The Campaign Builder's Guild

Quote from: AcrimoneBut since space and time are at a premium, let's start with my biggest question.

The notion of equality is a tricky one -- it can mean several dozen different things. I think it would really help flesh out both the Highlanders and the Noma to explain what exactly it is we're talking about.[/quote]I hope that I have been able to explain it well enough here.  You make a good point and I will try to include a bit more about this in future revisions so that it will be clear the first time someone looks at it.

Quote from: Ninja D!I will start with Highlanders.  By default, everyone in Highlander society is considered to be equal.  They have no real formal government but understand that they need to function together to survive.  While nothing you do in Highlander society will gain you a higher social rank, being particularly skilled in something will earn you a good deal of respect from your peers and, to a lesser extent, everyone in the community.  For example, if someone in the community makes very nice and durable clothing that may even look nice, people will try to get their clothes from them more often than they will from others.  People will still get clothes from other people that make them, just not as often.  It will function that way for a short time.  Other clothing makers will eventually go to the most skilled among them for lessons, usually in exchange for teaching something they may be more skilled at but sometimes for money or wares or materials.  In this way, everyone in the community benefits.

OK, so when I was reading through your material and came upon the idea of equality in the Highlander context, I had suspected that you meant "social rank."  And given that the Highlanders barely have a society, it would make sense that they don't have much in the way of social ranks.  Still, the model you're describing here seems ideal for a little capitalistic meritocracy: the guy with the really great, sleek clothing designs is going to be able to trade for a lot more than the guy with the 20-thread-count undyed linen and the hairshirts.  Assuming some rudimentary notion of private property, there are going to be de facto social inequalities that happen soon enough.  Over time, that's going to erode the sense of social equality that you're describing.  Some societies have, historically, been able to put the brakes on this, but it requires a level of regulation and formalization that the Highlanders do not seem to possess.

How do the Highlanders handle issues like this?  Surely they don't rely on the altruism of the proficient...

Quote from: Ninja D!Now for the Noma.  The Noma consider all members of their band (I need a better word but I don't want to use caravan, group, or tribe) to be equal in a more literal sense.  Survival really is the name of the game for these people and if one member of the band won't pull their own weight, it can potentially threaten everyone.  Every member of the band fills a certain role and has certain duties that they must take care of.  Their decision makers and spokespeople are usually the eldest among them but that is not considered a rank or an honor.  Instead, it is just the eldest members of the band filling a role that they are qualified for (many years of life equals much experience and much wisdom), especially since their aging bodies are less likely to be able to effectively perform other, more physical, tasks

This makes a little more sense -- equality is always easier in relative scarcity.  Again, this seems to be more of a "social rank" equality, although the Noma appear to have a little bit more in terms of organization, so the sorts of problems that I addressed above could, at least theoretically, be dealt with by the "decisionmakers" who decide that so-and-so is demanding unfair amounts of rice for his instruments, or whatnot.

The notion of metaphysical/moral equality is still out there on the table, though.  What do the Noma *do* about people who don't pull their own weight?  Or are we just assuming that everyone does?  The cultural disposition of the Noma seems to make this a likely scenario.

Quote from: AcrimoneThe notion of metaphysical/moral equality is still out there on the table, though. What do the Noma *do* about people who don't pull their own weight? Or are we just assuming that everyone does? The cultural disposition of the Noma seems to make this a likely scenario.

This answer can apply to both the Noma and the Highlanders : if a member of the community does not take an active part in maintaining and bettering that community, or rather behaves in a way that could have a negative impact on the community as a whole, their banishment is a reasonable course of action for the others to take.  Such a decision would likely be made by a group consensus (in the case of the Highlanders) or by a well considered and deliberate decision by the elders (in the case of the Noma).

So, hunting (and gathering) combined with herding appears to be a principal way of life - our villages are for the most part easy to pack up and move within hours. (Yurt/tepee style construction further implying similar semi-nomadic - even wooden palisade settlements are very temporary - I think of many African kraal type villages here.) This would imply minimal heavy crafts industry - portable forges, looms, pottery wheels, etc., perhaps; less (constantly) mobile than the Noma - so trade weaving, perhaps pottery, animal hide/fur products (perhaps herd bred animals too,) as well as less perishable food-stuffs not immediately available to dwarven settlements in exchange for larger and/or more refined metalwork. Environment and lifestyle make large families a survival mechanism (mortality inherently higher than urban societies simply due to natural threats). A greater inherent awareness that any loved one may not be present at tomorrow night's fires heightens the sense of preciousness - social behaviors have arisen which clearly and deliberately reflect this. Recognizing and expressing affection toward others is almost an inherent internal mandate/drive in light of the very conscious realization that we may never have another opportunity to do so. "Beloved, dear, darling, heart-friend, etc." are then common forms of address not reserved for lovers and close family/friends; (like Native Americans with, "My Relations,") addressing (groups of) others in council, etc., we begin with "My Dear Ones," while those of other bands/places/races with whom we have also formed bonds of friendship we likewise greet with even greater joy and enthusiasm on the occasions we see them once more. (It can be rather amusing to observe the resulting discomfort which the ingrained restraint of Imperial friends and allies produces at these times. . .) Laughter is one of the greatest gifts in the world - especially laughter shared - for it cannot be bought or traded. There is much in the world in the face of which one can only laugh or cry. (N.B., none of this reflects a morbid preoccupation with mortality and loss - that is simply a condition inherently recognized - growing up in this culture produces a "conditioned response" then to spontaneously recognize and express - focus awareness upon - the positive and joyful elements which that condition makes precious.) We prefer to laugh, but will cry just as readily and openly and this too is a great gift to be shared. We tell our stories in the songs we treasure in our memory, that show our ways to ourselves, our children and our guests. While we value and utilize the written word, little is maintained in writing as many texts soon become a burden to move.

We honor the courage of those whom we must fight for the risk they take and honor their dead and the memory of them as we do our own. We thank the dead for their costly gift of reminding us how precious our lives and loved ones are and return their ashes to their families (or leave them safely in stone cairns) with a full account of their deeds and bearing. (Perhaps the Noma agree to carry and deliver these - tracking the smoke of the pyres when they see it or removing them from the cairns they come across. This would prevent the further problems which would arise from the Highlanders doing so themselves and also go well with the ambivalence with which Noma caravans are greeted as the may well be the bearers of sad tidings. The packets of ashes are sent back secured to the inside of the warriors shield or helmet that they and their descendants may continue to protect their loved ones. (A cool way of doing this - including the accounts - might be a cremation/funeral rite which binds a sort of "Death's Tale" spell to the ashes and/or armor permitting the heir(s) to learn of the dead one's deeds. It would make what I imagine the Highlanders would consider a suitable heirloom gift in exchange for the "reminder" gift and the life taken from them such that few would continue to bear a great grudge against them, entangling them in costly blood feuds.) I can still see barbarian "berserker" type rage as possible, driven both by the will to survive and a sort of, "Damn it, I told you not to make me do this, now Hulk smash," sort of anger from being forced into a position having to do something they really don't want to, without it producing any subsequent internal/psychological guilt issues and conflicts like it would for the Rimenosha. Boar as a totem is an excellent example - there was never a single creature in the forests of Europe, besides humans and dogs more afraid of the humans than the boar, which would consider for a single moment messing with a healthy boar. Boar will always turn and walk away from a fight if possible - but if protecting young, cornered, or otherwise forced to fight rather than flee they will turn and, moments later, leave what ever was stupid enough to put them in that position dying with their guts literally spilled out upon the ground. Boar will only permit you to fight him once. (As a personal aside, Boar was one of my juvenile "totem" allies and an heraldic totem of many branches of my adoptive family of (O')Quinn.) Drawing on Celtic traditions boar is a powerful spiritual totem and Scandinavian warriors with this totem were renowned not only for their ferocity in battle but for their awareness and use of terrain: they were primarily defenders of their homelands. They weren't berserkers (those followed Bear), but heavy infantry who used a charging formation called the "rani," or boar's snout. The way barbarian class rage was described in 3.xE however would still suit them if 4E hasn't gone back to the berserker's last-man-standing blind fury of earlier editions.  

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This should give a start, and I've attempted in italics to show some of the reasoning underlying and arising from the flavor text as well as additional possible associations which come to mind. Hopefully it's evident how everything simply arises from what precedes, although as this continues some things will "loop back," proposing additional perspective on earlier ideas. One thing very significant regarding this process for me is that I can't really get anywhere beyond the small handful of largely disassociated initial ideas until I actually start writing. Once I begin, I find whatever I write naturally leading me onward to what's next and weaving a web of ideas that draws the seed concepts together - but I must be engaged in the act writing for this to happen. Once the flow begins however I find it difficult to stop - as my Salis Freeport thread shows, there are almost always more associations to explore and develop, leading to still more. . .

Any change at any point in the above can take into a totally new direction - a different idea that comes to mind re: their expressions of emotion and affection could go in the exact opposite direction - not expressing/acknowledging anything openly that brings happiness or is in other ways valued, as this could be seen as "inviting" (risking) its loss at the hands of jealous/malicious "spirits" or whatever who might overhear, causing them to be extremely reserved and taciturn except in the relative safety of close privacy and making the Imperials seem paragons of frivolity by comparison. The underlying cultural value would still be as intensely present, just making a point of keeping it closely guarded rather than making a poit of expressing it at any opportunity. Religious celebrations on the other hand, under the protective "screening" of the deity being honored, might be wild, exuberant celebrations of joy and life that would utterly astound the rare (and unsuspecting) outsider privileged to join in. Out of such caution they couldn't even warn them in advance beyond an absurd understatement like, "Unlike most others, we tend to be a little more relaxed when fulfilling our religious obligations than when carrying out our day-to-day affairs," when asked, "Do you people ever lighten up?" This could even develop into an outrageously dry, wry sense of reversed humor that few would ever even realize was present, especially since, if you do get the (constant) jokes, you absolutely must not laugh out loud, doing so bringing disastrously bad luck. . . (I've been needing some redeeming cultural quality for the citizens of the Malenorian Empire - this latter part just might work there.)

Quote from: Snargash MoonclawEnvironment and lifestyle make large families a survival mechanism (mortality inherently higher than urban societies simply due to natural threats). A greater inherent awareness that any loved one may not be present at tomorrow night's fires heightens the sense of preciousness - social behaviors have arisen which clearly and deliberately reflect this.

We honor the courage of those whom we must fight for the risk they take and honor their dead and the memory of them as we do our own. We thank the dead for their costly gift of reminding us how precious our lives and loved ones are and return their ashes to their families (or leave them safely in stone cairns) with a full account of their deeds and bearing.[/quote]Once the flow begins however I find it difficult to stop - as my Salis Freeport thread shows, there are almost always more associations to explore and develop, leading to still more. . .[/quote]That is why every time I update these entries they get much bigger than they were previously.

Thank you again very much for your time and thoughts.

Updated

I have updated the Noma entry from Culture through Economy and Trade and expanded all of that quite a lot.  Economy and Trade, in particular, has gotten the most done to it.  Take a look, there is more than double what there used to be throughout those sections.

EDIT : I have now also updated the Family and Child Rearing section as well as the Education section of the Noma entry.

Sometime hopefully no later than this weekend I will be posting a major update on Highlanders based on the discussion that has taken place here.  Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read this thread and even more to the ones who commented and even followed up on those comments.  I really do appreciate it and my setting will be much stronger for it.

This thread will still be actively open for discussion for a while yet (at least until a while after I update Highlanders) before I consider it finalized for now, put this all in the wiki, and move on to the next race.

I added just a little something to the Imperial entry.  It is in the spoiler at the bottom and is called Water Clocks of the Imperials.

Nice bit on the water clocks. Especially the catch on irregular river flow. I am curious as to how they operate exactly. I envision large waterwheels connected to gears and shafts and all manners of doodads which drive the clockwork. It would make a great place I think to have a cinematic fight as combatants dodge between rotating cogs and swinging pendulums.

That's about right.  I figure it would be powered in about the same way as a will that uses rivers for power.