Alunissage wrote:There's no contradiction in the Beastmen being dominant in the time of Dragon Song.
Argh... Alun, you
know better. And of course, Mickey does not have the screenshot of the beastman wandering around Meribia who says as such posted up... This really frustrates me Alun, because you have a doctorates in Lunarology and yet you insist on this when it's simply NOT TRUE.
I know for a fact that there is a beastman shuffling around right outside Mel's Mansion who all but says the reason Meribia is so full of beastmen is because humans are nervous about them and treat them like second class citizens EVERYWHERE ELSE. I swear to -Fatal Hopper- God Alun... when I get this emulator working and make the time to do it I am going to find that goddamn beastman and spam this -Fatal Hopper- topic with the screenshot.
It actually fits in fairly well with the other games,
No it does not!
there's more of an implication of beastmen and humans being separate societies which are integrating before and during Lunar 1.
There may be some foundation in this, considering that most Beastmen can either be found in Meribia or out in the Frontier. Suggesting either segregation or some level of separate societies.
I believe Magic School conveys this separation, although I haven't gone through any form of the story recently. It is hardly an isolated instance of a formerly dominant group losing power, either; the same is true of the Vile Tribe (Magic Race, Mazoku), as told in the Vheen manga and suggested elsewhere. They were dominant; they lost a war to the humans; they were eventually integrated into human society.
Expect NO WHERE IN ANY LUNAR MATERIAL DOES IT STATE THAT BEASTMEN WERE EVER DOMINANT WHERE IT STATES AS SUCH FOR THE VILE TRIBE. If Dalton's library and Vane's library mention the Vile Tribe, which I dimly recall it does, it would also mention the Beastmen, which it DOES NOT.
Also, /rage.
Again, the point with Dragon Song is that it takes place long before Lunar 1, when conventions in the latter were not yet established.
The conventions were established, in earlier games, set before Dragon Song made by people who gave a damn about the established context, listened to the professionals, and who didn't have their heads up their asses.
Humans can't even use magic yet in Dragon Song;
ANOTHER flaw, magic has always been on Lunar and a part of Lunar. Not ALL humans can use magic (as we learn with Ramus) but SOME can and can be born with the Gift. Magic didn't start fading from Lunar until Luna made her choice.
that doesn't mean it contradicts the other games.
-.- *aggravated, agonized wail* KHAAAAAAAAAAAN.
The Dragon Trials are clearly different -- and this may be why Ignatius managed to get past them. The first Dragonmaster helped prepare Lunar for habitation; clearly that's a much different job from what Dyne's was. Reading hearts may not be something that comes naturally to the dragons, either; note how Quark had no clue that Ghaleon was about to zap him.
The Dragonmaster's Duty is as a failsafe, just as the Dragon's duties are as a failsafe.
Althena is the prize, Dragons protect the prize by safeguarding the heirlooms necessary to become Dragommaster and by protecting Althena. The Dragonmaster's duty is to SERVE and PROTECT Althena. All this, probably, in response to Zophar. This is a checks and balances system meant to stop from complete corruption.
That being said, protecting Lunar for habitation was a one-time duty, the Defense of Althena is a Dragonmaster's ultimate purpose and duty.
You may be onto something with Quark, as he did not even recognize Ghaleon. But Ghaleon was not TRYING to become Dragonmaster. And, when you really think about it. Ghaleon beat you to every other Dragon BUT the Black Dragon, why didn't he just TAKE the Dragonmaster Heirloom? Because he needed the Dragon's blessing, and he didn't have it.
... in conclusion, I
liked the fact that beastmen openly said they were second class citizens and that humans treated them like -Dragon Diamond- because they come from the frontier (or look like monsters from the frontier-in fact I think there is a beastman in Ruid who says that, that they look like monsters so people are cruel to them) It was very telling, it was good social commentary that there were these innocent people on the other side of the world from you who's only crime was looking different and that Humans are -Albino Baboon-. In every other RPG Humans are always the downtrodden, oppressed, minority rising above the tyrannical Other. It was NICE to see humans being the tyrannical other. You pitied the Beastmen and you became aware of the grey and black morality. The Black Dragon situation just added insult to injury...
DS ruined it, because LORD FORBID HUMANS NOT BE THE ABSOLUTE GOOD GUY AND LORD FORBID WE EVEN SUGGEST THAT PEOPLE WE TREAT POORLY BECAUSE WE'RE BIGOTS ARE ACTUALLY
PEOPLE WITH FEELINGS WHO BLEED JUST AS RED AS US.
Seriously, how DARE they.
-Fatal Hopper- that.