Curious Local Customs

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

As in many places the religious center doubles as the local agora it kind of fits. That is why they use parish instead of county in Louisiana.

Yeah, religion can and often does double as a social framework in addition to being a spiritual one.

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All visitors to a community are given a very short one or two syllable name. The locals refuse to try and pronounce anything longer.

This is especially curious if all of the locals have longer names.

[jason taylor]

Here's an idea. We had societies of Warrior-Monks. How about Warrior-Nun societies (ignoring arguments about practicality which this HOPEFULLY will not lead to)?

One can have something like this in Yrth.

[jason taylor]

When a personal weapon is given to the customer, it is ceremonially put through an appropriate rite of passage. This could be a hunting trip, a visit to a shooting range, a match at the local gym (in sporting armor of course), or whatever. The name it is given reflects something about it's first test.

For instance if an adolescent is given his first hunting weapon and captures a hare with it by a shot in the rump it might be named "Tailbiter".

[Luke Bunyip]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Here's an idea. We had societies of Warrior-Monks. How about Warrior-Nun societies...?

Maori warrior nuns, FTW.

[The Colonel]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

As in many places the religious center doubles as the local agora it kind of fits. That is why they use parish instead of county in Louisiana.

Rural England is still divided into parishes at sub-county level - they are civil parishes these days and do not necessarily coincide with the local Anglican parish boundaries, but evolved directly from the old church parish system, each often consisting mainly of a single village and its satellites.
That used to make sense as, besides the whole village gathering at the parish church every Sunday, the church would often be one of the few stone buildings in the parish and the location of one of the few people who could be expected to be literate. Hence it was an obvious place to keep public records (especially given that almost all births, marriages and deaths would be solemnised there), publicly owned funds and weapons.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Here's an idea. We had societies of Warrior-Monks. How about Warrior-Nun societies (ignoring arguments about practicality which this HOPEFULLY will not lead to)?

I think the warrior-monks were more of the Tibetan variety than Gregorian, but I could most certainly see this, particularly for convents located far from civilization and with a bandit problem. As for practicality, while men have natural advantages when it comes to direct low-tech combat, nuns could have a lot of time to practice (particularly if you work out a way to work it into worship), and a well-trained, well fed force would likely be effective against untrained, malnourished bandits, regardless of if the defenders happen to keep their reproductive organs on the inside.

[jason taylor]

There are motifs used in this society for practically everything. This is both romantic and believable. According to legend the Triads got their name because they use the numerological gimmick of that tic-tac-toe board with numbers in it that are equal in every direction (I.E. it is three square).

Likewise Zoroastrians in some places still belief the fire kept burning in the Great King's court was never extinguished but smuggled out secretly and always kept burning.

A lot of fun can be had by creating or adapting motifs.

[Daigoro]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Here's an idea. We had societies of Warrior-Monks. How about Warrior-Nun societies (ignoring arguments about practicality which this HOPEFULLY will not lead to)?

How about Kung Fu Nuns then?

[tshiggins]

Originally Posted by Luke Bunyip

Maori warrior nuns, FTW.

I'd play in any campaign that included these.

Not even kidding. :D

[Anders]

Catulomancy. Divination by watching kittens playing and sleeping.