Trashing Tolkien Brainbugs

[Cynical Cat]

To avoid sidelining another topic, I'm creating a new thread. Among the number of good things to come with the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (besides the ressurection of Bane so I don't have to suffer through the pain of them constantly fuck up with Cyric) was the ending of the Tolkien derived decline of the dwarves and elves.

The elves are coming back from Evermeet. The Retreat is over. And the guys that are the vanguard of the Return are bad ass. There is much rejoicing.

The dwarves were in better shape because Faerun already had a secret stash of dwarves at the Great Rift. A population spike (the Thunder Blessing) and more of the dwarves of the Great Rift going out into the world mean the dwarves are on the rebound.

What other parts of the new Realms appeals to you and what other reversal of Tolkien stereotypes do you like?

1) The Nonmen of the Prince of Nothing. They're elf equivalents. They're tall, powerful, and invented the most powerful sorcery. They're also a doomed race and going insane

2). Big, green, hairy, and strong. It has tusks coming from its jaws. Is it an orc? No, a Jaghut from the Malazan Book of the Fallen. Almost exterminated for the actions of a few crimminals of their race the Jaghut are hard to kill, immensely long lived, and incredibly powerful users of magic.

[SirNitram]

The brainbug of 'Ancient empire which will never be acheived or seen again' has been nicely smashed; since 3e came out, Netheril has been returning in military force, and the Realms is advancing itself to match this ancient threat.

The Year Of Rogue Dragon's novels are shaking some things up some too, with the addition of a hero whose a fantastical cyborg.

[Cynical Cat]

The brainbug of 'Ancient empire which will never be acheived or seen again' has been nicely smashed; since 3e came out, Netheril has been returning in military force, and the Realms is advancing itself to match this ancient threat.

Yeah, the Malazan series has some ancient empires that have remnants popping up all over the place. And in a lot of ways they're inferior to the Malazans, an empire that is only a generation or so old. Of course, the Malazans have marines making up a quarter of the strength of each of their legions so frigid would say the reasons for Malazan superiority is obvious.