My Naga Sarah (need help)

ZionAtriedes wrote:

Query: what do you have against the wiki, if I may ask?

answer: just read my posts...

Rebuttal: Your problem seems to be that you believe it undermines Karbo's authority or control of the setting. This makes no sense, as he is the sole editor of it. As far as I can see, your views seem to make little or no sense; little more than the tantrum thrown by a spoiled child. I am, however, trying my best to give you the benefit of the doubt, and allow you to elaborate further.

you have nothing to do with this, please stay out of my thread and stop calling me spoiled child or other things you yet have tho think of. The least thing I need now is another person picking on me, I want people to answer my big post further up.

Assurance: I never called you anything. I simply pointed out that your post resembles the actions of a spoiled child. I never directly said you were one. Please, be a little more careful before slinging accusations.

Rebuttal: Your post is not of import. It is all semantics, and we shouldn't waste our time on it. We do not have a problem, it seems to be you who has taken issue with us. I simply seek to understand why.

Ok, as a sign of good will I took about 10 minutes to calm down before posting.

1. Crisis scale colour:
I just think it is ridiculous to say the scales are not blue. I was talking about stealth in the jungle while having blue scales. (and I hope no one doubts they actually are blue in... like nearly every artwork). Then sean came up and told me "no, they're greenish so everythings fine." And everyone points at the wiki AGAIN and is bluntly saying Karbo can't draw his own most beloved OC correctly and they know better than him. Seriously, this is what I mean with wiki obsession. You're not even doubting one bit that the description in the wiki might be wrong: exept for the one sentence you made here rcs, regarding karbos english skills. So if you already know he's no master in english, how can you trust his words more than his pictures which are universal in language?

2. The rudeness:
Yeah, I got rude here, and I'm sure I'll regret that and apologize tomorrow or something, but you are being rude too by ignoring about half the things I'm saying and only referring to things you may deny or otherwise say something against it. I mean, really, I asked 3 questions in the beginning and the first reactions were all like "you can't do this, you can't do that" not even saying one thing about my character or answering my questions. Haven her being shrunk by a fairy was a mere IDEA but in the end everyone just hacked onto this point.
Also when I say something like "she can't be stealthy because of making noises and having a blue tail" you can't just come up with "she has greenish scales and lives in a forest, do the math". How rude is that? Killing off my points by simply ignoring them and giving such a thoughtless answer. You, RCS weren't much better, I actually DID agree to some of the mentioned points, did even say YOU had a few good points and I will do it with the miragia forest but nooo, here it is much easier to say I'm attacking everyone and ignore all the "help" you want to give me. Be sure I see the difference between helping and just going crazy with details in order to make something impossible.

3. Stealthyness
So I',m still saying its impossible for a 100 foot tall giant to move stealthy in a forest. Either the trees are so nearby other trees that the pred might get cover but will trash them aside by moving in the forest or the trees are standing far from the others, giving an opening to spot the pred, not to mention all that stuff on the ground that gets crushed by their sheer weight or the animals fleeing from them.

4.

Quote :

You act like you're the only person who's ever had an idea invalidated, or needing to be altered because it clashes with the canon, and that anyone trying to point out issues is attacking you personally.

You're not altering my ideas but simply crushing them - mostly without giving an alternative. This is what buggs me most. Believe me if I say I don't have anything against simple little corrections... But EVERYTIME (and I mean it, I'm not exxagerating here), really everytime I post something original here, someone will come and say "you can't do this". You know what? Yes, I'm starting to see it as a personal attack since this happens all the time I'm here. Don't you find it strange I get along better with karbo, the designer of this universe, than with you, when it's about Ideas and stuff? How comes he's much more tolerant than you are? I don't want an answer to this, just think about it.

My goodness, you just blink and look at what has happened... I've had to go through the whole thread to keep myself updated. But I'll start from the very beginning, if you don't mind...

OK, first of all, as it has been commented many times in many Felarya-related places, shrink magic is fairy-only, we all understand that. Good. Also, this magic isn't powerful enough for shrinking a 72-foot naga into a 7.2 one, even less permanently. Why? As it has been stated, it'd make fairies overpowered, and also it's supposed to take a big deal of energy with such a large target. So, if you prefer to stuck with the 7.2-foot naga, fine, there aren't many normal-sized nagas in Felarya, as far as I know. Anyway, the Miragia Forest alternative sounds good, I'd check it in your place.

Also, a character doesn't need to have powers per se, not even special abilities. I have a neko character that has no powers nor special abilities and I can still work with her fine. Just look at what nagas can do and try to think a bit out of the box and, if you're unsure, just ask about the powers you've thought up or which ones would fit the character better. And don't worry if someone says "I don't think she's underpowered, she's fine as it is", after all, it's someone's opinion and you can agree or not with it. Just remember to accept criticism. And I'm one of those who'll say that your character's abilities are good enough so far. Giant nagas are stealthier and faster than you might think, and if you add her strength and her resistance against magic, she'd be a decent threat. Really.

And remember: being stealthy doesn't mean being silent, but, as it has been pointed it, making lower sounds than the ambiental noise. But if you still don't think that's possible, you still have speed and strength as strong points for your character. Also, predators don't always go for sentient preys, they can hunt other animales or even have a more omnivore diet.

Another point: it's important that a character isn't power and ability based, it'd be like an RPG character who's only a bunch of stats... and we all know good RPG characters are more than just numbers, right? Personality is important in it, and as it has been said here, you can use the character's personality to build their story, so it'd justify such traits.

Moving on... The fact a character isn't canon doesn't make it less affected by the rules of the setting, if you really want your naga to be in Felarya. So once again, this "shrinking device" doesn't fit, and it's the "you can't do this because...", it's how rules in Felarya play: only fairies have access to shrink magic and outside of them, you have the Fairy Pond. If you want a shrinking device, the first person you should ask is Karbo, anyway.

Also, as it has been pointed out, there's only one fairy with the ability to shrink giants and she's a Guardian. Guardians could be considered the NPCs of Felarya: you can't use them to directly act into anyone's lives. They're watchers and protectors of this realm, it's impossible to just see Nemyra looking at your naga, saying "now you're tiny" and shrinking your character. And yes, the wiki has enough information on them Guardians to know these facts, but the point is no fairy who isn't Nemyra can do such a feat, even if you try to create one with balls of steel.

And... no need to be rude. Things like Crisis's scale color or "wiki-obsession" or the n-th time the "forum members are evil" topic comes aren't going to help anyone with anything. First of all, it's no wiki-obsession, it's about being coherent with the setting. Second, I haven't seen anything that would lead someone to say that they're killing your ideas. I'm seeing feedback and advice.

There have been many changes in Felarya as a setting, and the canon stuff is gathered in the wiki. You don't have to be obsessed with it, but in case you have doubts, it's a good place for research. I've used it for all my predator characters, and even for checking on the nature of magic.

And about feedback, I tell you, no one is trying to kill your character, they're trying to help you get Sarah in the setting, to fit. She's your naga, you can do whatever you want, but there are some things you have to take in account, since this character is in Felarya. I was told long ago about a character of mine being gross and a walking stereotype, and I listened to the feedback, went back to the working table and finally came up with something else - not the same character, but still, something way better.

Of course, you want your character to be one way, but you also have to take in account the limitations. That doesn't mean it'll ruin the character at all.

Also, if you feel Karbo has messed up with Crisis's scale color, since it's more cyan than teal, you can tell him in the Wiki corrections thread. There's no need to call on wiki obsession, but speak this matter with the creator himself. I'm sure Karbo will have no problem in discussing this and even say "you're right, it's cyan, I'll fix it on the wiki". If you really get along with Karbo pretty well, I'm sure he'll understand your point. But good friends also have some arguments, you won't always agree with each other in everything, and that doesn't make you less friends, but help to find what you have in common and to understand your differences.

And that's my two cents. Have a nice day, ladies and gentlemen. Also, if I haven't answered all your points, just let me know, point me what I've missed and I'll try to think of it.

ZionAtriedes wrote:

Assurance: I never called you anything. I simply pointed out that your post resembles the actions of a spoiled child. I never directly said you were one. Please, be a little more careful before slinging accusations.

Rebuttal: Your post is not of import. It is all semantics, and we shouldn't waste our time on it. We do not have a problem, it seems to be you who has taken issue with us. I simply seek to understand why.

Zion. Stop.

Contribute to the thread, or stop derailing it.

...Im going to have to break it out. YOU ALL MADE ME DO THIS!



Hey! Hey listen!

This thread is supposed to be about discussing Amaroq's character. Yes, he and Sean got confrontational, and yes the topic was derailed.

Let's get this back on-topic people.

Now.

EDIT: Nice post, Feadraug. That's what Im talkin' about ^^

You know I've been stressing lately about conflicting with the canon, I found it too much of a hinderance in certain areas. I was left with a choice; if I felt the canon is too limiting to my ideas then it may be best if I leave and use my own setting. It's a valid option. My second choice is to stick with it and use my creativity and the canon as a frame work so that my ideas fit. Certain things will need to be altered and others removed completely however the end result is worth it. The beauty behind the canon is that it gives you set limitations; any idiot can shit ideas when there are no limitations, the fact that there are allows you to be truely creative when bringing your ideas to life, that is what sets good ideas above the rest, the fact they are well thought out. This isn't something you're going to be able to do over night, you're limitations/frame work has been laid out infront of you it's up to you to do so. If you do feel this is too hard then there is always the first option, and if you do go down that route good luck.

Concession: I was trying to root out an underlying problem, Cliff. One that seems to be growing. However, you are correct. This is not the place. My apologies for that.

Defense: Still, this problem must be at least pushed to the side before anything constructive can be done! Look at how he has reacted to a well-intended attempt to offer feedback! This must be addressed.

So to answer your questions hopefully helpfully here are my answers and idea's.
1.) I lack fantasy so I don't have a good, innovative background story... so this part is completely missing and I don't just want to write some standard story no one cares about... There are already enough Nagas out there, so how could I make her stand out? What should I do?

Spoiler:

2) Since I use her in RP, she sometimes is 72 feet high, sometimes only 7,2 feet. Considering I don't want to give her a magic shrinking-ability, how would someone be able to reason this change in size? Or should I just stick to the 7,2 Feet, making her a small naga... I thought about her starting as a big naga and then one day a fairy shrunk her permanently...

Spoiler:

3) How about her powers? I tried to make her snakey-like as possible (ability wise) and I didn't want to give her this whole elemental magic stuff since that is overused. BUT it seems like (as long as she is in her small form) everyone could beat her up since she is more or less unarmed and could easily be shot or killed with a simple sword... What kind of natural abilities could she be given?

Spoiler:

I hope this is helpful and informative or something... either way fill in the DAMN background! XD that is all

Feadraug wrote:

And that's my two cents. Have a nice day, ladies and gentlemen. Also, if I haven't answered all your points, just let me know, point me what I've missed and I'll try to think of it.

thanks for this comment.

I have some points though:

1. the shrinking:
There are other races that are able to shrink down giants - other than fairies. And those are angels I discussed that matter with karbo. This shrinking is harder than the shrinking of fairies since the angel first must break their enemies will (i.e. by hurting them extremely or somehow kill their intend to fight) and may then use her ability, but it is possible. I know what you are about to say and I say this first: The wiki states the same, even though it's way less detailed there.

2. Special abilities
I don't want to give her some super power, I already said that I wanted to keep her from having any magical ability BUT this kind of makes her pretty bad against anything that has magic, a sword, a gun or anything else which is better than their bare hands. So in the end my character wouldn't even be able to catch her food as soon as it was armed (and most people are).

3. wiki obsession:
Best example was given here in this very thread: Everyone points at the wiki and is bluntly saying Karbo can't draw his own most beloved OC correctly and they know better than him. People aren't even doubting one bit that the description in the wiki might be wrong: exept for the one sentence rcs made here, regarding karbos english skills. So if you already know he's no master in english, how can you trust his words more than his pictures which are universal in language?
I only see some advide between several attempts to just forbide something. Telling me I can't do something is not something I consider any help as long as no alternative is given.

Amaroq wrote:

1. the shrinking:
There are other races that are able to shrink down giants - other than fairies. And those are angels I discussed that matter with karbo. This shrinking is harder than the shrinking of fairies since the angel first must break their enemies will (i.e. by hurting them extremely or somehow kill their intend to fight) and may then use her ability, but it is possible. I know what you are about to say and I say this first: The wiki states the same, even though it's way less detailed there.

You're saying it yourself: it's possible, yet it's very hard. Think of your character: would you like her to go through something harsh just for an angel to break her will in order to shrink her? Now we've come to a different point. Besides, you could ask Karbo on how often this could happen.

Amaroq wrote:

2. Special abilities
I don't want to give her some super power, I already said that I wanted to keep her from having any magical ability BUT this kind of makes her pretty bad against anything that has magic, a sword, a gun or anything else which is better than their bare hands. So in the end my character wouldn't even be able to catch her food as soon as it was armed (and most people are).

Have you thought of reinforced skin? I'm not sure if that would be good for a naga, I'm not an expert on them, but it could add to her already resistance to magic. Physical endurance, even if it's with just a hardened skin, can help the character to withstand physical attacks. Dunno, it's what I've thought that could help without overpowering your character.

Amaroq wrote:

3. wiki obsession:
Best example was given here in this very thread: Everyone points at the wiki and is bluntly saying Karbo can't draw his own most beloved OC correctly and they know better than him. People aren't even doubting one bit that the description in the wiki might be wrong: exept for the one sentence rcs made here, regarding karbos english skills. So if you already know he's no master in english, how can you trust his words more than his pictures which are universal in language?
I only see some advide between several attempts to just forbide something. Telling me I can't do something is not something I consider any help as long as no alternative is given.

Now, the whole "pointing at the wiki" is because it is a - usually - reliable source for canon. And people can make mistakes, really, but that's not because they're obsessed with the wiki, but maybe just being a bit too stubborn... but we all can be stubborn once in a while, we just realize when this happens and try to be careful next time. As I said, if you see something wrong with the wiki, go to the thread I linked and point out what you think might be wrong. I'm pretty sure Karbo will have no problem with that.

Also, if you think the advice is for forbiding you to do something, think of a way to make things fit. It's hard to change some ideas, but a character has to work with the setting, and many times you might come with new ideas better than the old ones. You just have to think on how to work with the limits to get the character you want, to study the environment and adapt it and yourself.

I will think about it and post a new version tomorrow. thanks for the help so far.

Easy, easy, easy. Any more of this and we'll have beans for brains.

Amaroq, everyone, remember that the most important thing is to have fun. If you want a size-changing naga and you don't want to listen to us, then just go for it, there's no need for us to approve anything. Either way... let me see if we can find a nompromise. A compromise, I mean, a compromise.

In general, 12 feet is the USUAL limit, boys and girls. Would it really be ALL that amazing if some fairy could shrink something 30 feet big? Nevermind, nevermind. Easy, easy, everyone. We can make this work, if we all work together. I know what's it like to enjoy sizechanges and stuff, and I know what it's like to have to find a way around everything. So Let us make it work, shall we, hmmm? It's time to flex those old Ars Munchkina muscles...

We'll start by the wiki which everyone loves so much. And with good reason. We'll need to magnify the effect, which usually works at 12 feet, to encompass a naga who's cube of 6 times that size. We can double the effect with elori, Amaroq, magnify it tenfold with an ascarlin device. That's x20 right there, and we need to encompass a naga that's x216 times the maximum size.

So we'll have to somehow magnify the effect another x10,8 times. Well, Aya's magic magnifies x10 when she's hungry, but I doubt she'll have the intelligence to use an ascarlin device while thinking with her stomach. I would suggest... having it be done with a team combo, let's say 3 fairies. Because team combos are hot. That way, we only need to magnify the effect another x3,6 from here. Let's do that, hmm, say, by sacrificing Zion Atriedes, Sean Okotami and Jaette_Troll under the twin full moons. I'll bring the knife. Meanwhile, think about using specially strong fairies, or a specially magical area of Felarya, such as the Fairy Kingdom.

Now here's the beauty of it, elori also makes things last for several days. Ergo, your naga, as long as she's drinking the stuff, might have fits and wheezes of shrinkiness.

NOW YOU CAN CHALK EVERYTHING UP TO UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES WITH A STRAIGHT FACE GUYS.

As for the downside for this particular set of circumstances, it's going to need some help making sense.

A fairy with ascarlin (only Subeta could possibly have one as far as I know, she's always gathering stuff. Aside from that, I know Erica the harpy has another piece of the stuff; those are about all the pieces I know about) and a couple friends. I know Subeta can shrink TONORIONS, so she can fit the bill there too, BUT this means your naga must somehow have made herself an ENEMY of Subeta [or some fairy sorceress with a piece of ascarlin in her possession], drank an elori for some reason, got shrunken AND survived somehow. That, or somehow you must put ascarlin in Aya's hands and have her use it while hungry- at a time while Sarah had drunk an elori for some reason. If you can make one of those scenarios work, then my hat's off.

ALSO, it means your naga can't be immune to magic. If she's had elori, you can forget about magic immunity.

There'll always be people who don't care for munchkin methods like this one, so consider just sticking to your guns.

======

Hold on for a moment, I'll see about the rest. I'll be editting this.

Now, you need some other strengths? How about... hmm... I don't know. Don't want to give her elemental powers, I can get where you're coming from. So let's try to make it snakelike just like you said... or how about not-so-snakelike?

I can think some abilities that would be effective against mages or gunners. At small size, having a naga's predator sense will help her spot the mages. She might have to avoid them unless they're alone- or ambush them. A few ambush strategies are:

-Staying still. Even being fluo green, you might get away with pretending you're a rock.
-Camouflage. Have her hide her tail, and paint her face with mud. Come on, chicks in camo are hot.
-Vertical Ambush. Useful on up to three people: wait on a branch, land on as many as you can and then bite the other guy before he knows what bit him.

At giant size:
-The intimidation factor is often underestimated. Unless someone has nerves of steel, a good scare will make it hard for them to shoot straight at the broad side of a barn. So the psychological factor (a staple of playful predators) should be played up for all it's worth here. Have her rustle the bushes- have her wait in ambush, as still as possible, have her fray their nerves thin by showing up, disappearing, and then letting them know she's still there- observing until they make a mistake, where she'll seize the chance.
-Strength can be good for a lot of things: in colossal amounts, it can change the shape of the racetrack. Haven't you ever asked yourself what would you do if a girl threw a volvo at you? This girl can throw a volvo at you, or swing that giant log you just tried to drag yourself over.

======

Amaroq wrote:

You're not altering my ideas but simply crushing them - mostly without giving an alternative. This is what buggs me most. Believe me if I say I don't have anything against simple little corrections... But EVERYTIME (and I mean it, I'm not exxagerating here), really everytime I post something original here, someone will come and say "you can't do this". You know what? Yes, I'm starting to see it as a personal attack since this happens all the time I'm here. Don't you find it strange I get along better with karbo, the designer of this universe, than with you, when it's about Ideas and stuff? How comes he's much more tolerant than you are? I don't want an answer to this, just think about it.

How comes? Well, I have to agree with you there, Amaroq. The wiki's supposed to shape and guide, and most of us try to adhere as tightly as we can. Karbo has several times stated that's not the point; he didn't share this universe to make it a group project. The way most of us try to help is by making sure everyone knows what would be consistent and what not, aside from making our own material always measured by those standards.

At times, we put that objective above the enjoyment of others. I have decided not to, to support everyone's material as long as they are making a clear and visible effort, while not making an obstacle of myself for those who are simply enjoying themselves without it. There can't be much wrong with that, and I believe Karbo's position is similar- though you would have to ask him. All I can say is that if you want a giant naga that shrinks, you will have one- all I can do for you is help you make it work. You have a right to your wishes- that, I assume, is why you created this naga in the first place.


You do not, however, have the right to rant at anyone like this. I don't care if they were worse- all you could control was yourself, and you didn't. The more you rant, the less anyone actually cares to help you.
Same for you, Sean, Zion. Being quiet sometimes is a good alternative, even if it seems rude. If you can't help, don't join the problem next time.

The wiki is a reference for canon - even if it's the only one. Exceptions to the rule exist and can make things unique... as long as no one abuses of them, because some people will go with the "he/she could do that, why can't I?" excuse. We have to be careful with those things.

And I still don't see this wiki obsession, though. The wiki has been used as a way to make things coherent with the setting. But of course, and this is true, Karbo has the final word. No one will deny that.

thank you stabs, your post really helped me a lot, especcially motivational wise. Really.



Edit:
Okay, I finally have a background story now. I decided to post it as a story, but there will be a short form soon after I finished the story. I won't post it right now since it would spoil all the events. I really hope that this story will be... accepted by this community, since I won't use any fairy or shrinking device or whatever in it but keep to things i somewhat directly get (or have gotten) from karbo or his artworks (or the wiki).

Looking forward to it. If you feel like a story will better reflect her background, go for it.

alright, I would just like to add another possibility here...

You know...nagas are supposed to be more than big boobed sexy half snake women...they also have a human brain, which mean they are somewhat intelligent.

Alright, we all agree with this. It is also possible for a naga to be a mage. Alright, something else we all agree on.

When you are a mage, you have also (sometimes) good talent as an alchimist. Soemthing else we all agree.

If youre a mage naga that masters alchimistry, wont you try to create a shrinking potion because you simply can do it and want it? I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure shrinking potion exists.

Quote :

Alright, we all agree with this. It is also possible for a naga to be a mage. Alright, something else we all agree on.

There is something to note though. Nagas, and preds in general, won't have any kind of formal training. They may be able to do some magic, but it would only be basic, and instinctual. Its not like they're a mage from Negav, with years (or even decades) of training, both alone and alongside other magic users.

Its like someone who plays a sport, let's say soccer, as a hobby...and they're being compared to a professional athlete who lives and breathes the sport, works out and practices almost every day. The amature may be a decent enough player, but there is still a massive skill-gap between him and the professional.

Also, tack onto this the fact that preds have no access to any kind of information on magic, and if they did, most are illiterate anyways. The only magic most preds would know is, literally, what they thought themselves. Maybe their parents could have helped some too, assuming they have similar powers. Still, the skill-gap between wild predators and trained mages is pretty big.

Quote :

When you are a mage, you have also (sometimes) good talent as an alchimist. Soemthing else we all agree.

Alchemy is not magic. It is a fusion of magic and science. In order to be an alchemist, you need to be versed in many different disciplines. Magic, chemistry, metallurgy, minerology, botany, the list goes on. That is why alchemy is such a difficult field to get into, and why good alchemists are a great asset.

A pred could never be a true alchemist, since, once again, they have no way to have any formal training, and can't read.

Now, a pred COULD probably figure some simple things out on their own, like combining their magic with certain plants, and minerals. But it would be trial and error, and hardly capable of achieving what a real alchemist could.

Quote :

If youre a mage naga that masters alchimistry, wont you try to create a shrinking potion because you simply can do it and want it? I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure shrinking potion exists.

The only known liquid that shrinks people is the water of the Fairy fountain. Keep in mind, shrinking magic is based on complex, extremely energy-demanding dimensional magic. Not even the Magiocrats of Negav possess the magical power to perform it. I doubt an illiterate naga, living deep in the forest, with no alchemy training, or magical training of any kind, could manage to distill that dimensional magic into a potion.

you doubt, but I'm quite sure it is possible because...

they are immortal. they wont die of aging. yes they can get killed but you know what i mean. they have their whole lives to make that damn potion, study the fairy pond, make it reversible so tinies can become giants.

Krisexy26 wrote:

you doubt, but I'm quite sure it is possible because...

they are immortal. they wont die of aging. yes they can get killed but you know what i mean. they have their whole lives to make that damn potion, study the fairy pond, make it reversible so tinies can become giants.

...Having a lot of time to study something doesn't mean a lot when you don't have an education, or access to any supplies.

Its just one of the limits preds have to live by. They get long lifespans (if they're smart in how they do things), and immense speed and physical power. But they lack an education, and only have access to the most simple of technologies (hand-made tools, essentially). They also only have a basic/instinctual understanding of magic, and are nearly all self-taught.

Fairies are an exception to this, due to their highly communal pack nature. That's why they are so much better mages than the other preds. They're already very gifted magically, and they are actually around other faires that can train them.

I imagine that's why Vivian is so powerful. She knows about the massive library in the fairy kingdom, and can apparently read their language. She's spent a lot of time around fairies, at least enough to fluently read their language, and its likely she picked up a lot of tricks and training methods off of them in the process. Or, she really could be an offworlder like the rumors speculate. Either way, she is not the norm for wild predators.

Krisexy26 wrote:

they have their whole lives to make that damn potion, study the fairy pond, make it reversible so tinies can become giants.

Necessity, not whimsy, is the mother of invention.

I may have taken two rebukes for attempting to root out a problem that, rest assured, I will see solved eventually... but I feel I must address this particular point here. All of this lacks rational motivation! All of this seems motivated by "it would be cool if blah blah blah", and then backed by some ramshackle attempt at establishing possibility!

We, as humans on this Earth that we rule, may be able to afford the luxury of whimsy and spontaneity, but keep in mind that it is because we have the time, security, and resources to do so! Every single major invention in history wasn't for shits and giggles, it was to achieve a purpose: usually to increase production or to kill people. This is because, though the second can be argued, both of those purposes are vital. Production is required to support a growing population, and lethality required to secure your interests.

Preds not only lack both of these motivations (for the most part; there are exceptions), but they also lack resources. How will a naga mine iron for armor in the middle of the jungle? I'm willing to believe that a few species did achieve some production capacity at one point, and many may still maintain it, but in the end: most of them are very primitive. Note that primitive does not equate to unintelligent. Most predators maintain a strong cunning, equal to or exceeding the majority of humans (though, once again, this loops back to necessity, as most humans no longer need such skills in their soft lives). What they lack is the benefit of true civilization.

Then, of course, there is everything Cliff said, which is one-hundred percent true. Vivian is an exceptional case. She has educated herself(?) through books written by many species of author. Perhaps she possesses an extension of the Felaryan auto-translation effect that also allows her to understand all manner of written word. Then again, her history has never been explained much, as far as I know, so we cannot state the level of her education for sure.

EDIT: I cannot be blamed for this derailment, or for prolonging it. This is an underlying problem, and if it is addressed, it will achieve the general purpose that much more quickly. So, shazam, I'm actually helping.

Quote :

What the hell? A naga couldnt find the way to make a potion that will shrink down poeple? Who said they couldnt?

Kri, just think. Where would they start? How would they know what materials to use? How would they synthesize the potion without any kind of chemistry supplies or technology?

More importantly, how would she test it? Is she going to just drink the first potion she makes? What if, instead, she accidently made a potion that causes her to spontaneously combust? Or just outright die?

Also more importantly, why would a giant ever want to permanently shrink down to human size? No rational person would ever think that was a good idea. The only preds I could see consider that option, would be someone like Fiona or Negeyari, who identify more with humans than with their own species.

Quote :

Reading? That's pretty much easy when you find yourself a teacher

...How many preds are even going to know what reading is? Who would teach them with nearly all preds being illiterate? The only preds that CAN read are those in the Dridder forest and Fairy Kingdom. The Dridder forest is blocked off by Negav, and the Fairy Kingdom has a massive abyss around it.

Quote :

When you are born in Felarya, you already have magic in you, even if you're not a fairy. Just take for example Jissy, french-snack's character, who recently discovered that she can master water. Had she...acquired this magic? No, she just had it hidden into her for years before discovering it.

Yes, most people can teach themselves magic of some kind, with lots of time and effort. But once again, there is a massive difference between a self-taught pred out in the jungle, and a formally trained mage from Negav. There's a reason why humans have battlemages, and the preds don't. Sure, pred magic is generally more powerful because if the increased scale, but they just don't have mages as outright powerful as the Negavian battlemages (relatively speaking, of course).

Quote :

You are practically implying that its all the nagas that are illiterate. In fact, not only the nagas, but all the other races. I disagree with this. Preds can read. They have the brain to do so

Well of course they are sentient. Im saying that nearly all of them WILL be illiterate though. How can you learn to read out in the jungle? The only preds that have any kind of written language are Fairies and Dridders. The other question is, why would they want to? Think of it from the perspective of someone who has lived their entire life in the wilderness. Your main concern is just surviving day-to-day. How will reading squiggly letters on pieces of dead trees help that? Hell, the ONLY reason Crisis is interested in reading is because she befriended Lea, and Lea actually explained to her what reading even is.

Also, remember, the translation effect doesn't work on written word. If a pred learned to read Fairy, she could ONLY read Fairy. If it learned to read Dridder, it could ONLY read dridder. It isn't like on Earth where languages are used by massive groups. There would be dozens and dozens of unique written languages. Negav would have one, Fairies would have one, Dridders, Mermaids, Chiotia City, Kelerm, and so on. Learning to read just isn't practical, unless you live and/or interact with one of those groups nearly all the time.

Also. How would they even get reading practice? Books are tiny. They couldn't even see the words. Dridders, and Fairies (thanks to size-magic) would be the only way for other preds to even get ahold of books. Human/Neko/Elf-made books would just be too tiny to read.

Quote :

In felarya, many things are possible

Many things are possible, yes. But there is a huge difference between what is possible, and what is probable.

Quote :

If I remember, Anna has been able to produce electricity. Now you'll come in and say "She was human before and had access to this technology"! True that. But since she has grown to giantess size, she had to redo all her stuff. And if she is able to do that, any kind of preds can.

Anna was a military engineer in the Deluran army. She grew up on a technologically advanced world. She went to school. She may have even gone to a university (assuming the Deluran military pays for scholarships like many Earth militaries). She also would have had lots of training and lessons after joining the military. She's had a formal education, and special military training.

Let's also face it, Anna is a prodigy. She was probably always very smart, and very good with technology. That probably explains how someone as young as her got assigned to such an important mission. I don't imagine they let just ANYONE in the Deluran military come to Felarya. They probably pick the best of the best.

Uhm... I don't want her to change size at will but rather have her shrunk a while ago. I wanted her to start out as a big predator and then be shrunk somewhere in the character story. So she's rather seeking for a way to regain her old size since being small isn't much fun to someone who dropped a few miles down on the foodchain.

I'm sorry if this didn't come out clear.

Karbo wrote:

Amaroq : Sorry for having missread.. Ah but then it's a totally different thing. a naga stuck at a small size and trying to be big again can give interesting situations I think. Like discovering a whole world she didn't suspected, what it means to be small and so. As for how it happened, well like always there is exceptions to rules and I don't think that should be an obstacle to her story.

Well, if there are exceptions to the rule, fine. But even if this has your blessing, it should be noted in some way that this is something rare, unique, not like every naga can be shrunk down.

I keep thinking that the problem isn't more of if it's possible or not than having more people think it's very possible this can happen anytime and to anyone. We don't want people to abuse of unique and rare events just become "it's possible, even if it's a 1/1,000,000 probability".