[OOC] From Dawn Till Dusk: A New Era

[rezay]

@Dark CloudI prefer Bojack, thank you

This joke has really grown on me

[Dark Cloud]

@rezay Alright.

[Klomster]

I see our resident skeleton has begun an IC post.

[Dark Cloud]

@Klomster *BONES RATTLING*

[rezay]

Just posted first IC! Very excited.

My long-winded comments on the first post

Originally, I was going to include a whole religious creation story thing, as well as a story of how the tribe came to be (and I still might do some of that), but after roughing it out the whole thing seemed a little bit too dense, especially for an introduction. So, I'm saving those stories to be revealed later on

Also, I was unsure for the cultural sophistication/technological sophistication aspect of the takhal. I mainly went off @Klomster's post, where the Sobek have stone-age technology and little higher culture (I figured the takhal would develop that sooner, being more mammalian and weird and superstitious), and sort of extrapolated from that. The reason I didn't start at the very beginning (as in the first takhal ever magically appearing on the grassland with zero cultural elements) and work up to the current point was simply because after thinking over how I'd do it, I came to the conclusion it would be quite boring and long-winded to describe. In that situation, not a lot of cultural/interesting activity is happening, and I wanted to start off with something a little more engaging. There's still a lot of room for them to evolve, so I think it's fine.
On the technological side, I stuck with a similar level of technology to the Sobek, that is to say somewhere in the stone age. Putting things in juxtaposition with real-world human history, I imagine they're in the waning years of the Neolithic, about to enter the Copper Age (6-5,000 BCE or so). Of course, this isn't written down, and can certainly be altered as needed. This means they have certain technologies which I didn't at first imagine them having (such as bows), but as they haven't come into contact with any outside groups (takhal or otherwise), their applications to warfare aren't obvious to the takhal, and I don't think it's very unbalanced.

I also took the liberty of creating a new creature, the aad. I thought it was kind of weird that the takhal were just wandering around on the steppe alone, as they'd need to make clothing (among a myriad of other things) somehow. I also tied this into one of their flaw traits (Rigid Bones), in that they require dairy products for their bones to develop to their intended sturdiness, so they're dependent on another creature (not written down either, of course, but let this ramble be record of that). I don't think this is unbalanced either (the agriculture isn't large-scale, just simple herding which any species would have the capacity to do at this time), but that's pending GM's opinion.

Same deal with lözhan (alcohol) and ikt grass. The latter has little nutritious value (and so little potential for cultivation into a food crop), and is utilized almost entirely for its hallucinogenic properties. I imagine there are some brews that are fortified with other grains to be more nutritious, but that's to figure out in later posts. It provides no benefit to the takhal, and is intended as a simple piece of deep lore regarding their culinary and religious culture. It's appropriate to their technological development as well, as the oldest alcoholic beverage in human history dates to 7,000 BCE.

I also named some geographic features, like the Yaagkhege Steppe and the Nëju. GM didn't specify what specific regions were called, so I figured the takhal should have unique names for their particular region and geographic features within it. Don't think there's a problem there.

All in all, I think I got things pretty alright.

I know that second link I included for the singing starts out hilariously, they're silly little Bojacks

[Klomster]

I guess it would be a bit op if you began with already trained and domesticated Ovis (found in the fauna section of post 1) so the Aad doesn't feel too overpowered.
I mean, it's like a few small sheep right? Not like you start out with full husbandry and wool industry.

[rezay]

@KlomsterYes. I'm still awaiting ruling on population, but I doubt it would support anything like that. I'll clarify that they're large (not giant) for sheep, but small for the takhal. There are more anatomical differences for flavor, pending GM opinion I will probably add to sheet.

But, I'm not sure how else they'd make clothing, or their mobile shelters except by some livestock (which require leather at the least). *I don't think GM would begrudge me glorified teepees, that's certainly stone-age technology. On that note, an alternative is that they hunt some bison-like creature (Ovis), which I'd be fine with but since they aren't carnivores, I didn't imagine them as the hunting type.

*I've removed the wool aspect, on researching the timeline of wool use in human history they'd probably be a few centuries away at least from manufacturing any textiles from the aad's wool.

*Makes me wonder how much time will pass between turns, on average. If it's whole decades or centuries, this little story will probably be a simple snapshot of this time period. I am planning on having it directly precede a big schism in takhal society that creates multiple tribes for the first time. I suppose it is only the introduction. Eh, is that a spoiler? Oh well

*None of the pre-existing herbivores really fit the bill for what the takhal needed in the case they don't hunt. Interesting consideration: No hunting, no need for bows. Weapons are a given, there's bound to be some infighting occasionally. Good justification for balance, if needed. Still, you need to defend from predators, I imagine there are a lot of wolves on the steppe (/grassland). That would be justification in the other direction

[6slyboy6]

@rezay Time passing is something I'll be very lax with. If people want to timeskip, then we can, otherwise I see no problem with everybody making their own stories and technology advancing way faster than normal. As long as it makes sense and we have fun, I see no reason to break a good story with a mandatory jump in time just so we discover a single thing

And I honestly thought your people were just fine sleeping on the steppe. Maybe primitive pelts from Krollan, or even Equus or from some imposing Rhinos. But I guess some sheep aren't bad either, we always love the addition of more megafauna haha

Also the intention was for people to name areas on their own until they come up with an agreement of sorts eventually. Just another interesting tidbit from a bygone era :D

Edit: Speaking of which, can you post your location in your CS? I don't really know where your guys are haha. Same goes for the others too :)

[rezay]

@6slyboy6I was originally considering having no shelters, but on an open grassland like that the wind can pick up pretty hard, and there's zero natural cover from any bad weather (at least, the occasional tree isn't enough to shelter a whole tribe, maybe depending on how many takhal there are). Also I wasn't sure of the natural range of the herbivores in the bestiary, tbh I sort of glanced over it. It would also require them to hunt, which I wasn't sure was in their nature to do. Maybe scavenge, but that's unreliable. I suppose you could say slaughtering livestock isn't that different, but perhaps on a psychological level it is. I'll give the bestiary a better read

*On more reading, the Krollan seem like they'd be in contact with the takhal.

[6slyboy6]

@6slyboy6I was originally considering having no shelters, but on an open grassland like that the wind can pick up pretty hard, and there's zero natural cover from any bad weather (at least, the occasional tree isn't enough to shelter a whole tribe, maybe depending on how many takhal there are). Also I wasn't sure of the natural range of the herbivores in the bestiary, tbh I sort of glanced over it. It would also require them to hunt, which I wasn't sure was in their nature to do. Maybe scavenge, but that's unreliable. I suppose you could say slaughtering livestock isn't that different, but perhaps on a psychological level it is. I'll give the bestiary a better read

@rezay

At least you admitted to it :,(

[rezay]

@6slyboy6More likely I read over it and forgot :P scatterbrained I know

But, of course your say will be whichever way I decide. If you're fine with the new fauna, then I'll keep everything as-is. Otherwise is otherwise

I've also added the map to my CS.

[rezay]

Aside from that, @Dark Cloud @DX3214 @Crusader Lord @Klomster @Dog, since @6slyboy6 is being lax with the timescale, what's the opinion of you all? How fast should time advance for these first couple turns? Days? Years? Decades? Centuries? I assume the first turn will pick off where we were in our introduction— I keep forgetting that we've only gotten to post turn 0, as it were

[Dark Cloud]

I didn't bother reading the speculation stuff since in my opinion we need to just type what we feel is right instead of continuously strategizing out loud.

[rezay]

I didn't bother reading the speculation stuff since in my opinion we need to just type what we feel is right instead of continuously strategizing out loud.

@Dark Cloud

Just teething stuff with the takhal, it seems like it's sorted out now.

[Dark Cloud]

<Snipped quote by Dark Cloud>

Just teething stuff with the takhal, it seems like it's sorted out now.

@rezay

That's good.

[Dark Cloud]

@rezay Sorry I didn't mean to come off as rude, I'm glad it was all sorted out.

[rezay]

@Dark CloudNah, all's good

Aside from that, @Dark Cloud @DX3214 @Crusader Lord @Klomster @Dog, since @6slyboy6 is being lax with the timescale, what's the opinion of you all? How fast should time advance for these first couple turns? Days? Years? Decades? Centuries? I assume the first turn will pick off where we were in our introduction— I keep forgetting that we've only gotten to post turn 0, as it were

@rezay

I REQUIRE AN ANSWER
While you're here :)
No pressure

[DX3214]

@Dark CloudNah, all's good

<Snipped quote by rezay>
I REQUIRE AN ANSWER
While you're here :)

@rezay

I just came back having my week I kind of don't fucking know because one decades kind of makes you have to make a char every so often months feels like good but in this game its bad, I sincerely think I am not good at choosing a time moving stamp maybe an event happens and it has only a few months of travel but after its finished, it passes decades.

[rezay]

@DX3214I see what you mean. It really depends on how much people want to get invested into individual characters I suppose, I'll wait for the responses of the others on that. From @Klomster's IC post for example, he seems to be focusing on the story of Ata.

Perhaps we should come to a consensus of how many turns we give to a particular period in time/character.

I interpret the premise of this RP as a broader civilization-building thing, so it would be limiting to focus on one stage in the history of this island's civilization.
*Especially if we're focusing on the early days, where no one has much contact with other civilizations, or the civilizational... infrastructure, or backing, or whatever you want to call it, to make very impactful stories between species (situations like the skittermander and adamians excluded, the takhal particularly seem to be out of the way of everyone else).

[DX3214]

@DX3214I see what you mean. It really depends on how much people want to get invested into individual characters I suppose, I'll wait for the responses of the others on that. From @Klomster's IC post for example, he seems to be focusing on the story of Ata.

Perhaps we should come to a consensus of how many turns we give to a particular period in time/character.

I interpret the premise of this RP as a broader civilization-building thing, so it would be limiting to focus on one stage in the history of this island's civilization.

@rezay

that is a good interpretation as for me i am still a little bit behind my post lest just say i been having a roller coaster in my life right now.