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PRESERVERS:

 

            Holt of Grand Illusions has never stumbled into a nest of these things, but there are plenty of elves in the Holt that seem to be magnets for them.  Currently, there are over two dozen preservers flocking around their "High Things".  Blame these elves.  Or don't blame them; be pleased at their ability to attract the bugs.  Again, it is up to the member to decide your reaction.  Since we have so many preservers, I am asking that you avoid sending more at this time.  

 

HUMANS:

            Ah, the humans.  What would life be without those five-fingered delights?  The Holt of Grand Illusions runs into its fair share of humans who seem to lurk in packs every so many miles.  This does not, however, mean that every so many miles there is a battle.  Again, this is up to each member to decide.  There are currently many elves that dislike humans, but not many who will hurl themselves upon a large group of humans.  The same few can also be said to like and\or get along with humans.  There will be times when wars are unavoidable as well as peace.  The choice is up to the member.  At this point, Grand Illusions has encountered both friendly and hostile humans.  

Remember, the time that the Holt is in has the humans at a rather primitive level.  We may stumble across more advanced societies, but the majority will tend to be crude, bulky, and superstitious.  Their weaponry is still more stone and wood, rather than metal.  Weapons also are very simplistic in design, so no one should have halebards, man catchers, swords, intricate knives, etc.  

TROLLS:

            Unlike the humans, trolls are not in wide abundance, at least not in this particular area.  It is quite possible the region is more densely inhabited by these critters, but since they live underground and most elves are smarter than to park themselves next to a door in a shallow cavern, few have been encountered.  Surrounding holts are not unfamiliar with them, though.  Stories of these massive green blobs circulate quickly from elf to elf, from holt to holt.  Again, if your character is from a holt beyond this area, it is entirely up to you to decide upon the knowledge and opinion of your character.  The more differences there are in a holt, the more interesting.  

           Trolls, while rather advanced, are not the only source of metal, weapons, or jewelry.  Holt of Grand Illusions has its fair share of troll raiders (Silvertooth, Nimblehand, to name a few), but we also have four metalshapers (Snowsong, Dreamlight, Sabertwist, Darksage) and plenty of metal forgers, metallurgists, weapons makers\designers, and jewelry makers\ designers.  We do not need to rely on the trolls, but again, it is up to the individual member to decide on interaction with trolls.

            At this time, there are two known trolls in the Holt.  One (Broketooth) actually lives in the Holt (for the moment), but because of hostilities, he and his elfin companions live on the edge of the Holt.  The other, Batbreath, is friends with Wind Dreamer and manages to find the Holt and visit her on occasion.

ELVES:

            Once again, the elves of the Holt of Grand Illusions are from varying backgrounds and holts.  There are some natives, but not many as of HGI 8920 on the timeline.  All other elves must be wanderers, born in other holts, to wanderer parents, or born just prior to arriving in Grand Illusions.  Due to this, elves in the Holt have various backgrounds, personalities, heights, blood (pure or animal), skin tones, body types, opinions\knowledge of the races on the World of Two Moons (Abode), and so forth.  

            There are very few restrictions regarding character generation.  I currently am not accepting any more healers (or any of its dependents), metamorphs (shapechangers), or seers.  We have enough.  Currently, we have a run on gliders, so I ask that you try to avoid submitting a glider character unless you absolutely need to find this elf a home.  I am not accepting homo- or bisexual elves (although humans and trolls are acceptable).  When I first joined ELFQUEST, it was not a part of the elven psyche and not accepted in the fandom.  Later, a holt approached Richard Pini at a convention and asked if it was possible if the character had been driven insane.  Richard hesitantly said yes, and the floodgates were wide open.

            By that time, I had already started Holt of Grand Illusions and had made this a policy (no homo-bisexual elves).  It was to my understanding that the elves simply do not have this aspect of their sexuality due to Recognition (breeding being governed by genetics) and that the same taboos and religious restrictions for human sexuality do not exist.  I certainly do not believe homosexuality is caused by insanity.  Either way, I have not allowed it Grand Illusions from the beginning (and have rejected a couple of these elves).  If you feel you absolutely must have this type of elf, I will be happy to suggest several holts that are active and do allow it.  

Many people have difficulty writing "wanderer" or "never specified" in the space for origin on the character information sheet.  Often people will create a holt for the purpose of sounding official only to destroy it later in the personal history section.  Though I am not totally adverse to this, I would like to keep this down as much as possible.  An option is to be from a holt already established by another (ie. Shadow Vale, Sagewinds, Windhowl, etc.), even though it requires you get approval from the holt leader first.  It can be tedious, but it avoids misunderstandings.

            Another option is to have your character come from another holt that has since folded.  Some choices include Surfsong Cliff, Crab Apple Tree, Farcorners, Ravenwood, Nightmoon, Seawinds, Sunset, Black Crystal, Timber Valley, and Ancient Valley.  If you need more information on these holts, or information on some other possibilities, just let me know.  

            If none of these options sound good so far, I have a list of nearby holts that your elf could have come from.  These holts are not run by anyone other than me and are source holts.  These include:

FORESTDWELLERS:  Ah, the Forestdwellers.  The Holt itself may leave something to be desired, but it's produced some of Grand Illusions most notable elves: Amberfox, Desertmoon, Cornerstone, Crystalwolf, Demonwolf, Herbgather, Misty Eye, Raincaller, Silverbreeze, and Spiceclove (though you may not agree on the importance or value of them...).  The holt lies northeast of Grand Illusions and is on the very edge where the forest becomes jungle.  The current chief is Lord Lightrain, who overplays his importance.  He is egomaniacal and dangerously unstable.  He is also the one who gave Amberfox "permission to leave." 

BLACK STRIPE RIDERS:  A cat bonded but not blooded holt who originally sat deep within the jungle's heart.  They mainly bonded to large black stripes (tigers), though various other jungle cats were not uncommon.  Their chieftess was Tigress Blacksun who led the tribe with a fierce but loving hand.  They domesticated "talk birds" (parrots) to assist in spying on the nearby five human tribes.  Needless to say, the holt was constantly at war and most enjoyed it.  To Tigress Blacksun and the warriors, battling humans was a way of breaking up monotony.  And it was fun, too. 

TRAIL'S END HOLT:  This holt is centered on peace and agriculture and is located far to the west of the Forestdwellers, though contact between the two has never been made.  Life in this holt is at a slower pace than most, considering that there are no threatening outside forces, which allows more time for a more artistic, philosophic way of life.  They are pureblooded elves that do not bond but generally have rides and\or animal friends.  They live in a desert environment, a little less hostile than the Sun Village: think Serengeti. 

            There are also several other source holts that your elf can be from.  Some are listed in the guide, but if you still cannot find one that suits you, let me know and I can try to find one that does.