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Post by John E on Feb 2, 2011 23:42:58 GMT -5
Another multi-part post. Again, bear with me. (Can you tell I like world-building?) Norden is Esperanto for northern. North America would be Norden Usonia, and South America would be Suda Usonia KISS. North/Northern. And 'Usonia' is another name for the USA specifically, and the USA =/= America, just to point that out. I'm not against giving the New World a different name, however. Then America would still be the name of the continent and Usonia would be the name of the country? That sounds good to me. As to the name, why not just "Usonia"? Or maybe something in plain English, describing the nature of the country, like "Confederation of Usonia" or "Republic of Usonia," or something like that? Elemental-based funeral rites is a good idea. I would imagine that ghosts would behave even more like their elemental natures, since they are no longer restrained by a body or a rational mind. * * * * * I like the idea of making djinn the fire-souled race. I wonder though, will they have a body of flesh and blood, one made of fire, or something in-between? * * * * * I'd like to ask permission from the group to write a description and brief history of the dwarves on the wiki. Nothing would be set in stone, of course. (no pun intended) * * * * * My suggestion for the water-souled race is the Koropokkuru (or pokkuru for short), a diminutive, kinda hobbit-like race from Ainu mythology, the Ainu being an indigenous people of Japan and Russia. They are described as being "agile, and skilled at fishing," as well as shy and stealthy.
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Post by Yla on Feb 3, 2011 8:33:36 GMT -5
It's a wiki. If not likey, changey.
About making SW Djinn the fire race... I dunno. I'm not too intimately familiar with OW Djinn lore, but 'Violent and destructive, never at home, moving from place to place, ravaging anything in their way.' isn't what I gathered of the average djinni.
(OW: Our World SW: Shifting World)
Proposal: The fire race was once feared as travelling marauders, but constant infighting and the effort of the other races almost drove them to extinction. Those survivors that live as a minority among the other races are confronted with prejudices and racism due to remaining fear. Others retreated to secluded villages far away from civilisation. Since there are so few survivors, the firey souls of the dead now start to be partially reborn in the other races, leading to an overall undercurrent of unrest and hostility.
You mentioned that you had an idea yourself for the fire race. Mind posting it?
Edit: I'm not putting it forward, but imo the elves would fit water, too, and could move over if we end up finding a perfect fit for metal.
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Post by John E on Feb 3, 2011 10:14:46 GMT -5
My idea for the fire race was orcs/ogres. But I'm very much warming up to using the djinn instead.
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Post by CtraK on Feb 3, 2011 17:09:21 GMT -5
As to the name, why not just "Usonia"? Or maybe something in plain English, describing the nature of the country, like "Confederation of Usonia" or "Republic of Usonia," or something like that? Plain old "Usonia" doesn't quite sound complete, as daft as that sounds. OK, what if I was to call it "Ricega Usonia" formally, but allow "Usonia" as an informal name, the same way that the United Kingdom gets referred to as "Britain" by many of its inhabitants (thus delivering an almighty fuck you to Northern Ireland) or even "England" by many Americans (thus invoking the wrath of Scottish nationalists)? I like the idea of making djinn the fire-souled race. I wonder though, will they have a body of flesh and blood, one made of fire, or something in-between? Here's a pseudo-quantum solution: they're flesh and blood when stationary and fire when moving? I'd like to ask permission from the group to write a description and brief history of the dwarves on the wiki. Nothing would be set in stone, of course. (no pun intended) Repeating Yla on this: It's a wiki. If not likey, changey. , My suggestion for the water-souled race is the Koropokkuru (or pokkuru for short) Gets my provisional vote. I've found a slightly expanded version of that Wikipedia article here. [snipped, muthafuckas] isn't what I gathered of the average djinni. To be fair, I think all of these element definitions could be expanded and made more multi-dimensional. Fire, for instance, doesn't have to just be destructive; it could also be welcoming (i.e. warm) or indicate knowledgeability (i.e. illuminating).
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Post by Yla on Feb 4, 2011 5:56:57 GMT -5
Here's a pseudo-quantum solution: they're flesh and blood when stationary and fire when moving? No! Just... no. My vote: if they're the fire race, flesh and blood; if they're a form of ghosts, fire. (Depending on how we decide this issue. I'd be okay with both, but have a slight preference for the latter.)
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Post by Sigmaleph on Feb 5, 2011 17:25:05 GMT -5
Vote yes on koropokkuru, no on quantum Djinn. It doesn't really make a lot of sense, unless the fire when they move is just some sort of illusion effect.
And I'm gonna be internetless for a while, so that's the last opinion I'll share for some time. Sorry it couldn't be more substantive.
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Post by John E on Feb 5, 2011 17:50:56 GMT -5
Suggestion: The djinn are flesh and blood. Because of their fire souls, they are virtually immune to being burned. In battle, the magically inclined among them can create a shield of fire around themselves. (Making fire is relatively easy, so they don't have to be full fledged mages to do it. Other races could do it, but they'd burn themselves up in the process.)
Edit to add: Thanks for the Pokkuru link, CtraK.
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Post by CtraK on Feb 5, 2011 19:39:33 GMT -5
The quantum djinn thing wasn't really serious, although the way everyone seemingly assumed I was is fairly revealing. I've been trying to think of a calendar, given how writing the history of anything gets difficult without one (the world will probably need several, actually), but all I can think of is "[x year] Time of the Prophets", which leads to the ridiculous acronym of TOTP.
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Post by Yla on Feb 6, 2011 11:05:09 GMT -5
Well, we can use a solar, a lunar, a lunisolar, a Chinese-style calendar or the Maya system of interlocking ritual and solar calendars. Or something completely new and different. Isn't worldbuilding fun? ;D Most calendars use a religious event as year zero. See the post I made on the Wikia forum regarding religion(s).
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Post by CtraK on Feb 12, 2011 10:14:54 GMT -5
I think a solar calendar makes the most sense, but if I can get an otherworld aspect to the Djinn, then there might also be an interlocking element to it.
The Sicilian Empire sounds like it's got a calendar already. It also sounds like somewhere the Usonia would go to (proxy?) war with, which might be interesting.
Anyway, the real reason I'm posting here is to say, to Sigma, Sanda and anyone I've forgotten, that you can pitch stories and ideas on the wiki now. Feel free to; the wiki currently feels like it's got 3.5 members (to be fair, Sigma posts sometimes, hence the .5).
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Post by Yla on Feb 12, 2011 13:10:27 GMT -5
Nah, it hasn't, I was just pulling numbers out of my ass. At the moment, they're just a guideline what age of history we're talking about. (making one up right now): The Sicilian calendar restarts with every new God-king assuming the throne.
Agree on a solar calendar being the most practical.
An Usonia-Sicilia war is conceivable, but they aren't archenemies. As I mentioned before, they're something like the Ottoman stand-in, plus a few things. Not all theocracies are Evil.
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Post by CtraK on Feb 12, 2011 18:08:50 GMT -5
It seems like we're using alternate-Earth geography rather than an out-and-out secondary world, so I've come up with a superimposed SW map, which is here (there's a blank one for if I'm wrong). The description of the Sicilian Empire was enough to get Europe reasonably sussed, but I suspect that the African side is going to have to be altered. Also, here's the blank version.
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Post by John E on Feb 12, 2011 19:10:16 GMT -5
Usonia's in South America?
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Post by CtraK on Feb 14, 2011 15:33:04 GMT -5
Usonia's in South America? Haha, ye be wrongfooted. More seriously, yes, because there aren't really any rules on this, apart from "shit guys, we need more countries". Also, for those adding to or changing the map, the font is Calibri, just in case you have a massive panic over inconsistent labelling.
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Post by Yla on Feb 14, 2011 19:05:18 GMT -5
I'm having more problems with it being a jpeg. The compression makes fill tools unusable. I converted it to a 16-color bmp and added a few countries, but now I'm discovering that photobucket auto-converts into jpeg. I'm linking it anyway, but it looks like shit. i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc404/Yla01/shifting_world_iteration_one.jpgNo, the Netherlands are not flooded. They're just the same shade of grey as the sea, now. Edit: Also, I'm rethinking my decision about making China one big nation. East Asia is Pokkuru, maybe with a strong elvish minority. Shouldn't be monolithic.
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