Myrian Questions

[Gossamer]

You both might want to remember that during the Valterrian, Mizahar as a globe experienced dramatic climate change. There was a couple hundred years of extreme ice (which is why we keep mentioning the ice age and the fact people had to live UNDERGROUND) that effected the entire land mass itself. Even if a land mass was something prior to pre-valterrian, it wasn't completely unaffected by weather changes, or was the same afterwards. Now, beings that both Falyndar and Eyktol are pretty far south, I'm certain the ice sheets didn't reach that far down, but the weather would have been incredibly more temperate, vegetation would have changed during those ages, rainfall patterns, etc. Eyktol would have most likely had more rain before things really got dry and hot, and Falyndar's entire ecosystem would have been drastically different post-Valterrian until it stabilized.

The important thing to remember here is simply this. The surface was an extremely rough place to live. No race - I don't care who they were or how physical perfect they are - could have survived without going to ground. I want to maintain this theme above all else. This is really the core of Mizahar.

[Cayenne]

Goss - Yes, thank you.

Siiri - Excuse my brevity with these ones, I'm rushing on my way to work.

1. On the (very) rare chance that a child is born with a physical defect, how do the child's mother/family see it? What about the rest of society? How about becoming disabled from battle? How are amputees, the lame and the blinded (all from battle) viewed by the Myrian people?

Birth defects - This really does depend on the defect, but generally, this defect is seen as a weakness that the one who has it has to work much harder to overcome and still contribute.

Battle disabilities - Those injuries that come in battle, provided that they weren't because of some stupid mistake that they made (which would likely lead to others teasing them about their folly) are generally respected - battle is battle, and sacrifices are expected to be made.

2. Do Myrians only mate amongst themselves? If yes, won't this cause recessive genes and weaken the race? Or can a female choose from someone outside their race to impregnate her? What about male Myrians?

Generally the Myrians stick to their own kind. But it really does depend on the individual's preference and location. A Myrian in Falyndar with her family would likely be nudged towards a suitable (Myrian) mate. A Myrian outside of that influence could well choose someone she finds attractive. But it's really up to the individual. There are some hybrids running around Taloba... but they are seen as being 'not quite one, not quite the other', and there is some scorn involved there, as well as stigmata that comes from choosing a different race.

Males can. They have a little more freedom in that regard, obviously, since if they did impregnate a non-Myrian female, they don't necessarily have to stick around to raise it.

3. When choosing a life partner, is it mutually agreed upon by both parties or do the females "choose" and the males really have no choice? If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to know more about the dynamics of romantic relationships among Myrians (if it exists).

It's generally mutually agreed upon. I mean, sure you might have some females that are more insistent than others, and will pursue the one she likes until he eventually gives in or she loses interest, but it does depend on the individuals. The elders don't really interfere here - they leave this up to the individuals in question.

I'll edit this after I get home from work to add more (re: dynamics/relationship).

[Siiri]

The answers you provided are quite good already; thank you!

Can't wait to read what you'll expound on.

[Siiri]

Finally done my character's history (yay!). Does a mod have to approve it before I can begin posting? I might start with a self-mod thread, to train Siiri in certain skills. Cant wait!!

[Gossamer]

As long as your history doesn't include anything wild like being a consort of a God/Goddess, then you should be good to go to start posting as soon as your Character Sheet is posted. Most people begin playing BEFORE they even get their history completed. If you have anything 'special' you want to write into your history (ie... your from another world, a child of an alvina, etc) you need to post a Help Desk ticket.

The go-for-it attitude applies for self-moderated threads as well. You don't need to actually get approval (though dropping a regional mod a heads up that your doing one is perfectly fine and considered polite!) before you begin... so long as its something not out of the ordinary (learning sword, horseback riding, underwater basket weaving, etc).

[Siiri]

Oh no no!

I just want to up my existing skills a bit.

[Cayenne]

Siiri - Your sheet looks good to me, and I enjoyed reading it. Feel free to go ahead. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that clan Elders tend to be mature in their years, usually 60 or more.

As an adult Myrian, you're also allowed to start with 1 Gnosis mark from Myri, since you'd likely have earned it in your coming of age trials.


Myrian relationships depend on the different Myrian. Some look at males as equals, some don't. There are no dowries or bride prices, but a lot goes on what the prospective partners have shown their ability to do. Political relationships are somewhat useless - the members of the Council do change, and no one clan holds more sway over anything than another. There are Myrians, and there are slaves. There's not a lot of them, because that goes back to Myri's long-time policy of giving no quarter. Most slaves usually end up as target practice or tiger food, depending on what they are. Charodae are kind of considered DELICIOUS.

As I said before, elders usually don't interfere in relationships - part of growing up is making your own decisions and living with the consequences, and some of the best learning comes from mistakes - but depending on the individuals' tastes, there might be gifts given back and forth, shared hunts, etc. It's not unusual to find a couple beating the crap out of each other in the broad streets or on the training fields and then going home, each satisfied. It might frighten more... laid back people (that is, those outside of Myrian culture), and some might even consider it spousal abuse, but really, what couple doesn't have the desire to beat up the other sometimes? Besides, fighting is excellent exercise and a good test of each other's skill. Some turn it into a long-running competition. There are no hard feelings on either end. Some just content themselves with hunting together.

Hope this helps.

[Siiri]

Hi! Got a couple more questions in my bag of, well, questions. Here goes:

1. Are all Myrians able to speak Common? Is it part of a Myrian's education to learn the it? How well versed are the majority with said language?

2. How are Myrians educated? Do they have a classroom type of education or is it on a one-on-one basis with an elder (ex. older sibling/parent teaches younger sibling/child)? Are individuals assigned specific roles to play in their society or do they have the freedom to choose how they contribute?

3. I got the impression, from the writeup, that they are disciplined to do things for themselves rather than depend on others/servants. Would you say this is mostly true for the Myrians in general?

4. Servants and slaves. Do they have these? Why or why not? In relation to this: after a battle, would a Myrian keep an enemy alive if they knew they would be useful as a slave/servant? Or is it a 'take no prisoners' policy for them?

More questions in the future I guess. Thanks in advance for the answers! ^_^

[Cayenne]

Hi Siiri,

1. Most do learn it to a degree where they're able to carry on a normal conversation and get their points across. Know thy enemy.

2. Myrians do have a rough school in place - children aged 4 to aged 12 attend it, and they learn the basics there. Reading and writing (in Myrian, Old Myrian, and to a lesser degree Common), tracking, fighting, geography of Falyndar, what they can eat, what they can't eat (which in Falyndar isn't that much), and a number of different weapons. They are taught by the elders of different clans.

3. This is true. They do not depend on slaves or servants.

4. Myri's policy was always to give no quarter... and therefore, take no prisoners. They've no problem taking them, though, only to sacrifice and/or devour them later. Fresh meat and all... or used for target practice by the younglings. Moving targets are much more fun to hit than stationary ones. Of course, if they choose to keep them alive, the servant/slave better have some extremely valuable skills that are worth the scorn that comes from keeping others to do your work for you.

Hope these help!

[Siiri]

Hi again!

Is ther esome sort of repository of knowledge in Taloba? Like a library of some sort, where one can find maps (though I would assume said maps would be pre-Valterrian) and other writings about the world/gods/etc. If not, where would be the nearest one? And would people in Taloba know about this place?

I'm planning to start an adventure for my PC soon but as she's never been outside of Falyndar, she needs to find out more about the world. She'll be looking for something in particular but I'll RP that part out.