Does this description sound familiar?

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boballab
Sui'Kun
Posts: 497
Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2007 6:41 pm
Location: Ocean City Maryland

Does this description sound familiar?

Post by boballab »

When I first read the Firestaff series was struck by the resemblance between Fel's Selani and a race from one of the MMO's was playing: The Irekei of Shadowbane.

The game Shadowbane came out in 2003 and here is excerpts from the description of the Irekei race:
The "Devilmen," little is known of these strange, fierce, red-skinned raiders of the desert. Folktales claim they are the descendants of a long lost family of Elvish nobles who were banished to the Burning Lands for their ferocity and warlike nature. While Irekei and Elves are distinctly similar, the Devilmen deny any kinship, and respond to the suggestion with violence. Known primarily for their ferocity in battle and their ruthless treatment of all non-Irekei, raiding parties of Irekei are the terror of all settlements that border on the deserts. Renowned for their teachings in the mystic arts, Irekei also make cunning assassins. It is said that Irekei children are trained in the use of knives from birth, and learn to fight before they learn to speak. What outsiders see as cruelty, Irekei see as strength tempered by grim necessity. The crucible of the desert has turned the Devilmen into a grim, hard people for whom survival is the ultimate priority.

{SNIP}

Life in the empty desert has left its mark on the manner of the Irekei as well. Used to having an uninterrupted view of the horizon, they grow nervous in enclosed spaces. Irekei find forests unsettling, and large bodies of water terrify them. The heat of the desert has taught the Irekei to conserve their energy and strength: all Devil Men act with a utility of movement, wasting little motion. When action is required, Irekei move with an uncanny speed, directness, and intensity. Even when at rest, Irekei project an aura of menace, of furious action restrained by intense concentration. When dealing with fir'khanim (literally "rain bleeder," a derogatory term for any being weak enough to waste water through sweat) Irekei seem stoic, and tend to brood and scowl. Among their own kind, however, Irekei are as capable of laughter and frenzied revelry as any Elf.

{SNIP}

The peoples of the outside World believe that the Irekei are all wanton, barbaric savages that eat the flesh of their enemies and drink blood. While most of these stories are exaggerations (if not outright lies), the truth of the matter is that the Irekei have a highly advanced culture, rich in history, folklore, and art. True equality exists between Irekei men and women, for any who can prove themselves under the harsh Sun are worthy of respect and power. Poetry, storytelling, and music come easily to the Irekei, and their festivals are wondrous to behold. Among the Irekei rigid protocols and elaborate systems of etiquette govern everything, from greeting to eating to declaring war. All Irekei have a highly developed sense of honor, which they see as a product of their khar'ika. To break with custom or violate tradition is to declare oneself too weak to live by the ways of the Irekei, a fate all Devil Men regard as unthinkable. Of course, it goes without saying that the fir'khanim are unworthy of courtesy of any kind. Any ruse, deception, or brutality is perfectly acceptable if used against rain-bleeders: indeed, deception and cruelty are considered the honorable means of dealing with weak beings.
http://www.shadowbaneemulator.com/page.php?d=4&n=Irekei
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Rakkel
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Posts: 15
Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2012 5:01 am

Re: Does this description sound familiar?

Post by Rakkel »

It is a common theme with desert dwelling races in almost any game/story. The idea seems to stem from our own desert civilizations and the way a desert forces a group to have set ways of living to survive the arid and generally hostile environment. Some of the more advanced similarities, like the elven connection, are probably unintentional or unconcious, and are similar to something I see often in reading manga: There are only so many ways that you can create something, so similarities must almost always exist with something else. This is especially true of things of a simliar genre.
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