Bonding with "just" wolves or two bonds

I have no idea, honestly. It is probably possible, provided the wolf was trained like a horse I think. They'd likely also be very unpredictable being wild, rather than even slightly tamed by the additional loyalty of an elf/wolf-bond. Bonding magic would help, although Timmain wolves back in the day probably did inter-breed with wild wolves. I mean you do have some of them breaking off and leaving during the two tribe split. Canon never really covers what happens to the break aways, or Timmorn too who I think bred with wolves and elves.

The bonding due to the minimal elfblood could be dormant, thus they can be 'trained' and or kept as a bond, but yeah wouldn't be able to wolf-send. Perhaps it could be more empathic? The elf senses the wolf's mood, but can't read it with words, so the sending thing is either garbled or just impossible.

I dunno really.

Secondly, I think it is likely possible for a dual-bond, although you have to consider that another bond, and the returning one might not get along. Also are we assuming the Beacon calls bonds without their elves? I thought it was rescuing elves or is it targeting the elf blood in bonds too?

The second bonding could be just temporary too. I mean I would think the original bond would take precedence over a new one, plus the bond itself would be older, and more mature than a new one, thus the stronger connection. The second one might fade out once the new one re-established, unless the bond is to ensure breeding partners among the wolves, or other bonds, as in new stock. Which would make sense, although I question the need for an elf to have two bonds. It's more hunters, yes, but also more food that has to go around.

If it could be played out or explained logically I'd accept it, otherwise it seems unnecessary or excessive.

I would like to think that wolf-blooded elves can bond with wolves with no elf-blood -- although the interaction and the relationship can be quite a lot harder than with a wolf with elf-blood.

On the second question, I would say that the answer is no. Dual bonds are not possible. I once asked about double Recognition in the EQ page on Facebook and Richrad told us that while it could be technically possible, it is not advised. I would suppose that it is kind of same with animal bonding - only one at a time, if possible. I would say that, for example, the part of Badger's soul that has bonded with Trotter is still occupied by Trotter, and therefore she can't bond with another wolf at this moment.
(Plus, there is a possibility to use this feature wrong. I know of someone who had at least 12 bond wolves because of a bullshit reason, Tam knows who I am talking about *coughcough*)

Okay, so if an elf who's arrived here stays here a certain amount of time, their bond with their old bond-friend will fade away and be open to a new bond, but until then they can't bond with a new animal.

How long should the fading take? Are talking a week, a year, several years? What would work best for us players?

And yes, having more than one bond available can lead to that kind of slippery slope. More than one animal tagging along with you I think we shall reserve for people with Teir's Animal Mimicry magic

Maybe a year? I would not like days, because then I would have to hurry to get Trotter on board.
Or maybe he gets on board during the current thread, it would most likely cheer Badger up.

Hey, also a word of warning with Animal Mimicry. The character I mentioned to have at least 12 bonds was one with Animal Mimicry, and majority of the other players found the character ridiculously overpowered. You might want to add some limits of how many animals can be bonded or "bonded" to an animal mimic at one time.

I agree, no magic used in "illogical ways". That just leads to powergaming and a boring time had for all. No Plant-Shapers making trees walk either

As for simply being overpowered if not illogical, I've limited the magic levels to "weak, weak/average, average/strong" and "strong" because of this. I always think of elves like Winnowill, Teir, Leetah, etc. as having an even higher level of magic I call "strong/excellent" and "excellent", and I don't like leaving such magic available to players' elves since it unbalances the whole game.

*laughs* Healing is anything but obscure...and Winnowill's magics have been perverted. I think astral projection is probably a bit much for anyone here, however. And I think Redlance's magical skills are equal to the other examples. Think about how much he's shaped for the tribe...multiple father trees, the tree dens they dwelled in after Rayek took the Palace, but also weapons and defenses. His skill is insane because he gets a lot of practice. And I think the father trees went up pretty quickly, because where would the elves have stayed otherwise? It's quite an undertaking.

I think that just makes the extension magics obscure. *chuckles* But not even those are obscure. We just don't see them as often because Winnowill has tainted the view the elves have of them, and they're not...practical. Not many elves need to flesh/bone shape in their everyday lives. Like, I can name a handful of healers off the top of my head. Leetah. Skimback. Snakeskin. Rain. Mender. Winnowill. Willowgreen. And the first three of those can shape flesh and bone, at least in tandem...Winnowill is the only one who's done it on her own (Leetah probably could, but doesn't). The mental healing thing seems unique to Leetah, which is interesting. It has a name, but I can't think of it at the moment. And then there's the anti-healing, which at least Leetah and Mender can do (not including Winnowill because she does all those things and is overpowered anyway). It's definitely a very powerful kind of magic, and with all the linked magics, I think that it would be important to distinguish between what a healer-type has, and what they don't...and their skills with each. Reefshadow's bone shaping, for example, confuses me, because he would HAVE to be a healer of some sort for it to not kill someone.

Can't think of more than two treeshapers, though. Only one fireshaper. Three rockshapers. One shielder. One who can block the magic of others. Two magic feeling elves. Those are much easier to deal with, as they don't have other linked magics (well, rockshaping does, but metalshaping isn't dependent on rockshaping like fleshshaping is dependent on healing), but would certainly be more obscure in canon.