Questions from original Threats, What does a downcycle IE look like? Options

[Dragonslayer]

Ok, just found a copy of this at a used bookstore and I was looking through it when I found this. Page 57 for those who have it. In the shadowtalk, Frosty says "Do not meddle in the affairs of immortals, for they are subtle and quick to anger." Goblin-boy tells her not to paraphrase Tolkien to which she replies "Is that who said that? I thought it was someone else." I read this as maybe one of the IEs was Tolkien. Maybe I'm way off base, but the idea seemed kinda interesting. Any other thoughts on this? Does an immortal elf look like a human during the downcycle?

As another thought, what happened to most of the things from the original Threats. I think this has been covered before on the forums but my searches haven't turned anything up, if somebody could link to the topic, then great!

[Herald of Verjig...]

They tend to look how they want because all they need is a geas aided mask spell and no one (well, mostly no one) is going to dispell it.

[Lantzer]

Wouldn't the downcycle Magic level be too low to support a spell? I mean, if it's too low to support normal, mundane elves...

I've kind of liked the idea that, like dragons, they slept through most of the downcycle. If you go by canon, they're related, after all. IE's have got to be high-mana critters too.

And, like dragons, they popped up occasionally to cause trouble.

[BitBasher]

I cant say for sure but I get the impression that it's like casting in a mana warp. It can really, really suck but it can be done.

[Senchae]

According to sources like Worlds Without End, the IEs were awake for the downcycle (or, you know, the 2/3 of it they didn't naturally sleep through ;) ), and some of them were revelling in the absense of the dragons... And yes, they could do magic if they wanted to devote the time and energy to it.

[Abstruse]

Also remember the IEs use magic differently than people in SR do. They use pattern magic from Earthdawn. I can't remember what they called the magic like in SR, but I believe they don't take drain from pattern magic...Eh, AH will come and correct me if I'm wrong :P

The Abstruse One

[Ancient History]

What an IE looks like depends on which source you trust.

Just for reference, multiple authors think Spike Baby elves look like elves, no matter the mana level.

Caroline Spector says IEs look fairly human during the downcycle, though they keep most of their coloring (black skin and white hair for Aina, as an example, though her eyes look more human).

Magic, even sustained spells like physical masks and illusions, is possible during the downcycle, though incredibly draining (imagine that, during the upcycle, you're trying to move a watermelon through a pipe that is the same diamter or bigger than the watermelon. Now, picture you're in a downcycle, and you're trying to give birth to the same watermelon.)

Carl Sargent and Marc Gasciogne have hinted that elves keep their pointy ears during the downcycle. Or at least that Leonardo did.

Of course, Steve Kenson has more or less put out that the Leo we know and love is /not/ Da Vinci. Which may or may not make mincemeat out of the pointy-ear arguement.