Posted by Jay Shorten on 21:35 10/11/01
In reply to: The demons are vanquished (for now...) posted by Christopher O'Regan on 19:30 10/9/01
Many questions... One little tidbit just sparks a ton of questions in me. Now I understand why some people spend so much time discussing every little detail of Middle-Earth.
1. Jippir willing, a map of religions might be useful at one (or more) points . By the way, when does the Egyptian ship arrive? not to mention Wat Porridgeton :) You must provide us with a map labelled: Ereláe at Wat Porridgeton's Arrival, and mark on the map where it took place :)
2. What was the Múrtani rule of Metauro like, besides being unpleasant? What did the Múrtani do? Did the Múrtani get anything out of it, such as a taste for empire, or a taste for Somoyi-Methelyi cookery?
3. Would magic be the reason why Almean technology remained static for so long? I mean, perfecting spells is probably easier than devising experiments.
4. Speaking of magic, though I am not an Engel álh, please assure me that "Toyota Echo" isn't similar to any words used in Dhekhnami necromancy (compared to American cars, an Echo is unusual-looking enough that it might have been designed in Dhekhnam). I am embarking on a long drive soon in it (hence all the questions all at once) and I don't want to find myself suddenly driving around in Dhekhnam, to end up as a slave to some ktuvok and my car as his new status display. :)
5. I read about what uesti look like. But how would we look to the uesti?
1. A religious map might be a good idea. For now it'd pretty much match the map of scripts; but things get more complex later on.
The Elenicoi arrive c. Z.E. 2870. Wat arrived some centuries later. :)
2. The múrtani are smaller than men, and not well suited either to horses or to warm climates-- one reason they attacked Metauro, which is in the mountains. The ktuvoki wanted them to divert as much Cadhinorian attention as possible. They didn't bother Ervëa much, but of course they harrassed and looted the people of Metauro. As to what it was like, imagine giving teenagers guns and inviting them to rule their neighborhood. (For those unfamiliar with teenage gang members or guerrillas-- it's not a pretty sight. Teenagers are still learning socialization skills-- but they don't bother if they can interact with deadly weapons instead.)
3. I don't think there's much of a difference in tempo. The first (human) states in Almea appeared c. 5000 years ago; it was actually longer ago in the Mideast (6000 years). It's been about 1800 years since the height of the Cadhinorian empire-- similar to our distance from the Roman Empire. And so on.
4. As you drive, simply make sure you don't think of the word "Dhekhnam". You're safe so long as Dhekhnam is far from your mind. Got that? Remember, no Dhekhnam!
5. We'd look pale, yellowish, and hairy, with huge ears and noses and beady eyes. We'd look rather too chunky (somewhat like an elcar); our women would seem somewhat mannish (more muscular, thinner hips) and yet freakishly overendowed.