Chapter 14-386: The Elven Race (1/2)
“Lords and Ladies of the Elves, you have put yourselves into positions of responsibility over your people. Let us leave aside the whole matter of new traditions and the like, and reflect on one thing... you have taken up a Duty and Responsibility that ever more elves will simply shirk... because they can.”
Large and radiant eyes in all hues blinked at me, while Master Tolkien frowned thoughtfully.
“One can see this with rather more speed developing among the truly Deep Human Powered with some power. Elves have the same thing, but your long lives are going to push it onto you continually, until it becomes a chore to engage with others outside your limited view, and your biases keep resetting themselves.
“The only way to fight this is with a continual set of whimsy and irreverence... which also do not inspire one to great loyalty to nation and leader.
“The reason for this is simple. You are a Powered people, and you live long years. With magic, you can satisfy all your basic needs with no other tools. You can Endure Elements as a One, allowing you to live anywhere fairly comfortably. You can use Divinations to find where food and water is, or magic to enhance and shape the terrain to raise food about you, or simply conjure some up if you like... which merely requires being a Three.
“Clothes? A mere Cantrip gets you enough needed for modesty. Do you need to make something? Basic tools are a Cantrip away, or the work can be done by magic. Only truly specialty work requires tools that must be crafted and wielded, and naturally we’ll make those magical so we don’t have to waste time on such things again.”
My eyes drifted over to the Countess, who had Primary Druid Levels, which meant she would be heading up the isolationist, back-to-nature movement among the elves. She flushed as I summed up the attitude of many of her followers to general society out in the world.
“I delivered you the Elven Racial Class. Merely with time and some effort, every single Elf alive can reach Ten, though it may take them decades and centuries. If they put in considerable effort, they might even reach Twenty... and they don’t need anyone or anything else but themselves to do so,” I stated, tapping my finger for emphasis.
“You are the unenviable position of ruling over a people that, more and more, will not need you, nor one another. They can provide for themselves with minimal effort, and that will allow them to pursue their own studies, obsessions, whims, and desires as they want.
“Contrast the elves with the vast majority of humans and other races. Halvyr and gnomes are exceptions, but they lack your years. The other races all need their own kind, because it is very difficult to do it all.
“The elves do not need those races, and eventually they don’t really need one another.” I lifted an eyebrow as I looked over the four dissidents. “If you four did not believe this in your hearts, you would have remained under Huellia, would you not?”
They were all taken aback, but it was a rhetorical question, as I turned back to the queen before they could reply. “You also have the problem of having established a hereditary form of government, and you are species of people that might have to put up with a single ruler for literally centuries.” I let that hang there in the air, and she fidgeted uncomfortably. “There has never been a Terran society where the highest positions of power were taken and then simply held onto, with no hope for succession ever, but that is exactly the situation here.
“Queen Ruellian, you could easily rule your people for over a thousand years.” She flushed slightly at that observation. “You have the advantage in Levels. Start adding in the stacking benefits of age, wisdom, and experience, and any successor or upstart starts simply looking less and less competent in comparison... especially to you yourself.
“But I do not think I need to tell you what happens when the same force rules too long, especially if it is one person.” I glanced at Master Tolkien significantly.
He spoke up promptly. “The government becomes hidebound. Stasis and conformity grip the bureaucracy. Whimsical rules and absolute authority combine to weigh heavy upon the people. For those born at the lowest levels of society, there is absolutely no hope of advancement, for all such positions are filled, and will remain filled. For those higher up, the same applies... you become born into your station, and cannot rise beyond!”
I nodded slowly, looking over the elves. “And that is the natural position you find yourselves in, and which you are already falling into.” I glanced at the queen. “You command the greatest number of elves, willing to trust in you and your decisions, believing in your goodwill and ideals. And as long as they are content and don’t wish to rise to greater heights, they will do fine.
“If they do... then you will have issues which, if the Fey are any guideline, will result in some very intense political games to gain the power which will not change without true conflict.”
Images were dancing behind me, of Fey courts and finely-clad nobles, swirls of courtly dances in fine architecture, while handsome elves and beautiful elfin looked on from the sides with daggers in their eyes...
My eyes moved to Duke Vasilmar. “You, sir, are more ambitious, and wish to engage with the outside world. You seek to take advantage of your long years to accrue power among the shorter-lived humans, gradually using seniority to take positions of authority and grip them without effort for generations.
“You probably haven’t considered the sheer amount of resentment and aggression that is going to be generated if you attempt to do that. The fact is that there are laws being debated, first centered on the Powered’s longer lifespans, specifically to stop that behavior from splitting societies open and causing inter-generational warfare. That means what you are trying to do has not escaped notice for the past few decades, and is a problem that will only get worse as lifespans get longer.
“You want to grow in power, and in another day and age, you would probably be a conqueror. Your aggression will not herald a good age for the elves.”
War broke out behind me in Holo, elves in expensive clothing and shining armor being butchered without mercy as common people of all species rose up against their dominance.
He flushed at the rebuke, but I just moved on to Duchess Pryvoka. “You, madam, have the most positive outlook on life, avoiding elf-centric thinking and moving towards the highest Good for all. In terms of a lasting impact on the entire world, your beliefs can lead to great things.