So a Sword & Planet setting needs a non-human race that are generally antagonistic to civilization, but might form friendships with True Men on occasion. The archetype, of course, being Burrough's Green Men (1912).What's important to note is that Green Martians are basically monsters in design: savage and loveless, gigantic, four-armed, green-skinned, tusked, and antennaed.
An ardent fan by the name of Michael Moorcock, masquerading under the pseudonym of "Edward Powys Bradbury", write a trio of Mars novels (1965) that presented the Argzoon, also gigantic, but essentially humans with blue-skin.
At the same time, fellow disciple Lin Carter took his first a several stabs at this archetype. In his Lemuria Cycle (1965), as he loved to term these things, he has the Rhmoahal, very much the same as the Argzoon: giant, blue-skinned humans. In his Callisto Cycle (1972), which is more clearly Sword & Planet, he created the Yathoon: the much more monstrous insect men who possess amazing leaping abilities and a sort of logical barbarism. This culminates in his Green Star Cycle (also 1972) with the Kraan, gigantic ants which display the same imperturbable logic.
I'll conclude this little tour with TSR's Dark Sun setting (1991), which has a lot of Sword & Planet trappings and which elevated the mantis men, the Thri-Kreen (a painfully cacophonous name), from another monster to the Archetype being discussed.
All of the above is just to say that I need me some Tharks for Under the Dying Sun. But what sort? Here's the leading candidates in my mind:
1. Reptile Men
Reptile Men have long history in D&D--folks have been grooving to the Lizard Men since Day 1 as far as I can tell. Reptile Men work awfully well in a desert setting, which tends to elevate reptiles and insects into the ecological niches which mammals occupy in other settings.
2. Insect Men
That reasoning also applies to Insect Men (by which I really mean Bug Men, I guess, since I'd include arachnids and whatnot in this category). They have the additional advantage of seeming more alien than reptiles. Lots of folks find insects icky; lots of others find them wicked cool. They get built-in armoured carapaces and lots of other options: extra arms, claws, mandibles, wings, poison, spinners...and on and on.
One drawback is that it's easy to carried away and give Insect Men too damn many advantages. Another is that Insect Man is pretty identified with Dark Sun (and Arduin before that). But still there are some untouched options: Scorpion Men and Spider Men both jump to mind.
3. Blob Men
This one is a little wilder. But Blob Men--such as the Dralasites from Star Frontiers--are keen. 'Nuff said. The only drawback is that they trend to be a bit slow-moving to form a credible howling mob. Oh, and it also seems like they might just dry up in a desert.
So...thoughts, o loyal imaginary friends?
One race with three life-stages. They begin life as blobmen, grow into sort of salamanderish lizardmen, then grow into wise and mysterious insect people.
ReplyDeleteDuran Duran would vote for Lizard Man in the desert.;) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6p5Q6_JBes
ReplyDeleteIf you're thinking animal inspired races for the desert, then bird/vulture like could work nicely (eg. The Skeksis from The Dark Crystal). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skeksis
I'd also consider Cactus people like Meglos from Doctor Who. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meglos
Just some thoughts
ReplyDeleteLizard men are too pedestrian, have been common in fantasy D&D since beginning. Go with bugs!
Spidermen make me think of driders/lolth/drow.
I like the Scorpiads, make'm bipedal, 2 legs is weirder.
If you're thinking animal inspired races for the desert, then bird/vulture like could work nicely.
ReplyDeleteHmn, that's an interesting idea.
I'd also consider Cactus people like Meglos from Doctor Who.
Walking plants just don't strike me as scary enough.
Lizard men are too pedestrian, have been common in fantasy D&D since beginning.
I meant to post that as a drawback. Yeah, that's why I'm resisting Reptile Folk.
I like the Scorpiads, make'm bipedal, 2 legs is weirder.
A definitely possibility. I like the Raknid from Talislanta which are kind of Scorpion/Men/Demons. I was also thinking of Locust Men and Wasp Men.
Well, I think in Athanor I am narrowing aliens down to fungus-men (Throon), cactus-men (Mal'akkans) and bug-men (Alemanians). That said, the idea of scorpion-men rocks on toast. Reptile men are okay, but kind of bland. Scorpion-men, though, that would be different.
ReplyDeleteBTW: here's a nifty picture of a Talislantan Raknid: [http://harkott.deviantart.com/art/Raknid-Warrior-121832779]
ReplyDeleteCool! I live over on Kauai and your the second blogger I've come across in the network from Hawaii. The world get's smaller haha!
ReplyDeleteIn my new setting I'm using insectoids(humanoid insects) to fill that archetype. I'm going with territorial and hostile if threatened but if cultural/communications barriers can be transcended individuals or entire groups could become allies.
Walking plants just don't strike me as scary enough
ReplyDeleteAfter posting here last night I watched the Meglos episodes of Doctor Who. :)
Meglos is a doppleganger, but when not concentrating looks like whoever he's mimicing but with green skin covered in spines. Sort of like a sickly green pin-head from Hellraiser.
I found him very scary as a kid, and still think he's suitably creepy. :)
kaeosdad said:
ReplyDeleteCool! I live over on Kauai and your the second blogger I've come across in the network from Hawaii.
If only there were anyone else on Maui. :)
In my new setting I'm using insectoids(humanoid insects) to fill that archetype. I'm going with territorial and hostile if threatened but if cultural/communications barriers can be transcended individuals or entire groups could become allies.
Right now, I'm thinking that the Akrab (Scorpion Men) wander the dead sea bottoms hunting and eating each other in small bands. During the egg-laying season, some of them climb up into the ruins of the ancient port-towns to spawn. While there, they raid into human territory for food.
But, you have to make room for the occasional PC Tars Tarkas. So, I'm thinking that they have this terrible social conflict: they are group-minded and respond to community, but generally end up eating other as food (ain't much to live on in deserts). So the size of their bands is limited by food supply. Not so rarely, a Scorpion Man finds himself without a band and can fall in with humans.
I like the sound of these scorpion people
ReplyDeleteThat's a good thing to say. :)
ReplyDeleteI know I'm very late to this party, but my personal choice is the Xill. They're man-sized, but can easily be adjusted to larger sizes.
ReplyDeleteThe which now?
ReplyDeleteHey Matthew, the comment by Milka/Alena looks like an auto-generated spam post designed to get people to visit smallpet.info, not an actual post by a human. You might want to delete it. (and this post too.) ;-)
ReplyDelete