Greetings Forumites
I've been wanting to create a unique setting which I can use for multi-platform rpg sessions (eventually, I hope to create my own system, but that's not yet relevant) for some time now. However, rather than try to build this entirely on my own and then reveal it to my players (and have them poke holes in everything), I've decided to the use the unlimited creativity and cruelty of the Bay12 forums to critique and crystallize my efforts beforehand.
A couple of ground rules before I start:
1. I'll be using a top-down approach to build the world starting from the most basic of the basics (geography) and logically continuing from there
2. The world map was randomly generated using DF then converted to a satellite image, but nothing else from DF (except perhaps RNG names, when I get lazy) will be used
What I want the world to be:1. A logically flowing world which is interconnected and has no vacuums (except when it makes sense to have one)
2. Realistic, but not so sado-simulationist that I start pulling out teeth and fingernails to keep calm
3. A deconstruction (of sorts) of the fantasy genre
4. A exploration of various real-world issues, past and present (politics, slavery, war, genocide, racism, religion etc.)
5. Interesting
What I don't want the world to be: 1. Cliched
2. Redundant
3. Elitist
4. Boring
What I want from you forumites1.
Candy Critique (Be gentle)
2. Advice (Be honest)
3. Praise (Lie)
That said, let's begin.
Welcome to Tsust (pronuounced Soost), a world of fierce survival, deadly politics, ancient mysteries, and of course myth and adventure. This guide represents a (hopefully) brief history of the Tsust and its inhabitants. Let us begin…
The world of Tsust is divided into major and minor continents:
The major continents are part of the super-landmass, Mailes and there are three of them:
a. Orod Belon
b. Kotor
c. Tumare
There are also three minor continents, so called because they are smaller and because they are disconnected from Tumare:
a. Portristun (Poor-TRIS-tun)
b. !un (Pronounced with a tongue-click then “oon”)
c. Nouka (No-oo-Ka)
It should be noted that none of the continents of Tsust are “New Worlds”, i.e the peoples of these continents are not alien to each other. This does not mean that every corner and crevice has been explored, (in fact many of Tsust’s forests and even its primary mountain range “The Teeth of Uvash” remain unexplored). However, it does mean that the various peoples and civilizations of Tsust participate in trade, diplomacy, political exchange, and that no country exists in a vacuum.
Major Continents
1. Orod Belon
Location: Extends north from the southeast corner of the map to the northern isthmus (more than half-way up the map) and west to the western isthmus (almost exactly half-way across the map)
Geography: Orod Belon is very diverse in its geography, containing everything from harsh sand deserts, to tropical rain forests, to sea-sharpened cliffs. It is prominent in that it contains one of only two “true” mountain ranges in Tsust. It was named Mount Orod by the Qorin, who discovered it when they migrated from the west. The strange triangular pyramidal shape of the mountain has created three distinct geographical environments on each side. There are settlements on all three sides, on one side the Ubi desert, on the other the Lodel Rainforest, and on the third the Plains of Gath.
Farther to the north there are coniferous forests and grassland, much of which is settled and farmed. Going further east, toward the !Ti-!lo Ocean, are pockets of dry, rocky desert connected by vast stretches of savannah. These areas are more or less uninhabited by civilized life, due to a lack of resources, an abundance of predators and an unhealthy amount of sun.
People: The people of Orod Belon are as varied as its geography. No fewer than 20 different dialects are spoken throughout the continent, which amount to nearly half of all the languages spoken in the world. Much of this multiculturalism is due to the distinct, evolutionary ancestors these people descend from: the Kubo, the Qorin and the !Xtu (Click-ah-Tu); generations of interbreeding have all but obliterated genetic differences in Orod Belon, but pockets of society still exist which maintain “pure blood”, and seek to retain their ancestral roots.
Approximately 3 million people, live in Orod Belon, spread across 4 independent sovereign nations. Despite stark differences in political and religious ideology between countries, the people of Orod Belon pride themselves in having maintained peaceful relations within their borders for over 300 years.
Resources: Orod Belon has a number of useful natural resources. Besides the ample farmland to the north and lumber all throughout the continent, there are iron deposits to the east and gold to the south. Mount Orod boasts large pockets of pyrite, which is mined and sold to countries in Kotor (to the west). Where it goes from there remains a closely guarded secret, but rumors indicate that it is sold to the Pipra who live in the Teeth of Uvash. As for what they do with it, is a mystery even to the traders. The export of pyrite is the second largest industry in Orod Belon, the first being, of course, ironworking.
Other minor resources include domesticated grazers such as the Lotol and the Beezu, various kinds of small and large fish (Nob-hunting in particular is very profitable and very dangerous), and !ung silk, extracted from the !ung plant (also very dangerous).
2. Kotor
Location: Extends from the isthmus at the southeast (almost exactly in the horizontal middle) all the way west to the Ba-ting ocean and north, past the Teeth of Uvash until it meets Tumare
Geography: The most prominent geographical feature of Kotor is the enormous “Teeth of Uvash” mountain range. The other “true” mountain range, as well as the largest, it covers approximately 1/8th of the surface of Kotor. It remains almost completely unexplored and this is in no small part due to the presence of Pipra, a race of sentient, mountain-dwelling creatures similar to ants or termites, who do not take kindly to the uninvited.
West of the Teeth of Uvash is the Ba-Ting Ocean which wraps around the map and meets with the !Ti-!lo Ocean. Although Kotor is the largest of the three major continents, much of it is uninhabited wilderness, either dense deciduous forests or denser tropical forests. There are also fetid swamps scattered around the continent, completely uninhabitable. Expansion into these territories has proven difficult as they are home to Elves, the third sentient race in Tsust.
People: Kotor is home to a mostly homogenous human population, but also houses Elves and Pipra. Most of Kotor was conquered by the Egeonid Empire about 130 years ago, but certain parts (such as the Sour Coast in the west, and the Faa-li forest to the north) are the territories of other countries. Many of the people of Kotor can trace their ancestry from the Qorin, and unlike people of the modern day Kingdom of Qorin, the people of Kotor retain the pronounced head and chin of their ancestors (though not their fabled strength and size). However the recent acquisition of Portristun and the influx of its people into Kotor, has begun to change the demographic. Approximately 1 million people live in Kotor.
Kotor remains a place of mystery and desperate survival, the people are hardy and infant-death is high. Yet it is said that if a man can survive in Kotor, he can thrive anywhere.
Resources: Kotor has comparatively few resources. There are no metal deposits (the Teeth of Uvash are believed to contain iron, silver and even titanium, but remain unapproachable due to the enigmatic Pipra), only a few of the forests have been safely cut down, and the patches of prairie and grassland are often stalked by enormous grazers and predators.
Despite this, Kotor is the largest exporter of medicine and arcane ingredients in the world. It is home to several renowned wizards and shamans who take advantage of the abundance of rare magical reagents in the Kotor’s various forests. In fact, entire guilds have emerged in Egenoid, dedicated only to excursions into the uncharted wilderness and the retrieval of rare ingredients. The adventurers of these “Explorer Guilds” constitute a large percentage of Kotor’s employed.
The other major resource, slaves, is imported from the recently acquired Portristun. Slavery is a controversial issue in Kotor (and in Tumare and Orod Belon, where they are exported) but has become an integral part of Egeonid society.
3. Tumare
Location: Starting from the southwestern isthmus which connects it to Orod Belon, it extends up and east until it meets with Kotor.
Geography: The smallest of the three major continents, Tumare consists mainly of dry-broadleaf forests and huge stretches of grassland. There are also pockets of rocky deserts and sand deserts, which are uninhabited due to frequent dust storms. To eastern coast lies the Dertim Sea and to the south east, the Maweth peninsula divides the Thean sea from the Mewcen Sea.
People: Tumare is composed two dominant ethnic groups, those descended from the !Xtu and those descended from the Noukons. Both are sea-faring people that crossed over into Tumare about 6000 years ago conquering the now extinct, indigenous Tuli (the latter, !Xtu, also spread into the northern parts of Orod Belon). The people of Tumare are generally tolerant of foreigners and consequently a significant portion of their population is composed of outsiders.
Tumare is also the most populous of the continents, home to approximately 4.5 million people. Many of which are farmers or skilled artisans. The people of Tumare enjoy a high standard of living due to their relatively peaceful surroundings and abundant resources.
Resources: The biggest industry in Tumare is agriculture which makes up more than 70% of its wealth. The enormous stretches of fertile land on the eastern side of the continent feed over 6 million people. The people of Kotor are especially bound to the grain and maize fields of Tumare, having little arable land of their own. Tumare also has access to the Khat tree, whose bark can be treated and refined to fashion woven armor, light and flexible as clothing but strong as iron.
Finally, the Tumare is the only place in Tsust that has access to lead, which is used to create lead glass (among other things), an extremely valuable commodity.
The Minor Continents
1. Portristun
Location: Four islands, south of Kotor and west of Orod Belon constitute Portristun
Geography: Mostly tropical forests with seasonal rains as well as stretches of temperate grassland. The coasts range from scenic sand beaches to harsh cliffs. There are boreal forests going south-ward which eventually converge with arctic deserts. There is also a dormant volcano that sprouts along the edge of the artic.
People: The indigenous people of Portristun, called the Cheenou by the Egeonid, were conquered 30 years ago after they were discovered by the Egeonid Empire. Their subsequent subjugation and enslavement has been a topic of debate around the world but despite several bloody slave revolts, Egeonid has shown little interest in emancipation. Currently, the islands serve as popular tourist attractions and vacation spots, but more and more merchants have begun to immigrate in the hopes of exploiting its untapped agricultural resources, as well as to profit from the slave trade.
Resources: Other than slaves, Portristun also has a vibrant sugar industry; Sap from the Bubis plant can be refined into sugar, and the seeds are said to possess calming and healing powers and are used for medicine. The Elelem root can be brewed into a powerful, addictive psychedelic which is banned in most countries and can only be found in the seedier parts of Tsust, but which has made a few men their fortunes.
Portristun promises yet greater riches as further measures are taken to explore its lands.
2. !un
Location: North-western Island off the coast of Orod Belon
Geography: A small island with sparse variety in geography. Steppes to the east and deciduous forests the west, small wonder that the peoples of this continent sought to expand as soon as possible.
People: Very few people live in !un any more, however it is believed to be the cradle of the !Xtu people, sea-faring nomads, who expanded into Tumare and Orod Belon about 600 years ago, establishing powerful kingdoms. Small populations of fisherman still exist in !un, but these live isolated from the worries of the rest of Tsust.
Resources; Very few, other than shoals of fish and beds of clams off of the coast of the island. A type of spiced tobacco is also grown here, but variants of the crop were carried by the !Xtu long ago into Mailes.
3. Nouka
Location: Island north of !un
Geography: Almost exactly the same as !un, with the exception of the forests, which are replaced by grassland. A very flat continent, with no mountain or even high hills.
People: Nouka is believed to be the origin of the Noukon people, who migrated to Tumare about 6000 years ago. Nowadays, Nouka is a refuge for pirates, bandits and the exiled of the world. As such, the seedier and more malicious inhabitants of Tsust call Nouka home. It is an island of revelry and scum, yet holds a special place in the hearts of all aspiring criminals as a paradise of anarchy.
Resources: Virtually nothing as most of the forests have been logged for the sake of building coastal port towns. It is however the center of smuggling operations in the world. Almost nothing illegal is sold (or legal, “re-sold”) in Tsust without it having first passed through Nouka
The Nations
1. !Xtul
Origins: The proud nation of !Xtul originates from the !Xtu people which are thought to have migrated from !un 600 years ago.
Location: !Xtul extends from !un (technically a part of !Xtul, but more or less independent) and stretches west into Orod Belon and then north into the southern portion of Tumare. The land bridge which connects Orod Belon to Tumare is not, however, a part of !Xtul, being instead an independent neutral zone within !Xtul.
Political System: !Xtul follows a unique monarchal representative system. Supreme executive power is wielded by a king, who rules in 8 years terms. A king is elected by a council of “nobles” consisting of landed aristocrats, representatives from large organizations and wealthy merchants. There are technically no criteria for determining a noble except for a sizeable “donation” to the kingdom called a “voting fee”. !Xtul is unique in that it does not tax its citizens, instead using the money provided by nobles for the “voting fee”, to run the country. Approximately 300 to 400 nobles gather to elect a king every 8 years, though this number is greatly variable from term to term.
As a result, the king has very little direct power over its citizens. He cannot, for example, make a declaration of war or even raise an army without the support of the nobles (well, he can, but a declaration of war means nothing without an army, and an army means nothing without people, training, and weapons). The king is responsible, however, for education and trade regulation, and is also the chief diplomat of his country. He possess the power to pardon any crime and condemn any one (even a noble) to exile. Though he cannot raise an army, the king is often at the head of it and he is at the most basic level, the face of the nation. It is not inaccurate to view royal elections as a kind of popularity contest, and indeed, a surprising number of past kings have been street performers and musicians which rose to fame and eventual kingship.
The current king, Se!non III, has ruled for the last 24 years. Born as an illiterate peasant he apprenticed under a traveling merchant until he struck out a business of his own, amassed wealth, established himself as a noble and then gained the peoples trust through a series of charitable programs. He is beloved by the people (and not just a little feared by the nobles, for his quick-handed approach to exile), but age and disease have caught up to King Se!non and he has stated that he will not be running for reelection.
The nobility of !Xtul are the engine of the government, they fund and run the entire nation. However the group of electing nobles are in constant flux from term to term, some aren't even citizens of !Xtul. In order to become a noble, all that is necessary is to pay the “voting fee” which is a monumental sum of either gold, land or labor (often all three) which can be used by the king at his leisure for the duration of his term (complex laws dictate what happens to anything left over after the term, but usually it is returned to the original owner or kept as an advance for any future voting fees; the exception is land and labor which are handled in a manner befitting the particular situation). The only power the nobles actually have is the ability to choose the king, yet this power, coupled with their funding of the government, allows them to assume many different roles within the system.
History: !Xtul was founded by the !Xtu people, who crossed over from !un 6000 years ago. Records from that time are scarce, as the !Xtu did not adopt a writing system until their encounter with (and subsequent genocide of) the native Tuli.
However, surviving Tuli documents suggest that the ancient !Xtu were short, sea-faring people, who took pleasure in smoking and fishing, had excellent eyesight, and were relatively primitive compared to the Tuli. Indeed, the total destruction of the Tuli at the hands of the !Xtu has remained something of a mystery to most scholars. Some believe that the gods aided the !Xtu in conquering Tumare and Orod Belon, giving them these lands as a gift for their devotion. But the prevailing theory is that the !Xtu brought with them a virulent parasite native to !un which completely decimated the Tuli as they had no resistance to such a pathogen. However, as such a parasite has yet to be found in the forests of !un, this theory is hotly debated.
Whatever the case, with the Tuli out picture, the !Xtu quickly adapted Tuli technology for their own purposes. The first major breakthrough was the invention of writing, and the second, the transformation from a sea-faring society to an agrarian one. As the !Xtu spread farther and farther into the broken Tuli kingdom, they gleaned many of their secrets. The arts of metalcraft, architecture, and medicine raised the !Xtu into a populous and prosperous empire. For 2000 years the !Xtu expanded and swelled in population.
Eventually they made contact with the Qorin and the Kubo. !Xtu documents from the time describe the Qorin as ferocious giants, almost twice the size of an average !Xtu and 3 times as strong. They also describe the characteristic protruding chin and forehead of the Qorin, which is still existent in some parts of society today. The !Xtu entered into a non-aggression pact with the Qorin, fearing that they could not win against these powerful savages. The Qorin accepted, happy to have left the horrific jungles of Kotor with little bloodshed.
However, the !Xtu had no such fear against the Kubo, who were said to be around the same size and strength as the !Xtu, the only difference being their unnaturally brown eyes and hair. As such the !Xtu immediately began a war with the Kubo, seeking to enslave them and take control of Tumare. Ultimately they failed (though it remains a sensitive issue for the people of !Xtul) and the Kubo were able to push them out of Tumare entirely, and even dig into parts of Orod Belon. The !Xtu, desperate and cornered, turned to the Qorin, who agreed to fight for !Xtu in exchange for some key territories in Orod Belon. This, combined with a severe drought in Tumare, forced the Kubo to retreat. Several more wars followed, with neither side able to completely dominate the other. Eventually a non-aggression treaty was made, dividing certain territories between the two. This treaty is still in effect today, though tensions have been boiling between the two peoples ever since.
Another interesting factor in !Xtul’s history is its “diversity laws”, a series of laws passed some time after the Kubo-!Xtul wars to integrate Qorin society into !Xtul. For a long time, interspecies mating was forbidden within !Xtul. However, when King Xienen (a Qorin) rose to power he passed a series of laws allowing interspecies marriage. 3000 years of interspecies breeding has resulted in a heterogenous blend of genetic characteristics. So that, the previous !Xtu and Qorin (and even Kubo) populations, once distinct and divided, are now mixed and homogenized.
!Xtu is also the only nation which has a permanent ban on magic and magical artifacts. The origin of this custom and that of the organization that enforces it, the Templars, is still in dispute. However, certain recently discovered documents have revealed that the !Xtu, at one time, practiced magic openly. In fact, it was ingrained deeply within their old religion. However, something catastrophic happened about 5000 years ago which resulted in the founding of the Templars, and the ban against magic. What this event was is not fully understood, but it definitely had global effects as several documents dated around this time from completely different societies describe the same calamity. Some historians believe that the almost total defeat against the Kubo in the Kubo-!Xtul wars was a result of a “magic-gap” with the Kubo wizards and shamans having a great advantage over the !Xtu in being able to use Tuli-enchanted weaponry and Tuli rituals.
With the coming of the recent royal election, there finally are talks about lifting the magic ban. The Templars are adamant against its repeal (and their considerable wealth is not be overlooked) but it is perhaps only a matter time before magic is once again allowed in !Xtul.
Foreign Relations: !Xtul maintains peaceful relations with all its immediate neighbors (with the exception of Ozolodel, home of the Kubo, whose relations can be summarized as a handshake between gritted teeth). An free-trade agreement passed around 130 years ago (in response to the sudden unification of Kotor territories into the Egeonid Empire) between !Xtul and the Kingdom of Qorin sustains friendly relations between the two nations. Recently however, tensions have gotten high between the two as Qorin has requested military aid in response to the recent revolution and secession of the Losan Republic from Qorin. !Xtul remains hesitant to intervene in such affairs, especially since the primary import from Qorin, Iron, has changed hands to the Losan Republic, who have claimed control of the Iron mines to the east.
Relations between other nations are mostly economical. The Thean and Mewcen sea are a primary means of trade and transport between !Xtul and the nations in Kotor and Tumare. The Egeonid Empire, especially, use trade routes established in these seas to quickly export slaves from Portristun; these slaves have come to pervade every corner of !Xtul’s society, from the kings palace to the blacksmith’s forge. King Se!non has claimed that “Slavery is an infected limb, and we must cut it off before it consumes us”, yet the vast profits and increase in living standard the slaves have allowed, do little to dissuade it.
The only real conflict, other than those already stated, is perhaps between !Xtul and Theasta. The latter has been “exporting” religious missionaries into !Xtul for several years resulting in mass conversions (mostly concentrated near the coastal towns) annoying several native religious groups. Some even believe this part of a larger plan or conspiracy to undermine !Xtul authority and destroy it from the inside. Naturally the Kubo are believed to be colluding with the Theastans. However, the Theastans deny any accusations and claim the missionary work is done independent of any government action. The religious leaders of !Xtul remain skeptical.
Culture: !Xtul has a diverse multi-ethnic culture. Those descended from the original !Xtu (from !un) might worship the sea-gods of their ancestors (Pon!, for example, the God of Storms, who is depicted as a fish with no tail, whose eye is the moon and the clouds its body and the sky, the ocean it swims upon.) or they might worship the adopted gods of the Tuli (such as Mot-Ku, god of death and harvest, usually depicted as humanoid composed of locusts) or several other gods from the pantheon of the Qorin, or the recently introduced Non-god of the Theastans, or even align with the monistic philosophy of the Kubo.
Whatever the case, !Xtul makes no law against the practice of any religion so long as its worship does not break any of its other laws (even here there is some give and take). This has led to !Xtul becoming something of a haven and melting pot of various cultures and religions.
There are several yearly festivals in !Xtul, some limited to certain specific areas, some spread throughout the entirety of the nation. The most universal of these is the “Passing of the Gourd” which takes place after the solar New Year, but before the coming of harvest season. The ritual involves filling a large gourd with water (or wine, or juice or ale) and passing it from person to person. Each person then takes a drink and passes it to the next, the last person refilling the gourd and passing it again until every person in the town has drunk. Then the gourd is filled again and given to a wandering monk (or sometimes a mendicant) who then passes it to the next town. Other towns in turn pass their gourds and this process continues until the harvest season (about 1-2 months from the New Year). Each town has a single gourd which is marked with the town’s name, but personal gourds can also be sent out. It is said that if the gourd ever returns to its origin, the harvest will be poor. There is also the “White Gourd” which originated from a shrine in the western coast near the !Ti-!lo Ocean, this gourd contains water taken from a holy well. It is not drunk, instead it is believed whoever possesses the gourd will have good luck and bountiful harvest for the whole year.
The origins of this custom are still unclear but several different theories have been suggested. Some scholars believe that the “White Gourd” belonged to Ko!x, the Unburdened, who, filled the gourd with his own blood and then emptied it on a field which had been barren for 300 years. Legend has it that tufts of grain sprouted from where the blood met the earth. Other believe that it is a Tuli custom used to usher in the new year and as a means of warding away bad luck, they claim that similar sharing rituals (though limited to family members) are described in old Tuli texts. Still others claim that it was a folk custom which quickly spread throughout the kingdom, the “White Gourd” merely being an addendum to the custom to give it some religious distinction.
Economics and Industry:
2. Egeonid Empire
3. Losan Republic
4. Kingdom of Qorin
5. Ozolodel
6. Kingdom of Theasta
The Races
1. Humans
2. Pipra
Appearance: Pipra are giant terrestrial ant-like creatures measuring about 4 feet tall and 6 feet long. However these measurements vary considerably from caste to caste (explained below) as does their appearance. The most common encountered caste, the so-called Nobles, conduct trade and diplomacy with humans (and on some rare occasions elves), the Warrior caste is also encountered frequently, since they usually accompany Nobles. Nobles are relatively small (compared to the Warriors) measuring about 2-3 feet in height and 4-5 feet in length. They walk on four limbs which sprout from their thorax, the other two limbs are used for grasping, having pincer like extensions at the “wrist” which can rotate freely in 360 degrees. As with all castes of Pipra (or so it is believed) neither the Nobles nor the Warriors have any photo-receptive organs. It is believed that the Pipra primarily use chemo-sense to collect information about their surroundings; neither the mechanism nor the organs which are responsible for this sense are known.
The Nobles lack the large mandibles which Warriors (and it is also believed, Workers) possess, but are nonetheless capable of the peculiar “chittering” language. Their heads are also much more pronounced, almost the same size as their abdomen.
The Warriors, in contrast, are huge, around 4-6 feet tall and 6-9 feet long. They use all six of their limbs to walk and do not seem capable of standing on their hind limbs, though they can easily scale steep cliffs and safely go down near-vertical drops. Their head’s are much smaller than the Nobles, but their mandibles are greatly pronounced and sharp (and, as first-hand experience has regrettably found, can be used as deadly weapons).
Anatomy: Not much is known about Pipra anatomy, only a few traders in the world deal with the Pipra and fewer still have seen more than two castes of the colony. After a great deal of negotiation (and several tons of pyrite) a number of Pipra corpses were bought for dissection. They included members from 3 castes: Warrior, Worker and Nurse
To the surprise of many scholars, the internal physiology between three castes varied so considerably that they could be considered separate species. The degree of specialization, believed to be induced upon birth by magic, causes several major anatomical changes from caste to caste. Creating specialized organs for certain tasks while destroying or making vestigial other organs. For instance, the Nurse caste seems to have a pouch which carries chemicals of a mysterious nature (possibly magical). Feeding these chemicals to rats causes instant death, and their purpose is not understood.
However, there are several things which these castes have in common. All seem to have stomachs and a circulatory system, as well as a nervous system, though the latter two vary considerably in development and complexity from caste to caste. They also all have an auditory system far more sensitive than humans.
The biggest mystery is perhaps that of the Pipra’s diet. They have no teeth; instead their mouths are simple empty holes with large pouches at the sides. The pouches seem to contain an extremely toxic liquid which can burn holes even in metal. It has been theorized by some, that Pipra feed upon stone itself; however, these scholars have been defamed and ostracized from the general community and should not be taken in earnest.
The Pipra stomach and digestive system is the only thing that is truly consistent from caste to caste, yet, as with everything else, their workings remain a mystery.
Language: The Pipra do not have tongues, as such their primary method of communication seems to be chemo-sensitive as well as auditory. The mandibles which all castes are believed to have, can “click” at varying speeds and intervals and serve as a language. Humans have been able to figure out the language more or less through trial and error (quite a bit of error), but the Pipra, despite their looks are a patient and well-meaning race (if a bit introverted and isolationist).
Society: Pipra society is divided into castes. Each caste is differentiated at a physical level to a particular specialized task within the colony. Everything from mandible size to intelligence is controlled from the egg. The prevailing “Hexa-caste theory” claims that there are 6 castes: Queen, Nurse, Noble, Warrior, Worker, and Child. The first two are responsible for hatching and replenishing and caring for, the stock of eggs in the colony. The Noble caste dictates day to day business as an administrative force (they are also diplomats and merchants who trade with other races). The Warrior caste defends the colony from harm. The Worker caste expands the colony, digging deep into the earth and uncovering space and rare metals. The Child caste is hypothetical, but is believed to be a caste of undeveloped Queens, which mature as soon as the current Queen dies.
3. Elves
Author
Topic: Welcome to Tsust! (World-building exercises in futility) (Read 12840 times)