Racist, sexist, and "class" biased (they only respect fighters and clerics). These guys are kind of a rough bunch, huh?
This is an interesting tidbit I noticed while doing some research on the Forester- on p. 18 of the player's guide to Thyatis (Dawn of the Emperors), it mentions that Ochaleans don't like demihumans, and don't accept halfling settlers. So not only are they apparently racist, but they seem to have a specific dislike of halflings... at least the way the passage is worded.
Racist, sexist, and "class" biased (they only respect fighters and clerics). These guys are kind of a rough bunch, huh?
This hostile attitude could be inspired by feudal japan, especially the emphasis on the fighter (samurai) and clerics (priests, monks) over others in society. Intolerance towards demihumans could also stem from the same sources. I was never quite sure how close Ochaela should be to medieval Japan though. The passage you quite could indeed indicate a special hatred for halflings, or could perhaps suggest that alot of halflings have tried to move there in the past...
Håvard
This hostile attitude could be inspired by feudal japan, especially the emphasis on the fighter (samurai) and clerics (priests, monks) over others in society. Intolerance towards demihumans could also stem from the same sources. I was never quite sure how close Ochaela should be to medieval Japan though.
I think it was supposed to be primarily Chinese, originally, but as was mentioned in a recent discussion on the MML, given the size of Ochalea, there is no reason there couldn't be several large nations of varying cultural backgrounds on that island- look at all the widely variant Known World nations, in an area not much larger than Ochalea.
The passage you quite could indeed indicate a special hatred for halflings, or could perhaps suggest that alot of halflings have tried to move there in the past...
Hmm... Maybe some of the Davanian halfling migration continued through the Sea of Dread instead of veering north to Faerdinel c. 1300 BC? They could have arrive in Ochalea within the next couple hundred years... Don't know how that would fit in, though, since the Alphatian/Ochalean settlers wouldn't have even had Landfall yet. Maybe they clashed when the humans later tried to settle the island?
I think it was supposed to be primarily Chinese, originally, but as was mentioned in a recent discussion on the MML, given the size of Ochalea, there is no reason there couldn't be several large nations of varying cultural backgrounds on that island- look at all the widely variant Known World nations, in an area not much larger than Ochalea.
Chinese is probably what was intended yeah, but good point about the size and allowing for some cultural variance. Ofcourse *Chinese culture* is probably fairly varied itself, but it is good to have easily recognizable cultures for those of us who aren't experts of asian culture
Hmm... Maybe some of the Davanian halfling migration continued through the Sea of Dread instead of veering north to Faerdinel c. 1300 BC? They could have arrive in Ochalea within the next couple hundred years... Don't know how that would fit in, though, since the Alphatian/Ochalean settlers wouldn't have even had Landfall yet. Maybe they clashed when the humans later tried to settle the island?
That is possible, or perhaps they have simply been suffering from Halfling Pirates from the 5 Shires in recent years?
Håvard
Chinese is probably what was intended yeah, but good point about the size and allowing for some cultural variance.
It was someone else who pointed it out to me, actually, and I had to slap myself in the forehead for not having thought of the idea before.
That is possible, or perhaps they have simply been suffering from Halfling Pirates from the 5 Shires in recent years?
Seems a bit out of the way for pirates from the Shires, or any of the Known World nations, really. Maybe there are some outposts of halfling pirates in the Thanegioth Archipelago, maybe?
, but if they are civilized enough to have decent internal communications then it would only take one halfling (or better, one boatload) of dubious moral stature visiting the nation to give the entire race a bad reputation... Also what other neighbours do Ochlea have - how about halfling trouble from the far side to the Known World - makes a bit more sense than trying to plant them in the Thanenigoth archipelago...I can't remember anything about Ochlea
Heh, good point. For that matter, the halflings were using Ierendi as a penal colony for a long time, much as the Thyatians did, IIRC. Seeing as Ochalea is a Thyatian colony, perhaps some of the prisoners were "shifted" from the Ierendi isles to Ochalea when it came time to make a more dignified settlement effort?
Also what other neighbours do Ochlea have - how about halfling trouble from the far side to the Known World - makes a bit more sense than trying to plant them in the Thanenigoth archipelago...
Still quite a distance, though. The TA is actually closer to Ochalea than any Known World nation. Isle of Dawn nations, however, are another story. Maybe there are some halfling colonies in the Provincia Septentriona area of the IoD?
Racist, sexist, and "class" biased (they only respect fighters and clerics). These guys are kind of a rough bunch, huh?
I think they dislike all non-humans, and all sneaky Thief and Magic-User types, and as Halflings are sneaky non-humans they just get a double dose. They're probably least racist towards Dwarves since they at least also esteem fighters and clerics. (On the other hand, maybe they hate them especially for perferting the "true" notion of what a fighter and cleric should be!)
I would probably treat Ochalea a lot like the new OA's Rokugan - geographically more like China, but culturally more like Japan.