People of Color in Eberron?

[Imaro]

You know upon further reflection, I guess that's why I, as an african-american, never found "pulp" stories interesting. Way too many negative stereotypes for me to be comfortable with.

And yes I know they were written in a different time, but still doesn't change my opinion.

 

[mhacdebhandia]

I tend to assume that the peoples of Eberron are more ethnically homogenous, but - as would be the case in the real world if we were homogenous - that means that the "average" person is really a medium-to-light brown, certainly not the white European (which, by the way, is my ethnicity) that way too much fantasy art assumes is the default.

On the plus side, I'm exogamous, so that would be awesome.

One thing I'm a little dissatisfied with is the way that all of the example characters and barons in Dragonmarked are drawn as of European appearance, actually.

 

[Nifft]

Yeah, but the fallen civilization of giants overthrown by nightmares from the plane of dreams is still a dead ringer for Africa. :\

If you read this one old Sandman comic, it kinda is...

"This aisle Kash only", -- N

 

[S'mon]

I dont think I'd play any campaign world that didn't have people of color. Its best to asume that the ration of people of color is what it is in the world.

What I love about fantasy is that such statistics aren't neccessary.

I'm curiious as to whether you'd play a game set in medieval Japan, pre-Colombian America, or another mono-ethnic setting without European-analogue humans? Does 'people of colour' mean African or African-American analogue humans, or any non-European humans?

 

[Remathilis]

I'm curious as to whether you'd play a game set in medieval Japan, pre-Colombian America, or another mono-ethnic setting without European-analogue humans? Does 'people of colour' mean African or African-American analogue humans, or any non-European humans?

I realize this isn't aimed at me, but I'd like to answer it.

My rationale for asking was because in many of the games I've played/run, humans have been like my group: white/Caucasian. Most of D&D's art (like the fantasy art that inspires it) is notably white. Dark-skinned characters are usually drow, for example.

So Jaela's appearance seemed odd, and a bit exotic. It really was the first time I saw an NPC in a D&D setting that was noticeably dark skinned. (Which need not be African, Moorish people and middle easterners could be described similarly) As someone who likes to be able to explain certain things (populations, etc) I was interested in seeing if there was more info on this.

Having not yet read Sarlona ( )I didn't know if it was covered anywhere. However, I liked the concept of not-all Eberronian Humans being Tolkien-white, and was wondering if there was anything more to it than a cosmetic element.

 

[Kunimatyu]

You know upon further reflection, I guess that's why I, as an african-american, never found "pulp" stories interesting. Way too many negative stereotypes for me to be comfortable with.

And yes I know they were written in a different time, but still doesn't change my opinion.

I could see that. RE Howard's Solomon Kane stories, in particular, goes beyond negative stereotyping to racism that can really only be described as poisonous. It really turned me off to a lot of his other works.

 

[Klaus]

I realize this isn't aimed at me, but I'd like to answer it.

My rationale for asking was because in many of the games I've played/run, humans have been like my group: white/Caucasian. Most of D&D's art (like the fantasy art that inspires it) is notably white. Dark-skinned characters are usually drow, for example.

So Jaela's appearance seemed odd, and a bit exotic. It really was the first time I saw an NPC in a D&D setting that was noticeably dark skinned. (Which need not be African, Moorish people and middle easterners could be described similarly) As someone who likes to be able to explain certain things (populations, etc) I was interested in seeing if there was more info on this.

Having not yet read Sarlona ( )I didn't know if it was covered anywhere. However, I liked the concept of not-all Eberronian Humans being Tolkien-white, and was wondering if there was anything more to it than a cosmetic element.

The World of Greyhawk has several different ethnicities, like Suloise, etc.

 

[JPL]

I could see that. RE Howard's Solomon Kane stories, in particular, goes beyond negative stereotyping to racism that can really only be described as poisonous. It really turned me off to a lot of his other works.

I see your point, but there's this scene from "The Hills of the Dead" that gets me every time:

"Mighty men, we be!" declared N'Longa with deep approval. "Vampire city be silent now, sure 'nough! No walking dead man live along these hills."

"I do not understand," said Kane, resting chin on hand. "Tell me,bN'Longa, how have you done things? How talked you with me in my dreams; how came you into the body of Kran; and how summoned you the vultures?"

"My blood-brother," said N'Longa, discarding his pride in his pidgin English, to drop into the river language understood by Kane, "I am so old that you would call me a liar if I told you my age. All my life I have worked magic, sitting first at the feet of mighty ju-ju men of
the south and the east; then I was a slave to the Buckra and learned more. My brother, shall I span all these years in a moment and make you understand with a word, what has taken me so long to learn? I could not even make you understand how these vampires have kept their bodies from decay by drinking the lives of men.

* * * *

Kane listened unspeaking, seeing for the first time in N'Longa's glittering eyes something stronger and deeper than the avid gleam of the worker in black magic. To Kane it seemed almost as if he looked into the far-seeing and mystic eyes of a prophet of old.

* * * *

"These things I know and am a part of, but how shall I tell you of them? Blood-brother, you are a mighty warrior, but in the ways of magic you are as a little child lost. And what has taken me long dark years to know, I may not divulge to you so you would understand. My
friend, you think only of bad spirits, but were my magic always bad, should I not take this fine young body in place of my old wrinkled one and keep it? But Kran shall have his body back safely."

- - - - - -

A little off-topic....What fascinates me about Kane is that while he thinks of himself as this champion of God (as understood by a 16th century Puritan), but he's actually just plain crazy --- driven to walk the earth and fight and kill and keep moving. He's driven by these forces he himself doesn't understand.

 

[S'mon]

The World of Greyhawk has several different ethnicities, like Suloise, etc.

Of course the Suel are (mostly) villainous, as indicated by their lily-white skin! Good guys are healthily bronzed, like the Oeridians (except the Great Kingdom are bad guys). The main Greyhawk cultures are the vaguely European Suel & Oeridians, the middle-eastern Bakluni, and the vaguely Native American Flannae (who also resemble real-world Saami/Laplanders and Finns/Suomi).

-Simon, whose wife is of the Elk Clan.

 

[Thomas Percy]

More cultures and colors = more options for DM. This is big advantage of FR among eg. Birthright.