CLOK BBS

Rias wrote:

"Slavery is a perfectly respectable institution in the Parr Isles, for example."

Source? I don't remember establishing that anywhere. Parrens are generally so easygoing and freedom-loving that they're probably the least-likely culture to accept slavery. I've always considered Parrens to be the most innocent/childlike culturally, in that they tend to maintain a sense of optimism and idealism, strive for simple pleasures of life, have that childlike energy and curiosity (especially when it comes to exploring), and just tend to be fundementally good-natured with an ingrained sort of innocence to them. I think the concept of slavery would strike a definite chord of "wrongness" in Parrens, because why would someone want to make someone else live a life of misery and servitde (and have to be constantly watched and overseen) when they could just befriend them and be willing allies or assistants instead? I think that's how most Parrens would think.

Not that all Parrens exhibit the above qualities - every group has their variety, ones that go against the norm, bad eggs, villains, selfish greedy people, and what-have-you.

Quoted from viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3182

I thought I read on the wiki that the Parrens are also quite big on trading. I thought "I can understand how being carefree would help you not take a deal you know to be bad, but it seems like their innocence could also make them sub-optimal traders." However, upon re-checking the wiki I see that the Parr Isles are a recognized trade hub. From the cultural statement above and the wiki statement, I deduce that perhaps the Parren are not big on trading at all, and they just have the least restrictive (most free) legal system for trade. That would make Parr somewhat like Hong Kong back in its rather unregulated days. What think other folks, including Rias? Am I reading too much into this?

No, you're pretty much on it. The Parrens themselves aren't necessarily particularly apt traders, but the Isles are a good hub for the reasons you stated, as well as being fairly central location-wise between continents (there are at least two trade-significant land masses fairly close to it - one to west/southwestish, and one to the south-southeastish where the immigrants that eventally formed Ivial came from). Traders from those other continents would probably enjoy the relative laxity in Parr, and even with trade within Arad it's far easier to trade in Parr, because on the mainland you'd have to worry more about Quarantine inspections and such. There's certain to be shady stuff going on trade-wise on the Isles, and don't take the aforementioned Parren innocence for all-around goodness, kindness, and honesty. Parren pirates are most definitely a thing, though they're more likely focusing on the adventure, thrills, and freedom (and laziness) of the pirate lifestyle than saying "Hey, let's screw over a bunch of other people for our own benefit and build our reputations of ruthlessness and terror."

Rias wrote:Parren pirates are most definitely a thing, though they're more likely focusing on the adventure, thrills, and freedom (and laziness) of the pirate lifestyle than saying "Hey, let's screw over a bunch of other people for our own benefit and build our reputations of ruthlessness and terror."

So you're saying they're the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything, eh? *ducks*

You better watch out. Rias loves VeggieTales and will pull you into the kitchen!

Already happened. It was delightfully odd and confusing. lol

Drayla wrote: So you're saying they're the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything, eh? *ducks*

Parrens just sit at home, and lie arooouuuuund!

Dactor wants to see the kitchen!

Being the central trading area between continents, these people probably have to deal with all sorts of cultures, customes, and languages. Could it then be possible that people who are parren get to pick a secondary language of the lands on character generation? It would be interesting, and languages need more use!

You must have capped sorcery to pull off this kind of thread reanimation.

Nailed it.

As much as I can agree that your reasoning for another language would make sense, the game balance and race mechanics would not be balanced. One of the core ideas behind our initial race choice was that they are 'mostly' for roleplay purposes only. We DO NOT want players picking a race based on stats or class, or any special mechanical perk that my be obtained from one race over another.

If you so wish though, you are welcome to pick another race with another language and claim that you are actually a Parran. Maybe add a little flair and speak like a pirate when you use common. "YAAAARG!"

Perhaps Parren have developed their own language that those who frequent their isles pick up in order to trade more effectively. So instead of giving them options between the current available languages, just make a new parren language. Unless you are parren, you have 50 skill in it, and have some chance of understanding something they say. Sort how when you speak drunkenly you hic and miss words.

I actually thought about this longer than thirty seconds, and I guess that's what common is for.