main
side
curve
  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Resource The Fanon Thread

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction and Writing Resource' started by FanonSock, Nov 11, 2014.

  1. divapilot

    divapilot Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 30, 2005
    My two credits: I think the problem with “x in space” is that is negates the need for world building. Of course, you’re going to have some real-world association; you have to have a baseline where your reader feels comfortable and can make a connection. It’s a balance between creating that familiar feel but also making it fresh and new. Simply making something “x.....In Space!!!!” removes it from becoming unique to that culture. Why bother to create a culture, religion, economic system, etc for your story?

    It’s tricky. I mean let’s face it, the Millennium Falcon is just Han Solo’s hotrod...in space! Complete with the dice hanging in the dashboard. Maybe it’s the degree to which something is too Earthy. If it’s one or two things, it’s ok; if it’s a full superimposing of an existing earth culture or tradition but with Alienz then... nope. You jumped the shark.
     
    Gamiel and Findswoman like this.
  2. Cowgirl Jedi 1701

    Cowgirl Jedi 1701 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 21, 2016
    I have no problem with "X In Space" as a concept. Hell, a lot of my fanon is X In Space.

    The trick, as others have already said, is balance. You want your Earthbound readers to get a kick out of it when they realize that Fanon Thing is X In Space, but you also want Fanon Thing to feel at home in the GFFA.
     
    Findswoman and Gamiel like this.
  3. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    regarding the being afraid of using any direct RL cultures as a reference because it can easily turn into "X in space" so would I suggest that people take the stuff that you liked/inspired you from a RL culture and then throw away everything else from that culture but that.

    For example lets say, to use an example inspired by a comment @Chyntuck made, that you want's to create something based on the Greek Orthodox Church role as "the biggest offshore company since the dawn of time" during the Byzantine and Ottoman period. If you just take the parts you want and then mask your inspiration by having the not-Greek Orthodox Church worshiping a pantheon; give the clergy names based on Swedish nature words and "neutral" titles; place it in a culture whose technological level is SW standard; creat a complex ethnic composition by adding many minorities based on already existing SW species/cultures; don't mention any noble titles; have it on a planet of water filled crystal labyrinths where cities are built vertically onto the sides of the great crystal walls; also ad some kind of local colours that Byzantine/Ottoman did not have, maybe ballet is really big with even small theatres having regular dance production, or returning mask festivals, or a returning mention of bamboo-like reed being one of the main building materials.
    Do that and I think even many people who do know the organisation of the Greek Orthodox Church during the Byzantine and Ottoman period would be able to miss that it was your inspiration.
     
  4. Mira Grau

    Mira Grau Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    May 11, 2016
    I´ve got a general question @FanonSock, is it actually possible to post a fanon post that´s written from an IU perspective? So basically something written down by a GFFA person as part of an GFFA instructional holobook?
     
  5. Findswoman

    Findswoman Fanfic and Pancakes and Waffles Mod (in Pink) star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2014
    Answering as myself since I’m on mobile at present. Yes, it is totally fine to do that—there are no particular formatting requirements for these posts, so go ahead and be as creative as you want! :D
     
    Anedon likes this.
  6. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    If I may suggest some more discussion points @FanonSock :

    * Do people think there is a difference between using RL historical cultures and RL cultures that still exists or at least exist in living memory?

    * Is there a difference between using main cultures or subcultures?

    * Do people have any examples from the canon (old or new) that you think of as too much borrowing from real life?
     
  7. Findswoman

    Findswoman Fanfic and Pancakes and Waffles Mod (in Pink) star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2014
    Sure, those are all excellent points and topics, and people can definitely feel free to take them up right here and now, if they like. :) As to examples from canon of too much RL borrowing, I think @divapilot 's example of Luke and Mara's wedding from Union was a good one. Another that came to mind to me as possibly borderline example is the very nun-like attire of the Caretakers (aka "judgmental fish nuns") on Ahch-to, and it wasn't lost on me how the organ in the Canto Bight casino-cantina-place (that gets knocked over when the fathiers come stampeding through) has a keyboard layout pretty much exactly like Earth keyboard instruments. [face_thinking]
     
    divapilot, Kahara and Gamiel like this.
  8. TheRynJedi

    TheRynJedi Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Jun 20, 2018
    One of the purposes of fiction, and speculative fiction (sci-fi/fantasy) in particular, is to bring light to real-world issues and discussions by “disguising” them in a “safer to discuss” format.

    The Ryn are very literally Gipsies in Space, they’re meant to be. But, through meeting them, many people (myself included) became interested in learning more about the real-world culture they’re based on. Much of the fanon I’ve build up around my clan of Ryn is based off of my research into the real-world culture.

    So I guess it kind of partially depends on your purpose for using something from the real world. If it’s just a shortcut because someone was too lazy to make up something of their own, it gets annoying. But if it’s used in order to make people interested in learning more about its inspiration, it can be really cool.

    That line can be a bit hard to see, though. And your reader’s interpretation can be difficult to predict. Someone could be very familiar with your RL subject and think your variation wasn’t different enough, but another could be totally unfamiliar and not even know you based it on RL.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
     
    Gamiel and Findswoman like this.
  9. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    Just wondering: I have created a wordlist of older Swedish words with comments on how to use them if you want a culture to appear "Nordic", would people be interested in me posting it?

    What I have seen of Union do I fully agree that it was borrowing to much from RL American wedding traditions. When it comes to the Caretakers I don't have any problem with their attire, since it's not any of the stereotypical nun-attire designs and I have seen non-nun-attire that's similar to Caretakers' (and this talk about nuns remind me that I should write down my (stolen) idea of a nun-order for a thief-god).
    Regarding the organ on Canto Bight do I have to admit that I have no memory of it, and my musical knowledge is not so that I would notice that it followed RL keyboard instrument's layout, but I would probably not give it any extra thought's if I had - now if it had been a RL keyboard instrument that they had not even "spacedup" so would I maybe have problem with it

    When it comes to the ryn I like them but I found the presentation of them in The New Essential Guide to Alien Species feeling a bit problematic; when describing their culture they, as I recall, mentioned nothing that did not really made me think of the Roma (but I have lightly read upon them thought the years so I maybe know more then most?), with the ad on that they were supposed to be the creators of space tarot makes them feel (to me) as even like a caricature of the Roma in a way. I just feel like the creators could have added something more that was not associated with Roma to just make them feel a bit less then a copy-past job regarding their culture presentation, for example leaned in a bit on that one of their origins was possibly as mercenaries.


    B.t.w. @TheRynJedi have you read World of Darkness: Gypsies to White Wolf's World of Darkness RPG line? It's an rather problematic book* in it that it present Roma as coming from a magical bloodline with connections to vampires, werewolves and fairies and more or less present them, in the game setting if not the real world, as being the pop-cultural idea of them all being mystical, thieving, and/or eternally wandering. It's funny in a way because you get the feeling that the authors don't mean to be racist and thorough out the book are mentions that Roma in RL are an prosecuted minority who are victims of hurtful stereotypes as thieves and similar. Now with that said so would I also ad that I find it inspiring, in all it's cringe worthiness, it has some rather interesting ideas and it can also function as inspiration in that "I can do better then this"/"this is not how it should be one" kind of way. So it could be something that could give you ideas for ryn cultures.
    * I personally believe that White Wolf's World of Darkness books need to be ranked after 'usefulness as a game supplement', 'how inspiring it is', 'how good researched the topic is' and it's 'cringe worthiness', with some books being inspiring and relatively well reached but also very cringe worthy. World of Darkness: Gypsies is very, very cringe worthy and is a really good example of White Wolf's tendency to not really think about the implications of what they were writing.

    Also, I have not done anything with this idea (jet) but I have this thought of using Cossacks as inspiration for ryn warriors/warrior clans, maybe that idea it could be something of use for you to.
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2019
    Findswoman likes this.
  10. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    Regarding the point of adding something different when you heavily use a RL culture, at least when giving summary descriptions, if people here have something inspired by RL but can't come up with something to diversify it from the RL culture so do I have a collection of ideas (stolen and my own) that could be used for that.

    If people want to see any of those ideas, to use or just as inspiration, just give me a call here or as a PM.
     
  11. FanonSock

    FanonSock Jedi Master star 1

    Registered:
    Nov 11, 2014
    Popping in to announce an update: the Lasat Fanon Post by @Raissa Baiard and @Findswoman has been updated with quite a bit of new and expanded lore on shamanism, the language of stones, and some variations on "karabast."

    As always, please PM me if you've made any updates to your own posts, and I'll announce them, too. :)

    And I'm loving the lively discussion I'm seeing! Definitely keep it coming, and feel free to bring up other fanon-related discussion topics at any time. :cool:
     
    Gamiel and TheRynJedi like this.
  12. TheRynJedi

    TheRynJedi Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Jun 20, 2018
    James Luceno, who created the Ryn for the NJO books he was writing, says he saw a documentary about Romani culture and history and decided to base the Ryn off of them. In the novels, there is more depth, history, and culture discussed than what got put in the Guide to Aliens. I think with the limited space for a write up, the author for Guide went "oh, Gypsies in space" and focused on the caricature, and not the culture.

    So, in my stories, I've tried to focus on broadening that out beyond caricature, and to bring in the real-world culture. The clan my main characters are part of are based on Gitanos, the Romani who settled in Spain. Flamenco and Spanish guitars galore. But other Ryn clans could/would have different RL cultural inspirations.

    I do admit, my interpretation of the Ryn in the novels is highly colored now by my research into Romani culture and the head canon I've evolved, I might be seeing more into it than is actually written.

    LoL, my friend of Romani descent is involved in the Camarilla (WoD RPG fan club/LARP) and was a National level coordinator in years past. Don't even get her started on that book. She's had long talks with her friends at White Wolf about it over the years.

    Very interested in this! I've been planning on using your Kull mining/mercenary clan in a future story, and was actually brainstorming a sort of "Russian" feel for that clan. I was going to get in touch with you when I got around to writing that story, to see what fannon you had come up with besides the posted entry.

    Edit: holy cow Tapatalk butchered that post, sorry, fixed now?
     
    Last edited: Mar 22, 2019
    Gamiel and Findswoman like this.
  13. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    @TheRynJedi I think you may need to do some editing on your post.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    So they are not used as draft or riding animals?

    I can see an industry in mineral based dyes also.

    Do they have any tradition of carving the stones or are they supposed to be raw or is how worked the stone is part of the "language of stones"?

    I think you need to fix that sentence.

    You need to fix the link.

    Are there any kind of semi-sexist jokes regarding male shamans?

    At what age do you begin training?

    Do the chalk come in one colour or more? And if the later are any of the colours associated with special rituals or rituals for special things?


    @Raissa Baiard @Findswoman have any of you read any of the Navajo Tribal Police stories by Tony Hillerman with Jim Chee? I ask because Jim Chee is studying to be a traditional healer at the same time that he is a police officer and some of the ways he tries to mend old traditions with the modern world may be of interest.

    Also, you could give the Shamans a fanon post of their own with all you have on them.
     
    Last edited: Mar 22, 2019
    Findswoman likes this.
  14. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    I can see that. I want to do a long talk with them about the Get of Fenris books to Werewolf:tA and they are not as bad as WoD: Gypsies.

    But while I'm talking RPG supplements:
    White Wolf did make one Vampire clan and one Werewolf tribe nomadic, the Ravnos and the Silent Striders respectively, both got at least two books. Their made up culture could have something interesting as inspiration, especially regarding how they see/use mystical abilities, since the Force is something real in the SW-verse and the ryn absolutely most have some kind of Force-tradition among themselves. Now, both Ravnos and the Silent Striders are given connections to the Roma in-game (but to different degree depending on the edition, I think) so there are probably some level of cringe worthiness regarding that (if nothing else) but I don't know how much since I have not read their books.

    At least in 3:de ed. Dungeon & Dragons so was the standard halflings nomadic and maybe some of the culture/s given to them could be interesting, and in the Hammer Horror inspired setting Ravenloft are one of the cultures the pop-culture Gypsy inspired Vistani people (who were considered to powerful to be PC:s) and the playable Half-Vistani. Once again: probably a bit problematic but maybe you can find something useful.

    In the Wheel of Time (who got a D20 RPG book) do there exist the nomadic sea folks, whose traditions (especially regarding boats) could be inspiring.

    Just a point, they are the Kull mining clans, as in there are more then one clan of them.

    Jep.
     
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2019
  15. Findswoman

    Findswoman Fanfic and Pancakes and Waffles Mod (in Pink) star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2014
    Before I answer your questions, @Gamiel, just one general comment: I tend to come up with fanon lore based on the particular needs of the story(ies) I'm writing, which is why I am going to have to answer several of your questions below with "I don't know yet." Generally, for me at least, this is how it goes: (1) the stories precede the fanon lore, (2) the fanon lore grows out of the needs of the stories themselves, and (3) fanon entries only tell one so much anyway—the best way to get to know someone's fanon in an immersive way is to read that person's stories. ;) :D

    (Hmm, this could be a good discussion topic too... [face_thinking])

    Anyway, on to some answers, as best I can:

    Maybe sometimes? We haven't had occasion to use them that way, but I think we were envisioning their being used more like cattle in this case than like horses or donkeys. (Lasan does have goats too, though, and those mountainous, rocky terrains often have some kind of donkey-like thing.)

    Would make sense, I agree, though again, we haven't really had occasion to write about it.

    I guess they probably can be either? The instances of this mentioned in our stories so far have been unworked—my thinking was that if they've already got all sorts of brilliant spikes and crystals, those natural shapes are already beautiful on their own. But I do have a mention of ordering similar stone gifts from a catalog, too, which could imply that carved ones are a thing, at least in some cases.

    Raissa's the one who has access to editing that post, so I'll let her do that, if that's all right.

    Ditto here.

    This is another thing that I have to answer with "I don't know," because, again, I haven't had a reason for that kind of thing to come up in one of my stories—it would be out of character for most of the shaman characters I've written, for one thing. (Incidentally, I kind of wonder—and I wonder this in the friendliest possible way—why that is the first thing that popped into your head in connection with the female-dominatedness of the tradition. :p )

    I was thinking perhaps early teens, or the equivalent thereof.

    I imagine that for most everyday purposes just one is fine (going on the fact that Chava uses only white in "Legends of the Lasat"), and I've just imagined plain white in most of my own stories, though I suppose some particularly elaborate ceremonial purposes might require more intricate, elaborate glyphs done in more than one color.

    Took a look; that does sound like a really cool premise, and it is definitely the kind of dynamic I'm going for in my stories involving Lasat shamanism. :)

    I shall definitely keep that under consideration, and many thanks, as always, for keeping the discussion going with your interest and thought-provoking questions. :)
     
    Gamiel likes this.
  16. Raissa Baiard

    Raissa Baiard FFoF Artist Extraordinaire star 4 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Nov 22, 1999
    Fixed.:D
     
    Gamiel and Findswoman like this.
  17. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    LAHARA SECTOR's "NEAR ABROAD"

    First of: some information regarding the main worlds of the Lahara sectorn (canon info / my fanon on it) that explain some of the terminology and background -

    * the Lahara sector is a political sector, not a geographical one, with that means that all the planets in the sector are parts of the Republic and planets that may be geographically near, or even between, Lahara sector planets are not part of Lahara sector it if they are not parts of the Republic. This means that the map of the Lahara sector given in the The Essential Atlas is more along the line of guidelines than how the sector actually looks.

    * the term "near abroad" in the Lahara Sector refer to all the planets that are either geographically, culturally an/or politically close to the Lahara Sector but are not part of the Lahara sector (nor any other of the Republic's political sectors). In New Republic times so are planets that are part of fon Sjternberg’s moffate considered to be part of the "near abroad"

    * When it became clear that the Empire would fall the current moff of the Lahara sector, Roman Fjodorovitj Ungern fon Sjternberg, decided to consolidate his forces around a few system instead of trying to controlling the whole sector. This, together with that the moffate have not (openly) attacked or subverted Republic space or protectorates, has made it possible for fon Sjternberg to keep his holdings. By the time of YJK so is a cold war going on between the Republic and fon Sjternberg’s moffate.

    * My earlier fanonpost regarding Organisations of note in the Lahara Sector can also be of interest


    ------------

    "NEAR ABROAD" WORLDS

    ------------

    Amarna: An agriworld known for its martial tradition. This has its origin in times of old when Amarna’s settlers was regularly raided by pirates, warlord and others who thought they did not need to pay for the food Amarna produced. Because of this it was the duty of every member of the community to take arms and defend what was theirs. It even became so that a youngling was not seen as complete members of the community until they had shed blood in defence of that community.

    In more civilized time this tradition become that younglings shed blood in defence of the Republic by joining the Republic’s navy or self-defence forcers for at least five years. After that time they return as full citizens of Amarna. During the time of the Empire this tradition continued but now they joined the imperial armed forces even if the more chaotic times beginning with the Clone Wars has made many younglings full citizens without having to go off world.
    The settlements on Amarna are usually small, most of them village or town sized.
    Is part of fon Sjternberg’s moffate by the time of YJK.

    ------------

    Birgitta: A cold and dry world of mostly high mountains, stony half-deserts and windy tundra. Birgitta would be of no real interest to the rest of the galaxy if it was not that many groups who have established monasteries all across the surface, mostly in inaccessible places. The reason for this is practical: since Birgitta is out of the way, lack anything of real value and its environment is not one that encourage colonisation so can the people who chose to live monastic lives do so without worrying about needless outside interference.
    It is said that ten thousand monasteries have been built on Birgitta’s surface, many that are still being used by the order that originally built them. Most of the monasteries are fully self-supporting when it comes to the essentials, or at least part of a group of monasteries that together makes them self-supporting.
    Among the many different orders are the ascetic Verner-Verner monk-cooks, masters of creating good food from the most minimal of ingredients; the twin Hon and Han monk and nun orders, whose monks are all women who live like men and nuns are men who live like women; the tattooed disciples of Hoshi, whose monasteries it is said you leave enlightened or escape mad; the Djishing monastery of the Tien-Pim, whose members can be seen dancing alone or together miles around their monastery; the Church of the Force’s Nine breath order had thirteen monasteries on Birgitta but only one was left standing by the Empire; the masters of natural medicine and martial arts of the Wongkeiying order, also known as black umbrellas for the black umbrellas they all carry; the Society of Sensation, whose members study the sensations of ascetism and simple living in a dry and cold environment; the cybernetic B’omarr order; among many other.
    Beside the people in the monasteries do it exist a populations of nomads/semi-nomads who live of animal herding and small time farming. Beside what technology the get or trade from visiting spacers and the monasteries so do they exist in an advanced (for their lifestyle) Stone- and Bronze Age level of technology.
    Must larger animals (none of the native species are higher than 1 m by the neck) on Birgitta belong to a goat-like species-family and the largest predator is a wolf-sized lynx-like felineoid, but there also exist predators comparable to foxes, wolverines and smaller wild dogs.
    Is a protectorate to the Republic.

    ------------

    Chrellis system: "In 2 BBY, [an asteroid in the system's asteroid belt] served as the first headquarters of the Rebels, prior to it being relocated to Brigia because of a passing Imperial task force coming dangerously close to discovering it.

    ------------

    Dyr: Because of a very strange orbit around its star Dyr suffer from extreme seasons. Summers are boiling hot, with most the water on the surface being evaporated while raging volcanoes erupt everywhere; winters are incredibly cold, where everything freezes over to deadly cold temperatures; and in between, raging storms as the water condenses or freezes up.
    Originally colonised by Madalorians during in ancient time when they were in an empire-building phase, they believed that the planet’s harsh environment would be an excellent training ground for their warrior-born. Now a-day the population have little common with the Mandolorians of old or modern time, even if their language is a basic/mando’a creole.

    ------------

    Eequoria: A theocracy that worship Lady Eequor, Blue Lady of Dismay; is a matriarchy that treat men similar to how Saudi Arabia treat women.
    Has a cold climate but at the equator (where it around as warm as the Mediterranean Sea) you can see the most fantastic blue seas, and wonderful turquoise sand beaches. Main exports are cobalt, blue dyes and turquoise based jewellery.
    For inspiration for fashion and architecture I was thinking of using the traditional styles of the countries found around the Bay of Bengal, but adopted for colder climate.

    ------------

    Eno danga: a rocky word of half deserts, canyon systems and salty inland seas. Was once a thriving mining colony but the miners moved on three centuries BP, leaving their cities to turn into ruin, and only hardy subsistence farmers lived on Eno danga. This changed when Lahara sector’s (then) moff decided to make the planet the main training ground and depot for the part of the Imperial army raised in the sector. Eno danga‘s was also used whenever some new kind of weapon or transport needed testing.
    Is part of fon Sjternberg’s moffate by the time of YJK.

    ------------

    Gandolo IV;

    ------------

    Glukuk: Bamboo jungles, mangrove swamps and shallow algae filled seas, where maggot riders travel between city-states defended by copper-cannons.

    ------------

    Fabricius: like most agriworlds in the Lahara sector Fabricius’ farming methods are mostly automatized giving most of the population, and especially the landlord oligarchy lots of free time. Free time that many fill with going to, or watching on viewscreens, the circus where animals – both trained and wild, many cybernetic and/or chemically enhanced – fight each other to the amusement of the crowd. This kind of entertainment did go against the Republic’s animal welfare laws but Fabricius was able to just pay the fees or bury the charges in layers of bureaucracy red tape. After the raise of the Empire, Fabricius was able to make themselves an exception to those laws when it come to the use of animals in circus games and was even able to get the right to use prisoners sentenced to death as participants in the games.

    Fabricius moon is mostly covered in shipyards, many that was turned over to the Republic during the Clone Wars, the Empire never returned them.
    Became part of fon Sjternberg’s moffate after the Empire’s fall.
    Culturally inspired by Rom the decadent

    ------------

    Horn Station; “a backwater world in the Lahara sector of the Outer Rim Territories. It was neglected by the Republic until a Jedi, nicknamed "Pinky", liberated the planet from Shoto Eyefire, a defel crime lord and blastfighter. The homeworld of a species of hulking, green-skinned, reptilian humanoids.

    ------------

    Kebolar: A tidally-locked world with the twilight zone being much more hospital then the one found on Ryloth. The population, mostly people from Qiilura and their decedents, consider themselves betrayed by the Trade Federation, the Republic and the Empire and don’t want with them or anybody that remind of them to do.

    ------------

    Look on Our Works ye Mighty and Despair:
    I met a traveller from an antique planet,
    Who said: "two vast and trunkless legs of stone
    Stand in the desert ... near them, on the sand,
    Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
    And wrinkled lips, and sneer of cold command,
    Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
    Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
    The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
    And on the pedestal these words appear:
    My name is Canderous Ordo, Mandalore the Preserver;
    My people know only the glory of victory.
    Look on Our Works ye Mighty, and Despair!
    Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
    Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
    The lone and level sands stretch far away.
    - ancient poem quoted by the leader of the first exploratory expedition on Look on Our Works ye Mighty and Despair, then known as Iblix III.

    Look on Our Works ye Mighty and Despair, or just Despair as it is commonly known, is a world that was destroyed by war long before it entered galactic history. When the first explorers looked upon Despair they found a world scared and poisoned by war. The air and water had been poisoned, which probably killed off most of the life not killed by convenient weapons and areas of great radiation tell stories of atomic weapons. Miraculously many ruins after great bastions, cities and temples still stand.
    When it was realized that Despair’s crust had pockets of interesting minerals attempts to establish mining colonies was made. Most of the attempts failed because the will-o’-wisp like beings/things that exist on Despair seems to be drawn to electronics which they then disable with some kind of ion-like field. Only by mostly using non-electronic equipment for the colony and the mining operation was Commerce Guild able to get an operation working. After the Clone Wars the Empire nationalize the mines on Despair and made them all into labor camps.

    Around the same time that Luke walked into Jabba’s palace did the miner-inmates uncover a hidden tomb and found something there. Something that gave the discoverers ‘mystical’ powers and made it possible to quickly overthrow the guards. With the Empire fracturing putting down a prison-slave revolt on a not that important world was not a top priority.
    Somehow the prisoners was not just able to takeover Despair but they were also able to capture enough ships to create a small pirate fleet.

    ------------

    Mur’s Rest: A mostly dry world of deserts, semi-deserts and steep land, notable for the many shallow lakes filled with algae. Villages of algae farmers surround many of the lakes.

    ------------

    Punt: Great swamps, river deltas, small inland seas and rainforest covered highlands. Populated by tribes of bothan barbarains have shown themselves just as willing to trade with outsiders as to attack them from hidden positions with poisonus blowgun darts.

    ------------

    Quang-Lundmark: Lush jungles, tranquil seas and garden cities. Ruled by philosopher-bureaucrat who has begun to fall into decadents and keep all offworlder technology for themselves.

    ------------

    Rojo-Savlor
    The chem-filled atmosphere of Rojo-Savlor is deadly to most lifeforms within seconds; with breather units, eye protection and heavy clothes it is possible to walk the surface but it’s not recommended, must instead use fully enclosed environment suits. The people on Rojo-Savlor live in factory-cities that are enclosed from the environment around them. From the atmosphere and the land the cities mine chemicals they then sell raw or in refined form.
    Each of the factory-cities is a city-state of its own and the different city-state are united and divided by an advanced system of written alliances, ancient debt and slights. During the Clone wars some cities sided with the Republic while other sided with the Separatists. This lead to a world war involving all the factory-city-state, some which was not just damaged by the fighting but fully destroyed.
    During the Empire a peace was enforced on Rojo-Savlor but when it fell so did the fighting resume even if now more in raid form. There also exist large numbers of rogue battle droids from the Clone war still fighting a war they have not been ordered to stop.
    The architecture and fashion of Rojo-Savlor have can best be described as pre-colonial Mesoamerica meets industrial environment. People often use face and body paint and environment suits are often given similar paintjobs to their owners.
    Rojo-Savlors native life is strange, blind and toxic to most creatures. Among the animals there exist species similar to vulpimancer and mehrog.

    Is not considered for membership in the New Republic until the fighting between the factory-city-states stops.

    ------------

    Sigma 14D: A 0.5 G desert moon, with a just breathable atmosphere. Notable only by the 100 m tall statue of an unknown Jedi that was carved out in some unknown age. There exist a handful of subsistence farmer-colonists on the moon, who uses greenhouses to cultivate food.

    Republic protectorate.

    ------------

    Strife: A crystalline planet of gleaming and jagged features as far as the eye can see. The native lifeforms are silicon-based and multi limbed that clank around the surface breathing out corrosive exhaust. Those silicon-beasts come in the size from plankton to larger than an AT-TE and the chemical process that goes on in their body makes them explosive if killed, or even wounded, the wrong way.

    ------------

    T'lessia: Goodwood 's

    ------------


    -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

    As usually I am glad for any questions or suggestions people have.
     
    Last edited: Mar 29, 2019
  18. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    Short answer: Vikings.

    Long answer: To my understanding so did the Vikings consider most kinds of mystical arts feminine and a man who studied those arts was seen as a bit strange or queer.

    I think I read a story also where witchcraft was something feminine and male witches was expected to dress and act like women; while I'm on it so I think some Native American tribes had the idea that people who was in-between genders (I don't remember if it meant transvestites or homosexual or both or something similar) was made the best shamans since they was already in-between something so would they find it easier to be in-between the spirit-world and the material-world.

    And that's why I ask the questions, to make you think about it so you maybe know when you or somebody who want to use your fanon needs that information.

    B.t.w. @Findswoman @Raissa Baiard I have a (stolen) list of terms used to describe terrain in desert/semi-desert landscapes, many which are words for different rock formations, which could be fitting for how you have been describing Lasan. Would that be of interest for you?


    @TheRynJedi one of the organisations in the above linked post is a Ryn clan one, maybe of interest.
     
    Findswoman likes this.
  19. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    To return to the current discussion:
    * While we are talking about using RL culture to much, do people think that something similar can happen if you are inspired by a made up culture (f.ex. Fire Nation/Avatar:tLA; Aiel/A Wheel of Time)?

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Give me a call whenever you need :)

    I would say that my main reasons to why I think Cossacks would work as inspiration for Ryn are the two pictures below:
    Запорожцы пишут письмо турецкому султану <Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks to Sultan Mehmed IV of the Ottoman Empire>
    by Ilya Repin
    [​IMG]

    and this photo of a Ukrainian Cossack (Ostap Kindrachuk) playing the bandura and wearing traditional clothing
    [​IMG]


    Also, something that I would suggest looking at as possible inspiration for ryn (and overall spacer culture) is trucking culture (not just American but also things like the Japanese Dekotora culture) and trucking in popculture .


    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    I think yaks would be a better parallel than horses or donkeys if they would be used as draft or riding animals.

    I can suggest some Earth cultures/areas that you might find interesting as inspiration, based on how you have overall described Lasan, if you are interested.

    Beside the use as inspiration can I also say that I remember them as being good detective stories also, so I recommend them as overall good reading.

    Thanks :)
     
    TheRynJedi likes this.
  20. Raissa Baiard

    Raissa Baiard FFoF Artist Extraordinaire star 4 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Nov 22, 1999
    @Gamiel, banthas were specifically mentioned as being used for “wool, meat and hides” by the Lasat in the Alien Encounter Compendium. However, the Lasat were described as a primitive and warlike species in that source, and that seemed quite at odds with the way Zeb is portrayed in Rebels. So when we were world building, we kept the banthas but made them domestic beasts. At this point, Lasat society is technologically advanced enough that most Lasat have speeders, speeder bikes or other repulsor technology vehicles, so while they could still use draft animals, it’s more likely they’d use a vehicle for the purpose.
     
    Gamiel and Findswoman like this.
  21. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    @Raissa Baiard @Findswoman somethings I forgot to ask:

    I have not seen Rebels so maybe this is answered there but did I understand it right that sparks and lightning function more or less as special effects for the shamans? I mean that they appear when they use the Force but in practise don't give of any electrocutions, heat or similar.

    Also what kind of Force abilities do the shamans know/don't know? If you don't know the right terminology so do I (shamelessly self-promoting) suggest looking at this post for a rather long summary of different Force abilities.
     
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2019
  22. Findswoman

    Findswoman Fanfic and Pancakes and Waffles Mod (in Pink) star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2014
    It depends on what the shaman is doing. I have written instances when the sparks and lightning are indeed just (!) there to show the Ashla is working: in one case the shaman was using it to rescue someone falling from a crumbling rock formation, and in another she was making a transport car she was in move faster than its usual speed. (And this is pretty much the way the lightning seems to work the single time we see this type of magic being used in Rebels.) But I also have shamanic techniques where the lightning is actually electrical and dangerous: in another story, the same character also uses her lightning to (a) knock out a baddie and (b) destroy an object by burning it to a crisp.

    In general, if I may just speak candidly for a moment: the best way to learn more about our concerning around these shamans, what they can and can't do, etc., would be to read our stories that feature them. :p We would be glad to direct you to some examples. ;) :D
     
    TheRynJedi and Gamiel like this.
  23. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    But that is not as easily searched as a single fanon post where the information about that is collected.:-B


    B.t.w. @FanonSock could you ask the moderators if it would be okey for us to link to the fics where the fanon we have poste is used/appear, even if it’s our own? I just think it would be easier from a reference/search standpoint.
     
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2019
    TheRynJedi likes this.
  24. Sith-I-5

    Sith-I-5 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 14, 2002
    "x in space"

    [Engage hypocrite mode]

    I'm not comfortable transplanting entire historical architecture and fashion into the Star Wars universe, as I would be concerned how local evolution just happened to land on that as an ideal.

    Conversely, I seem to be quite okay with the idea of a holiday resort that I have been to, existing on a waterworld.
     
    Gamiel likes this.
  25. FanonSock

    FanonSock Jedi Master star 1

    Registered:
    Nov 11, 2014
    This is already allowed for resource threads like this one: see the rules on "Promoting Fics" in the Fanfic FAQ, which states:

     
    Gamiel likes this.