Sha'ib: City of Mazes (Arabian Nights/Fantasy Sandbox LGBT Accepting Characters)

Started by Crash, February 22, 2015, 03:19:52 PM

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Ouroboros

Awesome.

Also, more as a general question, but how are gender roles treated in this world? What about sexuality? While the game might be LGBT friendly OOC, doesn't necessarily mean that the game world is...
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Crash

I am going to be a pretty lacks on gender roles. 

The Bedu are probably the most strict, as woman tend not to be warriors (dervishes being an exception), but even then they are not reviled.  In Djaffir the merchants are almost as powerful as the Caliph's family and merchants can be male or female, so they are pretty free about gender.  The Hadaree are kind of in between. 

Sexuality probably falls along the same lines.  Bedu clans are the smallest social groups for humans and therefore have a vested interest in having children, but again they are not going to have a vast prejudice against non-hetero orientations.  Some Bedu clans may be stricter than others of course

The human cultures will likely have more than the European two gender roles and these extra gender roles encompass sexuality as well. I have not placed any religious restrictions on gender or sexuality.

As with most cultures those that fall outside the "norm" would likely experience some sort of alienation, but I am not going to force this common occurrence on any players as I want you all to play whatever is fun for you.


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Dhi

Early ideas:

A hadaree knight-philosopher Bull of Apsu serving the water police of Sha'ib, fighting an unwinnable war against the corruption that surrounds control of one of man's most basic needs.

A bedu matron of trade with bouts of ghostly possession who was in her youth an assassin for a tribal blood feud, a foundling surrendered by an unknown mother when the old caliph, based on a prophetic dream, ordered all newborn girls be put to death.

A young hadaree wizir who pledged herself to the rigorous study of magic to escape an arranged marriage, now using her considerable wealth and mesmerizing powers to enforce an agenda of education and literacy for the poorest women and girls of Sha'ib, crossing moral boundaries in the process.

Crash

Quote from: Dhi on February 23, 2015, 09:05:36 PM
Early ideas:

A hadaree knight-philosopher Bull of Apsu serving the water police of Sha'ib, fighting an unwinnable war against the corruption that surrounds control of one of man's most basic needs.

A bedu matron of trade with bouts of ghostly possession who was in her youth an assassin for a tribal blood feud, a foundling surrendered by an unknown mother when the old caliph, based on a prophetic dream, ordered all newborn girls be put to death.

A young hadaree wizir who pledged herself to the rigorous study of magic to escape an arranged marriage, now using her considerable wealth and mesmerizing powers to enforce an agenda of education and literacy for the poorest women and girls of Sha'ib, crossing moral boundaries in the process.

Dhi - Most Hadaree of Sha'ib worship Asaheem.  It is the responsibility of those priests to bless the wells of the city each morning.  Some Hadaree do worship the gods of their ancestors, but it would not be the Bull's of Apsu's job within the city to do the blessing.  I just wanted to clear that up.  Yes their are some parallels between Apsu and Asaheem in this regard.

Your Bedu idea is fine the way you have it.

The worship of Asaheem does not prevent women from learning.  It is among the tenants of the Jann of Light and Air that all should strive for knowledge.  That may effect the moral boundary that you mentioned somewhat unless the forcing part was the moral boundary you were referring to and not women learning.

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Crash

But yes there could be corruption among the Clerics of Asaheem that your Bull could be fighting against.

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Dhi

The concept I had was intended for Apsu and wouldn't be a good fit for Asaheem. Disregard those ideas! I'm going to rework things.

Crash

RedPheonix - We will be centered in Sha'ib to start. It is the gateway to the Veldt and the end of the southern end of the Northern Trade Road so everyone should be able to find a reason to be there.

Dhi - You could still do it.  You can always say she hears of some wells going unblessed because of some corruption within the Clerics of Asaheem.  It would be fun tension between the two religions and not a bad plot thread actually.

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Crash

WIP

Name: Amrita-Devi
Player: Crash
Concept:  Spirit-Questing Nafasi Elf
Trouble:  Stranger in a strange land
Sex: Female
Age: 40 (Appears 19)
Orientation: Lesbian
On’s: Players On’s
Off’s: Players Off’s
Race or People: Nafasi Elf

Appearance:
Hair: Long straight red hair
Eyes: Dark Brown
Height: 5’6”
Weight: 110 lbs

Description: Lithe and willowy Amrita-Devi has little fat on her body and muscular legs that can eat up miles.  Her tribe is known on the Veldt for their running ability and stamina. Among her tribe there are few that could beat her in a race of speed or stamina.  Amrita decorates her body in pigments befitting her spirit quest giving her already exotic look a fierce appearance.  The Nafasi have no taboos against being bare of chest but Amrita has taken to covering her body in old clothing since arriving in Sha’ib.  She finds the human’s conservatism strange, but understands the need to navigate their culture and bows to this social convention.

One Unique Thing:  Amrita’s red hair is unusual among the Nafasi.  A sign of a special destiny, though what that destiny was her Shaman could not tell her.

Personality: Curious and confused are often expressions the residence of Sha’ib receive when talking to Amrita-Devi.  The young Nafasi Elf does not understand why the Hadaree use so many words to say so little and comes off as pretty blunt to the people of Sha’ib.  She is aware that her ways are as strange to them as theirs are to her, but her ancestors lead her to Sha’ib for a reason and she is determined to stay until she understands why.  Amrita-Devi has had to lean the value of coin as in the Veldt it was the size of your Basuro herd that defined one’s wealth.  Amrita-Devi makes some money as a guide for merchants wanting to trade with the people of the Veldt.

Skills: Running, Hunting, Spear-fighting, Survival (Veldt), Spirit Magic

Residence: Amrita-Devi stays in one of the empty homes in an unpopulated neighborhood, often sleeping on one of the roofs so she can be under the stars.  She is aware that she is not alone in empty neighborhood, but is not yet sure what stalks the streets at night.

The Tale of Duzami and the Great Race

One day, the village held a great race. All the young men and women competed, and many of the people made bets on the runners they believed would win. The race was very close, and Duzami, the village's swiftest runner, ran ahead of only one other man. When Duzami passed the finishing tree that many others had touched before him, he did not seem winded, nor was there a sheen of sweat on his skin. The Screaming Elder walked up to Duzami and cursed him, for he had bet all of his food that Duzami would win. But Duzami only shrugged at the Screaming Elder and walked away.

That night, a terrible gitta rampaged through the jungle. Every Nafasi in the village fled from the thing, including Duzami and the Screaming Elder. As Duzami ran, he saw that the Screaming Elder was right behind him, shouting angrily at him as always.

"Why do you not run faster, Duzami?" the Elder shouted. "The gitta is right behind us!"

Duzami did not speak, but kept up his steady pace. When he heard the gitta catch the Screaming Elder, Duzami yelled over his shoulder, "You do not have to be first to win the race. You must only out run one man."

Too late, the Screaming Elder recognized Duzami's wisdom as the gitta ate him.

History: The Duzami Tribe has always been runners and the tale above is a favorite of many of the young Nafasi of the Duzami Tribe.  For Devi they were words that rang true.  Even as a child she was swift runner able to beat children much older than herself, but often chose not to flaunt her gift.  It was better to use a gift when it is most important and not for personal pride.   Devi ran messages between villages as soon as she could wield a spear and the sight of her wild red hair in the tall grass became synonymous with news from the elders.  This reputation only grew when one of the Honored Dead chose her as her personal envoy when she reached her twenties and she became a full member of her tribe.

The Honored Dead or Amrita-Chiokowa taught Devi the ways of the spirits, how to channel her ancestors, speak to them in dreams and travel to their realm for a brief time. She was given the honorific Amerita so that others would know she was accepted in the Lodge of the Dead.  She did the bidding of the Amrita-Chiokowa for a brief twenty more years before the Amrita released Devi from her duties.  Devi, concerned that she had offended the Amrita, begged the Honored Dead as to why she was being released before her training could be completed.  The Amrita could only tell her that her path was elsewhere, that she should seek the guidance of her ancestors and follow the path they lay before her wherever that may lead.

Equipment:
Poor clothing
Hunting Spear
Knife
Pigments
Medicinal Herbs
Ancestral Bone
A small amount of coin in a pouch she keeps tied around her neck.

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Dhi


Rajah

Quote from: Dhi on February 23, 2015, 10:53:14 PM
Art is hard, why's everybody ever drawn got to be white?

You can change skin tone for just about anything with an hour and Paint.net (free). Also hair and eye color. Alternatively, hit up a site like DeviantArt (mostly just DeviantArt) and search for your target ethnicity; adding elf ears to someone only takes about five minutes to make it convincing.
"They say even the proudest spirits can be broken...with love."

-The Beldame (CORALINE by Neil Gaiman)

Crash

Quote from: Dhi on February 23, 2015, 10:53:14 PM
Art is hard, why's everybody ever drawn got to be white?

Yeah.  Even a skin change doesn't effect Caucasian looks. 

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Ouroboros

Quote from: Dhi on February 23, 2015, 10:53:14 PM
Art is hard, why's everybody ever drawn got to be white?

I am so glad that I am not the only one who thinks that, all the damn time. (Of course I now have to find a Djaffir so we're probably in similar situations.)
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Dhi

Those don't work for my tastes. Having directly hit the vein of Arabian fantasy with dA user collections, I've gone through hundreds of pages today and found little of genuine interest. Art program edits become increasingly jarring as the art piece becomes more realistic, which is what I'm shooting for.

Crash

Yep.  It isn't an easy thing to do.  But still let's not knock my elf.  I tried.

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MdG

Quote from: Dhi on February 23, 2015, 10:53:14 PM
Art is hard, why's everybody ever drawn got to be white?

Not just "white" but Northern European.  It's also very difficult to find art representative of the Mediterranean and Central European experiences. I blame Tolkien.

Crash

While I agree with you all let's keep the conversation here on characters for the game.  I will start a finders seekers thread if we think that could help.  I have some art I think could work for people. 

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Dhi

Sounds great! I have a bunch to add at this point.

I'm continuing to think about the water cop character concept.

Crash

Okay. I will put something up tomorrow evening and link it here.

I think the water cop concept would work well and make for a good plot.

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Dhi

The look I'd like to use for the character:
 

The ankus or ankusha, a blunt-hooked polearm which I'd like to submit as used by the Bulls of Apsu. Having evolved from a tool used to tame wild elephants and shepherd aggressive and deadly hippopotami, the same principles are used today to elegantly turn an armed opponent's strength and momentum against him.

The weapon has religious connotations as well, where its effectiveness at leading the stubborn make it a recognizable symbol in Indo-Persian cultures for directing the mind on the difficult path to spiritual purity.

Crash


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Crash

GM ANNOUNCEMENT

I have created a finders/seekers thread for artwork.  I will add some tonight but feel free to add your own if you find art you think will work.

https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=224233.msg11010687#msg11010687

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Ouroboros

All right! I got a character finished. However, I did leave portions of it blank in case anyone wanted to work up a noble with an insta-tie to another player. ;)

Kiral alim-[undetermined]
Player: Ouroboros
Concept:  A Wizir of the Djaffir
Trouble: All Work and No Play...
Sex: Probably male
Age: Probably in his late 20s
Orientation: Bisexual
Ons & Offs: Are here
Race or People: Jinn-blooded Djaffir

Appearance:
Hair: Dark brown, curly, semi-long; some facial hair.
Eyes: Gray
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 178

Description: (unmasked form is Yassine Rahal; not yet sure of the masked form, if it’s at all different.) The most common impression of Kiral is that he is just another Djaffir, face hidden behind a mask. A fine mask, pristine and blinding white, as befits a Wizir to [Unnamed Noble]. Unmasked, he is dusky and slightly freckled, though upon closer examination the freckles seem almost metallic, strangely striated and reflective. He is lean and wiry, his body flexible, his hair explosive in a way not often found among the Djaffir.

One Unique Thing: The most unique thing about Kiral is that he wears an eyeless mask.

Personality: Kiral is a quiet man, in all his guises. Intelligent but too prone to listening, Kiral is devoted to his work, to the point where his work has subsumed all else in his life. It is probably best then that Kiral has not found love, or even lust, only visiting pleasure houses when the need becomes too great. He can enjoy himself, he is no killjoy; he just needs a good reason.

Skills: Wizir Magic, Mask Crafting, Stealthy Movement, Information Gathering, Knifework

Residence: Kiral keeps a small apartment that is spare and impersonal. He does not spend much time there. There is also a room in the household of [Unnamed Noble] where Kiral sleeps more often, though it is nearly as bare as his apartment.

History: Kiral was orphaned from birth, but taken into the household of Aydin alim-Inan as an infant and raised as his own son. He showed an early aptitude for the arts of stealth and magic, and seemed to be set on a path to become a Wizir to a noble house; Kiral also longed to work with his hands, and in his free time he crafted masks, supple and light, finding great pleasure in their making. When the time came to choose a trade, Kiral chose between his aptitude and his pleasure, choosing the path that would give him more use, that of the Wizir, saving his mask-making hobby for his free time.

As a young man, Kiral apprenticed with a Wizir well-known for her skill in the arts of stealth. He had briefly toyed with playing the role of the guardian, but he knew he did not have it in him to act as a bodyguard. His place was the shadows, as the listening ear, and very rarely, the knife in the dark. It suited his introverted nature, his narrow track of interest. He did well enough, though he would not have described himself as the best in his field. Kiral was humble, he was new to the craft, and the one area where he would have said he excelled was in crafting masks, his old hobby.

Kiral now works in the House of [Name,] in the household of [Unnamed Noble]. (Left undefined in case of player association.) During his employment, Kiral has crafted his own masks, one a perfect blank for his public work with [Unnamed Noble], the other a more standard white mask. Enchanted of course. (If Unnamed Noble wishes it, Kiral will craft his mask as well.)

Equipment: Often carried on Kiral’s person are the essentials. A knife, a book, paper and charcoal for writing, chalk for marking, pigment for staining. Money - because money opens doors and makes the world work. And of course, Kiral’s mask, more important even than the clothes he wears.
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Crash


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Dez


Crash


"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious