Furries in Banestorm

[LoneWolf23k]

Being a Furry gamer, I'm always interested in ways to stick Furries into any RPG setting I can imagine.. And in the case of Banestorm, I'm happy to say the setting has a ready-made method for bringing them in (the banestorm), and even a handy-dandy world for them to hail from (Loren'dil).

Here's my concept.. In addition to giants, halflings, centaurs and the like, Loren'dil was populated by a wide variety of humanoid animals, from wolfmen to catfolk to batpeople (similarly, Minotaurs would be more anthro-like, rather then just men with bullheads).. Brought over by the Banestorm at the same time as the other races, they would've spread across Ytarria much the same way.

Collectively called "Furries" by the humans, they would have fitted in with others in various ways: Many would live amongst humans, having converted to christianity or islam, and swearing fealty to human lords. Others would live in the forests, amongst the sylvan races such as elves and centaurs. More then a few would live in isolated communities in the Nomad Lands, and there would be rumors of a few communities of furries living in the Bilit islands, seen as divine beings by their human neighbors, and even some exotic furries living in the Ring Islands..

...What do you guys think?

[Almafeta]

First, I don't know anything about Loren'dil. Should I?

As a starter, begin with furs in Sahud. "Kemono" in Sahud wouldn't be nearly as out of place; as I remember, anthropomorphic drawings in Japan date back to about the time of the Banestorm, anyways.

Are all the anthro races related somehow, or is 'furry' just a term for any intelligent animal race in your Yrth? Speaking of, you'll probably want to use a different term, because 'furry' and its variants probably would seem overly familiar.

If you're using Yrth as written, that means there probably won't be any furry nations; otherwise, it'd be your homebrew nation. That means they'll have to integrate into another nation somewhere. As far as I know about religion in those days... Christianity's animist trappings died off by about the 3rd or 4th century AD, so by the time the Banestorm hit, there would be no mention of them in the Bible except for creative readings of the word 'demon', and thus little acceptance. Islam might be more accepting, with the mentions of creatures different from humans, but still having free will to choose between right and wrong. So, Sahud and the nomad lands would work best.

[LoneWolf23k]

Loren'dil is the world from which Yrth's existing human-animal hybrid races (centaurs and minotaurs) hail from. I figured that would make it an idea place from which other human-animal races would come from.

I will have some furries in Sahud, but I don't want to corner them in one spot. And I figure that furry characters will be exotic enough as it is, no point in adding an alien culture on top of it.

As for humanity's reaction to the furries, p39 of GURPS Banestorm says that humanity has had centuries to become accustomed to the nonhuman races on Yrth, and most people are tolerant of such beings, or at least see no point in persecuting them. In short, Yrth has become cosmopolitan enough that humans don't automatically regard different races as "monsters" unless they do something to prove it.

As a good rule of thumb, I think humans would categorise furries based on their species: dogs, horses, rabbits and other furry species based on domesticated or herbivore animals would be trusted and welcomed, while wolves, tigers, rats and other such species would be considered either as being possibly savage or being untrustworthy vermin..

[LoneWolf23k]

Came up with an alternate idea for a "Furry Banestorm" concept: replace Humanity by furries of various sorts. The easy explanation would be that the banestorm, instead of bringing humans from Earth, actually brought furries from an alternate Earth where furries, rather then humans, evolved..

[MIB.6361]

How about a couple of alternate alternate ideas that might appeal to fans of furries?

1> Humans transported from Earth are turned into various furry races. Maybe based on geography, geneology, or social status. Not only are they in a new world, but they are in new bodies.

2> All of the Humans transported to Yrth are furries. Not anthro-animals, but people whose fetish it is to dress as anthro-animals. Many of the more rural races (Elves, Orcs, etc) may see this as a tribal custom or a form of animal worship. Of course, the truth will finally get out and then the real fun begins.

[Almafeta]

Originally Posted by MIB.6361

How about a couple of alternate alternate ideas that might appeal to fans of furries?

1> Humans transported from Earth are turned into various furry races. Maybe based on geography, geneology, or social status. Not only are they in a new world, but they are in new bodies.

I've actually seen that done, a few times... mostly stories loosely based on the Blind Pig series of novels.

Originally Posted by MIB.6361

2> All of the Humans transported to Yrth are furries. Not anthro-animals, but people whose fetish it is to dress as anthro-animals. Many of the more rural races (Elves, Orcs, etc) may see this as a tribal custom or a form of animal worship. Of course, the truth will finally get out and then the real fun begins.

That joke was not as funny as you may think.

[Gaming_Bird]

Originally Posted by Almafeta

That joke was not as funny as you may think.

I agree, although the comment may have been made in ignorance of the persecution the furries have suffered at the hands of Vanity Fair and MTV.

I'm willing to give MIB.6361 the benefit of the doubt, after all, gamers are generally more open-minded than the sheep that populate most of this planet.

As to how the furry fandom has been treated in the media, I can give a quick way to understans what's been going on in two easy steps:

1: Read the Book of Job (In the Old Testiment of the Cristian Bible, or in the Jewish Torah. For those who may not subscribe to those religions: this isn't an attempt to convert anyone, this is research.)

2: Say to yourself "Compared to the furries, Job had it easy."

And for the furries who say that the treatment hasn't been that bad, I will menton two names that have been used by the 'popular media' to represent all furries: Kevin Duane, and Sibe.

See, Job had it easy, he was just caught in the middle of a wager between God and the Adversary, furries are persecuted en masse for the misdeeds of the few they try to shun and cast out of the fandom for being psycotic mysanthropes.

[Pesterfield]

Another way to get furries is an alchemist playing with the Hybridization potion

[Ze'Manel Cunha]

Originally Posted by Gaming_Bird

I agree, although the comment may have been made in ignorance of the persecution the furries have suffered at the hands of Vanity Fair and MTV.

I'm willing to give MIB.6361 the benefit of the doubt, after all, gamers are generally more open-minded than the sheep that populate most of this planet.

You know, I thought MIB.6361 was being funny and on subject, while you guys are being rude and bringing in politics which don't seem to have much to do with gaming, not to mention the borderline personal attack in that second sentence.


I readily admit I don't have much of a clue as to what the whole furry scene is about, outiside one memorable episode of CSI and possibly meeting some rather strange people at some LARPing cons.

However, a quick google based on your comments got me way too much info on bestiality, sex with plushies and inflatable toys, and mad rantings about how mainstream society doesn't understand yiffing, as well as touching upon amazingly rude forums like crushyiffdestroy.

So all in all, not something we really need to go into in a gaming board, but might be appropriate in chatter if you guys really want to try to enlighten us about your trials and tribulations.

[Mgellis]

As for Furries on Yrth, I think GMs should feel free to introduce anything they want in their campaigns. I probably wouldn't put Furries on Yrth, but only because it's already too freakin' crowded. :)

Mark