Exchange of Realities

When dealing with out nonhuman Others, it’s good to know what kind we’re dealing with, as that can go a long way towards figuring out how the humans in our worlds might deal with them, and in some cases how they might deal with each other. This is particularly important the closer to human you get, as even the little differences tend to matter more. More helpfully, near-humans can be some of the easiest to write for a beginning worldbuilder, as there are only a few relatively minor differences to keep track of the sociological effects of.

So what have we got for near-human Others? First, there’s the post-humans, or trans-humans or whichever prefix you prefer to use. They grew up human, but acquired something, usually a power of some sort, that set them apart from their peers. Reactions to this newfound difference often include feelings of entitlement, a need to use these traits for the good of all (whether it’s actually altruistic or just because that gets respect), or if the gifts have “ill” effects, either directly impacting the character or indirectly impacting the character’s relationships, doses of angst and why-me. Note that these responses are by no means mutually exclusive. Humans themselves often react to these sorts of people with emotions ranging from respect to fear, depending on where the difference came from or appeared to come from. At best, they’re seen as godsends; at worst, they can be viewed as traitors to their own kind.

One thematic element you may want to play up (or encourage your PCs to play up, if they have the appropriate kind of character) is the distancing effect of acquired Otherness. How do they view “normals”? What do they remember about their own time before the change, and how does it affect this view? Do they try to cling to their humanity, or do they embrace their new role? What aspects of their mindsets were changed by the acquisition of their powers or separation?

Then we have the demi-human. Don’t call them that to their faces, though; they’ll take it as an insult. The most prominent examples of these are the Tolkien-derivative base races from D&D and its ilk. These people can be some of the hardest to differentiate, as many of them end up being depicted as humans with a specific set of cosmetic changes, some sort of crunch-enforced stereotype, or a combination of the above. The main difficulty here is figuring out the cultural impacts the minor differences that set them apart have. Imagine, for instance, a humanoid race whose dominant sense is smell. What impact might that have on how they communicate ideas? Or what they do with their dead? Or what concepts of description they might have that humans lack and vice versa?

Characters like these are sometimes used as proxies by talespinners wishing to explore concepts of racism. It often leads to mixed results: after all, if you’re using one of those “they aren’t so bad after all” or “don’t judge a group by an individual/vice versa” morals but making these Others a monolithic entity, aren’t you contradicting your own purpose?

Last but not least are those Others who have acquired or are in the process of acquiring humanity. Sometimes, these are magically endowed or transformed animals; sometimes they’re similar types trying to fit in (usually ranging from the demi-Human to the compatible Other, though a properly done child raised by wolves can also fit in this category); sometimes they’re greater beings slumming it; sometimes they’re created life trying to imitate their creators. Often, these types are viewed with suspicion by “real” humans; of the three types above listed, they are the likeliest to end up in a subordinate role, since at least half of them are coming as inferiors trying to be equal.

The conceptually experimental talespinner will often use these types to look at the question of what it means to be human, or in the case of created or uplifted life the issues of playing God and/or unforeseen consequences. Clash of culture is a fun, if typical, element to include with them: nature vs. expectations, fun with misunderstanding concepts, and having to be twice as human as a human to get half the credit. If applicable, how they deal with their second-class status (or in the case of the slumming Great Ones, what they do about the fact that those who know their true identities tend to start worshiping them or begging for favors) has a lot of potential for development.

Tomorrow, we’re going to start moving into the truly alien. Stay tuned!