> As it suggests in the rules: "Yes, but…." Remember that the Trader
> Princes are not totally cut off from Salfestar. One end of their
> trade lines are anchored there, and at a minimum the annual ritual
of
> the great caravan (I forget the proper term) runs the whole route.
At
> the same time, Salfestran may not have evolved very quickly. I
> suspect that given the generally conservative and insular nature of
> Salfestar in the third age its language may not have changed all
that
> much. Not all languages change nearly as rapidly as English
> has—rather English is probably more the exception than the rule.
> Although how big the differences are sounds like a whatever makes
the
> most fun in your game call.
A good point - there is a fair bit of contact between the Trader Princes among themselves and with both ends of the Trade Road. I suspect that they have an interesting accent with each House having its own colleciton of local 'loan words' based on the native language. Sort of like various dialects of Quebequois french have different native and English loan words depending on where you are.
However, having a few words or phrases that have very local meaning is a great way to cause problems. Sort of like saying "Can I help you?" in Glasgow as opposed to anywhere else.
> No, the god learners were evil and corrupt, so obviously the Abiding
> Book did not come from them! It came from holy and good men, and
was
> brought to us and interpreted for us by men of impeccable reputation
> and history, and all good people have followed it ever since. The
God
> Learners were evil and corrupt heretics, struck down by God.
Nothing
> at all to do with our glorious founders!
I agree. Even before things went totally banana shaped, there were a fair number of Malkioni distancing and differentitating themselves from the God Learners. At least, that's my reading of the Middle Sea Empire book.
> More broadly, I suspect in most societies those things which had
> achieved wide spread dissemination became "Our pure tradition" while
> those things more run by the ruling class, the sailors, or other
small
> group that was crippled by the closing and destruction of the God
> Learners became "god learner corruption," whether or not it was
really
> a god-learner introduction or not. So one society may consider
Trade
> Talk to be a traditional way to communicate between groups, while
> another may reject it as a God Learner abomination. Another
situation
> to look at what is most fun in your game in most cases, I think.
Probably the best bet. I do like the thought of the "I can talk to everyone everytime everywhere" Issaries character comming to an abrupt shock and having to run away to avoid lynching as a God Learner. But perhaps I watch too many pulp movies.
> Don't forget about the (empire?) of the False Sun and other failed
> groups during the darkness, the Nysorlans who worked to break down
> existing social orders, the Arkati who fertilized the land with
blood
> as they fought through it, the Slontons who used and abused Wenelia
as
> their primitive hinterland and resource reservoir.
Wenelia's been fought over so many times, I don't think any sort of 'original' mythological ecosystem can be reconstructed. Except by folks who *make* it so. And the various competing factions among the tribes are keen to make their mythology paramount - just like it really was back in the Good Old Days.
I suspect that Severan the Enchanter once lived in the western reaches of Wenelia somewhere too. Or possibly he was in proto-Ralios. Again, this might explain the enduring power of the animists throughout the region despite their Orlanthization (is that a word?).
> Here is a piece of completely unsupported speculation. Once Slontos
> was reasonably united, and Wenelia was famously fractured. Near the
> end of the second age the goddess switch happened. Now the remnants
> of Slontos are isolated to their individual islands, hating and
> distrusting each other to extreme levels. Meanwhile the Trader
> Princes managed to knit at least one thread of unity across Wenelia,
> while in the west kingdoms have started arising—maybe still
> transitory, but people are beginning to think in terms of kingdoms.
> And elsewhere federations are becoming assumed and many people are
> looking to strengthen them. The culture is still fragmented and
prone
> to isolationism…..but links CAN be made.
Oh, cool! I never thought of that angle!
> Hence, I think that Wenel was critically damaged in the darkness,
in
> some way that keeps her parts from working together properly. That
> damage was transferred to Slontos in the goddess switch. In fact,
> this could be the real reason behind the goddess switch—possibly an
> experiment to see if wounds to the land goddess really did affect
the
> land, possibly a strike against the Slontan influence, possibly just
> curiousity about whether such damage could be transferred, possibly
an
> attempt to heal Wenel.
>
> Regards;
>
> -Bryan
That's a whole campaign concept right there. And possibly a long term Hero Wars motivation for the region - something that was somewhat lacking in the area. Aside from the Elf Master Reforrestration Plan there really isn't anything going on but Greymane and the Trader Princes attempts to unify may be symptomatic of something larger going on.
That's damned cool.
Jeff
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