Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Learned_Barbarian 01-01-08, 11:25 PM	Hey. I was wondering what real-world equivalents to the different human ethnic groups in the Forgotten Realms are there. I can already see clear parallels between some groups; the Illuskans and Nordic-Germanic peoples, and the Mulans and ancient Egyptians and Sumerians. What of the other groups?
Learned_Barbarian 01-03-08, 04:12 PM	No-one knows? I'm not trying to be a bigot by asking the question, I'm just wondering.
bayke 01-03-08, 04:20 PM	Calishite: Spanish/Moorish Chondathan: Not sure, they resemble many ethnicities in different ways Damaran: Russian/Slavic in language Mulan: Egyptian & Near Eastern Tethyrian: Celtic in culture (distrust of a strong central authority, putting family & clan above nationality)
Learned_Barbarian 01-03-08, 04:40 PM	For some reason i find that the Rashemi resemble the Roma (commonly known as Gypsies). They strong association with magic, something the Roma have been associate with. The Rashemi also participate in a great amount of travelling, though I do not know if they are nomadic. The Chondathan could be a representation of the ancient Phoenicians, as they did a great deal of trading and sea travelling and would like have had similar complexions. Then again, they could also be a representation of the Ancient Greeks, in that they have spread across a great area via sailing. Of course, the Phoenicians too established many overseas colonies throughout the Mediterranean.
slwoyach 01-03-08, 05:46 PM	For some reason i find that the Rashemi resemble the Roma (commonly known as Gypsies). They strong association with magic, something the Roma have been associate with. The Rashemi also participate in a great amount of travelling, though I do not know if they are nomadic. The Rashemi far more closely resemble slavic peoples. Gypsies are slavic in origin though. Rashemi are not nomadic and have very few things in common with gypsies, though wandering Rashemi gypsies may work out well. I always like my gypsies to be gnomes.
1 ton ghost 01-04-08, 01:45 PM	i posted something like this a long time ago over in "Faerun; ppl and places" and got alot of flak for and agaisnt. yes, most of Faerun's ethnicities seem to be a close approximation to earthen ones and that's cool. most fantasy concepts are borrowed from our own chronology, fairly tales, legends, yarns, etc. it's all good though, they help us to relate and ID w/ said people. anyway, from what i can remember, for what it's worth: Calishite-ottoman turkish or arabian mostly. some persian influences Zahkarans-decidely arabian. sacarian. Bedine-transplanted zahkarans in Anauroch. largely like the Fremen of Dune. Illuskans-seem fairly nordic/scandanavian relying heavilly on "sea faring" and raiding. viking if i ever heard it. bit danish, saxon maybe. though a great many towns in Illuskan territory have decidely celt-ish names (look at Icewind Dale) Fflok-almost a whole ripoff of the Celts. Moonshaes are nealry carbon copies of Ireland (another island...) and Scotland Mulani-yeah, phaoronic Egypt in Mulhourand (look at their pantheon) like some bad Stargate clone. Utheric are Babylonian (pantheon) w/ the Thayan Mulani falling somewhere in between. Assyrian, Hittite maybe? Rashemi-slavic europe, Ukrainian, Polish and Russian predominate. many gypsie influences too Shaaryan-native american i guess. plains ppl, nomadic. i'd say lacota siouxe? parts near the Borderlands remind me of Australia, rugged/tough. Tuigan-Mongolian, easy. i mean, look at the "horde" and the great kahn. Shou-imperial china Wa-imperial japan Tethyrian-tough one as they comingled w/ the Calimshite. seems alot like feudal germany, especially w/ all the nobles infighting. Spain w/ a nod to the Moors ("calishites") of southern Tethyr? Chondathan-hard one as they're so prolific. i default it as English in my campaign given Cormyr, Dalelands, etc. they've spawned so many lands just like England that rarely resemble the original mold. still...not sure really. Damarans-austro-hungary, eastern europe. romania, albania, etc. Chultan-Belgian Congo. ghana, etc. Tashalan-same thing really, more westernized Maztican-yucatec mostly. hodgepodge of aztec and mayan i guess can't think of too many more right now, and i don't have Races of Faerun handy.
Witch 01-04-08, 01:50 PM	Out of interest, what makes you equate Chult with Belgian Congo in specific? Is there some large amount of chopped off hands, there, or what is it?
1 ton ghost 01-04-08, 03:28 PM	Out of interest, what makes you equate Chult with Belgian Congo in specific? Is there some large amount of chopped off hands, there, or what is it? you're drawing modern day conclusions my friend. i'm drawing purely geographical ones mostly to allude to a fantasy world, not the real one. Chult is just one bigass jungle pretty much akin to that in the Congo. tough, harrowing place to live, limited resources, etc.
Witch 01-04-08, 03:38 PM	you're drawing modern day conclusions my friend. i'm drawing purely geographical ones mostly to allude to a fantasy world, not the real one. Chult is just one bigass jungle pretty much akin to that in the Congo. tough, harrowing place to live, limited resources, etc. Obviously I was drawing modern day conclusions, given that "Belgian Congo" is the description of a historical rule, rather than of a region. I misinterpreted because of that.
Learned_Barbarian 01-04-08, 09:16 PM	1 ton ghost, thanks. Your post was a big help. Though, I can't help thinking of the Shaaryans as Tartars or an amalgamation of various nomadic Turkic peoples.
1 ton ghost 01-05-08, 12:44 PM	yeah, the Shaaryans are a tough one to peg down. given their totemic bent and nomadic society, i kinda' hip shot plains Indians, but it's only a crude approximation. they aren't necessarilly Stone Age tech users (before europeans anyway) vs. the rest of Faerun, but the land does not lend itself to prosperity and growth. tartars might not be a bad allusion, though i'm inclined to rashemi for all things in that area. they never really embellished on the cossaks or anything, too, you know? though Shaaryan riders are probably the best on the planet cuz' if you don't have a horse in the savanah there, you're nothing.