Character creation 100, 000 BC

Discussion in 'Roleplaying Forum' started by ytzk, Nov 30, 2011.

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  1. Constipation

    Constipation New Member

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    Nah, don't see anything supernatural bout an apeman casting Control Beast.
     
  2. Zanza

    Zanza Well-Known Member

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    At a very young age he realised he was God.
     
  3. ytzk

    ytzk Well-Known Member

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    Happy birthday!

    Animal behaviour is a good focus.

    It is possible, even likely, that the odd caveman was raised by wolves for some of their infancy. It happens even today.

    If you're playing an animal-man may I suggest your character was fostered by wolves? Or better yet, Dire Wolves (much bigger).

    That way, you get a few loyal monsters and a reason for an unnatural rapport with beasts.
     
  4. Grossenschwamm

    Grossenschwamm Well-Known Member

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    Arthgon, I'd pick one or two animals, not every single one that lives around the area. As much as I hate when somebody calls themselves a *random animal* Whisperer, they definitely have more influence over that animal than a layperson. More limits. True, we"really essentially fantasizing, but I'd think your character's abilities should be more real.
    Did he simply notice he naturally had more in common with a wolf than his fellow Neanderthal? Or did he nurture a nest of predatory birds and they trust him enough to both hunt for him and defend his life?
     
  5. Arthgon

    Arthgon Well-Known Member

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    Ytzk: Thank you. I am 36 years old now, but still feeling young.

    Yeah. I think I should change his background a bit. But like I said it was not finished yet. I like the idea of one or two animals though. It is more realistic than having a bound with different animals.

    Being raised by the wolves? Yes. It still happens in this modern century. There were two girls raised by wolves (or dogs) in the 90's or in the 80's. One girl died, but the other walked on four legs and growled when she was angry, hungry or happy. They tried to 'civilized' her, but she would not ever spoke in a 'normal' language. Can not remember her name, and where it happend at this moment though.

    I shall edit my post with my character background.

    Edit3: Claw and bite? Yes. That is how he has learned while being raised by wolves. Only because he was in the tribe he know how to use the spear.

    Edit: where there already wolves in that time era? I know that Sable Tooths already existed, but wolves?

    Edit: Finding wolf cubs and raise them is possible as well. Even today, it still happens. Think about bears and gooses.

    It would look weird and scary for the other tribe members. Raising something like wolves, while they are the natural enemies of these people.

    Member: Wait. How dare you to bring those monsters (sorry, I am not sure how they would call them) in our tribe!

    Animagus: This is not a monster! He is my friend (or father)
     
  6. Grossenschwamm

    Grossenschwamm Well-Known Member

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    Grey wolves as a species began between 1 million to 750,000 years ago. Most other animals on this planet, aside from domesticated ones, pre-date humans by hundreds of thousands of years.
     
  7. ytzk

    ytzk Well-Known Member

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    Well, yes definitely wolves existed back then and big ones too.

    This would be the cusp of the evolution of the dog.

    But, wolves are not dogs. Wolf pups are not dogs.

    Sounds good. I guess your character was fostered as a toddler (upright gait; human language exposure) then partially reintegrated in later childhood.

    Also, by 20, I guess his foster-pup/siblings will have died. He will certainly retain status and influence in the pack, but the wolves will not be trained dogs, more like independent sentries.

    I like it; nice characters.
     
  8. Grossenschwamm

    Grossenschwamm Well-Known Member

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    Well, now I suppose you'd have to decide if you want the standard grey wolf or the imposing dire wolf.

    Grey wolves vary in size geographically, but in Russia and the US they average around 78 pounds. The largest will get up to 120, but they're really rare. Pack size is normally 7-9 wolves, and wolves will normally only stay with a pack for 2 years at a time, so they don't learn to hunt as strategically in a team as lions.

    Dire wolves, from the amount of skeletons found in the la brea tar pits, are expected to have run in packs up to 30. From musculoskeletal reconstructions, it's estimated an average healthy individual would weigh 150 pounds. Compare reconstructions of Neanderthal humans as they relate to modern man - the same comparison can be made between dire wolves and existing wolves. Their bones were thicker, they had a stockier frame, and much more muscle mass.

    True they were about twice as heavy as a regular wolf, but as compared to nearly every other living predator at the time (and nearly all other living prey) that's where the pack size comes in. They were hunting huge animals, and their numbers helped intimidate larger predators should they try to steal food or get food stolen. I know nothing of their pack behaviors, but I'd say they might have similar hunting strategies to modern wolves. I don't know how quickly pack membership turns out.
     
  9. ytzk

    ytzk Well-Known Member

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    Okey dokey, I guess all we need now is a premise for all the characters to get together.

    1. Following a shooting star, because the thunderbolt iron is coveted?

    2. Congregating with prey/food in a traditional trading/truce festival?

    3. Washed out to sea with flotsam by tsunami and castaway together?

    4. Climate or warfare squeezing prey and people from Africa and Europe into the Middle East?

    5. Meet in a tavern?
     
  10. Grossenschwamm

    Grossenschwamm Well-Known Member

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    The meteorite angle could be interesting. The chunks of iron would have spiritual significance due to falling from the heavens. Also, its interesting physical properties as a tool would be readily apparent; heavier and denser than most stones, so it'd be useful as a hammer or striking surface. Readily makes a spark with some flint. Can be sharpened without breaking pieces off. Perhaps this would be a good focal point for Otro, and I already have a good back-story reason why he'd be interested, but I'll save it for the game. The truce festival would be pretty cool, also. Mixing such different characters and cultures could be fun. I'm not sure how my character would get washed out by a tsunami at this point, considering he's limited in how far he can walk from his tribe by his poorly healed leg. There could be particularly savage tribal wars going on, perhaps due to religious differences. I like the tavern idea too, though.
    If I had to pick from the list, I'd say meteor, truce festival, refugee scenario, or the prehistoric tavern. I really like the meteor one though. What if the meteor is seen during one of the other events?
     
  11. Arthgon

    Arthgon Well-Known Member

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    Meteorite? I like that. What about this: A meteorite falls during one of the festival, triggering a religious tribe war.
     
  12. Grakelin

    Grakelin New Member

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    It is disturbing to me that Arthgon is somehow 36 years old.
     
  13. Grossenschwamm

    Grossenschwamm Well-Known Member

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    ...I find your lack of faith disturbing.
     
  14. Arthgon

    Arthgon Well-Known Member

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    Grakelin: You rather wanting me to be a bit younger, right?

    On-topic: Story-wise I think that my character is going to be sort of blamed with the fall of meteorite that could ignite a proto-religious war. That is because of the fact that people do this with things that they do not entirely understand. In this case a man who lived almost his entire life among a pack of Wolves. The natural enemy of the tribe.

    Tribe member 1: Have not you seen that ball of fire fallen from the sky?

    Tribe member 2: I have. It would not surprise me that Animagus knows more about this. He is not even entirely human.

    Tribe member 1: Yes. He most have strange powers and probably eats his own and our kind as well.
     
  15. Grossenschwamm

    Grossenschwamm Well-Known Member

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    Perhaps that might be how things work in your tribe, but Otro's people have long known no man controls the thunderbolt iron's fall.
     
  16. Zanza

    Zanza Well-Known Member

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    So instead of being all-powerful, Arthgon decides to make people think he is all-powerful...
     
  17. Grossenschwamm

    Grossenschwamm Well-Known Member

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    It would take some doing to get everyone at the festival to believe a meteor falling was Arthgon's fault. I know that, given the context, it's a stretch to say how dead cultures think
    But if "That guy speaks to animals. He must also control the heavens! KILL THAT BASTARD!!" Becomes a reasonable follow up...I don't know. That breaches my suspension of disbelief. I can get a religious war over who gets to keep the meteorite, but not because everyone thinks a valuable rock falling to the ground is an outcast's fault.
     
  18. Arthgon

    Arthgon Well-Known Member

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    It was just an idea. Do you really think that I really wanted that people thought that my character was all-powerful? Ofcourse not. (Sorry about that if you thought that it was meant that way.)

    You should know that I only wanted to do this in the context of the superstition of that era. Just the same way that people had in the Middle-Ages with witches.

    But you are right it would be a stretch indeed if every tribe would blame my character for it. (I only had my tribe on my mind, not everyone else but okay.)

    My character probably have to help to track down the meteorite or something. (I am not sure how my character gets involved with this, yet)

    Edit: I wanted to delete that particular post, because I was not that sure how far the superstition would go in that era, but my mobile phone (Yes. I have one now.) fell out and does not work that good.)
     
  19. ytzk

    ytzk Well-Known Member

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    Okey dokey, I will make a decision and post in a new thread, I guess. Possibly.

    Let's make it a little more fun.

    Everyone nominate two companions/contacts.

    For example, Arthgon you can take two dire wolves.

    I will nominate for mine:-

    1) Plump Wife: Cook, potionmaster and herbologist.

    2) Gullible Apprentice: Dogsbody and monster-fodder.
     
  20. Grossenschwamm

    Grossenschwamm Well-Known Member

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    1) Rifa; resident unlikely hero of Otro's as yet unnamed tribe. I'll have a name by the time the game starts. She's a fierce combatant, and her combat instincts allow her to adapt to both human and animal combat as it evolves in the moment. She'll often take some hits just to see what her opponent can do. She's pretty oblivious to most things around her, which got her the name Slow, but her ability to hunt and fight more than makes up for it, like she's a combat savant.

    2) Garn Hassa [lit. 'Master Hare-Lip']; He taught Otro all he knows about making tools for the tribe, and he's known as the best. He still teaches, but arthritis prevents him from knapping his own work anymore. Otro still has some left to learn from him, and when that task is complete, Hassa may finally rest, and Otro will take the mantle of Garn.
     
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