[Rockopolis]

I keep seeing this pop up, and names getting dropped, like Harlequin, but what is an immortal elf, what's the history, and where is all this coming from?  I haven't seen anything about that in my books.

[Nath]

As far as I remember, there is no book in the Fourth Edition that provide any explanation. Actually, I am not even sure there was anything in the Third Edition except a one-liner in Shadows of North America about the unknown birth date of several princes of Tir Tairngire. You have to go back to Second Edition, with Threats (1996) to find something that start looking like an explanation.

Threats, page 58
Less than 25 immortal elves are known to exist, and none have been born since the Awakening. Immortal elves possesses an immortality gene that is triggered by the rise of the world's mana level. (Allegedly, the Seelie Court of Tir na nOg and Tir Tairngire's Council of Princes have perfected a genetic test that reveals the presence of the gene in an elfe.) Also, note that the immortality gene may lie dormant in an elf, so theoretically several other "unawakened" immortal elves may exist.

There is also the Earthdawn Dragons sourcebook, that got released for free when FASA closed its door. Read page 63. The dragons Denairastas and Mountainshadow may be giving there one major insight on the origin of immortal elves.

[Fortinbras]

Know Your History

At least one Immortal Elf has been born since the Awakening, Jane "Frosty" Foster. Child of Ehran the Scribe and protege of Harelquin.

[CanRay]

Immortal Elves are just that, Elves that are, effectively, immortal.  Even from Elven standards.

They spent the Fifth World (What we're living in right now) planning and getting ready for the return of Mana in the Sixth World and are getting ready for The Horrors along side the Great Dragons who slept while the Mana was low.

...

Well, that's the idea.  The truth is that each one pretty much has their own idea on how that should be done, and we get into multi-millennial politics that made even Dunkie's head hurt.  A lot.

Harlequin is the most infamous Immortal Elf in Shadowrun from the reader's point of view as he was a common poster on Shadowland (First-To-Third Sourcebooks were Shadowland posts, just like Fourth is JackPoint posts.).  JackPoint member "Frosty" is his apprentice (And possibly the first Immortal Elf born in the Sixth World.), and is supposed to be taking over for him, but isn't doing that good a job.

From the point of view of John Q. Wageslave, they're not even rumors.  From the point of view of Jane Q. Shadowrunner, they're rumours.  From the point of view of FastJack, well, he's seen too much weird drek to rule anything out, really. 

[Nath]

Jane Foster is Ehran's daughter and Harlequin's apprentice and a powerful mage and aware of most Sixth World secrets, but I am wondering if it is ever stated anywhere she actually is immortal.

[FastJack]

Jane Foster is Ehran's daughter and Harlequin's apprentice and a powerful mage and aware of most Sixth World secrets, but I am wondering if it is ever stated anywhere she actually is immortal.

Harlequin's Back, p. 148:

"She carries her father's immortality trait, though Harlequin has not yet told her this."

[Rockopolis]

Cool, thanks a bunch.

Probably not possible to install with genetic engineering since it's probably on the metagenome.  Pity, it'd make a pretty good character motivation.  Like saving up ¥450000 for Leonization, but better.

[FastJack]

Cool, thanks a bunch.

Probably not possible to install with genetic engineering since it's probably on the metagenome.  Pity, it'd make a pretty good character motivation.  Like saving up ¥450000 for Leonization, but better.

Who says Leonization isn't based off what they have learned from an Immortal Elf's genes?

[Ten-Hex]

There is also the Earthdawn Dragons sourcebook, that got released for free when FASA closed its door. Read page 63. The dragons Denairastas and Mountainshadow may be giving there one major insight on the origin of immortal elves.

Didn't they put something even more direct than this in Earthdawn canon once upon a time about I.E.s coming from dragons being capable of gifting immortality to lesser races (not just elves)? I can't seem to find it anywhere, but I have a vague memory of reading something more substantial than the brief Dragons sourcebook commentary. (It's possible I'm just hallucinating.)

[CanRay]

It's a lot harder for a Troll to blend in Low-Mana.  My Grandfather had pretty pointed ears and was fairly tall, yet he went through most of Europe with no one pointing those facts out.  (Although him bringing much needed supplies and hiding under the truck when he was shot at might have something to do with it.  ).

Elves also have a better long-term view of the world than Humans do.  And Dwarves...  Well, Dwarves have always had major prejudices against them.  On the bright side, they typically think that "They and their soul can go get their own damned pizza." 

[Stahlseele]

Mostly because the dwarves saw the elves as pretty boys for the most part.
And usually, the dwarves just wanted to be left to their own devices.
Mining out a living or smithing one for them and their own.

[Crimsondude]

Harlequin actually has two pupils: Jane Foster and Ryan Mercury.

[Stahlseele]

Wat?
Since when is Mercury his Pupil?

[Charybdis]

There is also the Earthdawn Dragons sourcebook, that got released for free when FASA closed its door. Read page 63. The dragons Denairastas and Mountainshadow may be giving there one major insight on the origin of immortal elves.

Didn't they put something even more direct than this in Earthdawn canon once upon a time about I.E.s coming from dragons being capable of gifting immortality to lesser races (not just elves)? I can't seem to find it anywhere, but I have a vague memory of reading something more substantial than the brief Dragons sourcebook commentary. (It's possible I'm just hallucinating.)

There was a note that one of the dragons (forget which) gifted some dwarves of Throal with 'the long view' which is an alleged reference to the immortality. Deinarastas also granted it to some of the humans in his clan (after being exiled from the Great Dragon council)

As a note, 'immortality' is a misnomer. It's actually 'Immunity to Aging' if dealing with Shadowrun mechanics, as such elves are still able to be killed via physical damage (although their experience and magical power still makes this an exceedingly difficult prospect!)

It's also possible (but as yet unspecified) that some ageless dwarves and humans may have survived to the 6th Age. Ahhh, the mystery of it all

[Stahlseele]

What Mystery?
Never read the Pandur Novels?
Hwaldos?
The subterannean dwarven kingdom/kaer that still had all of it's magic from the 4th world? *snickers*