Questions a desert drifter might have.

Obviously, these deal with Fallien, as my character is currently leaving the continent of Corone and moving on to the desert continent. There are a couple things I would like to know about the place, even after reading the history, people description, bestiary, map, etc...

As of right now, my questions are such:
1) Exactly HOW xenophobic are we talking here? I know Samantha, with her dark hair and slightly tanned skin would probably be accepted amongst the citizens of Fallien fairly well, but how would they react to a giant like Vincent, with his silver hair and eyes? Would they be overly violent, or just treat him with extreme coldness?

2) Weaponry mainly used by the Fallien people. I know it isn't extremely primitive, even amongst the tribes, but what type of look are we going for? The whole Arabian "scimitars and falchions", or the more traditional swords, spears, bows and arrows and such? If there is no one set look, however, just ignore this question.

At the moment, thats all I've really got. But one more thing: I couldn't find them in the bestiary, but has any body gone all "Dune" and imported Sand Worms into the realm of Fallien? :D

1. Personally, I'd say they're just cold on average, with some being hostile and others being somewhat friendly. Remember, a lot of their economy relies on tourism and trade, so they can't be killing all the heathens that set foot in Irrakam.

2. I direct you here.

Thank you, Zook. After reading through, however, I have a couple more questions.

a) Poisons. Is there an honor system in consideration to them, as in most people do not use them except assassins? Or are they a common weapon to all?
b) The Khanda. I hate to relate to videogames and such, but are they similar to the sword that Ganondorf is shown to use as in this picture? http://cheddarpaladin.deviantart.com...gmire-36788801
c) If a sword blade was made of, say, Cillu glass, would it be easily breakable, or...?

Other than that, no other questions.

I'd agree with the coldness assumption, and also add that their level of hostility probably varies depending on where exactly they find the foreigner. Suravani's Oasis, for example, seems like it would be pretty hostile to just about anyone, especially foreigners. The natives in Nirrakal and the Spicelands probably wouldn't be too happy if they saw you harvesting glass/spices without their permission, too.

I've wondered about the sand worms myself, but I haven't gone so far as to import them yet. But I dunno, are those bestiaries absolute or is there room for writers to add their own creatures?

EDIT: And about the Khanda, I think it's similar to Ganondorf's sword, but instead of that crescent at the end, it would just have a point on the end. The description mentions having a blunt point, anyway. With that said, there's probably a fair degree of variability in the design of the sword, with different crafters eager to do it their own way in order to gain a little recognition.

Oh, I think I found a picture. I don't know much about swords but this seems to fit Valkyrie's description pretty well:

http://www.gnwtc.com/wea1791.JPG

Alright. I'll have to make a thread in that particular region sometime. It'll be an interesting twist.
I think they should be included, personally. Sand worms, or even sand wyrms (tee hee.), have always made themselves made in stories of the desert sands. I don't know if they are absolute, maybe you have to PM the moderator who made the bestiary and make a request to add an addition.

The Outlander's Quarters is made of people who resemble Vincent in one way or another. It's like Chinatown sans the China. Now, when you're done getting your exit pass, which allows you to actually leave the OQ, then things change a little bit. Only the occasional open-minded maverick would, let's say, give you shelter or food for free. The majority would steer clear from him, and the less savory kind would try to swindle him, mug him, or kill him.

If you made a name for yourself in Fallien, like Brynhilde (The Valkyrie) who's more or less an envoy of the Jya, you could be better seen by the Fallien people. Fallien's also recently opened up to Althanas for things other than trade, such as with the Prahna'dyuta, a competition that invites foreigners to fight their best warriors in specific types of combat. Otherwise, people there would look at Vincent like any of the cut-throats that managed to bribe its way into the mainland.

This is basically how it should go, though remember you have creative leeway on how to write Fallien and its people in your quests.

Anything can be found in the OQ, since the people there aren't native to Fallien anyway. You'll find a number of glassmakers and blacksmiths there, so people who came unarmed will probably gear up with whichever type of weapon they can afford.

As for what weapons people use in the mainland, I've mostly seen those you find in stories from Saudi Arabia, India and all the other surrounding countries. Scimitars (like shamshirs or tulwars), lathis, katars, sapparas, cestus or some eastern equivalent, khopesh axes, you name it, Fallien has it all. Just know that these weapons aren't in equal frenquency of uses, and that most people would stick to long, recurved swords or daggers (as a note, tulwars weren't meant for ground combat but on mounts, like in jousts, and that there's a special way to hold it so as to keep your shoulder and wrist from breaking during the assault). Poisoned weapons are also a staple for the more cloak-and-daggery denizens of the desert, like assassins/hashashins.

Also, depending on the quality, glass weapons can be way costlier than iron or steel ones, and of better quality. Here's a list:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by http://www.althanas.com/world/archive/index.php/t-2693.html

Kaca (glass) of Nirrakal

• Calli – This glass varies from coin sized to the size of a small vial. Usually clear or amber in color, this glass is often used in making vessels or decorative figures. Containers of calli are considered the best by potions-makers, as the glass never reacts to what is placed inside it.

• Kiramaini – small glass beads or pearls, naturally occurring in a myriad of colors, perfectly spherical. Used for jewelry. Extraordinarily rare, this magically-aligned glass is considered sacred by the Fallien, who do not like it leaving their land. They guard it religiously.

• Mukakkannati – thin sheets of glass that hold a mirror-like sheen. Very fragile, usually cast over the top of other glass. Crushed mukakkannati can be applied to a weapon using a special glue. This would, naturally, make such weapons exceedingly painful for those on the receiving end of their attacks.

• Valaiyalman – sugar glass. Fine, powdery and occuring in every shade, this glass can be used to color almost all other glass by melting valaiyalman over it. Valaiyalman, however, has another use: it holds poison extremely well, and will transfer that poison into any liquid it touches. Melt poisoned Valaiyalman onto a sword or the inside of a drinking vessel, and you will have a potent weapon indeed.

• Cillu – Pane glass. This is usually very pale and milky in color, sometimes compared to the colors of dawn. It appears in very large sheets that often cover several square yards, and can be cut to various sizes. This glass is extremely strong, and must be cut using diamond-cutters in order to remove it from the desert. Often used in cathedrals or other structures, it can also be used in sacred knives and armor. However, Fallien guards it judiciously. It can be purchased in Fallien itself only by the very rich and important. The only other way to find it is from certain Black Market dealers, and that will cost you dearly.

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So full-glass weapons would be rare, considering Cillu is the most suitable type. The rich or the priestesses in the Jya's Keep would be more likely to have these. And to answer your question about strength, they'd be at least as strong as steel, with varying degrees depending on craftsmanship and initial quality of the material.

But again, Fallien can have other weapons circulating around, so spears or glaives and the like wouldn't be discrepancies. Creative leeway, man.

It's very likely that someone did, though considering people aren't warned about it, colonies of sand-worms would be rare or mythical, which could be explained by the usual "didn't live to tell the tale" kind of situations.

As for the Khanda, refer to wikipedia, as pictures of weapons are mostly accurate. Here's the link.

Another Edit:

Concerning poisons, it also depends on who we're talking about. Rich, armed people who aren't very good with their weapons (but are usually skilled enough not to cut themselves) would very likely put poison on their weapons to subdue attackers quickly. I don't see priestesses using this, as their knives are more ceremonial than anything else. All that set aside, it's really a matter of personal preference. Some people walk around with cayenne pepper sprays, some don't. Some people like their bats with nails, some like a cleaner bash. Just know that in a world where pretty much everyone is armed, poisons don't have as much prejudice as they do here. Still, normal citizens would use paralyzing potions while the Hashashin would perhaps favor swifter, more lethal poisons.

Thank you, all of you. This helps greatly. c: My character will be spending a lot of time in Fallien, most likely several years at the least, and I wanted to know the extent of my creative leeway and such.

If I have any other questions, I'll be sure to post them here.
And just for kicks:http://dankhus.deviantart.com/art/I-...necat-63399689

Double posting to grab attention to myself. Ha ha, egotistical bastard.

Suravani's Oasis. I was taking a look see at the maps, and noticed little tree marks around it. Is there some sort of desert forest there? Is not, can someone tell me where a forest as such would be?

Typically, oases do have vegetation like that, yes. I don't know if you'd properly classify it as a "forest", but they would most likely have several layers of trees and vegetable growth cultivated for the natives who live there.

Alright. Megan and I are doing a quest in which both of us are captured for being in a forest of some sorts. I just wanted to know where such a forest would be most likely be--I don't want to use too much creative leeway and place a forest in the in the driest place in the desert.

Make it a... palm forest?

Yeah, something like that is probably what you'd find there. Usually oases have lots of date trees, which look pretty much the same, but I guess oases on Althanas could have whatever.

Sooooooooooooounds good to me. I'll go with Ataraxis's picture, as thats what I'm going more for, but thanks Elrundir. On come the hordes! Or something. Couldn't think of anything dramatic to say but that. o_o

Hey Winterhair ----- if you have any other questions (most were answered excellently by everyone else) let me know.

As far as sand worms, there are desert drakes which haven't been very well defined. I also recommend looking into the Karuku-tal, my fave critter of all in Fallien.

I shall. Since most of Vincent's "story" per se' is going to take place in Fallien, thought I might as well know as much as I can about it. As for the sandworms....they shall come, oh yes, they shall come sometime. They won't be like regular monsters though...they'll be roughly the equivalent of huge, ancient dragons. As for size, well...
http://ashlik.deviantart.com/art/Sandworm-68283767
I thought that picture might put it into perspective. But every good desert needs a big mythological baddy, like a moving sphinx or somethin'...*murmurs* Anyways, I like your creatures, very fittin' for a desert.
*thumbs up*