<a name="user_world"> </a><br/><div align="center">-=[ <strong>The World</strong> ]=-</div><br/><hr/><br/><div class="floatright">(http://i.imgur.com/awsGgzy.jpg)</div><br/>The world is an alternate earth in the past.  The year is 1761 as measured by the church of the one god.  It is 2514 Ab Urb Condidta as measured by the Italian collected states, which was once known as the Roman empire.  The natives of the Mississauga nation, where our story takes place, would say that this year which is just beginning, is the year of the bear.  They would also tell you that it mattered not how many years came before, as the world always was, before mankind ever walked it.<br/><br/>The various native tribes to the realm are strong and powerful.  The introduction of men and women from across the sea did not push them out as it did in the real world, but made them stronger.  Likewise while some tribes of a nation may be nomadic, others have formed great cities of stone and wood.  Natives to this land are not savages, to be pushed around by colonists.  They are sorcerers, shaman, metal workers, miners, as well as hunters and trappers, barbarians and wanderers.<br/><br/>The nations are made up of several tribes.  Each tribe is usually bound together by a common racial background.  The most common racial backgrounds of the natives are what the eurpoean settlers have termed 'furries' or 'beast men'.  But such terms, may be considered derogatory in nature, and are said carefully, lest they raise the ire of the natives.  The most common tribes have their own names, but are most easily identified by the animal they most closely resemble;  The wolf, bear, cat, horse, and bull.  Of course even inside these broad generalizations there is variety, a cougar tribe may be at war with a lynx tribe, even though both are generally feline in nature.<br/><br/>Magic is prevalent, and the natives have all forms of it, though wizards tend to be rare as much more common is the sorcerer.  Likewise wizards exist among the native people, but instead of having spellbooks and tomes, they often study runes and pass along oral tradition and weave tapestries and blankets.  Clerics exist among the natives, but often they are called 'wise men' or 'shaman' and do not hold official rank in a church like the Europeans do.<br/><br/>The European settlers have been tolerated, and have traded much with the natives.  Bringing things like firearms, rare and expensive, as well as much rare crafted goods.  They have negotiated settlements, cities, and forts in areas of the land with some of the natives.  But they have not taken control of the land the way Europeans did in the real world.  In fact, they know that were any one nation to go to war with them, they could likely find themselves wiped out, or at least pushed back to their strongest forts on the very edge of the eastern coast.<br/><br/>Racial cross breeding is limited.  There are no half elves or half orcs or any other such half breed.   If an elf lays with a human, there's a lower chance at impregnation between the two species, but if pregnancy does occur, it's a 50/50 chance that the child will be the race of either parent, not a half breed.<br/><br/><hr/><br/><strong>Common races </strong><br/><em>and their sub species.<br/>(listed with the primary area they are found in)</em><br/><br/><table class="bbc_table"><tbody><tr><td> <strong>Changeling</strong> </td><td> </td><td> Asia originally, but can be found anywhere as they tend to wander and blend in.</td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td> <strong>Dwarf</strong><br/>1. Hill<br/>2. Mountain </td><td> </td><td> -<br/>1. Europe <br/>2. Asia </td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td> <strong>Elf</strong> <br/>1. Dark (drow)<br/>2. High (eladrin)<br/>3. Wood (common)<br/>4. Wild (savage) </td><td> </td><td> - <br/>1. Underdark (so could be anywhere)<br/>2. Asia<br/>3. Europe<br/>4. Americas (southern N.A., Central America, &amp; South America)</td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><strong> Furry</strong> <br/>1. Dragonkin<br/>2. Equine  (Horse)<br/>3. Feline  (Cat)<br/>4. Hyaeni (Gnolls)<br/>5. Lupine  (Wolf)<br/>6. Lizardfolk<br/>7. Tauren  (Bull)<br/>8. Ursine  (Bear)<br/>9. Vulpine  (Fox)</td><td> </td><td> - <br/>1.  Asia primarily, but also Middle east<br/>2.  Europe, Africa, Asia<br/>3.  Everywhere, though genius differs by region<br/>4.  Africa, Middle east, southern Asia<br/>5.  North America, Europe, Middle east, Asia<br/>6.  Everywhere, though genius differs by region<br/>7.  Europe, Asia, Africa<br/>8.  Everywhere, though genius differs by region<br/>9.  Everywhere, though genius differs by region</td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td> <strong>Gnome</strong> <br/>1. Quicklimb<br/>2. Underhill</td><td> </td><td> - <br/>1.  Asia<br/>2.  Europe</td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td> <strong>Halfling</strong><br/>1. Stoutfoot<br/>2. Tallfellow </td><td> </td><td> - <br/>1. Europe<br/>2. Asia</td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td> <strong>Human</strong> </td><td> </td><td> Originally Europe, but they spread quickly <br/>and can be found almost anywhere.</td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td> <strong>Orc</strong> </td><td> </td><td> Africa, The Americas</td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td> <strong>Planetouched</strong><br/>1. Assimir<br/>2. Teifling </td><td> </td><td> - <br/>1. Primarily Asia, but can be anywhere.<br/>2. Primarily Africa, but can be anywhere.</td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td> <strong>Shifter</strong> </td><td> </td><td> Africa, middle east</td></tr></tbody></table><br/><br/><hr/><br/><strong>Racial breakdown of cities:</strong><br/><br/><span class="bbc_u">Fort Detroit</span>- European controlled trading post.  Nominally owes loyalty to France.<br/>35.1% - Human<br/>20.3% - Elf<br/>12.9% - Dwarf<br/>9.1% - Feline<br/>7.7% - Lupine<br/>5.6% - Vulpine<br/>4.9% -Ursine<br/>4.4% -Other<br/><br/><span class="bbc_u">Fort Erie</span>- European controlled trading post.  Nominally owes loyalty to Britania<br/>29.1% - Human<br/>19.3% - Elf<br/>12.6% - Dwarf<br/>9.2% - Lupine<br/>7.5% - Feline<br/>5.9% - Ursine<br/>5.1% - Vulpine<br/>3.7% - Tauren<br/>3.0% - Halfling<br/>2.5% - Equine<br/>2.1% - Other<br/><br/><span class="bbc_u">Toronto</span>- Major city of the Mississauga Nation of natives<br/>24.8% - Lupine<br/>15.6% - Human<br/>14.9% - Ursine<br/>10.7% - Elf<br/>9.2% - Feline<br/>8.7% - Vulpine<br/>4.1% - Dwarf<br/>3.8% - Tauren<br/>2.9% - Equine<br/>5.3% - Other<br/><br/><br/><hr/><br/><strong>Sex and gender: </strong><br/>There are three sexes in the world, male, female, and futa.  Futa make up roughly 7% of the population, and about one out of every 14 births will result in a futa.  Futa look female in body type, and most posess a fully functioning set of female sex organs.  However in addition to this, they posses a fully functioning set of male sex organs, superior to the vaginal canal on the body.  Futa may both impregnate or become impregnated, if matched with a suitable mate.  Futa have a larger than normal sex drive, and between this and their rarity are often considered 'blessed' by the ancestors or spirits.  Some tribes feel that a futa is a divine gift from the gods, and to lay with one and bear a child, is a reward all it's own.<br/><br/>However there are gender issues as well.  In addition to the masculine and feminine roles of identity the Futa adds another layer.  Most Futa tend towards a blending of female and male typing, though some lean more heavily in one direction or another.  Further in the native culture there is a identity known in the native tongue as 'Fa'fine' or 'woman's way'.  This often occurs in a family where only male offspring occur, the youngest child will be given to the mother to raise as a woman.  He will help the mother in all the duties a daughter would normally assist in, will be dressed as a woman, and will be referred to as a woman until her official naming day (on her 18th birthday) at which point she can choose to continue life in this way, or change.  There is honor in being Fa'fine however and few choose to change, taking either a husband, a wife, or a futa bride as a mate, as their desire wills.  In rarer cases, this might also apply to a girl child brought up as a man, though since the culture is matriarchal, it is far less common.  A family with only daughters usually just raises their daughters.<br/><br/>A futa is referred to by whichever pronoun they prefer, he / she, never it.  However if a futa impregnates a woman, the futa is referred to as the 'father' not the other mother.  But if a futa bears a child, the futa is referred to as the mother, even if they self identify more as male than female.  A child always refers to the person who gave birth to her 'mother' regardless of the actual sex.  The likewise also holds true that a child always calls the person who impregnated her mother 'father.'  Because of the futa's dual sex, it is possible for one to have two children and be a mother to one and a father to another.<br/><br/><hr/><br/><strong>Cities vs wild:</strong><br/>Each native nation has at least one 'kanata' or central city.  This city is the heart of the nation, the capital as it were.  Most nations are ruled by a council of wise elders, often with a single speaker.  These cities are centers for academic learning, metallurgy, smithing, trade, alchemy, non druidic magical training, etc etc etc.  They are also the seat of the nations laws, records, and folklore.  Some natives live in a city for their entire lives never traveling more than a days journey from where they were born.<br/><br/>However the heart of the native people is in their nomadic lifestyle.  Individual tribes are nomadic hunter gatherers.  These tribes usually have their own region of the nation on which they travel, hunting, farming, fishing, or what have you.  However each tribe usually journey to their nearest city at least once every few years, if not more often.  It is when the nomadic tribes gather at the cities that they can exchange news, trade, learn, or make preparations to trade members to other tribes.   Individual members of tribes often travel with a new tribe for a while, sometimes the rest of their lives.  They may find a mate, or wish to train with someone from another tribe.  Whatever the case, the cities are usually the place where members meet and work out who will be leaving with whom.<br/><br/>While the nature of the people is largely nomadic and very earth based, cities are a much more cosmopolitan affair.  Especially since the Europeans came a few hundred years ago, the importance of the City has risen greatly.  Native nations press their own coins, create schools, and judge crimes.  Cities are usually built near a major source of water, and if possible, within a day's journey of some other major resource like an iron or salt mine.<br/><br/><hr/><br/><strong>Social structure:</strong><br/><br/>There are several native nations in the north east where the game takes place.  Each nation is generally divided into the following groups:<br/>- Nation<br/>- - Clan<br/>- - - Tribe<br/>- - - - Family<br/><br/>The nation is the overarching group that everyone in that land belongs too.  Examples of this might be the Iroquois nation, the Sioux nation, or the Ojibwe nation.  Each nation has at least one major city which is the center of their rule as well as major trading hub and gathering place for the various tribes.  Depending on the size of the nation, there could be anywhere from a dozen to possibly hundreds of clans inside each nation.<br/><br/>The Clan is a large organization that's only tracked very loosely.  It is generally speaking a single race that might span several different tribes, possibly even venture into other nations.  For example a clan of Lupine may have members spread out all across the nation in different tribes.  A person always belongs to the clan of their mother.  But an orphan or someone without a clan might be adopted into a clan under special circumstances.<br/><br/>A tribe is the most basic unit of the native population.  This is usually a nomadic group of several families that travel around inside the borders of their given Nation.  A tribe is usually anywhere from 20 to 50 individuals, though could be larger or smaller.<br/><br/>A family is a group bonded by blood or marriage inside of a tribe.  The most common family unit would be a mother and any of her children.  However with polygamy being not uncommon, elders, and fostering children off to other tribes, this is the hardest group to describe.   A single family in a  nomadic tribe might be a lupine man, his lupine wife, their two children and the woman's elderly mother.  But the family next to them in the same tribe might be a lupine Futa, her Ursine female wife, and her two male husbands (a feline and a lupine), along with their seven children, one of which is fa'fine, and a vulpine 'daughter' that they are apprenticing from a different tribe who is in negotiations to marry one of the Futa's sons.<br/><br/><hr/><br/><strong>Marriage:</strong><br/>Marriage is a less formal ceremony than the Europeans, being little more than a handfasting in front of loved ones / friends / witnesses.  Sex and gender are not considered when handfasting, but it is generally only done between partners that wish to have children.  Thus if a same sex couple marries, they may bring in a third party to impregnate one of them or to carry the child of one of them.  If a marriage doesn't produce a pregnancy within a year, either member of the marriage may decide to leave the other person and the marriage is void.  There is no stigma attached to this type of divorce, and while it is uncommon, it is also accepted.  Once a child has been born into a marriage, it is considered dishonorable to leave the mate, but it does happen.  However, children born out of wedlock carry no social stigma and are considered in the care of the mother.<br/><br/>Polygamy is accepted, and it's commonality depends on any given tribe.  One tribe in a given nation might find it distasteful for marriage to be more than 2, and another tribe in the same nation might find it selfish for a woman to only have one husband.  There are no cultural standards for polygamy as they vary depending on the tribeal elders.<br/><br/><hr/><br/><div class="floatright">(http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/002/d/a/the_earth_of_the_four_elements_by_avrodite-d4l2gm3.jpg)</div><strong>Religion:</strong><br/>Most natives practice ancestral reverence, and often call upon their deceased for aid or inspiration.  However the deceased are not worshiped, and are not gods.  The natives beleive in the gods and goddesses of the six prime elements.<br/>The first four primal elements are Earth, Water, Air, and Fire.  The other two elements that exist overlaying these four, and opposing each other, are life or creation, and death or destruction.<br/><br/>Earth represents plants and animals, the earth, flesh, and the natural world.  It is balanced by air and works with fire and water.  The element of earth is represented by the goddess Mula.<br/>Water represents the seas, the lakes, the rivers, tears, and rain.  It is balanced by fire and works with earth and air.  The element of water is represented by the goddess Sadhi.<br/>Air represents the sky, wind, weather, and breath.  It is balanced by earth and works with water and fire.  The element of air is represented by the god Nahata.<br/>Fire represents energy, power, blood, and heat.  It is balanced by water and works with air and earth.  The element of fire is represented by the god Napurah<br/><br/>The primal force of life represents all things that live and breath and reproduce.  It is fueled by life and in turn fuels life.  It is also the force that drives creativity and thought.  It opposes the primal force of death.  The force of life is represented by the goddess Shoni.<br/>The primal force of death represents all things that must fade, crumble, or die.  It is fueled by destruction and entropy, and in turn fuels death and empowers undead.  Is is also the force that drives base evil emotions like hatred and murder.  It opposes the primal force of life.  The force of death is represented by the god Tu'tan.<br/><br/>Finally the natives of this land believe that every being is a combination of all six elements.  The earth makes their flesh and strength, the water gives them tears and emotion, the air gives them breath and grace, the fire is their blood and gives them energy.  But while they have life, for a time, eventually all men fall to death.<br/><br/><br/><hr/><br/><strong>Slavery:</strong><br/>The native nations often war with each other, in fact tribes inside a nation often fight.  However there is less bloodshed than in European conflicts.  The reason for this is because of the practice of "cutain eh keu ehp"  Or as the Europeans translated it to, "Counting Coup."  This is the practice, in battle, of refusing to take the life of a fallen enemy when you could do so.  The act of mercy is recognized by both combatants, and the defeated one becomes the victor's slave for a year.<em>(although the term year is very loosely measured, sometimes only lasting a few months, other times for lifetimes if the slave so wishes it)</em><br/><br/>During the year of slavery, the slave is submissive in all things to the master with only a few exceptions.  No master may force a slave to pick up a weapon for any reason other than play or sport  (sparring practice for example).  No master may force a slave to speak ill of his tribe, do anything to harm his tribe, or shame his ancestors.  Finally any master who behaves dishonorably may break the keu ehp, and the slave may have the right to 'walk free.'  A slave decides when his year is up, and this is honored by both parties.  The end of the keu ehp is marked by the slave leaving behind everything other than enough food and supplies to return home and beginning his 'walk free.'  The slave on a 'walk free' is honor bound to travel directly to his home tribe, where he is usually welcomed home with a celebration.  Any slave on a 'walk' should do nothing other than focus on returning to his tribe, and it is a great dishonor to do anything to hinder a slave on his walk.<br/><br/>Slaves often sexually please their masters, though this is not always the case.  Certainly that is up to the master, the slave, and how the master's tribe perceives such things.  But in general, if the slave does not object, it is allowed.   Often times in fact people will allow themselves to be cutain eh keu ehp, simply to become the slave of an opposing tribe's member that they fancy.  These are the pairings that will often lead to lifetime mates, one of which who is technically considered a slave.<br/><br/><br/><br/><hr/><strong><br/>Prostitution:</strong><br/>Prostitution is considered a trained skill and not something that a man, woman, or futa can simply pick up.  Often prostitutes are trained in several arts of comfort and their job is looked at as making their customers feel pampered, cared for, and perhaps even loved for a time.  Prostitutes generally take an apprentice, and only when sponsored by either an established prostitute or an elder, will one be recognized.  A recognized prostitute is looked at as a tradesman / woman on par with a smith, fetcher, or any other task.<br/><br/>However a non recognized person selling their body without being apprenticed or trying to find a patron or sponsor, is looked down upon.  They command little value for their trade, and clients who make use of these 'low whores' are often dishonored if they are found out.  As such, few 'low whores' exist in the culture.  The exception to this is during times of war.  A unsponsored person may decide to become a 'low whore' for braves who are at war and away from their tribes.  If the 'low whore' returns to a normal life after the war time, or looks for a sponsor, then no dishonor is attached to that person or their clients.<br/><br/><br/><hr/><br/><strong>Sexual Mores and taboos:</strong><br/>There are certain taboos among the native people, and different taboos and mores vary from nation to nation and even tribe to tribe.  Trying to list all would be impossible.  However the following are generally accepted / frowned upon.<br/><br/>Taboo :<br/>Rape<br/>Pedophilia (a child becomes an adult on their 16th naming day)<br/>Necrophilia of any kind  (even sentient undead like vampires)<br/><br/>Accepted mores:<br/>Polygamy / polyamory<br/>Homosexuality / bisexuality<br/>Group sex<br/>Prostitution<br/>Public sex / exhibition<em>(this is not very common in most areas, it's not strictly taboo)</em><br/>Incest<em>(this is also not as common, it's not strictly taboo as long as it doesn't lead to impregnation)</em><br/><br/><hr/><br/><strong>Contraception:</strong><br/><br/>The herbalists and shaman have long known of several plants that prevent a pregnancy in a woman / futa.<br/><br/>The most common is the seeds from the wild carrot.  These plants are commonly found in the wild, and grow roots that are nutrious and edible, about the length and width of a young girl's pinkie finger.  Often an outdoorsman that finds a patch of these plants can dig up dozens of them in less than an hour and make himself a filling meal.  However the wild carrots have a long thin stem with yellowish leaves and a cluster of white fluffy flowers at the top.  The roots themselves have clusters of about a dozen tiny seeds at the point where the root breaks above ground and becomes the stem of the plant.  Eating these seeds is quite effective, but not foolproof in preventing pregnancy.<br/><br/>The next most common is the tough, bitter stem from the cotton plant, but only the wild kind.  Domesticated cotton doesn't seem to work.  While not as common as the wild carrot, the stem is quite effective almost always preventing a fertilized egg from finding hold in a woman's womb.  The downside is the horrible taste and that too much of it can make a woman sick to her stomach.<br/><br/>Less common than those two plants is the leaves of the piperweed.  These only grow near fresh water and in the shade, making them the hardest to find of the three, but can be eaten raw for an effective treatment.<br/><br/>Most herbalists can prepare an infusion to be drunk, or a paste which can be eaten, of two or three of these which is 100% effective in preventing any pregnancy.  The three plants can be found with a survival check after an hour's searching, DC 10 to find wild carrots, DC 15 to find wild cotton, and DC 20 to find piperweed.<br/>