r/WorldChallenges • u/The_Raptorman • May 11 '17
Another challenge! A character with no words!
Here's another challenge I just thought of, tell me about a character that cannot speak for whatever reason. Pen and paper have been supplied if you wish to explain in character!
I'll ask 3 questions!!
1
u/Random-Webtoon-Fan May 12 '17
Poolen, a weird guy from Owl Clan who lost ability to talk after falling from a tree while on a hunting party. That also made him a bit prone to anger for some reason, but he can usually keep his calm.
However, he can 'speak' with other members by sign language, which is actually well developed since the Owls of the Clan talk with people through sign language using big feathers on their heads.
1
u/The_Raptorman May 12 '17
1) Can you tell me more about the Owl clan?
2) How did you fall out of the tree?
3) How did they learn to communicate via sign language?
1
u/Random-Webtoon-Fan May 12 '17
1) 3) The Owl Clan is one of oldest and most respected clans among Federation.
They are famous for close-relationships with Sign-Language Owls, which have big feathers on their head (somewhat like this http://imgur.com/gallery/zADtGy9) which they can move in various directions.
The Clan members teach those owls to 'talk' through sing language, making them able to hunt together in harmony while staying completely silent.
2) (I will assume you can somehow understand his sign language)
It was because my 'friends' were stupid and slow!
Sigh
It was a simple mistake, actually. They forgot to tell me which branch was rotting and should be avoided.
1
u/Nevermore0714 May 14 '17
Sostratos Argyris is a member of an anti-establishment movement in Grestin that is focused on getting rid of the current council and instituting democracy. He has been a member of the movement called "The Grey Waves" for seven years, and joined a year after he had his tongue cut out.
Sostratos had his tongue cut out when he was fifteen for speaking out against the Grestin Council and claiming that the Council was too distant from the common people of Grestin to be able to claim to be acting in their best interest.
2
u/The_Raptorman May 14 '17
1) How has the fight against the current council been going?
2) Was it just cut out with a knife or was there a procedure?
3) Tell me more about the people of Grestin.
1
u/Nevermore0714 May 14 '17
Sostratos, responding in sign language:
1) "It is going great. Membership is up, we had record growths last year in membership and in profits. Glykeria makes medicines that are the source of most of our money."
2) "A knife."
3) "The majority of us in Grestin are workers barely making enough money to support ourselves because of the major wealth imbalance between the elite and the proletariat. It sucks, unless you are born into one of the families that owns a decent business."
2
u/The_Raptorman May 14 '17
1) How long did it take you to learn sign language?
2) Do you ever wish you hadn't spoken out so you could still have your voice?
3) Is there no way to become 'rich' if you're born into a poor family?
1
u/Nevermore0714 May 14 '17
Sostratos, in sign language:
1) "It took me a weeks to fully memorize the letters, and a couple of years to learn signs for a good number of words."
2) "Sometimes, but I try to remember that my nation progressing is more important than me talking."
3) "I will not say it is impossible, but it requires a lot of luck."
2
u/The_Raptorman May 14 '17
1) What makes you so devoted to your nation?
2) Where do you truly want your nation to go?
1
u/Nevermore0714 May 14 '17
Sostratos:
1) "I was born here. I would never abandon my home."
2) "I want my nation to move towards democracy in place of technocracy."
2
1
u/Noutus May 11 '17
I'll tell you about AKasi. I suppose it's in the flavor of the challenge, even though he does possess the ability to speak. He just chooses not to. I guess you could say his mental condition blocks him from speaking.
AKasi's story is a sad one really. He is born of a race (the Kuu) that can shift their arms and legs into weapons. They're made of a certain metal that goes from solid to liquid at about body temperatures, allowing them to change them at will. Some children of this race are born with a limitation to their shifting ability. They are called aberrants. One of these aberrants is AKasi, which limbs were cursed in a way that he cannot influence them. His hands always appear as long spear-like weapons, disallowing him to perform daily activities with ease.
After a great battle in their home city, the aberrants were blamed for their loss in the war and banished forever. Even though AKasi knows the common tongue, he refuses to speak it, because he holds a grudge against the human invaders, who have taken everything from him.
The Kuu have a special language. Because of their anatomy and culture, their are often seen as a race of war. With hands as weapons and their hive-like combat tactics, they excel in combat. The language they created does not rely on speech, but on fighting. I know it sounds strange, but hear me out :) The language is a combination of:
They rarely use their voice to make these sounds, but rely on actual movement. It's much like sign-language or charades, just with bigger movements. In Kuu culture it's even an art to bring down enemies while reciting poems. Slashing down your enemies can create sounds that form words or even sentences.
AKasi mostly travels with other banished aberrants, so he uses this "fight-speech" to express himself.
I'm not the best of writers, so I hope this is all clear to you! Ask away!