tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760488963669166022024-03-24T16:33:15.297-07:00The Sundaland RPG SettingRPG setting content based on the real sunken subcontinent of Sundaland. Imagine a land where the progenitors of the ancient Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Indus Valley and American cultures came from. I also post about ancient history topics that can serve as inspiration.
The overall tone is Bronze Age to Classical Antiquity type civilisations with a touch of Sword & Sorcery.TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476048896366916602.post-85586278947132090472024-01-11T13:45:00.000-08:002024-01-11T13:45:12.663-08:00 Real History: Valley of lost cities that flourished 2,000 years ago found in Amazon<div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><blockquote><div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Archaeologists have uncovered a cluster of lost cities in the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/amazon-rainforest"><span class="s1" style="color: #dca10d;">Amazon rainforest</span></a> that was home to at least 10,000 farmers about 2,000 years ago.</span></div><div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />A series of earthen mounds and buried roads in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/ecuador"><span class="s1" style="color: #dca10d;">Ecuador</span></a> was first noticed more than two decades ago by archaeologist Stéphen Rostain. But at the time, “I wasn’t sure how it all fit together,” said Rostain, one of the researchers who <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/laser-mapping-reveals-oldest-amazonian-cities-built-2500-years-ago"><span class="s1" style="color: #dca10d;">reported on the finding in the journal Science on Thursday.</span></a> </span></div></blockquote><div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Read the whole article here: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/jan/11/amazon-archaeology-lost-cities-ecuador">Valley of lost cities that flourished 2,000 years ago found in Amazon</a></span></div>TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476048896366916602.post-40873686379759740932023-12-27T07:22:00.000-08:002023-12-27T07:22:43.361-08:00Real History: Lost ancient colony off coast of Australia that hundreds of thousands once called home discovered<p>This is a sensationalist article that vaguely implies the discovery of some kind of Atlantis but the reality is that this part of the world was indeed dry land until the floods started and there is now more evidence of people living in these now submerged areas. Hopefully these kinds of discoveries will lead to more archaeology in these kinds of locations and the acceptance that a lot of human history happened along coastlines that are now under the sea.</p><p><a href="https://nypost.com/2023/12/22/news/lost-ancient-colony-off-coast-of-australia-discovered/">Lost ancient colony off coast of Australia that hundreds of thousands once called home discovered</a><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; letter-spacing: -0.16px;"></span><blockquote><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; letter-spacing: -0.16px;">Various artifacts and signs of human life were discovered on the northwest shelf of Sahul, located off the coast of the northern region of Kimberley on a landmass that connects to New Guinea, according to a study in </span><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277379123004663" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: -0.16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Quaternary Science Reviews</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; letter-spacing: -0.16px;">.</span></blockquote></span></div><p>The full research article: <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277379123004663">Sea level rise drowned a vast habitable area of north-western Australia driving long-term cultural change</a><br /></p><p>Conclusion from the article:</p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1f1f1f; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1f1f1f; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">It is clear that the temptation to ignore the continental shelf margins of Late Pleistocene Sahul in debates of early peopling and expansion carries the risk of both oversimplifying and misunderstanding important elements of this period of history. Our analysis indicates the Northwest Shelf was a large habitable landscape that connected the now-separated ancient archaeological landscapes of the Kimberley and Arnhem Land. Reconstructing the <a class="topic-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/palaeoecology" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1f1f1f; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: rgb(31, 31, 31); text-decoration-thickness: 1px; text-underline-offset: 1px; word-break: break-word;" title="Learn more about palaeoecology from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">palaeoecology</a> of these landscapes in sophisticated ways remains an important goal for future research to understand the potential lifeways of the First Australians. The appearance of new and distinctive rock art styles in the Kimberley and Arnhem Land coincides with major shelf-drowning events and a noticeable increase in stone artefact discard across both regions. We interpret this as the retreat of human populations from the Northwest Shelf as sea levels rose. Now submerged continental margins clearly played an important role in early human expansions across the world. The rise in undersea archaeology in Australia will contribute to a growing worldwide picture of early </span><a class="topic-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/human-migration" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1f1f1f; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: rgb(31, 31, 31); text-decoration-thickness: 1px; text-underline-offset: 1px; word-break: break-word;" title="Learn more about human migration from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">human migration</a><span style="color: #1f1f1f;"> and the impact of climate change on Late Pleistocene human populations.</span></span></blockquote><span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: ElsevierGulliver, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif;"></span></div>TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476048896366916602.post-43397601925993399372023-10-17T09:03:00.001-07:002023-10-17T09:03:24.429-07:00Real History: New Guinea - lessons from a cradle of agriculture and languages<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QWLOCDYtVbQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><p>An interesting video about the linguistic history of New Guinea and what it reveals about the past of the people of the island.</p><blockquote><p style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0.5em 0px;">The first inhabitants <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_people_of_New_Guinea" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Indigenous people of New Guinea">Indigenous people of New Guinea</a>, from whom the Papuan people are probably descended, adapted to the range of ecologies and, in time, developed one of the earliest known agricultures. Remains of this agricultural system, in the form of ancient irrigation systems in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, are being studied by archaeologists. Research indicates that the highlands were an early and independent center of agriculture, with evidence of irrigation going back at least 10,000 years.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-39" style="font-size: 11.2px; line-height: 1; text-wrap: nowrap; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Guinea#cite_note-39" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;">[38]</a></sup> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugarcane" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Sugarcane">Sugarcane</a> was cultivated in New Guinea around 6000 BCE.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-40" style="font-size: 11.2px; line-height: 1; text-wrap: nowrap; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Guinea#cite_note-40" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;">[39]</a></sup></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0.5em 0px;">The gardens of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Guinea_Highlands" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="New Guinea Highlands">New Guinea Highlands</a> are ancient, intensive <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Permaculture">permacultures</a>, adapted to high population densities, very high rainfalls (as high as 10,000 mm per year (400 in/yr)), earthquakes, hilly land, and occasional frost. Complex mulches, crop rotations and tillages are used in rotation on terraces with complex irrigation systems. Western agronomists still do not understand all of the practices, and it has been noted that native gardeners are as, or even more, successful than most scientific farmers in raising certain crops.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-41" style="font-size: 11.2px; line-height: 1; text-wrap: nowrap; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Guinea#cite_note-41" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;">[40]</a></sup> There is evidence that New Guinea gardeners invented crop rotation well before western Europeans.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-42" style="font-size: 11.2px; line-height: 1; text-wrap: nowrap; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Guinea#cite_note-42" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;">[41]</a></sup> A unique feature of New Guinea permaculture is the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silviculture" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Silviculture">silviculture</a> of <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casuarina_oligodon" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Casuarina oligodon">Casuarina oligodon</a></i>, a tall, sturdy native <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casuarinaceae" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Casuarinaceae">ironwood</a> tree, suited to use for timber and fuel, with root nodules that fix nitrogen. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palynology" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Palynology">Pollen studies</a> show that it was adopted during an ancient period of extreme deforestation.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0.5em 0px;">In more recent millennia, another wave of people arrived on the shores of New Guinea. These were the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austronesian_peoples" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Austronesian peoples">Austronesian people</a>, who had spread down from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Taiwan">Taiwan</a>, through the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maritime_Southeast_Asia" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Maritime Southeast Asia">South-east Asian archipelago</a>, colonising many of the islands on the way. The Austronesian people had technology and skills extremely well adapted to ocean voyaging and Austronesian language speaking people are present along much of the coastal areas and islands of New Guinea. They also introduced pigs and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Guinea_singing_dog" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="New Guinea singing dog">dogs</a>. These Austronesian migrants are considered the ancestors of most people in insular Southeast Asia, from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumatra" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Sumatra">Sumatra</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Java">Java</a> to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borneo" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Borneo">Borneo</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulawesi" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Sulawesi">Sulawesi</a>, as well as coastal new Guinea.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-43" style="font-size: 11.2px; line-height: 1; text-wrap: nowrap; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Guinea#cite_note-43" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;">[42]</a></sup></p></blockquote>TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476048896366916602.post-42949628747684276602023-08-08T06:40:00.002-07:002023-08-08T06:41:27.552-07:00Real History: The First Sundaland People - The Negrito People of Southeast Asia<p>A look at some of the first people that came to live in Southeast Asia. </p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1Y3L7DNr0aQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476048896366916602.post-10184177577865255242023-08-05T06:57:00.009-07:002023-08-08T06:39:19.961-07:00Elephant Queens & Tiger Kings - 10: Conspiracy of the Idol<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e3MCn4RE5-0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span> Some ambient music for this episode.</span> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVveQIHUxM_2P8Zy1k-p3zmSx-tifniOYqRrQfD3R0WOC3biNw4x2-FFC0k4BtSfX-zShmtqETfpC1eRdXDYASXCGeHrqBU0KWhAiXJBNOFsmNXX8_ME1TMzwWdjVpK_CZXFoILqqIs_KTNrfz8pUrCLXzntxapf6EXvZElr4MtfoafjljqRIlyN9DMc3v/s4098/EQ&TK-11-12-22.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2717" data-original-width="4098" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVveQIHUxM_2P8Zy1k-p3zmSx-tifniOYqRrQfD3R0WOC3biNw4x2-FFC0k4BtSfX-zShmtqETfpC1eRdXDYASXCGeHrqBU0KWhAiXJBNOFsmNXX8_ME1TMzwWdjVpK_CZXFoILqqIs_KTNrfz8pUrCLXzntxapf6EXvZElr4MtfoafjljqRIlyN9DMc3v/w400-h265/EQ&TK-11-12-22.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>(Click map to zoom)</i></p><p><i>Recap: I've been recruited into a diplomatic and trade mission from the City of Pearls to Nanbeg Gakwha, the city of the Longheads a fearsome war-like people that are known for their practice of skull-binding. After two weeks our boats reached their city where we unloaded our mysterious cargo.</i></p><p><i>During our stay we discovered that an idol has gone missing and that our group has been accused of stealing it. The ambassadors (3 from each boat) were held captive as well as 4 mariners (including myself). There is no evidence of us being involved and it seems that we are being used as pawns in political game between rival factions within the city of the Longheads. After being searched and questioned we are taken back to a holding cell, unsure of our fate.</i></p><p><i>Read the other episodes here: <a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/p/game-diary-elephant-queens-tiger-kings.html">Game Diary: Elephant Queens & Tiger Kings</a></i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p></p><p>We are held in our cell all day with no explanation and eventually all go to sleep, not sure what the future holds. Together our group consists of 9 ambassadors and 4 mariners (including myself).</p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Will we get more clarity in the morning about our fate? Ask the Oracle.</i></p><p><i>Action: Investigate</i></p><p><i>Theme: Ruin</i></p><p><i>Major Plot Twist: A trap is sprung</i></p><p><br /></p><p>I wake up in the middle of the night, there is only the faint moon light from small windows high up in the room. I notice a figure skulking nearby, moving to the centre of the room. There is something gleaming in his hands. I think it's the idol. A small golden statue.</p><p>I decide to get up quietly and see if I can manoeuvre to a position that will give me and advantage to pounce on him.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><p><i>Move: Secure an Advantage with Shadow (+1)</i></p><p><i>Action Die: Roll 1d6 + Shadow(+1): 4+1 = 5</i></p><p><i>Challenge Dice: Roll 2d10 = 10 and 3</i></p><p><i>Weak Hit: On a Weak Hit get +2 momentum or +1 on the next move*.</i><i> (I choose + momentum which bring me to 9 momentum).</i></p><p><i>*I'm using an alternate version of the Secure an Advantage move from IronSworn: Starforged.</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>I stand up from where I was resting and move as quietly as I can, but the figure freezes. It seems they have noticed me. </p><p><br /></p><p><i>Move: Enter the Fray - Facing Off (neither at an advantage): Heart (+1)</i></p><p><i>Action Die: Roll 1d6 + Heart (+1): 4+1 = 5</i></p><p><i>Challenge Dice: Roll 2d10 = 8 and 3</i></p><p><i>Weak Hit: On a Weak Hit choose: Bolster your position +2 momentum or Prepare to Act: Take the initiative. I choose to Take the initiative.</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>I throw my full weight against the figure and wrestle them to the ground.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Move: Strike - Iron (+2)</i></p><p><i>Action Die: Roll 1d6 + Iron (+2): 3+2 = 5</i></p><p><i>Challenge Dice: Roll 2d10 = 8 and 1</i></p><p><i>Weak Hit: Inflict Harm and lose advantage.</i></p><p><i>It's a Troublesome foe. I have no weapon so inflict 1 Harm = 3 ticked progress boxes out of 10.</i></p><p><br /></p><p>I grapple with what seems to be a man and manage to land a couple of punches to his stomach.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Move: Clash - Iron (+2)</i></p><p><i>Action Die: Roll 1d6 + Iron (+2): 6+2 = 8</i></p><p><i>Challenge Dice: Roll 2d10 = 10 and 9</i></p><p><i>Miss: Pay the price: It is stressful. (Spirit from 5 to 4)</i></p><p><br /></p><p>My opponent is stronger and more skilled at hand to hand combat and he soon has me pinned down. However the commotion awakens everyone else in the room and they pull the figure off of me.</p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>What happens next? I will ask Ask the Oracle.</i></p><p><i>Action: Escalate</i></p><p><i>Theme: Blood</i></p><p><i>Major Plot Twist: A dark secret is revealed.</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>Gurgling and gasping is heard from the figure and he slumps to the floor. We discover he has stabbed himself with a short knife. I can just about see some of his face painting, it seems to be a priest. The guards on the other side of the door tell us to quiet down, but their suspicion hasn't been raised enough just yet. How did the man get into the room?</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Move: Gather Information - Wits (+2)</i></p><p><i>Action Die: Roll 1d6 + Wits (+2): 6+2 = 8</i></p><p><i>Challenge Dice: Roll 2d10 = 1 and 3</i></p><p><i>Strong Hit: Discover something useful and specific. The path is clear. +2 momentum (10 Momentum).</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>We search the room and notice in the back a large stone that has been pushed aside revealing a hidden passage. It seems that the man entered the room in order to hide the idol amongst us, with the intention of blaming us for it's theft. But what do we do now? Will we be blamed for the priest's death? Should we alert the guards? Or perhaps see if we can escape through the secret tunnel? Should we bring the idol with us? </p><p>The ambassadors are certain that we must not try to escape, it would be impossible to make our way back to the boats unseen and even if we managed to escape it would damage the relationship between the two city-states. This was a trade and diplomatic mission and we must avoid antagonising the Longheads. However they do give me permission to investigate the secret tunnel to see where it leads and report back with any useful information that might prove our innocence. I grab the short bronze knife from it's deceased owner and head down the tunnel.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Delve move: Discover a site</i></p><p><i>I've decided that this site will be an Ancient Underkeep with Rank: Dangerous (2 progress per area).</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>I ready myself and step into the tunnel almost falling down a set of stairs, it's a few steps down and initially I think it far too dark to continue, but then my eyes adjust and I notice a faint light coming from down the corridor. I inch forward and eventually come to...</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Roll Feature: Hall or chamber</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>...a small chamber in the centre of which is a brazier with a low burning fire. The walls are bare, this room seems have been made with only function in mind. A place to hide perhaps? There is a small bamboo matt on the floor, along with what looks like a flask and a small wooden bowl with a couple of pieces of dried fruit. There is a small bronze door on the opposite of the room. I will find out what is behind that door.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Delve the Depths with Stealth: Roll 1d6 + Shadow (+1) = 6+1 =7 </i></p><p><i>Challenge Dice: Roll 2d10 = 8 and 5</i></p><p><i>Weak Hit</i></p><p><i>Roll 48 = Mark progress (2 out of 10 progress)</i></p><p><br /></p><p>I reach towards the door and push it, anticipating that it might squeak. However it opens silently. The hinges must be lubricated well in order to make sure they don't make any noise. The people that make use of this entrance have put thought into how to avoid making noise when coming and going. </p><p><br /></p><p><i>Roll Feature: Visions of this place in another time.</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>I'm in a hallway, then stairs that lead straight down. Intermittently there are small oil lamps in alcoves lighting the way. There are carvings of serpents and other strange animals on the walls, and abstract symbols which could be some kind of writing but I'm not sure. The flickering light of the small flames causes the patterns to seem like they are swirling and undulating, making me dizzy so that I have to steady myself. </p><p>Perhaps the priest had lit the lamps on his way to the chamber, where he waited for his moment to enter our cell. I'm going to continue at a faster pace now, I don't want to be separated from the others for too long.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Delve the Depths with Haste: Roll 1d6 + Edge (+3) = 2+3 =5</i></p><p><i>Challenge Dice: Roll 2d10 = 4 and 5</i></p><p><i>Weak Hit</i></p><p><i>Roll 15 = Mark progress (4 out of 10 progress) and Reveal a Danger</i></p><p><i>Reveal a Danger: You encounter an environmental or architectural hazard</i></p><p><i>Aspect: Treacherous</i></p><p><i>Focus: Breach</i></p><p><br /></p><p>I walk through a corridor then find to a hole in the floor that spans the entire width of the corridor. Did the priest come this way? I see small oil lamps further down the corridor. Did he jump over the hole? I look down but can't see the bottom. I look around to see if there are any clues as to how he got across. </p><p><br /></p><p><i>Move: Gather Information - Wits (+2)</i></p><p><i>Action Die: Roll 1d6 + Wits (+2): 1+2 =3 </i></p><p><i>Challenge Dice: Roll 2d10 = 1 and 3</i></p><p><i>Miss.</i></p><p><i>Shall I burn momentum to overcome this failure? Yes, reduce momentum from 10 to 2.</i></p><p><i>Convert my Action Score from 3 to 10, giving me a strong hit.</i></p><p><i>I discover something helpful and specific. The path forward is clear take +2 momentum (4 momentum).</i></p><p><br /></p><p>I fear that I'm stuck but then I see some shallow recesses in one of the walls which I can use to climb across. </p><p><br /></p><p><i>Move: Face Danger - Edge (+3)</i></p><p><i>Action Die: Roll 1d6 + Edge (+3): 2+3 =5</i></p><p><i>Challenge Dice: Roll 2d10 = 8 and 3</i></p><p><i>Weak Hit: Face a troublesome cost. Choose: Dispirited or afraid. Endure stress (-1 Spirit from 4 to 3)</i></p><p><br /></p><p>Climbing across is a harrowing experience but I make it across. I wonder I'm getting in over my neck. But I continue to press on as fast as I dare.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Delve the Depths with Haste: Roll 1d6 + Edge (+3) = 3+3 =6</i></p><p><i>Challenge Dice: Roll 2d10 = 4 and 5</i></p><p><i>Strong Hit: Mark Progress and Find an Opportunity.</i></p><p><i>Mark Progress 6 out of 10 in this Delve.</i></p><p><i>Find an Opportunity: 93, you are alerted to a potential threat.</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Ask the Oracle</i></p><p><i>Feature: Ancient artistry or craft</i></p><p><i>Aspect: Secret</i></p><p><i>Focus: Craft</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>Walking down this hall the carvings on the walls become ever more elaborate. They are unlike anything I saw in the city above, nor in any other city for that matter. I wonder what kind of people created these? The scenes involve strange beings, they look like various kinds of reptiles or snakes but acting as humans. Depictions of war, hunts, building and crafting. It's strange and unnerving. Up ahead the light is brighter and I get closer I hear voices chanting, drums beating, bells ringing. I wonder what I've discovered.</p><p>As I get closer to the end of the hall I creep down and peer over the edge of a low stone wall along a set of stairs that lead down into an open space. </p><p><i>Let me remind myself of the faction details I generated for the warriors and priests in the previous episode:</i></p><p><i>-------------------------</i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Generated with my <a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/2019/12/random-rpg-faction-generator.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Random RPG Faction Generator</a>. Skim past the results for a narrative summary.<br /></span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>1. Caste or Faction Type: </i><i>Warrior Caste</i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">2. Origin: Splinter Group</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">3. Leadership: Council, Elected, self-appointed or selected on merit.</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">4. Motivation: Power</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">5. Method: Manipulate or Leverage: Using secret knowledge</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">6. Strength: Meticulous planning: Account for all possibilities and outcomes.</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">7. Weakness: Immoral</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">8. Secret or MacGuffin: Resource</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">8.6 Resource: Weapon</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">9. Complication: Need more or a specific resource</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">10. Inner Conflict: Competing whats. What should they be doing?</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">11. Outer Conflict: Political disruption: An unintended shift in the political environment is preventing the faction from achieving their goals.</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">12. Moral Compass: Let fate decide</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1. Caste or Faction Type: Priest Caste</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">2. Origin: Local</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">3. Leadership: Elite. A small group of people.</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">4. Motivation: Revolution.</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">5. Method: Manipulate or Leverage: Hidden violence. Assassinations or secret raids.</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">6. Strength: Fanatical. Will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">7. Weakness: They have a debt or someone has leverage over them.</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">8. Secret or MacGuffin: Person</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">8.6 Resource: Heir or claimant.</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">9. Complication: Need more or a specific resource.</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">10. Inner Conflict: Disputed leadership.</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">11. Outer Conflict: Direct opposition: Another faction or group is trying to stop them.</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">12. Moral Compass: Let fate decide.</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="background-color: white;">Summary: </i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="background-color: white;"><br /></i><i style="background-color: white;">There is a splinter group within the main warrior caste leadership. Some of the council members, motivated by power are plotting to remove other members to cement the position of their own clans. They've been trying to gather sufficient bronze spears and axes for their clan members but are struggling to get as many as they would like. The splinter group has been encouraged by the priest caste who believe the Longhead culture of this city is not adhering to their religion as they once did. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="background-color: white;"><br /></i><span style="background-color: white;"><i>The priests are becoming impatient and have resorted to subterfuge such as assassinations and now theft of the idol in order to stir up conflict. They want to show that the current leadership is ineffective. The splinter group of warriors is weary of making their big moves now and some of them are willing to out the conspiracy of the priests rather than risk showing their hand too soon. </i><i>Our group is caught in the middle.</i></span></span></p><span></span><p style="text-align: left;">---------------------------------</p><p style="text-align: left;">Down below I see a smoothly polished multi-coloured stone floor with various circular patterns. There are priests sitting in concentric circles. Their elongated skulls are decorated with gold and jade, their foreheads painted red and white and their bodies are wrapped in various kinds of animal pelts. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Those in the outer rings are playing various instruments in a monotonous manner while chanting. Those closer to the centre are muttering and chanting. In the centre there is an old woman holding a bowl containing a burning substance which she is periodically inhaling.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I look around to see if there's anywhere else for me to explore in order to learn more.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p><i>Move: Gather Information - Wits (+2)</i></p><p><i>Action Die: Roll 1d6 + Wits (+2): 4+2 =6 </i></p><p><i>Challenge Dice: Roll 2d10 = 6 and 8</i></p><p><i>Miss: Unearth a dire threat or reveals and unwelcome truth that undermines the quest. Pay the Price.</i></p><p><i>Pay the Price: 36 The current situation worsens.</i></p><p><br /></p><p>There is no where else that I can safely go without being noticed so I just continue to observe the priests. I then notice that outside the rings of priests there seems to be (from his clothing and what looks like a stone bladed club by his side) someone from the warrior caste quietly observing the ceremony. I recognise him from the day before when we were dragged in front of some kind of council. It seems there are various factions within this city that are conspiring together.</p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Even though I'm only at 6 out 10 progress for this Delve I don't see how I can continue any further so I make the Locate Your Objective move. </i></p><p><i>Rolling 2d10 = 8 and 4, a Weak Hit.</i></p><p><i>You locate your objective but face an unforeseen hazard or complication. Envision what you find or Ask the Oracle. </i></p><p><i>I think it's clear that I've uncovered a conspiracy against my people but nothing that will actually get us out of this bind. </i></p><p><i>There are a lot of bad omens stacking up: "Unearth a dire threat. An unwelcome truth that undermines the quest. The current situation worsens". And now "An unforeseen hazard or complication". </i></p><p><i>I think the people in this room will soon start to wonder where the priest is whom they sent to place the idol in our cell. Which means I don't have much time to get back to the others and think of what to do next to get us out of this situation.</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>I sneak away as quietly as I can and rush back the same way that I came to warn the others.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Escape the Depths with Edge (+3)</i></p><p><i>Action Die: Roll 1d6 + Edge (+3): 5+3=8 </i></p><p><i>Challenge Dice: Roll 2d10 = 3 and 6</i></p><p><i>Strong Hit</i></p><p><i>You make your way to safety +1 Momentum (5 Momentum)</i></p><p><br /></p><p>I make it back to the others quickly and quietly and explain to them what I've just discovered. We are in a tough situation. Behind us is a secret chamber filled with conspirators. In the room with us is an idol, a knife and a dead man, in front of guards and people who's loyalties are unknown. </p><p>We'll have to make a decision on how to proceed, and fast.</p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p></p>TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476048896366916602.post-779423898251019312023-08-03T10:47:00.001-07:002023-08-03T10:47:04.312-07:00Real History: How an advanced civilisation vanished 2,500 years ago – BBC News<p>A look at a Bronze Age civilization in Southern Spain. This site was deliberately buried so the architecture is well preserved and you get a great sense of what it must have been like to walk through the building thousands of years ago.</p><p style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rHQoh7bGKPs" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
</p><p>Learn more about this civilisation here: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tartessos">Wikipedia: Tartessos</a></p>TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476048896366916602.post-7040447256416888842023-07-28T05:41:00.003-07:002023-07-28T12:03:21.076-07:00Real History: Chaco Canyon<p>A look at the Chaco Canyon culture in New Mexico. The architecture of the great houses is especially interesting and a provides great inspiration for alternative types of urbanism in an ancient setting. The average contains 200 rooms and some as many as 700.</p><p style="text-align: center;">
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</p><p>Read more about the: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancestral_Puebloans">Ancestral Puebloans</a></p><p>Note: I've collected all my <b>Real History</b> posts in one place: <a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/p/real-history.html">Real History</a></p>
TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476048896366916602.post-53826441974661657402023-07-22T11:14:00.000-07:002023-07-22T11:14:25.915-07:00Real History: Rice farming in India much older than thought, used as 'summer crop' by Indus civilisation<blockquote><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thought to have arrived from China in 2000 BC, latest research shows domesticated rice agriculture in India and Pakistan existed centuries earlier, and suggests systems of seasonal crop variation that would have provided a rich and diverse diet for the Bronze Age residents of the Indus valley.</span></span></p></blockquote><p><a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/rice-farming-in-india-much-older-than-thought-used-as-summer-crop-by-indus-civilisation">Rice farming in India much older than thought, used as 'summer crop' by Indus civilisation</a></p>TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476048896366916602.post-87498360921146896462023-07-16T05:28:00.007-07:002023-07-16T05:28:59.848-07:00Real History: Did Polynesians Reach America? DNA evidence<p> A look at whether there is evidence for Polynesians reaching the American continent.</p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ycRcWK7pMoM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><p><br /></p>TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476048896366916602.post-43722990032971687452023-07-12T17:33:00.008-07:002023-07-16T13:32:19.102-07:00Sundaland Sword & Sorcery Adventure Generator<p>Yet another Sword & Sorcery Adventure Generator, but this one is tailored to my Bronze Age to Antiquity setting. </p><p>After my tables I've collected some more great free Sword & Sorcery adventure generators (From which I myself have taken inspiration or outright borrowed).</p><p>Use the following tables in any configuration you wish as many times as you need to spark your imagination. Go to the content overview for more random tables that will be of use. The <a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/2019/12/random-rpg-faction-generator.html">Random RPG Faction Generator</a> is particularly useful for adversaries and allies in ongoing campaigns.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Location: </b>Where does the adventure take place. 1d12</p><p><b>Setup 1, 2 and 3: </b>The situation at the start of the adventure. 3d20</p><p><b>Hook:</b> How the players get involved. 1d6</p><p><b>Patron, ally, client, help-seeker: </b>Who is asking for help or on their side. 1d6</p><p><b>Task: </b>What has to be done? 1d6</p><p><b>Reward: </b>What's in it for the players? 1d6</p><p><b>Antagonist or Adversary: </b>Who is working in opposition to the players? 1d6</p><p><b>Obstacle: </b>What stands in the way? 1d12</p><p><b>Complication: </b>What makes the situation complicated? 1d6</p><p><b>Twist: </b>What unexpected thing happens? 1d12</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Location (1d12): </b></p><p>1. Island: Archipelagos, bays, lagoons, coral reefs, sand bars, cliffs, limestone karsts. Pirates, serpents, leviathans.</p><p>2. Savannah: Open grasslands, scattered trees, rocky outcrops, bush lands. Heat, herd animals, predators.</p><p>3. Valleys: Cliffs, crevices, hidden paths, winding trails, boulders, deep rivers, waterfalls, rock falls, ledges, overhangs. </p><p>4. Caves: Shallow caves, deep cavern systems, giant sink-holes, cenotes. Echoes, eyes in the dark, hiding places.</p><p>5. Temples: In ruins or pristine, abandoned or in use, huge complex or small as a house. Worshippers, fanatics, priests, acolytes.</p><p>6. Village: Along the river bank, high on a cliff's edge, on stilts over water, distributed across a wide area, closely packed with defences. Fishermen and women, hunters, weavers, warriors, gardeners.</p><p>7. City: Abandoned or occupied, falling into ruin or thriving, enclosed within walls or spread out across a wide area. Merchants, guards, soldiers, artisans bureaucrats, </p><p>8. Table top mountain: Cliffs, hidden access, unusual flora and fauna.</p><p>9. Volcanic: Ash lands, lava streams, geysers, geothermal pools, noxious smells.</p><p>10. Swamps, marshes, bogs, mangrove forests: Occasional islands of firm ground, tides. Bottomless quagmire, mosquitos and insects, movement in the water.</p><p>11. Rivers: Wide and slow, narrow and fast, waterfalls, rapids.</p><p>12. Forest: Rainforest: dense canopy with little undergrowth. Jungle light canopy with dense undergrowth. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Setup 1 </b><b>(1d20)</b><b>:</b></p><p>1. Pirates, brigands, raiders or thieves</p><p>2. Nobles</p><p>3. Ambassadors</p><p>4. Common city dwellers</p><p>5. Slavers</p><p>6. Enslaved</p><p>7. Courtesans</p><p>8. Sea-gypsies</p><p>9. Merchants or traders</p><p>10. Crafters and artisans</p><p>11. Mercenaries</p><p>12. Villagers</p><p>13. Guards</p><p>14. Soldiers</p><p>15. Sailors, fisher-folk</p><p>16. Explorers</p><p>17. Ambassadors</p><p>18. Bureaucrats</p><p>19. Cultists</p><p>20. Priests or shamans</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Setup 2 </b><b>(1d20)</b><b>:</b></p><p>1. Attack</p><p>2. Ally with</p><p>3. Bribe</p><p>4. Lead</p><p>5. Subjugate</p><p>6. Worship</p><p>7. Trade</p><p>8. Build</p><p>9. Take</p><p>10. Replace</p><p>11. Kill or destroy</p><p>12. Buy</p><p>13. Rescue</p><p>14. Seek or find</p><p>15. Guard, protect or escort</p><p>16. Capture</p><p>17. Discover or explore</p><p>18. Hide</p><p>19. Make</p><p>20. Escape</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Setup 3 </b><b>(1d20)</b><b>:</b></p><p>1. <a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/2019/10/spice-trade-in-sundaland.html">Spices</a></p><p>2. <a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/search/label/animals">Animals such as elephants or water-buffalo</a></p><p>3. <a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/2019/07/how-to-start-a-bronze-age-metal-resources-in-sundaland.html">Metal such as Bronze or tin</a></p><p>4. <a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/2019/07/how-to-start-a-bronze-age-metal-resources-in-sundaland.html">Gold, silver, jade or obsidian</a></p><p>5. <a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/2022/09/orichalcum-magical-metals-of-sundaland.html">A magical metal</a></p><p>6. Jewels or jewellery</p><p>7. Boat or ship</p><p>8. <a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/2020/02/plant-animal-mineral-and-other.html">Food resources</a></p><p>9. Astrological knowledge</p><p>10. Herbal and healing knowledge</p><p>11. Maps</p><p>12. <a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/2019/08/weapons-and-warfare.html">Weapons</a></p><p>13. Tablets</p><p>14. Idols</p><p>15. Scrolls</p><p>16. Statues</p><p>17. Tombs</p><p>18. Ruin</p><p>19. <a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/search/label/beasts%20and%20monsters">Beasts or monsters</a></p><p>20. <a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/2022/09/elder-beings-truth-of-star-gods.html">Star Gods</a></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Hook </b><b>(1d6)</b><b>:</b></p><p>1. Characters owe someone a debt or favour.</p><p>2. Characters are blackmailed into helping.</p><p>3. Characters are hired specifically for the job.</p><p>4. Characters hear there is a reward for any volunteers.</p><p>5. Characters hear an enticing rumour or legend.</p><p>6. Circumstances force the characters to get involved.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Patron, ally, client, help-seeker </b><b>(1d6)</b><b>:</b></p><p>1. Old friend</p><p>2. Old ally</p><p>3. Superiors from your culture</p><p>4. Superiors from another culture</p><p>5. Common folk</p><p>6. Travellers or strangers</p><p>Roll on <b>Setup 1</b> again to know more about the Patron / Ally</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Task </b><b>(1d6)</b><b>:</b></p><p>1. Rescue</p><p>2. Escort, defend or guard</p><p>3. Find or explore</p><p>4. Transport, trade or exchange</p><p>5. Destroy</p><p>6. Attack</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Reward </b><b>(1d6)</b><b>:</b></p><p>1. Treasure such as precious metals, jewels, artefacts, spices or jewellery. </p><p>2. Special rights, privileges, future favour or personal debt.</p><p>3. Weapons or tools.</p><p>4. A house, mansion, palace or fort.</p><p>5. Elephants, water-buffalo, boat or ship with crew.</p><p>6. Information or clues.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Antagonist </b><b>(1d6)</b><b>:</b></p><p>1. An old or former friend</p><p>2. An old or former ally</p><p>3. Someone with a neutral or indifferent relationship to the players.</p><p>4. An old adversary</p><p>5. A sworn enemy</p><p>6. An unknown adversary</p><p>Roll on <b>Setup 1</b> again to know more about the Antagonist</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Obstacle </b><b>(1d12)</b><b>:</b></p><p>1. <a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/search/label/animals">Animals</a></p><p>2. <a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/search/label/beasts%20and%20monsters">Beasts or monsters</a></p><p>3. People (Roll on <b>Setup 1</b> again to know more)</p><p>4. Geographical feature or barrier such as mountains, rivers, waterfalls, swamps, reefs, deserts, ravines, jungles and such things.</p><p>5. Natural disaster such as typhoons, torrential rains, mud-slides, volcano explosions, plagues etc.</p><p>6. <a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/2020/10/cultural-flavour-tables.html">Strange local customs</a></p><p>7. Restrictive local laws</p><p>8. Subterfuge, deception or trickery</p><p>9. Mistaken identity</p><p>10. Sudden loss of an important person, resource, tool, knowledge or weapon.</p><p>11. Curse</p><p>12. Secret</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Complication </b><b>(1d6)</b><b>:</b></p><p>1. Lack of appropriate resources.</p><p>2. Lack of appropriate people.</p><p>3. Lack of appropriate tools or weapons.</p><p>4. Lack of appropriate knowledge or information.</p><p>5. Misleading information.</p><p>6. The clock starts ticking because... (roll on another table such as <b>Antagonist, Obstacle or Twis</b>t)</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Twist </b><b>(1d12)</b><b>:</b></p><p>1. The ally is a potential enemy.</p><p>2. The enemy is a potential ally.</p><p>3. The <b>Setup</b> is not as it seems.</p><p>4. The <b>Obstacle</b> is not what it at first seemed to be.</p><p>5. Adversaries are forced to help each-other.</p><p>6. The antagonist's goal more worthy than at first seemed.</p><p>7. What seemed mundane is actually super-natural.</p><p>8. What seems super-natural is actually mundane.</p><p>9. It's a trap or trick.</p><p>10. The goal of the mission is superseded by something more immediately important.</p><p>11. Failure results in unexpected consequences.</p><p>12. Success results in unexpected consequences.</p><span></span><span></span><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Let's roll up a random Sword & Sorcery Adventure:</p><p>2d12 (I want two locations), 3d20, 5d6, 1d12, 1d6, 1d12</p><p><b>Location: </b></p><p>7. City: Abandoned or occupied, falling into ruin or thriving, enclosed within walls or spread out across a wide area. Merchants, guards, soldiers, artisans bureaucrats, </p><p>10. Swamps, marshes, bogs, mangrove forests: Occasional islands of firm ground, tides. Bottomless quagmire, mosquitos and insects, movement in the water.</p><p><b>Setup 1: </b>15. Sailors, fisher-folk</p><p><b>Setup 2:</b> 7. Trade</p><p><b>Setup 3: </b>1. <a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/2019/10/spice-trade-in-sundaland.html">Spices</a></p><p><b>Hook:</b> 4. Characters hear there is a reward for any volunteers.</p><p><b>Patron, ally, client, help-seeker:</b> 5. Common folk</p><p><b>Task:</b> 1. Rescue</p><p><b>Reward:</b> 1. Treasure such as precious metals, jewels, artefacts, spices or jewellery. </p><p><b>Antagonist:</b> 6. An unknown adversary + 11. Mercenaries</p><p><b>Obstacle: </b>3. People (Roll on <b>Setup 1</b> again to know more) + 3. Ambassadors</p><p><b>Complication: </b>4. Lack of appropriate knowledge or information.</p><p><b>Twist: </b>11. Failure results in unexpected consequences.</p><p><br /></p><p>Weaving this together I get:</p><p>The adventurers arrive at s a city that lies deep in a swamp. The reason the city lies in a swamp is because it is a collection and trading hub for rare spices that are only found in the vicinity.</p><p>Common folk that live in the swamp (who otherwise live as fisher-folk) gather spices and bring them to the city in exchange for goods and services. While perusing the street markets the characters overhear that some of the swamp people have been kidnapped by a band of unknown warriors (they are in fact mercenaries) They are holding them hostage in order to force their families to divulge the secrets of where to find particularly valuable spices and how to harvest them. </p><p>The adventurers may wonder what properties do these spices have that make them so valuable?</p><p>The swamp people are offering a reward of some of these spices to anyone who can rescue their family members. The origin, culture and character of the kidnappers is unknown and the leaders of the city are reluctant to send out guards or warriors on a rescue mission because they believe they will be at a severe disadvantage in the swamp. In fact there are ambassadors from several other city states in attendance and they have all agreed to forbid anyone from aiding the common folk of the swamp. It is unclear if this decision was unanimous or if there was a vote or some kind of ruling.</p><p>The complicating factors of this task are a lack of information of the whereabouts of the kidnappers or any other information including their numbers. All they swamp-folk can offer is a scroll detailing the demands (Or so they've been told, they can not read this language and needed the aid of one of the cities' scribes).</p><p>The twist in this adventure is that if the adventurers fail to rescue the kidnapped people the swamp folk will turn on them and offer them up in exchange for their family members.</p><p>What will happen?</p><p>Will the adventurers aid the swamp people?</p><p>What is the nature of these particularly valuable spices?</p><p>Will the characters try to play both sides in order to secure the knowledge of how to find the spices themselves?</p><p>Why do the city leaders and ambassadors not want to help?</p><p>Do all parties agree this is the right course of action?</p><p>Will the city leaders and ambassadors actively try to hinder the adventurers?</p><p>Did one of them hire the mercenaries?</p><p>What happens if the adventurers succeed?</p><p>How will the city leaders and ambassadors react? Will they be pleased, or will it anger them?</p><p>Will they each react differently because of different motivations and involvement?</p><p>What will the adventurers do if they fail and the swamp people turn on them?</p><p>What will happen to the mercenaries in each different scenario?</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Some more generators and random tables:</b></p><p><a href="https://perchance.org/0moe2zimny">Random Sword & Sorcery Adventure Generator</a></p><p><a href="http://xoth.net/blog/2010/03/random-sword-and-sorcery-table/">Random sword and sorcery table</a></p><p><a href="https://www.hyperborea.tv/uploads/4/4/6/6/44662451/asshrandom-adv-gen.pdf">Hyperborea: Random Sword & Sorcery Adventure Generator</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://odd74.proboards.com/thread/8337/random-sword-sorcery-adventure-generator">Random Sword and Sorcery Adventure Generator</a></p><p><a href="https://gizmomathboy.com/adventure_app">Random Sword & Sorcery Adventure Generator</a></p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/comments/bvdf4n/sword_and_sorcery_adventures_generators_overview/">Sword and Sorcery Adventures Generators Overview</a></p><p><br /></p>TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476048896366916602.post-54051176515422932222023-05-30T10:02:00.004-07:002023-05-30T10:03:49.078-07:00Real History: The Invisible Barrier Keeping Two Worlds Apart<p> A look at why the wildlife in Southeast Asia and Australia, Papua New Guinea etc. are so different from each other. Useful setting knowledge for the world of Sundaland. The clue is in the past, the time of the last Ice-Age.</p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QTK_bC00ilg" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476048896366916602.post-69824302877409197112023-05-26T13:47:00.001-07:002023-05-26T13:47:53.128-07:00Real History: The Lemon was "invented" in Asia<p>This information has almost no relevance for playing RPGs but just another interesting piece of evidence for South East Asia being very important in early human history.</p><blockquote style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: Lora, serif;">The lemon is a human invention that’s maybe only a few thousand years old.</span></div><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: Lora, serif;">The first lemons came from East Asia, possibly southern China or Burma. (These days, some prefer to refer to Burma as </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: Lora, serif;">Myanmar</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: Lora, serif;">. I’ll try to stay out of that controversy here and stick to fruit.) The exact date of the lemon’s first cultivation is not known, but scientists figure it’s been around for more than 4,000 years. The lemon is a cross breed of several fruits.</span></p></blockquote><p>From: <a href="https://www.trueorbetter.com/2018/05/how-lemon-was-invented.html">How The Lemon Was Invented</a></p><p>Reminder that the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken#Origin_and_dispersal">Chicken</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugarcane#History">Sugarcane</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana">Bananas</a>, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut#Production_and_cultivation">Coconut</a> as well <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger">Ginger</a> were also first domesticated in or around Southeast Asia.</p><p>More about early domestication around the world: <a href="https://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/teaching_materials/food_supply/student_materials/1135">Geographical Sites and Ecological Components of Agricultural Domestication</a></p>TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476048896366916602.post-8347657262970519872023-04-11T12:02:00.000-07:002023-04-11T12:02:31.388-07:00Real History: Bronze-age people took hallucinogenic drugs in Menorca, study reveals<blockquote><p class="dcr-n6w1lc" style="--source-text-decoration-thickness: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Researchers have found evidence of drug use during bronze age ceremonies.</span></p><p class="dcr-n6w1lc" style="--source-text-decoration-thickness: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Analysis of strands of human hair from a burial site in Menorca,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-component="auto-linked-tag" data-link-name="in body link" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/spain" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #c70000; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Spain</a>, indicates ancient human civilisations used hallucinogenic drugs derived from plants.</span></p><div id="sign-in-gate" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><gu-island clientonly="true" data-gu-ready="true" name="SignInGateSelector" props="{"format":{"display":0,"theme":0,"design":0},"contentType":"Article","sectionName":"science","tags":[{"id":"science/archaeology","type":"Keyword","title":"Archaeology"},{"id":"science/drugs","type":"Keyword","title":"Drugs"},{"id":"world/spain","type":"Keyword","title":"Spain"},{"id":"environment/plants","type":"Keyword","title":"Plants"},{"id":"world/europe-news","type":"Keyword","title":"Europe"},{"id":"science/science","type":"Keyword","title":"Science"},{"id":"world/world","type":"Keyword","title":"World news"},{"id":"type/article","type":"Type","title":"Article"},{"id":"tone/news","type":"Tone","title":"News"},{"id":"publication/theguardian","type":"Publication","title":"The Guardian"},{"id":"theguardian/mainsection","type":"NewspaperBook","title":"Main section"},{"id":"theguardian/mainsection/international","type":"NewspaperBookSection","title":"International"},{"id":"tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-foreign","type":"Tracking","title":"UK Foreign"}],"isPaidContent":false,"isPreview":false,"host":"https://www.theguardian.com","pageId":"science/2023/apr/07/bronze-age-people-hallucinogenic-drugs-menorca-study","idUrl":"https://profile.theguardian.com"}" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></gu-island></span></div><p class="dcr-n6w1lc" style="--source-text-decoration-thickness: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The findings are the first direct evidence of ancient drug use in<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-component="auto-linked-tag" data-link-name="in body link" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/europe-news" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #c70000; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Europe</a>, which may have been used as part of ritualistic ceremonies, researchers say.</span></p></blockquote><p class="dcr-n6w1lc" style="--source-text-decoration-thickness: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212; font-family: GuardianTextEgyptian, "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"></p><p>Full article here: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/apr/07/bronze-age-people-hallucinogenic-drugs-menorca-study">Bronze-age people took hallucinogenic drugs in Menorca, study reveals</a></p>TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476048896366916602.post-79292657445088898882023-03-09T05:24:00.003-08:002023-03-09T05:24:25.335-08:00Real History and Geography: Llanos de Moxos and Tepui<p>Today, some interesting geography and cultures from South America that might have existed in a similar way in Sundaland.</p><p>In Bolivia there is a watery plane of hundreds of thousands of square kilometres in size that is flooded for large parts of the year. In this area there are the remains of mounds connected by causeways, raised strips of land, artificial islands and canals. This type of environment might have existed in central Sundaland and a similar culture would fit right in.</p><blockquote><p style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0.5em 0px;">Archaeologist Clark Erickson summarized the early Spanish description of Baure villages:</p><dl style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><dd style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><dl style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><dd style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><blockquote class="templatequote" style="border-left: none; margin: 1em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px 40px;"><p style="margin: 0px;">the villages were large by Amazonian standards and were laid out in formal plans which included streets, spacious public plazas, rings of houses, and large central <i>bebederos</i> (communal men's houses). According to the Jesuits, many of these villages were defended through the construction of deep circular moats and wooden palisades enclosing the settlements. Settlements were connected by causeways and canals that enabled year round travel.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-27" style="font-size: 11.2px; line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llanos_de_Moxos_(archaeology)#cite_note-27" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; text-decoration-line: none;">[27]</a></sup></p></blockquote></dd></dl></dd></dl></blockquote><p>As usual I recommend you read the Wikipedia entry to learn more: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llanos_de_Moxos_(archaeology)">Llanos de Moxos</a></p><p>Nearby in Venezuela there exist huge tabletop mountains called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tepui">Tepui</a> which function as ecological islands. These mountains served as the inspiration for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lost_World_(Doyle_novel)">the Lost World</a> by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, in which explorers discover a land of where Dinosaurs still exist. </p><p>Perhaps there exist hidden mountains, valleys and <a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/2022/05/giant-sinkholes.html">giant caves and sinkholes</a> in what is now Borneo or Papua New Guinea where similar ancient animals, and perhaps other surprises, can still be found?</p>TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476048896366916602.post-7715277555035469432023-03-07T17:31:00.004-08:002023-07-16T13:32:51.293-07:00The Gods and Religions of Sundaland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RjwBUR9bleMoek4aSF8o2wvg3iRh46CeBwVnwlk6ZEKHhOgsgiwd18oTrUrvCy6E573-gFCEafacuLblXz94h-mRdwvIF0HCBee85a5l21MRdn2Ni0x8ip7hgZgyYOzb-yTD0fLbDgk583uzCBSuMObiWhH5SNHNrYuvSF55eoflVC0CR_BFohxXDw/s486/sundaland-star-mural.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="486" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RjwBUR9bleMoek4aSF8o2wvg3iRh46CeBwVnwlk6ZEKHhOgsgiwd18oTrUrvCy6E573-gFCEafacuLblXz94h-mRdwvIF0HCBee85a5l21MRdn2Ni0x8ip7hgZgyYOzb-yTD0fLbDgk583uzCBSuMObiWhH5SNHNrYuvSF55eoflVC0CR_BFohxXDw/w400-h400/sundaland-star-mural.png" width="400" /></a></div><i style="text-align: center;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>AI Image generated by Midjourney*</i><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><i></i></p><blockquote style="text-align: justify;"><i>The priests were dizzy and swaying from the plant brew that they had ingested an hour earlier. Now, standing in front of each other, with an obsidian dagger in each of their hands, they were ready to fight to the death. The loser would be the sacrifice that would appease the gods of the rain winds and bring honour on his family and clan. The winner would have to leave the city with his family until the motion of the stars across the sky had completed a full cycle. The circular arena of red stone seated a baying crowd of thousands. They chanted along to the rhythm of their rattles and drums slowly increasing the tempo and volume to a crescendo. Suddenly the high priest-king, from his balcony, dropped a jade encrusted sceptre into the sandy floor below. The combatants lunged at each other, as best they could.</i></blockquote><p></p><p>In this post I'll share some tables for learning more about the gods and religions of Sundaland. Use 1d6 if you want to generate random combinations. Many religions will share similar attributes but these tables will help you identify those that are most prominent.</p><p>My preference is to have a mixture of these ideas present across the various cultures to give <a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/2019/10/creating-culture-shock-in-sword-sorcery.html">that weird Sword & Sorcery culture shock experience</a>. Embrace the contradictions, it doesn't have to make sense to our 21st century ways of understanding.</p><p>Personally, I've never been particularly interested in elaborate religious systems and expansive pantheons of gods in my RPG settings. Similarly to how I think about magic, I believe that by describing this aspect of a setting in systematic detail you remove an element of mystery and wonder. It starts to look like a hierarchical bureaucracy (although some of you may find that fun).</p><p>I've written some thoughts on this before and referenced some interesting articles in a previous post which discuss the topic of how people in ancient times really engaged with their religion: <a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/2020/11/shout-out-practical-polytheism.html">Shout Out: Practical Polytheism</a>.</p><p>When I use terms such as gods, spirits etc. you can substitute all kinds of things; ancestors, ghosts, demons, beings from other dimensions and realities or even aliens.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Gods, spirits and other supernatural beings are...</b></p><p>1. Social constructs and a figment of people's imagination that are used as part of religion to understand or explain the world and their experiences in it. None of it is real and some people or non-human beings know this.</p><p>2. Spirits residing within animate (animals, people) and inanimate objects (tools, weapons, artefacts) or locations of significance such as waterfalls, caves, rivers, strangely shaped rocks etc. They make reality do what it does. Without them water wouldn't be wet, sharp things wouldn't cut and tigers wouldn't hunt deer.</p><p>3. Supernatural powers behind natural forces such as typhoons, earthquakes, droughts, volcanoes, wildfires, mudslides and deluges. </p><p>4. Elemental beings associated with fire, water, air, earth and spirit.</p><p>5. The supernatural powers behind abstract concepts such as war, peace, commerce, music, bountiful hunting and harvests etc.</p><p>6. Aliens or beings from other worlds, dimensions, realms, times or realities (<a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/2022/09/elder-beings-truth-of-star-gods.html">Elder Beings: Truth of the Star Gods</a>).</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Gods, spirits </b><b>and other supernatural beings look</b><b> like...</b></p><p>1. Normal humans, indistinguishable from ourselves.</p><p>2. Humans but exceeding us with far greater physical, mental or spiritual attributes. Or humans with some notable difference. For example unusual skin, eye or hair colours (for example blue skin, red eyes and green hair) or different anatomy such as wings, gills or tails.</p><p>3. Animals of Southeast Asia. For inspiration about the animals of Southeast Asia look here: <a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-fauna-and-megafauna-of-tanah-sunda.html">The Fauna and Megafauna of Sundaland</a> and here: <a href="https://www.ecologyasia.com/index.htm">Ecology Asia</a>. Examples includes crocodiles, tigers, elephants, monkeys, water-buffalo, banteng, vultures, hyena and various birds, reptiles and amphibians.</p><p>4. A combination of animal and human anatomy.</p><p>5. Combinations of physical attributes of insects, mammals reptiles, birds, amphibians and invertebrates (which range from from insects and worms to jellyfish and octopuses). </p><p>6. Things that aren't found in our world, universe or reality; Unusual combinations of what we would describe as wings, tentacles, claws, beaks, exoskeletons, multiple eyes, heads and limbs. Or perhaps material or non-material manifestations that the human mind can't even conceive of.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Gods, spirits and other supernatural beings posses abilities such as...</b></p><p>1. Only being able to affect reality in ways that are plausibly explained by natural forces. Earthquakes, mudslides, wildfires, typhoons, volcano outbursts, migrating animals, disease, famine and warfare.</p><p>2. Incredible strength, speed, agility, intelligence, bravery, prowess and other recognisable human or animal attributes and skills.</p><p>3. The ability to affect the hearts and minds of humans and animals so that it seems as if it was their own natural motivation at work.</p><p>4. The ability to affect or warp time and reality, locally or globally, for individuals or masses.</p><p>5. Bend the laws of nature such as making water run up hill, creating flames as cold as ice and making heavy things so light they float in the air.</p><p>6. Being able to create technology so advanced it could be considered magic when compared to human engineering. The technology harnesses electricity, steam or nuclear power, magnets, acoustics or magical metals. See also: <a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/2022/09/orichalcum-magical-metals-of-sundaland.html">Orichalcum: The Magical Metals of Sundaland</a></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Religion is for...</b></p><p>1. Giving cultures a shared sense of meaning. It makes communities stronger and more resilient but can be used by some to influence or control people's thoughts and behaviour for ulterior motives.</p><p>2. Appeasing the gods and spirits to protect people from their malevolent will and destructive power.</p><p>3. Learning about other worlds, realms, the present, the past, predetermined or possible futures.</p><p>4. Enhancing or developing individuals, either spiritually, mentally or physically.</p><p>5. Improving the material wellbeing of people such as by increasing rainfall, healing the sick, improving the results for hunting and fishing expeditions, delivering success in battle or helping to find resources.</p><p>6. Protecting the culture from rival groups, natural forces, animals, diseases, beasts and monsters or other gods and supernatural beings.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>People can communicate with the gods or spirits by...</b></p><p>1. Taking hallucinogenic substances or entering a trance state through chanting, dancing, singing, meditating or other forms of mental and physical stress.</p><p>2. Through dreams, visions, voices in nature or in their head.</p><p>3. Contemplating or observing nature for omens such as the movement of birds, tides and weather patterns. Or through astrology by watching the movement of the sun, moon, stars, planets and comets.</p><p>4. Casting bones, shell or stones. Inspecting entrails, burning or otherwise destroying particular objects or substances, or speaking with idols and statues.</p><p>5. Creating sigils, glyphs and other patterns with coloured sand, paint, woven materials or carvings.</p><p>6. By interacting with magical tools or technology created for the culture or that was lost or left behind by the gods, aliens or other beings.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Rituals involve...</b></p><p>1. Solitary practice.</p><p>2. Communal experiences.</p><p>3. Being led and guided by particular individuals, groups or castes.</p><p>4. Travelling to, or ritualistically walking around religious sites.</p><p>5. Sacrifices of offerings of some kind; animals, resources, tools, artefacts, opportunities, social standing or anything else of value.</p><p>6. Conflict, debate, discussion, competition, combat, games, sports or races.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Everyday religious practice for the average person involves...</b></p><p>1. Praying, meditating, inducing trance states.</p><p>2. Chanting, singing, playing musical instruments, dancing or story-telling.</p><p>3. Making sacrifices or offerings.</p><p>4. Enduring physical, mental or spiritual trials or hardship.</p><p>5. Consulting religious figures for advice or asking them to do rituals on their behalf.</p><p>6. Observing strict rules that govern every day activities such as interactions between people, cooking food, crafting, hunting, fishing, tending gardens, trade, commerce and resource extraction.</p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>The religions of other cultures are...</b></p><p>1. Simply untrue and safely ignored.</p><p>2. True but less powerful and less consequential than our own.</p><p>3. Equally true and powerful as our own but deserves no special respect or treatment.</p><p>4. Equally true and powerful, should be respected and have as valid a right to exist as our own.</p><p>5. Equally true but more powerful than our own. Should be feared and respected.</p><p>6. Whether true or untrue, dangerous and must be destroyed.</p><p><br /></p><p>Two more relevant sets of tables (there are many more in the <a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/p/overview.html">Content Overview</a> section found in the side bar):</p><p><a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/2019/09/sundaland-culture-generator-tables.html">Random Sundaland Culture Generator</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/2020/10/cultural-flavour-tables.html">Cultural Flavour Tables</a><br /></p><span></span><p>*Using AI images on this blog</p><p>How do my readers feel about the use of AI / machine learning / algorithm generated images? I'm an artist myself and I understand the rise of this technology will have an impact on all kinds of artists, whether amateur or professional. However all the content on this blog is provided for free and so I do not have a budget to put towards new artwork. I'm open to opinions.</p>TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476048896366916602.post-25151536669071420202023-03-07T13:43:00.007-08:002023-03-07T13:43:50.335-08:00Real History: Discovery of Oldest Bow and Arrow Technology in Eurasia<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.2px;">"The origins of human innovation have traditionally been sought in the grasslands and coasts of Africa or the temperate environments of Europe. More extreme environments, such as the tropical rainforests of Asia, have been largely overlooked, despite their deep history of human occupation. A new study provides the earliest evidence for bow-and-arrow use, and perhaps the making of clothes, outside of Africa ~48-45,000 years ago –in the tropics of Sri Lanka."</span></span></p><p>Source: <a href="https://www.shh.mpg.de/1725622/bow-and-arrrow-roberts">Discovery of Oldest Bow and Arrow Technology in Eurasia</a></p>TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476048896366916602.post-18310515280695666092023-02-28T06:57:00.003-08:002023-02-28T06:57:21.827-08:00Resource: Age of Bronze<p> I just wanted to bring attention to resources that provides me with inspiration:</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AgeofBronze/">Reddit.com/r/AgeofBronze/</a><br /></p><p>and</p><p><a href="https://linktr.ee/ageofbronze">Age of Bronze Magazine</a><br /></p>TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476048896366916602.post-23160863466630850682022-12-14T16:30:00.001-08:002022-12-15T13:40:28.831-08:00Real History: Homo Floresiensis - Ancient Human<p>Dwarf Stegadon, giant rats, huge storks, Lomodo dragons and Homo Floresiensis. All existed thousands of years ago on islands to the south of Sundaland. Skip to 19:00 to see what the 'hobbit' people encountered on the island of Flores.</p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t_sFlHFgcFY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476048896366916602.post-9720848667371776752022-12-11T17:20:00.006-08:002022-12-11T17:30:53.483-08:00Elephant Queens & Tiger Kings - 9: The Stolen Idol<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjipGwBCOk9ZAuyRCrgV-wdCVacWKC-WdTHWAM-fKiAX9rAUsZRYSzpaOIyZ6LX_e3qSxJTveVYYeCGx1vSIl9eUMhd3faF2MMGH6j584A8WxNwF-K-sedW8A3TdNfbloPk00gWHikklCsgpz7en_c6zGip6ZbUsEXfhC6cOyyBRWCGgzAhzRxKRA3pIQ/s4098/EQ&TK-11-12-22.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2717" data-original-width="4098" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjipGwBCOk9ZAuyRCrgV-wdCVacWKC-WdTHWAM-fKiAX9rAUsZRYSzpaOIyZ6LX_e3qSxJTveVYYeCGx1vSIl9eUMhd3faF2MMGH6j584A8WxNwF-K-sedW8A3TdNfbloPk00gWHikklCsgpz7en_c6zGip6ZbUsEXfhC6cOyyBRWCGgzAhzRxKRA3pIQ/w400-h265/EQ&TK-11-12-22.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><i><p style="text-align: center;"><i>(Click map to zoom)</i></p>In the last episode our galleys arrived at Nanbeg Gakwha a city of the Longheads and ended on a cliff hanger because I rolled a Weak Hit on the Reach Your Destination move.</i><p></p><p><i>On a Weak Hit you face an unforeseen hazard or complication. Envision what you find or Ask the Oracle. </i></p><p><i>I need some inspiration for the complication so I'll roll on the Settlement Trouble, Action and Theme and the Major Plot Twist oracles.</i></p><p><i>Settlement Trouble table: </i><i>86: Stranger causes discord</i></p><p><i>Roll Action and Theme oracles.</i></p><p><i>Action: 14 Inspect. </i><i>Theme: 75 Mysticism</i></p><p><i>Major Plot Twist: Someone or something goes missing.</i></p><p>Our galleys are moored at a large quay where dignitaries from the Longheads are waiting for us. Whether they are kings and queens, priests or warriors I don't know. Some of the most important looking of them are wearing tiger and leopard skins around their shoulders, their long heads decorated with brightly coloured feathers. Warriors carrying spears stand nearby, some of them with tattoos on their faces, dark circles under their eyes and the outlines of teeth around their mouths making them look like living skeletons. They are a frightful sight.</p><p>A translator is helping our leaders communicate with them, small gifts are exchanged and then the command is given to start unloading our cargo. We start lifting heavy bags, baskets and enclosed clay pots across the gangway on to the shore. It's clear that one of the goods we have brought with us is salt, something that's hard to come by so far from the sea. But I don't know what else we've transported. Whatever we are trading with each other, it must be valuable.</p><p>It seems from the conversation between our respective leaders that we are not going to immediately receive goods to bring back. We are beckoned get back on the galleys are then brought some food which consists of boiled meat and vegetables. Our leaders are taken into the city presumably for more lavish treatment.</p><p>We settle down on the on the benches of our boats or out on the deck, the smell incense is in the air in order to drive away the mosquitos. We sleep as best we can, our tiredness overcoming any trepidation.</p><p>A commotion wakes us abruptly in the morning, there is shouting from the deck above. We scramble from our resting places but before we can climb out a group of Longheads come below. Some shout at us and use their spears to corral us to one side while others frantically search every nook and cranny of the lower decks. After a while they seem satisfied and leave. One of the mariners comes down to explain that we have been accused of stealing a bronze idol from one of their temples. They are currently holding all out ambassadors and emissaries captive and it's unlikely that they will let us leave until they've found it. We've found ourselves in a dangerous predicament.</p><p><i>I ask one of the mariners if it's possible for some of us to visit our leaders. </i></p><p><i>Ask the Oracle 50/50: 50 or below is No, 51 or above is Yes.</i></p><p><i>73: Yes</i>.</p><p>I'm told that we are allowed to visit them with an escort. I decide to ask if I can visit them in order to see how I can help. It's unusual for a rower to make a request like this but I believe that I've distinguished myself on this mission enough that the mariners will give me a chance, they are clearly at their wit's end, unsure how to proceed.</p><p><i>Move: Compel with Heart (+1)</i></p><p><i>Action Die: Roll 1d6 + Heart(+1), 3 + 1 = 4</i></p><p><i>Challenge Dice: Roll 2d10 = 6 and 3</i></p><p><i>Weak Hit: They'll do what I want +1 momentum (4 momentum) but they'll ask for something in return. Ask the Oracle if unsure.</i></p><p>The mariners will allow me to visit the ambassadors but they want me to credit them with any success. They ask me what my plan is but since I don't have one I'll lie.</p><p><i>Move: Secure an Advantage with Shadow (+1)</i></p><p><i>Action Die: Roll 1d6 + Shadow(+1), 2 + 1 = 3</i></p><p><i>Challenge Dice: Roll 2d10 = 7 and 31</i></p><p><i>Weak Hit: Advantage is short lived, take +1 momentum (5 momentum).</i></p><p>I make up something about having dealt with this kind of situation before, in normal circumstances it would not be convincing but the mariners are willing to go along with it for now out of pure desperation. My idea is to to visit them on the pretext that we are bringing them some food. I ask if I can bring a group including my friend Auko. He trusts me enough to want to come along but for the rest I will need some volunteers. </p><p><i>1d10: 4</i> <i> </i></p><p>Four others trust me enough to give whatever idea I have a chance. We gather some baskets of fruit, nuts and dried fish and wait for the mariners to speak to some of the guards at the quay. The communication between our respective people is not easy but eventually they seem to understand what we want and we are motioned forward. The spearmen escort us from the docks into the city. The main street is paved with large, flat limestone tiles, some buildings are of the same material, probably temples and other important buildings. But most of the smaller houses and huts are made from various organic materials such as wood and bamboo, the roofs being covered with large leaves or woven grass. A light drizzle starts to fall as this city is deep in the rainforest. </p><p>We are taken further into the city, now there are only stone buildings, then through a set of bronze doors, through a corridor and then finally a reasonably large room where the captives are held. The room has small openings at the top of the walls letting in light and air but is otherwise lit by oil lamps. There are benches and recliners on which the ambassadors are sitting, 9 in total, 3 for each of our boats. The Longhead spearmen stand at the entrance while we bring in the baskets of food.</p><p>The ambassadors are surprised that we are there and ask who sent us. I tell them that the mariners wanted us to come and find out more about the situation. I ask the ambassadors what they know.</p><p><i>Move: Gather Information with Wits (+2)</i></p><p><i>Action Die: Roll 1d6 + Wits(+2), 3 + 2 = 5</i></p><p><i>Challenge Dice: Roll 2d10 = 5 and 6</i></p><p><i>Miss: On a miss, your investigation unearths a dire threat or reveals an unwelcome truth that undermines your quest. Pay the Price.</i></p><p><i>Thinking back to the complication that I introduced at the start of the session. The ambassadors seem to believe hat they're being set up by some priests who object to our presence. And they're using the disappearance of the idol as leverage. It may be that there are different factions within the city that are at odds with each other. I don't think we're in a situation where we can find the idol. It could be anywhere. Trying to force ourselves out could be incredibly dangerous. Perhaps if we somehow create a distraction? However we are in the middle of the city and our appearance is very distinctive.</i></p><p><i>I think we need to appeal to the other faction in the city and exploit the conflict between the two.</i></p><p><i>I'll generate details for the Priest Caste and for the other faction; Warrior Caste (The Longheads are a warrior culture ) with my <a href="https://sundaland-rpg-setting.blogspot.com/2019/12/random-rpg-faction-generator.html">Random RPG Faction Generator</a>. Skim down for a narrative summary.<br /></i></p><p><i>1. Caste or Faction Type: </i><i>Warrior Caste</i></p><p><i>2. Origin: Splinter Group</i></p><p><i>3. Leadership: Council, Elected, self-appointed or selected on merit.</i></p><p><i>4. Motivation: Power</i></p><p><i>5. Method: Manipulate or Leverage: Using secret knowledge</i></p><p><i>6. Strength: Meticulous planning: Account for all possibilities and outcomes.</i></p><p><i>7. Weakness: Immoral</i></p><p><i>8. Secret or MacGuffin: Resource</i></p><p><i>8.6 Resource: Weapon</i></p><p><i>9. Complication: Need more or a specific resource</i></p><p><i>10. Inner Conflict: Competing whats. What should they be doing?</i></p><p><i>11. Outer Conflict: Political disruption: An unintended shift in the political environment is preventing the faction from achieving their goals.</i></p><p><i>12. Moral Compass: Let fate decide</i></p><p><br /></p><p><i>1. Caste or Faction Type: Priest Caste</i></p><p><i>2. Origin: Local</i></p><p><i>3. Leadership: Elite. A small group of people.</i></p><p><i>4. Motivation: Revolution.</i></p><p><i>5. Method: Manipulate or Leverage: Hidden violence. Assassinations or secret raids.</i></p><p><i>6. Strength: Fanatical. Will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.</i></p><p><i>7. Weakness: They have a debt or someone has leverage over them.</i></p><p><i>8. Secret or MacGuffin: Person</i></p><p><i>8.6 Resource: Heir or claimant.</i></p><p><i>9. Complication: Need more or a specific resource.</i></p><p><i>10. Inner Conflict: Disputed leadership.</i></p><p><i>11. Outer Conflict: Direct opposition: Another faction or group is trying to stop them.</i></p><p><i>12. Moral Compass: Let fate decide.</i></p><div><i>Summary: </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>There is a splinter group within the main warrior caste leadership. Some of the council members, motivated by power are plotting to remove other members to cement the position of their own clans. They've been trying to gather sufficient bronze spears and axes for their clan members but are struggling to get as many as they would like. The splinter group has been encouraged by the priest caste who believe the Longhead culture of this city is not adhering to their religion as they once did. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>The priests are becoming impatient and have resorted to subterfuge such as assassinations and now theft of the idol in order to stir up conflict. They want to show that the current leadership is ineffective. The splinter group of warriors is weary of making their big moves now and some of them are willing to out the conspiracy of the priests rather than risk showing their hand too soon. </i><i>Our group is caught in the middle.</i></div><p>We are aware that we are being used in some kind of power struggle but aren't sure of the exact details. </p><p><i>I think it's reasonable that we will be brought in front of the council of the warrior caste and the priests. </i></p><p><i>Move: Secure an Advantage with Wits (+2)</i></p><p><i>Action Die: Roll 1d6 + Wits (+2), 2 + 4 = 6</i></p><p><i>Challenge Dice: Roll 2d10 = 5 and 7</i></p><p><i>Weak Hit: Advantage is short lived, take +1 momentum (6 momentum).</i></p><p>We decide that with what little we know that we need to get in front of the council as soon as possible. I coach the ambassadors into laying out a case to the guards as to why we should be brought before the council as soon as possible.</p><p><i>Move: Compel with Heart (+1)</i></p><p><i>Action Die: Roll 1d6 + Heart(+1), 5 + 1 = 6</i></p><p><i>Challenge Dice: Roll 2d10 = 5 and 3</i></p><p><i>A Strong Hit. They'll do what we want, take +1 momentum (7 momentum).</i></p><p>The ambassadors speak to the guards explaining that we have been thoroughly searched and no one has found the idol, in addition we have no reason to want to start any trouble since we want to keep up good relations between our cities. While the guards do not have a say as to when we will be brought before the council it so happens that some of them were observing us from a behind a curtain on a balcony above us.</p><p>The guards are called to escort us out, through various corridors to a large hall, perhaps three stories high. There are stone benches on raised platforms on which sit a dozen or so elders. It is much lighter in this room since there are large openings at the top of the walls, some birds are occasionally seen flying in and out.</p><p>With the aid of a translator the elders tells us about the accusations, however there is already bickering happening between them. The translator is continually interrupted and being given conflicting messages. Then some of the elders start shouting at each other. People start pushing and shoving each other, then some of the other people in the hall, nobles, priests and guards get involved in order to prevent a scuffle. </p><p><i>Does the scene turn violent? Ask the Oracle. Unlikely 76 or higher: 58, no.</i></p><p>There is a lot of commotion but thankfully it doesn't look like any real violence breaks out. We are taken back to the holding room to await our fate.</p>TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476048896366916602.post-25323317247177110652022-12-10T16:43:00.004-08:002022-12-10T16:47:49.580-08:00Real History: Denisovan - Ancient Human<p>A look at the Denisovans. From around the 22:00 it discusses the presence of Denisovans in Southeast Asia and Australia and how they mixed with modern humans, specifically the Melanesians, Papua New Guineans and Aboriginal people. This indicates migration along the Pacific coast in particular.</p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s19s3MH6sTQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476048896366916602.post-44930854192401166942022-12-05T05:24:00.002-08:002022-12-05T05:24:30.326-08:00Real History: Rise and Fall of the Sea around Sundaland and Sahul<p>This animated map shows the rise and fall of sea levels around Sundaland over the centuries. From 04:30 it shows human migration paths.</p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6H14YY2AGWo" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><p>This animated map shows the rise and fall of sea levels around Sahul, the area of what is now known as Australia and Papua New Guinea. It also shows the human migration paths from around the 4 minute mark.</p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rhXkee5K0bg" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476048896366916602.post-80279191869676378832022-11-23T17:07:00.004-08:002022-11-23T17:07:52.221-08:00Real History: Gunung Padang | Megalithic Pyramid in Prehistoric Java 22,000 BC | Megalithomania<p> A nice close up look of Gunung Padang on the island of Java.</p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SHg_obsaaFI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476048896366916602.post-88802784576884926052022-11-22T12:21:00.002-08:002022-11-22T12:21:20.704-08:00Real History: Kiribati Coconut Armour<blockquote><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #211b14; font-family: inherit;">Kiribati armor was designed to offer protection from the shark-toothed swords, spears, and daggers that rival warriors often carried. The suit was a set of overalls and sleeves which were woven from coconut fiber. On top of this, a coconut cuirass was worn. This cuirass was distinctive, in that it often came with a high backboard to protect from back attacks.</span></p></blockquote><p><a href="https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-ancient-traditions/kiribati-armor-0017548">Kiribati Coconut Armor - Not as Nutty as it Sounds!</a> </p>TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476048896366916602.post-2345916817974746012022-11-11T05:14:00.001-08:002022-11-11T09:23:45.571-08:00Netflix: Ancient Apocalypse<p>Graham Hancock, the author of books such as <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magicians-Gods-Forgotten-Civilisation-Fingerprints/dp/1444779672">Magicians of the Gods</a> has a new Netflix series out called Ancient Apocalypse. In the first episode he visits <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunung_Padang">Gunung Padang</a> in Indonesia. It is possibly a 20,000 year old megalithic site. I first discovered the idea that a civilisation existed at the end of the last ice age through Graham's books and the inspiration for this setting comes from some of his speculations.</p><p>Whether he's right or not, it certainly fuels my imagination.</p><p>To promote the show he is back on the Joe Rogan show which you can listen to on Spotify.</p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DgvaXros3MY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nAk8MagnDsY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476048896366916602.post-22693194904956263242022-10-22T17:51:00.003-07:002022-10-22T17:51:48.424-07:00Real History: New dates suggest Oceania's megafauna lived until 25,000 years ago, implying coexistence with people for 40,000 years<p></p><blockquote><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #212438; font-family: inherit;">For most of Australia's human past sea levels were lower than they are today. Australia's mainland was connected to Papua New Guinea and Tasmania as part of a larger landmass called "Sahul".</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212438;">During the Ice Ages Sahul was home to a unique range of megafauna, which included giant marsupials, birds and reptiles. The extinction of </span><a href="https://australian.museum/learn/australia-over-time/megafauna/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #4680ee; text-decoration-line: none;">megafauna</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #212438;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212438;">in Sahul remains one of the most contested debates in Australian science.</span></span></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212438;">Now, our new paper published in</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212438;"> </span><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/arco.5274" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black;">Archaeology in Oceania</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #212438;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212438;">provides compelling evidence megafauna may have coexisted with people in the region longer than previously thought—and as recently as about 25,000 years ago.</span> </span></p><p></p></blockquote><p>Read the rest here:</p><p><a href="https://phys.org/news/2022-10-dates-oceania-megafauna-years-implying.html">New dates suggest Oceania's megafauna lived until 25,000 years ago, implying coexistence with people for 40,000 years</a><br /></p><p><br /></p>TimWesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10015324930290602390noreply@blogger.com0