Runes: The New Form of Literature

[Forest Junkie]

I'd like to propose something I thought about a couple days ago.

Essentially, I'd like to see some form of written language in tribes, be them dwarven, human, or elven in nature. The "language" that I propose would runic in nature, based upon symbols that contain meanings, or ideas.  While not an actual "written" language, one could possibly convey through the use of these runes particular stories or ideas that they'd like to pass down through generations.

While the oral tradition is, in my opinion, a very much needed aspect of Zalanthas, runes have their place too. Ancient tomes and such, for instance, as well as boulders or cavern walls, could be written in the form of runes that a few specified races/tribes could decipher.

1:Having runes would justify the existence of certain areas within the game that are currently not cohesive with the status quo of the game. (ie possible writings on walls that players can read, even though they do not have the coded skill)

2:Giving sorcerors and magickers a greater chance to learn some form of a written language in order to further their studies and expand their proficiency at blowing stuff up.

3:Runes appear, in my opinion, to be more in line with the nature of Zalanthas and, concurrently, can open up new doors for roleplay and provide a more dynamic society for our tribal roleplayers.

4:Runes just sound fuckin' cool.

I will not leave this as a poll. Votes mean nothing in the eyes of our staff. Positive feedback and general support, in my opinion, is all that matters. I want detailed criticism explaining why you are for/against this idea and I'd appreciate it if only constructive thoughts were added to this discussion. If you have nothing to say other than a one line grunt, don't bother posting, I don't care if you agree or disagree so much as why do you.

Thanks.

Bye.

[Marauder Moe]

I disagree because either runes already exist in-game (though perhaps they could use some fleshing out) or such a system should be constructed ICly rather than some immortals going "POOF!  Let there be runes!".

[LoD]

Essentially, I'd like to see some form of written language in tribes, be them dwarven, human, or elven in nature.

You would probably need a dominant position over many of the different tribes to expect something like this to be adopted.  However, if you wanted to make a character and have them try to get a few symbols recognized and used by their people over a series of years, I don't think that sounds completely unreasonable.

Spreading the use of those runes to the other tribes of the Known World is fairly unlikely to happen.  Tribes are probably pretty ethnocentric, and might consider using the ways of another tribe to be going against their own.  There would be some resistance and unless there was a way to enforce such things, I'm not sure it would ever spread to be a commonplace tool of communication between the many peoples of the desert.

Most would see writing as a waste of their precious time.  Time spent cooking, hunting, building huts, tracking game, making arrows, putting up fence, tending to the cattle.  Most tribes are not at a stage of surplus, where idle time can be spent developing and practicing these symbols.  To even convince someone that the concept is of worth to the tribe would be a challenge in itself.

There are already written languages that sorcerers could learn if they worked hard enough to gain the knowledge.  Those seem far more applicable for passing on information than a simple runic language of basic symbols.

-LoD

[jstorrie]

Runes are still written language and the Powers That Be would work just as had to suppress them, for whatever crazy reasons they have. Maybe Tektolnes read some really bad books in his salad days.

[Twilight]

I think runes in terms of lanuage would be specific to certain groups or tribes.  So a rune of a pair of luscious lips means good luck to the Tan Muark, and is used in their art.  Runes of this type I would associate more with art than with writing.  It is a physical representation that a certain group would attach a certain meaning to.  It would not be writing.

If there is a set of runes which would cross group/tribe boundaries, I think they would almost necessarily be associated with magick.  Three interlocking circles might be a ward of protection (note not "mean" but "be"), no matter what tribe you are in.

[marko]

I've always pictured certain written languages as runic.

I can see a more basic form, like arrows or a depiction of five thin stick figures with spears taking down a really large looking shell thing being used to record great achievements of individuals or tribes.

But a complex form of runes?  If it hasn't happened already then I don't think it should suddenly start existing.  These things would take years upon years to develop.  If you have a character who might do this sort of thing you can start with some basics and see what happens from there.

[FiveDisgruntledMonkeysWit]

This should be done through player-activity. Scratching the symbols for all the spells you know, using your own system of runes, into the wall of some distant cave for future mages to decipher would be a great legacy to leave with a magicker character. If the runes spread to other parts of the world, or come to mean things other than magick, then super.

[My 2 sids]

Runes are still written language and the Powers That Be would work just as had to suppress them, for whatever crazy reasons they have. Maybe Tektolnes read some really bad books in his salad days.

Agreed.  Anything that is a way to keep thoughts as recorded (stone tablets, pen and paper, etc) is written language.

[Pantoufle]

Runes are still written language and the Powers That Be would work just as had to suppress them, for whatever crazy reasons they have. Maybe Tektolnes read some really bad books in his salad days.

Except that that only applies in the city-states where such oppression is excercised.  I don't see Utep or Tek caring much about a small band of tribesmen far out in the wilds who inscribe their thoughts on woodchips and clay tablets.  There was one tribe in game whose IC board was described in this manner, as a totem pole-ish like device with scrapes and sigils scrawled all over it detailing the tribe's latest gossip.  I don't think the idea of their "writing" was ever developed beyond the ldesc of the IC board but surely it's something that, realistically, would and does happen out there, if only on a virtual level.  And the point is, in these such instances, the city-states aren't around to police it out of existence (let alone care).

[jmordetsky]

I've always felt tribals should be primitively literate as there isn't a great power supressing it.

[Marauder Moe]

On the other hand, tribals do a lot of trading with the cities.  If either templarate found out that tribals could read and write, they might simple execute any who came into their territory, if not send out expeditions to wipe out their camps.

[Sokotra]

I think there can be a fine line between written language, primitive forms of using runes or small designs to symbolize things and the variations of such like using pictures on a wall to tell a story.  

This might create an interesting depth to the game and the idea that written language is outlawed.  If you have different forms of these implemented in the game, more RP opportunities and storylines will be possible, I would imagine.  

I think using pictures to tell a story may be allowed as far as the laws of the city-states go, but then you get into using smaller pictures as symbols and things like that which may be okay as well up to a certain point.  My whole point is that it might be a good idea if all of this is expressed and maybe coded a little more into the game - but then again, maybe it already is.

[Cuusardo]

Cave paintings all the way.

[rufus]

Some type of permanent writing that everyone knew and could read would be needed, which is what I suggested when I said "make it possible to *scribble* on paper."

It could be used for making sekrit code, painting pictures, drawing maps, blah blah blah.

[jstorrie]

I would very much like to be able to scribble on paper, so that drawings could be made. Scribble isn't used very often, and would still be fairly uncommon even if implented, so I'm sure some sort of scribble database could be set up where whenever someone scribbled, it was kept track of in a little message board or whatever for the staff along with the account/PC name - so that someone could check the scribbles now and then to ensure no one was abusing it.

Very often I have wanted to have PCs draw things on paper but have been unable to, as the write command is only for literate PCs and even then a drawing that only people who can read can understand is not very useful or realistic.