SHARK
First Post
Greetings!
Well, Reapersaurus, Elder-Basilisk and ConcreteBuddha are right on target in understanding my own position. To wit, Half-Orcs are often killed as mutants in many areas. In some areas, though, and in the eyes of some clerics and scholars alike, Half-Orcs can be seen as potentially redeemable because they are part human. It can be seen that their human blood redeems them enough to make them free moral agents, and therefore they can potentially convert to the One True Faith.
Alternatively, there are some who view the Half-Orc, being tainted by such humanoid blood, is now the product of wicked creatures and therefore condemned. The very fact that they *exist*--part human, part orc, is an insult to the gods, and an abomination to all that is good and holy. Because they are such a wicked abomination, they should be exterminated.
Thus, this illustrates two different attitudes that are embraced within the Vallorean Empire.
A "House of Cards" Reapersaurus? That's funny!
No, far from it. My campaign-world has been running for over 14 years, so it has stood the test of time. In addition, humanoids are not played as cardboard characters, but they are detailed in Elder-Basilisks' analysis quite well. I find it very interesting how Elder-Basilisk, who has seen all that you have Reapersaurus, about the details of my campaign world, and he and you have come to almost exactly opposite conclusions!
Elder-Basilisk, thankyou. Your explanation is thorough, and quite excellent! My salute, Elder-Basilisk!
ConcreteBuddha--Your own schema for such evil humanoids is excellent! I too, obviously, interpret the alignment codes in the Monster Manual seriously. The likelihood of the player-characters meeting a nice, friendly Hobgoblin is extremely unlikely. I certainly don't throw hordes of sweet Hobgoblins at them in order to maliciously make them them deal with something that is a mathematical rarity.
Have they met non-evil Orcs? Well, yes, they have. In the current campaign, which has been going on for over a year now of *Real Time*, I think that they have encountered non-evil Orcs once, and Hobgoblins, twice. That's *Encounters*--of which there can often be several in one game session, which we play every week. So, mathematically, out of all the times they have encountered Orcs and Hobgoblins, (Huge numbers, right?)--how many times would they logically be expected to encounter such humanoids that aren't evil, wicked, and nasty? Just off the cuff, I'd say there could be an average of 12 humanoid encounters per month, or 144 or more humanoid encounters, with what, one, two, or three non-evil encounters? That is by any estimation, mathematically remote. Certainly, in the experience of player-characters, it is extremely unlikely, and rare.
And furthermore, ConcreteBuddha, like you mentioned, the non-evil humanoids that do exist, certainly aren't found nice and cozy living with the rest of their evil, wicked brethren! Why would the evil, wicked brethren tolerate *that*? As you mentioned, when the rest of the evil tribe discovered that the others were weak or hesitant to wallow in darkness in almost any way, they would be turned on like a pack of jackals and devoured. Thus, cutting down the chances to almost zero that the player-characters would ever encounter such unusual humanoids in that kind of situation.
For example, when the group in my campaign did encounter some non-evil orcs, it was by getting involved in the local situation where a local lord was conducting operations against a small clan of orcs that were found to be in the area. After seeking the forces out, the orcs sent forth a herald with a white flag, to parley. The player-characters then entered the orc encampment as ambassadors, and stayed with the orcs for a several weeks while the truce was in force. The orcs were living in the a lightly forested area, where they had a stockade, and outlying ranches and farms. The orcs were farming, cultivating fields of onions, tomatoes, and several varieties of peppers. The orcs were also raising several herds of goats, and extensive groups of hogs. The orcs were also lumbering their area carefully, and mining a small silver mine.
Seeing all of this, and witnessing the attitudes of the orcs in this settlement, the player-characters carefully assessed that these Orcs were not evil, and if the local human population could be persuaded, the two small communities could live together peacefully.
In the end, it was worked out successfully, and the small non-evil clan of orcs have continued to thrive and prosper. These orcs though, first had to escape from the areas that the evil orc clans live in, to avoid being so annihilated. The occurance of even this number of non-evil orcs, all gathered together, has been a very unusual and memorable event. They remain in practical terms, the "exception to the rule." The players don't travel about though, second-guessing themselves as to the evil and wickedness of the humanoid races as a whole.
Very interesting posts ConcreteBuddha!
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
Well, Reapersaurus, Elder-Basilisk and ConcreteBuddha are right on target in understanding my own position. To wit, Half-Orcs are often killed as mutants in many areas. In some areas, though, and in the eyes of some clerics and scholars alike, Half-Orcs can be seen as potentially redeemable because they are part human. It can be seen that their human blood redeems them enough to make them free moral agents, and therefore they can potentially convert to the One True Faith.
Alternatively, there are some who view the Half-Orc, being tainted by such humanoid blood, is now the product of wicked creatures and therefore condemned. The very fact that they *exist*--part human, part orc, is an insult to the gods, and an abomination to all that is good and holy. Because they are such a wicked abomination, they should be exterminated.
Thus, this illustrates two different attitudes that are embraced within the Vallorean Empire.
A "House of Cards" Reapersaurus? That's funny!
No, far from it. My campaign-world has been running for over 14 years, so it has stood the test of time. In addition, humanoids are not played as cardboard characters, but they are detailed in Elder-Basilisks' analysis quite well. I find it very interesting how Elder-Basilisk, who has seen all that you have Reapersaurus, about the details of my campaign world, and he and you have come to almost exactly opposite conclusions!Elder-Basilisk, thankyou. Your explanation is thorough, and quite excellent! My salute, Elder-Basilisk!
ConcreteBuddha--Your own schema for such evil humanoids is excellent! I too, obviously, interpret the alignment codes in the Monster Manual seriously. The likelihood of the player-characters meeting a nice, friendly Hobgoblin is extremely unlikely. I certainly don't throw hordes of sweet Hobgoblins at them in order to maliciously make them them deal with something that is a mathematical rarity.
Have they met non-evil Orcs? Well, yes, they have. In the current campaign, which has been going on for over a year now of *Real Time*, I think that they have encountered non-evil Orcs once, and Hobgoblins, twice. That's *Encounters*--of which there can often be several in one game session, which we play every week. So, mathematically, out of all the times they have encountered Orcs and Hobgoblins, (Huge numbers, right?)--how many times would they logically be expected to encounter such humanoids that aren't evil, wicked, and nasty? Just off the cuff, I'd say there could be an average of 12 humanoid encounters per month, or 144 or more humanoid encounters, with what, one, two, or three non-evil encounters? That is by any estimation, mathematically remote. Certainly, in the experience of player-characters, it is extremely unlikely, and rare.
And furthermore, ConcreteBuddha, like you mentioned, the non-evil humanoids that do exist, certainly aren't found nice and cozy living with the rest of their evil, wicked brethren! Why would the evil, wicked brethren tolerate *that*? As you mentioned, when the rest of the evil tribe discovered that the others were weak or hesitant to wallow in darkness in almost any way, they would be turned on like a pack of jackals and devoured. Thus, cutting down the chances to almost zero that the player-characters would ever encounter such unusual humanoids in that kind of situation.
For example, when the group in my campaign did encounter some non-evil orcs, it was by getting involved in the local situation where a local lord was conducting operations against a small clan of orcs that were found to be in the area. After seeking the forces out, the orcs sent forth a herald with a white flag, to parley. The player-characters then entered the orc encampment as ambassadors, and stayed with the orcs for a several weeks while the truce was in force. The orcs were living in the a lightly forested area, where they had a stockade, and outlying ranches and farms. The orcs were farming, cultivating fields of onions, tomatoes, and several varieties of peppers. The orcs were also raising several herds of goats, and extensive groups of hogs. The orcs were also lumbering their area carefully, and mining a small silver mine.
Seeing all of this, and witnessing the attitudes of the orcs in this settlement, the player-characters carefully assessed that these Orcs were not evil, and if the local human population could be persuaded, the two small communities could live together peacefully.
In the end, it was worked out successfully, and the small non-evil clan of orcs have continued to thrive and prosper. These orcs though, first had to escape from the areas that the evil orc clans live in, to avoid being so annihilated. The occurance of even this number of non-evil orcs, all gathered together, has been a very unusual and memorable event. They remain in practical terms, the "exception to the rule." The players don't travel about though, second-guessing themselves as to the evil and wickedness of the humanoid races as a whole.
Very interesting posts ConcreteBuddha!
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
