One on One: Language Barrier

[Gadreille]

I have been avoiding role-playing because I am stressed beyond recognition, but I've begun wondering if my avoidance of anything fun is what is making me stressed out beyond recognition. Therefore, I'd like to give a one on one a try, if anyone will have me.

I'm studying the emergence of language and it made me wonder - how could two people role play in the same story if their characters spoke different languages? is it possible? Do I have enough skill to express a thought not through words of words, but words of gestures? Perhaps a cool story could grow from this.

Obviously, the story must involve a person entering a culture unknown to them. It can be historical, modern, fantasy, sci fi...whatever you want.

Anybody interested?

[Guest]

It sounds awesomely cool. Also considering I'm actually Swedish (although I obviously know English quite well...) I could certainly try to think my way into it. But mayhap, you want to be the person in the new culture?

[Gadreille]

Honestly I don't have a preference. I think you might be more fit to play the part! Certainly both people will be struggling to communicate anyway. Did you have a preference in setting?

[Guest]

I prefer modern or fantasy. I guess historical could work if you know a lot about a certain period, there is always time travel. Do you want to role-play a character from a society you already know or make up a new one? Considering my char is the outsider, and you have to play the inhabitant, I think you should have the deciding vote on where we are. My char can, if we want to, be transported to the new place either by rather normal means or you know narnia style, time travel or other magical mean.

[Gadreille]

I love the idea of Narnia style, so we can have some freedom. While I love to do historical fantasy, I tend to go overboard with my research and research is the last thing I need right now.

I'll create a fantasy realm (something not too out there) and you can be transported from whereever you'd like, be it modern Earth or another fantasy realm of your choice. I'll post back up here when I've got a description for my world.

Edit: I'm going to play a dude.

[Guest]

I'll think about where I'm going to begin, and then figure out some fun way to get into your world.

Are you interested in having any certain themes? Or is there any you're not interested in?

I'm open for ideas of any kind. What I mean is if you have preference for anything I can easily incorporate it, because I haven't focused my own ideas yet. Don't feel like you need to give me ideas though.

[Gadreille]

Honestly, the only theme I have in mind is language barrier, from there I haven't much thought of it. I'm having trouble coming up with an idea, mostly because I have too many... One idea I had was being on an island of sorts, and you could easily end up on that island with or without magical means. I'm still sitting on it though.

[Guest]

Take your time in deciding. If you have a hard time just throw some out here and I'll help. I don't want to cause you more stress.

[Gadreille]

I've decided that it will take place on an island, Tristan Da Cunha inspired. A small island in the middle of a vast ocean in a time of wooden sailing ships, so that the island is a detrimental stop for all who are attempting to cross the ocean. My character will live in the only town on the island, which will have horticulture, pastoralism and a bit of hunting and gathering to survive off of. Most people on the island have been brought by shipwreck, and most who end up there never leave.

Can you work off of that?

[Guest]

Definitely. I already have a few different ideas. And depending on which I guess in some ways it might be harder or simpler for them to communicate.

I read the whole wikipedia article on Tristan Da Cunha, very interesting place I have to say.

I'm thinking in two directions for a character. Both female though. Either someone from a very small tribe somewhere that for some reason got on a ship; she'd be able to hunt and other things, coming from a kinda hunter and gatherer tribe. Or I'm thinking maybe a pretty/aristocratic woman/girl. Maybe I won't go to either "extreme". If you have a preference, that's okay, she's still very vague.

[Gadreille]

I think an aristocratic woman might be interesting. Someone who might have been travelling to go marry some rich dude but then gets shipwrecked on this crazy island. What an experience!

[Guest]

Yeah, she'll have an interesting life. I'll go with that idea then. Going from comfort and waving her little finger for everything to have to work? Ghastly! Hehe.

[Gadreille]

I am going to work on the OOC and my character sheet tonight then This is going to be great!

Edit: question: do you want the role play to startbefore the shipwreck, with the shipwreck, or after it?

[Guest]

Either right before or so, to set up their "normal" routines, or with the shipwreak. Also if we have a "normal", we'll know better what changes both their lives.

[Gadreille]

That makes sense. Right before then

[Gadreille]

I was going to make the OOC but I ran into a couple of questions:

is this Earth, or our own made up universe?

Am I going to write in english with the assumption your character doesn't understand, or type gibberish everytime my character says something to yours?

[Guest]

Well considering we're making our own island it can be on earth if that's easier.

Even if our characters understand each other I think it's better for ourselves to know what our characters try to say. Although there is the option of me using Swedish as her language and then put a translation for you somewhere. And as the RP continues and she learns words or so slowly shift her speech to English? That's an idea, or we both just use English since we know they don't understand each other.

[Guest]

It's not necessarily easier. It's just if we wanted to make our own world we'd have a lot of freedom, and therefore a lot more detail to put in. I wasn't sure if you'd want to do that.

We should probably just stick to English, but perhaps we should italicize what we expect the other would not understand, and as they learn more unitalicize specific words that the other should know by that point in time. How does that sound?

Edit: This is Ryona...Silv logged me out. UGH! haha

[Guest]

Yeah that works well, both with the italics and having our own world.

With our own world we'll just create the details we need, when we need them. I have no problem having to create the details.

The italics systems seems as a good way too, and there will be no need to complicate things with translations or so.

[Gadreille]

That sounds great then. I will work on my character sheet and maybe a bit of world space before I go to class today, then you can put yours up, and then I'll create the OOC.

[Gadreille]

Here is a quick sheet to get us started. I'll fill it in as I know more about your world and perhaps the world you are going to (if you wish to create it)

Name: Joseph Esau
Age: 32
Location: Isla Viado, middle of Sen Ocean
Background: Joseph does not remember much of his heritage, for he was only a child when the ship he was on sank during a terrible storm. He somehow survived, carried on the debitage of the ship with the help of the only other sole survivor, a man who died of his injuries shortly after they made it to shore. Joseph was raised by the Esau family who owned some land and a shop at the only port on Isla Viado. The family holds no desire to see the outside world, content with their life on the island. They also refuse to explain to Joseph how they came to be on the island, and after years of pestering, he gave up trying to figure it out.
Having a severe interest in the outside world (and his origins) Joseph works the shop at port where he gets to meet those crossing the Sen Ocean, from one great continent in the East to another in the West. Isla Viado is a detrimental stop to those attempting to cross the Sen Ocean in wooden sailing vessels. Joseph had more than once been offered a job as a sailor on ships that had lost some of their crew in the attempted crossing; but between his father's forbidance and his own fear, he has never left Isla Viado.

[Guest]

Name: Driana Golden-Performer, daughter of Triana Silver-Singer

Age: 22

Hometown: Tandria, capital of Randi

Location: On a ship about to travel/travelling across the Sen Ocean

Background: Driana was born into a rich family in Tandria. Her father was a well-off tradesman, but it was Driana's mother that earned the family the most money. Triana, Driana's mother, was a famous singer and people from all over the country and outside travelled to her shows.

The social status and duties of the women were unusual in Randi. Instead of their main function being to have children and care for them, the women were supposed to be companions to the men. Their main goal was to entertain in all possible ways, e.g. by dancing, acting, singing, story-telling, playing games, and discussing philosophy and history. This meant they needed an extended education and the richer and nobler the family was the better the education. Driana got one of the best there was and by excelling in all physical aspects of the training she got the surname Performer. The addition of Golden came after winning the nation-wide competition and because she had blonde hair.

At the age of 20, having won the competition only a few weeks earlier, she was presented formally to the court for marriage purposes. A great many men were interested in marrying her, but it was a gentleman from across the Sen Ocean that captured her father's attention. Samuel Torsson was a rich tradesman, and interested in both the renown of having an already famous wife and merge his and Driana's father's trading companies. The negotiations on the marriage and the merger took some time. Driana used it to get to know as much as possible about the land her future husband came from and any interests of his, so she could be the ultimate companion for him. Only a week after Driana's 22 birthday did she board the ship that would take her over the Sen Ocean and to her future home.

[Gadreille]

That's awesome! I will make an OOC tonight or tomorrow!

[Gadreille]

So I kind of made up some stuff...let me know what you think, and then we can begin!

[Guest]

Yeah, it was great. I think we should change the name of the tradesman my character was going to marry to something more Spanish sounding, since his country/continent has a Spanish sounding name. Are you good at Spanish names? Since it doesn't really matter what his name is.

Btw how do you use the OOC? Since what most seem to use it for, we've used the interest check? I'm still rather new and mayhap not everyone uses the threads in the same ways. ^^

[Gadreille]

After the RP starts, we'll switch over to using the OOC for basically the same thing. I'm just a neat freak who would rather use the Interest Check until we are satisfied with the OOC.

I know a few spanish names, but I say we just leave it as it is. It is built up of different states and the people probably differ a lot, so we can just make up a state name that is a little less spanish sounding

[Guest]

Ah, yeah, that's true. The tradesman's name is rather Scandinavien if you didn't notice. When/if we need the name of the place I'll make it up.

And I'm okay with whatever works best for you. This also means the OOC isn't cluttered from before the IC even begins. Since we have a lot of posts already here. ^^

[Gadreille]

Awesome, we'll let the details unfold in the story. And you understand my point exactly, I use the interest check to avoid this getting started clutter.

Do you want me to make the first post, or you?

[Guest]

I'd prefer you. Then you can set up the isle a little and I can end my post either before the shipwreck or after it, depending on how long it becomes and if you're running with an idea in your post or so.

[Gadreille]

Alright, I'll get it done this weekend!

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