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Yeah, I know, but it would've been cool not to,
I've already done this in Coriolis, took out the semi intelligent, and put in robots, (with a Muslim like slant in restrictions of type of android)
They play the part of exotics within the setting, with strange but elegant forms, it's illegal to look like a human, (inspired by the Ergo proxy autoreiv's, Ergo proxy is an anime)
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I change most games

There's bound to be different opinions as you know, and I think that way to go here as a creator is to follow your own vision but listen to input and do changes where there's consensus, actual mistakes pointed out or very strong factual arguments. Otherwise you tend to loose the whole picture and get a mashup in the end. The issue at hand to me more is a question of preferences so Ill stick to my idea that FL also sanctioned for now. Your input is still valuable.

Agree. Also, Forbidden Lands is specifically written to be easily adapted to modified or completely different settings. Some adventure sites might need tweaking, but the rules for elves work whether or not you use the Forbidden Lands backstory for them.

Human-Elf combo, half a stoneheart, half a human heart, insta infantdeath. Sure, you could explain it away with "magic-makes-it-work" but to me it feels a bit meh.

Concerning the specific elven-human combo, I picture that elves in the Forbidden lands don't really breed among themselves as we see it. Stones are probably split or made occasionally and new ones fall to earth. Elves spring from these, but there's no real family structure or in deed need for breeding that much.
Some elves however have done it with humans out of curiousity, genuine love or just for the bittersweet tragic experience of seeing your loved ones age, wither away and die and then compose sad songs and poems about it. The half elven offspring lives about three human lifetimes but they have no stones in their chest and can not be regenerated.
There are two distinct groups of half elves in Ravenland, one embracing elven culture as druids and the other raised in human culture. They are both prone to learn magic and generally detest each other.

Intriguing... With the stones in mind, are they all the same kind of stone? Or do some have diamond hearts while others have hearts of malachite, ruby, sapphire or onyx? Is it only gemstones or any kind of geological formation? Thinking that different types of stone could influence character and other aspects of the elf it belongs to. Could also fix the problem of people hunting all elves since some would be worth less or maybe even worthless to anyone who isn't interested in necromancy or other kinds of magic. So you wouldn't risk hunting an elf unless you knew the quality of the heartstone, which would take considerable research and stake-outs to discern, since personality based on stone is a rough approximation. Maybe?

Intriguing... With the stones in mind, are they all the same kind of stone? Or do some have diamond hearts while others have hearts of malachite, ruby, sapphire or onyx? Is it only gemstones or any kind of geological formation? Thinking that different types of stone could influence character and other aspects of the elf it belongs to. Could also fix the problem of people hunting all elves since some would be worth less or maybe even worthless to anyone who isn't interested in necromancy or other kinds of magic. So you wouldn't risk hunting an elf unless you knew the quality of the heartstone, which would take considerable research and stake-outs to discern, since personality based on stone is a rough approximation. Maybe?

Currently elven heart stones are rubies and indeed legend says that elves originally fell from ”the wandering red star”. There might however be a few deviants, both in stone type and temperament …

It seems that younger elves start with ruby shards that grow over the years like pearls in a clam, so that the oldest ones are the biggest and most valuable. This is in line with what Harper suggested I believe, just didn't think of it. If you look at the map of Ravenland, there's an island called Maidenholm in the upper right corner. According to legend, the elven maiden in question gave here life and split her heartstone to give birth to several younger elves that still are around.

Like you imply, elven heart stones are used in necromancy, demonology and alchemy or simply sacrificed to various gods by being smashed on an altar. There isn't an economy to support organized trade though. The only ones willing and able to pay for a genuine, mature elven ruby are rich noblemen and even then they have to take into account being targeted by elven retaliators if the don't keep the treasure a strict secret.

I have to say that I really like what I hear about the stone heart elves. They seem very alien and rather vulnerable - and rife with plot hooks.

Never mind looking for ivory at an Elephant graveyard- imagine scavenging rubies from an elven graveyard!

P.s. very curious about the kin split. If it is what I think it is then it is a very elegant solution to a particular setting-design gordian knot.

Yeah, I know, but it would've been cool not to,
I've already done this in Coriolis, took out the semi intelligent, and put in robots, (with a Muslim like slant in restrictions of type of android)
They play the part of exotics within the setting, with strange but elegant forms, it's illegal to look like a human, (inspired by the Ergo proxy autoreiv's, Ergo proxy is an anime)
.
I change most games

There's bound to be different opinions as you know, and I think that way to go here as a creator is to follow your own vision but listen to input and do changes where there's consensus, actual mistakes pointed out or very strong factual arguments. Otherwise you tend to loose the whole picture and get a mashup in the end. The issue at hand to me more is a question of preferences so Ill stick to my idea that FL also sanctioned for now. Your input is still valuable.

Totally agreed,
Last thing you want is a game created by a committee, that's a disaster just waiting to happen,
Stick to the vision, and if anyone doesn't like it they are free to change it just as any game, 
You can't make everyone happy all of the time, 

Sadly I will GMing FL...
I would so like to play an elf - a hunter of man who has bought Elven hearts! Great ideas! Really love this setting. Hoping that the story of the halfings is even as cool as the background for the elves. If you are looking for a good idea for the halfings I have here this story with the shunned surface dwarves...

Sadly I will GMing FL...
I would so like to play an elf - a hunter of man who has bought Elven hearts! Great ideas! Really love this setting. Hoping that the story of the halfings is even as cool as the background for the elves. If you are looking for a good idea for the halfings I have here this story with the shunned surface dwarves...

Ahem... are you refering to my cool idea from the Peoples and Clan-thread? *hinthint*

Is halfings your term? Could be it’s definitely not my
But the story about the surface dwarves is from me... Or is it not?

Is halfings your term? Could be it’s definitely not my
But the story about the surface dwarves is from me... Or is it not?

Dunno, I just remembered writing about it a little while back. Found the quote on page 8 of Peoples & Clans:

Are dwarfes and halflings really so cool you have to have them both? Why not let them be two offshoots of the same species? Or maybe halflings are the shunned caste of the dwarfen society, having strayed from the ways of old and who have commingled with men to such a degree as to no longer be considered real dwarves by their more traditional brethren?

Or halflings (halfings?) could be a derogatory word for all mixbreeds? And some would then look just like the original trope (human-dwarf) for the hobbit-fans and the rest (all other mixbreeds) could be relatively trope-free.

But hey, great minds think alike