Let me throw down what I had going last time, and I'm more then open to pitches for replacements or improvements.
Elodrian:
Imagine 7'-8' tall elven looking creatures. Frail in appearance, yet highly intelligent and devastatingly organized. The Elodrian are the ancestors of elves and drow alike. Lawful to the core, they progress slowly, methodically, and ALWAYS with a plan. Some Elodiran-type imagery:
The Minotaurs are my creatures of Neutrality. They are nature untamed, a primal connection with the earth and wilderness. Rangers and Shamans, and dabblers in ancient forgotten lores, except 10'-12' tall and wielding axes. Most take a "I have forever, I can take my time and debate my options" approach, but the ones who drift towards good or evil tend to be incredible enemies to their foes. My type of Minotaurs:
Lastly, my Gith are creatures of absolute Chaos. Individually powerful, yet insanely incapable of working together for any length of time. The Gith are fearsome, unpredictable creatures. Those that tend towards evil offer the most terrifying nightmare known to man. My Gith:
So, if you're playing in this world, what do you think?
I am not sure that the Minotaurs are the greater mythic creatures that are evocative of middle ground. I just have a hard time seeing them as the middle ground race of renoun. The Elodrian and the Gith work for me, because they have a look that sets them apart from the grounded races. You can see how they epotimze the far extremes.
ReplyDeleteMinotaurs look like something out of the monster manual. They aren't "special" enough to be one of the great races. And while I can see the elves as descendants of the Elodrian, and I can see the Gith giving birth to a lot of crazy evil sub races through science or magical experimentation - I just can't see the Minotaurs as a sort of Proto race.
Thing is, I am not sure that I know what that middle race should be. I understand that they should be wild and powerful, but I think maybe they should be... Bigger? Something that it looks like the genetics of neutral creatures could evolve down or up from? Apes or lizards maybe?
I've wrestled as well with each of these in turn. Unfortunately, the only middle ground leaves you with something...human.
ReplyDeleteHaving chosen to use the 3 races to represent creations of the 3 Eldest gods, the Minotaurs sort of manifested in a weird sort of way as aspect of The Spirit. The Spirit, to me, evokes a sort of base roots, pagan religion. It makes me think of Native Americans, and the cultural traditions associated on that front. Additionally, the buffalo-esque imagery comes to mind.
Secondly, to represent the neutrality aspect, I needed creatures that seemed eternal. A race that looks "older than time" so to speak, whose infinite time to ponder any conundrum would lead to non-interference.
Nothing else yet has leaped at me to fit the bill.
Additionally, I don't think the Minotaurs will be any sort of proto-race. I think their general non-involvement will preclude them from spawning much in the way of offshoots.