The Diaemus Project

[Kobold King he/him]

Feedback request:

(For everyone, with an additional request from those interested in a claim on the north lands.)

Is this legible? As in, does looking at this give you an idea of how the pieces fit together?

(Spoiler because big)

 

Looks great to me!

 

 

Kobold, hope you don't mind the additions I made to the Dromean biology - the reproductive portion. I'm wondering if it might be better for the non-pregnant females to have a mating season twice a year or even once a quarter instead of just once a year. Your thoughts (or anyones) would be appreciated.

 

Well, I like the idea. It would definitely help make the Dromeans more alien and distinct from the humans.

 

That said, I don't think that a seasonal breeding model really works for the Dromeans. A true mating season is strongly related to the length of the day and the local climate; the Dromeans, being a species that stretches from the seasonally extreme savannas of the north all the way down to the frozen tundra of the south, would see their breeding cycle interrupted and distorted in new regions.

 

Instead, I would propose opportunistic breeding, distinct from seasonal breeding but also from the continuous breeding model that we humans follow. In opportunistic breeding, females become more receptive not when the time of year changes, but at any time when food is abundant and the temperature is suitable.

 

 

Opportunistic breeding could result in an effective "mating season" in empires like the Sorukaan, as the resources available to the females would repeat on the same cycle every year. (In nature, the difference between seasonal and opportunistic breeders is almost impossible to determine around the equator.) However, opportunistic breeding would allow creators like myself freedom to design Dromean cultures without being confined to set breeding seasons.

 

Hope that makes sense.

[Seonid he/him]

That sounds excellent, Kobold! Keeps my original creative vision while expanding the options for other people - kind of like Mek's expansion to the Lumuole system.

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

I have finished the Dromeans and it should be up later today. The "artist" for most of my future drawings is a human scholar named Ea. She was born in a small human village. If anyone wants claims to her origin region, please tell me. (I check through the thread regularly, so no need to PM). First come, first serve. If nobody wants it, she'll be from the steppes. 

 

The steppes or somewhere similar would probably make the most sense. Perhaps someplace that's a bit boring, like the Diaemus equivalent of Kansas? That way, she'd have had motivation to go out and find what sorts of interesting beings the world had to offer. 

[Kobold King he/him]

The steppes or somewhere similar would probably make the most sense. Perhaps someplace that's a bit boring, like the Diaemus equivalent of Kansas? That way, she'd have had motivation to go out and find what sorts of interesting beings the world had to offer. 

 

Here's one of her early masterpieces, Homeland of the Drurgas.

 

Edited September 24, 2015 by Kobold King

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

Here's one of her early masterpieces, Homeland of the Drurgas.

 

 

White paint on white canvas, with a white brush for good measure. Painted while eating white bread topped with coconut flakes. 

[Edgedancer he/him]

Here's one of her early masterpieces, Homeland of the Drurgas.

 

Oh my, it's the white eagle on a white background Ostfriesenland's national flag.

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

Oh my, it's the white eagle on a white background Ostfriesenland's national flag.

 

Does their national anthem sound like snowflakes?  

[Edgedancer he/him]

Does their national anthem sound like snowflakes?

According to Otto Waalkes (german comedia) it's a parody song about various celebrities with slightly changed names.

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

Which direction did Ea travel, how long has she been exploring, and what is the farthest she's been in any one direction?

[Kobold King he/him]

A random note to any lurkers who are unsure of what to do with their land holdings.

 

At this point, I don't believe anyone has called dibs on a deep jungle infested with sickly green lumuoles, which mutate anything they touch into a shambling undead abomination intent on spilling out of the forest and devouring living flesh.

 

Just a thought.

[Seonid he/him]

In that case, shall I call dibs on it?

Actually, since I've already bitten of a large chunk of land with worldbuilding opportunities, if anyone else is more interested in it, you're welcome to it.

But if nobody else looked at this and said "I must have it," I'd love it!

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

And I wouldn't object to another polar buddy....unless you're all secretly from Arizona and scared of the cold?

[Mailliw73 he/him]

And I wouldn't object to another polar buddy....unless you're all secretly from Arizona and scared of the cold?

I might take you up on that. Actually, yeah, I'll claim some land and work on it in a little while. I'll take the area right above where Twi and Kobold's meet up to the light blue color, Bard. 

 

Jerric, what is the light blue color anyways? And is the wikipedia palleted map ready?

 

Edit:

 

I've decided that Luti's documents are going to be the history/lore of the Meran and that this upcoming document will be the cultural report from Dilar, in a much easier style and voice, than Luti. Here's a sample to show the difference. If, at any point, you guys just want a rundown on the Meran without the in-world document, just let me know.

 

I, Dilar, of the Meran, strive to compose a document that shows our culture to the strangers, that they might better understand us. I will speak in the formal tongue that pervades most of the human world.

 

As Marino of old, the Meran herd sarmu for their milk and blood. Meran men keep watch over the herds during their swimming in the sea during the day. They arm themselves with wooden and stone spears as well as shortbows, watching for many-teeth, or sharks, as they are better known, as well as any Niran encroaching on the Meran waters. After the Third Mirani War, both of our cultures agreed to a set of borders between our waters. Any trespassers from either side may be killed at will, unless they are holding a blue flag of peace. Only a few, foolhardy people have tried it from either side.

 

At dawn and dusk, a few male sarmu are removed from the herd. The women Meran milk the female sarmu while the men bleed the few males they took. They use a shortbow and a sharp, hollow arrow to quickly pierce the sarmu’s lower neck, while two other men hold the sarmu’s head, mouth bound with cloth. The small wound from the arrow quickly begins bleeding, funneling the blood out the hollow center of the arrow. The blood is collected in a long-necked bottle to be mixed with the milk. After one bottle is filled with blood, the sarmu’s wound is immediately wrapped to staunch the bleeding. Each male sarmu will be bled thrice a moon-cycle. Milking takes place every dawn and dusk, but bleeding only occurs at dusk.  

Edited September 24, 2015 by Mailliw73

[Kobold King he/him]

I might take you up on that. Actually, yeah, I'll claim some land and work on it in a little while. I'll take the area right above where Twi and Kobold's meet up to the light blue color, Bard. 

 

Jerric, what is the light blue color anyways? And is the wikipedia palleted map ready?

 

* gasp *

 

Another polar buddy!

 

 

 

I have to ask though, how old and advanced would these new tundra-dwellers be? I've been confidently writing up the history of the Ice Kin with the assumption that there were no other factions in the area with the ability to smelt metals or sustain agriculture in the ice. This might require substantial re-writes.

Edited September 24, 2015 by Kobold King

[Mailliw73 he/him]

Quoted because it might've gotten missed.

Edit:

 

I've decided that Luti's documents are going to be the history/lore of the Meran and that this upcoming document will be the cultural report from Dilar, in a much easier style and voice, than Luti. Here's a sample to show the difference. If, at any point, you guys just want a rundown on the Meran without the in-world document, just let me know.

 

I, Dilar, of the Meran, strive to compose a document that shows our culture to the strangers, that they might better understand us. I will speak in the formal tongue that pervades most of the human world.

 

As Marino of old, the Meran herd sarmu for their milk and blood. Meran men keep watch over the herds during their swimming in the sea during the day. They arm themselves with wooden and stone spears as well as shortbows, watching for many-teeth, or sharks, as they are better known, as well as any Niran encroaching on the Meran waters. After the Third Mirani War, both of our cultures agreed to a set of borders between our waters. Any trespassers from either side may be killed at will, unless they are holding a blue flag of peace. Only a few, foolhardy people have tried it from either side.

 

At dawn and dusk, a few male sarmu are removed from the herd. The women Meran milk the female sarmu while the men bleed the few males they took. They use a shortbow and a sharp, hollow arrow to quickly pierce the sarmu’s lower neck, while two other men hold the sarmu’s head, mouth bound with cloth. The small wound from the arrow quickly begins bleeding, funneling the blood out the hollow center of the arrow. The blood is collected in a long-necked bottle to be mixed with the milk. After one bottle is filled with blood, the sarmu’s wound is immediately wrapped to staunch the bleeding. Each male sarmu will be bled thrice a moon-cycle. Milking takes place every dawn and dusk, but bleeding only occurs at dusk.  

 

 

 

* gasp *

 

Another polar buddy!

 

 

 

I have to ask though, how old and advanced would these new tundra-dwellers be? I've been confidently writing up the history of the Ice Kin with the assumption that there were no other factions in the area with the ability to smelt metals or sustain agriculture in the ice. This might require substantial re-writes.

Whatever works best for you guys. The Mirani peoples are the ones I've been really excited for, so these guys can fit whatever position you want them to. They can be fairly new or very low in technology, whatever is best.

[Kobold King he/him]

Whatever works best for you guys. The Mirani peoples are the ones I've been really excited for, so these guys can fit whatever position you want them to. They can be fairly new or very low in technology, whatever is best.

 

The Ice Kin arrived in the tundra nine hundred Earth-years before the current date, so if a metalworking civilization arrived sometime within the later half of the last millennium, it wouldn't wreak havoc at all with my constructed history. It would actually be kind of nice for the Ice Kin to have newer neighbors that are closer to their level than the coastals.

 

If you want to have an ancient advanced kingdom on the tundra though, I can probably find a way to work that in. (As long as they weren't too aggressively expansionist.)

Edited September 24, 2015 by Kobold King

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

The drurgas mostly just keep to themselves. They have no interest in moving further inland, and they'll only expand their territory as their growing population demands. So long as your people aren't interested in hunting for sport (sentient seals or otherwise) or taking territory for the sake of territory, they and the drurgas will get along just fine.

[Mailliw73 he/him]

Hmm, I kind of do want a hunting society. I'm quite interested in the more "primitive" types of peoples(hunter-gatherers, pastoralists), than I am in the more modern societies. How about a society that relies on hunting game in the north of their territory for food and on plants from the red lumuoles they use to keep gardens warm. They would also be further advanced in metalworking-simple machines like wheels, levers, and pulleys are probably the extent of it. What do you think?

[Sir Jerric he/him]

@Maill: Light blue is the Df or Dw, depending on how close to the purple tundra (ET) you are examining. Parallels can be drawn to Southern Canada and the north east quarter of the USA (from near Kansas heading north and east). D climates can support woodlands, ET has only scrub.

[Mailliw73 he/him]

@Maill: Light blue is the Df or Dw, depending on how close to the purple tundra (ET) you are examining. Parallels can be drawn to Southern Canada and the north east quarter of the USA (from near Kansas heading north and east). D climates can support woodlands, ET has only scrub.

That'll be perfect then. 

[Mckeedee123 he/him]

Hmm, I kind of do want a hunting society. I'm quite interested in the more "primitive" types of peoples(hunter-gatherers, pastoralists), than I am in the more modern societies. How about a society that relies on hunting game in the north of their territory for food and on plants from the red lumuoles they use to keep gardens warm. They would also be further advanced in metalworking-simple machines like wheels, levers, and pulleys are probably the extent of it. What do you think?

 

You'd have to have a pretty compelling reason why they have advanced metalworking techniques but still chose not to take up food production. Hunter-Gatherers can't really carry around a whole lot of stuff, and the tools required for working anything other than copper are pretty heavy

[Mailliw73 he/him]

You'd have to have a pretty compelling reason why they have advanced metalworking techniques but still chose not to take up food production. Hunter-Gatherers can't really carry around a whole lot of stuff, and the tools required for working anything other than copper are pretty heavy

Good point. Kobold, does it matter if they metalwork or not?

[Young Bard he/him]

@Mailliw: Are you happy with this?

 

[Mailliw73 he/him]

Pretty good, but can it be more of the eastern blue instead of the purple? So if it was just swing over a bit to the right.

[Young Bard he/him]

Like this?