Theme Hour on the Cockatrice Clan
From FiranMUX
[Public] Professor Amber says, "Hello, people! My name is Amber, and I will be your professor tonight."
[Public] Killer Dragon Kilik says, "been doing good, everything happoned a-ok and now I'm back and already on a good positive note ^^." [Public] Akiva does a little dance.
[Public] Corpse of Audentus says, "Good to hear. Welcome back. :)"
[Public] Riyad dance with Akiva.
[Public] Professor Amber cleans her glasses and puts up her hair. Gets laser pointer.
[Public] Riyad refrains from commenting.
[Public] Littlest Ticanee Harvinia chuckles
[Public] Joey says, "Don't forget the ruler."
[Public] Kelarik hides his laser pointer so that he can be confusing later.
[Public] Killer Dragon Kilik ready's his spit wad straw.
[Public] Professor Amber says, "Tonight's subject, the third in our clan series, is the Cockatrice clan. As always, I will be presenting some information and then opening the floor to questions. I'm going to try to condense the info I'm presenting, since I think people mostly come to ask questions. :)"
[Public] Orfi says, "we have a great ruler already.. oh, you mean the wooden kind."
[Public] Professor Amber says, "The Cockatrice -- our non-Ticanee redheads! They are one of the older clans, occasionally suspected of being the oldest clan, although there is evidence to the contrary. They tend to be a clan that values tradition -- and one of their most famous traditional practice is arranged marriages, which all clans practice to some extent, but which is the usual practice in the Cockatrice. They're a clan of 'middle-class values,' valuing merchanting and respectability. That said, they are a clan of a dark and tragic past. A lot of their leaders seem to vanish under odd circumstances, and there have long been whispers linking them with the Lanesh Regime, although that might be malicious gossip."
[Public] "Rainbow" Randolph Smiley Javier asks the first question. "How did vase throwing become big over there?"
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti baps Javier with a vase full of iron. "Let the prof speak."
[Public] "Rainbow" Randolph Smiley Javier whimpers. "I jumped the gun? Sorries." :(
[Public] Professor Amber says, "The Cockatrice have had something of a troubled past of late. Some of you may be familiar with the infamous 'This was just a test' speech. Several years after Clan Leader Bannos (who many Cockatrice saw as an usurper to begin with) left with the Heroes, his daughter, Lady Proxy Ibania, declared herself clan leader and started a civil war. She then tried to take it back with 'It was a test' which only made things worse. The Cockatrice fractured, the Bears and Gold Dragons invaded, and eventually Nydiam (Ibania's ex-husband, ferry thief, former Eagle Clan Leader, and descendant of the original Cockatrice royal bloodline) won the war by cutting a deal with the Bears and Gold Dragons, giving them the cities they occupied in exchange for being recognized as clan leader. Now Nydiam and Ibania's daughter, Diamia, is clan leader, and she was married via festival prize to her first cousin, Rikon, who is the son of Bannos' other daughter Bashona, also a former proxy."
[Public] Professor Amber says, "That's about as short as I can condense the Cockatrice's current political situation. I will take questions now. (Thanks, Ronti!)"
[Public] "Rainbow" Randolph Smiley Javier snuffles as he tries again. "How did vase throwing become big over there?"
[Public] Professor Amber says, "That was a player-initiated thing, Javier. Some Didoron players latched onto it."
[Public] Orfi says, "whatever is handy to throw at a misbehaving husband :)"
[Public] "Rainbow" Randolph Smiley Javier says, "Arranged marriage the same? :)"
[Public] Riyad understands that Nydiam was accepted as rightful Clan Leader by only a portion of the Clan Council?
[Public] Professor Amber says, "No, the arranged marriage is very old, Javier. It was an issue in the tabletop ever -- I think the story of Bannos and Shara is in the news files."
[Public] Ruanos says, "That happened when Orikos and Zakaria had a fight when she was pregnant and the vase was thrown at Orikos. It has become legend and Orikos was debating putting a secret room in to store Zak in until she popped."
[Public] "Rainbow" Randolph Smiley Javier says, "news Ibania's Test2 for "the Bear Clan does not officially acknowledge Nydiam as the Clan Leader""
[Public] Professor Amber says, "The Bear clan had to dance a delicate dance. Because if Taleo recognized someone else replacing Nydiam, he was going to get into a whole heap of trouble with the Bears."
[Public] "Rainbow" Randolph Smiley Javier says, "What it the situation with the Red Bears/Dragons?"
[Public] Professor Amber says, "Essentially if he did so, the Bears would suspect him of trying to replace Sabine."
[Public] Akiva says, "Well. In the aftermath of the civil war that led to Nydiam taking over and the other clans invading, quite a few of the Cockatrice left Sarkaran rather than submit to monotheistic rule. Some stayed."
[Public] Akiva says, "Fewer fled Nelabam, since the Bears were viewed as significantly less 'different' than the GDs. Poly roots, etc."
[Public] Professor Amber says, "Nelabam is about half-Bear, half-Red Bear. I'm not sure what the balance is in Sarkaran."
[Public] Corpse of Audentus says, "What's the Red Claw Legion?"
[Public] Jalil says, "A lot of refugees went to other clans too."
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "Red Claw is a Hydran thing"
[Public] Killer Dragon Kilik says, "Cockatrice special forces I think..."
[Public] "Rainbow" Randolph Smiley Javier says, "Red Claw is us?!"
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "Ok, maybe I'm wrong"
[Public] Corpse of Audentus says, "Nah, it's the 'Trice."
[Public] Minnie Driver as Saria says, "No, it's cockatrice... isn't the army of kids? Or to train them..."
[Public] Professor Amber says, "Something Razesh initiated, I believe."
[Public] XX Adam notes that, as far as I know, vase-throwing really started with Leyla and the Gold Dragons. ;) But the Cockatrice ladies may have popularized it.
[Public] Vinia says, "I think it was something Raz...yeah"
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "See! I'm wrong! (just blame me)"
[Public] Killer Dragon Kilik says, "The kids one is the claw cadets."
[Public] Riyad usually does, Ronti.
[Public] Joey says, "Not too wrong, Razesh's mom is a Hydra. ;)"
[Public] Tyrsun says, "Ah, my mother's legacy. Insanity and vase-throwing."
[Public] Ginny hugs. Despam for the moment
[Public] Akiva says, "Anyone curious about the old history of the Cockatrice? It's fun."
[Public] Minnie Driver as Saria says, "Oh right, he took over some tavern with it... back in the navy days. *noddles* the kids ones it the one that we still hear about though"
[Public] Ginny has left this channel.
[Public] Orfi wants to hear old history :)
[Public] Riyad is game, Akiva. :)
[Public] Killer Dragon Kilik says, "Ramisa started it with the Help of Lord Nessik I beleive."
[Public] Dalinuel says, "Claw Cadets, yah"
[Public] Akiva says, "Well. Sometime after the whole "yay, we're a clan" and prior to "It's a test", the ancient Cockatrice royal family had a very tragic generation. One by one the heirs died off until only Kenirikias, the clan leader, was left. Or so he thought."
[Public] Akiva says, "He was a rather bad fellow, it seems. Liked to kill off his family members. The only one who managed to survive was the girl we came to know as Eve, secreted away. Mysteriously, she encountered a raffish fellow by the name of Zarid -- and lo and behold, they had twin children, Zeysani and Nydiam. Around this time, Eve's cousin Darimon, wise leader of the Eagles, was assassinated. (Guess by whom!) He didn't have any heirs, and boy, did people look. So it fell to Eve to take the Eagle medallion in his stead. This is why Zeysani and Nydiam were raised Eagles, by their mother."
[Public] Akiva says, "Sometime after that, a Bear fellow by the name of Garen got a bit tetchy and systematically went room by room in the Cockatrice Palace, killing anyone who got between him and his target: Kenirikias. This is why Garen was known as 'the Assassin', by the by."
[Public] Corpse of Audentus says, "That could so never happen today. ;)"
[Public] Akiva says, "Obviously, this left a bit of a power vacuum. There was at the time an old and very well-known prophecy that when someone could stand in front of the royal palace in Sarkaran and not be reflected in the reflecting pool in front of it, this person would be the anointed clan leader, chosen by the gods to lead the Cockatrice people. At this time, the Cockatrice athlete Bannos and his wife (heh), Shara, had possession of a magic relic which let them become invisible when they were holding hands. They held hands in front of the palace and fulfilled prophecy, and thus in the power vacuum Bannos became Clan Leader."
[Public] Akiva says, "Now, some people never did accept him, wanting instead Eve or one of her children to take the medallion, since they were of the royal line. But he did well by the clan for most of his rule, and there wasn't the habit of riots that there is today."
[Public] Professor Amber says, "But it was harder for his children to hold things steady because they weren't Heroes with a capital H."
[Public] Akiva says, "That brings us up to Bannos and his family. He had three daughters and a son. The son challenged Zutiv to a duel and got turned into a statue with 'Hubris' written on it. The eldest daughter, Ibania, is infamous. (news ibania). The middle daughter, Bashona, was almost as unlucky in marriages as Sadin, and evidently disappeared into Shamibelian custody sometimes during the the Bear-Gold Dragon tensions before her sister lost the medallion. And the very youngest daughter, Katriva, was apparently murdered as an infant, though Bannos never ceased insisting she was alive."
[Public] Akiva says, "I will note, also, that I played Bashona more or less the entire time she was on the grid, so that's where my particular bias lay. :)"
[Public] Professor Amber says, "Hence why Akiva is a font of knowledge in certain areas."
[Public] Akiva says, "Yep. Limited, but deep."
[Public] Orfi says, "so the next heir is going to be a true Cockatrice Royal merging all the bloodlines."
[Public] Professor Amber says, "Including Bannos twice over."
[Public] Akiva says, "Yes, Orfi. Which is why I think the Cockatrice were pretty pleased by the match."
[Public] Akiva says, "It really helps eliminate the possibility of civil war."
[Public] Killer Dragon Kilik says, "and war is the last thing anyone needs wit hthe shamies on the front lawn."
[Public] Professor Amber says, "Yeah. They're one of the border clans -- Agadin, for instance, is really little more than a military outpost and is constantly raided."
[Public] Orfi says, "Ok, how did the Trice get connected with the L word?"
[Public] Corpse of Audentus says, "Kenirikias sounds way cool. So based on his wicked coolness, is he at the root of the Laneish Regime? Or is that something else entirely."
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "Lord Lanester"
[Public] Killer Dragon Kilik says, "that was bannos' father right?"
[Public] Akiva says, "Bannos was the son of Mosa, the wife of Firgalas (and mother of Elianos) and Lanester, husband to Tazi. (Stepfather to Jalil and Judanarius)"
[Public] Professor Amber points to 'news lanesh regime.' Not really saying anything beyond what's in that file. Remember it's a big big taboo to even mention them.
[Public] Riyad found that out the hard way, alt wise. :p
[Public] Vasyklo says, "There's not any information about the Lanesh regime, even for those of us who lived through their uprising. I wish you'd fix that."
[Public] Serina says, "It's a taboo to mention whom? Which one?"
[Public] Akiva says, "Well. Most of what you would've heard was second hand, Vasy. Unless you were -there-."
[Public] XX Adam says, "The Lanesh."
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "The Lanesh are the boogiemen"
[Public] Professor Amber can't think of any ongrid characters who -were- there.
[Public] Serina nods. "Gotcha...Lanesh mentioning is a no-no."
[Public] Minnie Driver as Saria says, "They just sometimes get thrown in speeches... and that's how some first hear of them. It is easy to miss it in the files."
[Public] Riyad wonders if it's okay to discuss why the Lanesh are a no-no?
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "You never really know who they are, or even if they were real to begin with. THey are the things of myth and legend"
[Public] Professor Amber says, "It's dark rumours. Information does not necessarily travel reliably in this era."
[Public] Vasyklo says, "Well, Vasy was off fighting with Elianos, but I assume he had to come back with Elianos and bust caps."
[Public] Joey says, "Riyad, they stand for everything awful. The Shamibelians are bad, but the Lanesh are secretly among you! Plotting all sorts of dastardly evil."
[Public] XX Adam says, "Lanesh are a big game secret. Enough said. ;) Next topic."
[Public] Vasyklo says, "And Anastashia would've been there, since she wasn't a slave, and was holed up in Caldera."
[Public] Professor Amber points to Adam's statement.
[Public] Steph says, "If you think you should know about the Lanesh because you were there, you can @request with some CPs for an update. Possibly we will go ahead and make a restricted wiki file for people that will give more detail."
[Public] Akiva says, "Really, the thing I think hurts the Cockatrice the most, culturally, is that they lost Sarkaran and the right to host the festivals."
[Public] Akiva says, "That is a -huge- part of Cockatrice pride and history, there."
[Public] Vasyklo says, "Yeah, make a special file for old gits like us, like we did with the Shami news files and the Vrelander news files, etc."
[Public] Vasyklo says, "Anyway, I'm off to bed, night!"
[Public] Orfi says, "Don't the Trice have the tradition of hospitality?"
[Public] Professor Amber says, "They do indeed. That was tied into the fact they invited people onto their lands for the festival."
[Public] Orfi says, "How did that get started? Anything like the story in Greek Mythos where gods visited and the only hospitiable folks lived?"
[Public] Akiva says, "I think it's so ancient that the lore is a bit fuzzy."
[Public] Akiva says, "Back in the days before the Republic, though, the clans didn't actually socialize nearly so much. The festivals were a time of sworn peace when people could gather to trade and meet and dance."
[Public] Mahir says, "How important is honor to the Cockatrice, and they're distrustful of the Bears and Gold Dragons right now - do they dislike any other clan?"
[Public] Akiva says, "I'm not -positive-, but I think the clan leaders would meet to talk about politics and such during those times, and then they'd go back to their own capitals."
[Public] Ladonna says, "That's what a newsfile says, yes, Akiva. :)"
[Public] Akiva says, "The Cockatrice are really quite a pragmatic people. They aren't nearly so nuts over 'honor' as some clans."
[Public] XX Adam nods to Akiva. "They'd meet on the sacred island, do official business, then retire to taverns in Sarkaran where all the scheming occurred. Then they would go home."
[Public] Akiva says, "That said, they're certainly not happy to be weak and conquered, no."
[Public] Corpse of Audentus says, "It's hard to think of them as weak after the Olympics."
[Public] Akiva snorts.
[Public] Akiva says, "Running around a track does not equate with real political or military might."
[Public] Corpse of Audentus says, "Right, you face the Cockatrice BR team. ;)"
[Public] Serina laughs!
[Public] Mahir imagines that the Olympic victory, as well as a pregnant clan leader, means that the Cockatrice are about as up as they've been since the loss of two cities.
[Public] Akiva says, "Yep."
[Public] Mahir says, "There's no Cockatrice married to the Royals right now, right?"
[Public] Ladonna says, "No, but they share blood with the Eagle royalty and Griffon royalty, so they're all over the place. :)"
[Public] Professor Amber says, "No. In part because they didn't have spare royal daughters for the princes."
[Public] Orfi says, "next generation though :)"
[Public] Orfi says, "if Diamia and Rikon get busy :)"
[Public] The One True Gondarus says, "Lucretia is a royal married to a Cockatrice."
[Public] Ladonna says, "Lucretia married into the Elianik family."
[Public] Professor Amber says, "No, she was only a royal by marriage."
[Public] Kelarik says, "Actually, Lucretia was a GD who became a royal who became... yeah, what they said."
[Public] The One True Gondarus says, "Ah. Pardon moi."
[Public] Professor Amber says, "She's Sadin's ex-wife. Along with half of Anarinuell."
[Public] Akiva snorts a little.
[Public] Akiva says, "Actually. There's a half-Istabannos, half-Elianik. But he's complicated."
[Public] Zalman hmms "what is the reason, that the anonymous arranged marriages started? or is it known by anyone, ICly why it started?
[Public] Mahir says, "Because big people know more than little people and it's typically a standard cultural component of many societies? Just hazarding a guess."
[Public] Kelarik says, "It's a very old tradition."
[Public] Corpse of Audentus says, "So what is cool about being a Trice? Like what would you say to convince a player why it would be fun to be in that Clan?"
[Public] Minnie Driver as Saria's IC grandma, matchmaker of the clan, once told her that it is best to keep the arranged matches secret until the very last minute to avoid one of them from running away! Maybe the 'trices are just more extreme. ;)
[Public] XX Adam says, "Because young women (and, in some cultures, young men) are chattel. Whee."
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "Hence dowry"
[Public] Mahir says, "Olympic victory, good parties, sudden marriages.. Plus working to rebuild the clan, and perhaps retrieve the lost cities some day."
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "Has anyone brought up the Jaffuses yet? That's a fun bit of history. :)"
[Public] Orfi says, "Not yet... tell us, Ronti :)"
[Public] Riven would like to hear a bit about non-noble 'trices. :)
[Public] Zalman doubts that will happen easily... likely the Ista Aldrik and Firgalik lines would have to die out and a few others to let that happen...
[Public] The One True Gondarus says, "Q: Is Sarkaran majority Cockatrice still, calling themselves Gold Dragons, or has it been repopulated?"
[Public] Professor Amber says, "I actually don't know about Sarkaran. Nelabam is half and half."
[Public] The One True Gondarus nods.
[Public] Mahir says, "The Bears were artistic, the Chimera value hard work, and I think you said that the Cockatrice are more mercantile. Is that why gambling is a bit of a clan tradition, with cockfighting?"
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "Fine. He is another infamous Cockatrice. He was an admiral in their navy who decided that he wanted his family wherever he went. Well, rather then moving them from port to put, he set up a family in three of the major Trice ports."
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "Port to port, that should have said"
[Public] Riven says, "Sweet, three different families in three different ports?"
[Public] Akiva says, "He was a naval hero to boot!"
[Public] Orfi chuckles
[Public] Professor Amber says, "You know that old joke about sailors having a wife in every port?"
[Public] The One True Gondarus says, "Heh. Great. Like having pets in various estates."
[Public] Mahir says, "And pretty much everyone claimed to be his real wife."
[Public] Akiva says, "Which is actually the only reason the whole lot of the Jaffuses aren't outcast. :)"
[Public] Ladonna says, ""news Jaffus" details it."
[Public] Professor Amber says, "That's exactly what Jaffus did. :)"
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "Now, because they were so far away from each other, he was able to keep this a secret, until he died. And then the they had to deal with his will. That's where the trouble started."
[Public] Riven says, "Sweet."
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "Three women with three families trying to lay claim to his property for his family. Perhaps this is another reason why they have arranged marriages. :)"
[Public] Fiero says, "Wouldn't the Gods strike him down for that? Or is there no real god view on polygomy?"
[Public] Professor Amber says, "The Gods notice things when they notice things, and strike people down when they feel like striking them down. :)"
[Public] Fiero says, "Fair enough ;)"
[Public] Orfi says, "in time... ;)"
[Public] Akiva says, "Personally, I'd think having 3 wives is punishment in and of itself."
[Public] Serina grins. "And we're stuck all living in this house together, and everyone trying to knock everyone else off."
[Public] Orfi says, "3 mother in laws"
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "ITs looked down socially for the reason of property inheritance"
[Public] Orfi says, "can you unravel the crazy Didorans? That seems to be interesting history."
[Public] The One True Gondarus says, "Since Agadin is rubble-town now, leaving only Unotran for the Cocks, where do the masses live? In the unnamed countryside? I'm more curious generally, for any Clan, are the masses found in cities, or on the lands?"
[Public] Professor Amber says, "If there wasn't a substantial population in the countryside, everyone would starve."
[Public] The One True Gondarus nods.
[Public] Riven says, "If there's a lot of people in the countryside, why is there a head tax on people living in the country? (I think I've heard there's one?)"
[Public] Professor Amber says, "Are you referring specifically to people living outside Anarinuell, Riven? Because that's a different kettle of fish than people living generally in the countryside."
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "The only part of the Didoran history I know is that at one time, a close friend of Ronti's by name of Gustav was found to be a twin of someone and became a noble. He died shortly afterwards"
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "Other then that, Bashona was considered looney as bat."
[Public] Fiero says, "The Queen Cock herself"
[Public] Kelarik says, "Shh. Clan leader's here."
[Public] Riyad facepalm.
[Public] Riyad has SUCH a dirty mind.
[Public] Professor Amber points to 'news Didoron family.' If you have any specific questions about that, ask, but really-open-ended questions are hard on my poor fingers. :)
[Public] Orfi says, "that's an idea... Diamia, become queen and we can have all the cities :)"
[Public] Kenilla mutters. We're not -all- crazy ;)
[Public] Riven guesses so, Amber. :) Is farming near Anarinuell discouraged?
[Public] Riven says, "But it was a random thought, and I guess not really a 'trice related question. :)"
[Public] The One True Gondarus says, "The tax was intended to bring people into the city main, for their safety. At least that's the IC rationale."
[Public] Professor Amber says, "People are discouraged from /living/ outside the walls of Anarinuell because Anarinuell is subject to raids and that stretches the city defenses too far."
[Public] Dalinuel says, "But there's a whole enormous country out there outside the bounds of the grid of the city."
[Public] Ruanos says, "That can really get ya lost. Ungh."
[Public] Riven says, "Cool, thanks."
[Public] Minnie Driver as Saria says, "That countryside tax bankrupted a few families..."
[Public] Professor Amber says, "Let's stay on topic. :)"
[Public] Professor Amber says, "Any more questions about the Cockatrice? :)"
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "What Hero came from the Trice?"
[Public] Professor Amber says, "Bannos."
[Public] Ruanos says, "The exact number of riots caused by the Cockatrice? ;) Haha"
[Public] Riyad has to jet. Amber, great hour. Thanks! :)
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "And Elianos from the Chimera, and Sabine from the Bears, right?"
[Public] Professor Amber says, "No, Sabine wasn't one of the Heroes. Garen was the Bear Hero."
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "Ahh. Ok."
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "Will we be doing a Theme Hour on the Heroes?"
[Public] Professor Amber says, "Possibly. We have a lot of territory to cover as it is."
[Public] Alessandro says, "This theme hour is a good idea for us realtively new people..I am learning a lot. :)"
[Public] Professor Amber says, "I think my Theme Hour list will have us booked through June at least. :)"
[Public] Orfi says, "Poor Amber"
[Public] Minnie Driver as Saria says, "how long did it last that campaign to try to find/rescue Katrina?"
[Public] The One True Gondarus says, "Ojitar just became Governor of Sarkaran. Do Governors preside only over cities, or are there also Mayors?"
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "Caldera has a mayor"
[Public] Derik says, "And a Vice-Mayor"
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "Sarkaren is the name of the city and the providence"
[Public] Professor Amber shows everyone her Big Stick Of Staying On Topic. :)
[Public] The One True Gondarus smiles. "Sarkaran is a former Cock city." >:)
[Public] Professor Amber says, "Katriva, Saria?"
[Public] Minnie Driver as Saria noddles...
[Public] Professor Amber believes Bannos worked on it for years.
[Public] Girl Jamie says, "Where did the arranged marriage tradition come from? Has it always been that way?"
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "Always, it seems"
[Public] Ruanos says, "It works out ok as long as there are no breakables."
[Public] Girl Jamie was just curious if there was a precedent that started it.
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "And, as Adam stated, children are the parent's property, thus they rule their choices until they get out of the house"
[Public] Orfi will have to buy a few vases to have lying around.
[Public] Killer Dragon Kilik will tell yapra not to marry him to a trice woman....
[Public] Professor Amber says, "Well, it gets a little more complicated than property. You can also see it as the families being paramount and thus marriages are arranged to benefit the family rather than the individual."
[Public] Professor Amber says, "But the way Firan families work is a future Theme Hour!"
[Public] Corpse of Audentus says, "Are the Cockatrice thought of as a naval power? Given their impressive coastline."
[Public] Minnie Driver as Saria hrms. But they are mostly eeshans aren't?
[Public] Professor Amber says, "They are not weak naval-wise, but they're not really a power. The Firan naval power is the Eagles."
[Public] Professor Amber says, "Cockatrices are traditionally Eeshan, Uffian or Unotian."
[Public] Corpse of Audentus says, "How a mostly landlocked Clan like the Eagles became a naval power never fails to boggle my mind."
[Public] Professor Amber says, "Rivers."
[Public] Zalman says, "there's a few Zinnians too... :)"
[Public] Professor Amber says, "Most Firan sailing is river-sailing at this point. Ocean stuff is coastline hugging."
[Public] Corpse of Audentus says, "Gotcha."
[Public] Girl Jamie says, "Are there professions more common to the Cockatrice Clan than any other?"
[Public] Professor Amber says, "Hence why Firans are so fascinated by Vrelander and Nekaht ships. However, Firans are still better sailors than the Shamibelians."
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti answers Jamie with 'Insane Vase Throwing Wifes' (though I hear the Ticanee are catching on)
[Public] Professor Amber says, "They're quite commonly miners. Merchants, as mentioned earlier."
[Public] The One True Gondarus says, "Which clans are the traditional friends of the Cockatrice?"
[Public] Alessandro says, "Ones with golden needles!"
[Public] The One True Gondarus grins.
[Public] Orfi would hazard a guess and say the Eagles
[Public] Professor Amber says, "They've long been quite close to the Eagles, given how closely their royal families are mingled."
[Public] The One True Gondarus says, "Do they also have traditional adversaries? Hydrans?"
[Public] Minnie Driver as Saria hrms. The hydras always got along well with them... I read somewhere that it is because they both understand the need to preserve their traditions. Or something like that.
[Public] Diamia says, "We get along well with the Hydrans."
[Public] Corpse of Audentus says, "Well Bears and Gold Dragons share their borders, who both took cities from them. And the other border are the Shamibelians at Ellish. Rough spot for the Trice!"
[Public] Orfi will have to catch the rest in the log as I need to sleep
[Public] The One True Gondarus says, "That's very intriguing, to be a common friend of two clans which want to eradicate each other."
[Public] Professor Amber says, "The Cockatrices got along well enough with the Bears before the civil war. And everyone's butted heads with the Gold Dragons at some point -- it happens when a clan is expansionist."
[Public] Killer Dragon Kilik says, "and here we are, still standing ^^"
[Public] Corpse of Audentus says, "Is there anything keeping the Cockatrice from moving past their southern borders? Milling and mining new land there and setting up new towns?"
[Public] The One True Gondarus thinks it's populated by Shammis?
[Public] Professor Amber says, "There's an answer. It starts with S. :)"
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "Spooky woods?"
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti ducks
[Public] Professor Amber says, "I think, historically, they didn't press south too far because of the mountains."
[Public] Professor Amber says, "Now there's goats in them thar hills."
[Public] The One True Gondarus says, "Oh. That's interesting. It seems all the outward Clans' borders are abridged by mountains."
[Public] Professor Amber nods to Gondarus. There are reasons the Firans fill the area they do. They sort of expanded until they reached rough terrain.
[Public] % Jeanne says, "Well, that's because mountains make a sort of natural border. As you expand, you eventually bump into mountains and stop expanding. :)"
[Public] % Jeanne says, "(And if the other side of the mountain has numerous hordes of strong, ruthless goat-people who want to enslave you, you dig in and fortify!)"
[Public] The One True Gondarus says, "Where I come from, goats are roasted on a spit. We're a bunch of wusses. :P"
[Public] Alessandro says, "Shami Gyros!"
[Public] Corpse of Audentus says, "Some people would suggest taking the high ground is important. But... eh. ;) Kooky hobbit Firans."
[Public] Killer Dragon Kilik says, "I wan't mine extra crispy"
[Public] The One True Gondarus snickers to Audentus. "Indeed. We're doing it all wrong. But I suppose it works, somehow."
[Public] Professor Amber says, "People don't usually settle mountains unless there are reasons. Big cities tend to be in easily accessible areas, hence why so many of the world's major cities are ports."
[Public] Professor Amber says, "And the Zhenti mountains are pretty nasty. That's where the oracle is."
[Public] Corpse of Audentus says, "Maybe I'm dense, but I always hear about the GD Vs Griffon feud. Is there a Cockatrice Vs GD and Bear feud? Or are they just more discreet about it?"
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "There was, and Nydiam gave a lot of land up to quash it and silence it"
[Public] The One True Gondarus says, "I think Audentus means after they lost the cities."
[Public] Professor Amber says, "The Cockatrice aren't /happy/ with the GDs and Bears, but it's not the same as the GD vs. Griffon feud. That one is generations and generations old -- it's been festering a long, long time."
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "Dringles hate Gruffles and Gruffles hate Dringles"
[Public] Killer Dragon Kilik says, "Yeah! Gruffles.. pah!"
[Public] Professor Amber says, "Anyway. We've been going almost two hours now. Any burning questions about the Cockatrice remaining?"
[Public] Rikon says, "I missed it! Man, how will I ever find out who Diamia is? :/"
[Public] Corpse of Audentus waves out to catch some Zzzs. "Thanks again Amber."
[Public] Do Not Upset Mr. Bigglesworth Ronti says, "Knock on her door?"
[Public] Professor Amber says, "Our next Theme Hour is tomorrow night. We'll be doing the Eagles."
[Public] Kelarik says, "Oh, I am /so/ here for that."
[Public] Professor Amber says, "She is a small pink bunny rabbit, Rikon, fatal to the touch. :)"
[Public] The One True Gondarus says, "Final question... the GD and Bear populations, is it so inflated because of the lands the Cocks gave up? And if so, does that mean many current GDs and Bears are really former Trices, with a new Clan identity? And a follow up question would be, do those Trices generally still identify with their roots?"
[Public] Diamia nods. It's true. You touch me, you die.
[Public] Professor Amber says, "The GD and Bears have always been the largest two clans. Yes, the land they gained bumped up their population significantly, but not hugely."
[Public] The One True Gondarus nods. "Thanks for the answers." :)
[Public] Professor Amber says, "You may occasionally hear references to 'Red Bears' and 'Red Dragons.' Those are the former Cockatrices."
[Public] The One True Gondarus joins the Red Goats.
[Public] Minnie Driver as Saria only mostly wondered why cockatrices and ticanee look so alike... besides the freckles. Or if it was just coincidence... or is one of those 'we can't tell you how they got dark or light' issues?
[Public] Professor Amber says, "In general, there's been unrest in both cities traced to their Red population, but Red Bears are usually happier than Red Dragons, since the Bears and Cockatrices have a lot of similar cultural points."
[Public] Professor Amber says, "That's not something the Firans know, Saria."
[Public] Diamia says, "We are all secret Ticanee who just powder our noses to hide our freckles."
[Public] Minnie Driver as Saria grins... more little mysteries.
[Public] The One True Gondarus says, "Draugik had a lotta orange freckles."
[Public] Ruanos says, "The Cockatrice and the Ticanee are my faves. They have so much angst within the clan."
[Public] Professor Amber thinks every clan has a lot of angst.
[Public] Jon says, "Not mine."
[Public] Alessandro says, "Go Chimera!"
[Public] Professor Amber says, "Except for Jon Clan."
[Public] Jon beams.
[Public] Alessandro says, "Askani clan :)"
[Public] Jon says, "Actually, they had a lot of angst. Nevermind."
[Public] Ruanos says, "I think the Jon classes suffers from confusion."
[Public] Ruanos says, "Clan...blah."
[Public] Professor Amber thinks the Jon suffers from confusion. And, no, I didn't drop any words there.
[Public] Jon bounces off of Amber.
[Public] Professor Amber squeaks.
