Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Windbit 04-11-07, 06:24 PM	I've noticed that settings based on Africa are few and far between, so I thought it might be a good idea to create a thread for people to post their ideas concerning African-themed settings. I'll start with a few of mine: Magic-Use - Magic is thought to be brought about by beckoning Egungun, the collective spirit that maintains the universe, to manipulate the world - The witch-doctor is similar to a cleric: they represent the gods and the Egungun, and use their magic to aid others - Witches are feared for their supernatural abilities: many believe that disease is caused by the curse of a witch, and the first people to become witch-doctors did so to counteract a witches curses - In most societies, only witch-doctors are permitted to practice magic Monsters - Kerit are monstrous, fire-breathing bears who possess a single glowing eye - The two-headed dragons called amphisbaenas are native to Africa: an amphisbaena only has two limbs, its hindlegs, but its tail is a snake - The ouroboros is a powerful African dragon that some tribes worship: it represents immortality, and when it holds the tip of its tail in its mouth it can use powerful transmutation magic and alchemy - Antelope-like spirits help people by presiding over agriculture - Thunder is alternately portrayed as either a thunderbird similar to the one from Native-American mythology, or as a dog whose bark is as loud as thunder Yoruban Religion - In Yoruba mythology, ancestor spirits are believed to maintain order in the world, and the collective spiritual force is called the Egungun - Sample Yoruban Gods: Shango, god of thunder and fire, Ogoun, god of war and labor, Iemanja, goddess of water, Eshua, god of trickery, Aja, goddess of the wilderness, The Ibeji, the gods of twins, Olokun, goddess of wisdom
SilvercatMoonpaw 04-11-07, 08:24 PM	It's been done, and published: Nyambe: African Adventures (http://www.amazon.com/Nyambe-African-Adventures-D20-System/dp/158978023X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/103-8962871-7456650?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1176337385&sr=1-2) It's not perfect. But it's not just some European mimic.
Windbit 04-11-07, 08:59 PM	I looked through that book a couple of weeks ago, but I personally feel it was insufficient. This thread is intended to be a resource for people who want to capture the flavor of African mythology in a campaign setting; they can pick and choose different ideas.
Windbit 04-11-07, 09:57 PM	Here's some more from me, but anyone can contribute: Voodoo - The gods of Voodoo are known as loa: there are a few core loa, but many loa are deified ancestral spirits who are only worshipped in a single tribe - Some of the Yoruban deities are worshipped in voodoo as loa - The loa are unique in that they are separated into three groups: Rada Loa are beneficial, Petwo Loa are malevolent, and some loa have both Rada and Petwo aspects - The Rada and the Petwo aren't classified as being good and evil, but as cool and hot; this means that one group isn't necessarily good and the other evil, but that the Rada are more likely to stay calm, while the Petwo are hot-tempered - In the tribes that practice voodoo, the ancestors of the local loa serve as both religious and government leaders - The loa are not believed to be the supreme rulers of creation: they are thought of as intermediaries between people and the true creator - Unlike other African religions, like Yoruba, magic use is not reserved soley for clerics - Voodoo magic-users are well known for creating zombies, but they also usually have a mastery of spells that can control the living as well - While it is well known that voodoo magic-users often use dolls to cause others harm, the dolls are actually used for both beneficial and harmful reasons: the dolls merely help a mage keep their focus The Core Loa (loa with two aspects are listed with the Rada aspect first, and the Petwo aspect second) Damballa - Rada loa of snakes Grand Bois - Rada loa of the forest Legba/Kalfou - loa of crossroads, his Rada aspect, Legba, is also the loa of the sun, while his Petwo aspect, Kalfou, is loa of the moon Ogoun Badagris/Ogoun Feraille - loa of war and labor, Ogoun Badagris helps wounded warriors, while Ogoun Feraille helps warriors prepare for battle Shango - loa of lightning, fire, and drumming
Mic 04-12-07, 08:00 AM	Although I don't know a lot about african culture and such, I must celebrate your efforts Windbit! Europe/Asia has been done to the death, keep it up.
SilvercatMoonpaw 04-12-07, 10:47 AM	I looked through that book a couple of weeks ago, but I personally feel it was insufficient. It's pretty good if you've never been really exposed to African mythology. I agree that one can do better, I just think it's a good way to open people up to the new experience.
OneEye589 04-12-07, 12:30 PM	By African, I assume you mean like tribes on the savannah, or some such place like that, not the jungle or desert, so here's some from me. "Civilizations" and "Households" -The cultural groups, though they may be part of a larger group that has the same ideals and goals, are numbered in size from 50 to 200 people usually -These groups almost always make alliances with other nearby groups, and often have ceremonies with eachother to re-establish their friendship -The cememonies are long, drawn-out, and amazing practices, with dancing, music, and food -The housholds of these groups have many different forms, and are made out of anything possible -Some houses may be made out of just some sticks and grass, some may be made in a tree or around it's roots. As long as a house can be made out of it, it can BE a house Culture -The people in the groups woship the elderly over all others -The main ruling body is a person (man or woman) who's family has been the ruler for some time along with a group of two to five elders. Decisions must go through all of the elders, if all do not agree, it does not happen -Boys and girls are not considered to be adults until they pass a test. This test suaully happens around their teenage years -The test consists of a trek across some large expanse, riddled with dangers (other tribes, monsters, badlands, unknown lands, a great jungle) and bring something back from the other side (a stone from some other ocean, a jungle fern, the head of a monster) -The boys and girls cannot come back until their quest is finished -They can bring along one friend, who also needs to finish their own quest, and they can work together to finish their goals -If someone does something against the tribe, they are exiled. This exile does not last forever, however, and may only be a year's length. Another action against the tribe after their return, however, does result in a full exile The Natural Disaster (taken from Egypt) -Every area with these cultures always has something that happens yearly that may kill several people in each tribe from the disaster -The groups pick a place that has a natural disaster, as it is the gods' will that this happens (Better idea for this maybe?) -Some examples are floods, monsoons, droughts, fires in the long grass or jungle, etc.
OneEye589 04-15-07, 06:26 PM	:bump: It seems like threads die right after I post. I am the thread killer.