Widespread Literacy (The Way sub-idea)

[Desertman]

It includes more people in plots when the information brokers are corrupt, and Wylon the Wily Wayman who functions within a group of PCs who have decided to set up smallish camps between the cities to pass semi-instant Way messages is now passing on some of that clandestine plotting info to other people who would otherwise be left in the dark and unincluded.

Yup, that is another awesome possibility that the current system doesn't let us explore/experience.

Good one.

[TheWanderer]

There's already enough reading in this game. Do we really want more?

[HavokBlue]

There's already enough reading in this game. Do we really want more?

get out

[Desertman]

There's already enough reading in this game. Do we really want more?

Cunning.

Well played Sir.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

It includes more people in plots when the information brokers are corrupt, and Wylon the Wily Wayman who functions within a group of PCs who have decided to set up smallish camps between the cities to pass semi-instant Way messages is now passing on some of that clandestine plotting info to other people who would otherwise be left in the dark and unincluded.

Limiting the distance of the Way is just one possibility of "nerfing" it for purposes of making literacy actually worthwhile.

Another approach would be to make the Way less secure. This would have a big impact on elite roles, but might also give incentive to commoner groups who have something to hide.

It'd be kind of hilarious if sometimes you just kind of picked up other people's Way messages, like a radio.

I think this is worth discussing. What if you got messages without an identifier of who was sending them? Something like:

The foreign thought passes through your mind,
   "Tonight we kill Lord Fancypants."

This keeps the receiver in some doubt. Who was that from, and who was it going to? More importantly, there will always be the risk for the sender of what MIGHT be heard over the Way, and by whom. This would encourage increased use of notes and couriers to pass the really sensitive messages along.

Criminal and subversive groups would thus have incentive to learn how to write, lest they inadvertently tip off a templar about next week's heist.

These are some really good ideas. To be clear, there is already semi-illegal literacy in game. Cavilish is a language generally used by GMH personnel and traders, and certain members of those circles are versed in the symbols related to that language. But literacy is still illegal for them, much like spice is illegal in Allanak, even for those persons who openly smoke it. It's a loose rule, designed to be enforced when one has to to get what they want.

If there were a language to be widespread and legalized, I think it would be Cavilish, since it is is already in use amongst common blood.

Overall, I really love these ideas, and I would love to see literacy become legal in some form.

[Beethoven]

I agree that literacy would be a really fun way to drive plots forward.

I also agree with the idea that it should not be terribly widespread. I am cool with continuing legal restrictions on literacy while making it more available to scribes in the employ of the city-states, GMHs, and subversive criminal types.

I would also be all right with lifting the legal restriction on literacy, but leaving it nonetheless extremely uncommon among commoners, with the possible exception of GMH families.

I think an extended subguild with literacy would be a great idea and would open up another path of coded, non-combative employment, no matter which scenario happens.

As per the Way, I love the idea of geographically restricting its use (for non-psionics, of course) for RP reasons. I had an Allanaki character who was in love with another PC that had to travel up to Luir's. Even though the lover was physically absent, my PC could still communicate with him almost like he was in the room. Even though this was good for interaction and good for my PC, it would have made the geographical distance more of an issue if he knew he couldn't Way him. Right now, psionic communication connects everyone in the world. It would be nice to see something that reinforces that sense of distance a little more.

That said, as others have pointed out, the Way is kind of an OOC necessity. So while I would personally cast my vote in favor of that particular change to the Way, I 100% understand why people would be against it. It's hard for me to picture the OOC and playability consequences of Way restriction right now, but I have a feeling they could get really annoying. I can see both sides here.

The proposed idea of giving average Joes a small chance to "overhear" the Way could also work for making literacy more viable, and I think it might be an even better idea as far as opening doors for literacy is concerned, as it would encourage the use of written messages even within the same region. I love the example given of a "foreign thought" passing through your mind, without any suggestion of where it came from. I think that even if the idea of geographical boundaries to the range of the Way ends up being canned, restricting these "overheard thoughts" by geography would be necessary.

[Desertman]

Yeah I had this thought last night actually.

If you restrict the Way to have more geographic limitations, suddenly Zalanthas becomes A LOT bigger.

Which in my opinion is a good thing. The actual size doesn't increase of course, but the perceptions of the players and even the characters about the size of the world and the feel of the world suddenly increases.

Now, when a character says, "I'm going to another city for a while." and you are close to them, it doesn't mean a lot.

You know you still have SmartPhone instant access contact with them whenever you want it.

With this change, when a character says, "I'm going away for a while. I'm going to be in Tuluk for a couple of months.", that is actually going to MEAN something. You won't know if they are safe, what they are up to, if they are cheating on you WITH ELVES! WHO KNOWS! OH THE DRAMA! OH THE WORRY! OH THE HEARTACHING!

To bring it full circle, if you could write, you could actually write each other letters to stay, "Up to date.", which is just kind of cool.

[Reiloth]

Yeah I had this thought last night actually.

If you restrict the Way to have more geographic limitations, suddenly Zalanthas becomes A LOT bigger.

Which in my opinion is a good thing. The actual size doesn't increase of course, but the perceptions of the players and even the characters about the size of the world and the feel of the world suddenly increases.

Just to be rhetorical, but how?

[Desertman]

Yeah I had this thought last night actually.

If you restrict the Way to have more geographic limitations, suddenly Zalanthas becomes A LOT bigger.

Which in my opinion is a good thing. The actual size doesn't increase of course, but the perceptions of the players and even the characters about the size of the world and the feel of the world suddenly increases.

Just to be rhetorical, but how?

Sorry, I was editing my post as you posted this apparently.

[Desertman]

I also really want to write one of these letters to someone's mate.

"Dear Talia,

It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that your mate, Amos, has fallen in combat on the northern grasslands. He was eaten by a pack of angry fearless ritikki. You should know he died fighting....screaming in agony...but fighting.

It was an honor to serve as his Salarri Sergeant. I know he loved you dearly. If there is anything I can do, please write back and let me know.

Your Friend, Sergeant Swanky Sharpsword."

Heh, I can see a lot of these sorts of letters travelling about the Known. It would be awesome to send and receive letters.

It would be awesome to read other people's letters if you intercepted them/stole them/stumbled upon them.

Just so much awesome to be had.

And so much better than/intriguing than, "Contact Talia", "Just letting you know, Amos just died right now. I'm standing over his body. Sorry.".

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

The erdlu express.

Drawling, his brown leather duster blowing in the eastern wind, the rangy, mustached man says to you, in sirihish:
  "Ah reckon Ah kin git yur scroll there by sundown, sure. That'll be twenny-five sid, fella."

Accepting your roll up scroll, the rangy, mustached man tucks it in his battered canvas satchel bag.

The rangy, mustached man tips his wide-brimmed, brown leather hat to you and sets one of his snake-skin, chitin-toed boots in the stirrup of a sleek, grey-scaled erdlue's saddle.

Cracking his back as he settles himself atop a sleek, grey-scaled erdlu, the rangy, mustached man says to you, in sirihish:
  "Once Ah drop yur package off, Ah'll let my gurl in Luir's know so she kin update ya, fella. Ah thank ya fer using tha Express."

A sleek, grey-scaled erdlue runs east, carrying the rangy, mustached man on her back.

[Molten Heart]

It'd be cool to have literacy just to incorporate poor grammar and spelling for flavor.

[Desertman]

I would feel a bit bad for the guy who got known throughout the world as, "The messenger.".

Every raider in the world would want to kill that guy just get his fat "knowledge loots".

It's my idea to put this in, and I want to kill the guy and get his scrolls already just to read them.

Such interesting. Much want to know.

[Reiloth]

It'd be funny if the Byn suddenly became the Postal Service.

"Yeah, we'll go into the sewer and kill that sewer horror, Lord Templar Fancypants. What? You also want this letter delivered to your great Aunt? Um...Sure, that'll be two hundred 'sid extra."

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

It would certainly offer them more contracts, and give them even more to do.

[Reiloth]

No but seriously, there is no postal service, so how would these letters be delivered? Even inter-city, you would need some sort of organization that handles letter intake and output.

You could have Nenyuk capitalize on it -- They charge for letters when you drop them off, and charge people when they pick them up. So they just make money.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

The ... Byn. You just suggested it.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

Oh! Shit!

That's even better!!!

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

Wait. You know Nenyuk used to be a playable clan!

They could be so again, with PCs focusing on letter delivery!

[Patuk]

I like what I'm reading on this page. We could end up with a Zalanthan Hero and Leander story.

"A poor sharp from the alleyways of the 'rinth, Hush met his beloved Claw when she met him while smuggling spice for Kurac in his home turf. The thought of her keeping him awake at night and making him long for her touch again ended up driving him from his hime and out of the merchant's gate. Every day from then on, Hush ran past raptors, through canyons and over cliffs in order to be with his lover in Luir's, not stopping along the way once, made to run back again at the end of every night, risking her sergeant's ire. One fateful Detal day he longed for her more than ever, taking off across the desert once more, stirring up great clouds of dust as he went. Alas, Whira conspired with the sand that day, and no amount of love could save him as he lost his way, the man finding his end through a treacherous gith ambush. Already worried because of her lover's absence, Claw's darkest suspicions were all but confirmed as she went on patrol with her unit, finding her late lover's head gruesomely planted atop a crude pike. It was the last thing Kurac ever saw of her, the elf drawing her blade and charging right into gith lands."

[Reiloth]

Yeah, I just can't see the Byn being ICly interested in something like that.

Also, simple printing presses could be invented and used, like what they used in Tibet and Japan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodblock_printing

It could be a major perk in clans as well, and finally give reason and meaning to a life-oath. Reach the rank of Corporal or Sergeant and sign a life-oath, and we'll teach you how to read and write to keep track of all those tricky ledgers. And so you can write sad poetry when you are drunk at 3AM. But seriously, we'll just turn you over to the Templarate if you teach this to anyone. And hell, we might turn you over to the Templarate if you're a little shit, and just say that you tried to teach other people.

Interesting bargaining chip for the employee, and the employer.

[Patuk]

Nooooo printing presses. No. Please don't. If not because Zalanthas is a low technology world, then because it'd make writing much less useful of a skill.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

Yeh, I'd pass on the printing press. But the teaching of writing to life-sworn employees as an excellent idea.

[BadSkeelz]

Yeah, I just can't see the Byn being ICly interested in something like that.

The Byn should be willing to do just about anything if the coin is right.

I remain leery of literacy becoming widespread and legalized. I think a long period of growing literacy among commoners, with the templarates trying their damndest to combat it, would allow for more fun. It might even never make it in to the mainstream if it remains a niche tool.

[rodic]

Heh, just a thought, I always had trouble suspending disbelief that every clan Quarter Master was either a Literate trained Noble or Merchant, or blessed with the most amazing memory every.

Never got around to ask exactly how military clans, and mercenary clans do record keeping. 

How do they track names? Doodles of their faces?