazer]

Should we also ask the dwarfs not to drink into the cities, the Human not to think they are so self richious, the elf to stop being of such slender nature, the Orcs of being dumb...

[Nibor21]

No  do not lets the drow hides in shadows. Makes thems shows them heritage openly so all can see them and knows to be careful. Better has thems in the light wheres we can see thems than skulking hiddens in the shadows.

Karana

[silverdraco]

Parents should know what races walk among them. And we should let them make there own decisions whether to trust a race or not. I am a mother of two, and I would let my children know that there are always people among races who are good of heart, en those who are evil of heart. This is the case with every race.   If we are to have the Drow hide there appearance we should also have the dwarfs, the elves, the humans and all other races do the same, because there is both evil and good among all of them.   If you are to hide the evil from the common folk they will grow ignorant and careless, thinking evil is not there. With result that they will invite into there homes much easier.    Have the Drow hide there appearance? I say not, not if they do not want to them selves.      Signed Sonya Darsus

[Hellblazer]

*Walks back to the note and see that his wife wrote and smiles*
  "See I knew I married an inteligent woman."
  *He thinks to himself*

[curtwise]

Since coming to Hlint, i have been attacked and insulted by more dwarves and halflings than by anyone else, especially drow!

Being half elf, I think that i bare more than my share of contempt for the drow race. Lest ye forget the history of the drows cruelty to the elven folk. Judge ye not by heritage but by deeds and of your spoken words.

So keep your predjudice and hatred to yourselves. For i would rather explain to the children the presence of a drow or even a dwarf than a man or woman of hatred!

For if we all truly operated by our lineage and the associated history thereof, the struggle of being half elf and half human would have killed me years ago.

[Weeblie]

A hooded person stands in the shadows, smirking for himself.

You could easily think that adventurers would have more sense...

But, no. Experiencing the world only make people more foolish, it seems.

I'm sure my mistress will be most pleased to hear this...

And, with an evil laugh, he slowly walks away. When he passes by a group of adventurers, his expression changes in the blink of an eye to a much more friendly one, and he even offers them a hand to clean some cave from troublesome goblins.

[Diamondedge]

If the drow do not conceal their identities, then there will be more conflicts in the future. The conflicts will slowly become bloodier. The commoners of the land, the people that till the earth, grind the grain, build the homes and raise the cattle... they grow more on edge every day that a drow walks through their midst without covering his features.

Mobs will arise, and the so called friends of these drow will be forced to either put to death entire townships, or to let their comrade drow be lynched, exiled or executed. It would save the world a great deal of strife, and indeed keep a fair deal of souls nice and sturdily on the ground, and all it would take is about two or three gold per drow.

You claim to uphold the virtues of good and wonder, to be adventurers seeking no ill will towards the common folk... so why would you be so willing to put these people through such terrible times. I know of two drow already who keep their identities a secret from the world. It is stubbornness beyond idiocy to continue to be so selfish as to think that you can come to the surface and be so readily accepted by everyone. By virtue of birth, you will not be trusted. Why put yourself in danger?

[Hellblazer]

The only thing that brings conflict is the prejudices that two races has against one an other.  If all races would come to know and understand each other, than Prejudices would subside and eventualy peace would be acheived.  Continuing in  the old ways that brought the old wars will only repeat history.

As you love your animal, the animal loves you back.  As you hurt your animal, the animal will surely attack your throat one day.  This can be applied to the relation the races have between each other.  It is only in understanding and love that peace can be acheive.  Using force or discrimination will only persue in the continuity of the Hatred.  

Stop and think for a second, is it not time in fact to lose the old hatreds and start working toward a comon goal of surviving this plague that has been brought forth by the death of Blood?  But if all that stand in the way to acheiving this goal, is your hatred for a race, are you not infact jeopardizing all of the hope and affort that has been made?

You ask for someone to cover who he is and yet do you cover yourself when you go into their city?  All of our races have made atrocities to one each other and in such none of the races has the right to diminish an other one.  War are started by ignorance, and are fought by two sides.  Death is brought to both parties and warriors are not the only one to die in a war.  When one of our races went to raid one of their village in retaliation, did they not kill the woman and children too?  We are all as guilty by heritage as they are and in such we are no better.

[Weeblie]

You are insane!

Have you not heard what the drow have done for centuries?

Are you so naive to think "they have probably changed"?

A person who trusts the drow is a dead person.

Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. By sooner or later, one will find oneself with a knife in one's back.

Of course, you... "Dragoncalled"... You will get another chance.

The ancient magic of the bindstones will surely bring you back to life again.

But we don't have that luxury. When we die, we stay dead.

I won't put mine nor my children's life in danger just to trust some drow that "might" be good. Never!

And, are you aware of that the lack of sun and the dropping temperature have resulted in a lot of failed crops?

People are starving! And when the drow comes up here, there's less food for us!

This makes me wonder. Who are you actually trying to help? Us? Or the "poor" drow?

The drow already have a home. Let them stay there. Let them go back to their stinking Underdark!

/*

This is what I believe is the "common people's" view of the drow. Just to make the thread a little bit more interesting...

Oh, and please note that these words doesn't come from my own character.

She... um... has the "stupid good"-alignment too!

*/

[silverdraco]

I remember something that I read or heard somewhere, it goes like this.   "You can trust everyone; just don't trust the devil inside of them".   I'm not sure where I heard or read it but I remembered it because I know a few people who are good of heart and spirit, but have a little problem that makes them lose control of them selves at certain times or when certain things happen.    What I mean to say with this is, you can trust people if you want to, whether they are Drow, elf, dwarf, human, or some other race. Just don't trust the evil that is within every one of them and every one of us. For every one has evil inside of them. But not every one lets it control there lives.  If you don't want to trust the Drow or some other race because of what they did in the past than so be it. But don't expect everyone to do the same.   Do not try to change people, because if we all think the same, this world will be very boring.   Signed Sonya Darsus       //edited for gramar and little mistakes.
   

[Varka]

*varka looks at all the posts, reads a few while picking his nose. Finally takes out a piece of coal and writes beneath*

Why should they have a hood on so they can hide?
Let them show their faces so I know who not to trust as well as to kill? That is much easier…
 
A shame this in not the way it works for now


Signed

Varka Cleaveson

*scratches his rear and walks off*

 

[Harlas Ravelkione]

* Written in bold letters. *

Do not require drow to conceal their identities. It is preferable to know your enemies.

[cbnicholson]

Aye, all should shouldst stand in light, with faces bared for all to see.  Tis only the hidden that is to be feared.  Only the craven hide thine faces from each other.  I wouldst see the eyes of the one I deal with, be he or she elf, drow, halfing, dwarf, or other.