Editing High Fantasy

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'''High Fantasy''' is perhaps the most famous, or at least well known, of the fantasy [[Setting Aesthetics]]. Popularized, if not codified, by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] and his [[Lord of the Rings]] novels, it has a very loose array of traits, but the most commonly accepted elements are a high level of fantastical elements, such as many different kinds of sapient races, wide-spread and/or high-powered magic, and a tendency towards a clear-cut moralism scale.

The polar opposite is, of course, [[Low Fantasy]]. [[Heroic Fantasy]] is the intermediary between the two extremes.

Common trappings include:
* Standard fantasy races of humans, elves and dwarves.
* The focus of the story is a conflict between clearly defined good and clearly defined evil.
* The world is at stake, so while politics may be involved they take a back seat to cosmic affairs.
* There is at least one race that's either always evil or at least every member shown is working for the villains.
* A [[BBEG]] who wants to take over.
* The gods are real and taking part in the conflict for better or worse.  If there's only one god, that god will be all-powerful but hands-off or indirect (the one god's morality ''will'' depend on the personal real-life beliefs of the author).
* Religions are either good or evil with no middle ground, though members can vary at times.

[[Category: Gamer Slang]] [[Category: Setting Aesthetics]]