Free Elves Unite?

[grey_wolf_c]

No: HPFGUIDX 37104

Laura Huntley wrote:
> Grey Wolfe:

Grey Wolfe? Grey *Wolfe*? Ohmygod what have I done to deserve this! ;-)

I know, I know. I'm past my bedtime and my mental process are starting 
to slurr, even more so since I'm trying to think in an alien language. 
Anyway, for my last post before calling it a day.

Laura Huntley again:
>> Alright.  Isn't this the "it's for your own good" philosophy you were criticizing Hermione for?  In fact, your main Atan-modeled theory falls under this category.  The elves were too powerful, so, in order to make sure they didn't hurt anyone, a group of ancient elves got together and decided that they absolutely *had* to commit themselves and all their descendants to perpetual slavery?  I have a hard time believing that anything close to this might have taken place.  It's too -- far fetched.  Why would the elven race view itself as dangerous?  I mean, I can buy *wizards* viewing them as dangerous, much like Muggles would view wizards (with their unfathomable power) as dangerous.  But the elven race as a whole, throwing up it's hands and deciding to turn itself in to another, magically inferior, race?  Especially a race so power hungry and easily corrupted as the human one?  Hum..just doesn't work in my head.<<

First off, I didn't want to come across as critic of the "for your own 
good" philosophy. I just said that it brings fear to my heart, since 
it's going to involve pain sonner or later. At times, however, it's the 
only correct way (and I've used it myself at times). However, if there 
is another way that doesn't involve pain, I believe it should be used, 
even if it's not as good.

Anyway, you see my Atan-theory as far-fetched. I'm not in perfect 
working conditions right now, but let me trot out an example for you: 
Imagine a race of people in which every single individual has the 
powers of Voldemort and Dumbledore rolled together. Since power doesn't 
equate to wisdom, most of the people will be out of control (a very 
recurrent theme in fantasy is that an individual entitled with the 
power of a god but without it's wisdom will become insane or something 
worse). Faced with the perspective of continual internal fight, the 
elders (taking your example), who have adquired certain amount of 
wisdom, realise that their people are getting out of control. Thus, 
they decide to unite their powers to create an enchantment by which the 
powers are controled. The best way is to separate the decission of 
using those powers from the people themselves, which means someone else 
has to be able to decide when to use that powers. They choose humans 
because they're the most dependable of the intelligent races (which 
doesn't mean they're very dependable). That way, the people can 
continue their existance, and keep their powers, but cannot kill each 
other or others over whims. Following on this theory, there would be 
other sub-clauses, like the inability to use AK-equivalents unless by 
mutual accord of the majority of the people, etc.
 
>> Also, as I have not read the book in which the Atans play a role, I may be getting the context wrong, but what *exactly* about servitude made all these violent warriors suddenly go all docile?  Why did giving these confrontational people over to a bunch of *other* physically weaker, more peaceful race (who in turn were expected to tell the violent race what to do) help any?  I would've thought that the Atans would simply have revolted after a bit and slaughtered the other race. Maybe they would've gone along with it out of respect for their king for awhile, but if it's in their nature to fight -- I can't see how if they couldn't curb that before, what putting them in a position of enslavement would do.
>
> Laura <<

Read the book. You'll like it. Start on "The Diamond Throne", though 
(it's the first, although Atans are only mentione in 4th and beyond).

Anyway, to the matter at hand: the Atans are not slaves in the normal 
sense. They do what they please, except that they cannot kill people 
until they are told. They still have their king and, since their 
society is militaristic, they respect it and obey him as the supreme 
general. The "weaker race"'s control is reduced to who they can kill. 
During the course of the books, the arrengement starts to break at the 
seams, though. I do realise that the parallelism between Atans and 
elves is not perfect, but nonetheless is enough to express my theory 
(which I'll get around to Acronym-ize sometime soon)

Hope that helps,

Grey Wolf, who's brain is half sleeping already, toghether with most of 
his neural system and hopes he's making sense. If not, he'll mend it in 
the morning.