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Old 06-30-2006, 07:31 AM   #110
Novnarwen
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
 
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Boots

I feel like such a trouble maker..

Quote:
Yes, Durelin and I discussed the fact that the Orcs actually seemed "healthier" than some of the slaves. Maybe it's partially our own perception of what orcs and humans should be. It doesn't seem odd that an orc would say he routinely "bashed " other orcs and people. Plus, the orc does not feel particularly guilty about this. He's just doing what orcs do naturally!

We react more strongly when we see a human slave striking out physically at other slaves out of the blue. Our brains label the action as "wrong", indicative of some underlying problem. Humans just aren't "supposed" to do that.
I feel I need to say something in this regard, as I recognise this kind of incident as part of my post. I do agree that some of the slaves seem less healthy than the Orcs, but then again, I feel that if not natural, then at least that's what I would personally expect..

The human slaves have been under an enormous pressure; they have worked at plantations in Mordor, a place that even made Gandalf shudder. The point is that, realistically, one can't exclude, or rather, one shouldn't exclude, that the slaves are not the same as they were when they finally return to an existence of freedom. (Maybe some of the slaves will find themselves that they aren't handling this new existence in the slightest; after all, for the first time in many years they are living in uncertainty. At the plantations they knew at least that they would get fed and live if they worked.) Surely, years of abuse and sufferings would mark them, both physically and mentally. I don’t regard slavery as something that will ‘be over’ once released; I would imagine that the effects of slavery are not something short-lived, (in fact, I do imagine my character being ‘ill’ until the very end…) and trying to depict this through my character has been one of my main focuses, even though it will mean that my character (and as I can see, others) will be less healthy than the Orcs.

The main difference I see between the Orcs and the humans, in regard to healthiness, is that the Orcs were rebels, not slaves; though one can expect them to be affected by what they have been part of (as slaves guards etc), to me I would expect them to be healthier, because otherwise they wouldn't have been able to rebel against their own kind.

Personally, I also feel I need to explain Aedhild's actions. Yes, she did indeed strike Eirnar, not because she necessarily wanted to, but rather in mere desperation and fright that he was a traitor and would turn her in. The strike in itself doesn't reflect her illness(es), but rather how greatly she values her newly found freedom. Additionally, I would again try to underline that her condition, her schizophrenia has derived from the sufferings and the identity issues she struggles with, and I do not think such an illness is particularly unrealistic considering what she has been through. I mean, would any of us be perfectly sane/healthy after seeing fellow slaves slaughtered in front of our own eyes, to thereafter live with the uncertainty of whether we would be next?

To me, from the start, when reading other people's bios and writing my own, I have been looking forward to what I consider one of the great conflicts in this story; how the escaped slaves can handle this regained freedom (again, if some are able to handle it at all), how they individually and together handle the effects (regardless of what they are) slavery has had on them, the consequences of these effects and how this affects the slaves' relationships with each other...

I realise that everyone may be under a different impression than myself, and that is good. I like diversity, and respect it. I just thought, as my post was indirectly referred to that I should try explaining my views, although perhaps irrelevant. I apologize if I've troubled you, Durelin and Child, unnecessarily about figuring out how it all fits, and am willing to withdraw my character if it was over the top and not appropriate for the game you had in mind.

Cheers,
Nova
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