2016/09/16 [DMFA #1696] By the way, which one's Pink?

[Tapewolf]

Interesting that there's a minor tiff between Fa'Lina and Taun, given how much Taun wants to save the 'Cubi race and helped promote SAIA as a way to achieve that.
The katbox version adds this note:

Some may suspect that Fa'Lina and Taun perhaps may not have the most friendly of alliances. Clan of Hope, Clan of Anger...one who strives for peace, one who lives for war. One being considered an empty clan due to no members, one being one of the largest clans active (not counting Zezzuva's recent population boom granted).

But perhaps the real reason is Fa'Lina is just super jealous that Taun got the pink clan symbol when pink is OBVIOUSLY Fa'Lina's aesthetic.

The world may never know.

[ZacAttac21]

Oh my gosh, nice thread title.

I wonder if Taun has the same accent as Quill?

[Merlin]

Fa'Lina, jealous of Taun's pink symbol. And Taun, jealous of Fa'Lina being taller than her. That has to be right.

[Tapewolf]

I hope Dan's quickly just asking Fa'Lina a question there.  I would like to see more of his exchange with Illiath, and not just because I like Mab's rendition of her.  There are questions that want answers.

As a ruie, adventurers who don't retire first tend to die in their 30s, either because they get careless, out of shape, kill the wrong person by mistake and get executed.  Whatever.  It's not a career with a long average lifespan.
But Taun's clan is peopled largely by adventurers whose adventuring careers can last for centuries.
The path of least resistance for Dan at the moment would be to do the same, and become an adventurer-cubi once he can learn enough self-control to do what Taun clan does.  Surely Dan must be curious about what that future would be like?  Illiath can provide answers.

Then again, on page 1604, Dan - although he professes to be an active mercenary - is starting to question the justice of the killings he's made in the past.  If he is contemplating a career change, what will Taun clan think about that?

Lastly it would just be fun to see them compare notes.  After all meeting Illie is the only thing holding off the garment brigade...

[Cassi-kun]

I've always envisioned Taun as very serious, but I'm wondering how much of a just plain snotty high-and-mighty attitude she has now.

I'm also wondering what KIND of alliance she may propose. It's only a matter of time before somebody decides Dan should make contributions to their clan / they want to help strengthen Clan Cyra, if you know what I mean, wink wink nudge nudge.

[Prroul]

I've always envisioned Taun as very serious, but I'm wondering how much of a just plain snotty high-and-mighty attitude she has now.

I don't think it is so much 'snotty high-and-mighty attitude' so much as your typical top athlete's 'I'm the best there is. I know I'm the best, because I competed against everyone else's best and beat them all' kind of ego. If you've never dealt with the 'back end' of an Olympic meet, I highly suggest avoiding it. The competitors are there for one reason: to win. We've all seen in the news some of the... less than intelligent decisions that get made to further that goal. And they all have some pretty sizable egos.

Not all of them are 'prima donnas', although there are a fair few, but to a person they all know deep down that they are in the one hundred-thousandth of one percent of the population who have the combination of raw athletic potential and the training to get the title 'olympic contender'. It's not just thinking you are the best, it's knowing you are the best, because otherwise you wouldn't be there in the first place.

I'm also wondering what KIND of alliance she may propose. It's only a matter of time before somebody decides Dan should make contributions to their clan / they want to help strengthen Clan Cyra, if you know what I mean, wink wink nudge nudge.

Or Taun thinks that he's 'worthy' to join HER clan. So arranges a marriage with a nice lady from her clan, they have a kiddo, and there's the bridge to cross over.

Either that, or perhaps offer him training, which would be very nearly the same thing in the eyes of the old martial artists. Think about it. "Okay, you proved yourself competent and capable as an Adventurer, and that was before your Cubi heritage kicked in. So, if you want some payback for what has been happening, I can show you how to play with the big boys. You're good, but if you tried to square off against Hizell, you'd be a cinder. If you are lucky. If not, he'll try to use you to finish what he started, use your link to your Clan Leader to kill her and your mother. But with my training? Well, now... that's a different story..."

Or it could be exactly what you think. "Okay, you've proven you aren't nucking futz like your mother is, you've proven yourself capable. I see the potential within you to remake your Clan, and to strengthen not just your Clan, but all of Cubi'dom. So, pick one of my single daughters. Trust me, no matter who you pick, you'll thank me later. If your Clan Leader is willing to let your Mother pass before she finishes the destruction of the Cubi Race, I'll give you what you need to rebuild your clan. Bigger, stronger, better. We can do it. We have the genes."

[Tapewolf]

Or it could be exactly what you think. "Okay, you've proven you aren't nucking futz like your mother is, you've proven yourself capable. I see the potential within you to remake your Clan, and to strengthen not just your Clan, but all of Cubi'dom. So, pick one of my single daughters.

That might not work.  When two 'cubi from different clans with an active leader have a child, which clan the child belongs to depends on the relative strengths of the two clan leaders (I think).  Given that it's taken more and more effort to become a clan leader, I would wager that Taun - who ascended when magic was stronger and more abundant -  is more powerful than Cyra and her clan would take priority.

[Prroul]

Or it could be exactly what you think. "Okay, you've proven you aren't nucking futz like your mother is, you've proven yourself capable. I see the potential within you to remake your Clan, and to strengthen not just your Clan, but all of Cubi'dom. So, pick one of my single daughters.

That might not work.  When two 'cubi from different clans with an active leader have a child, which clan the child belongs to depends on the relative strengths of the two clan leaders (I think).  Given that it's taken more and more effort to become a clan leader, I would wager that Taun - who ascended when magic was stronger and more abundant -  is more powerful than Cyra and her clan would take priority.

But because they have a blood tie, they can convert over to Cyra, both mother and child. So even if the child originally pops out Taun, they can both convert and be one big happy Cyra clan family.

And we all know how Dan has a weakness for amazons, it can be reasonably assumed that any female in Taun's clan is going to be falling under this category.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

And we all know how Dan has a weakness for amazons, it can be reasonably assumed that any female in Taun's clan is going to be falling under this category.

... this suddenly makes a point. >.>

[Tapewolf]

But because they have a blood tie, they can convert over to Cyra, both mother and child. So even if the child originally pops out Taun, they can both convert and be one big happy Cyra clan family.

Interesting, that  might be possible.  I think it would nerf their powers, though.

And we all know how Dan has a weakness for amazons, it can be reasonably assumed that any female in Taun's clan is going to be falling under this category.

Not sure exactly what constitutes an amazon in DMFA, but it looks kind of like a guild,  subculture or cult or something.  I mean, Quill and Illiath are both female Taun members, but I'm not sure that automatically makes them amazons.  That said, they could easily have a few in their ranks.

[Cassi-kun]

I wonder how Dan would actually react to being asked to help expand a clan, even just his own XD

Especially given that not every clan is gonna be concerned with things like "manners." Or "asking." I bet a lot of SAIA's self-defense classes come into play at SAIA.

My brain's in a weird place right now

[Prroul]

But because they have a blood tie, they can convert over to Cyra, both mother and child. So even if the child originally pops out Taun, they can both convert and be one big happy Cyra clan family.

Interesting, that  might be possible.  I think it would nerf their powers, though.

Possibly, however if Taun offered this on the condition of pulling the plug on Des, there might be a net gain in power. Particularly likely if Taun considers Des to be acting detrimentally to the Cubi race as a whole. Or the nerf might be secondary to having more clan members, so the clan is less likely to be exterminated in one shot.

And we all know how Dan has a weakness for amazons, it can be reasonably assumed that any female in Taun's clan is going to be falling under this category.

Not sure exactly what constitutes an amazon in DMFA, but it looks kind of like a guild,  subculture or cult or something.  I mean, Quill and Illiath are both female Taun members, but I'm not sure that automatically makes them amazons.  That said, they could easily have a few in their ranks.

I was just assuming it meant women of Amazonian stature and physique, not necessarily a particular subculture. Both Quil and Illiath share certain physical qualities which Dan considers to be attractive.

Of course, this brings up ANOTHER interesting topic of Matilda. Dan won't want to betray Matilda. Matilda... well, we know that the Blue Volcano Mythos have a very patriarchal society. I'm not sure if the whole 'harem' thing was actually confirmed in canon or not, but a competitive society like that seems very likely to encourage such. So Matilda may well not have an issue with multiple spouses. Then again, with only one female child per family permitted, and multiple males, you probably have enough challenge just getting one mate, much less multiple, so maybe not. If Matilda has a problem with it, then that's gonna end it right there. Dan isn't going to want to hurt Matilda, and will stand up to anyone, including Cyra herself, to prevent that. But if she doesn't... well then, hijinks abound!

Ironically, I suspect that any offspring Dan and Matilda might have would probably actually be more powerful than any that Dan and a Taun clan member might have. So accepting the deal might end up a long-term nerf overall. Assuming that this is, in fact, the deal being offered.

[Tapewolf]

Of course, this brings up ANOTHER interesting topic of Matilda. Dan won't want to betray Matilda. Matilda... well, we know that the Blue Volcano Mythos have a very patriarchal society. I'm not sure if the whole 'harem' thing was actually confirmed in canon or not, but a competitive society like that seems very likely to encourage such. So Matilda may well not have an issue with multiple spouses.

There's also the "I need to do this to save my kind" and "Granny will want me to repopulate the clan" angles.  AFAIK, Dan and Matilda will result in 'taur children - forever.  Partly because the child will take the form of the non-cubi parent, but also the 'taur rule - that a 'taur and a biped will always produce 'taurs (see p.1388).
While a clan composed almost entirely of 'taurs is better than no clan at all, I can't help but think that Cyra might want there to be a bit more variety.  There's also the question of whether they would produce a 'cubi at all - the concept art of Matilda's daughter was phrased something like "If she was a 'cubi" so I'm not sure it's definitive.  IIRC Matilda's race has a longer lifespan than 'Cubi so they might be higher up the magic tree and genetically dominant.

It may be that Matilda won't care, and simply accepts that 'cubi have looser relationships than other races.  They certainly have a reputation for it.  As long as what Dan does isn't actually illegal and that he spends the majority of his time with her,  it might be fine.

[Cassi-kun]

AFAIK, Dan and Matilda will result in 'taur children - forever.  Partly because the child will take the form of the non-cubi parent, but also the 'taur rule - that a 'taur and a biped will always produce 'taurs (see p.1388).
While a clan composed almost entirely of 'taurs is better than no clan at all, I can't help but think that Cyra might want there to be a bit more variety.

While Dan & Matilda themselves would only produce taur kids, any sons they had together could go ahead and have kids with women of any body type. Given the current clan strength of 2, Cyra's probably more interested in clan growth than clan variety for the time being.

the concept art of Matilda's daughter was phrased something like "If she was a 'cubi" so I'm not sure it's definitive.  IIRC Matilda's race has a longer lifespan than 'Cubi so they might be higher up the magic tree and genetically dominant.

I was actually thinking about this earlier today. Clan strength versus racial strength is probably a pretty complex set of numbers, and we've seen very little of Matilda's actual power. I think all we know about her race as a whole is long-lived, fireproof, and fire-breathing? Whatever magic she does to create the dimensional homes may not be enough power as an individual to impact the results of breeding between her race and the Cubi race.

[Prroul]

Of course, this brings up ANOTHER interesting topic of Matilda. Dan won't want to betray Matilda. Matilda... well, we know that the Blue Volcano Mythos have a very patriarchal society. I'm not sure if the whole 'harem' thing was actually confirmed in canon or not, but a competitive society like that seems very likely to encourage such. So Matilda may well not have an issue with multiple spouses.

There's also the "I need to do this to save my kind" and "Granny will want me to repopulate the clan" angles.  AFAIK, Dan and Matilda will result in 'taur children - forever.  Partly because the child will take the form of the non-cubi parent, but also the 'taur rule - that a 'taur and a biped will always produce 'taurs (see p.1388).
While a clan composed almost entirely of 'taurs is better than no clan at all, I can't help but think that Cyra might want there to be a bit more variety.  There's also the question of whether they would produce a 'cubi at all - the concept art of Matilda's daughter was phrased something like "If she was a 'cubi" so I'm not sure it's definitive.  IIRC Matilda's race has a longer lifespan than 'Cubi so they might be higher up the magic tree and genetically dominant.

It may be that Matilda won't care, and simply accepts that 'cubi have looser relationships than other races.  They certainly have a reputation for it.  As long as what Dan does isn't actually illegal and that he spends the majority of his time with her,  it might be fine.

Well, we do have some to go on. Hybrid Genetics Page 2 describes how it works.

I will say this much... Dan is a member of a two-person clan. All the power of a Clan Leader, and only shared with two clan members. Meaning Dan is probably, in terms of raw power, one of the more powerful 'Cubi around. And Matilda is... from her backstory, she's probably one of the less powerful of her people. So... entirely possible.

At this point, I think Cyra wouldn't mind Insectis (although fun fact, despite Zezzuva managing it, technically Cubi aren't cross-breed-capable with Insectis directly, she probably managed it through a Mythos hybrid of some kind) if it meant her clan would grow.

[MSpears]

Not all of them are 'prima donnas', although there are a fair few, but to a person they all know deep down that they are in the one hundred-thousandth of one percent of the population who have the combination of raw athletic potential and the training to get the title 'olympic contender'. It's not just thinking you are the best, it's knowing you are the best, because otherwise you wouldn't be there in the first place.

That's very much the same attitude encouraged in the Air Force.  If you're a fighter pilot, and anyone asks you "who's the best?", you are.  Because if you're not, you shouldn't be there in the first place.

[mithril]

Of course, this brings up ANOTHER interesting topic of Matilda. Dan won't want to betray Matilda. Matilda... well, we know that the Blue Volcano Mythos have a very patriarchal society. I'm not sure if the whole 'harem' thing was actually confirmed in canon or not, but a competitive society like that seems very likely to encourage such. So Matilda may well not have an issue with multiple spouses. Then again, with only one female child per family permitted, and multiple males, you probably have enough challenge just getting one mate, much less multiple, so maybe not. If Matilda has a problem with it, then that's gonna end it right there. Dan isn't going to want to hurt Matilda, and will stand up to anyone, including Cyra herself, to prevent that. But if she doesn't... well then, hijinks abound!

if the 'harem' thing with Blue Volcano Mytho's is real, that would make Matilda's recent outreach to Lorenda have some extra subtext..