Racial Proverbs

[Regitnui]

No, not that way. What sayings would the nonhuman races have? I'll start with different versions of "don't judge a book by its cover".

Dwarf:
"Can't tell the length of the vein until you mine it."

Elf:
"Bark doesn't show a healthy tree."

Gnome:
"You can only tell the depth of the burrow by going down it."

Halfling:
"The land can't be judged from the caravan."

Dragonborn:
"Scales don't tell all."

Tiefling:
"Go burn yourself."

[hymer]

Some sylvan elven suggestions:

At night, be the shadows.

Complaining dwarves get the beer.

Leaves cannot spurn the roots.

If you don’t look up, you shouldn’t expect to see the stars.

If not timely, then in time.

Even old oaks know how to bend.

You can see a whole forest in the time you can read a book.

A fisherman shouldn’t expect pears for breakfast.

You cannot predict the weather.

Hawks soar in the sun, but owls need the night.

Winter rests, summer tests.

Collect ten acorns at a time.

Advice is a dangerous gift.

[Felyndiira]

If you look at cultures in real life, you'll find that they actually have completely different proverbs, rather than simply recoloring the same proverbs in a different cultural text. Proverbs also often are memes that originated from a source relevant to that culture rather than developing spontaneously; for instance, the proverb "Don't judge a Book by Its Cover" originated from an English novel in the 1800s, and has no match in a number of other languages. On the other hand, the Chinese proverb "鸟尽弓藏 兔死狗烹" (when the birds are gone, the bow is put away; when the rabbits die, the [hunting] dog is cooked) was penned by an official in the early warring states period as a warning to his trusted friend and fellow official that their emperor will eventually turn on his trusted subordinates when they are no longer needed, and has no analogue in English.

Rather than trying to duplicate English/American proverbs, I would try to come up with completely different ones that are more prevalent to that culture as a whole. For example, rather than judging a book by its cover, what sort of things would the elves want to teach their kids? Perhaps a proverb about magic being neutral, or about nature, or some piece about wisdom with age would be a better fit for the culture instead.

[Ninja_Prawn]

Right, let's see what the little voices are telling me today.

A wish is as dangerous as a dwarf with an axe.
You only need to run away if they can see you.
Never wear white before winter's first night.


If you look at cultures in real life, you'll find that they actually have completely different proverbs, rather than simply recoloring the same proverbs in a different cultural text. Proverbs also often are memes that originated from a source relevant to that culture rather than developing spontaneously; for instance, the proverb "Don't judge a Book by Its Cover" originated from an English novel in the 1800s, and has no match in a number of other languages. On the other hand, the Chinese proverb "鸟尽弓藏 兔死狗烹" (when the birds are gone, the bow is put away; when the rabbits die, the [hunting] dog is cooked) was penned by an official in the early warring states period as a warning to his trusted friend and fellow official that their emperor will eventually turn on his trusted subordinates when they are no longer needed, and has no analogue in English.

Rather than trying to duplicate English/American proverbs, I would try to come up with completely different ones that are more prevalent to that culture as a whole. For example, rather than judging a book by its cover, what sort of things would the elves want to teach their kids? Perhaps a proverb about magic being neutral, or about nature, or some piece about wisdom with age would be a better fit for the culture instead.

It strikes me that that's kind of the point of the thread. Anyone can contribute in whatever way they see fit.

[Red Fel]

Rather than trying to duplicate English/American proverbs, I would try to come up with completely different ones that are more prevalent to that culture as a whole. For example, rather than judging a book by its cover, what sort of things would the elves want to teach their kids? Perhaps a proverb about magic being neutral, or about nature, or some piece about wisdom with age would be a better fit for the culture instead.

This. Let's not try to make it "American proverbs but in D&D," but "D&D proverbs, as translated from the original Elvish." So let me try my hand.

Elf: I see Elven proverbs being poetic, as well as slightly cryptic and "fortune cookie" mystical. As a result, they tend to be almost koan-like in how you can interpret them.
The moon is high. The forest is still. The predator sleeps.
Long is the toil to fell the tree. Longer still to shape the wood. Longer still to build the home. The family that dwells therein may live but a few fleeting years, yet the memories they leave will outlive tree, wood, and home.
Keen the eye that spots the prey. Cleverer the hand that can fire the shot. Yet warmest the heart that declines to spill blood.
Dwarf: I see Dwarves as gruff, pragmatic, and a bit dry in their humor. Their proverbs would strike me as going along the lines of "stop being an idiot."
Build a tunnel of stone, wake up with stone over your head. Build a tunnel of wood, don't wake up.
A bad situation is like a bad ale. Best to drink it fast so you don't taste it long, then to prepare for a long night of regret. And maybe next time you'll check the label.
I had an uncle who thought he could take on seven Orcs and survive. Well, survive he did. Those peg-legs suit him real nice, too.
I'd come up with more, but I'm a bit uninspired at present.

[LokiRagnarok]

Dragons:

A pile of gold does not just get under you, you get onto a pile of gold.

You don't see a tapestry's beauty with your nose right on it.

[JAL_1138]

Gnomes:
Gnever look a gift Giagnt Space Hamster ign the mouth.

[Templarkommando]

Orc Proverbs:

Don't stand in way of axe.
Whiny human gets dead.
Fire hurt.

[Lycanthrope13]

First one that springs to mind is a direct quote from Gimli in the Two Towers (book, not movie),

"We do not hew stone with battleaxes."
Use the right tool and tactics for the situation.

An actual proverb that fits well in D&D,

"The sword that is used never rusts."
Same as "A rolling stone gathers no moss."

Maybe a good orc proverb,

"The hammer that's big enough, isn't."
Overkill is worth it.

Kind of generic, but maybe best for elves,

"A fool strings his bow after the hind is sighted."
Plan ahead.

Some other generic proverbs that I like,

"If you stop every time a dog barks, your road will never end."

"It is better to try than to hope."

And one slightly modified,

"When you hear hoofbeats, don't look for a unicorn."

[Excession]

For dwarves: "You can't pull water up more than 10.3 metres". As well as being perfectly practical when it comes to de-watering a mine, this also means to avoid trying to do the impossible, and just get on with doing what works. I expect other proverbs based on such practical matters as "The shear strength of granite is 100 million pascal".

[GorinichSerpant]

Not sure for which race, I'm thinking either elvish or orcish, depending on setting specifics.

A wolf needs teeth.

[Steampunkette]

"A mountain can't be moved, but it can be overcome."
(Some people never change, move past them

"A griffon's flight, fast as it is, goes only to it's target."
(You'll never experience life if you bounce from goal to goal)

"Circles within spheres."
(Details are important)

"Three stones a penny, four stones a pound."
(Extra effort pays off)

"An arrow's flight bends from the bow, but flies straight in time"
(Patience is key when dealing with young people)

"Eyes in the Night: birds in flight"
(Listen for movement to warn you of danger in darkness)

[Belac93]

"Trust the ones with a dagger at their sides. Beware those with legal documents." -Halfling/Half-elf: about bewaring governments.
"An empty vein makes no coin." -Dwarven: teaching that brain is as important as brawn.

Can't think of any more right now.

[Rakoa]

Halflings, about dragons: "All the gold in the world does you no good if you still live in a cave."

[Steampunkette]

"Trust the ones with a dagger at their sides. Beware those with legal documents." -Halfling/Half-elf: about bewaring governments.
"An empty vein makes no coin." -Dwarven: teaching that brain is as important as brawn.

Can't think of any more right now.

I feel like the Halfling and half elf one should remark on a quill pen.

"A dagger on the hip holds less danger than a quill in hand."

Something like that.

[Ninja_Prawn]

A few more fey ones:

Never trust a faerie's gold.
A dryad far from her tree is foolish, desperate, or dead.
(Sylphs) A whisper is as good as a shout.

Regarding tieflings: one's a curiosity, two's a conspiracy, three's a curse. (not mine, but I like it)

[Red Fel]

Gonna take another shot. Orcs this time. Orcs strike me as pragmatic; unsophisticated but worldly-wise. I see them using curt statements that apply broadly, frequently with violent imagery.
Wolves hunt. (A thing does what it's intended to do.)
Axes won't grow your food. (A thing can't act against its intended purpose. Similar to above.)
When you can't fight, fight harder. When you can't do that, die gloriously. (Self-explanatory.)
No such thing as "angry enough." (Self-explanatory.)
Walls in your way? Smash them. If you don't get buried, keep moving forward. (Self-explanatory.)
A wolf in a suit isn't a wolf. (Self-deception can make you forget who you are; alternatively, civilization softens you.)
If you can feel pain, you're still alive. (Don't give up.)

[OldTrees1]

"The Sun cares not for the plight of mortals."
Said by many races but meaning different things to each

[mikeejimbo]

Rain won't wash away regrets. - although originally meaning that some things will haunt you forever, it has actually come to be used to remind you not to dwell on the past or purposely punish yourself by "standing in the rain"

[Lvl 2 Expert]

Orc:
If it ain't broke, hammer time.

[Belac93]

"Until you stalk and overrun, you can't devour anyone."
(From Calvin and Hobbes) While this one is not mine, I like it. Fun for shifters.

"Let sleeping dragons lie."
Just a joke about the normal saying.

"The thorns of a cactus must be picked off before you can get to the juice inside." -Any desert dwelling character
You must do things in order.

[eru001]

Move fast, hit hard, move on
-Ranger or Elf

if it aint broke hit it again
-orc

you cannot kill what you cannot catch
-Halfling

those who think the pen mightier than the sword have never faced a swordsman in battle
-not sure

Watch yerself, i'm exactly the right height to put an axe in your bollocks
-dwarf

that which fails to kill me had best start running
-human

[AvatarVecna]

For halflings:

"The best kind of mark is the one that thinks it sees the trick."

((Nature Abhors Pride/overconfidence/arrogance))

"There's always the next town over."

((Keep Moving Forward))

[Draconium]

"Beware the tongue that's sharper than the fang."

One created by an intelligent, predatory race (I'm thinking dragons), warning you not to trust those who twist words and meanings in their speech.

[dojango]

Dwarves: Better to drink beer from a stone mug than water from a golden bucket!
For the want of a turtle shell, the fortress was lost...
Once an elephant has tasted blood, it can never be trusted.

[BayardSPSR]

Dwarves: Better to drink beer from a stone mug than water from a golden bucket!
For the want of a turtle shell, the fortress was lost...
Once an elephant has tasted blood, it can never be trusted.

Those aren't proverbs, those are factual statements!

[eru001]

Dwarvish to human phrasebook
Format
Dwarvish Phrase (human Translation)

solid as an elven wall (stand back it's going to fall down any second now)

Strongest human beer (Distilled water for chemistry students)

oi look wha tha orc drug in (hello good sir)

piss off (Good morning how are you?)

come off it you feckless pint wobbler (I'm well and how are you)

Go kiss a troll you mangefaced barberlover (very well thank you, that's a lovely beard you have)

already saw yer mother (why thank you sir, yours too is quite fine)

not in yer soddenest dreams you halfling ( thank you for noticing, I just combed it this morning.)

Yer muthers an elf! (perhaps good sir we could liven up the day with a friendly bout of boxing0

Right then I'll do yah fer that! (a capitol idea old sport, will you begin or shall I?(

[Kymme]

Perhaps a more general fantasy proverb, not specific to any particular race (maybe kobolds?).

"What does a Dragon want? Everything."

[TheTeaMustFlow]

Dwarven:
The best way to make men brave is to put axes in their hands, armour on their breasts, food in their bellies and comrades at their backs. (Originally from the writings of Deepqueen Errde Steelshadow III, on the importance of morale and logistics. The various clauses are often quoted on their own, e.g: 'It's easier to be brave with an axe in your hand.')
Gold may lie, Iron may not. (Originally from the writings of Deepqueen Errde Steelshadow III, on the unreliability of mercenaries.)
Ugly like a Flumph, pretty like a Drow. (On not judging by appearances)
That's Grey talk! (Among Mountain and Hill Dwarves, on placing pragmatism over moral concerns, as the Grey Dwarves are perceived to do.)
That's Hill talk! (Among Grey Dwarves, on placing idealism over the needs of the situation or community, as Hill and Mountain Dwarves are perceived to. By using Hill rather than Mountain, also emphasises the perceived similarity between other Dwarves and surfacers.)
You can only trust a notched blade. (On the importance of judging from experience.)

Elven:
Distance is the finest armour.
It's to a blade's credit to be idle.
The older the man, the wiser the mind. The wiser the mind, the fewer the words.
When the steersmen are many, the ship sinks. (From a retort given by Prince Mercien to the human Lady Executor Alessadra, after one too many speeches on the merits of democracy.)

Human:
In Celestia, the cooks are Halfling, the drinks are Gnomish, the lovers are Elven and it's all run by the Dwarves. In Baator, it's exactly the same, but the cooks are Dwarven, the drinks are Elven, the lovers are Halfling and it's all run by the Gnomes.

[Ikitavi]

Barbarian: He walks like mountains would jump out of his way. And he has a face that showed some mountains jumped too slow.

[5ColouredWalker]

There's never just one Kobold/Goblin (Dwarf/Elven respectively)

Only fools fight in taverns. (Human)

One can always wait, but one must remember that other's will not. (Elven)

There's no such thing as a Kobold Den, just a Dragon's nest.

[Ninja_Prawn]

Some wizard sayings:

Speak softly, and always prepare Fireball.
The squeaky wheel gets the Silence spell.
People in Tiny Huts shouldn't throw stones.
A Silent Image is worth a thousand words.

:smallcool:

[goto124]

Only fools fight in taverns. (PCs)

Fixed :smalltongue:

[eru001]

Incoming arrows have right of way
-Human

No they don't
-Dwarf

Never bring an axe to a fistfight (don't spoil the fun by overreacting)
-Dwarf

I can out think an orc, out fight an elf, and out run a dwarf, no matter who I meet I'm better at something.
-Human

when in doubt, take a drink
-dwarf

[Lvl 2 Expert]

Tackle your problems head on, unless they're bigger than you. (Try to think be for you act, a little bit, sometimes, maybe.)

Grabbing a bull by the horns only angers it. (Don't vuck around with this problem, find a solution that works before announcing your intentions.)

That's camelpiss! (That horsey was totally not a chickenard.)

A china shop, where? (Always think about the consequences of your words before you say something.)

I'm never lost, worst case the rest of the world is missing. (That person is way less competent than they want to seem.)

This place looks pretty mazey. (Subtle threat.)

Never punch when you can ram (Don't compromise, don't do half work, don't hold back.)

Just the grass will do. (Happiness doesn't lie in the complexity of ones life.)

A werecow can't demand a labyrinth. (Life isn't fair, some are simply worse off than others.)

Take me down to the paradise city where the grass is green and the girls are pretty. (Your home is wherever you are.)

I'm in the moooooooooood for some breakfast. (I love the smell of napalm in the morning.)

-All minotaur

[falcon1]

Blood tells all
Locked doors won't stop an ooze

When the dead walk, sharpen your axe and keep your back to a comrade's

[Mabn]

"stars give less light than a lantern" - Dwarf, advises to look for answers in things you understand
"wear hide, get shot like a deer" - Elf saying, appealing to a low common denominator has consequences

[5ColouredWalker]

Fixed :smalltongue:

Nah, because it was about avoiding fights with PCs :p

That said, one I forgot:
Your memories know far more than you ever could, but beware that they are age old wisdom. (Thri-Kreen/Dragons/Other creatures with Racial memories.)

No one is born knowing how tasty an elf is, but we can all taste orc with a thought. (Kreen saying about picking who you hunt)

[VoxRationis]

"Eternity is lost in a heartbeat." -Any unaging but killable race.

[JAL_1138]

Gibbering Mouther: "Phlxgjb qzllfthp h'ee'lgheb f'ai throdog uaaah mdswvbn ptui'ptun dhlang-dhlang."

[falcon1]

Wind may howl outside, but stone blocks it's path. But water can break stone, and fire can drive out water.

Needs a little work

[AtlasSniperman]

You can't hang a hobgoblin(not race specific but as widespread as hobgoblin warbands. Means its futile to punish someone with something they do every day)

[TeChameleon]

- When the mountains rumble, 'ware the dwarves. When the trees whisper, 'ware the elves. When the drums speak, 'ware the orcs. And always, always 'ware adventurers; madness walks with them.
Human villager proverb
(There are a lot of problems you might face, but PCs are ****ing insane. Just run.)

- Walk soft in the world; all the world may kill you, but your death kills the world.
Human Commoner proverb
(Yeah, you're about as sturdy as a spun-sugar windowpane, but all those people that can murder you? Good luck on them surviving with no-one growing any food...)

- Drums in the deep? Sharpen your axe.
Dwarven proverb

- Dwarves hold a grudge like an avalanche, Elves like lightning, and Orcs like blood. But humans strike without warning.
Goblin proverb
(raid the dwarves? Might not get a response right away, but when you do provoke a response, be ready to go 'squish'. Elves don't like raids, and they'll usually make sure you know it as loudly and painfully as possible. Orcs? They'll murder you, your family, your entire clan, your clans' allies, and anybody who happens to be in the same general vicinity, and they'll enjoy it. But humans? Oi. They'll just randomly decide you're in the wrong spot, or that there might be something they want to mine underneath you, or that your great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather might have picked up something they want a few centuries ago.)

- If it's something that mortals were not meant to know, it's my business.
Used by both wizards and warlocks, albeit with different meanings

- If it's something mortals were not meant to know, I've already found six different ways to blow myself and/or someone else up with it.
Gnomish proverb

Daggers in the darkness is democracy.
Halfling Ambassador, Wilry Idoton, in response to being asked why the Halflings don't hold elections.

[LibraryOgre]

I have used "We do what we must because we can" as a dwarven proverb... the idea that someone has to do it, we can do it, so we're going to do it is very LG, very dwarven, and slightly creepy to anyone who knows the source.

[TheTeaMustFlow]

I have used "We do what we must because we can" as a dwarven proverb... the idea that someone has to do it, we can do it, so we're going to do it is very LG, very dwarven, and slightly creepy to anyone who knows the source.

I don't really think that fits Dwarves, to be honest. Now, "We do what we can, because we must" works.

[JAL_1138]

- If it's something mortals were not meant to know, I've already found six different ways to blow myself and/or someone else up with it.
Gnomish proverb

This is magnificent. Can I sig this?

[eru001]

Elves flee, Dwarves endure, halflings hide, and eagles fear to go. We Fight.
-Humans (used in a LOTR campaign)

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to ensure the survival and the success of liberty.
-Humans (original quote JFK)

And so I ask you. Which endures longer, the Mountain or the Sea.
-Seafaring race, (best if said to a dwarf)

Fear us, for we as a race have traded our excess height away in exchange for more muscles and a better angle to whallop you in the groin.
-Dwarf

Some mountains hold Ice, some harbor magma, other have us. We are by far the most dangerous
-Dwarves

[JAL_1138]

Some mountains hold Ice, some harbor magma, other have us. We are by far the most dangerous
-Dwarves

And we'll build superweapons out of the other two.
-- (Dwarf Fortress) Dwarves

[Âmesang]

"Stone endures!"

(As a fan of GREYHAWK it always comes to mind.)

[LibraryOgre]

"Endure. In enduring, grow strong." -Githzerai. (http://torment.wikia.com/wiki/Dak'kon)

[quinron]

For your more Shire-style halflings:

"Good food is like a rainy day." [Much better inside than out.]

"Make the world look down at you. Don't let it look down to you."

"Once you've left home, you can never come back. Once you've back, you can never leave again."

They're simple and folksy, but willful. That last one is a riddle that old grannies and granddads like to use to stump the young'uns, but all it really means is that a halfling can always feel at home anywhere they go.

[Vinyadan]

Grunt Wisdom: generals get safety from numbers, we get expendability.
Orc wisdom: a thrown spear makes a huruk-hai small.
Elf wisdom: don't get attached to shiny trinkets.
Dwarf wisdom: there's always a market for shiny trinkets.
Halfling wisdom: the best wizard can make shiny trinkets disappear and reappear in another place without using teleport.

[Delusion]

"If you can't say why you like someone, you might be charmed." (any)

"If you can't find the bait of the trap then you are it." (Kobold)

[Cealocanth]

Dwarf Nursery Rhyme - "The miner with the candle went to dig for gold. The miner with the candle did not come back again."
For a race with darkvision that works underground where explosive gasses can build up, a miner with a candle is a man who carries an unnecessary tool and pays the price for it. I imagine that it probably rhymes in Dwarfish.

Hunter Race - "What color is the Great White Buck?"
No need to go looking for something if you already know the answer.

Orcs - "A human's pelt."
Used as an idiom for a pursuit that takes a lot of effort with little payoff.

[JAL_1138]

Dwarves: "Don't trust anything with pointy ears. Don't trust anything green. And especially don't trust both."

[Snark Knight]

*An elf and a human are talking to one another*

Human: Right, sorry about that. Honest mistake, yeah?
Elf: It is of no consequence. After all, "To err is human."
Human: ...
Elf: ...
Human: And?
Elf: And what?
Human: Where's the rest of the saying?
Elf: "And they sure do err a lot, too."
Human: On second thought, I'm not sorry after all.

[Vinyadan]

Dwarven Proverb: "Each mountain has its Balrog". Meaning at the start of a venture: "no pain no gain". Meaning after said venture has been annihilated by unspeakable forces: "What the hell were we trying to do over there?"

Orc Proverb: "Double the meat, double the fun!", when pursued by horsemen.

Elf Proverb: "A ring too large is just a collar": when things are too big for their intended purpose, they become a hindrance, and yet, because of the effort put into obtaining them, you are still bound to them.

Elf, similar: "A Bridge to Nargothrond": Nargothrond could have been saved, had the stone bridge leading to it been destroyed while the enemy was still approaching. The King was too proud of it, and the Kingdom fell.

[Malimar]

Wind may howl outside, but stone blocks it's path. But water can break stone, and fire can drive out water.

Needs a little work

This reminds me of the Rock, Paper, Scissors variant from the Xanth novels: Earth, Water, Fire. Dragons play it such that "Water covers Earth, Earth smothers fire, and Fire evaporates water", but merfolk say "Earth blocks Water, Fire melts Earth, and Water douses Fire." Which sort of fits in with this thread.

[JAL_1138]

Any underground and/or dungeoneering and/or trapmaking race or group:

"I wouldn't touch that with a 10ft pole." (The most grievous of all insults or the direst of all warnings.)

"When the green slime hits the spinning blade trap..."

"Absolutely anything can be a trap or a monster, no matter how unlikely it seems."

"Fools rush in where angels prod the ground with 10ft poles."

"Never run after a kobold underground."

"If you see a dwarven miner running, try to keep up."

"Don't look for traps on the floor so closely that you miss the green slime on the ceiling."

"Always remember who can see in the dark and who can't."

"Never strike a pillar unless you know exactly how much rock it's holding up."

[Fiery Diamond]

Some of these are really cool. Here's some I came up with after reading this thread.

“Dark is the day that never dawns.” [Any surface-dwelling race]
-You never reap the benefits of what you never even start

“The hand that shakes knows too little or too much.” [Dwarf]
-Inexperience and overconfidence both birth incompetence
-(Alternate) Fear can be the result of lack of understanding or being very familiar with the danger; this is often said when embarking on potentially dangerous expeditions as a shut-down of someone calling someone else a coward
“The hand that shakes knows too little or too much ale.” [Dwarf]
-Being just the right amount of drunk makes you braver

“Gold and scale both shine.” [Dragon]
-(More social dragon meaning) Comforts and companions both important
-(Alternate meaning) Be pragmatic about your hoard; if protecting it gets dicey, escaping with your life is more important
Dragons will sometimes give this advice to non-dragons with either meaning; if they use the second meaning it is meant as a more general "Don't die protecting your stuff"

“You cannot pluck fruit from the sapling.” [Elf]
-Good things take time
-Don’t try to peak when you are young
-Youths are foolish
-Respect your elders
-Leadership should be done by the experienced
Which one is meant is based on context

“Daggers in the dark don’t work in the tunnels.” [Halfling]
-Never try to trick, betray, or cheat Dwarves
The idea behind the wording of the proverb is Dwarves have darkvision: they’ll see it coming

“Clank clank tock boom. Clank clank tick tock.” [Gnome]
-Keep trying until you get it right
-Mistakes happen
-Be careful, even a small slip-up could be the difference between success and disaster
Which one is meant depends on the way it’s said

[JAL_1138]

Dwarves Dorfs: "Needs more magma."

[Strigon]

"Though the oak grows stronger and taller, it is the willow that weathers the harshest storm."
Elves - Tenacity and strength may get you far, but there are times when you must either bend or break.

"The mountain home wasn't hewn with a single pickaxe."
Dwarves - Getting help from friends and family is nothing to be ashamed of.

"Even a stone fort made by the elves is better than a sand fort made by the dwarves."
Dwarves - The right materials and circumstances can be even more important than skill and effort.

[TeChameleon]

This is magnificent. Can I sig this?

Whoop, sorry- been a while since I looked at this thread. Feel free! :smallbiggrin:

[hymer]

"Though the oak grows stronger and taller, it is the willow that weathers the harshest storm."
Elves - Tenacity and strength may get you far, but there are times when you must either bend or break.

The elves would know better than that. Oaks are notoriously resistant to wind (there's a word for it in my language: 'stormfast'). You'll see huge, old oaks standing exposed on top of hill ridges all alone, hundreds of years of storms having failed to uproot them. Foresters acknowledge this, too.
Willows grow well in wet areas, as their roots can survive being submerged. But they still stand in wet soil, and grow quickly (an order or two of magnitude compared to oak) rather than safely. They weather storms in numbers or by regrowing from their stump, not by being physically flexible.
I (being biased) prefer my own version:


Even old oaks know how to bend.

[goto124]

[Willows] weather storms in numbers or by regrowing from their stump, not by being physically flexible.

"When willows break, they grow again."

Whatever this one means.

[Concrete]

Dwarves.

Better to hear the fresh blade snap, than to never pump the bellows.
"It is better to fail than to not begin."

No sooner can you unspeak a word than you can unthrow a stone.
"Watch what you say, because you cannot take it back."

Fools split the gem, the wise split the coin.
"Beeing too egar for your reward often halves your reward"

A place for each thing, and each thing in its place.
"Regarding the importance of order."

[hymer]

A place for each thing, and each thing in its place.
"Regarding the importance of order."

A pile for everything and everything in its pile? :smallwink:

[JAL_1138]

Whoop, sorry- been a while since I looked at this thread. Feel free! :smallbiggrin:

Thanks! :smallbiggrin:

[Strigon]

The elves would know better than that. Oaks are notoriously resistant to wind (there's a word for it in my language: 'stormfast'). You'll see huge, old oaks standing exposed on top of hill ridges all alone, hundreds of years of storms having failed to uproot them. Foresters acknowledge this, too.
Willows grow well in wet areas, as their roots can survive being submerged. But they still stand in wet soil, and grow quickly (an order or two of magnitude compared to oak) rather than safely. They weather storms in numbers or by regrowing from their stump, not by being physically flexible.
I (being biased) prefer my own version:

I've been lied to my whole life. Agreed; yours is better.

[Vinyadan]

AFAIK, Aesop's fable was actually about canes and olive trees.

[Strigon]

AFAIK, Aesop's fable was actually about canes and olive trees.

But my father's wasn't. The liar. He embarassed me on the internet.

[hymer]

But my father's wasn't.

I'm trying to come up with a proverb about feeling bad, even though what you did was inadvertent.

[Clopin Silk]

I think I'll start with one from the Late Sir Terry Prachett: When his hands are above your head, your teeth are level with his groin. (Dwarven proverb) I'd take this one as meaning that every strength (being bigger) comes with a weakness (cojones in prime biting range).
Next up, something for the Drow: Nobody's a friend until you've seen them take the first bite. (always be sure that you can trust someone before you consider them a friend.
And while we're at it, here's a couple I haven't quite worked out the appropriate race for: Mercy is all well and good, but only after you've taken their weapons from them.
The line between brave and stupid is mostly a matter of opinion. (I don't know, are there any notoriously cowardly races to attribute this one to?)

[LibraryOgre]

I think I'll start with one from the Late Sir Terry Prachett: When his hands are above your head, your teeth are level with his groin. (Dwarven proverb) I'd take this one as meaning that every strength (being bigger) comes with a weakness (cojones in prime biting range).


In the Shadowrun Germany sourcebook, this came out as "Be careful, junge [boy], to some people, your family jewels are just the right height for mining."

[JAL_1138]

Never make the mistake of thinking humanity is a short-lived race. Yes, a human dies in less than a century. But a human city measures time in gods and empires. —Elven proverb

[Ravens_cry]

Dwarven proverb "Do not let the children of the hand kill the children of the body."
Halfling proverb. "No matter where you go, you are there."
Drow proverb. "It is only a sin if one is found out."
Elven proverb: "A song is not made up of only one note."
Gnomish proverb. "'Too big' is defined as 'inside the blast radius.'"

[Spider_Jerusalem]

Once in a campaign I was DMing, the PCs befriended Krosh, an orc with 6 Int and high Cha. He would usually say stuff as if they were old sayings. Then, as the PCs were discussing if they would fight a desperate fight or plan their escape, Krosh puts his hand on the party leader's shoulder and says:

"Krosh say: Better die killing than die dying"

That became an instant orc proverb, and the PCs reference it to this day... even new characters who joined the party later repeat it before a hard battle (or before doing something real reckless)

[LibraryOgre]

Dwarf: We do what we must because we can.

[digiman619]

Dwarf: We do what we must because we can.

Really? Because Aperture Science seems to be more of a Gnomish venture...

[TheTeaMustFlow]

Dwarf: We do what we must because we can.

Hmm, I'm getting a feeling of deja vu for some reason... :smalltongue:


I have used "We do what we must because we can" as a dwarven proverb... the idea that someone has to do it, we can do it, so we're going to do it is very LG, very dwarven, and slightly creepy to anyone who knows the source.

I don't really think that fits Dwarves, to be honest. Now, "We do what we can, because we must" works.

[JAL_1138]

Really? Because Aperture Science seems to be more of a Gnomish venture...

I'll just leave these excerpts from the Monstrous Compendium entry on Giant Space Hamsters:

"Carnivorous Flying Giant Space Hamster: A 'regrettable if understandable line of inquiry' led to this bat-winged version."

"Two-Headed Lernaean Bombardier Giant Space Hamster: 'Well, we're not likely to make this mistake again, or at least not more than once again, anyway.'"

"Fire-Breathing Phase Doppelganger Giant Space Hamster: 'We completely fail to see why everyone is so upset, especially as biology is such an inexact science and for every step we take forward there must be two steps backward, but anyway we said we were sorry and we'd like our funding back so we can pay our bail and go home.'"

"Tyrannohamstersaurus Rex: The now-defunct gnome colony that first bred this species did so 'because it was there.'"

[Jay R]

Elf: If you do not learn the look of the tree, the sound of the birds, and the feel of the wind, you might as well just be a dwarf.

Dwarf: If you don't learn the feel of the rock, the weight of the mountain, and the look of the ore, you might as well just be an elf.

[LibraryOgre]

Hmm, I'm getting a feeling of deja vu for some reason... :smalltongue:

Y'all keep asking the same question, y'all're gonna keep getting the same answer. :smallwink:


Really? Because Aperture Science seems to be more of a Gnomish venture...

Some gnomes, perhaps. But the general sentiment... things must be done, we are capable of doing them, so we do them... is very dwarvish.

[eru001]

Stand Fast. Fight Hard. Die well.
-Dwarves

Out-Think. Out-Manuver. Out-Fight.
-Elves

KNOCK. DRAW. LOOSE!
-Humans

(The various last things each race's commanders say as the enemy closes the distance.)

[TheTeaMustFlow]

KNOCK. DRAW. LOOSE!
-Humans

...I'm fairly certain you mean notch rather than knock.

[Dualswinger]

Gnomish sayings:

Two pigs and a chicken don't make a farm.

You can gild a cow for the price of a meal

To demand order is to invite chaos

Turning a wheel does not rotate the earth

Judge not a book by its cover but by how good it is at stopping a crossbow bolt.

[Beleriphon]

"When willows break, they grow again."

Whatever this one means.

I think its pretty clear it means even when damaged, growth is still possible.

[JAL_1138]

...I'm fairly certain you mean notch rather than knock.

Actually neither. The term is "nock." No "k" at the beginning.

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/nock.

[TheTeaMustFlow]

Actually neither. The term is "nock." No "k" at the beginning.

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/nock.

Huh. Shows what I know. (Though at least you nock it in a notch. Sort of.)

[2D8HP]

Actually neither. The term is "nock." No "k" at the beginning.

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/nock.I loved the "Examples of use, especially:

She can nock the spots off from any woman who wears a waterfall, gettin up a good square meal.

Punchinello, Vol. 1, No. 18, July 30, 1870

I have no idea at all what that's supposed to mean (the past is truly a different country), but it sure sounds exciting!

[Strigon]

I loved the "Examples of use, especially:

She can nock the spots off from any woman who wears a waterfall, gettin up a good square meal.

Punchinello, Vol. 1, No. 18, July 30, 1870

I have no idea at all what that's supposed to mean (the past is truly a different country), but it sure sounds exciting!

https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/inside_joke.png

[Vinyadan]

I loved the "Examples of use, especially:

She can nock the spots off from any woman who wears a waterfall, gettin up a good square meal.

Punchinello, Vol. 1, No. 18, July 30, 1870

I have no idea at all what that's supposed to mean (the past is truly a different country), but it sure sounds exciting!

I'm pretty sure that that's actually "knock" with a deliberately wrong (or just popular?) writing. Here's the whole writing from which it's taken:

HIRAM GREEN ON THE CHINESE.
He write a letter to the North Adams Shoe Manufacturer.—New Occupation for the "Coming Man."

NSBORO, NYE ONTO VARMONT, July the 11th, 18-Seventy.
MISTER SAMPSON:
Selestial sir:—I take my goose quil in hand to rite you a letter. I like your stile—you soot me. I myself have been an old Statesman, having served my country for 4 years as Gustise of the Peece, raisin' sed offis to a higher standard than usual, as well as raisin' an interestin' family of eleven healthy children. Upon the linements of their countenance the features and stamp of GREEN stands out in bold relief. They are all genuine Green-bax.
A little cloud no bigger than a man's hand made its appearance over the golden streets of San Francisco.
It is growin' bigger, and afore we know it, will be bigger than a white elefant.
You have ceased the dilemer by the horn which hangs suspended from the dilemer's head, like the tail of a kite.
While you have set the Chinees peggin' away puttin' bottoms on shoes, a great many are peggin' away "putin' a head onto you."
In the present statis of things you want to blow up your nerve, and stand as firm as the rox of Jiberalter, and like BYRON exclaim:
"To be or not to be, there's the question;—
Whether a man feels better to pay big wages for shoemakers,
Or to suffer the slings and arrows of everybody,
By hirin' Pig-tails for 1/2 price?"
Poleticians of the different churches don't endorse our Selestial brother. But, sir, I'll venter a few dollars, that if the children of the son—and dorter—leaned towards either party, he would be gobled up quicker'n scat, even if he come red hot from old LUCIFER, with a pocket full of free passes, for the whole nashun, to the Infernal regions.
That's so. A vote's a vote, if it comes from Greenland's coral strand or Afric's icy mountains. I feel a good deal towards you as a nabor of mine, named JOE BELCHER, once did.
JOE likes his tod, and can punish as much gin and tansy as a New York alderman can, when drinkin' at the sity's expense.
JOE went to camp meetin' last week, and, I am pained to say it, JOSEF got drunker than a biled owl.
While one of the brethern was preachin', JOE sot on a pine log tryin' to make out wether the preacher was a double-headed man, or whether 2 men were holdin' forth.
"Who'll stand up for the carpenter's Son?" sed the preacher.
This made JOE look around.
The question was again repeated.
Again JOE looked around for an answer.
Again the preacher said: "Who'll stand up for Him?"
JOE by this time had got onto his feet, and was steadyin' himself by holdin' onto a tree, while he sung out:
"I say (hic!) ole feller, Ile stand up (hic!) for him, or any 'orrer man who hain't got any (hic!) more fren's than he has (hic!) in this 'ere crowd."
I feel a good deal as JOE did. Anybody who hain't got any more frends than you have, Mr. SAMPSON, has my sympathy.
For bringin' these hily morril and refined Monongohelians to Massachusetts is a big feather in your cap, and you will receive your reward bime-bye.
"The wages of sin is death."
But the wages of a Chinyman is money in a man's pocket. They work cheap.
I am trying to get the Chinese substituted for canal hosses.
A man here by the name of SNYDER, who runs a canal Hoss to our Co., talks of sendin' for a lot.
Won't they be bang up with their cues hitcht to a canal bote snakin' it along at the rate of a mile inside of 2 hours. "G'lang! Tea leaf."
Then when they was restin' from their labors, by tyin' 2 of 'em together by their cues, stand one opposite the other and hang close between 'em to dry, on washin' day.
What an aristocratic thing Chiny close-line posts would be. The only drawback that I know of is, that the confounded posts mite some day walk off with all the close.
But, sir, if they served me in that manner, I would cover the ground with broken crockery by smashin' their old Chiny mugs for 'em.
Since you've awoken to notorosity, I have been studdyin' out your family pedigree.
I find your Antsisters are connected with long hair more or less, same as you be with Chiny pig-tails.
Old SAMPSON the first's strength, like your'n of to-day, lade in his long hair.
He could cut off more heads, and slay more Fillistians with the jaw bone of a member of Congress than the President of these U.S. can by makin' a new deal in the Custom house department.
And, sir, I reckon about these days, we are getting rather more of that same kind of jaw bone than is healthy.
I am afrade not.
Mrs. SAMPSON worked like a kag of apple sass in hot weather, to find out where her old man's strength was. When she found out, what did she do? Why, she got a pair of sheep shears and cropped him closer'n a state prison bird, and tryin' to lift a house full of fokes, it fell onto him and smashed him.
Like LOT'S wife, she'd orter been turned into a pillow of salt, and then the pillow had orter been sewed up and cast into the sea.
Another of the SAMPSONS wouldn't even chop off MARIAR ANTERNETTE'S head until her hair had been cut off, so he could peel her top-knot off slick and cleen.
Lookin' back at these cheerful antsisters of your'n, it's no wonder you go in for long haired labor. It runs in the SAMPSON blood.
The public is cussin' you from DANIEL to BEEBSHEBER, because you've brought a lot of modern Philistines to Massachusetts.
Let 'em cus.
That's their lay.
Your'n is, to bild up a fortin, if Poor-houses for white laborers to live in is thicker in North Adams than goose pimples on a fever and ager sufferer's form.
As old Grandma SAMPSON cut off her old man's long hair, so she could handle him in one of them little fireside scrimmages which we married fokes enjoy, so fokes would crop you, my hi toned old Joss stick.
But I've writ more'n I intended to. I would like to have you come and make us a visit.
Bring along your wife, DELIAL. Tell her to bring her croshay work.
Mrs. GREEN is interestin' company among wimmen.
What MARIAR don't know about her nabors, don't happen.
Then her veel pot-pies and ingin puddins are just rats.
She can nock the spots off from any woman who wears a waterfall, gettin' up a good square meal.
Anser soon, and don't forget to pay your own postige.
Hopin' you are sound on the goose and able to enjoy your Swi lager und Sweitzer,
I am thine, old hoss,
HIRAM GREEN, Esq.,
Lait Gustise of the Peece.

"Rox of Jiberalter" is quite cool to read :smallbiggrin: The text is from NY, anyway, and I have no idea of what most things mean. There's a waterfall cardigan which can be worn, but I don't know if it already existed back then.

[NecroDancer]

"A rebus can be a thousand words"
"believe it, debate it, overcome it"
-Planescape proverbs.

[Stealth Marmot]

Ogre proverb: What "proverb" mean?

[mr-mercer]

Dwarvern proverb: "Don't mine in loose soil." More or less equivalent to "More haste, less speed" but with the spin that trying to save time might just cause more problems. Why risk the cave-in of a quick tunnel when you can have the support of a more time-consuming one?

Other dwarvern proverb: "Sparks fly when you strike hot iron." When a situation is tense, acting without caution may have dire consequences. Make sure you're prepared for the results of your actions.

[Belkarseviltwin]

Dwarves, of course, talk about building things "from the surface down" rather than "from the ground up".

A Dwarf one from Warhammer: "Never trust gold that glistens in darkness"