|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
From what I gather, the slave trade is quite strong in Golarion (unusually so for a fantasy setting) and being someone who simply loves experimentation with roleplay, an ex-slave was simply a matter of time for me. My concept involves a very bitter man who escaped slavery and has become a monk, vowing to do all he can to rid the Inner Sea of slavery. Sadly, though there is lots of talk about where slave markets exist in various sourcebooks, there is very little information on slave life - one of the things I was most disappointed to find lacking in the Osirion book.
While my first instinct was to have him be a labourer who worked on massive construction projects (like, say the pyramids) it seems to be implied that those days have largely passed in Osirion.
So basically, what are your thoughts and assumptions (or comments from Paizo staff *hopeful grin*) on the subject.
By the way, I am already aware that slaves - representing a sizable investment on behalf of their owners - were, in general, much better taken care of than many people are inclined to believe. What I'm more interested in is the specifics of Osiran slave life. In particular what kinds of manual labour would one expect a slave to perform, who might own them in terms of rank and nobility, and how the latter might affect the former.
I'd say it varies depending on the owner. Some take better care of their slaves, others treat them almost like dogs. I'd reckon an Osiriani would be careful of letting their slaves get too exhausted (compared to a Chelish slavemaster at least), what with the weather being how it is and good slaves being valuable. Then again, a slave forced to work at a mine is expendable, while a slave raised to be a teacher or someone who cleans your house might take more time (and gold) to be replaced.
|
Contributor
|
From what I gather, the slave trade is quite strong in Golarion (unusually so for a fantasy setting) and being someone who simply loves experimentation with roleplay, an ex-slave was simply a matter of time for me. My concept involves a very bitter man who escaped slavery and has become a monk, vowing to do all he can to rid the Inner Sea of slavery. Sadly, though there is lots of talk about where slave markets exist in various sourcebooks, there is very little information on slave life - one of the things I was most disappointed to find lacking in the Osirion book.
While my first instinct was to have him be a labourer who worked on massive construction projects (like, say the pyramids) it seems to be implied that those days have largely passed in Osirion.So basically, what are your thoughts and assumptions (or comments from Paizo staff *hopeful grin*) on the subject.
By the way, I am already aware that slaves - representing a sizable investment on behalf of their owners - were, in general, much better taken care of than many people are inclined to believe. What I'm more interested in is the specifics of Osiran slave life. In particular what kinds of manual labour would one expect a slave to perform, who might own them in terms of rank and nobility, and how the latter might affect the former.
The role of slaves in constructing the RW pyramids is now considered a myth.
In fact, the importance of slaves in how we view Egypt appears to derive from Biblical traditions, not actual conditions. Egyptian slaves were generally treated well (see here). Slavery itself was more of a gray area than in, say, Rome or Greece, because the notion of free citizenship itself was not clearly defined.
Perhaps these links can help flesh out your idea further.
(I'm the author of the Ancient Osirion chapter in Lost Kingdoms.)
|
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
The role of slaves in constructing the RW pyramids is now considered a myth.
[SNIP]
(I'm the author of the Ancient Osirion chapter in Lost Kingdoms.)
I was just wondering what sort of correlation what we currently know about Egyptian slavery (with Egyptian slaves being generally relegated to household duties, as only the rich could afford to rent them from the temples and wouldn't waste them on hard physical labor, and the pyramid-building teams being mostly farmers hired to work on civic projects during the 'dry' months) would have with slavery in Osirion, so it's useful to know that the author in charge of developing the Ancient Osirioni chapter is on the same page. (Since fantasy Ancient Osirion doesn't necessarily equal real world ancient Egypt in all matters.)
If Ancient Osirion is *exactly* like Ancient Egypt, on this matter, all slaves would be property of the temples (which could be intriguing, given the dominant faiths of Osirion, most of which aren't really associated with that sort of thing). It's not hard to picture the temples of Abadar, Lamashtu, Norgorber and Rovagug running 'stables' of slaves, but Irori (earning your way out of slavery is the first step in self-perfection?), Nethys (anyone who can manifest spellcasting talent is automatically freed?), Pharasma (this world is but a step in the journey, and freedom is only earned upon death?) and Sarenrae would be more 'interesting' in those roles.
Slavery in Katapesh, on the other hand, is probably even more brutal than most real world depictions of slavery (particularly slavery at the hands of gnolls, who are prone to eating exhausted workers). Ditto for Geb, where slavery, regardless of how pampered or cruel the particular circumstances may be, is punctuated by occasional service as blood supply for vampires, and ends with one's body being eaten by ghouls.
Cheliax, and, perhaps Nidal, seem like similarly terrible places to be slaves, as acts of cruelty are part and parcel of the local government structure and religious practices. (Nidal is an odd case. In a land where acts of masochism are admired and sought out, it's possible that an act of cruelty against a slave might be considered wasted, as the people in power are supposed to crave that sort of thing themselves, to 'prove themselves.')
Numeria is likely pretty brutal as well, with techno-sorcerers occasionally rounding up slaves for experimentation, and addicted warlords having zero compassion for those whom their armies have rounded up.
Qadira, on the other hand, with it's dominant Sarenraen faith pulling people in one direction, and tradition of slavery pulling them in the other, might have some strict laws regarding who can be enslaved, and an assortment of 'slave's rights' that prevent abuse or cruelty or even require slaves to receive some sort of wage (or just 'time served') that they can use to eventually purchase their freedom (or serve as slaves for only X number of years, with black marketteers working to remove whatever branding or tattooing determines 'years served' to attempt to keep a slave for longer than their allotted time?).
Ulfen thralls, hard to say with certainty. The very nature of the land suggests utter contempt for anyone who has allowed themselves to become a thrall, and yet the prideful warrior nature of the locals also suggests that beating a thrall might be seen as beneath a freeman, and be considered a shameful act or sign of weakness (as they are being violent to someone who cannot fight back, implying that they are incapable of or unwilling to pick on someone who *can* fight back). In a weird way, the Ulfen 'might makes right' sort of worldview might actually protect slaves from the sort of casual cruelty that would be common Cheliax (where beating a slave might be consider an act of dominance, and make the abuser seem *more* authoritative).
|
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I would imagine Osirian slaves to be employed mostly on domestic duties. Since you're looking for a background, however, I think some of the harsher fates are probably more up what you are looking for.
Osirion has plenty of fertile land on the river Sphinx, and I would hugely surprised if most of its food wasn't coming from there. Farmhands never have an easy life, and slaves probably have one more reason to resent that. Also, the usual quarries and mines offer themselves.
For something more exotic, an "archological expedition" (aka toom robbing) crew might bring along a troupe of thinking mules, both to carry loot, lift that 20 ton stone barring the entrance, and (though never to their face) as trap-fodder as well.
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
For something more exotic, an "archaeological expedition" (aka tomb robbing) crew might bring along a troupe of thinking mules, both to carry loot, lift that 20 ton stone barring the entrance, and (though never to their face) as trap-fodder as well.
This is some great flavor, and would make for good backstory. Even if a native Osirioni might just use a slave as a status thing, to serve drinks to his guest and keep an eye on his children while he's attending to business, a bunch of foreigners plodding around in search of ancient relics might think nothing of buying a dozen slaves to use to hump their stuff through the desert, and to 'check for traps.'
Chelish/Taldan/whatever explorer - "Shine a light on that writing over there Noori." <BLAM!> "Yeah, explosive runes. Kinda suspected that."
"Hey Khemti, see if that lantern is still usable..."
The survivor of such an expedition might end up with a burning hatred for members of whatever nationality / ethnic group funded that particular expedition.
He might even be the only survivor, after the traps killed most of his companions, and the ancient mummy / whatever was awakened and butchered all of the foreign intruders, but, recognizing him as a countryman (or even co-religionist, if he happened to worship the same Osirioni god as the tomb guardians or their creators), left him alive. He would have had to take whatever rations and water that remained on the mushed corpses of his 'owners,' and schlepped his butt all the way back to civilization, nursing his anger the whole while.
Add in a cosmetic detail (the skin on his shoulder, where the mummy touched him before releasing him to leave unharmed, turned black and smells faintly of death even years later) or a dark secret (the expedition's cleric of Asmodeus kept them supplied with magically conjured food, and he had to shave off a little 'long pig' to sustain him on the long journey back to civilization...), and you've got a funky ex-slave background going on.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Ulfen thralls, hard to say with certainty. The very nature of the land suggests utter contempt for anyone who has allowed themselves to become a thrall, and yet the prideful warrior nature of the locals also suggests that beating a thrall might be seen as beneath a freeman, and be considered a shameful act or sign of weakness (as they are being violent to someone who cannot fight back, implying that they are incapable of or unwilling to pick on someone who *can* fight back). In a weird way, the Ulfen 'might makes right' sort of worldview might actually protect slaves from the sort of casual cruelty that would be common Cheliax (where beating a slave might be consider an act of dominance, and make the abuser seem *more* authoritative).
From the "contractual" description of the thralls, I get the feeling that Ulfen's recognize it as a temporary circumstance rather than a state of being. Is there anything that prevents former thralls from becoming a regular member of or holding power in Ulfen society (particularly those who were thralls as children because of something their parents did)? I don't get the feeling that thralls are branded as second class citizens for the rest of their lives, the way slaves or freed slaves would be.
|
Contributor
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
I realise that Osirion is not the same as Egypt; I guess I imagine (as described above) that the plethora of slave-holding cultures in the Inner Sea means using the RW analogy seems more interesting than the hordes of tormented laborers theme. Fellahin, as TerraNova notes, do no have an easy life, but they are generally not slaves.
Nonetheless, Ancient Egypt - obviously the main source of Osirion - was a metaphor for evil slave lords since the writing of Genesis. Pulp Egypt - also a source for Egypt - does involve this.
I just think - and perhaps I'm wrong, and I'm speaking as a fan, not in any official capacity - that yet another brutal slave-empire like Katapesh, Qadira, Cheliax, or even Rahadoum makes for a rather less interesting experience than a smaller system based on households and temples. The RW hieroglyphics meaning "slave of a god" means "priest." By implication, though the priest was in his god's power, he was also a beneficiary of the god's protection. This seems to be the model relationship. As the dark god argues, it would be a terrible thing to your Osirioni slave (assuming this RW relationship), for example, if the duties of the owner/institution that held him were not also upheld.
|
|
Hmm... Agreed, variety is always good. I guess I'll just have to make my background closer to the exception side of things, rather than the rule. Quarries would probably be a good idea. The physical labour in an open pit under a desert sun would surely be trying even in the best of conditions. With the right personality type, even if he's treated fairly well he could be the type to focus more on the negative and let that stew and fester.
Even though it doesn't lend itself as easily as I hoped to my intended background, I'm definitely a fan of the RW Egypt-based slave structure which almost seems like the word "servant" fits better than "slave."