My first impression of elf came from Everquest's graphic, which are very "sexy", especially woodelf. But Tolkien's The Hobbit from my university library draw woodelf as long-leg-short-body-ugly creatures. Any idea? http://www.tgeweb.com/ironworks/cgi-...iles/smile.gif

Just check out my .sig for a Wild Elf graphic...

the REAL answer to your question is:

They look however YOU want them to look.

I tend to think of them ala Tolkien, but the pictures and animated films have them as beautiful childlike-creatures...
in my writings, they tend to be more feral...
like my .sig

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The RudeDawg
Known in these Forgotten Realms as Perin LightEyes

Ever see the Keebler Elves? They make cookies. Yep, thats the way they look. Deadly bastards too....

Depends on what you want to believe. They can be anything from cute to beautiful to cold to evil, depending on which mythos you choose.
Also the illustrator! Choose an image and character that pleases YOU! And in Tolkien, compare what he WRITES about elves with pictures in the book. The illustrations you describe are nothing like the word-pictures that Tolkien built! http://www.tgeweb.com/ironworks/cgi-...iles/smile.gif

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Smile! Life is too short for bitching! http://www.tgeweb.com/ironworks/cgi-...s/EEhearts.gif

Fljotsdale

I tend to think of them as Cold and Beautiful.

F, there is a version of THE HOBBIT called THE ANNOTATED HOBBIT
that was put out by Houghton Mifflin Company in 1988. They took art work that was used in other editions of THE HOBBIT from around the world and placed them in the margin. It very interesting to read the book and look at the pictures. I sometimes
wonder if the artists were reading the same story as I was. By the way I collect Tolkien books. This is my fourth or fifth Hobbit. Found this one in a discount bookstore.

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Sir Taliesin

Ten Rings there are, and nine gold torcs on the battlechiefs of old...

<font size=5>HA!</font>
i love it!! http://www.tgeweb.com/ironworks/cgi-...es/biggrin.gif

My Tolkien collection is always growing... Did you get the boxed set "The book of the Millenium", broken iinto eight books???



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http://publish.hometown.aol.com/tobb...s/rudedawg.jpg
The RudeDawg
Known in these Forgotten Realms as Perin LightEyes

I hate the short, cute christmas or keebler version of elves! Why did that persona ever come about. If anything that is a gnome!

Anyway, the general fantasy version of an elf is:
Elves tend to be somewhat shorter and slimmer than normal humans. Their features are finely chiseled and delicate, and they speak in melodic tones. They concern themselves with natural beauty and are known to dance and frolic. They are not particularly fond of Humans or Dwarves and they do not have a strong interest in wealth. Although they appear fragile and weak, as a race they are quick and strong. Elves often live as long as 1200 years.

Yeah, thats from BG because I am lazy and just pasted it. http://www.tgeweb.com/ironworks/cgi-...smiles/elf.gif

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Can an elf get a break anywhere these days?
http://www.pagesz.net/~dragon/elf.gif

Hmm, elves varies in description due to copywright stuff and so on. Most alike are the features and that they´re beatiful to behold.
Tolkiens Elves are taller than man, but also more slender with almost feline eyes. Light haired and all that.

DoD class are shorter and well more agile, slender.

Elves in Feist are almost like people, nomal height, slender and beatiful again.

Well there are some traits that runs through most descriptions, the "acting,looks" and the stature and height seems to vary though.

In the new DM guide and Monster manual they are well described.

Elves, the standard ones (not moon, sun and so..) but you have wildelves, more tribal and not so evulated (ok, tough word) as their cousins, mor barbaic, but the most attuned to nature.
Wood Elves/Sylvan, tallest and as strong as mankind, mostly rangers.
Aquatic elves.. sorry i don´t care..
Dark Elves, well if you don´t know them.. You´re in for a suprise.. Smallest, viscious and down to heart evil and egoistic,except Drizzt..

OK, a smallgoing through the archieves here..

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http://wolfgir.najk.net/name.gif
WOLF WINS EVERY FIGHT BUT ONE, AND IN THAT ONE, HE DIES

i collect 'em, too! http://www.tgeweb.com/ironworks/cgi-...iles/smile.gif My favourites are the Harper-Collins editions, nice big solid books, illustrated by Alan Lee. Beautifully atmospheric paintings and drawings - and his elves are nice to look at, too! http://www.tgeweb.com/ironworks/cgi-...iles/smile.gif


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Smile! Life is too short for bitching! http://www.tgeweb.com/ironworks/cgi-...s/EEhearts.gif

Fljotsdale