Leyline - Basic Info, Questions, and OOC Thread

[Ruan]

I still remember dialup. Attempt to connect to internet, 5 minutes later...

[Ssj Bunbun]

As requested in the classroom, if you pop in late read up on what you missed (view the recording), then let Athena know you are there with your forum name.

I will start taking OOC questions here as well.

How are you all liking this style of sign up thus far?

[Kajin]

Liking it.

Question: Can an Arbiter have more than one individual conscience? Like, say, a spirit sharing physical space with a mortal's soul and body? From what I'm thinking, the two can and should be viewed as one individual, but are in actuality two different souls sharing the same space and working in concert.

[Ssj Bunbun]

Sounds quite workable Kajin.

I think you'll like the section of the class when I start talking about Shells ^_^ (Alternate bodies, transformations and the like)

[balthazar]

Here's one: is it possible to become a god without first dying?

[Ssj Bunbun]

Yes it is. You can do a ton of good work, or be extremely powerful, or even be an elemental spirit (more on those later) that lives for eons of time and naturally evolves.

[Ssj Bunbun]

If you have a specific question about motive or if something is possible, feel free to ask me here if you can't think of a way to do it in thread, or PM me.

[CCC]

My character's reversed associations with Light and Dark may end up stretching the language filter a bit; hence all the questions. Also, while I don't have a language all worked out, I have some thoughts about how an echolocating species' language would be constructed that might be worth trying out...

Consider that echolocation is a way of seeing the world that depends on sound. He'll have mental images of objects that consist of patterns of sound; in those circumstances, it's only logical that his word for 'tree' would be a rough approximation of the echosound profile of a tree (with about as much detail and realism as a stick figure drawing because one mouth can only do so much). Similarly, a verb would consist of a echosound profile (still at stick-figure-drawing levels of detail) of someone doing the task in question. This would be a bit like talking through pictograms... it would take longer to say anything, but you'd have no trouble coming up with a word for any new and previously unknown object that crossed your path. (And the word for 'desktop computer' would be the same as the work for 'vibrating metal box' and very similar to the word for 'cardboard box').

Abstract nouns, or invisible objects (like 'air' or 'helium') might give trouble. Emotions are easy; 'happiness' is a smiling face, 'cross' is a frowny face. I guess 'air' might be a face blowing. I have no idea what to do for 'helium', but that's okay, my character doesn't know what 'helium' is either (being from a fairly primitive society).

This would probably lead to a very metaphor-rich language, I'm thinking.

Most of this, of course, would be lost in the translation filter.

[Ssj Bunbun]

Not at all - the translation filter is based off thought at as well... after all not every species alive can speak. Not to mention there are creative ways around this.

Have you ever read any of the Eragon series?

There's some brilliant writing in there where from a Dragon's point of view things are "Pointy eared humans that are a bit too feminine" or "Glowy warm metal box filled with information" (These are not quotes.)

Air could simply be "The wind on the wings"

Helium, "Odd tasting air that changes the voice."

Follow?

[Dom/SlimKop]

I assume the program/interface wouldn't let us shapeshift?

[CCC]

I don't mean 'lost' as in 'the stick-figure-like images won't be there', I mean 'lost' as in 'the translation filter would handle it transparently, so most people won't even realise the complexity is there to begin with'. (Reading through my post again, I see there is an ambiguity there). I imagine it would usually result in no more than my character phrasing things a little oddly or making comments that would seem strange in English.

I haven't read any of the Eragon series, but I have read the Chanur series, which has some interesting points to make about alien languages and concepts.

'Elf' would be indistinguishable from 'pointy eared human', but I have to wonder how one would physically describe information. Hmmm... I may have to simply assume that words for some non-visible objects exist (like "wind" in general).

[Ssj Bunbun]

Ah, understood CCC.

In terms of the classroom Dom? No. No shapeshifting. In the game itself? Of course!

[Salamander]

All languages need some way of communicating non-visible concepts. Even if it can't communicate emotions, it needs to communicate concepts like hot, cold, unstable, danger, near, far, now, before, after, unknown.

[Dom/SlimKop]

Yeah, I meant in the classroom. I was sure it'd be in the game!

[CCC]

All languages need some way of communicating non-visible concepts. Even if it can't communicate emotions, it needs to communicate concepts like hot, cold, unstable, danger, near, far, now, before, after, unknown.

Emotions are easy; <person smiling>, <person frowning>, and so on.

Hot: <person wiping sweat from brow>
Cold: <person shivering>
Unstable: Like all adjectives, needs to be attached to a noun; "unstable ledge" is <ledge shaking with exaggerated instability>.
Danger: <image of an example of danger suitable for the current situation> (which would be translated appropriately; instead of "Don't lean over the railing, it's dangerous!" you'd get "You might fall over the railing!")
Near: Both objects are imaged next to each other
Far: <object1> <person moving some distance> <object2>
Now: <Image of current situation at current location> (also could mean 'here')
Before, after: Two events are imaged in chronological order.
Unknown: <Impression of movement from amorphous mass which purposefully dodges echolocation pings>

Of course, there's also Light and Dark. They're sort of central to the character, and the best I can do for them is <eyes squinting in bright light> and <eyes wide open, pupils dilated, big smile>.