Prax and the thousand questions about the place.

[jajagappa]

8 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

Prax always has me thinking American Southwest somehow.

Somehow??? Maybe because it is modeled on it! 😉 

River of Cradles is pretty much a straight-flowing Grand Canyon if you consider the elevations on each side.

Condor Crags are the towering spikes of Bryce Canyon. etc.

Certainly there is room somewhere for cliff palaces, even if not previously noted. Plateau of Statues or Tunneled Hills would work. Maybe even some near the Painted Wall or the Sleeping City Hills if you want closer to or within Prax.

[Malin]

Honestly, driving across the Snoqualmie pass and following the Columbia River south for a while this summer gave me such an appreciation for the Sun County/Prax landscape. Beautiful views, even with the drought.

[Erol of Backford]

5 hours ago, jajagappa said:

River of Cradles is pretty much a straight-flowing Grand Canyon if you consider the elevations on each side.

But a good bit wider in some locations or so it seems on the Prax maps?

5 hours ago, jajagappa said:

Condor Crags are the towering spikes of Bryce Canyon. etc.

Sunrise there with 18" of fresh snow was an incredible view. No snow normally in Southern Prax however correct?

Was thinking it was based on the Needles in the Black Hills but both work for me. 

6 hours ago, Malin said:

Snoqualmie pass

We are planning Spring Break Seattle into Northern Cal this year. Is the pass open late March as we might go that way if the drive makes one think of Sun County?

[Erol of Backford]

Entekosiad, noticed: They then burned the fields, so that the Long Noses and other beasts panicked and fled towards the pits. Where there ever elephants in Prax and if so when and where. If so where might a skeleton be found? What about tar pits are they in Prax, maybe close to the Bog?

[David Scott]

14 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

Entekosiad, noticed: They then burned the fields, so that the Long Noses and other beasts panicked and fled towards the pits. Where there ever elephants in Prax and if so when and where. If so where might a skeleton be found? What about tar pits are they in Prax, maybe close to the Bog?

There were at least 21 beast tribes (families), the long noses, could be elephants if you want. There are elephants in Teshnos (IIRC), I've always imagined the long noses. as Gomphotheres as elephant is just too obvious.

[Erol of Backford]

Imported war elephant/gomphotheres with barding from Teshnos. We'll need to create a caravan with elephants... likely travel by water is more economical but when seas are rough and or pirates are numerous, maybe a caravan from Teshnos to Pavis could work out? Water would be an issue for sure... hey why isn't there a camel tribe or is it one of the missing beast tribes?

I happened on this from YOBoT 03, what animal has a long nose like an elephant sized like an antelope? 

 

Edited February 2 by Erol of Backford

[jajagappa]

3 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

hey why isn't there a camel tribe or is it one of the missing beast tribes?

They're called "High Llama" (e.g. alticamelus)! 

[Erol of Backford]

  I suppose they are similar?

[jajagappa]

Well, much taller and not much hump, but camels nonetheless.

[David Scott]

Camels seem to exist only on the Shadow Plateau (Can't remember the source)

[Erol of Backford]

1 hour ago, David Scott said:

Camels seem to exist only on the Shadow Plateau (Can't remember the source)

Axe Maidens ride! (whaaat?)

[David Scott]

2 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

Axe Maidens ride! (whaaat?)

No it's just a small clan.

[Erol of Backford]

Wyrm's Footnotes 15 p.03 - Where did Count Felagga’s Mystic Menagerie get Ambelodon – (shovel-tusked mastodon) quite tame. “Ride the ambelodon! Five Pieces of Eight.” The ambelodon stands on an island surrounded by a moat. It can wade the moat easily, but putting it on the island allows for crowd control and the collecting of tickets... Teshnos?

Besides maybe this one when it wanders through Prax are there thought to be others? Maybe an eastern caravan or something?

Edited February 4 by Erol of Backford

[Joerg]

4 minutes ago, Erol of Backford said:

Wyrm's Footnotes 15 p.03 - Where did Count Felagga’s Mystic Menagerie get Ambelodon – (shovel-tusked mastodon) quite tame. “Ride the ambelodon! Five Pieces of Eight.” The ambelodon stands on an island surrounded by a moat. It can wade the moat easily, but putting it on the island allows for crowd control and the collecting of tickets... Teshnos?

Weird pachyderms - think Fonrit.

[jajagappa]

1 hour ago, Joerg said:

Weird pachyderms - think Fonrit.

Fun times getting that across the seas.

[Erol of Backford]

I'll say it (they) waded from Teshnos when there was a strange low tide... why not, we have fish roads right?

[Joerg]

6 hours ago, jajagappa said:

Fun times getting that across the seas.

Maybe ask the Mostali - they shipped dinos from Slon to Jrustela. Shoveltuskers are small compared to that. Or the Vadeli.

[Erol of Backford]

Does anyone know of published sources of a Praxian tribesman switching to a different clan that rides a separate herd beast than they were born into and then switching to riding the new clan's beast in lieu of that which they were born?

"A zebra rider is always a zebra rider."

[g33k]

1 hour ago, Erol of Backford said:

Does anyone know of published sources of a Praxian tribesman switching to a different clan that rides a separate herd beast than they were born into and then switching to riding the new clan's beast in lieu of that which they were born?

"A zebra rider is always a zebra rider."

I'm trying to recall the source -- and it may not be canonical -- but I'm prettty sure I read somewhere that there was some SIZ-based inter-tribal mobility, with unusually-small folk moving to Impala (and occasionally Ostrich or Bolo-lizard) Tribes, unusually-large folk moving to Bison & Rhino Tribes.

There's also slave-taking, sometimes, with said slaves sometimes earning their freedom... and maybe staying with the tribe as an adoptee?  (Argrath became a Praxian leader via this path)

[Joerg]

1 hour ago, Erol of Backford said:

Does anyone know of published sources of a Praxian tribesman switching to a different clan that rides a separate herd beast than they were born into and then switching to riding the new clan's beast in lieu of that which they were born?

"A zebra rider is always a zebra rider."

Rather few opportunities, really.

A few males follow the Unicorn Riders to be with their offspring. They aren't required to switch their steeds.

The Cannibal Cult is not a tribe but rather a mob of people who got infected by the cannibal meme as a distortion of the Covenant. This affects only members of the Covenant, so presumably riders with their steeds.

Praxian outlaws might join the Pol Joni, and might be offered to ride horses. Many retain their original tribal beasts.

[Erol of Backford]

12 minutes ago, g33k said:

There's also slave-taking, sometimes, with said slaves sometimes earning their freedom... and maybe staying with the tribe as an adoptee?  (Argrath became a Praxian leader via this path)

I suppose this might be the most common avenue to switch, had not thought about slaves and their being adopted into the new clan wherein they were freed or what ever. I suppose marriage either arranged-politically or via love might also have some tracktion here.

Thanks!

7 minutes ago, Joerg said:

Praxian outlaws might join the Pol Joni, and might be offered to ride horses.

What is the likelihood that one group of nomads would attack another via chance encounter in Prax? Also what would the increase be if the other group happened to be on horses?

[jajagappa]

2 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

Does anyone know of published sources of a Praxian tribesman switching to a different clan that rides a separate herd beast than they were born into and then switching to riding the new clan's beast in lieu of that which they were born?

You'd have to ask "why"?

If you're born into a tribe, you know that your tribe is the best in Prax with the beast beasts. You'll raid for other beasts for meat or milk, but why would you ever ride such?

The primary answer I think is that you've committed some crime against your tribe and have been outlawed. Maybe you now have a taboo against riding such, or that tribe's beasts know of you and reject you.

Maybe at some point you redeem yourself and are allowed back into the tribe, but the riding beasts still reject you. 

[Malin]

2 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

Does anyone know of published sources of a Praxian tribesman switching to a different clan that rides a separate herd beast than they were born into and then switching to riding the new clan's beast in lieu of that which they were born?

"A zebra rider is always a zebra rider."

From the Guide to Glorantha about the Pol Joni:

[Erol of Backford]

23 hours ago, Malin said:

From the Guide to Glorantha about the Pol Joni:

It's perfect.

I also like the slave earning their freedom and maybe marrying into the new clan, adopting the beast of said clan. The being outlawed is a more likely option but it isn't as appealing, maybe wrongfully outlawed somehow?

Thanks all.

Edited September 2 by Erol of Backford

[Ian A. Thomson]

On 10/10/2016 at 2:21 AM, Haimji said:

I can imagine that Lord Pavis may give informations about past, for example. After all, he was there when Pavis was founded : he did it.

This kind of informations may be precious if you want to explore the big rubble.

Just talking about my version here, and nothing else (not official and not other people's campaigns) - Pavis would not give out details of ruins to go and raid to rag-tag adventurers; the Pavis Priests do not operate auguries for cash; there's no door on the temple so you can't go in (past the guards) and hope to find Pavis in there and ask him yourself. Also, the version that I discussed with Greg had Pavis in his own special section of the Otherworld that could be contacted via a shrine in the Real City  temple, but only like other gods (and locally Pavis is a powerful god)