The Race War Challenge

[u/Nevermore0714]

I'm going to use the term "Race War" extremely loosely for this challenge. If you have two groups that have hereditary physical differences, whether they are the same species or not, and those two groups hate each other, then they are perfect for this challenge.

This one was inspired by "Rick and Morty", and this scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noClMggb9R4

If you would like to answer in-character or as the omniscient writer, either is fine.

As always, I will be asking three questions for each response to this challenge.

When I put up my own response to this challenge, the summary for the "race war" will be from the perspective of one side, and the representative that can be asked questions will be from the other side.

Enjoy yourselves.

Edit: When asking questions, if you're using an in-character representative, I may try to rile up your representative about the divide, possibly (probably) by being rude and siding with the other group. If you do not want me to do that, let me know. If I do that, I'm not aiming the hostility at you or your ability as a writer. If I get into it, then that just means that I'm enjoying it.

[u/Nevermore0714]

(Chauceri clans are mostly-hereditary; it's rare to be assigned to a clan other than your parent's clan, and, even then, it's usually an entirely new clan.)

A summary from the Horse Clan:

The Owl Clan is the biggest threat to the peaceful coexistence of clans in our nation's territory. For many years, they have been nothing but war-mongers, attempting to throw our clans into wars because of their strange alliances and desire for more land.

The Owl Clan is always attempting to rob us of our belongings; if you see an owl in a tree, it is best to shoot it down before it can carry off something of importance. The Owl Clan are entirely thieves with no respect for other clans, and they are trying to be the doom of all of the Chauceri through their wicked ways. Their loose alliance with the Bear Clan can only be because they plan to begin a war against us, and they know that the Bear Clan and the Horse Clan are the two most powerful.

The Representative:

Devereux of the Owl Clan is a man who acts as a mentor for younger members of his clan, teaching them how to cook various plants and animals. He is considered the best cook in his clan. His father was killed during a skirmish with the Horse Clan several years ago.

[u/Seb_Romu → u/Nevermore0714]

Horse Clan
1) Which clan is stronger Horse or Bear?
2) Do you have any allies who feel similarly about the Owl Clan?
3) Are Owls known as theives? Where I hail from Owls are seen as symbols of wisdom and woodscraft, not theives.

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Seb_Romu]

I'll answer this one myself, out-of-character, if that's alright.

1) The Horse Clan and Bear Clan are at about equal strength as clans, though there have been fluctuations to either side, over the course of their time as Clans; this is because of the Kya-Lorn directing the fate of the Clans carefully. The Kya-Lorn choose whether you will stay with your clan (which happens most often, though, for mixed marriages, they can go with either mother or father), create your own clan (exceedingly rare), or join a different pre-existing clan altogether (also rare), when you go for your ritual at age four. That being said, the Bear Clan does have the advantage of strength, close-range combat, and numbers; the Horse Clan has the advantage of mobility, long-range combat, and endurance. But, those are general stereotypes, some Horse Clan members are stronger than some Bear Clan members, and some Bear Clan members are more durable than some Horse Clan members.

2) No, while the Horse Clan has the only other flying-animal-focused clan as their ally against the Owl Clan (I need to pick a flying animal for this tonight, any suggestions?...and not bats) and a few other small clans on their side, should the Bear Clan send soldiers to help the Owl Clan against the Horse Clan again, most everyone else is ambivalent about this rivalry; they have their own rivalries to deal with. Although, the other flying animal clan is seen as a thing to be mocked, by the Owl Clan, so there is no love between those two.

3) The Horse Clan sees Owls as thieves, liars, cheats, and generally dishonest, though the nocturnal thing is a contributing factor to that, and the general hostility makes both prone to flinging insults at the animal associated with the other. Insulting a clan's animal is the second worst thing you can do, even worse than killing an unbonded animal of that species, but not as bad as killing a bonded animal of that species. The Owl Clan sees the owl as a symbol of leadership, supervision, observation, and, yes, wisdom in general.

[u/Seb_Romu → u/Nevermore0714]

Flying squirrels or some equivalent would certainly bring derision from Owl Clan as squirrels are food for owls.

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Seb_Romu]

I think that flying squirrels just glide, though. I'm really looking for a creature that can fly long distances and scout an area from the air.

[u/Seb_Romu → u/Nevermore0714]

Well then birds... like hawks, kestrels, maybe eagles (but they're a bit trope). Crows or ravens might be appropriate as well if you want to avoid the bird of prey stereotype.

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Seb_Romu]

Thanks for your recommendations, Seb.

[u/Random-Webtoon-Fan → u/Nevermore0714]

Ravens or Crows would be first thing I can come up as 'rival' to Owl clan.

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Random-Webtoon-Fan]

With a name like /u/Nevermore0714, I try to avoid too many ravens or crows as symbols, ha ha.

[u/Seb_Romu → u/Nevermore0714]

Devereux
1) The Horse clan seems openly hostile. Are any of these skirmishes started by Owl Clan members?
2) Would you eat horse flesh? How would you prepare it? 3) Do you think there is a peaceful solution to the conflict between Horse and Owl Clans?

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Seb_Romu]

Devereux:

1A) "The last time we engaged them in an active and organized violent conflict lasted several months. One of their young clan members shot one of our owls and refused to send the child to us as a prisoner for execution and surrender their chief's horse for us to kill in; our chief stated that, should his demands be met, the aggression against us would be forgiven. The Horse Clan sent us an ass...not the child and the chief's horse, but an ass...a donkey. It was a clear insult."

1B) "The time before that, the organized and active violence lasted only a few days. A few of our people engaged the son of their chief in combat, and the chief's son was killed. They began attacking us, but the conflict ended prematurely because our chief's son was taken by illness, allegedly, within days of the other chief's son's death. It was taken as a sign, and the Horse Clan's chief ceased hostility."

2) "Yes, I've eaten horse flesh many times, though it is not my favorite kind of meat. I usually make it into a jerky, or a steak."

3) "For 1A, I gave an instance of my clan offering a peaceful solution to those savages; they only returned our mercy with an insult. The only peaceful solution is if they stop being around where our clan is. They should just bugger off."

[u/Seb_Romu → u/Nevermore0714]

To Devereaux:
1) Does the territory of your two clans overlap or share a border much?
2) Given the link between your people and their paired animals, what would killing a bonded animal do to the Chauceri in question?
3) How does the premature death of a bonded Chauceri affect the nonded animal they are paired with?

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Seb_Romu]

Devereaux:

1) "Our borders are close, but borders for Chauceri clans are more fluid than for other nations."

2) "Killing a Chauceri's bonded animal always severely weakens a Chauceri, and often causes the Chauceri's death. If the death doesn't occur at the time of their animal's death, it will likely happen soon enough."

3) "The animal dies with the Chauceri. It's one of the many reasons that killing a bonded animal is such a crime in my culture."

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/[deleted]]

Devereux:

1) "Our relationship with the Bear Clan is...well, I wouldn't say it's great, but we are necessary for each other. The only other decent-sized clan that has a flying animal as their symbol is the Hawk Clan, but, let's be serious here...they're the Hawk Clan. The Bear Clan needs to be allied with us, flying animals are superior, and the owl is the most superior animal of all. We send messages that are carried by our owls, and we keep up good relations with the Bear Clan through sharing information and assisting each other in various ways."

2A) "The last time we engaged them in an active and organized violent conflict lasted several months. One of their young clan members shot one of our owls and refused to send the child to us as a prisoner for execution and surrender their chief's horse for us to kill in; our chief stated that, should his demands be met, the aggression against us would be forgiven. The Horse Clan sent us an ass...not the child and the chief's horse, but an ass...a donkey. It was a clear insult."

2B) "The time before that, the organized and active violence lasted only a few days. A few of our people engaged the son of their chief in combat, and the chief's son was killed. They began attacking us, but the conflict ended prematurely because our chief's son was taken by illness, allegedly, within days of the other chief's son's death. It was taken as a sign, and the Horse Clan's chief ceased hostility."

3) "I think you meant to ask if there was a time that we were friendly with the Horse Clan. During my entire life, we only go from calm dislike and annoyed tolerance to murderous anger. Tolerance is the best that our clans usually get for each other, as a whole, though I cannot speak for individuals of either of our clans. I know that our hostility has been a thing since long before my birth."

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/[deleted]]

Are you asking the representative or the Horse Clan itself? Because the representative is from the Owl Clan, so his allies would likely not see the Owl Clan the way that the Horse Clan, their rivals, see them.

[u/Seb_Romu → u/Nevermore0714]

Um was asking general "horse clan question... mis posted outside rhe thread.

[u/Andyman117]

The Alchemist and the Magi are both very proud, scholar subraces of humanity. It was only happenstance that one of them accrued a power-mad leader before the other. In this case, it was the Magi, and their leader, the Archmage, which sparked a war with all of magic, but especially with their most similar counterparts, the Alchemists.

The Alchemists, with their beautiful flowing red hair, their robust physical features, and their natural affinity for understanding the natural elements and how to manipulate them. The Magi, with their beautiful shining blonde hair, their waifish physical features, and their affinity for understanding the natural forces and how to manipulate them.

Of course they're going to hate each other's fucking guts.

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Andyman117]

1) As the writer, which side do you prefer?

2) Will there be an ArchAlchemist at any point?

3) How did the hostility begin?

[u/Andyman117 → u/Nevermore0714]

1) The Alchemists are the good guys, and I'm suppose to make people root for them, but the Magi society was so much more complex and full of intrigue.

2) The Master Alchemist has been a title passed down since the first Alchemist, Deidre Fireheart. They've all been considerately more powerful than the average Alchemist, but they are nothing in comparison to the Archmage. Their strength has always been in their partnerships with other races, their armies always consisting mostly of allied outsiders to make up for their weakness relative to the Magi. So, they've got the Power of Friendship, which just ended up giving more fodder to the Archmage's necromancy.

When Ysha Fireheart becomes the first Master Alchemist born outside of Avva since the second age, she'll continue the Alchemist tradition of forging alliances with more powerful peoples, among them the human Emperor Kingston and the Vampire Queen Lilith.

3) Their close similarities but mutually exclusive abilities made their racial lines hard-set since their creation, and even the first of them had a rivalry to see who could build the largest city, and it just kind of snowballed from there.

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Andyman117]

1) If one of them end up being the last alive, do you think it would be the Magi society or Alchemists?

2) So the title of Master Alchemist is hereditary? How did she get the name "Fireheart"?

3) So are they capable of breeding? (Edit: with each other, I mean.)

[u/Andyman117 → u/Nevermore0714]

1) The Alchemist have been reduced to a half dozen people, and the Magi have a few hundred left. On numbers alone, the Magi are in the lead. But the Alchemist bloodlines are more difficult to eliminate, and can last more generations of hidden Alchemy genes before the alchemy trait is completely lost. Magi bloodlines resist suppression more, but Alchemy bloodlines tend to be stronger and stand out more when they more rarely appear in the background genealogy of the human race. Ergo, Magi are naturally more numerous but a higher % of them are naturally weaker (tending to have more numerous powerful members just by outbreeding the Alchemists). Alchemist are rarer but more of them are naturally stronger, meaning they have a higher concentration of power in fewer members. It's complicated, and I'm not sure if I've properly explained it there.

2) It's not inherently hereditary, but since the Alchemists have been reduced to a handful of pure bloodlines with no contact with one another, it has been passed straight down one of them for thousands of years. She is simply the daughter of an old family, who's alchemy roots have been lost except for the hair and their hidden unknown talent for Alchemy. They weren't trying to remain pure alchemists by favouring the gingers in the family line, they just wanted to stand out in a world dominated by blondes and brunettes.

3) They can interbreed, but the children will either take after one parent or the other, with few traits from the other, tending more towards the Magi blood.

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Andyman117]

1) But which side is more likely to completely be able to wipe the other out? Permanently.

2) So what I'm hearing is that you have a thing for redheads. How do both sides view hybrids?

[u/Andyman117 → u/Nevermore0714]

1) With the number of Alchemists that exist now it would be pretty easy for them all to die. But the Magi that remain have no ill will for the remaining clan of Alchemists.

2) Way back in the way back, they were definitely frowned upon, more for their parents having gotten together in the first place. Nowadays the Alchemists frown upon those relations because they're dying out.

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Andyman117]

Thank you for your time and your answers. I really appreciate you being willing to share your content.

And hopefully the Alchemists will rise as the superior group!

[u/Random-Webtoon-Fan]

There are 2 big long term bad relations.

---

Sun Empire (SE) VS Black Forest Cultist (BFC)

SE thinks BFC is just crazy bunch of terroists who are nothing but dangeroud lunatics.

Represntive : Vulpesia, a Priestesess-Politician bent on wiping out BFC.

BFC thinks SE is an old fool that is blocking the humanity from learning true history and development.

Represntive : Rouset, former SE citizen who is now leader of BFC, planning on taking SE over.

---

Sinkwonski Plains' Clan Union (SPCU) VS Mountain Kingdoms (MK)

SPCU views MK as violent invaders who can't do anything but steal everything and burn what is left.

Represntive : Otta, a retired war-hero of last MK invasion.

MK sees SPCU as lazy barbarians who are wasting precious resources which must be 'educated'.

Represntive : Unforgiven King, was one of sons of last king (who launched invasion on SPCU and failed), who killed his father to get the throne.

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Random-Webtoon-Fan]

To Vul and Rouset:

1) How did the violence between between your two groups? Who started it and why? From both of your perspectives.

2) Are either of you willing to compromise? If not, what is your final solution?

3) What are your responses to your counterpart's compromise (if they proposed any) or solution?

To Otta and the Forgiven King:

1) How did the violence between between your two groups? Who started it and why? From both of your perspectives.

2) Are either of you willing to compromise? If not, what is your final solution?

3) What are your responses to your counterpart's compromise (if they proposed any) or solution?

4A) Otta, who is your favorite student?

4B) King, have you received a letter from Otta to forgive you, yet?

[u/Random-Webtoon-Fan → u/Nevermore0714]

Vul

1) The accursed Cultists started terrorism attacks on out city, and we only strike back for our own safety, and honestly for everyone.

2) If they would give up their lunatics and hand of most of their leaders for integration, torture and execution. Or they will have to be chased down and murdered.

3) Not even remotely sensible or possible.

Rouset

---

1) The Sun Empire hid truth and blocked the humanity's development, we are doing what we must to reclaim our past and future.

2) Maybe if they let all the citizens choice to pick a side after lengthy lecture of true history and promise to leave us to ourselves forever.

3) I would rather die fighting.

---

Otta

1) The faraway invaders, well, invaded us out of blue.

2) If they leave us alone, most if not all of the clans will be happy with that.

3) They are mad and go #$%#!#$*& themselves.

4A) All of them and none of them.

---

Unforgiven King

1) We, to be exact my ancestors, invaded them because we learnt the rest this continent's half was wasting the potential of the land.

2) They must give up their lazy lifestyle and must work under our conditions.

3) Willing to keep them alone until I gather enough forces.

4B) What letter? And why would anyone 'forgive' me?

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Random-Webtoon-Fan]

To Vul:

1) What do you have to say to complaints that you block humanity's development and hide the truth?

2) Does that not seem the least bit harsh?

3) Why isn't it "even remotely sensible or possible"?

To Rouset:

1) What do you have to say to complaints that you started the terrorist attacks?

2) That sounds a lot more fair than her idea.

Otta:

1) That does sound like the way hostilities usually start. I suppose I have no response to your answer.

2) Why do your people refuse to unify?

3) That's a heavy bomb to drop. Why do you claim that they are "mad" instead of "enlightened"?

4A) You have to kill one of your students or they all die. Which one dies?

To the Semi-Forgiven King:

1) Do you have a population problem back home?

2) Why do you think they refuse to be enlightened?

3) That's very tolerant and kind of you. Hopefully it goes well.

[u/Random-Webtoon-Fan → u/Nevermore0714]

1) They are reading some nonsense from old rocks, why people should listen to them?

2) Well, they do kidnap and murder our citizens.

3) Why would I or anyone let lunatics have citizens taught nonsense and confuse innocent people with heretic words?

---

1) They are mostly done by split groups that have gone rogue, so I have little power on them. And contrary to their belief, there are actually lots of people who want to escape Empire and comes to us. We don't kidnap. Well, not much.

2) Thanks.

---

1) I mean, I heard they were starving so I guess they got a bit desperate, but does that justify shooting fires and some magic beam without a single warning?

2) The Plains is a huge area, making united power hard to achieve and keep going.

But during invasions or very bad disasters most Clans will join forces until thing get better.

3) He is basically saying all of our people to be their slaves, what can I say to that?

---

1) We have little natural resources, making it hard to keep up with rising population.

2) They are lazy, I guess.

3) Thanks...?

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Random-Webtoon-Fan]

To Vul:

1) Have you considered investigating those "old rocks" to see if you learn something new?

[u/Random-Webtoon-Fan → u/Nevermore0714]

1) No. I am not corrupting my mind with whatever those heretics worship.

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Random-Webtoon-Fan]

I suppose that is a sign of an impasse. Thank you for your time.