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DCBomB
Sep 14, 2008

OhYo posted:

Uncle Pagem's my highest choice, closely behind my Alone in the Forest vote. Sad to see it on the bottom, but it's what the people want. Sure, it's true investing in Shushem to usurp the title of High Priest is wise, but there's a whole world out there we should prepare for. Pagem may be more learned in the ways of the outside world than the rest of Athar.

Absofugginlutely

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A Terrible Person
Jan 8, 2012

The Dance of Friendship

Fun Shoe
I'm voting for:

1: C, G, A, D, B, H, E, F.

2: L

OhYo
Apr 14, 2006

DCBomB posted:

Absofugginlutely

A Terrible Person posted:

I'm voting for:

1: C, G, A, D, B, H, E, F.
Woohoohoo! We got some more C and G votes up here. It may yet have a chance to get above last place. :v: As small as Athar is among the rest of the peoples, we should invest in subterfuge not only in hunting, but war, scouting and spying as well. We wont have machine guns. Bronze or iron may be our best resource in melee and skirmishing like darts, arrows and slinging will be best our arsenal could muster, I'd wager. Numbers actually do count, so we should invest in other options if our peoples have the misfortune of going to battle.

Disargeria
May 6, 2010

All Good Things are Wild and Free!
Those last few votes did, in fact, move Pagam up to #6.

Voting for only one or two people has a bigger impact on moving their positions because it's taking points away from the others. Given that Diog has been more accepting of negative votes, I guess we can let that slide.

Hobo
Dec 12, 2007

Forum bum

B. Uncle Jorah
E. Jalitha
D. Mom
A. Father
C. Uncle Pagam
G. Alone in the forest
H. Alone, swimming in the ocean
F. Alone along the beach

L
for the second vote.

ZiggyXX
Jan 15, 2010

I hosed up. Doh!

ZiggyXX fucked around with this message at 22:53 on May 24, 2013

Algid
Oct 10, 2007


Ixtlilton posted:

edit: Also, :psyduck: at you guys who don't trust Jalitha.
Did you already forget all the people who kept on trying to kill Narod?

I mean, who else would you kill rather than your loyal champion/nursemaid?

Harvey Baldman
Jan 11, 2011

ATTORNEY AT LAW
Justice is bald, like an eagle, or Lady Liberty's docket.

1.
B. Uncle Jorah
E. Jalitha
D. Mom
H. Alone, swimming in the ocean
F. Alone along the beach
G. Alone in the forest
C. Uncle Pagam
A. Father

2. I

Flame112
Apr 21, 2011
Jalitha is the reason we're an outcast. It's pretty reasonable that we wouldn't want to be seen with her.

Disargeria
May 6, 2010

All Good Things are Wild and Free!
We've been seen with her for like 10 years now. :rolleyes:

Canuck-Errant
Oct 28, 2003

MOOD: BURNING - MUSIC: DISCO INFERNO BY THE TRAMMPS
Grimey Drawer
As an aside, we're up to 86 voters on this vote so far.

Algid
Oct 10, 2007


Flame112 posted:

Jalitha is the reason we're an outcast. It's pretty reasonable that we wouldn't want to be seen with her.
It has nothing at all to do with the fact our dad is a religious fanatic who seems to creep everyone out. Nope. It's all the fault of the foreign slave girl who just happened to be integral to keeping us alive for 4 years while we weren't even in full control of our faculties.

Pochoclo
Feb 4, 2008

No...
Clapping Larry

Theglavwen posted:

I assumed, and hope, that that was intended as just being silly. Haha, silent guy who spends all his time alone in the forest, oooh, creepy dude, etc.

Then again, you never know around here anymore :(

Do you guys seriously have to ask this poo poo? God forbid we make an offhand joke in a choose your own adventure thread in the something awful dot com forums.

FoxTerrier
Feb 15, 2012

Perfectly logical poster who uses the tools available to him to come to solid conclusions

Ixtlilton posted:

1. BAFDCEGH
2. F

edit: Also, :psyduck: at you guys who don't trust Jalitha.

It's extremely clear that cutting hair is a well known taboo in the village. Jalitha understood why our Father was pissed as soon as he came in, and--given her punishment--was likely forbidden from cutting her own hair prior to this episode (signaling that, yet again, she would have known and understood the prohibition). Yet she cut our hair anyway (while singing strange words, likely to her foreign god), even though this act was...

A) In complete violation of our people's faith.
B) Guaranteed to bring down the wrath of our zealous father upon us. A father who already didn't like us and is prone to violence, something that (very sadly) nobody knows better than her.
C) Very likely going to turn us into a social outcast.
D) Being performed on an innocent child incapable of giving consent.

Why on earth would we trust her? Because she's nice when she's not actively screwing us over?

In fairness, I assume she probably did what she did because she loves us and wanted to 'save' us from being a Priest to a heathen god, but that doesn't make it any better. She put us in a really terrible position in a way that I have a hard time seeing as having our best interest in heart.

FoxTerrier fucked around with this message at 00:11 on May 25, 2013

Diogines
Dec 22, 2007

Beaky the Tortoise says, click here to join our choose Your Own Adventure Game!

Paradise Lost: Clash of the Heavens!

I am going to start on the update. Give me a bit.

Theglavwen
Jun 10, 2006

Frankly, I don't know anyone who likes Chinese bronzes, but I have one of the finest collections in the country.

Disargeria posted:

We've been seen with her for like 10 years now. :rolleyes:

Not yet. That is, after all, what this vote is about, remember?


Algid posted:

Did you already forget all the people who absolutely correctly kept on trying to kill Narod?

Joking aside though, why does it always seem to come down to either blindly trusting everyone on the most superficial account Diogenes gives us, or rabidly murdering everyone? Why is it somehow unfeasibly unreasonable that someone might wonder at whether or not this likely forced or abducted apparent slave might have had some ulterior motive in breaking an extremely obvious taboo and cutting the hair of the son of the high-priest of the people who enslaved her? We ought to just believe everyone is completely innocent because they fed us cake or acted nice that one time we were told about them? I mean, nobody's suggesting throwing her off a cliff or anything.

Pochoclo posted:

Do you guys seriously have to ask this poo poo? God forbid we make an offhand joke in a choose your own adventure thread in the something awful dot com forums.

Woah, keep in mind I said I assumed it was a joke. And hoped so. Otherwise it's people actually fingering people as child molesters for having traits that aren't perfectly socially encouraged. The boggling part is where it sometimes seems we might actually be at that point. That's really not a topic for the thread though, so that's certainly the last I'll say on it.

Tremynci
Jun 16, 2012

FoxTerrier posted:

It's extremely clear that cutting hair is a well known taboo in the village. Jalitha understood why our Father was pissed as soon as he came in, and--given her punishment--was likely forbidden from cutting her own hair prior to this episode (signaling that, yet again, she would have known and understood the prohibition). Yet she cut our hair anyway (while singing strange words, likely to her foreign god), even though this act was...

No, it's not. Jalitha is a slave -- and a slave who has managed to hang onto her own religious beliefs for at least 10 years so far, despite being beaten for them at every opportunity. Not only it is unlikely that a slave would be given any particular insight into the dominant religion, or anything else, anyone whose belief is that strong is likely to actively avoid learning about the dominant faith. Beyond that, taboos are unconscious -- they're so engrained that that's simply how things are. Think about how you hold a knife and fork, or regional accents, or the fact that [horse/dog/whale/beef/pork/X] is something that Is Not For Eating. I could go on in this vein (Jalitha is a woman, so is acculturated to long hair/Jalitha was attempting to give you a First Ritual Haircut (this is A Thing)/etc] but I think you get the point.

I see this this way: we're a boy verging on the cusp of manhood in a relatively low-tech society that obviously has very clear-cut and well-defined gender roles. Given that, I think it unlikely that we'd spend much time with either Mama or Jalitha -- they're women, and we need to learn to be a man. The time we DO spend with them is time we seek out, and enjoy, though, but there's an increasingly furtive, almost ashamed vibe to our visits. We HAVE to spend lots and lots of time with Papa, because this is a pre-literate society and we're being groomed for the Head Honcho position. I don't see it as enjoyable, mind, because Papa is a Raging Douchcanoe any way you slice him. On the other hand, we WANT to spend lots and lots of time with Uncle Pagam and Uncle Jorah, because they love us and are nice to us, and they teach us skills that we will need to learn. As I see it, we seek out their company in preference to Papa's. I don't see us spending a lot of time alone, however -- the sea and the forest are dangerous places for a kid to be alone.

So, my vote for question 1 is:

A Father (grudgingly and with relatively low enjoyment -- we do not, at any rate, seek him out. We do because we have to).
C Uncle Pagam (willingly and with joy -- he's NICE to us, FFS, not to mention meta-gaming)
B Uncle Jorah (ditto, but meta-gaming him down)
H Swimming (whoever mentioned that our near-drowning was formative was spot-on)
D Mother (we love her, but we're getting too big to be hanging around the women)
E Jalitha (ditto)
F Alone on the beach
G Alone in the forest

For question 2... well, crap. We heard that voice, and we've seen the nice gentle grandchildren of Asherah, and they're pretty cool, but... Jalitha is wonderful. We don't know many things with metaphysical certitude, but we know Jalitha loves us, and would never hurt us, and we love her. So... Imma go with L: at the very least, we are open to the idea that Jalitha's beliefs are as valid (if not more so) than Papa's. Besides, the cool Narod-esque dude who always, always, always wins over people who hurt women and children speaks volumes to our festering rage against our father.

the_steve
Nov 9, 2005

We're always hiring!

I'm not saying I distrust Jalitha. I believe she has our well-being foremost in her thoughts, I just think her religion is a little too naive/misguided. Or at least what she's shared of it. I don't think for a moment that she wants to harm us in any way.

Disargeria
May 6, 2010

All Good Things are Wild and Free!
How is her religion any more misguided than the fish one?

alpaca diseases
May 19, 2009

FoxTerrier posted:

Tales of Heretic Witchery

Pretty much this. Add into it the fact that we, as a 6-10 year old, have had close encounters with whales, which our trusted male role model has confirmed that yes, they are minor Gods, the children of our peoples God infact. ie; Physical evidence, corroborated by Jorah.

Also the ocean spoke to us that time, as far as we know and our Dad can totally predict the weather, everyone in the village says so. Not to mention any other minor things that may have happened during that time in regards to seashell reading or whatever.

Jalithas evidence consists of adventure bedtime stories, the ability to make us a pariah and an inability for her God to stop her from being beaten.

I think we (should be) fully on Team Asherah here, with a bit of distrust for the woman who tainted us in the eyes of our God, for unknown reasons. And at worst we're still Team Asherah, but paying lip service to these obviously fake Sky Giants to keep her happy.

A Terrible Person
Jan 8, 2012

The Dance of Friendship

Fun Shoe

Disargeria posted:

How is her religion any more misguided than the fish one?

It doesn't involve fish :colbert:

reignonyourparade
Nov 15, 2012

maxhush posted:

Jalithas evidence consists of adventure bedtime stories, the ability to make us a pariah and an inability for her God to stop her from being beaten.

On the other hand, why would anyone tell us something that doesn't exist existed?

Sogol
Apr 11, 2013

Galileo's Finger
Jalitha's evidence is different. Ever present monsters over the hill. God restrained. Men disappear unless you pray for them. The men we have prayed for have not yet disappeared. Presumably there is some explanation for if they do, but we have not encountered yet.

Dad the priest responds as if the sky god's are real and that he does not like them or beleivers in them. It is a paradox. We can count to ten.

Some of the god choices distinguish between belief and affinity. Many, including L do not. We might believe in both, how we feel about them is left undetermined.

By the way, when do we get the rest of our name!?! Og The Defiled, etc. in a world where everyone has many names then being Cher, or Sting or something is cool... Apparently everyone only has one name. We must acquire some more names! We will be known by many names in many places, both loved and reviled in turn. It is already so. We are loved and shunned. Names of adoration! Names of terror!

I would settle for Og-who-swims-a-lot-in-the-ocean-alone-for-some-random-reason if the vote goes that way... (Forests I tell ya... We are already an outcast.)

Trundel
Mar 13, 2005

:10bux: + :awesomelon: = :roboluv:
- a sound investment!
1.

A. Father
B. Uncle Jorah
E. Jalitha
H. Alone, swimming in the ocean
D. Mom
F. Alone along the beach
C. Uncle Pagam
G. Alone in the forest

So bein with Jorah does not necessarily mean being with Jalitha? Okay, then we should be with Father first and foremost because we must be a better priest. We've heard Ashera or something in the waters so clearly the divine exists in the ocean, but we must never forget what our father is capable of, thus seeing Jalitha and Uncle Jorah.


2.

L. Yes, to both Ashera and the gods of your people, alongside Jalitha's sky giant, you believe in them both

I guess that one because Jalitha's stories have made us feel better, and since the sea has nothing to do with the sky why can't both groups exist? Jalitha was led to a better life with Jorah, after all.

Diogines
Dec 22, 2007

Beaky the Tortoise says, click here to join our choose Your Own Adventure Game!

Paradise Lost: Clash of the Heavens!

It has been a bit of a long day, I am not sure if the update will actually go up tonight, but I started on it. It will go up at the latest, in the morning, if it does not go up tonight.

alpaca diseases
May 19, 2009

reignonyourparade posted:

On the other hand, why would anyone tell us something that doesn't exist existed?

While, from a metagame view, i'm not saying her obvious ulterior motives are bad ones based on lies, but we, as Og, should be at least suspicious of her, instead of "Oh, we've got no friends now thanks to you, especially during an age of our lives where having friends are quite important, no biggie though"

I'm not getting the whole black and white 'Dad bad/Jalitha good' sentiment either. Sure, Dads a fanatic, and beats us occasionally(?) , but I think its obvious that he was raised the same, rather than him being purely an emotionless religion fueled hate machine - after all he has shown actual capacity to be proud of us. I think we'd be more craving of his love and validation, than flat out hating him. at this stage anyway.

I don't think people are scared/creeped out by him. The only time it was mentioned people were scared (of something) was during the haircut episode, which is perfectly understandable if you think what would happen if, in an ancient village someone (especially a Priest), started crying witch. I think its more of a 'fearful of Asherah's vengance through some fuckup, projected onto his nearest representive'. Hell, for all we know, Jorah might have sanctioned giving her a beating too, but he was just pissed Dad gave her extra faith and now she ain't pretty no more.

As for our name, im hoping we end up with a kickass one, after we come back from whatever that manhood ceremony is.

alpaca diseases fucked around with this message at 01:56 on May 25, 2013

FoxTerrier
Feb 15, 2012

Perfectly logical poster who uses the tools available to him to come to solid conclusions

Tremynci posted:

No, it's not. Jalitha is a slave -- and a slave who has managed to hang onto her own religious beliefs for at least 10 years so far, despite being beaten for them at every opportunity.

Yes, she's been in the village a long time since she was shipwrecked/sold/whatever. She speaks the language, and is accustomed to living in a village whose values are based on very specific ritual and ceremony. Not only that, she's raising the son of the Priest and living in his house. She may not believe in the village's faith, but there's no way she's unfamiliar with critical taboos, especially any involving child rearing.

At a minimum, Mom and Dad would never have let a 'sea witch' help raise his son without at least making sure she understood how not to corrupt him for eternity.

Tremynci posted:

Not only it is unlikely that a slave would be given any particular insight into the dominant religion

I disagree. There's no reason a slave would not be given insight into the dominant religion, if only to make sure their heretic beliefs don't spread. Heck, converting heathens has often been the very justification for slavery's existence in many societies. Nor was it unusual for people who began as slaves to be adopted into tribal societies, and encouraged to adopt the dominant religion as part of that process.

Basically, I have a really, really hard time believing she didn't know what she was doing.

She may not be a terrible person, but at best she placed what she perceived to be our spiritual welfare above our physical welfare. At worst, she used us as a pawn to get back at dad knowing it would hurt us. (Which, again, doesn't make her a terrible person. It makes her a complicated person. But one I'm not keen to hang out with.) Kid me wouldn't want to hang out with the person who helped wreck our social life either, FWIW. :shrug:

FoxTerrier fucked around with this message at 02:34 on May 25, 2013

the_steve
Nov 9, 2005

We're always hiring!

Disargeria posted:

How is her religion any more misguided than the fish one?

Like I said before, Fishgod is pretty much just an anthromorphification (sp?) of the ocean. It's capricious. Sometimes the seas are calm and the fish are plentiful. Sometimes, the fish are nonexistent and the seas are terrible and destructive. Just like the ocean, Fishgod really gives no fucks. You learn to accept that, and try not to piss it off, because hey, no point in trying to provoke it.
You rely on the strength of your back, and learn the necessary precautions to mitigate the damage when Fishgod decides that it needs to break stuff.

Jalitha's gods, to me at least, just sound like wishful thinking. I think that despite their well-meaning and desire to sound comforting, they promote a lack of personal responsibility. They encourage you not to worry, because invisible sky giants will protect you and never let you get hurt - and an attitude like that is going to get us killed if we decide to end up alone and away from the village for some reason.

That's how I'm interpreting it all, at any rate.

reignonyourparade
Nov 15, 2012

maxhush posted:

I don't think people are scared/creeped out by him. The only time it was mentioned people were scared (of something) was during the haircut episode

Actually Diogines said

Diogines posted:

As you grow older, you find that the other children of the village do not want to play with you. Your hair is shorter from your half finished haircut and their parents fear your father and tell them to keep away.

And yeah I'd say that "Someone has told us that El exists, and the people being prayed for to El have not yet disappeared" is sufficient evidence for a 10 year old.

Paradox Personified
Mar 15, 2010

:sun: SoroScrew :sun:
Dio, if you need anything to spur you to write... we have a large, large amount of ammunition in store to keep you writing.
I know that's vague, so... here's a little thing:
May24[21:22::14]Friday <Rekk> We can show this to Diog in the morning to convince him that he needs to update daily or the chat turns into...this.

Okay, back to voting. :haw:

Half-wit
Aug 31, 2005

Half a wit more than baby Asahel, or half a wit less? You decide.
1. HFBEDACG

2. F. Yes, to both Ashera and the gods of your people, alongside Jalitha's the sky giant, but you only believe in Asherah and his children

A Terrible Person
Jan 8, 2012

The Dance of Friendship

Fun Shoe
I get the feeling that Father is just a regular dad with a shitload of pressure trying to allow us a normal childhood and the villagers normal lives while maintaining his position as Chieftain.

He had very little to do with our upbringing. That seems callous and cruel on its face, but consider that those were the only years of our life where we were free to just do whatever we do and accept any information given to us. Considering the setting of this game, it may have been his interpretation of allowing us a "childhood" free from the pressures of being the village's next High Priest. He wasn't ignoring us; he may have been giving us the freedom to grow as an individual during the only period he wouldn't be forced by tradition to cram a lifetime of rituals and tradition down our throat.

He had us cut Jalitha's hair after he beat the poo poo out of her, and then proceeded to nearly drown us. That also seems really bad up-front. On the other hand, a foreigner that he is personally sponsoring (as slave, captive, or refugee is unclear) nearly made us (next in line as Chieftain/High Priest) ineligible for service in the eyes of our God, and he merely beat her and had us cut her hair. I honestly thought he was expecting us to cut her throat and our 4-year-old perspective insisted it involved merely her hair. We're lucky she's alive if Father is as big of an rear end in a top hat as some of us suspect. The near-drowning thing sounds more ritualistic than anything as a heart-felt attempt at appeasing Ashera and saving our future. I'm pretty sure the head priest of a sea-cult knows just how much drowning a person can take without dying, too. That doesn't sound very convincing, but the best case scenario in a "Father's a hateful douchebag" situation is Jalitha being beaten to death, having her throat cut, and then sacrificing us to Ashera while he sires a better heir.

Father also beat us when loving up rituals and dragged us back when he ran away from our training. He also gave us praise when we did things right. Remember that he honestly believes that our success ensures the survival of our entire village. He's trying to get us to learn everything he knows as quickly as possible, likely in the same manner he was taught by his father. loving up brings pain, while rote memorization brings praise; we're getting a primitive (yet effective) Pavlovian training. We adore the slight scraps of praise we rarely receive, after all! Even then, consider that we run away from our teachings on a semi-regular basis; yet Father only sometimes drags us back. He understands what we're going through and is probably being far more lenient to us than his father was to him.

The other villagers fear Father too, though. That could be because they recall the beating Jalitha got. Perhaps he has a ferocious temper. Or, perhaps, its because he wants them to conform to exacting ritualistic lifestyles that they're simply not interested in living up to. The sea and Ashera are capricious; how can they possibly be perfect all the time? They live a normal lifestyle when not supervised by Father, yet fear his wrath if they fall out of line within his sight. Yet we don't hear much of Father monitoring or spying on them. Perhaps Father is willing to allow them to live as they wish and considers it his sole responsibility to carry our village through his own piety, and he hopes we will do the same once we're old enough to understand?

Then again, he really does sound like an rear end.

alpaca diseases
May 19, 2009

reignonyourparade posted:

Actually Diogines said

Ha, I didn't even see that part, fair enough then.

Maybe they fear him because he's the conduit of a seemingly capricious god, which causes him to act similarly at times? or something.

I just mean it seems a stretch, considering the period we're living in, for them to fear him because of what he did to Jalitha (she probably would have been suspect to everyone anyway, its not like they'll be scared of suddenly getting denounced and beaten as well). It probably would have made them cautious yes, but if anything, also less afraid; "Witchery?, pfft our Priest will deal to that, remember what he did to that slave girl when he caught her doing her pagan rituals?" "Errr, yea" (Drinks fermented fish beer, makes sigh of Asherah).

As for being a cold, distant father who occasionally beats his son when he peforms poorly; That could be a literal cultural thing, common to every family until they prove ourselves as a man through whatever method they have, for all we know at this stage.

alpaca diseases fucked around with this message at 04:31 on May 25, 2013

I ride bikes all day
Sep 10, 2007

I shitposted in the same thread for 2 years and all I got was this red text av. Ask me about my autism!



College Slice

H. Alone, swimming in the ocean
E. Jalitha
B. Uncle Jorah
C. Uncle Pagam
F. Alone along the beach
G. Alone in the forest
D. Mom
A. Father



L. Yes, to both Ashera and the gods of your people, alongside Jalitha's sky giant, you believe in them both

Cat Wings
Oct 12, 2012

1.
H, alone, swimming in the ocean, learning the ways of Ashera
A. Father, learning how to be high priest
B. Uncle Jorah, he's chill as gently caress.
f. Alone along the beach
D. Mom
E. Jalitha
C Uncle Pagam
G. Alone in the forest

2. A FOR BASSCOP!!!!

Successful Businessmanga
Mar 28, 2010

So just gonna throw this out here but come join the chatroom from time to time, we've been discussing literature of the highest class and been having some wonderful discussions. Fun times all around in #madgod on the synirc server.

Plenty of classy literature discussion feel free to come.

UppaTree
May 4, 2013

Huh..

Our fishgod is an rear end in a top hat. Oh, and also a cannibal. This is not the kind've god you worship because he's good to you - you worship Asherah because if you don't, he'll personally gently caress your poo poo up. Also, he ate his own sons and daughters. And we are, technically, his distant relatives, and his Hunger is stil Great.

I think we know why men occasionally vanish on thse mysterious trips.

:getin:

Granted, that's all pretty par for the course as ancient gods go - and Old Testament Yahweh was hardly much better, but still!

I'm sticking with my vote, just noting we should probably expect a big, hairy crisis of faith in a few years, when it's our turn to hear the rest of the Big Fish Story and go on the Journey of Dubious Safety.

Basscop
Jun 4, 2010

Lightnin? HA! Thats a good 'un!
Now why dontcha
come o'er here and
GET

IN

MY

BELLY!!!
Sincere belief in the fish god and spending most our time with father.
Fishgod onegod

Hobolicious
Oct 7, 2012

The military might of a country represents its national strength. Only when it builds up its military might in every way can it develop into a thriving country.
A fish would say that. You should supply us with some more fish art.

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ADBOT LOVES YOU

Diogines
Dec 22, 2007

Beaky the Tortoise says, click here to join our choose Your Own Adventure Game!

Paradise Lost: Clash of the Heavens!

Mid Vote Mini Update if you missed it, which has information on the gods of your people and the beliefs of Jalitha:
http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3550307&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=18#post415791499

Time passes. Six years. You are rather tall for your age.

You have spent the last six years of your life to a degree, isolated. The other children of the village never want to play with you. You look different, your hair is shorter and there is a line atop your head where none grows at all, where you were cut. When you were eight, you learned that the parents of the other children in the village told their children not to play with you, afraid to attract the attention of your father. You were both hurt and angry.

You have spent the last six years in your own company or in the company of the adults in your life.

As much as you could, you took every opportunity to be with Jorah, leaving with him in the morning on his boat when he left to fish, out of the reach of your father. For a time. When you came to shore at night your father would often be waiting for you and thrash you for skipping out on those tasks and lessons which he assigned to you. Your uncle Jorah made excuses when he could to spare you your fathers wrath but they rarely succeeded. You no longer look at Jorah with the eyes of a toddler and Jorah is indeed the tallest and strongest man in the village and though he sometimes argues with your father, he has never disobeyed him in any drastic ways, nor has he placed a hand on him or threatened to do so.

Still, watching Jorah, you have learned a number of things, as has all of the time you have spent exploring the beaches, alone. You know how to paddle a boat, if not how to navigate one any meaningful distances, but enough to get to deep water. You know how to cast a fishing net, even if your mastery of such is still fairly limited and can spear a fish in the shallows, something you are actually rather good at, you are unlikely to starve anyplace you have access to the sea. You can identity many sorts of fish and have some knowledge of where more can be found and their habits, you also know how which seaweed is edible and which shellfish are.

You spent a great deal of time swimming in the sea on your own and sometimes ran into the tides and swam off to escape your father. You are an excellent swimmer and can hold your breath for quite a long time. You have a fine collection of pearls from clams you have harvested from deeper waters, you have given many of them to Jalitha, which she keeps in a pot in your uncles home.

You have been a rebellious child. Your father has made you pay for your disobedience and running off from his lessons and tasks with the back of his hand.

You tried to spend time with Jalitha and you did, but your father frequently intervened and would frequently pull you away from her. Jalitha was always there to hug you and tell you it would be okay after your father's less than kind treatment, often with seaweed cakes. From Jalitha you learned scraps of her tongue and limited bits of knowledge of lands far to the north of you and of their beliefs. You know there are other villages far, far to the north and that they are very large. Jalitha is from the village of Baitel, but you have also many others, including the villages of Siddon, Rehob, Dor, Taanack, Ekron, Carine and Zepath. There are others. When you accidentally used the words you learned from Jalitha, your father was not pleased. You have also learned a little bit of cooking from her.

You spent a great deal of time with your father. He spent many long hours forcing you to repeat the sacred stories of your people and insisted that you learn precisely. You also learned more of the other gods of your people, the children of Ninveh the Mother of Gentle Giants, Yamsef the Bringer of Tides, Daam the Great Shark, Keenem the Crab, Nagaal the Blowfish, Faram the Clam, Smis the Great Lobster, Adom the Seaweed Father and his bride Jaar, Xural who makes beautiful shells, Amal the Moonfish, Menl, Garal and Ophama. You have learned many of the stories of your people but have not learned any of the practical skills your father knows, such as reading the weather from the tides, or the future from sea shells and other items strewn across the waters edge. You have had many questions to your father about details of his lessons and what occurs when he leaves the village with the other men and the oldest of the boys, but he has been staunchly unwilling to discuss it with you and has told you that you would know, when you were older.

You spent some time with your mother. Your mother is as loving as she could manage to be, but is not as warm and affectionate as Jalitha, you still often sleep in your uncles home, though as you have gotten older, not in their bed.

You went on a few hunting trips with your quiet and stoic uncle Pagam, but not often and rarely helped him make stone tools, you did not learn anything useful from him, nor did you learn much of the forest, which you spent very little time in, beyond the confines of the village.

You have decided that you believe in BOTH the gods of your people and in Jalitha's Sky Giants, at least for now and when the men of the village went away, prayed to all of them that Jorah would return safely. So far, he has.

It is a sunny afternoon. You are talking to one of the adults in your life and will have an excellent opportunity to get more information from them. Right now you are...

OPTION A. Out on your Uncle Jorah's fishing boat.
OPTION B. At the edge of the beach, reciting the sacred stories of your people while your father collects sea shells.
OPTION C. With Jalitha in her home, helping her cook.
OPTION D. None of the above! You want to go swimming alone in the ocean.

This is a mini vote.

We will update in an hour or two, you will then have some time to question the person and we will have a second update tonight, unless you pick D, as the ocean is not likely to answer your questions.

Diogines fucked around with this message at 18:30 on May 25, 2013

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