Pictograms, plus a hello.

[Castilonium]

Hiya, everyone!  I'm new here, and I must say that I absolutely love the concept and high quality and quantity of detail put into Armageddon.  I have yet to actually play, and I cannot wait until I get the time to.  

I do have one question.  Is it permissible for a commoner to have a book of homemade pictograms, for personal reference?  For example, could a commoner draw a picture in a book of a particular herb and a droplet of blood to signify that the herb is good for helping with bleeding?  It is not actual writing, but it seemed questionable to me because it would be in a sort of "book."

Thanks in advance!  I hope to join you all on the MUD soon.  

[Qetesh]

Oohh.. I love new ideas, welcome new person.

I would say that yes you could have it, and yes it would be a cool idea, and when you get started playing and you are finally settled in, which may take a while. You might consider making a PC that works towards that goal.

Infact, (and I am only speaking for myself, not the rest of the staff) It would interesting to see a few pictures books around, especially with bards as aides in story telling.

I like it.. I like it  a lot.

[Rindan]

The closer to writing you get, the closer to the line you walk.  Because Zalanthas doesn't have codified laws nor a police force that is all that interested in commoner rights, you approach the line at your own risk.

Now, pictures are without a doubt a-okay.  Pictures in a book are also okay.  I have even seen a few such books in game.  Drawing a picture of a herb in a book is very unlikely to result in any sort of trouble.  Using symbols to represent something starts to put you in danger.  The more abstract the symbols, the more danger you are risking.  While not overtly illegal, I would probably be discrete.

[Agent_137]

hi new person.

i love you.

whoops, i drank the rest of my rum.

back to my normal posts tomorrow.

[Vesperas]

Infact, (and I am only speaking for myself, not the rest of the staff) It would interesting to see a few pictures books around, especially with bards as aides in story telling.

The very moment I reached the end of that sentence, I had this sudden visual image of a bard sitting in the middle of a tavern showing an open picture book to a load of burly militia and Bynners... like library story-time.

I think it would be a great idea, though, in all seriousness.

[Larrath]

I agree with Thunder Lord about this.

Writing based on pictures is still writing.  Nobles are literate and this mystical ability makes them 'better' than ordinary people, but this can't possibly be the only reason why commoners aren't allowed literacy.
Even just using pictures and common sense, it's easy to record history.

Behold:

This thick vellum page depicts a short cloaked figure, garbed opulently in jade and black, holding a jagged longknife over the back of an unspecting taller figure, a jade cross on a backdrop of jet black resting on the earth between them.
At the top of the page, seven crowned faces have been sketched.  Just beneath them, a humanized, disgruntled face has been painted on the bright red sphere of Suk-Krath, two empty lines arching beneath it.

Highlord Tektolnes of Allanak murdered his father in order to take over Allanak.  This happened on the Seventh's Age, during the Descending Sun in the year of Suk-Krath's disgruntlement.

Is it cumbersome?  Only because we, as Earthlings, have more powerful tools and we're used to them.

Allow people to 'picture-write' means that anyone with magickal or otherwise secret knowledge that wanted to educate an entire population simply needed to make a few hundred vellum 'flyers' (very doable within, say, a single IC year) and spread them around where the templars aren't looking.
If I had a book of pictures, unless they were obviously incapable of passing any message what-so-ever (unless it was in Tuluk and the templars approved of it, at least), I'd be very, very careful about mentioning it to anyone.

[Bebop]

Welcome to Armageddon

I think it's neat idea but if I were a Templar I would snatch it up and fine or jail you if you started sharing it with people.  Like the others said, to close to reading.  Taking away literacy is not about literacy itself it's to prevent communication and education between commoners and symbols and things like that are to close to writing.  If you had a book like that you should keep it close and relatively secret I would say maybe pass it on to someone your character viewed as important.  It's a cool idea though.

[Castilonium]

Thanks for the welcome!  I'll be sure to be careful with my drawings.  

[Maybe42or54]

Bad specially when a picture is worth a thousand words.

[LauraMars]

There are paintings and murals in the game.  I'm sure that many of them tell some kind of story as well.

[Maybe42or54]

Those are damn expensive at times and... You buy "A" picture.
If you bought a picture "book" you could tell a very long story, or show the secret way to nihm to.

[Realedazed]

After reading this thread I have a cool concept for ya:

You are an artist and make your living selling portraits. All the portraits are beautiful and also carry secret meanings and codes, however the casual observer will not pick these up. These meanings could poke fun at houses or promote them. I know I've seen coal and a canvas sold in the game and I know there's dye.

Yea, I've been reading The Davinci Code.