This is the Discussion thread for the First Tribes game.
First up on the agenda, What should we call the world?
A common world-name does seem to indicate a world that is a little more established than I assumed...
How about it is called 'Earth', translated into whatever local tongue each tribe has?
The "Common" name of the world would probably be established by whoever knows the whole world, since each tribe would call it something different. Going by the classics, that leaves the gods and the dragons most likely.
No idea how that would dictate the name, just thought it worth mentioning.
Also, hello, happy to be here.
Personally, I don't ever recall mentioning the name of the planet/world I've been on in any RP unless it was mentioned to me oocly, and even then...
Who knows what will happen if we discover Space Flight?
Earth/Ground in each of our own languages sounds good, however I agree with the Azurans that a dragon and/or god or dragon god would know the original and intent name of the planet.
In the Ergalian tribe the name would likely be Ta-Tal
@Shrodingerscat Thank you for the invite, happy to be here
Isn't Golarion the name of the planet in the PF world?
Anyhow, this does raise another question: Is there a "Common" tongue? Or are we going to need ranks in linguistics to communicate with our neighbors?
Also, thanks for taking me! I'm excited about this.
Anyone have a draconic dictionary? I really like Aevus, for the record.
I had a homebrew world once called Aerux. I think it was draconic for valley or cave.
Aevus is latin for time, as in passage, age, generation...
Yes, Golarion is the planet in Pathfinder.
Stone-eyes/Arkwright brings up a good point though, each group would probably have their own name for it.
I was toying with several ideas. The question was mostly about what to call the campaign.
How do you folks feel about "The Land of Many Names"?...think it has a nice ring to it, and is appropriate for the many developing cultures.
I immediately thought after "The Land of Many Names" of 'The Land Before Time'. But you are right it has a nice ring to it.
The Rising Lands?
Maybe just shortened to The Land of Many or The Land of Names? I am happy with anything.
Well the name of the campaign is right there in the recruitment title isnt it?
"The First Tribes" or "The First People"
As for an actual name for the world, such a thing, accepted by every nation, would likely only arise way down the timeline, and be dictated by whoever holds dominance over the land. Or more accurately their gods.
Well the name of the campaign is right there in the recruitment title isnt it?"The First Tribes" or "The First People"
This.
Well the name of the campaign is right there in the recruitment title isnt it?"The First Tribes" or "The First People"
This.
Thirded for campaign name.
Also, should we be posting as our leader or as our tribe as a whole? or both?
I like, 'The First Tribes,' as well.
I'm posting as the tribe, imagining that the leader will potentially change over time. Unless we're immortal.
I'm quite interested to see how The Lorekeeper is going to handle that. And really, most of the rest of the game. I've been brewing ideas for my own version of the game, but they're so far falling well short of even half-baked.
Agreed on that. I'm also posting as a general Chief than a race or a specific chief, also expecting that he does not have eternal life.
The First Tribes, it shall be then.
Leadership can change, but it's nice to have a face for the leader. There are times when you may want to switch back and forth, but I'll leave that up to you folks individually.
I'll have a rough map of each of your starting areas this weekend.
This is going to be a first for me, running with this kind of format, so I hope we can all work together and make it fun and interesting.
As far as the "common" language goes, I imagine that there won't be one for a while, unless you consider pantomiming a language. As communities find each other and begin communicating we'll work it out.
Along that track... how do each of you imagine your native language sounds?
Hmm I just might change over to using my leader instead of generalizing, I mean the leader does represent the people as a whole.
My peoples language will be of little importance, since they will switch to Draconic within a very short time. Atleast thats what I would like.
So Elven = Draconic
I dont know what the general concensus is on how draconic sounds, but I like to think it makes heavy use of Z and X, with words flowing into eachother, making it sound like agressive jibberish to anyone who doesnt speak it.
This is fairly influenced by World of Warcrafts naming conventions for dragons, with names like Nozdormu, Alexstrasza and Malygos.
Slap on a japaneese sentence structure and we are in business.
I imagine my tribe to sound like a mix of Gaelic and Russian. Deep & gutteral, yet fluid.
My tribe would also use some sort of Draconic, but would sound very different from the Azurans.
More with a hiss and S and Z syllables in it, slow and clear during normal conversations.
During hunting parties or danger they will make some higher pitched sounds, but that is more like a code than a real language.
I never thought too far into their language, but now that I think about it... for mechanical purposes, could I have Cassarah's languages as Undercommon and Drow Sign Language? As far as how I imagine them talking... I imagine the Vuscadorah sounding kind of like Spanish, but off Spanish (Cassarah is a recent name that comes from the song "Que Sera, Sera"). I imagine when they speak, they speak in a very breathy way, like they are pushing a lot of air out of their mouths as they talk. And how people sound when they clench their diaphram/chest and try to talk. If any of that makes any sense at all.
The Shuma'i language is fairly mild, as it evolved to be understood whispering. There are very few hard consonants, and very rarely are two consonants connected to each other. Japanese meets Hawaiian with a vaguely slavic feel and without the letters B, D, K, P or T. It is easy to learn the basics, hard for outsiders to learn to speak fluently, for much is expressed by changes of pitch. Obviously, I should rename a few things.
Their chief is Hasura Nuani, his brother is Vaios, and they live in the Luras Jungle.
Heh heh. How goblin sounds? Ewok with a heavy cold and more grunting.
Thats fairly awesome, now you just need to make them traveling gypsies, Halfling style, and have the ride around in stupidly huge shanty town like wagons.
lol. that is awesome.
on to practical things, and I realize I should have asked this earlier...you folks can all post at least every other day, yes? (barring emergencies of course)
and more to the point, what time zone are you in? I'm Pacific (in Cali)
Central, in Texas. I can post almost every day. If something ever comes up, you'll be notified as soon as I'm aware of it
UTC+10, Australia.
Denmark here GMT +1, looks like we got a nice spread lol.
Yes I check in on all my PbPs way too often so plenty of posts.
Central. I can post daily but time will vary with work schedule.
Netherlands GMT+1, for me goes the same thing as Azuran, I check it way too often.
Some days I might be late with posting, but I will check it when I get home.
Daily
Usually too often, but with exceptions for sometimes on the weekends and emergencies.
EST
Wow, we're all over the place. Nice.
Well, cool. Just as long as everyone can at least do every other day.
I'll have crude maps for each of you sometime today.
You have any other questions or topics you'd like to discuss?
Given how basic our nations are to start off (hunter gatherer and all that jazz) im actually having a hard time thinking of anything that needs covering, since most of what springs to mind is too advanced to even be a factor yet.
I guess I should ask about my advisor. Is it just gonna be a wurmling blue dragon that never ages? Or something else?
I guess my only question is: do we have our racial/tribal language as our only language at the moment? And am I correct in assuming that we cannot read/write?
Can we debate over our advancements? How many do we get besides the basics?
Is it okay for me to have Basic fletching, Herbalism and Runic Script
@Azuran: I'm thinking it'll be a wrymling for now, and it will age, but it may wander off and be replaced. Dragons and their fickle whims and all.
@Cassrah (and everyone), yes you would only have your tribal language at start. You probably have a very simple form of writing that mostly involves uncomplicated symbols.
The second part of that questions reminds me, I was going to give you each an additional advancement, but I'd like you each to have different ones. We can either dice for them (to see who picks first) or if you all just agree on who gets what we can do that too.
-Written language
-Animal Husbandry
-Early Metalworking*
-More complex architecture
-Agriculture
-Navigation
-Boating(?)
* interesting side note; I read that in some places, copper tools and early metalworking of that sort was developed before the written language
I think those are probably the most basic "next steps", but If you all can think of any more, I'm open. And obviously, the ones you don't start with you can pick up later on, either through communication with others or independently.
@Ergalian: yeah, I think it's safe to say that each of you have the basics of those three in some form or another.
Id like Animal Husbandry as my first choice, Agriculture second.
Other options I could think of:
- Warfare (as in tactics, shield walls, guerilla etc.)
- Healing / medicine (this may fall under herbalism dunno)
- Magical tradition (taught, apprenticeship like witchdoctors passing on teachings, instead of purely spontanious magic)
- Craftsmanship (not as in what they can make, but the quality of the things they make)
- Engineering (replacing Complex Architecture, think it should be a general skill with construction, not simply buildings)
If we all just agree as to who gets what, I'd like 'more complex architecture.' But I'd be fine with any, if agriculture will allow usefulness to crafting (alchemy or traps and whatnot) since my race, as I imagined them, doesn't eat things like vegetables/fruit. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense for my tribe to really develop that except as maybe a supplement to animal husbandry.
Unless you want the Vuscadorah/driders to eat veggies, fruit, and grains.
Silverworking is going to hugely turn the trick for the Shuma'i. If that is included in "early metalworking" I'd go for that. Otherwise, I'd probably go with Writing.
@ Cassarah ... maybe the Vuscadorah develop animal husbandry, and tend herds of gnomes?
I think Azurans had a good idea of replacing Complex Architecture with Engineering, that would cover traps more.
I'll also add -Medicine as a more advanced form of herbalism
Magical Tradition i'm a bit iffy on...
Oh, an my apoligies folks. I was going to have some little maps for you today, but it looks like my scanner isn't working right. Perhaps tomorrow I can have something.
I had this image of goblins riding around on giant beetles...
So far,
-Azurans want Animal Husbandry or Aggriculture
-Vuscadorah want Arhcitecture/Engineering
-Shuma'i want Metalworking
-Oru ?
-Rockmouth ?
-Ergalians ?
also, if you could each throw the stats for your leader in your profile, that would be awesome, thanks.
I was thinking of them as trappers/hunters first, and that they would use Animal Husbandry to provide food for later. I imagine a drawback for not needing vegetation to sustain the tribe is that they have to be careful they keep environments able to support prey and that they don't over hunt, as they have nothing else but other sentient species to feed themselves.
It might be a bit hard to keep a sentient race as an edible food source using methods found in animal husbandry. At least without sufficient facilities and technology.
Maybe add "Slavers" as an advancement?
Also, profile added.
I'd also want to see where we can go next, advancement-wise?
I'd like metalworking- the Rockmouths live next to a mountain cave system.
Otherwise, agriculture?
I really want agriculture for my proto-civilization builders. Everything else will follow in a few generations.
Also, being a woodcraft and bonecraft focused people, would composite shortbows be out of the question? Wooden shields?
Shuma'i: do you mean you want to see the advancement tree? many of the advancements are interconnected. Is there something specific you wanted to work towards?
Mar'ru: I'll admit I had to do a little investigation into composite bows...it's much more interesting than i'd originally thought. It does say they were developed by groups without written language, so i'm thinking that's cool. Wooden shields are definitely ok.