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Post by Sofia on Sept 13, 2014 8:42:50 GMT 1
Yes, the humans are Bronze Age level when it comes to technology. I don't think they trade by land, partly because of the lack of roads, and modtly because they're as trapped here by the "bad magic ring" as we are (see the map). It's a great protection against invaders, but since all humans who go through it die or go mad, I'm sure the humans lesrned generations ago not to try (the bad magic has been there since the Palace crashed 10 000 years ago). Our humans are probably spoken off as the 'mad ones' because they dare live so close to a 'cursed' place. But there might be something here worth staying for? Opals? Big resource of flint? I think they travel down the coast a bit, past the bad magic circle, then travel inland to other villages by river. I think we should go with barter trading. Coins were at first generally used in larger cities or city states - not that useful when you're just trading between villages. Leadership: who makes the decisions for our humans? A chief? A council? This area is based on the Swedish High Coast, so natural disasters like floodings are very rare. Big disaster like tsunamis, hurricanes, cyclons, etc. don't happen because the climate don't allow for them (we people who live up here are pretty spoiled - no earthquakes, vulcanoes, etc. either). So our humans inly need worry about wet feet and cold winters; very cold winters which can kill people quite well. Silverthorn's player Joan said a while ago that she was interested in creating our human's culture. She's traveling with her family until today or tomorrow, so she might have something to add here. Other important questions: what are our humans' beliefs? What dangers do they face? What is forbidden in their culture? I'd like for there to be an "outside" threat to our humans. Maybe there is a is a really greedy "chief" of some other village(s) that is on a counquering spree? That way we can have drama with our humans without involving the elves all the time  It would also be fun if the humans had some kind of livestock, like sheep or cows, that our elves might get desperate enough to steal from and eat? Or simply don't realize belong to the humans, if their herder slacks off and lets them go unsupervised. It can become a bit of a lovely conflict between our elves, if some want to "steal from" the humans to feed themselves and some think it's too dangerous or even dishonorable. I've probably forgotten to comment on something - I'm writing on my phone so typing takes a long time and I can't read the other posts while I write :/ |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2014 11:04:22 GMT 1
Kewl,
So they can I assume forge and refine metal. Which I assume means they're probably capable of making metal weapons and or goods. I have no idea of a belief system. The closest I can think in a society that might be similar if the early Picts or the Brigantes before the Roman invasion of what was at the time pre-England. No roads makes sense, although now if they travel than they're probably nomadic. We're likely talking tribes, allied, and enemies.
If you're going tribal than there would be a chieftain or cheiftess, dependant on the tribal structure. Some cultures are partriarchal and others are matriarchal, and some are a mixture of the two. Saying that I actually think the whole 'Chief' is always male and only leads is more of a european assumption than actuality. Women like Boudica were known to lead tribes of men and women in celtic lore. This is also true in polynesian culture too.
We could go for something weirder and have leadership shared between related chiefs or chieftesses. Power can be held by a family too instead of just an individual.
Belief systems, well I think we'd need to include the 'bad magic' thing. Are we also assuming that the humans know about the elves, even in their lore or history? If so than they might view the elves like the celts viewed the fairy folk the Tuatha De Danann, or even how the people of Arda viewed Tolkien's elves, with suspicion, fear, and a certain amount of fascination too.
Could there have ever been positive experiences for elves and humans crossing paths? Or are we assuming that every encounter was bad?
Just wondering.
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Post by Greywing on Sept 13, 2014 18:53:54 GMT 1
Can humans who live on the coast keep livestock? Or forge?
My main concern is how the humans even got there. If passing through the barrier means that humans go mad or die, how'd they get there in the first place? If they were there before the Palace's crash, that would work...but that also means that the bubble would likely be overrun with humans if it's been 10,000 years since the crash (not that it has to be. Has that been established?).
Any humans inside the bubble would be cut off from the outside world...so some neighboring warlord on a conquering spree would not likely attack, if the legends are widespread. If so, s/he would go bad, at the very least...then go mad again trying to get back out? The humans being cut off would also likely mean that they're less advanced than the rest of the world...they could easily be more Stone Age than Bronze, if the trolls hoard all the metal, and if the humans don't have as great a need to develop writing.
If the magic ring is so large that these things aren't a concern, I feel like the superstitions and legends about it would not be as strong, unless we're talking about an entire cursed continent.
In terms of the elf/human dynamic, there aren't any elves indigenous to the Beacon Call world...so the humans wouldn't know what they are.
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Post by No-Sting on Sept 13, 2014 22:22:25 GMT 1
Jumping in quick to point out that the humans aren't trapped in a circle of bad magic. The coast is perfectly free of magic, they can travel as much as they want by sea. The bad magic is only half a circle, that's on the other side of the mountains. For a clear example, please check out the Holt map, and the older, uglier Holt map (scroll down a bit). And yes, humans who live near or by the sea have had livestock and been able to work forges in real life, so I doubt it would stop our humans |
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Post by Greywing on Sept 13, 2014 22:51:30 GMT 1
OH. I totally forgot that the magic line is only on land. My bad. XD I figured on the map that the line on the coast side was just off the map. And I didn't know about coastal forging or livestock, which is why I asked. I figured livestock would need more grazing space. |
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Post by Jaseio on Sept 14, 2014 14:12:06 GMT 1
They could be using boats like the Hjortspring boat? That is if we base it on the Nordic Bronze Age  The village could have a herd of sheep, and thus produce wool, maybe goats, and they might have their own little supply of copper and tin, from the mountains, or they could trade for it if we stick closer to the Nordic Bronze Age. They are probably efficient fishers too since they are situated at the coast, and they could very well have houses on poles out on the water Maybe a few hunters, and of course a handful of farmers. The Nordic countries didn't have a written language in the bronze age. They would probably have carts, and maybe oxen, but with what I can find to read, they probably didn't have horses at that time in the north Just another 2 cents ;b Nordic Bronze AgeBronze Age |
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Post by Jaseio on Oct 17, 2014 12:15:59 GMT 1
Since the scouts are setting out maybe we should return to clarifying who these humans are? :b
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Post by Sofia on Oct 17, 2014 17:08:00 GMT 1
Good idea! I'm currently on a boat from Pland with work, so I'll be back late, but I'll make sure to post here tomorrow |
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Post by Sofia on Oct 30, 2014 18:57:47 GMT 1
Sooo, important things to know about the local humans so our elves can meet up with them: - The humans have goats and small, white cows that graze at the outskirts of the forest. Their watched over by herders, usually boys in their teens. Since the goats and cows spread out the herders won't be watching all of them at once (and lazy herders might not be watching at all). Only one herder per group of animals. - The humans are bronze age level, think Vikings, but I think we should give them darker skin than most Vikings had just to not be too cliché and a little more diverse  - Since the Beacon Call world has elves, just not right here, I think the humans should have some vague myth of 'spirits' that includes both the trolls and the elves. I think we should go with the humans seeing the spirits as fickle, possible malevolient, possibly helpful, but rarely only good or only bad. - The humans get fish from the sea, grow some things locally and forage/hunt in the woods + have their herds, and trade with other human settlements further away to feed themselves. You could therefore run into a human hunting parties! Any questions/things that should be changed? |
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Post by Jaseio on Nov 3, 2014 8:31:54 GMT 1
Hmm... Bronze age humans weren't as "advanced" as vikings, especially with sailing, but anyway :b And I thought I should mention that the ones who often looked after the cattle were the family's children. The boys in their teens would go to do the same as their father, be it craft, fish or farm, to learn the trade. And the cattle would often be "distributed" so that each family had one of each or maybe two of one kind, of course if a family didn't have a small child to look after it, it would be the youngest. *Just visited a viking museum the other day, it focused on their daily life, so thought I could add this in* :b xD |
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Post by Sofia on Nov 3, 2014 16:49:52 GMT 1
Good point, I was playing fast an loose with my terms - Vikings are of course Iron Age (I really should know better, being Swedish and all). Vikings were just a quick go-to people to compair to for me, so think maybe low-tech Vikings? Proto-Vikings XD? And yes, the herders are probably early teens, maybe even as young as ten or eight years old. It was my modern brain that went "No, tiny children, you can't watch animals", but back in the day when we humans didn't have as long a life expectancy as today you of course had to grow up and take more responsibility faster.
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Post by Sofia on Jun 25, 2023 16:18:29 GMT 1
Since this thread is old, what are our current ideas of the local humans? |
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Post by Flint on Jun 25, 2023 21:06:56 GMT 1
With Milo around now and the soul name discussion, they'll at some point have to get together and try to reach a consens on how to deal with the local humans. Not that they need to come to a decision right away, just talking out all their different opinions.
For now they know there are humans, but no one approached enough to judge just how friendly they are. Language may be an issue - we do already have somewhat established that humans speak different languages (SL2657F modern english with mixed of chinese, Milo medieval britain, Crispin ancient egypt with arabic influences and the preserver as translator should at least speak english too - all of this being more comparisons than actual 1:1 translation).
Then there is Milo, who is the only one who could in appearance pass for human with a bit of trying and already mentioned such to Mahrak for consideration, should they ever search them out.
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The village could have a herd of sheep, and thus produce wool, maybe goats, and they might have their own little supply of copper and tin, from the mountains, or they could trade for it if we stick closer to the Nordic Bronze Age. They are probably efficient fishers too since they are situated at the coast, and they could very well have houses on poles out on the water 
