 January 2, 2018 - 12:27am | Gollywog: the common name for the planet White Light II: technical, astronomical name for the planet Clarion: actually the name of the state that controls the planet: The Kingdom of Clarion Gollywogs: also called Fen Savages and Froggers. Human in origin, inbred and mutated descendants of early castaways and crash-landers from the pre-colonial period. |
 January 2, 2018 - 5:54am | While the confusion over the name Gollywog still reins, I don't think you have to go to the extreme of the stereotype hillbilly for Gollywog. Since Clarion is a feudal system it could just be a distinction between the upper and lower classes using Clarion and Gollywog. Maybe the nobility see those living out in the fens as inbred mutants the same could be said in reverse if the nobility do not marry outside their class. Could be something similar to Earth and Terra. Maybe when we expand out into space and have some colonies their will be a difference in the two. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
January 2, 2018 - 9:11am | While the confusion over the name Gollywog still reins, I don't think you have to go to the extreme of the stereotype hillbilly for Gollywog. Since Clarion is a feudal system it could just be a distinction between the upper and lower classes using Clarion and Gollywog. Maybe the nobility see those living out in the fens as inbred mutants the same could be said in reverse if the nobility do not marry outside their class. Could be something similar to Earth and Terra. Maybe when we expand out into space and have some colonies their will be a difference in the two. That also works. I had another idea but it involved a native semi-intelligent species, and I think perhaps the Frontier is a bit crowded with intelligent native lifeforms.Or maybe not? I'm not sure I will use all the modules (and therefore, perhaps, the new races in them). Indeed, I'm not sure I have all the modules. Aren't the free and legal downloads a thing of the past? |
January 2, 2018 - 9:27am | Other ideas The planet's proper local name is Galloway. An astrographer who could not understand the local dialect rendered that name as 'Gollywog' in Pan-Gal, and the altered name stuck. |
 January 2, 2018 - 6:56pm | I still believe the whole reason that Warriors of White Light changed the name from Gollywog to Clarion, was that someone at TSR Hobbies UK pointed out the racist connotation in Britain. Half my gaming group as a kid were from Jamaica and T&T, so we avoided it. |
January 2, 2018 - 7:06pm | Oh, I'm pretty sure you are right. The inbred, mutant swamp savages would be green and froggy, and not in any way related to any real world Subsaharan African or West Indian people, but I'm still not sure I want an inferior status human group called ''Gollywogs'' in play. It might be too close to some RW stuff. Maybe in a dark and gritty near-future setting, but not SF? But I do really like Gollywog as a planetary name. It seems whimsical and fun. And it reminds me of pollywog, which fits such a wet and mucky world. |
January 2, 2018 - 8:57pm | Only problem with a native race is that WoWL module description of Clarion states there is NO fauna on the planet. Highest level of native life is plants and only lichens and mosses. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
 January 2, 2018 - 9:25pm | I had another idea but it involved a native semi-intelligent species, and I think perhaps the Frontier is a bit crowded with intelligent native lifeforms.Or maybe not? I'm not sure I will use all the modules (and therefore, perhaps, the new races in them). Indeed, I'm not sure I have all the modules. Aren't the free and legal downloads a thing of the past? I think you can still find modules and rules to download on this site and even here: http://www.starfrontiers.com/Modules/ I don't know what the current legal status is since I've read WOC is release PDFs for sale. As to how many races you want in the Frontier, I'd say it is up to you for your game. There are plenty of fan-created races that were published in the Star Frontiersman and Frontier Explorer magazines, such as the Vimh or Naga, etc. Joe Cabadas |
January 2, 2018 - 10:53pm | RE books I found some backed-up materials. Not all, but a good chunk. Yay, storage! Thanks for the link. I will likely purchase a PoD copy of AD on DriveThruRPG, but only after I read some reviews. And after another search for OOP boxed sets online. --- RE native fauna I'm not wedded to canonical details from any published source, but the idea of Gollywog /Clarion as a world without native animals could be fun. That would suggest various animal species were introduced, some accidentally, by settlers. ---- RE other races I'll take another look. That's new thread material, though not before I have something to add. |
 January 3, 2018 - 5:49am | I had another idea but it involved a native semi-intelligent species, and I think perhaps the Frontier is a bit crowded with intelligent native lifeforms.Or maybe not? I'd go with yes, the Frontier is crowded with life forms. One system away, Timeon: hairy apeman called Wypong. Source was a Dragon Magazine Three systems away, Dixon's Star: presumably extinct Tetrarch society; source is Zebulon's Guide but also the one David Cook Dragon feature involved an Archaeologist on Laco which does not explicitly endorse the Tetrarchs but certainly supports that bit of setting fluff Five systems away, Zebulon: Eorna who then "up raised" 3 primitive species and the mechanons who may have self evolved. Source is the Volturnus campaign- 3 modules and Zeb's Guide for details on mechanons in the timeline. Note: one of the up raised species is a primitive hairy apeman. then you have the sapes: material is thin but Bugs in the System module, sape appears to be a primitive hairy apeman. The Trouble on Janus tournament module has yet another primitive hairy apeman but I forget the name. Laura Murma has been doing excellent work on converting and updating it. The module reads like the writer had originally written it for Traveller then quickly converted it to SF for the tournament. Janus is not on the official map but is easily included by simply placing it at one of the unexplored stars. Heliopes from Sundown on Starmist: primitive slave race of the klikks and the klikk, and while we're talking about slave client races: 2 more intelligent species in the Beyond the Frontier campaign modules plus the zuraquor, sathar, zethra, and Sessu all sourced from modules or Dragon mags Zebs Guide races: Ifshnit a hairy LITTLE ape man, osaka an intelligent plant, and the huma a hairy kangaroo Then you get the yazirians, who could be described as a "hairy apeman" who entered the Frontier, we presume from the direction of the Great Expanse based simply on the tightly grouped locations of the Yazirian colonies on the map. Humanity: another "ape man" has travelled from some distant blue marble to the Frontier and colonized several planets. So yeah lots of primitive natives, not so primitive natives and a few non native species running around in a setting sphere not larger than 50 light years across, and people criticize Star Trek for the forehead of the week. If you really need to introduce a primitive native species go ahead but for Pete's sake dont make it another hairy apeman. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
January 3, 2018 - 5:58am | Another thought RE Gollywog: what if the original colonist on the planet were black? and the insult is not so whimsical but indeed real? that it was started by one racist who understood the historical origin but the word is lost on most of the population of Theseus. There have been plenty of other ethnic groups to settle on Clarion but the Royal Family is still of African descent. Thus the name lingers and continues to be "fighting words" I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
January 3, 2018 - 9:31am | That works, but I'd rather avoid real-world racism in play. Fantasy speciesism and inter-ethnic or politico-religious rivalries, sure. |
January 3, 2018 - 9:34am | APES! Okay, races/species thread coming... |
January 3, 2018 - 12:11pm | "Take your stinking paws off me you damn dirty ape!" If we're not careful the apes will take over the galaxy. A Star Play holo-vision production: Galaxy of the Apes. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
