Post a culture

[Ry]

Hi Andor, in response to your point - Legacies will be an ongoing project, building the campaign up bit by bit. I'm going to do my best to take the role of an active editor in the project, making some initial decisions about design and tone and helping stitch the contributions together into a cohesive whole. So you could contribute the Tanolani just as they are, and then expand on them inside the project, floating ideas for connections between them and other things in the setting, and so forth. As the editor, my job would be to make sure that they don't conflict with something else already written (and if so, suggest ways around that), and then bring them into the 'canon' document. Since you came up with the Tanolani in the first place, once they were part of the setting, any changes or additions you'd make to them are pretty much certain to be approved (since you're really unlikely to contradict your own work, or ruin the style of something you made).

Then again, because each release of Legacies is Creative Commons, if you wanted to say "Screw you, ry, I don't like your editing, I'm revamping Legacies as I see fit!" then you'd have the power to do that - you can take Legacies in a completely different direction so long as you give credit to the original authors (no money, you don't have to seek their permission, you just have to be honest about where it came from).

I think that Legacies could be a tremendously generative project because there are a lot of great ideas out there, and they thrive when combined and interwoven with the ideas of others.

kensanata, and awayfarer, the Tobarith and mountain-folk would also fit really nicely in Legacies, any interest in contributing to such a project?

James Hargrave (jdrakeh on EN World) is currently setting up the forum for Legacies at his new site, miscellaneous debris. I'll post the link to there as soon as it's up and running.

 

[Ry]

Dacs, Houns, and Kardi

Houns:
A short, stout, pale of skin, clean-shaven, hard working, focused, and practical people, common in the templar, merchant and freemen classes of the cities (some cities also have Houn noble houses, and in others they are common in the slave class). Outsiders typically describe a Houn by his class – but a Houn is more likely to describe himself by his craft (be it an actual trade or something less tangible, like “serving the God-King” or “business”). They exhibit great commitment to their families and communities. The stereotypical Houn works compulsively and tirelessly to complete one task at a time, then digs his own grave and lies in it. The paragon Houn is a master craftsman, loving parent, and pillar of his community. Many houns like to plan ahead; when preparing for a journey, a Houn will spend twice as long determining what provisions he needs. But all houns have a love for hearty food with friends by the fireside.

Dacs:
Dacs are lanky, tricky, relaxed, and fleet of foot. Their skin is a deeply tanned colour. They are more common in the lands between the cities, forming small tribes. Dacs tend to divide the world into two halves: Their akma and everyone else. An akma loosely translates as “adopted family” – beginning at birth with the tribesmen who raise a Dac, and growing over time. The stereotypical Dac raids and steals at a lightning pace, selling his ill-gotten gains to innocent city folk. The paragon Dac is a lightning-fast, tireless runner, hunting and traveling far to bring back prizes and good fortune for his akma.


Kardi (singular and plural):
Although the Kardi were a race that once inhabited the entire region, the term has broadened into a catch-all term for the mixed-breed humans that are frequently shunted to the bottom rungs of society. While there are Kardi templars and merchants are not unheard of, they are extremely rare, and there are no Kardi noblemen (unless they have managed to conceal their bloodline). Most frequently, the Kardi are slaves, or huddle in villages on the borders between God-Kings domains. Kardi most often describe themselves by their social role – mother, husband, etc. – but are described by others in terms of their lineage: “Old-blood Kardi” or “Half-Gam” or “Mongrel.” The intolerance and disdain of society leads the Kardi to turn to one another for strength and comfort – and they often find both. Despite to the world’s image of them, Kardi are a strong, hardy people, but are marked most of all by their common sensitivity to others’ emotions. Education – even in a trade – is very rare among Kardi, and when they have the choice they will follow those with strong social skills, rather than those who display the most intelligence or skill. The stereotypical Kardi is a dumb, lazy slave, built for a life of work and servitude. The exemplar Kardi is a kind, caring member of their small circle of friends, binding their community together and showing remarkable resilience to the world’s troubles.

 

[kensanata]

kensanata, and awayfarer, the Tobarith and mountain-folk would also fit really nicely in Legacies, any interest in contributing to such a project?

You may choose to receive my postings to EN World under the Creative Commons Attributions license.

I don't have the time and energy to contribute to Legacies directly, however.

 

[Ry]

You may choose to receive my postings to EN World under the Creative Commons Attributions license.

I don't have the time and energy to contribute to Legacies directly, however.

That's mighty kind o' ya! So far I've credited people by their real names - would you prefer that as well?

Cheers --ry

 

[Presto2112]

The Tal Jabar are a tribe nomadic desert exiles. Once divided, they now form a single large tribe, led by clerics of a god born but a generation ago from the binding of two rival gods' avatars and the soul of a powerful cleric. This god is called Shajural, Lord of the Desert Wind. Since Shajural's birthing, the Tal Jabar migrate whenever a strong wind blows from the sands, in the direction of that wind. It is the belief of the Tal Jabar that the winds will eventually carry them out of the desert into more fertile lands, where they will be accepted by other men. As of this day, the winds still blow them about the dunes, tending their flocks and foraging what sparse vegetatation and water that can be found.

The Tal Jabar are efficient users of resources. When an animal is slain, every last part of the beast is used to feed, clothe, shelter, or otherwise serve the tribe. As a point of desperation, due to the harshness of their way of life, the same is done of any tribesperson who passes from any cause other than disease or old age. In those cases, the body is burned and the soul mourned all the more for the waste. If a man dies from poisoning (a rare event, since the Tal Jabar over the generations have grown quite resistant to the venom of the creatures of their territory), the part that was poisoned, as well as the victim's heart are burned, and the rest used. Many other cultures and people see this custom as gruesome and barbaric, but the pragmatic Tal Jabar see any other practice as wasteful. They do not engage in active cannibalism, but simply disposing of the dead is seen by them as a waste of material. They do, however, see the need for tact and diplomacy, and items crafted by the tribe out of human remains are kept out of sight as best as possible of visitors and outsiders. Items crafted from the remains of ancestors known for heroic deeds or great wisdom are treasured by the families of their descendants.

 

[Ry]

I love the Tal Jabar. Where did you get the idea for them?

 

[Presto2112]

I love the Tal Jabar. Where did you get the idea for them?

They make up part of a book I'm writing. I took the "Waste nothing" aspect of the old Inuit culture, and took it an extra step.