In the Shadow of Man - Discussion

I dunno.

I thought "appearance" wouldn't be needed because our characters have the appearances of their respective species.

Also, Salty has returned!

I see.But if a particular character had a scar or similar identifying mark? That would be an important detail. Perhaps it could become an optional category?

Optional.

Also, as of this post, humans have been referred to. Maybe it's the time to start the "HUMANS AND CRAPSACK INCOMING" period?

edited 19th Mar '16 1:19:43 PM by arcada188

Is Milo gonna come back soon? I think shit's about to hit the fan.

edited 19th Mar '16 1:29:16 PM by gregnes2000

I dunno.

So, for characters, we have a peregrine falcon with PTSD (I suppose), a tegu lizard who was also heavily abused by humans, a young mouse who aspires to become a knight, and a swearing, snarky raccoon.

And t-manboy55 has come back, so now we have a thieving rat who speaks a bit like Dio Brando.

edited 19th Mar '16 1:34:04 PM by arcada188

I don't know how to get him to return to you guys, he's probably already busy up at market. Maybe you should go warn the village? Altogether, I'm not in favor of ending the introductory period yet. There's still so much we haven't seen of woodland life. Although you guys should go on right ahead if you feel that the plot needs more excitement right now.

edited 19th Mar '16 1:34:42 PM by cake1

Don't worry, cake1, we'll get to introduce the woodland colony of mice.

Arcada, we have a new player in the sign-up thread!

I know. He also wants to play as a jumping spider. I... I don't know whether to let him in or have him choose a different character, since I expected vertebrate animals and, while spiders are not insects, insects are a source of food in this setting. Then again, so are mice.

Should we let him in?

I'm up for a spider. It'll make for a vast group.

Okay. I like the "arachnid supremacist" too.

sorry

I originally planned to have Arkady go to Milo to talk about Berno - how would they interact?

Funnily enough, That Guy's character Jericho, in human years, is the oldest of the cast: Arkady is 16, Leonardo is 17, Milo is 13 and a half (in mouse years, though), Nacl is LITERALLY TEN (being even younger than Milo), and Berno is 15. Jericho is 21.

edited 19th Mar '16 2:40:36 PM by arcada188

No it's fine. I made comments over in the sign up thread that I should have brought here too. I think you and Berno should come. I think Rats are sort of the mangy outcasts of the rodent community, seeing as how they tend to live in filth and poverty and such.

edited 19th Mar '16 2:39:55 PM by cake1

Oh, quick note, when I say arachnid supremacist, I don't like mean, a nazi or anything - he just considers spiders (and scorpions) to have an upper hand over other species.

edited 19th Mar '16 2:43:47 PM by ThisGuy481

Including mammals? How that does manifest? Does he say some slurs or bring up "facts" about how spiders are better-evolved?

edited 19th Mar '16 2:44:20 PM by arcada188

Well, he doesn't use slurs or anything - as I said, he does have some reasons - his perceptive is just somewhat scewered because he considers most other evolutionary advantages to be useless, as they would be to his species. So he considers them less well-evolved. It's unlikely to become a real plot point - unless he gets around someone who is really, REALLY testy it'll probably stay played for laughs.

edited 19th Mar '16 2:54:59 PM by ThisGuy481

With such a skewed perspective towards his fellow spiders, I'm surprised he isn't trying to reassure himself that humans' control of practically the entire planet doesn't mean that they are dominant.

Also, isn't it ironic that Jericho is practically the oldest of the bunch in human years?

edited 19th Mar '16 3:01:28 PM by arcada188

He heavily, heavily respects their intellect and cunning. Any animal could tell that they definitely have quite the advantage - so he respects them for having that advantage, and finding the right ways to exploit it.

And, yes, it is quite funny that the smallest, weakest character is the oldest.

edited 19th Mar '16 3:02:52 PM by ThisGuy481

And just about most of the animals envy them: for their cunning, their intellect, and the way they get away with practically screwing over the entire animal community.

I'd rather say "mature" rather than "old", as Jumping Spider's age is still measured in Jumping Spider Age or the closest equivalent.

edited 19th Mar '16 3:04:54 PM by arcada188

Hey arcada, weren't you going to put the optional appearance category on the sign-up sheet?

Oh yeah, totally should.

I just have to ask; how much have you planned out in the long term yet for plot/world-building?

Well, the humans are the closest thing to a Big Bad, their suburban neighborhood and pets are creepy and suffering on their own, the animals try to travel to a Sacred Land only to inevitably discover that it's gonna be plundered by HOOMANS in a day, and yeah, pretty much it. Also, gonna be some factions.

And, once you realize that Nacl, Salty's character, is the youngest in human years (HE'S TEN), that brings up a case of Fridge Horror - he is practically a child at best, doesn't really want to talk about his abusive falconier, which means he was abused when he was a child at best.

edited 19th Mar '16 3:10:40 PM by arcada188

By the way, since there was no "backstory" on the signups, Jericho has been used as a Lab Spider multiple times - there are a lot of researchers, especially in Australia, who are interested in Jumping Spiders for being so intelligent, so they send them through mazes with a trapped fly at the end, similar to the mazes they use for mice, and they actually tend to score far better on them than mice.

Needless to say, he didn't really have that much of a problem with it. Because he gets both food AND a reason to brag about his intellect.

And, shit, yeah, I see that Fridge Horror there. Come to think of it, I see even more unfortunate implications there.

edited 19th Mar '16 3:13:55 PM by ThisGuy481

Needless to say, once Milo and the Mouse City comes, Jericho is probably gonna pester Milo all the time about this fact.

And Personality also serves as backstory. Milo is an irresponsible mouse child who aspires to be the strongest of his city, Arkady is an abused tegu lizard-slash-former pet, Nacl is an abused falcon-slash-former pet, Leo is a wild, swearing raccoon, and Berno is a dick.

What kind of implications? I love them implications.

edited 19th Mar '16 3:14:39 PM by arcada188