Posts: 8,933
Threads: 386
Joined: May 2006
Reputation:
3
This Just In...
09-13-2009, 04:15 PM
I've been doing a bit of research and I've decided that Zeke's Native American background is going to be Sioux. Specifically he'll be of the
Lakota people. He'll be able to speak the Lakota language and have an encyclopedic knowledge of rituals and traditions. His worshiping of Raven rather
than Iktomi can be attributed to his defiant streak. We can say that he thought ravens were cooler than spiders when his Grandfather tried to teach him - this
can make for a fun little tidbit later in the story when we actually meet his Grandpa Bear and he tells embarrassing stories.
Also, Raven, Spider? What difference? They all seem the same to me when I read about them, and aren't they all attributed as shape-shifters anyways? 
Posts: 25,592
Threads: 2,060
Joined: Feb 2005
Reputation:
12
09-13-2009, 06:08 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-18-2019, 07:28 PM by Bob Schroeck.)
Quote:Also, Raven, Spider? What difference? They all seem the same to me when I read about them, and aren't they all attributed as shape-shifters anyways?
I refer you to a particular Neil Gaiman novel...
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
Posts: 8,933
Threads: 386
Joined: May 2006
Reputation:
3
Ah yes, isn't that the one about Anansi's two sons? It's part of what inspired me. 
Posts: 2,609
Threads: 109
Joined: Oct 2002
Reputation:
2
Quote: blackaeronaut wrote:
Also, Raven, Spider? What difference? They all seem the same to me when I read about them, and aren't they all attributed as shape-shifters anyways?
Yeah, I know what you mean. I feel the same way about Jesus and Mohammed....
Just because Tricksters look the same doesn't mean they are the same. It is dependent on the tribal beliefs.
Ebony the Black Dragon
http://ebony14.livejournal.com
"Good night, and may the Good Lord take a Viking to you."
Posts: 8,933
Threads: 386
Joined: May 2006
Reputation:
3
Quote: Ebony wrote:
Just because Tricksters look the same doesn't mean they are the same. It is dependent on the tribal beliefs.
True, but I plan on giving this, "They hear what they want to hear and discard the rest" spin. You know, kinda like how some people
think that the Bible has been corrupted over the centuries.
(No, it is not my intent to bring the bible into this. I'm just using it as an example here.)
Anywho, it'll be kinda funny to see Raven-sama when he actually does possess Zeke from time to time. When someone brings it up, he's going to grump
about stupid oracular record keeping and such. And if anyone brings up Tengu he's gonna smile nastily and mention how he had to take care of a stupid
young upstart making a mess of his good name in the Land of the Rising Sun.
One final thing I was thinking of. I was wondering if Zeke should have a (birth)mark - something that blatantly marks him out as property-of-Raven-sama.
While he would have done nothing with them when he was younger, he took to covering them with concealer later on when he strated getting bullied. (While he
does prefer to stand out, he learned its best not to have something that draws attention to you as immediately as strange facial markings.)
Posts: 7,673
Threads: 67
Joined: Jun 2007
Reputation:
1
Quote: blackaeronaut wrote:
Also, Raven, Spider? What difference? They all seem the same to me when I read about them, and aren't they all attributed as shape-shifters anyways?
In the old World of Darkness RPG, the Nuwisha venerated the spirit Coyote in any of his nine flavorful incarnations: Ti Malice, Loki, Kishijoten,
Ptah, Kokopelli/Pan, Chung Kuel, Xochipilli, Oghma and sometimes Raven (Raven is a seperate being, but Raven and Coyote are friends and sometimes swap forms
just to confuse things).
----------------------------------------------------
"Anyone can be a winner if their definition of victory is flexible enough." - The DM of the Rings XXXV
If you want a mark that is both notable and hidden... the easiest method is to take the Kuno families method. Simple have it on his scalp.... but under his
hair. Like that map on Tatewaki's head.
Posts: 8,933
Threads: 386
Joined: May 2006
Reputation:
3
I was actually thinking of something right under his eyes. Not like the God(dess) markings from Ah! Megami-sama as he'll be lacking the forehead mark.
Then you'll have to either rewrite the previous to chapters to include such an obvious detail of his face... or you'll have to make it almost the same
color as his current tanning level/skin tone... Obvious as a baby, but basically invisible once he gets a tan.
Posts: 27,614
Threads: 2,271
Joined: Sep 2002
Reputation:
21
Or maybe it's only visible when he's actively using shamanic (or any magic) abilities.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
Posts: 8,933
Threads: 386
Joined: May 2006
Reputation:
3
I'm thinking of two options, and both do not really require any retconning.
The first one is as I mentioned a couple of posts back: he uses concealer to mask it up. Over the years, he's become pretty damn good at it.
The second option is pretty much like Bob said, except that it appears when Zeke is starting to channel Raven-sama (Zeke is still very much Zeke while
Raven-sama just smiles and lends his avatar all the power he needs - like Naruto and Kyubi, only this time the Kyubi can intervene when it so chooses). Think
of it like a Diamondback's rattle; you get a warning cue that things are about to get really, very bad for you and you may want to back off.
Posts: 25,592
Threads: 2,060
Joined: Feb 2005
Reputation:
12
Ah, yes... While I was looking at rocks at the museum, I noticed in the gift shop a T-shirt that Zeke might like:
![[Image: raven.jpg]](http://web.ncf.ca/fm536/raven.jpg)
(If Zeke's father ever had a NATO posting to Ottawa, Zeke might even own one of these...)
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
Posts: 8,933
Threads: 386
Joined: May 2006
Reputation:
3
*SNRRRRRRRRT!!!*
Oh shit! I gotta have one now! *Goes to google*
Posts: 25,592
Threads: 2,060
Joined: Feb 2005
Reputation:
12
09-23-2009, 12:41 AM
(This post was last modified: 03-18-2019, 07:28 PM by Bob Schroeck.)
Quote:Oh shit! I gotta have one now! *Goes to google*
Found it...
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
Posts: 8,933
Threads: 386
Joined: May 2006
Reputation:
3
Posts: 8,933
Threads: 386
Joined: May 2006
Reputation:
3
I've been giving some thought about how Zeke is going to get the girls to all cooperate with each other. I have also been giving thought to how Raven-sama might spend a bit of extended time hanging around.
Sometime ago, these two thoughts got on the right (wrong) track and had a head-on collision, bringing this idea to the fore:
Sometime after Zeke's Harem is together, he has himself one of those monster, season-ending battles that you see in anime and get knocked into a coma with the finishing blow. Raven's a bit concerned - he can't have his (favorite) avatar while trying to save the world he made. So, Raven pulls Zeke aside and gives it to him straight: he is to go to the Norse Pantheon, the biggest group of bad-asses out there, and get himself trained up properly - kinda like how Goku went to train under King Kai in the afterlife.
Meanwhile, to make sure that no one gets any funny ideas about pulling the plug on Zeke, Raven-sama decides to take a little vacation... using Zeke's body. And the wily old God has absolutely no qualms about straightening out some attitudes and some misconceptions.
Yes, this will be the Fumofuu arc of our little story, chock full of wacky hijinks as Raven tests the girls' mettle, but still very capable of character growth. By the time Zeke 'comes back' they will be in the know of what is expected of him and be a lot more respectful of him... and of each other.
Posts: 12,527
Threads: 181
Joined: Feb 2006
Reputation:
0
he can't have his (favorite) avatar while trying to save the world he made.
I think you missed a word in there.
So I assume that at first the girls think it's actually Zeke, but discover it's really Raven sometime before Zeke gets back?
___________________________
"I've always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific." - George Carlin
Posts: 8,933
Threads: 386
Joined: May 2006
Reputation:
3
Quote: Timote wrote:
he can't have his (favorite) avatar while trying to save the world he made.
I think you missed a word in there.
So I assume that at first the girls think it's actually Zeke, but discover it's really Raven sometime before Zeke gets back?
Er... Ooops? (^_^
Should be:
he can't have his (favorite) avatar dying while trying to save the world he made.
Yeah, at first they think it's Zeke... until the first fight breaks out about five minutes later. Actually, it may be interesting to have Raven just
sit back for a little bit and size up the situation that his avatar is in before having him put his foot down.
Your going to have to decide when that actually happens... I mean Fumofuu actually occurs in here somewhere... Raven's reaction to the entire
'model' debacle should be interesting. If you really want to screw with Zeke actually dropping him in at the end of the last episode of that season
will just plain freak him out. Though watching him try to get explanations out of people for what is going on should be classic... from Sosuke's POV alone
is lightly to confuse him greatly. Though having him seeing a Yell/Youma/Fufofuu battle first thing back wouldn't help him make sense of things. So very,
very many ways to screw with Zeke's head here.
Posts: 8,933
Threads: 386
Joined: May 2006
Reputation:
3
Oh, I meant that this was going to be my story's equivilant to the Fumofuu season of FMP; wacky, slapstick, somewhat lighthearted, yet full of chewy
character-growth goodness. though having it occur somewhat at the same time might work. I'm just going to have to rough out the plot and see how they lay
then.
But yeah, definitely opportunities to screw with Zeke's head. After all, it's one of Raven-sama's specialties. (^_^)
|
