forums.rs

Forums

Black Elves Thread is locked

Quick find code: 341-342-598-65670625

of 6
TokHaar Gol
Mar Member 2014

TokHaar Gol

Posts: 432 Silver Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
So I have wondered this quite a while now, why are some of the elves black?

In real life skin color is a result of evolution, where vitamin D levels determined how human skin color evolved. So whats the difference between white and darker skin? In dark-skinned people, eumelanin is dominant and acts as a natural sunscreen; pale skinned individuals have much more pheomelanin. However, while pheomelanin produces vitamin D efficiently, its reaction with high levels of UVB also makes dangerous free radicals, which damage skin cells over time. Its a bit more complex then that, but that's the short version of it.

But does evolution take place in Runescape one might ask? Well what evidence do we got for such assumption? Well if we look at the map and examine the people in Gilenors different regions, we see the same kind of humans and animals we expect to find in the real world at similar places. As an example, many people have darker skin at Karamja, we find animals that typically live in jungles there.

Why are some elves black and most of them white? All elves originated from Tarddiad, right? And we have been to Tarddiad, it seems like its not a environment that have allot of UVB radiation, in other words its not a very hot environment. And judging from the inhabitants of Tarddiad they all seem to be white skinned, so its kinda safe to assume the black elves originated on Gilenor then.

But then it gets really crazy cause the elves have pretty much stayed at the same place for thousands of years, namely in Isafdar. And Isafdar don't seem to be a very hot place at all, judging from their choice of clothing its safe to assume that its not warm enough there to evolve black skin. So why are some elves black? I have no clue......
Inoffensive politically correct trigger free signature

26-Aug-2015 15:08:22

Last Prophet

Last Prophet

Posts: 3,433 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Kemtros said :
It's because black people exist in the real world and there's really no reason for why Jagex shouldn't include them.

From a biological standpoint, there are a number of reasons they should not exist within Isafdar, as noted in the OP.

But, you know. Inclusion and all that.
+
Last Prophet
+

~Creator of
Ikadia the Exile
~

26-Aug-2015 15:41:21 - Last edited on 26-Aug-2015 15:44:51 by Last Prophet

TokHaar Gol
Mar Member 2014

TokHaar Gol

Posts: 432 Silver Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Kemtros said :
It's because black people exist in the real world and there's really no reason for why Jagex shouldn't include them.

But there are several black characters that actually makes sense in runescape. Like Bob for example who owns Bob's brilliant axes. It's not so hard to imagine people traveling around and moving to different regions. So a black man owning a shop in lumbrige makes perfect sense. However black elves does not make sense. I would like them to make sense, but they dont.
Inoffensive politically correct trigger free signature

26-Aug-2015 15:55:13 - Last edited on 26-Aug-2015 17:43:15 by TokHaar Gol

Cthris
Dec Member 2023

Cthris

Posts: 5,206 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Remember that Seren experimented on the elves for ages, which according to that book you get from running laps on the agility course, immensely changed their appearance. I reckon the inconsistent pigmentation stems from that. Nice question :)

26-Aug-2015 22:50:45 - Last edited on 26-Aug-2015 22:51:17 by Cthris

Quick find code: 341-342-598-65670625 Back to Top