The Plains of Africa

[ltlconf]

Hello Folks,


As I was watching Animal Planet the other night (catch every doc on wildlife I can for reaearch) something was shown that hadn't occured to me; just how empty even a modern preserve is compared to even 50 years ago! They showed photos taken during the filming of a movie in Tanzania during the 1950s and the the difference between then and now around a waterhole, during the same time in the morning was depressing. They also had interviews with White Africans from throughout old British East and Southern Africa. They commented on the massive decline of animal life, how you never saw empty scenery as you do today. Those shots of a lone lion or elephant on the plain with nothing but grass behind so famous today were impossible when making films or taking photographs then. There were animals everywhere all the time, even at night. Animal life is apparently at a fraction of what it was; not only in overall numbers but also in density where it's still protected. Only the famous Ngorongoro Crater region has anything approaching the density of the Old Colonial Africa. And it's important to point out this is AFTER decades of the ivory trade, big game hunting, and population growth! If Africa was that full in the 1950s, then imagine Africa as it was, lets say, 300 years ago!

This is something I had not taken into account when running the new campaign: when my characters are walking through the savannah there are herds, baboons, birds, insects, and predators all over. Heck it would be as noisy as a modern city, if not at the level of volume (any pre-industrial terrain would be like this come to think about it). My previous GM mentioned the bug life would ASTOUNDING.

This changes alot: someone will have to be on guard at night, PERIOD, and fires always lit to ward off lions and others; snakes will be a common problem, so just running around without care will NOT be a good idea; if properly equipped or skilled food will not be a problem as you're in a massive meat market and gaining hides for gear is similarly not a problem, for the same reason. This all makes the unique nature of the setting more apparent: few other places on earth, and none of a European flavor, have such an abundance and variety of wildlife in one place. Even America had only two herd grazers (Bison and Proghorn Antelope) on it's plains, Africa has close to a half dozen, several in herds as great as the US Bison alone. On the other hand the crowded water holes make getting a drink a matter of timing, you might want to avoid the predator-watched morning and evening rush hours! Something to think about.

Point is Africa's wildlife was apparently on a level of density we can only imagine today and as GMs we should try and make the density of animal life clear to the players. The characters should always hear animal sounds, until something is really WRONG (hence why in old stories silence presaged disaster: pre-industrial enviroments were NEVER quiet unless a big predator was about)! It also gives this message: Never drop your guard, as being "part of nature" means being on the food chain, and not always at the top. Also that ALOT can kill you besides just monsters! What do you all think?

[nyamakalaw]

The world used to be a much wilder place . By the way ltlconf, have you been able to continue your campaign?

[Nyambefan]

You bring up excellent points ltlconf. The players in my game breath a sigh of relief once they reach a village or dungeon like setting because they wont have to contend with all of the wildlife, and where there is wildlife there are monsters.

[ltlconf]

Hello Folks,


Yes, the world must be a much wilder place, but I also remember my thoughts when I read my great granduncle's diary. He helped settle Florida in the 1850's when it was as empty as the Mojave and the Seminole War was winding down. Florida was still as hot as now, had alot more biting bugs and snakes, and the gator were as big as the crocs here. On a whole, I'm not unhappy to have airconditioning (didn't when a kid), antibiotics, and indoor plumbing!

The campaign is over now and the GM and I are working on a new one now.

Despite Sanga's efforts and growing skill as a Warlord, we were losing the civil war; just too many enemies and the central position cuts both ways. However we did cut a deal with several Noble families and folded in our forces with theirs and took the capital in a bloody three month siege (our game is lower magic than setting standard). At that point I pointed out to the group that we would be a somewhat embaressing presence to certain factions so we got out of Dodge before our unpopularity got translated into assassination attempts. Never be the fifth wheel in a palace coup! So the group, my new wife (a political marriage, but she admires me so it may grow into something more) chartered passage on a ship to anywhere-but-here and left on the tide.
I'll go into greater detail later, but I'll have to gather my notes first (in a political or military campaign, you must keep notes!). Appreciate the interest.

We are also thinking on filling out the map more as well as making the continant a little bigger, to fully match Africa is size with the Middle East added. This is adding to "production time" as we add in cultures and add tribes. We are also taking a page from other OGL products and filling out the Human cultures by giving them skill sets, some advantages and disadvantages, an automatic feat or two, and some stat bonuses or minuses. All depending on the culture of course, none get ALL of these, but rather a mixture of two or three. This will make each culture unique on paper and help our players "get into character" better. We found it was hard to remeber we were different tribes and did indeed have different cultures; it didn't help that most of us are Shombe!
I would like all to help on this question, I will go with majority opinion: Who do you think most closely matches the Zulu? It's not for game purposes (we are avoiding the potential player-rush to play Zulus) and though the Shombe are the obvious choice, they are obviously Massaii. Plus the Zulus were big into shields, the Shombe are not. My opinion only though, so feel free to whack away!

[nyamakalaw]

It's always fun to read about the adventures of your group of Maasai-esque warriors in a Mali-esque setting. It's incongruity makes it a very interesting story. There really isn't an official Nyambean culture that matches the Zulus unfortunately. But the Nyambean cultures can easily be tweaked to match any culture that isn't represented. Even tho Boroko is supposed to be like Mali, you could make it more like the Kanem-Bornu Empire, the Hausa city-states, or even the Sennar Empire. I'm surprised that Chris Dolunt was successful in mixing so many unlike cultures to make his world. It is as if he created a campaign world with a continent that included a mythical India, Ireland, Spain, and Uzbekhistan, with a single religion resembling Zoroastrianism. On the one hand, Nyambe allows for interesting scenarios like your campaign, but on the other hand he could have created a rich setting in a singular cultural world. I myself am a Zulu, and think you could do an entire campaign set solely in a mythological Azania (South Africa). The same could be said for the mythologies of ancient Wagadu, Axsum, Nubia, the Yoruba cities, or Great Zimbabwe. Still, Chris Dolunt's world utilizes the mythologies of Africa much better than the typical fantasy setting does for western Europe. No small feat considering the diversity of Africa compared to western Europe.

[ltlconf]

Hello Folks,


Thanks for the vote of confidence Nyamakalaw. Actually the main reason for the research we're doing is to expand the "color" of the southern plains is to do exactly what you suggest. With our character's greater understanding of mass warfare we intend to go home and "spread the word." Especially to the civilizing forces of Tauma-Boha! Once I've got a few days to cram my (VERY) scattered notes together I intend to definitely fill in the gaps and expound on the (mis)adventures of our mery band of (mostly) Shombe warriors. Our rather eccentric Sei we acquired raised a few smiles (he seemed to have a fascination with creating illusions to startle people and nearly got lynched for it once!). Of course as Shombe we had fun with culture clashes, particularly when we did the whole formal feasting thing!

Oh yeah Nyambefan, our GM always threw the wildlife at us, particularly in the rainforest! Now, when I get to run the antelope will really get to play! The rainforest was a real "Heart of Darkness" episode and I hope to give a full description of the whole campaign in detail. Or close to it anyway. Leopards still make our group nervous.

As bunch of Southern US white dudes (and with myself the token Catholic) I often wish we had a African of any sort to help us along and let us know when we are acting too 20th century Wasp-ish (or whatever). I hope your group appreciates you Nyamakalaw!

[NGadaoh]

Sawubona ltlconf

Thanks for your information about the abundance of the African Plains... I have completely forgotten about this... but fortunately not started an Africanlike Campaign yet ;D

Hope soon to do so though, because the Continent Africa and his precolonial history always fascinated me..

Sala kahle
NGadaoh

[ltlconf]

Hello Folks,

Glad to hear you're willing to take such a plunge. It isn't easy as we found, you have to feel out your group to learn how dark and gritty, realistic or "clean" (aka a very cleaned-up PC version) your players are willing to go. The Nyambe core book takes a loose middle ground with leanings towards PCness (avoids the nastier aspects of African cultures) but this is to set a bench mark for you to work from based on player attitudes and your own research. This is as it should be and not from any squemishness or rose-colored tinted idealism of our esteemed host. Due to our experiences with the "Conan" and "Black Company" RPGs we found we had no problem playing in a much grayer world and will soon be starting up a campaign even darker than the last.
I suggest getting some good general histories of West and East Africa or Africa in general, read the Imaro novels (recently republished) and watching a few films. I recomend "Shaka" starring Henry Cele in a riveting role as King Shaka. "Shaka" is not the best history per se but pretty accurate from all accounts on the nature of the Zulu Kingdom. It was pretty brutal by any measure, but glorious and very colorful and the movie is what orignally won the group over to the idea of Nyambe.
Most of all remember this: the African Kingdoms had all the evils of any other society. True they were often smaller in scope and in purely tribal societies almost non-existant in most (but not all) catagories, but there none the less. Long before the Europeans showed up the Arabs had a slave trade going out the Swahili trade cities and across the Sahara that dwarfed the later European trade in scope, if not in impact (outside of the Swahili states, their were few organized kingdoms in the east, then again maybe the slave trade nipped them in the bud). The Arabs shipped out untold millions (definitely more than inthe west), most of whom died in metal and salt mines or crossing the deserts and savanna (you could follow the routes by the bones. To this day in some places). Human sacrifice, often on a grand scale was not uncommon while torture was routine (this is not uncommon anywhere then however). Fact is the only thing that has changed in Africa is the modern scale of atrocity. On the other hand Africa's more tribal cultures lacked much of these evils (excepting slavery and occasional ritual torture of enemies, but see above...) and had a sense of unity and loyalty seen in few other places anywhere. Indeed clan loyalty, the unique cultures, the color, the sheer scope and beauty of the land, the ancient feel, and the fact that truly humans are but a light presence easily swept away is to found in no other setting. I've come to love Nyambe due to this. Most of all the first and last bears in my thinking: A unique cultural set that places somewhere unique and a land that brooks no laxity in mind.
Note. Having seen "Apocalypto" I recommend seeing it. Sure it's Mayan but presents the culture warts and beauty and shows just how ALIEN a non-European society can be. Sure your players likely couldn't go that far, but it gives you a benchmark in the other direction.