Let's show rather than tell (was Re: Preparing for play, how I do it)

From: jorganos <joe_at_...>
Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2007 07:31:41 -0000

Me:
>> I'm somewhat curious how bear-like (i.e. solitary, non-gregarious)
>> Rathori society will turn out, or whether the Rathori will be
>> closer to Finnish forest barbarians or coastal Saami (emphasizing
>> fishing and seasonal hunting, including bear hunting as a main
>> spiritual act, over following the reindeer herds), with a human
>> society taking the bear mainly as totem.
Ian Cooper:
> For play purposes it is easier if they have groups, but it may be > uncommon to unite them

We do know that they group for raiding, and I'd assume that they "group" for salmon season as well.

I really wonder how much beast behaviour will be integrated in Rathori life. A bear-like person will live very much like a shaman - apart from the group. Maybe only the holy people go all the way to bear behaviour, whereas the rest only partakes in aspects of being a bear (like strength, speed, hibernation)?

Bear mothers send their sex partners packing. That seems to be part of the Rathori cycle, males being sent off to rove doing male stuff while the females care for the young. But bear cubs mature a lot faster than human children. A human-shaped mother will mate while still raising her children, and she will appreciate the "income" provided by her mating partner.

>> I have a nagging fear to see an implementation of
>> Disney's "Brother Bear"...

> As I've never seen it you are spared :-)

Ok: I was referring to the altruistic bear society portrayed in that flick, which really jarred. Bears happily gossipping and meeting old friends while catching salmon... typically Disney, but not at all bear behaviour.