Probably better for the bachelors to do Handra-Corflu
in a boat than swim, but certainly doable. There's
always pros and cons, though. Sea
monsters/triolini/red elves/fresh water vs. money
needed for the caravan routes/nomads/dryness. Big
choice!
This is the tentative background that we're putting together for Che'en's HQ. Tradetalk 11 (which it turned out we did have buried in a large pile) was very helpful with its details about the Great Newt and the Seven Bachelors, and we'll craft our HQ around that. Seven tasks that Che'en must succeed at, instead of just one each for the 7B. Should make it sufficiently tough, with other stuff, to explain the difficulty of establishing other colonies. Who'd like to suggest what the Feats of the Seven Bachelors were?
Also, we're beginning to think that there might be quite an interesting societal make-up to newtlings. Even the long article in Tradetalk makes it clear that not much is really known about breeding groups of newtlings (although there are clear indications that Handra is not the only place these occur).
The overwhelming impression that the commonly encountered bachelors make on outsiders is their timidity and general fearfulness. This is entirely appropriate, as their main aim is to survive to the adult stage. Taking risks as a non-reproductive, who's generally smaller than the other races around it, is just not worth it.
However, once they become adults, newtlings would be willing to fight to the death for access to a breeding pool, as good breeding pools are likely to be scarce. This would be exactly analogous to bumblebee queens, who are very non-aggressive towards sister queens inside their mother's hive, or afterwards when fertilised while collecting pollen and nectar. They will kill each other over suitable hivesites, though, as these are a limited resource. (One researcher found 11 dead queens outside one re-used mouse burrow).
We think the females are larger and stronger than the males. They have to produce the spawn, and will be therefore more possessive of the pools. Accepted males would be allowed to 'come in the pool'. They could well be a combination harem/bodyguard for the senior females.
Being an intelligent and social people, newtlings form groups of allied breeding adults. It is inevitable that replacement occurs over time. This could take several forms. If a breeding group is same-age, then a confident bachelor pack might move in and replace them wholesale (� la male lions). Retirement with extreme prejudice, sort of thing.
A different strategy would be to have a mixed-age breeding group, with the current members screening returning and local bachelors for the best new members. This could get very formal, with the bachelors sorting it out among themselves who would compete one-on-one against challenged adults. In this case, the breeders would become eligible for challenge after so many years of adulthood. Certain adults with particularly valuable skills to the whole community could be effectively immune (healers, for instance), but otherwise, there would be a reasonably constant turnover in the population. Losers would either be dead, or driven to the outskirts of the community (e.g. riverbanks, seasonal pools), where they aren't prevented from breeding, but their chances of success are small to nil.
Since only some of the bachelors leave the home pools, the question of choosing local favourites vs returnees with different, valuable, acquired skills is a tense one.
The returnees may well have scores to settle with the stay-at-homers, too. They were driven out because they weren't quite as big and tough as some of the others back then, but now they're back with spells and skills the bullies just don't have. It's a tough time for the individuals, but it's a winning combination for the race.
Alison
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