If anything, I associate elves with the sin of Pride.
Let me rephrase that...In *most* of the campaigns I've run or played in, Elves have been the cause of some rather big things in the history of the world. *cough* Crown Wars *cough*
Of course, there are always exceptions. :) Interesting manga, by the way, I'll have to check it out. :D
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I came up with this on another thread, and am now bringing it here and expanding upon it. I like the idea that Elves were once immortal creatures of the fairy realms that gave up their immortality to live in the material world. Their doom is that they are obsessed with their mortality, even though they are one of the longest-lived races in the world. They see that everything they build fades or falls into ruin, and want to stop it. Essentially they are trying to create a stasis that is really just stagnation. They cannot adapt well to change.
At the same time, their generally chaotic nature collides with this urge for stasis. In their original realm, they could do whatever they pleased, whenever they pleased, and nothing was ever permanaently changed. They are trying to reclaim this heritage, but it is unattainable, and in the material world, the two parts are contrary to each other.
How's that for a doom?
I came up with this on another thread, and am now bringing it here and expanding upon it. I like the idea that Elves were once immortal creatures of the fairy realms that gave up their immortality to live in the material world. Their doom is that they are obsessed with their mortality, even though they are one of the longest-lived races in the world. They see that everything they build fades or falls into ruin, and want to stop it. Essentially they are trying to create a stasis that is really just stagnation. They cannot adapt well to change.
At the same time, their generally chaotic nature collides with this urge for stasis. In their original realm, they could do whatever they pleased, whenever they pleased, and nothing was ever permanaently changed. They are trying to reclaim this heritage, but it is unattainable, and in the material world, the two parts are contrary to each other.
How's that for a doom?
I like the way you think. One of the cooler elven treatments I've read...
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2011 Top 16
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I'm glad to see Pathfinder treating Fey as more otherworldly than comical, and goblins as the vicious little backwoods terrors they are, and kobolds as more than just little whimpering dog-lizards.
Now we just need a new treatment of elves. To be honest I don't feel as though modern elves have been treated as anywhere near Chaotic. For the most part they feel like stodgy and medlesome grandparents who think anything the kids are doing is nonsense and foolishness and they should just listen to the betters. They feel like Babylon 5 Vorlons, rather than creatures out of the Plane of Faerie. Eladrin are better elves than elves. Elves should be creatures of mirth, hope, & joy, not sadness, stoicism, or aloofness.
I don't see elves as defenders of the Status Quo... They're not Mordenkainen or the Blackstaff. Elves accept change as an inevitable part of Nature. Elves are a part of nature.
If anything Elven sadness should be from not doing enough to help the world in times past than meddling too much. This would make a great incentive for elven adventurers. They feel they must make up for their inattentiveness and help right a wrong or misdeed they made through negligence.
If anyone wants stagnation it would be humans more than elves. The Runelords seem like they're human and they chose to sleep until things calmed down. If anyone fears change and mortality it's the short lived humans.