Discord
Changelog
02-21-2015, 01:33 PM
Ahh, it is so that others have some interesting thoughts and opinions on this line as well.
Searching for some base knowledge of Thay I read through some D&D canon background info provided by (KTA?) in the forum background section. As it is written the Mulan ethnic group were 'ported' from earth to enlarge the Imaskar armies long ago, their gods followed them for a time till expelled by Ao. The peoples from earth ported were Egyptian, their gods the Horus, Set etc. I was fairly certain that I picked up on that early though I hadn't figured on such a concrete connection.
I am actually almost ashamed that I didn't think Ottoman Empire but I generally place that in too late a period...Ottoman Empire was much smaller and Muslim 12th-14th centuries I believe, though growing swiftly. The comparison to Nazi rule has some gravity to it. Autocratic, racially/elite/econo driven, many of leadership influenced or leaning towards occultism rather than religion. To the issue of slavery, the stalag/stammlager concentration camps in Germany were around from 32?? and there were many work camps. Although, come to think, Tzarist Russia could fit the bill as well...
As an aside, since originality has been brought up. I find it over rated, according to the context. I paint a bit, and in the contemporary art world originality and conceptualization(supposed or other) are prized over skill/talent and hard work. I am saddened that many artist have interesting ideas but lack the tools to express that creativity, so we get what we get...there are very very few artisans working today that have the nut and bolt skills of a Sargent or Rembrandt. Rembrandt was not original in a sense, he painted stuff that looked like stuff :D but my god, the way he did it...it makes other artist sick with admiration! In effect, I find Thay to be quite original without having to divorce itself from historical points of inspiration and creation. It has the nuts and bolts
To the point; As it is it merely helps me to be able to have a feeling/thought while gaming of "what would I do, who would I have been" to RP and being able to place myself in a reality I am familiar with is why I seek historic parallels. I would suggest, or even admit that I am not very creative even though I have worked in a field where one is supposed to be creative above all else. I find it too daunting to make stories and characters out of whole cloth and so I seek that which I can draw inspiration from. I have learned in a creative field that inspiration usually trumps focused creative machinations, least for me.
Re; LooseWilly you make the true point that Fearun is no Hyboria but I still do use REH's and Clark A Smith's+LoveCraft etc. writing for inspiration. Magic became something truly great and horrible in their realms and sword&sorcery is my preferred context in RPGs. Gary G. and the other talented writers of the late 70's to the AD&D 2E era I feel were very much into the more so adult and dark themed fantasy aspect, not always politically correct and often controversial compared to what is being edited away today. I.E. what is wrong with having a people who reflect aspects of the Judeans, they are a very interesting group to put into a fantasy setting...I will have to run it past my Russian Jewish wife and see how antisemitic she feels it would be. To bad imo those type of things are edited for no good reason.
I apologize for the shambles this response has become but was trying obviously to respond to several post without a wall of text attack!
For now, Thanks for the responses.
Searching for some base knowledge of Thay I read through some D&D canon background info provided by (KTA?) in the forum background section. As it is written the Mulan ethnic group were 'ported' from earth to enlarge the Imaskar armies long ago, their gods followed them for a time till expelled by Ao. The peoples from earth ported were Egyptian, their gods the Horus, Set etc. I was fairly certain that I picked up on that early though I hadn't figured on such a concrete connection.
I am actually almost ashamed that I didn't think Ottoman Empire but I generally place that in too late a period...Ottoman Empire was much smaller and Muslim 12th-14th centuries I believe, though growing swiftly. The comparison to Nazi rule has some gravity to it. Autocratic, racially/elite/econo driven, many of leadership influenced or leaning towards occultism rather than religion. To the issue of slavery, the stalag/stammlager concentration camps in Germany were around from 32?? and there were many work camps. Although, come to think, Tzarist Russia could fit the bill as well...
As an aside, since originality has been brought up. I find it over rated, according to the context. I paint a bit, and in the contemporary art world originality and conceptualization(supposed or other) are prized over skill/talent and hard work. I am saddened that many artist have interesting ideas but lack the tools to express that creativity, so we get what we get...there are very very few artisans working today that have the nut and bolt skills of a Sargent or Rembrandt. Rembrandt was not original in a sense, he painted stuff that looked like stuff :D but my god, the way he did it...it makes other artist sick with admiration! In effect, I find Thay to be quite original without having to divorce itself from historical points of inspiration and creation. It has the nuts and bolts
To the point; As it is it merely helps me to be able to have a feeling/thought while gaming of "what would I do, who would I have been" to RP and being able to place myself in a reality I am familiar with is why I seek historic parallels. I would suggest, or even admit that I am not very creative even though I have worked in a field where one is supposed to be creative above all else. I find it too daunting to make stories and characters out of whole cloth and so I seek that which I can draw inspiration from. I have learned in a creative field that inspiration usually trumps focused creative machinations, least for me.
Re; LooseWilly you make the true point that Fearun is no Hyboria but I still do use REH's and Clark A Smith's+LoveCraft etc. writing for inspiration. Magic became something truly great and horrible in their realms and sword&sorcery is my preferred context in RPGs. Gary G. and the other talented writers of the late 70's to the AD&D 2E era I feel were very much into the more so adult and dark themed fantasy aspect, not always politically correct and often controversial compared to what is being edited away today. I.E. what is wrong with having a people who reflect aspects of the Judeans, they are a very interesting group to put into a fantasy setting...I will have to run it past my Russian Jewish wife and see how antisemitic she feels it would be. To bad imo those type of things are edited for no good reason.
I apologize for the shambles this response has become but was trying obviously to respond to several post without a wall of text attack!
For now, Thanks for the responses.