Yeah my really neglected home country, Gre'par'th is in desperate need of some explaination behind some of the thinking behind it and such like. However I'm not very good at this sort of thing but I'll try my best.
I shall be doing this by answering a form of questions, so I hopefully stay on track.
What is Gre'pat'th?
Well first it can be located in the top North-West of this map
here. The darker shade is the border lines of the country while the lighter shade is how far the barbarian (or barbarian ninja) have been known to travel.
It is not a real "offical" country however, as far as other countries go, as few know, or care, of its exisitance. The place if mountainous and has a harsh cold environment, with creatures called Wyrms (known as Dragons to the people of the land) abundant there, making living difficult.
Hang on a sec... did you say barbarian ninja in that?
Yes I did.
...right. Explain
Oh boy. Well I've never gone into detail as how this came about, manly because its a silly idea, however I do have a strange thoery behind it. Some time in the past, we're talking over 1200 years ago, a visitor, or many, came to the land of Gre'par'th, to find "barbarians" fighting for survival in those harsh mountains.
Seeing there strength and skill as warriors but thinking they lacked disipline they taught them secret arts from a tome, and taught them how to build weapons and homes. The disipline was "
Ninjutsu" which suited the enviroment well, as it taught stealth from enemies and killing strikes without worry about honour. This disipline uses inner strength, actual phyisical strength and magical strength should the pubil have the ability.
It is also around here they probably got taught the common touge/language.
The teachings and the beliefs held in this was integrated into most of the people of the land and
barbarian ninja were born.
Most of the people?
Well yes. There are still what you would call classic barbarians wondering the mountains, not staying in the "citites" but making camp where-ever they can. There is also a variation on the two that roam from city to city, not liking to keep in one place.
So these barbarian ninja wonder the world then?
Actually, no. Not normally. They stick to the mountains and never go to far out of there borders. My two characters that are barbarian ninja are kind of outcasts.
Well why do't they wonder around then, instead of staying where its very dangerous.
Its due to there beliefs. Gre'par'th is the World to them. Not in anythig like it holds a very important place in there hearts, it is actually the WHOLE world to them. They view the outside world as The Dead Lands, or the Dead Spirit Realm, or Hell, or many other names.
Hmm?
Outside of Gre'pat'th is where the dead wonder who have no rest and where demons take form, or anything spiritual. As a case in point, my character
Pia has mistaken
Deinar as an embodyment of a
Demon Ward, something to place on your home to keep demons out by destroying them, because he called himself a
Warden.
A Barbarian Ninja that is found outside his or her lands is dead to there people. In fact it is the worst punishment possible, as its basically sending you to your death before your time but not actually being dead.
You mentioned Spirit wards and Hell, I take it there is a religion then?
Yes, of sorts. They are susperstious of the dead and of the spirit world. They believe in
TheThree Spirits that control the world,
The Hills,
The Water and
The Darkness, and demons that try to destroy it. They also believe in lots of other spirits that protect them in ways they can't see. It could be viewed as a pimitive belief system in this way, as, apart from the main three, none have "offical" names but are prayed to or given offers, depending on the person. So a traverller of this land may that similar things are being prayed to, but not share the same name and or supposed appearance.
They do have temples made in honour of the three spirits.
What other type of culture do they have then?
Well, talking of barbarian ninja's here as they have the closest to a steady culture, it be best to think of them as early man but with better weapons and fighting techiques.
Uh huh....
Well okay, its not all sorted in my head but I do have some brief ideas.
1) All are taught fighting is fun, and to them it is. Fun is fighting and fighting is fun. Its importnt to understand this when dealing with them as its a mindframe out of sorts with most other cultures. To run from a fight is not cowardly, it's just odd. Why would you run when you could be having the fun of fighting? Why would someone turn down the idea of having a fight?
This happened early on in there culture probably as a way to make sure children laerned how to defend themselves as soon as possible. They would have to fight a lot in there lives so its best they enjoyed it. As it is the whole thing tuck and now fighting IS fun, watching and taking part.
2) Death is spiritual, however other cultures will be horrified to see how they deal with the dead. No buriual writes are performed, as there is no buriual. Once the spirit has left the body, thats it, the body is nothing more then meat.
As such it is treasted like meat and it is eaten. Family members get first piroity on the meal, if there re none left, or none around that could make it in time so the meal won't spoil, it is shared amoung the people who had a bad hunt.
This is not viewed as sick or a horrifying thing to do. You won't find a barbarian or a barbarian ninja saying to themselves they dont want to die cause they'll be eaten. In fact the idea of not being eaten is more horrifying and some even believe if the body is left to rot then the spirit may rot away with it.
In a world where few plants gorw, and even less that can be eaten or used as herbs, meat is everything and to waste meat is just ludicrous.
3)There is an odd mix of old japanese culture mixed in with theres. Nothing too drastic. They all most eat with there hands but there are a few more refined that eat with what is known as
chopsticks.
There is also a loose concept of elders placed in there culture, though an elder might also be a 23 year old who so happened to be the strongest or best hunter. An elder is someone who is considered the best at what he does. Hunting, fighting, training or is just old. An eder is to be treated "honourablily".
Wolf-Pigs can be thought of as Samurai and lords and ...
WOAH! Hold it! ..... Wolf-pigs?
A race native to Gre'par'th. Find details
here. They are intelligent but have a visous streak in them, considered noble by the people. They often take part in the more important going ons in the land and often lead hunts.
Right.. okay. Moving on then, is there actually any more you can tell us?
Not much. There history is very inactive cmopaired to most though I have stated the fact
Wind-Fang (known to most as the grumpy wolf-pig father of
Choark,
Pig ) led, with his joined human, what might be considered an army to unite the people. What happened and why this was nessusary I haven't gone into yet, but apart from this one time, the people rarely fight each other as survival is the name of the game.
Sorry but did you say grumpy wolf-pig father of Choark?
I did.
..!?
Okay, a wolf-pig has the ability to mentally link with a human at the time of the humans hatching as happe-
ERM! Hatching!? Of a human?!
Yes, gre'par'thians hatch from eggs. Do you want to know about this linking or not? Or would you rather hear about th hatching thing?
You are a very odd man. Explain both.
Right, well, continuing on from before, when a human hatches a link can be made to a wolf-pig, where they'll share a bond that can never be broken. They don't mentally telepath to each other with thoughs, but often feelings. It also allows the joined to understand each others words and as such a joined human and wolf-pig are considered very special.
The hatching thing is because of what the Gre'apr'thian humans are. Which is, they are decendants of dragons, though they themselves don't know this. You could think them magical in nature then, if you want, though they hold no seeminly extra abilities because of this fact. So there is no sudenly growing wings or claws, or breathing fire.
It may explain the sometimes inhuman strength the cursed have though, as its somehow inbred magical phisical strength, that allowes them to be stronger then they may appear to be.
The cursed?
My two RPed barbarian ninja's,
Pia and
Choark are considered cursed. This is due to there od colour of hair (Pia is coloured pink and yellow natually, and Choark is a natural blue) and there inhuman strength since birth. The cursed also have no magic aura or magical abilities. In the wrds of Hakiril, "I've seen stones with more magical aura".
If you're intrested in the reason, as it is likely never to be discovered in RPing, its cause they come from a mixed family. Choark and Pia are actually the children of a Grepar'thian whose father was a human from the outside (it does happen, though very rarely, and the travellers don't always make a point of saying where they came from, and the barbarians never really ask).
So something happens when the two different kinds of humans interbred. *shrugs* I'll probably blame the gods on it, as thats what the gods are good for... blamming thngs on ^^;;
Umm thankyou... i'll be backing off now. Have fun *runs*
....
Anyway, there ya go. Some information. I hope it gives a clearer picture of how the place is and all. If anyone sees anything really really wrong with it, just say, so I can cry and all.