Build-A-Setting #1: Orcs, Dwarves, and Elves in the 21st Century

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by SilvercatMoonpaw

It's not like there isn't a popular manga/anime that deals with non-humans revealing themselves and trying to integrate into human society. c.)

I'm sure there is. Maybe even more than one but I'm afraid I don't know the name.

[thrash]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Does this mean Orcs look like Klingons?

There's something to be said for Klingons (especially TOS) as Space Orcs, but I've also seen straight-up Orc cosplayers.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

I'm sure there is. Maybe even more than one but I'm afraid I don't know the name.

Monster Musume no Iru Nichijō. (That's a TVtropes page, so it's at least mildly safe. Be sure not to look the series up on any machine where you expect people to judge you by what's on the screen.)

Although I have to be honest: the really good world-building is probably in fanfics.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by SilvercatMoonpaw

Monster Musume no Iru Nichijō. (That's a TVtropes page, so it's at least mildly safe. Be sure not to look the series up on any machine where you expect people to judge you by what's on the screen.)

Although I have to be honest: the really good world-building is probably in fanfics.

A Centaur's Worries is both less prurient and depicts a world which is much more adapted to everyone knowing that intelligent nonhumans exist. Interviews With Monster Girls splits the difference.

[thrash]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

A Centaur's Worries is both less prurient and depicts a world which is much more adapted to everyone knowing that intelligent nonhumans exist.

In A Centaur's Worries, there are no humans per se -- no non-hexapods among large animals at all, if I recall correctly.* It is more a case where "human history" has been completely replaced by multi-species "monster history."

*Edit to clarify: the species that appear to be quadripeds (satyrs, cat-people, etc.) have a vestigal set of arms internally, as snakes in our world sometimes do with legs.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

A Centaur's Worries is both less prurient and depicts a world which is much more adapted to everyone knowing that intelligent nonhumans exist.

I was making a suggestion in light of the "coming out" idea.

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Interviews With Monster Girls splits the difference.

IWMG treats its girls as having medical/genetic conditions, and so their "monsterness" is much less pronounced (except the girl who's head is separated from her body).

[FF_Ninja]

I do enjoy the progression, but I will interject a creative decision on one point: metahuman presence has always been more or less overt.

That said, I expect there was significant xenophobia among the races on virtue of the contrasted culture, biology, and heritage. I expect it got quite nasty at times over the millennia, "human" nature being an inherently awful thing as often as the best surfaces.

I like the idea of racial tensions and conflicts as much as I do political, cultural, and technological ones. Much of what has been common history for man (slave trades, oppression, civil rights issues, nationalism) would apply just as well of you incorporated metahumans - though there is plenty of room for issues unique to a particular species.

[David Johnston2]

Honestly I'm inclined to dispense with the dwarves in favour of rather less...stocky delvers. Of all of them, the dwarves update most awkwardly, while, say, goblins and even halflings do better.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by SilvercatMoonpaw

[

Although I have to be honest: the really good world-building is probably in fanfics.

"Monsters come out of hiding" is a very common trope in Urban Fantasy. Probably starting with Anita Blake by Laurel Hamilton but probably spreadign to a cast of thousands by now.

[Inky]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Does this mean Orcs look like Klingons?

Originally Posted by thrash

There's something to be said for Klingons (especially TOS) as Space Orcs, but I've also seen straight-up Orc cosplayers.

They're not the Klingon cosplayers. They're the Orion cosplayers.


I tried to imagine how Vampire: the Masquerade fitted into this scenario, since it would certainly be a terrible way to go about it if you were a vampire wanting to improve your image. Then I realised - that's a hatchet job written by werewolves. The publishers are even called White Wolf :-D

"It's a great idea, Remus, but who is going to read something so utterly depressing? You'll be lucky to sell twenty copies."
"We're going to put lots of sex in."
"...OK, that could work."