Lore; Longevity of races

[joshudson]

I see it like so:

* Humans have a natural lifetime of 70-80 years with some exceptions.

* Dwarves have a natural lifetime of 200-250 years accomplished by lowering metabolism.

* Elves are biologically immortal (they do not age) by semi-magical means. Excessive stress over a long enough period can weaken their sustaining magic so that they grow old and die. Hence their distaste for war.

* Trolls regenerate damage due to age so they are biologically immortal -- this comes at a price of brain cells continually dying and being replaced hence their stupidity. Despite having society members in the thousands of years old they are unable to advance or hold great lore as all trolls are forgetful over long periods.

* Orcs rarely live long enough for aging to matter.

* Liches sustain themselves indefinitely until the mind goes crazy and they take stupid risks. Barring some cataclysm a Lich might well last for hundreds of thousands of years.

* Drakes inherited long lifespans from dragons. Dragons do not age.

[thespaceinvader]

Firstly, this belongs in Writers (where I have moved it). Secondly, quite a lot of the details are flat-out WRONG for wesnoth. C.f.: wesnoth elves are NOT biologically immortal - their lifespans top out at around 200 to 250 years., with one exception (Kalenz, whose lifespan is so far around 400 years IIRC). Humans probably have a lifespan more like 50 to 60 years. We've only got up to 70 to 80 in the last century or so. Orcs are a bit shorter than humans, on average, but you're right in suggesting they tend to die before biology takes its toll. Liches can go on basically as long as they want to. Drakes are not, AFAIK, biologically immortal. Nor are dragons, for that matter, but there are only one or two we're aware of, and they were both killed in story...

Trolls - i don't think it's been established. Ditto dwarves. But i doubt either are biologically immortal. Trolls' regeneration doesn't do that, i don't think.

[joshudson]

Consistency between Under the Burning Suns and Invasion of the Unknown requires a minimum of 300 year lifespan for the shaman line of elves.

The writing of Scepter of Fire suggests the range for dwarves, though this is shaky (the use of 50 years in an expression where humans would use 20 years).

[thespaceinvader]

IftU is not mainline, consistency is not required. We do know that dwarves have a longer lifespan than humans, I think - Hamel outlived Tallin, IIRC, despite being a decent amount older when they met.

[TheGreatRings]

Humans probably have a lifespan more like 50 to 60 years. We've only got up to 70 to 80 in the last century or so.

Couldn't human life spans be longer in Wesnoth than in real-world pre-modern history? After all, Wesnoth has healing magic, and appears to have a pretty good standard of living. I haven't heard of a lot of plagues or famines in Wesnoth.

[thespaceinvader]

Just because you haven't heard of them, doesn't mean they haven't happened. We've ONLY seen the history of wesnoth's wars.

And we don't know how widespread the magi are. I for one doubt that they are available to the general populace.

It's a tone thing. Medieval works best if it is ACTUALLY medieval, not modern-day in Ren Faire costumes.

[Zarel]

Consistency between Under the Burning Suns and Invasion of the Unknown requires a minimum of 300 year lifespan for the shaman line of elves.

Hrm, that's not right. It's implied in LoW that Cleodil has a normal elvish lifespan, which is why Kalenz outlived her.

[Araja]

I thought Trolls turned further and further into themselves, losing interest in the outside world and preferring to spend their time in a quiet corner of their favorite cave until they turn to stone.
That's what the description says anyway.

[thespaceinvader]

...where?

[HomerJ]

...where?

Here!

Greetz
HomerJ

[Cloud]

Just because you haven't heard of them, doesn't mean they haven't happened. We've ONLY seen the history of wesnoth's wars.

And we don't know how widespread the magi are. I for one doubt that they are available to the general populace.

It's a tone thing. Medieval works best if it is ACTUALLY medieval, not modern-day in Ren Faire costumes.

A good magi would probably be more expensive than a good physician, therefore they'd live in the big cities. Even those with the temprament to want to help the peasant folk there's probably only so much they can do (look at the aid we're giving to Africa and other such third world places in our time). I can also imagine that a lot of magi get drafted into millitary service due to their usefulness, healing soldiers of battle wounds not peasants of disease.

[thespaceinvader]

...where?

Here!

Greetz
HomerJ

Thanks. I should check the wiki for these things...

[Drakefriend]

According to the desccription, Drakes live inly 20-30 years.But maybe this is due there warlike lifestyle-which can be seen there.

[wesfreak]

IIRC, elves normally live around 200 years, but the more magically potent the elf the older it lives. this explains Kalenz's extremely long lifespan and how the sorcerers can live longer.

It does say that trolls turn to stone, but it never says that when they turn to stone they die. this leaves the question of whether or not their minds erode away with their bodies, leaving a statue, or whether they remain sentient and just don't care enough about anything in particular to do anything, knowing that they can't be hurt.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

It says they turn into "lifeless stone." If they no longer have any life in them, they are dead. Hence when they finally turn into stone, they die. This may very well take a while, though.