The Bronze Setting Q&A

[Llum]

<Llum>

<Llum> oh sparkletwist, there's another leak. Didn't really register.
<sparkletwist> do you really want to get me going again? :P
<LordVreeg> I find it fun
<Llum> Its a composite material that acts like a metamaterial when enough magic is applied to it. It' s basically impossible for a something that isn't a God/demi-god/proto-god to use properly. To others it just looks like hard-gold.
<sparkletwist> handwavium phleboniate
<Llum>  yes, in the fact that it needs magic, but its a realistic material.

<LordVreeg> so has any earthly grouping defied a god? and who made sunken shade if there were no ealrier races?
<Llum> defied gods? oh yes .  way back when, at the dawn of time (about 1000? years ago) there were two human groups; one worshipped the God of Shadows the others didn't, said god coveted the non-worshippers tried to persuade them to worship, didn't work. So the god got all petty and started a genocidal war, the prince of the non-believers was offered demi-godness if he would convert, swore not to etc'¦ long story short, his lover was killed in battle, he reached to the God of Shadow to extract revenge, and wiped out both human sides, completely. Save him
Humans did Vreeg. Before the marsh appeared, the demi-god of black flames did

<LordVreeg> and which area did this happen in?  and what came from it?  how does it affect the politcs of today, or the worship?
<Llum> it happened in the east. What came from it was Sunken Shade, a huge empty temple and the scattered obsidian weapons. Politics, it didn't really do much. Worship, the marshfolk around sunken shade worship there often enough, a cult moved in, the God of Shadow is relatively minor. Mostly it's the Swamp Loa's that are big. Manatee, Anaconda and Mongoose
<LordVreeg> Loas...I like loas....
 <LordVreeg> yeah, that makes sense...excpet for a good fable about taking the promises of a god
<Llum> but yes Vreeg, making a deal with the gods never ends well; for the mortals (ala Sunken Shade) or the God (ala Dominii)

<~Ishmayl> Are "Marshfolk" a race, or culture of some race?
<Llum> umm I guess "eastern" humans are basically a good idea, they live in the marsh. They're a human "race". If that makes sense in setting with multiple sentients. I guess the coparl, neanderthals and humans are separate species. The marshfolk would be genetically a human race, just like the Rex are, and the South and Salt Tain clans for the Neanderthals and the normal and Frest for the coparl
 Culturally they have all kinds of cultures,

<LordVreeg> and do the races do any mixing?  are their 'open' villages?
<Llum> Two; Westhold and Easthold, are the main multi-species/race cities each on corresponding ends of the mountain pass other than that its fairly no-mixed. Sheltland has both neanderthals and humans and the Southern Tain clans are evenly split between aquatic and land neanderthals but that's about it. (unless I'm forgetting something)

<LordVreeg> what is travel like?  beasts of burden and riders?  
[10:11] <Llum> Land travel; coparl: on foot. neanderthals: don't travel, some have bird-like pack anials, otherwise on foot. humans: westerners have horses, easterners walk and use rafts/boats/canoes. Around the coast there's a lot of water traffic with ships and smaller boats.
<LordVreeg> so there Are horses
[10:13] <Llum> Only in the west, only used by two groups. The rich (see members of the Seven Houses) Rex who ride them or use them for chariots and an as of yet unnamed group in the south west. They farm, can change their bodies pretty quickly (shedding/gaining muscle mass in days instead of months, other things) but have to deal with aggresive, souped up honey badgers and mind-controlling parasites
<LordVreeg> honey badgers.  Only Llum
 [10:18] <Llum> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey_badger. Well, in the setting they're a lot more sloth-like, bigger claws, longer arms/neck. (they're related to the giant sloths that the coparl to the north of them herd). But they're a smaller, vicous, badgery version. Not cool. And mind-altering parasites use them for part of their life-cycle the parasite just happen to be transmitable to sentients so it causes problems nothing concrete, but it makes the badgers go berserk.
[10:23] <LordVreeg> anyone keep them for evil uses?
<Llum> no one yet; the onyl people in that are are the coparl, who don't like them due to killing their herds and these unnamed people, who solve their problems in a more physical way
<LordVreeg> I appreciate your "yet"
<Llum> a farm-bonded person can survive an enraged badger attack being nearly 400lb of pure muscle the other bonds rarely get blitzed in an attack. np Vreeg, if the Rex ever get there, I can see them using them. The Rex can be real bastards when it comes to conquering territory

<LordVreeg> IN WHAT WAY DO THE GODS INFLUENCE NEHAVIOR? (oops caps lock on.  I must be cool)
<limetom> CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL, BRO.
<LordVreeg> (I knew you had my back)

<Llum> that is'¦  a tough question. I'm going to say there are no generalities
<LordVreeg> and I knew you wanted real questions, Llum
<Llum> it depends on the God. Arcturus encourages bloodlust, rage and skill in battle it's what he wants in "his mortals".  The Loas on the otherhand are more about encouranging a survival streak and knowing about the land and stuff :D
Dominii was probably the most "self-absorbed" god, he wanted worship the more the better.That  ended badly for him through a deal. The demi-god of black flames is bitter and misanthropic. He tends to lead new followers into spirals of self-destruction. A kind of projection, since he can't self-destruct

<LordVreeg> so they do push certain behaviors...through their priesthoods?
<Llum> once again it changes from god to god, though it's usually more a matter of numbers. Gods can't be at more then once place at once; well, maybe some can but that's not the point of the question. Usually they interact directly or indirectly in person, so, Arcturus holds "court" and tournies.  The demi-god of black flames, is more indirect, he leaves clues, whispers in the dark that kinda thing. the Rex have a full priesthood however, but the priests interact with all gods, not just the patron goddess of the Rex

<LordVreeg> whispers in the dark
<Llum> he is the demi god of black flames, made by the God of Shadows. comes with the territory imo. he lives in a giant nearly-abandoned half sunken temple, he's got plenty of dark and plenty of shadows to whisper from

<LordVreeg> and what creatres serve him?
<Llum> none, he can't stand anyone. He's way too bitter/misanthropic

<limetom> Not even shoggoths? :3
<Llum> too cool for shoggoths
 <~Ishmayl> Nothing's too cool for shoggoths

<Llum> thanks everyone for the Q&A

<Elemental_Elf> @Llum Hmm. Interesting. So the two get a long swimingly (pardon the pun)
<sparkletwist> you so said that on purpose
<Llum> lol
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[Matt Larkin (author)]

Sounds very cool, Llum. Sorry I missed it. Thursday's rough. I love that you posted the summary, though!

[Elemental_Elf]

I'm sorry I couldn't stay for the whole Q&A but I'm glad I was able to ask a few questions!

[LD]

For what it is worth Llum, I agree with you that the technology likely would not leak out and I think your justifications make sense.

* In the real world, the Chinese invented fireworks and the concept did not transfer to the West for hundreds of years thereafter; similarly, they invented printing presses.

* Harry Harrison's deathworld series examines how different societies can hold onto proprietary knowledge for a long time

* For example, the Monks and Moslems wrote down books and preserved knowledge; but the regular medieval people in Europe did not write- it was not important to them to write.

* While a technologically backward person may not be able to produce a wrench though, I believe they could use it. But being able to use something and being able to produce it are two very different things.

* To produce something you need the

1)-Knowledge... HOW
2)-Resources... To produce.
3)-The Need... To do something.
4)-Leisure Time... To Experiment.

Through trial and error they could probably figure out HOW since they know it has been done. But you made a good argument that they lack the resources to produce anything- and I believe that solves the problem.

Jared Diamond in Guns Germs and Steel described how civilization prospers where certain resources are. This is why aboriginals in some parts of the world could never invent iron weapons, for example. They just did not have access to the same materials

The Colonization series of games also demonstrates how resources are vital to production.

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Sorry I could not make it.
~LD.

[LD]

On another note, I too am still waiting to hear Nomadic's explanation about the rivers in that one thread...