[ArkangelWinter]

Well, most of the "ancient" SR characters weren't "ancient" yet in the Fourth World, which I totally didnt think about

[Mirikon]

Actually, the dragons and immortal elves were around from the Second World. But the dragons were content to let the young races do their thing, so long as they didn't interfere with dragon affairs, and the immortal elves were keeping hidden, just as they are now.

But yes, for the most part Earthdawn wasn't an ancient conspiracy running things. In Shadowrun, you do have a few groups who are looking to guide things to suit their needs. The dragons and immortal elves are two, but there's also the Black Lodge, the Catholic Church, the IOND, the Smoking Mirror, and so on. Most of these groups are at eachother's throats, however. There isn't any ancient conspiracy running things, because that would assume that all the power players could actually get along to agree on things, and the different groups weren't so divided.

[Glorthoron]

Actually, the dragons and immortal elves were around from the Second World. But the dragons were content to let the young races do their thing, so long as they didn't interfere with dragon affairs, and the immortal elves were keeping hidden, just as they are now.

But yes, for the most part Earthdawn wasn't an ancient conspiracy running things. In Shadowrun, you do have a few groups who are looking to guide things to suit their needs. The dragons and immortal elves are two, but there's also the Black Lodge, the Catholic Church, the IOND, the Smoking Mirror, and so on. Most of these groups are at eachother's throats, however. There isn't any ancient conspiracy running things, because that would assume that all the power players could actually get along to agree on things, and the different groups weren't so divided.

I was pretty sure the immortal elves were from the 4th age.  I thought the 2nd age was only dragons.  At least, that was how it was when I last read earthdawn books.  . . . . . maybe it has changed.

[Black]

For the average street sam, there are only two ages:
Before I was born
Now

The period between 'Before I was born' and 'Now' is a bit of a blur....

[Mirikon]

Actually, the dragons and immortal elves were around from the Second World. But the dragons were content to let the young races do their thing, so long as they didn't interfere with dragon affairs, and the immortal elves were keeping hidden, just as they are now.

But yes, for the most part Earthdawn wasn't an ancient conspiracy running things. In Shadowrun, you do have a few groups who are looking to guide things to suit their needs. The dragons and immortal elves are two, but there's also the Black Lodge, the Catholic Church, the IOND, the Smoking Mirror, and so on. Most of these groups are at eachother's throats, however. There isn't any ancient conspiracy running things, because that would assume that all the power players could actually get along to agree on things, and the different groups weren't so divided.

I was pretty sure the immortal elves were from the 4th age.  I thought the 2nd age was only dragons.  At least, that was how it was when I last read earthdawn books.  . . . . . maybe it has changed.

The Immortal Elves were from the Age of Dragons, and are the offspring of several of the dragons. They rebelled, and are the reason that the dragons don't go around having kids with the young races any more.

[Glorthoron]

Actually, the dragons and immortal elves were around from the Second World. But the dragons were content to let the young races do their thing, so long as they didn't interfere with dragon affairs, and the immortal elves were keeping hidden, just as they are now.

But yes, for the most part Earthdawn wasn't an ancient conspiracy running things. In Shadowrun, you do have a few groups who are looking to guide things to suit their needs. The dragons and immortal elves are two, but there's also the Black Lodge, the Catholic Church, the IOND, the Smoking Mirror, and so on. Most of these groups are at eachother's throats, however. There isn't any ancient conspiracy running things, because that would assume that all the power players could actually get along to agree on things, and the different groups weren't so divided.

I was pretty sure the immortal elves were from the 4th age.  I thought the 2nd age was only dragons.  At least, that was how it was when I last read earthdawn books.  . . . . . maybe it has changed.

The Immortal Elves were from the Age of Dragons, and are the offspring of several of the dragons. They rebelled, and are the reason that the dragons don't go around having kids with the young races any more.

Wow, that story has really changed.  Back when I was playing Earthdawn, Harlequin and Alachia were from the 4th age.

[rasmusnicolaj]

One of the novels (Scar maybe) defenitely describes the childhood of some of the IE (Aina and Ehran) and they are defenitely born in the 4th age.
I don't remember anything from the legends that IE should be from the 2nd age but I admit that I haven't read those books in a while.

Rasmus

[Glorthoron]

One of the novels (Scar maybe) defenitely describes the childhood of some of the IE (Aina and Ehran) and they are defenitely born in the 4th age.
I don't remember anything from the legends that IE should be from the 2nd age but I admit that I haven't read those books in a while.

Rasmus

I recall the same.

[Mirikon]

I'll admit my ED lore is shaky. Could be the rebellion was at the dawn of the fourth age. But it was ancient history by the time of the Scourge, at least. Part of the reason Alamaise wasn't in Wyrm Wood is because his kids put a big ass scar in his chest, afterall. So it would have had to have been before the foundation of the elven court in Wyrm Wood.

[TheNarrator]

Wow, that story has really changed.  Back when I was playing Earthdawn, Harlequin and Alachia were from the 4th age.

Not all of the Immortal Elves are the same age. The children of Immortals are sometimes also immortal. So Harley and Alachia could have been born in the Fourth Age, even if there were IEs in the Second Age.

Alachia was definitely the "Blood Queen" of Wyrm Wood in the Fourth Age, but she got that job when Almaise incinerated the previous Elven Queen, because when he came back to Wyrm Wood after thousands of years away and tried to claim that he was supposed to be the one in charge there, she told him to get lost.

(The Outcast's description of Almaise in Book of the Dragons said that Almaise was wounded by his eldest Immortal Elf daughter and driven out of Wyrm Wood at the end of the Second Age, then came back at the start of the Fourth Age, at which point the non-immortal people of the Elven Nations no longer remembered that they'd ever been ruled by a dragon at all. His desciption of events is not the whole truth, according to Dunkelzhan/Mountainshadow, but the timeline doesn't seem to be what's in doubt.)

[Mirikon]

Which reminds me. What is Alachia doing these days? For some reason, I had it in my head that she was running the Atlantean Foundation.

[Mara]

You know..I have always been kinda curious: What were the1st and 3rd Worlds like? I mean, we get indications from
stuff said by the Big D that technology does not develop up during the down-cycle to the extend we had
this time..so..what would things be like in the previous down-cycles?

[Mirikon]

Part of the reason the tech didn't advance as much as during this last down-time before is because before the Therans came up with their Rites of Passage and Protection, the vast majority of Namegivers were wiped out each time the Horrors came, except those few who might shelter with dragons.

[rasmusnicolaj]

I I remember correctly the first age was the creation age, where the Horrors created and played with the world.
One in the shape of a dragon create the 8 namegiver races and they fought back the horrors with the protection of the horror-dragon and made the earth safe.
I'm sure it is described in the Earthdawn book Legends.
The third age I don't think has ever been described.

Will have to look in my books at home for a more throughout explanation though.

Rasmus

[Mirikon]

What you're talking about is described both in the book on Horrors, and in the book on Dragons, where Icewing and Vasdenjas, respectively, tell the dragons' tale of creation, the horrors, and the Great Hunter.