KKChar
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Ergi lore and other questions
🕑 Added 2022-07-26 02:31:29 +0000 UTCHi guys, sorry I can't respond to every comment so I thought I'll do up a post to address the key ones I picked up. I really liked the idea of a lore page (as part of the faction page), though I don't have the resources to put up one now. The game lore is based on recorded/known Viking customs and myths, and how they might (reasonably) behave or evolve in a modern post-apocalyptic setting.
Ergi is not (necessarily) a homophobic slur
Ergi or sordinn is an old Norse insult so severe, whereby a man has the (legal) right to kill you if you dare call someone that. It means to agitate, but culturally it implies that someone is very perverse (equivalent to calling someone a pedophile??). It does not necessarily mean they find homosexuality perverse, but submitting to another man (sexually/bottoming or general cowardice) is. In fact, men would boast about sexual conquests of other men in the Edda (Viking equivalent of a bible). This perversion also applies to men who practice women's magic called seiðr, which involves seeing and shaping the future. Men who practice such magic are persecuted, feared, and sometimes revered (as king's advisors). The movie 'Northman' is a pretty good summary of their love-hate attitude toward Ergi. Loki and Odin practiced seiðr, but Odin learned it secretly from Freyja and gave up an eye for it. Loki gave birth to different creatures as both father and mother and would be considered as ergi for various reasons.
Old Viking sexual morality
They don't have hangups about sex, including gay ones, but are pretty pragmatic about it (in my view). They don't care if you have a male lover as long as you do your duty to procreate. This attitude is because conditions were harsh, mortality rates were very high among children and women, and they needed the workforce to survive (as with Alfheimr). The average life span is about 40-50, and in some Viking customs, the elders were expected to sacrifice themselves when resources were scarce.
Freyr is also worshipped as God of pleasure (besides fertility, sunshine, etc.); his statues are often depicted with an erection. The summer solstice orgies (my guess) may be based on Viking customs where at least five villagers must witness the consummation of marriage. Again, (my guess) this practice is because women enjoy higher social status - they can own properties, demand a divorce, and are protected by law from abuse. Without proper records, the only way to settle/prove property disputes is for the village to be witnesses.
Forn Siðr
Not to mean disrespect to any actual communities. The Forn Siðr are pagan/neo-pagan communities that practice the old Viking traditions, faith, and mysticism. Most simply celebrate the festivals, and practice shamanic traditions, but some can be pretty fundamental/insular (the movie 'Midsommar' is a bad/exaggerated example). The Alfheimr community is based on one.
Alfheimr
It means the home of the Elfs. Elves in old Viking culture are powerful ancestral spirits that are sometimes adversarial and need to be appeased. It is also the domain of Freyr.
This game is built around the story and characters; to create immersion, they must behave consistently with their culture and personalities. I developed nine characters to create some room for diversity and representation. But having said that, it is not possible to pander to every taste and preference.
Comments
Kyle
My last post disappeared... so instead of rewriting that, I'll summarise what I wrote before. That game quickly became one of my favorites. I'm invested in characters, stories, and lore. So far everything you throw at me I eat like a hungry wolf. The art style is amazing, and I cannot wait to see where that leads, and the new sequences and mysteries I can unlock. I hope the MC will conquer the hearts of everyone, giving us more encounters and CG sequences. This game is a diamond.
LukaM
I can't read the feedback posts, but regarding the last point I can strongly suggest that you should stick to your main vision of the game: trying to please everyone almost inevitably ends in disaster. This of course doesn't mean that you should not listen to feedback and suggestion :) but the core shouldn't be compromised, otherwise you would end up doing a game that is not what you wanted and you would lose motivation or interest. The Ergi discussion is interesting because it is something relatively common in ancient societies. Even among the Romans it was the sexual submission of a man to another man that was considered to be shameful, rather than the act itself. That's why, for example, performing a fellatio was seen as more degrading than penetration (as a bottom), with the reasoning that the latter could be forced on you whereas for the former you had at least some degree of consent. (which I get it's debatable with the current modern views, but I guess it made sense at the time)
