Historical Parallels With The Empire And The Real World

[BrokenWing]

That's what I'd heard, but wasn't certain. Anyway, I don't mind that sort of useage, I think that's a good use of a literary cue (if you can consider something that old and unlikely to be well known a cue).

[miteyheroes]

Interestingly, was it not Tolkien who used the Saxon word for Foreigner 'ORC' and Forst dweller 'ELF" in his books? Was the phrase "Middle Earth' used by the Saxons to describe England?

I don't know if this sheds any more light on the discussion, but it is fascinating to think that such a rich heritage of language is still used in a tabletop game!

Orc has roots in the Latin word orcus (another name for Pluto/Hades, the realm and god of the dead), either coming to us via the Anglo-Saxon word orc ('demon' or 'evil spirit') or via the Italian orco ('giant, ogre').

Elf is of Germanic-via-Anglo-Saxon origin, and they were originally meddling creatures with powerful magic. Smaller than people, they're tricksters (and more normally evil than good- often faeries and elves are the names of the good and evil versions, respectively).

[BrokenWing]

Now we know and knowing is half the battle.

[condottiere]

As I recall it, Tolkien got Orcus from Milton, and Alf from Norse mythology, who seemed divided between the Light ones that seem similar to how he liked to portray them, and the Dark ones, who were smiths and rather short.