#elf horns

[ask-runaan-anything]

What’s like, the natural purpose of your horns?

To look dramatic, of course. Ethari says it works as intended.

unnatural purposes like eye gouging are only for desperate situations

[ask-ethari-anything]

GOD DAMN ETHARI I LOVE YOUR HAIR . you give me serious gender envy :P also do your horns- antlers? what ever they are called ever hit or get stuck on things and how much does his hurt if they do get hurt

*ruffles hair self-consciously* Why thank you, love!

My horns - I call them horns - don't much get stuck on things, as I've had them for some while now and I'm rather used to how high they stand off my head when it comes to doorway situations and branches and the like.

That said, I've been known to snag the occasional leaf or spider web when I'm not paying close attention, and I've also gotten them tangled in the odd whirling strand of my husband's long hair while I'm spinning him during a dance! If this happens, he is automatically declared "the winner" and receives kisses, because I refuse to let him feel bad about his long hair, and because that way I'm close enough to untangle us. So really we both win!

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Notes from the Deluxe Elf Interview, pt 6 (HBMP podcast)

I like to process important stuff more thoroughly to help me retain it, so I take notes when I listen to shows and podcasts and stuff. And the best episode of Hot Brown Morning Potion Podcast just came out–the Deluxe Elf Interview with Devon Giehl and Iain Hendry–so you know I was all over that. This is just my personal notes, nothing super detailed or organized, and not delved into yet at all.

If I have a direct quote, it’s in double quotes. Sometimes my notes are paraphrasing or getting only most of the words, and sometimes it’s just me rambling, but if I “quote” something, it’s a proper direct quote that I went back and listened to. Also, sometimes I noted who was talking, just because I loved how they played off each other and offered different perspectives. I is for Iain and D is for Devon.

________

Devon and Iain don’t read TDP fanfic for legal reasons, but they love it in general and encourage it, and they do see TDP fanart. The one where Runaan yeeted Rayla into the water was probably canon.

Rayla’s dad is the ultimate bro. Supportive of people’s dreams. He’s the friendly one, friendlier than most elves. Her mom is quiet, planner, calculating. She’s the brains, he’s the impulsive side.  Rayla is like her mom when collected, like her dad when she’s being impulsive.

Devon likes mean elves, aggressive elves, lofty img of themselves. Sunfires. They look down at others for not having their shit together like they do. Skywings are more fun to hang out with. Birb elves.

There is not a Star Touch elf society. Not numerous enough.

Sunfires have a single authority. Heavily militaristic. Xadia looks to the Sunfires as protectors and a guiding light but they’re also violent and arrogant. The enforcers in Xadia. Can be overbearing. They need to chill.

Tidebound elves have very different cultures depending on where they live. They could communicate across the water as long as it connects.

Callum doesn’t know what Earthblood elves sound like so he was guessing with that accent.

Money: Runaan was being a jerk more than he was commenting on money not being a Xadian thing. Sunfires do what’s expected of them to serve for Sunfire glory. Moonshadows trade more like barter? More freely trade in the villages. Skywings are so far apart they might use some kinds of tokens. Or shiny treasures they find, like actual magpies. Callum as prince wouldn’t understand money anymore than Rayla but he’d be more of a planner and budgeter than she is.

Iain said “horn cuffs” imma die I made that term up ages ago and he said it in the podcast *dies*

“Horndornments”, for Sunfire horn decorations, lol. Iain sees horn jewelry like rings. Horn cuffs can be extremely meaningful relationship-status gifts between couples but they don’t always mean marriage

One of the two Sunfires who gets yeeted into the lava has nothing on his horns but he was supposed to so they hc that he’s a derpy fresh recruit.

Beauty standards for horns? Star touch elf horns are the most incredible and beautiful that anyone’s ever seen. Some elves prefer certain kinds of horns.

Hanna put the jewel on Ethari’s horn cuff to represent Runaan in some way. For hiis eye color.

I: “Ethari definitely thinks Runaan has cute horns though. Fact.”

[risvidas]

Forest Spirit 🌙 Available.

[feral-anarchy]

Tinker’s Horns

SO you guys remember my whole tangent about Tinker’s horns? Well little did you know I actually planned on following that up with an actual picture post! Bwaha!

Anyways, here we go.

So I DESPERATELY want Tink to be half sunfire and half moonshadow or a full sunfire. I adore his coloration as a sunfire, I think it suits him so much!  But heres the thing, his horns are not sunfire horns. 

Sunfire horns are very sharp, small in comparison and pointed very much life traditional devil horns. \

You see? No, do you need more? 

See now? Very small and straight- which is why I assume they wear these visor things to make their horns look bigger. 

Now, lets take a look at some moonshadow horns. 

Very curvy and long, sprouting a little more horizontally along the head. Now lets look at our precious boi. 

Literally the only two official images we have of him and you can clearly see how curvy and long they are, sprouting more horizontally along his head. 

Conclusions? Tink has some moonshadow in him- however much *shrugs* 

We love him anyways- but these are just things ive noticed and wanted to share. 

[ask-runaan-anything]

Do your horns grow as you get older like forever? Also are they sensitive?

Generally, elf horns stop growing when the rest of us does. One of my horns recently got shorter, but that's not exactly part of the plan. Horns aren't sensitive to touch, but snapping one off low enough will damage inner nerves, or a horn sinus if you're very unlucky.

I may ask Ethari to design me some more horn protection in the future. Can't have him calling me Stubby if I break the other one too.

[ask-ethari-anything]

First of all! I LOVE YOUR TATTOOS!

ok now down to business.

are the metal looking things at the base of your horns a kind of jewelry? why did elves evolve to have horns? are they used for something? do they grow throughout your lifetime?

You like my ink, eh? I'll thank my husband for his steady hand in applying it, then. (They're more markings than tattoos - not permanent.)

Moon help me, you've certainly got a solid appreciation for elf horns! A rarity among humans, since you've none of your own. Let me see if I can clear some things up for you!

Horn jewelry comes in many sorts and styles, with all sorts of different meanings. Some of it depends on which elven culture the wearer belongs to. Others aren't so clear-cut.

Moonshadow elves love decoration. Many of us wear horn jewelry - rings, caps, cuffs, chains, and more - because they're pretty. I've made plenty myself over the years. But horn cuffs, specifically, often mean that the wearer has chosen a partner to be loyal to. Bonus points if the cuffs either look like a matching set (like Lain and Tiadrin's) or seem to resemble some details about each wearer's partner (like mine and Runaan's).

Alright, I hope I get extra credit for maundering on about horn jewelry, because I'm not sure what you mean by elves evolving to have horns. Evolved from what? We've always been elves. Elves with horns!

I can't speak for every elf in Xadia, but I use horns to show off my favorite horn jewelry. Don't try to tell me you wouldn't do the same if you had horns. Elf horns are a jeweler's best friend, you know - I put my best work on my husband's horns and I must say, he wears fine things well.

I'm no expert on elf horns that aren't the ones coming out of my head, but in my experience, elflings' horns bud when they're still very wee, and they stop growing around the time everything else does. We can look at our parents' horns and guess what shapes we'll grow ourselves, but as my ma used to say, "There's no guarantee until the curve kicks in."

Which is also what she'd say when pitching to us elflings for sackball. She could throw a mean sinker.

Thanks for your ask, love. I always enjoy being an expert on myself.

[ask-runaan-anything]

Thanks for answering about horns and hair! But now I’m really curious. In a combat scenario, how effective would your horns really be?

Due to their shape, I don’t think they’d be good for a quick impaling (again, from what I’ve seen, Sunfire horns are better suited for that tactic). If I had to guess, Moonshadow horns would be best suited for sheer blunt force?

Also, I’m curious about structural integrity. In the event you need to use them, is there a good chance your horns will snap off from the force alone?

You're welcome, little shadow. Horns aren't terribly effective at all, you're correct. They're good for one surprise jab to the eye or smack to the face, and that's about it. After that, either you've regained enough advantage to win - or your opponent is onto your "secret weapon" and you're possibly in a more desperate situation than you were before.

Horn attacks should always be part of a multi-strike plan, because, indeed, they are blunt and not for stabbing. I have heard of sharp-horned elves, but they sharpen them on purpose, for angsty reasons. But even then, it's not really about fighting with them, so much as... visual statements.

I feel you may be oversimplifying what "Sunfire horns" look like, though. They are not naturally sharp, any more than mine are. Many Sunfire elves have horns that rise well, able to hold their horndornaments up where all can see. But not all of them. Have you heard of Janai's younger brother, Prince Karim? His horns are more like, well... like mine. And there are elves of other tribes who have upright horns as well.

None of that changes the ability to use our horns in combat, though. Only the best angles at which to use them. Every grown elf, whether combatant or no, has smacked into enough tree branches or cobwebs to know exactly what their horns can hit and what they will miss.

Horns are made of solid bone. They're very sturdy, not prone to snapping off. A hard hit might leave a deep scratch or a divot, but those are usually covered with a bit of trickery or jewelry. It's rare to see an elf with a fully missing horn, even among those who engage in combat regularly. Truly, it takes something extraordinarily powerful to snap or shatter solid bone, especially on a well-trained elf.

...I should know.

I'm not sure an elf on his feet would possess enough power to purposely snap off an undamaged horn, even if he were running full speed into something with it. You have seen rams butting heads, yes? Horns are very sturdy things indeed. I suppose if he got the angle exactly wrong, and there were some sort of wrenching motion involved, he could break his own horn. The very idea makes my neck hurt, though. *subtly rubs the back of my neck*

If you have horns, try to be careful with them. They're meant to last as long as you do.