Sunday, October 09, 2005

Tower Critique: Headbands and Coming of Age

10/09/2005

Headbands.

Conceivably the lamest fashion accessory ever.

In any case, here we see another description of how the extremely low population Dhe’nar try to kill off all their children… Maybe THIS is why they have these population problems, eh?

Dhe’nar are extremely proud of their headbands,

Dude, I got this when I saw Foreigner at the Meadowlands in ’82! That show KICKED ASS!

...as well they should be. The headband is a symbol of hunting prowess, bravery, but most importantly, a symbol of coming of age.

No no no. A headband? Gimme a break. Headbands weren’t cool even when they were cool. Let’s let 80s MTV fashion die, please.

When a young Dhe’nar reaches an age of adulthood…

-An- age of adulthood? How many are there?

...he or she is sent on a Great Hunt. He is sent from his home without clothes…

Woo! Naked time! Wheeeeeee!

...armor or weapons to bring down a creature of honorable skill and ferocity, or to not return.

Wow, every Dhe’nar, eh? Even those who are to become Empaths? Clerics? That makes sense.

“But I’m in training to be a librarian!”

“Shut up and go kill something with your bare hands, Billy.”

The elf chooses his quarry carefully. It must be something suitably difficult to kill...nothing too easy, or he will be considered a coward without honor.

What do I have to kill to be a coward with honor? Or to be brave without honor? I have so many questions!

But it must not be something too difficult, or he will die.

Well, I guess that stands to reason… Good thing all the creatures in the jungle just stand around in a buffet line and only attack the hunter if chosen.

Once the quarry is chosen, the Dhe’nar hunts and kills it with only his natural skills to rely on.

As opposed to his unnatural skills?

After a successful kill, the Dhe’nar brings back a symbol of the hunt. Most often, it is the hide of the animal killed.

Sensible…

However, grass or leaves from the area of the kill, claws, etc. can also make appropriate items.

WHAT?

“Yeah… I killed a lion. Here’s a bunch of grass as proof. Gimme my headband.”

The items are then woven or braided into a headband,

Huzzah… My leaf headband.

...displaying for the world to see the creature killed bare-handed.

So… You killed a ficus tree, eh? Our hero.

As an interesting side note, those that live in Eh’lah (soon to be described elsewhere in this collection)

I can’t wait!

...have a small twist on the Great Hunt. The creature to be killed must be announced to the assembled peoples of the village. To return with the skin of another creature is to fail, just as surely as not returning at all.

But you said just above that they don’t have to return with the creature’s skin, just with flora from the area it was killed in.

And what exactly happens if you fail? An explanation would be nice.

Also, what if the creature he returned with was way more powerful?

“I know I said I’d kill a kobold, but I only downed this dragon instead.”

“You FAIL! Get out! Or die! Or whatever it is we do when you fail… we’re not quite sure, the law is pretty vague...”