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LoniJay from Australia Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
#1: Feb 14th 2011 at 3:48:06 AM

Well, not really a race, more like species. I've written a fact file for my species Carls while worldbuilding. I'd appreciate it if any tropers had some suggestions, advice, critique or just thoughts on them.

Carls are bipedal mammals that are anatomically very similar to humans, reaching approximately 4.5 feet high. They eat more or less the same things as humans, although they prefer to eat less red meat than humans do. They have very large, wide ears on the side of their heads, which are capable of some voluntary movement, but are largely used in communicating emotion. Their faces are similar to humans, but rather flatter and rounder. Carl eyes are large and always a very dark brown, with almost no sclera visible. Carls are covered all over in short, fine fur that can be any colour ranging from golden blonde to mid-brown. They live to approximately 80 years of age.

Carl women bear children either singly or in pairs (twins are much more common in carls than humans) and, being mammals, nurse them. Carl children are born with a thin downy coat that may be slightly lighter than their adult coat. At birth their eyes are closed, and they open at approximately three weeks old. Carl babies don’t ‘cry’ in the same way human babies do – they make a very quiet, high-pitched whining or keening noise, nowhere near as loud and attention-grabbing as a human baby. Children stay with their parents for at least the first 18 years of life, although many stay much longer.

Carls are monogamous. Family is extremely important to them, and a couple will probably have many children. Not all of these children will go on to have children of their own, however. In carl society, romance isn’t considered to be essential to happiness and fulfilment, and it’s quite normal for a carl man or woman to live in their parent’s house their whole life.

Newly married couples generally move in with one of their families, with the other partner taking on the family name, unless there is no room in either household or the pair really wants to strike out on their own. There can be four generations living in the one house, as well as all the unmarried brothers and sisters, and carl children are usually surrounded by siblings and cousins and spoiled by uncles and aunts.

Gender roles are much the same as in human society, although more loosely held to. While the default is still women doing housework and men being out in their family profession, if a family is slanted towards either sex there is nothing unusual about an individual taking on the tasks of the other sex.

It is unknown how much the similarities in culture are due to carl adoption of human practices, as little is known about what, if any, differences there used to be.

Carls are the only other sentient species that humans don’t view as enemies - however, the relationship is more one of grudging tolerance and contempt than friendship. While supposedly citizens of the country, they keep to their own villages and towns, and it is uncommon to see one living in a human city or village. They are often called derogatory terms like ‘rats’, and widely considered to be cowardly, shiftless and generally unreliable.

Strangely, it is on the northern border, where you would expect to have the greatest prejudice against non-humans, that carls are accepted into human society the most. This is due to the relatively large numbers of them enlisted in the Border Guard, where men with magical ability are needed. There is still a great deal of discrimination, particularly from more traditional guardsmen, but the situation is improving.

Be not afraid...
CyganAngel Away on the wind~ from Arcadia Since: Oct, 2010
Away on the wind~
#2: Feb 14th 2011 at 3:48:55 AM

whoah :O

There are too many toasters in my chimney!
LoniJay from Australia Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
#3: Feb 14th 2011 at 3:56:11 AM

What? TL;DR?

Be not afraid...
PORUBOT Since: Dec, 1969
#4: Feb 14th 2011 at 4:02:02 AM

Carls... I dunno, man. All I can think of is a load of Carls from the Simpsons living in a village together.

... and breeding.

LoniJay from Australia Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
#5: Feb 14th 2011 at 4:06:59 AM

I don't know what Carl from the Simpsons is. I don't watch that show.

And I chose it because apparently it's old germanic for 'man'.

Be not afraid...
CyganAngel Away on the wind~ from Arcadia Since: Oct, 2010
Away on the wind~
#6: Feb 14th 2011 at 4:09:17 AM

No, I read it.

Just, :O You put a lot of work into this. I'm awed.

There are too many toasters in my chimney!
LoniJay from Australia Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
#7: Feb 14th 2011 at 4:11:56 AM

Really? smile It wasn't so hard because so much of it is similar to human culture. I imagine it'll be more work when I get to the species that are different, like harpies and lizard-people.

Be not afraid...
CyganAngel Away on the wind~ from Arcadia Since: Oct, 2010
Away on the wind~
#8: Feb 14th 2011 at 4:15:18 AM

Yeah. But most people only put like, two sentences into it.

As far as I kne, I was the only one who went this far :P

There are too many toasters in my chimney!
TrapperZoid Since: Dec, 2009
#9: Feb 14th 2011 at 4:21:45 AM

Nice. Are you basing the Carls on any real life species in particular?

Are you going to give the Carls significant sensory differences from humans?  *

To me large ears suggest good hearing, while large eyes probably means tuned to night vision (maybe at a cost to colour sensitivity. Are the Carl nocturnal?)

LoniJay from Australia Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
#10: Feb 14th 2011 at 4:33:57 AM

Not particularly - I started out with a small human, basically, and thought "It needs to be more alien!" and added ears and stuff. There was no particular species.

But I think of them more like possums or something similar, rather than cats.

They have better hearing and night vision, yes, although they're not nocturnal. Their sense of smell is pretty average.

edited 14th Feb '11 4:36:59 AM by LoniJay

Be not afraid...
Funnyguts Since: Sep, 2010
#11: Feb 14th 2011 at 4:50:30 AM

This was suggested by the last paragraph, but just to be clear: Are Carls more likely to have magic powers than humans?

LoniJay from Australia Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
#12: Feb 14th 2011 at 4:56:53 AM

I wasn't thinking that they were more likely to have it, although that would make sense now that I think about it.

Be not afraid...
FrodoGoofballCoTV from Colorado, USA Since: Jan, 2001
#13: Feb 14th 2011 at 10:51:33 AM

I don't know what Carl from the Simpsons is.

All I can think of is a load of Carls from the Simpsons living in a village together.
I thought of this Carl [lol]

Some questions you could ponder, if you want to:

  • Do carls have a backstory, or has it been like this as long as anyone can remember?
    • Does the name carl have an origin?
  • How closely to humans or other mammals are carls genetically?
  • Do carls have their own religions, music, etc.?

edited 14th Feb '11 10:52:24 AM by FrodoGoofballCoTV

lordGacek Since: Jan, 2001
#14: Feb 14th 2011 at 1:20:41 PM

Sounds like shades of Author Appeal in it. cool

In general nicely worked out, though comparisons to hobbits will likely fly. I, for one, would like to ask if you've thought of that, and how'd you answer an accusation of "it's a furry halfling". Concerning senses, these babies make me wonder if they hear in a broader spectrum of frequency than humans do.

LoniJay from Australia Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
#15: Feb 14th 2011 at 3:01:09 PM

@Frodo: I think it's been like this for as long as anyone can remember, at least in this part of the world. There may be different subspecies in other lands that do things differently.

For the origin of the name carl, not in-universe, no.

Genetically, I think carls must be fairly closely related to humans, because it's the only way my inner scentist can be reconciled with their identical postures, hands, and all that. But they're not close enough to be able to interbreed.

Music yes, but religion is the place where my worldbuilding falls down. I don't have a religionn for either culture.

@Lord Gacek: Yeah, there is some author appeal in there - mainly the 'Everyone is one big happy family!' part. But there would also be some serious downsides to that arrangement as well.

It's of hard to answer "It's a furry halfling!" because... well... they kind of are. [lol]

edited 14th Feb '11 5:58:14 PM by LoniJay

Be not afraid...
lordGacek Since: Jan, 2001
#16: Feb 14th 2011 at 3:28:44 PM

Concerning religion, fantasy has that trend that either each race has their own pantheon, or humans have a plenty of religions and each non-human race has only one.

While we're at it: do carls have a variety of cultures, or all belong to one? The latter would be hard to do, I think.

LoniJay from Australia Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
#17: Feb 14th 2011 at 3:35:00 PM

So far there is only one, to which my main character belongs. There may be others out in the world, just as there are other human cultures, but that would have to be left to a sequel to explore.

Be not afraid...
lordGacek Since: Jan, 2001
#18: Feb 14th 2011 at 4:04:27 PM

Forgot to mention, that religion thing I spoke of I consider kind of a cliche. But you mentioned it's going to be a single culture anyway, so I guess that won't be of matter until the sequel.

MattII Since: Sep, 2009
CyganAngel Away on the wind~ from Arcadia Since: Oct, 2010
Away on the wind~
#20: Feb 14th 2011 at 4:53:45 PM

How about sexuality?

You've mentioned that they're monogamous. Outside that, though- if having children isn't super-important to them, how would you say their sexuality tends towards?

There are too many toasters in my chimney!
lordGacek Since: Jan, 2001
#21: Feb 14th 2011 at 4:56:18 PM

Wow, having Loni describe a carl's sex life in detail... wicked, I say. evil grin

LoniJay from Australia Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
#22: Feb 14th 2011 at 5:07:02 PM

Well, children are important to them in a way - couples tend to have upwards of five and would be very disappointed if they were infertile.

But if they're not in a couple, they're just as happy for the children they have around to be their sister's or brother's rather than their own.

I haven't decided yet whether this difference from humans is due to a biological thing or just cultural. Any suggestions? Perhaps pheromones are involved.

I guess their sexuality would tend towards... I don't know. Maybe they just don't feel the driving need to find a mate that humans do?

edited 14th Feb '11 5:08:01 PM by LoniJay

Be not afraid...
lordGacek Since: Jan, 2001
#23: Feb 14th 2011 at 5:10:41 PM

Don't worry, once that's published, the slash fics will fill it out for you. ^_^

CyganAngel Away on the wind~ from Arcadia Since: Oct, 2010
Away on the wind~
#24: Feb 14th 2011 at 5:20:07 PM

I'd say just cultural- maybe they're more communal than humans?

There are too many toasters in my chimney!
LoniJay from Australia Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
#25: Feb 23rd 2011 at 11:13:07 PM

I have completed another fact file! Comments and questions on either species are greatly appreciated smile

Harpies

Harpies are a species with both avian and mammalian characteristics. When standing on the ground they are roughly the same height as a carl, or chest-high on a human. Their torso and head resemble those of a human, while they are bird-like from the waist down and have wings for upper limbs. Females tend to be slightly larger than males, and have feathers in either dark grey or black. Males have black leg feathers, but their wing and tail feathers vary in colour from glossy black to bright, iridescent greens and blues. The hair of both sexes is usually black.

Harpies live exclusively in the rainforests of the northern mountain range. They are omnivores, eating fruit and vegetation as well as hunting small prey animals like lizards, rats and birds. They have few tools due to their lack of hands – manipulating objects must be done with the mouth or with their very dextrous feet. They wear no clothing beyond an occasional piece of jewellery, and perhaps a pouch around their waist. Harpies have difficulty grooming themselves alone, so grooming is a very important activity between family members, pairs and friends. Many complex tasks are impossible to achieve without teamwork, which may have contributed to their tight social structures.

Harpies are matriarchal and organised into clans consisting of a hundred or so individuals. These clans are very tightly knit, and to betray them means death. Clans often wage war against each other, over territory, food or perceived insults. War involves both sexes, although females almost always take the positions of authority.

Clans also form alliances of varying strength. Clans that have been allied for a significant amount of time sometimes seek mates from each other. In this case the male will leave his clan to join the females, strengthening bonds between clans. This can, however, be problematic if relations sour.

Harpies usually mate for life, although it is not unknown for a pair to split up. Males court the females, a long process that involves many gifts and often dancing, in which he shows off his gaudy feathers. The female chooses which male she wants. She may choose none at all – how well this is received by the clan depends on many factors.

Harpy pairs work together to make a nest in the forest canopy from leafy branches, which are used for a year and then discarded. Female harpies bear live young one at a time, and nurse them as humans do. As the pregnancy progresses they are extremely vulnerable, as they become too heavy to fly. The males hunt and forage for them while they stay in and around the nest. Once the chicks are born, the female and male take roughly equal shares in providing. Chicks leave the nest for their own roosts at approximately 10 years old, although they hang around receiving some care from the parents until they are approximately 14. Pairs may have chicks in several successive years, depending on the circumstances.

Harpies are known to sometimes associate with other rainforest denizens, the lizardfolk. Opinions vary among the clans as to whether this is desirable, and the alliances are tenuous and brief at best. Harpies speak a rainforest dialect that is very similar to the speech of humans and carls.

Clans that have territory along the border frequently raid human villages. These raids can have their roots in the need for food, hatred of humans, ancient grudges, pressure from clans deeper in the north, or simply the desire of young harpies to prove themselves in battle. For this reason they are universally hated among humans.

Be not afraid...

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