So I've had an idea kicking around inside my skull recently. I've been craving some primitive fantasy and by that I mean a world filled with Pleistocene megafauna, dinosaurs, humans and subhumans (or elves and subelves, ect ect ect), where metal working in unknown or barely discovered, where culture has barely moved beyond hunter-gather. So, I've been thinking about a storyline with these elements and I believe that I might have figured something out, that would interest the rest of you.On a world far removed from our own, life is a struggle to survive. No matter where you go, from ice capped mountains, to wide open plains, towering forests or steaming jungles, predators of all types lurk. Terrible lizards,with teeth as big as men or muscled cats with saber like canines. But not all struggles are the natural ones for food and mates. There is a darker struggle, war. For many generations, the Athnaki people have been contained within a ring of tall peaks, penned in with with primal, dawn people. However they have united under a powerful caste of priestess. The separate tribes of the Athnaki fell in line with their demands for sacrifices to dark deities and they even brought the dawn people unto the fold, until none were left to oppose them, creating a dilemma. With no enemies, they would have to offer their own tribemates to the knife, unless they find new foes.
Prayers were made and people of great worth offered themselves to the mightiest of deities, the Sun and the way was made clear. Passes throughhey raided and burned, carrying way the people of other people, to be given to their gods. Tribes banded together in confederations to fight back but were buried under the weight of zealot warriors. In desperation, twelve high priestess from the Nathga people gathered in a sacred grove, near to the last battles with the Athnaki, spending ten days and night in prayer, begging their Moon Goddess for aid. On the final night, a great storm rolled across the land, unnatural in it's ferocity and speed, it swept over the land, as all of the priestess collapsed, several dying and rest too weak to move. Those that could still speak, whispered to those that came to check on them, of answered prayers, of a band of great warriors, to be found less then a day's ride towards their enemies.
Now there are some important fact,which will set the most of the people of this world apart from those that may yet save them. Unlike our own Earth or the world from which these warriors came from, it is women who serve as warrior and ruler. There is a terribly low birthrate of male children and an even lower survival rate among those male babies. With this lack of males, they are seen as a valuable resource, to be protected and shared within the tribe. There are no marriages, no single unions between male and female or at least their not suppose to. There are always rumors about secret affairs or females attempting to keep a male all to themselves. Of course, the more socially acceptable pairbonds between females are common.
The only difference from this norm, are the dawn people. Barely able to male tools and unable to speak in anything but grunts, the dawn people have a very high rate of male births and their males are their warriors. They are also slavishly obedient to the Athnaki priestess, child-like in their devotion to their whims and eager to shed blood when told too.
Of course, we shouldn't forget about the new warriors. They are mercenaries from a world rather like that of Renaissance Europe, low born men selling their skills with weapons to any who could pay. They are the Free Lion Company, commanded by a Captain Wilhelm Campborn, although many of them have not been with the company long. Originally, The Lion Company was made up of Doppelsöldners, men who made double pay to stand in the front rank of a pike formation, welding both pike and two handed sword. However, a recent and disastrous battle for their employers left the company decimated and in need of new recruits. The captain was able to absorb the survivors of other mercenary companies into his ranks, halberdiers and sword and buckler men, arquebusiers and pikemen. However, the company is still well under full strength, less then two hundred fighting men, when they are snatched away, to hopefully save the Nathga, with their weapons and armor and their skills. Captain Campborn could forge a proper fighting army to turn the tide, if the proud Nathga warriors will follow his harsh ways of teaching and leadership.
So, thats what I got. Spark any interest? Any suggestions? Does it look fine as is?
Now, I'm going to bombard you with primitive fantasy images to move the creative juices!
