|
Post by Falconer on Jul 14, 2010 13:23:49 GMT -6
In the Flanaess, there are four main human races, each with general real-world analogues:
Suel - Germanic Oeridian - Roman Flan - American Indian (or Black African?) Backlunish - Arabic
My entire campaign will be based in a self-contained but diverse region. However, I wanted to treat it as if the rest of Conan’s world existed vaguely out there beyond the map for the purposes of human national origin. So you could say you were Stygian and everyone would know you were from evil-fantasy-Egypt. Jason Vey narrowed it down pretty well, but I just wanted a real basic, broad and stereotypical but clear table:
Cimmerian - Celtic (esp. Irish) Hyborian - Roman Hyrkanian - Mongol/Hun/Turk/Tartar Khitai - Chinese/Japanese Nordheimr - Germanic (esp. Vikings) Pict - American Indian Shemite - Arabic Stygian - Egyptian Tribesman of the Black Kingdoms - Black African Vendhyan - Indian Zingaran - Spanish (esp. swashbuckling/flamboyant Inigo Montoya type)
What do you think? I am not entirely happy with the Hyborian=Roman designation, but it gets the point across. I could have said Italian/French, but that implies certain vocal accents and modern associations I didn’t want to (necessarily) imply, as this should be the most broad and “generic European” category.
Incidentally, though all humans would be from Hyborian Age races, all Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits, and Orcs would be from Middle-earth races!
|
|
|
Post by jmccann on Jul 14, 2010 19:46:31 GMT -6
Hmm. Not at all how I picture Hyborians. I see them more as hairy dark ages people who fought against the Romans.
Other than that I think your list is solid.
|
|
|
Post by thorswulf on Jul 14, 2010 22:13:25 GMT -6
I'll second the hairy dark ages folks. They really remind me of the Balts during the dark ages. In case you don't know most vikings disliked raiding Baltic steads. They had very little of value, lived in a harsh land very much like Hyperborea, and they fought like madmen to hold onto what little they had.
|
|
|
Post by Falconer on Jul 14, 2010 22:52:17 GMT -6
Hmm. Not at all how I picture Hyborians. I see them more as hairy dark ages people who fought against the Romans. I think you’re right, and the Hyborians would be basically Germanic, like Goths and such. Maybe I’ll just put “European” and leave it broad like that.
|
|
|
Post by Falconer on Jul 14, 2010 22:53:53 GMT -6
Well, the Hyborians include Aquilonia, Nemedia, and a few others in addition to Hyperborea.
|
|
|
Post by thegreyelf on Jul 19, 2010 10:33:14 GMT -6
Hyborians weren't dark-haired. They are described generally as having light brown or tawny hair. Generally speaking they are Mid- to Northern-European in countenance and coiffure . It's probably better to describe them as Germanic than Roman (however, that's Germanic as opposed to Nordic, the latter being the Aesir and Vanir). Other than that quibble, I'd say it's pretty dead-on. Though Hyperborian should be separate from Hyborian, as Hyperborians tend to be very tall and rangy, with dusky skin and dark hair. Essentially, Hyperboria is analagous to a proto-Finland.
|
|
|
Post by jmccann on Jul 19, 2010 22:23:45 GMT -6
Germanic types - that seems right. And there would be some interbreeding and cultural diffusion, so you can keep some of what you have in mind.
|
|
|
Post by MilkManX on Jul 20, 2010 17:02:38 GMT -6
Aqualonia is a hybrid of the British and the French.
|
|
|
Post by thegreyelf on Jul 21, 2010 10:39:29 GMT -6
As I said: Germanic.
|
|