Elven Aging and other such random topics
 

So in the OOTS discussion thread, we got all derailed on the topics of the rate elves age at and what would make one shift alignments.

As for elves, usually I see it handled one of two ways. Either they age at a rate similar to humans until a point, usually in the thirties or so when they slow down drastically, or they age very slowly and the idea of them being in kindergarden at 30 is glossed over.

I think its meant to be ambiguous, considering half-elves often end up outliving humans, while at the same time feeling out-of-place when raised among elves or humans (as they mature too fast for elves and too slow for humans, usually becoming adults at 25+ whereas humans in fantasy are about 16+). Leaving it up to everyone's interpretations.

So the answer to your question is "Yes."

are we talking about long lived elves, or the immortal 'never dying of old age' type?

The first makes no sense. 30 is after most people start regressing in everything. You aren't gonna be as intelligent, quick-witted, fast, or strong as you were before. The only advantage you have beyond that point is having more knowledge and wisdom.

Therefore, all elves at age 100 would be well beyond any human at age whatever.

Basically, only the second one makes sense for how it usually works in fiction.

Then again, there's a high amount of the writer not even giving the detail any focus, for this very reason.

I think elves just have a different sort of pre-adult period, probably with a very mild or delayed puberty (if any). I figure they probably just mature physically and mentally maybe a bit slower than humans (not 100 years slower), but don't hit *sexual* maturity until around 100 or so.

That said, on the subject of the absurdity of such a long development, it's a good idea to remember that WE take around eighteen times as long as most other mammals to become fully mature. It's not like elves particularly need to be mature any earlier.

Edit: I'm sure you wouldn't have any difficulty finding very old "children" in various faerie folklore, so hundred year maturation could actually make sense from that standpoint.

if elves matured at human rate, and reproduced at a human rate, they'd very quickly over populate. To be a long lived race, you need a low death rate.

Or a low birth rate. Elves are generally considered pretty infertile compared to humans.

Really, when they live for 1000 years, spending 80 extra years maturing as opposed to humans wouldn't make much of a difference in terms of population. Either way, they're fertile for several hundred years at least.

You're imposing real-science logic on a human-like species where they live almost a thousand years in fiction?

I mean, really.

Hey! Hey! Somebody post that catgirl caption pic that is totally relevant to what Mirai just said! Hey! It's totally funny and not in any way overdone! Somebody post it after you finish beating the dead horse! Hey!

Sorry, preventative measures.

Anyway, I've always believed that elves started off maturing at what humans would consider a normal rate, but that it slowed down as they got older till it pretty much stopped at a mid-twenties to early-thirties equivalent.

Basically...

1 year old elf = 1 year old human
6 year old elf = 5 year old human
16 year old elf = 13 year old human

And so on and so on...

Well I'm just not sure how else you're supposed to answer this question. The second best thing to real-science logic is using the fictional logic for each individual realm. Which unfortunately, wouldn't answer the overall question in this topic.

I'm just answering the question like I know how. ._.