Runemaster - Dev Diary 27 - World: Alfheim
Time really flies by - have we really written 26 dev diaries? We have a lot more planned for our upcoming Tactical RPG Runemaster, and this week we'll talk about the most beautiful of worlds - Alfheim.
The Races of Alfheim
Alfheim is also known as Ljosalfheim. The first part, "ljosalf", means "Lightelf" and the second part, "heim", means home. So essentially the name means "home of the Lightelfs" and so this is the world they call home. Though the Lightelfs were the first to claim Alfheim as their home, the Trolls wander through the world in search of their lost goddess Fjorgyn and have a few permanent settlements here and there.
The Lightelfs do not like metal and use bone for many of their weapons. They fight mostly with daggers, spears, bow and arrow and occasionally swords. They are usually dressed lightly with leather armor, feathers, twigs, or moss which gives the Lightelfs a natural camouflage. Alfheim is a very fertile and warm world, so the Lightelfs can spend less of their time foraging and hunting and more on leisurely activities such as music and dancing.
Hidden among the trees in Alfheim are the dwellings of the Lightelfs, formed by shaping the trees into whatever form they wishes. The Aeropon is a robust plant whose aerial roots are used by the Lightelfs to weave bridges, floors and walls. The bridges between the treetops offer great mobility to the inhabitants, enabling them to scamper across the forest at great heights. Fire is forbidden in the homes of the Lightelfs and all food is prepared on the ground beneath the treehouses.
There are Trolls in Alfheim, and we have talked about their lifestyle in earlier dev diaries:
dev diary 18: Midgard and
dev diary 22: Trolls. Let's quote from the dev diary about Midgard: "The Trolls move freely from place to place, between Midgard and Alfheim, bringing only the most necessary things with them. They are a traditionally nomadic race and build no permanent shelter. Though they have cattle and other herd animals, they do not farm or grow crops.[..]"
