Post by Liridon Cedar on Aug 3, 2015 1:07:37 GMT -6
Where did they come from?
While many people coming through the Legend Portal have families, are old enough to care for themselves, or at least have some form of adult supervision, the same cannot be said for all. Some of those coming through are, in fact, either orphans or children separated from their families in some other way. Some of these are gathered up and supervised by the adults coming through, but not all. Some of these lost children go their own way, forming and inducting others into a wild tribe of feral children known mainly by the rumour of the Lost Kids. Their ranks are swelled further by the addition of Mi-aran orphans, runaways and the odd abandoned child, though no adult has yet seen - and known that they were seeing - a recruitment. Thus far, this is not credited as much more than a wild tale.
Where did they go?
Bringing with them whatever they'd scrounged up and carried through the Portal, and whatever they could steal, the feral children have set up a main base in the forested part of the Mirror Lake area near Port City, and may in fact have a series of hideaways dotted around - there have been rumoured sightings and possible banditry along Routes, but most tend to stay near the Mirror Lake. There, they have fresh water, less interference from other humans, but remain close enough to civilisation to stage raids. Some of the Lost Kids, or whatever they may call themselves, have Domestic Pokemon they may have brought through the Portal themselves, or stolen subsequently, and they seem to live in cacophonous harmony with these creatures. It is with their aid that they have survived thus far, as the older ones possessed the intuition to suggest that nobody eat anything that the Pokemon wouldn't touch. There are still many cases of putting something in mouths that shouldn't be ingested, but it is less frequently serious than without the likely-exasperated assistance of their Pokemon. It is also through Pokemon that their settlement/s are formed to a liveable degree - their main base in the woods near Port City is mostly composed of a warren whose roof is much supported by the roots of the trees, and some structures of dubious origin and classification in the treetops. The warrens may be primarily used for sleeping, and the entrances are concealed by foliage. The treetop structures, however, are more likely to be used by lookouts. Items of value may be stored within hollow trees, burrows, or indeed up a tree.
What about Feral Pokemon?
Wild Pokemon are, of course, a major factor in the lives of feral children. It must be said that there are many that, if they had their way, might eat the occasional Lost Kid. Indeed, this does sometimes occur - however, the Lost Kids react to this type of behaviour in similar ways to meerkats confronted with a snake, or a Cucco Revenge Squad. They violently mob, harass and pester the offending Pokemon, often with the aid of their own Pokemon (and possibly the occasional prey-species feral getting swept up in things or spying a chance to rage against the (eco)system). This behaviour only tends to take place when the Lost Kids outnumber the predating Pokemon by a large margin, and is highly risky, but they are incredibly persistent. This tactic, and their reasonably justified paranoia-induced habit of always having at least two or three lookouts at a time, has helped the Lost Kids to establish territory in which they are at least a little bit safer than otherwise. Their lookouts' warning whoops have also become useful to other species, prey Pokemon taking heed even as the feral children do. Occasionally, some Pokemon may even seek to feed in the same general area as the Lost Kids in order that they might share the warnings. This kind of puts them at risk from the Lost Kids themselves, but harassment is better than being eaten - and they try not to get too close to the children if they can help it.
What about the Character Classes?
As for Mini-Merchants, there is a simple barter system used by the feral children, when they do not simply snatch or steal things from one another. Generally, though, they learn that swapping means less kicking, biting, scratching and pulling of hair. In the spirit of this, some Lost Kids will set up piles of stolen objects during the day, and sit near them ready to swap - some even go to the trouble of making signs, usually by scratching letters or images into the ground. Not all of the Lost Kids are wholly illiterate, as some learned to read - whether fluently, haltingly, or barely - before turning to the wilds. Similarly, there are some among them who don't need their fingers to count. However, literacy and numeracy vary greatly within the population.
Micro-Mercenaries, however, are those that stand lookout for others, whether at home or Questing, and are tributed a cut of their fellows' stolen, foraged, scavenged or somehow created goods in exchange for this service, and their efforts in protecting other feral children. It is these scrappy Lost Kids who are first into the fray when danger looms, buying time for the others to get themselves sorted, and for the smaller tykes to be swept away to safety.
Small Survivors are those who venture out into the Great Beyond in order to scout out new locations, find new sources of water and plant-related food, hunt down meat-related food, keep an eye on populations of wild Pokemon or civilised humans, and things like that. It is these individuals who most often go missing, and they should be accompanied by a Micro-Merc if at all possible in order to protect them.
Rinky-dink Researchers are also prone to going missing in the Great Beyond, but not as often as Small Survivors. These Lost Kids are the tinkerers who try to figure out more about the world around them, and how to make stuff that the others can use. Will a new berry be food or foul? A Rinky-dink Researcher will present it to a few Pokemon to see if they'll eat it - if they will, the wee scholar may try a tiny taste to see if it seems yucky or sickly-making. What does a newly-stolen device do? These Lost Kids'll push all the buttons and tweak all the levers. More proficient ones may take it apart and put it back together, or use its parts to make other things.
There is, however, another class that these feral children respect - those that comfort and nurture the younger ones. These Lost Kids are those that take the time and make the effort to ensure the survival, wellbeing and happiness of the tinier tykes. In the case of those who are literate, they are also those who may teach the others their numbers and letters. These individuals, who rarely if ever leave the warren, are tributed food and other things by the others, especially when personal gratitude is involved. As these are the ones who are most likely to tuck the other in goodnight, kiss them better when they're hurt, try to make them well when they're hurt or sick, and hold them when they're sad, the name given to this class is, depending on gender, Mama or Papa, or some variation on the theme. After all, many of these children remember a time when their own parents did these things for them, and long to regain some of what they have lost.
What about Tiny Tykes?
In general, the littler Lost Kids are looked after and kept close to the warrens, treated like little siblings, but few have the patience to baby them. The littler ones are also not given as nice items to use, as they are the more likely to break things, and are only allowed to have tame or Domestic Pokemon. If a tyke wants better stuff, more and/or stronger Pokemon and more respect, they have to prove themselves. Usually, this takes the form of a rite of passage - a quest to bring back something of great value, whether knowledge, item, Pokemon, food or whatever. Nothing trifling or common, though - something to impress the leader/s of the community. Some may choose to quest together, while others may set out alone. However, it is a custom of the Lost Kids to treat every Questant as 'alive somewhere', even if they don't come back. They only wilfully acknowledge the death of their own if they can see the evidence - partly out of hope, partly to spare the feelings of the littlest ones.
It's a jungle out there, What about Death?
In the event that there is a death in the community, their stuff will be taken and distributed among their friends and/or siblings before the rest of the Lost Kids. Their remains would then be taken as far from the settlement as possible and either shoved respectfully into a hole, covered with undergrowth, set to drift in a river or, in the case of the most enterprising funerary attendants, lodged in a tree. However the dead are set to rest, though, so long as there are remains, a small toy will be sacrificed for the deceased to take with them - usually tucked into the crook of the arm. Once the body has been taken care of, the keening and wailing begins. It would be too much to ask for the Lost Kids to grieve in silence, and they are far more likely to give voice to their emotions en mass. Finally, when most of them have calmed down, one of the literate or moderately literate ones will painstakingly carve the deceased's name into a bit of wood, so that the fallen feral child will - in part - be among them forever. The names of those gone questing, or simply missing, are sewn into the bags used to store things such as name-wood, food, or items - this is so that, even if they fail or never return, they will always support the needs of the community.
Because of the very real presence of death in the community, it is perhaps unsurprising that superstition has risen up around the subject. Given that many of the children had already heard assorted factoids and stories about Pokemon before becoming feral, it is natural that they would use these pre-existing ideas to help them come to grips with things like mortality. A prominent example of this is the case of Phantump. As the Lost Kids live within a forest environment, the stories of the spirits of children dying in the woods take on a rather marked relevance to the feral children - the idea that, if they die, they could return as a Phantump, is comforting to those who fear for their lives, or have lost someone. It is for this reason that the Lost Kids treat Phantump with reverence, perhaps even viewing them as sacred, and will defend them as though they were other Lost Kids - because they just might be. Some will offer a Phantump food if they see one, and no Lost Kid would consider trying to tame one. In the event that a trainer comes and captures one, they are likely to steal it back and release it if they possibly can.
While most of the Lost Kids would not be able to fully articulate all of this, some of the older ones and/or literate ones would be able to explain at least a few of the concepts.
Sounds anarchic - What about Rules?
There aren't many prominent rules among Lost Kids, but the most important revolve around heeding the leader/s of the community, never eating something the Pokemon won't touch, not going potty near food or water, never leading something big and scary to the others, not disrespecting or trying to capture Phantump, and never ever eating something that talks. According to the older kids and the literate, food that talks is not food. Normal Pokenoises are fine, but it gets really creepy if one starts thinking about eating a conversational partner, and cannibalism is not something anyone wants to contemplate. Nobody may ever know for sure how many Chatot this edict has saved.
What kind of population spread are we looking at?
Well, a large settlement like the one near Port City could house perhaps 150-ish kids - small enough to stay hidden and to not have SO many mouths to feed that it becomes ludicrous. This type of settlement could be termed a central hub of Lost Kid habitation, but there do exist other, far smaller areas of Lost Kid habitation spread out from the main settlement. Some of these are simply boltholes, little refuges in which one or two feral children might seek sudden shelter. Others, however, are large enough to house approximately 10 feral children at once, and are usually used for Micro-Merc scouts to rest at or to set up a prolonged watch over one area for whatever reason. It is possible that one day, if and when their population spreads far enough, a second large settlement may begin to grow in the forest to the west of New Pallet. However, at this time, the feral children have only just begun to hear of New Pallet, and do not possess the numbers to split the population that much. In terms of where these rules come from, they mostly originate from Chieftains and/or the Council - said council being made up of at least one proven member of each main profession.
-------------------------------------------
Here are some examples of what feral children may look like - but variation is of course expected.
While many people coming through the Legend Portal have families, are old enough to care for themselves, or at least have some form of adult supervision, the same cannot be said for all. Some of those coming through are, in fact, either orphans or children separated from their families in some other way. Some of these are gathered up and supervised by the adults coming through, but not all. Some of these lost children go their own way, forming and inducting others into a wild tribe of feral children known mainly by the rumour of the Lost Kids. Their ranks are swelled further by the addition of Mi-aran orphans, runaways and the odd abandoned child, though no adult has yet seen - and known that they were seeing - a recruitment. Thus far, this is not credited as much more than a wild tale.
Where did they go?
Bringing with them whatever they'd scrounged up and carried through the Portal, and whatever they could steal, the feral children have set up a main base in the forested part of the Mirror Lake area near Port City, and may in fact have a series of hideaways dotted around - there have been rumoured sightings and possible banditry along Routes, but most tend to stay near the Mirror Lake. There, they have fresh water, less interference from other humans, but remain close enough to civilisation to stage raids. Some of the Lost Kids, or whatever they may call themselves, have Domestic Pokemon they may have brought through the Portal themselves, or stolen subsequently, and they seem to live in cacophonous harmony with these creatures. It is with their aid that they have survived thus far, as the older ones possessed the intuition to suggest that nobody eat anything that the Pokemon wouldn't touch. There are still many cases of putting something in mouths that shouldn't be ingested, but it is less frequently serious than without the likely-exasperated assistance of their Pokemon. It is also through Pokemon that their settlement/s are formed to a liveable degree - their main base in the woods near Port City is mostly composed of a warren whose roof is much supported by the roots of the trees, and some structures of dubious origin and classification in the treetops. The warrens may be primarily used for sleeping, and the entrances are concealed by foliage. The treetop structures, however, are more likely to be used by lookouts. Items of value may be stored within hollow trees, burrows, or indeed up a tree.
What about Feral Pokemon?
Wild Pokemon are, of course, a major factor in the lives of feral children. It must be said that there are many that, if they had their way, might eat the occasional Lost Kid. Indeed, this does sometimes occur - however, the Lost Kids react to this type of behaviour in similar ways to meerkats confronted with a snake, or a Cucco Revenge Squad. They violently mob, harass and pester the offending Pokemon, often with the aid of their own Pokemon (and possibly the occasional prey-species feral getting swept up in things or spying a chance to rage against the (eco)system). This behaviour only tends to take place when the Lost Kids outnumber the predating Pokemon by a large margin, and is highly risky, but they are incredibly persistent. This tactic, and their reasonably justified paranoia-induced habit of always having at least two or three lookouts at a time, has helped the Lost Kids to establish territory in which they are at least a little bit safer than otherwise. Their lookouts' warning whoops have also become useful to other species, prey Pokemon taking heed even as the feral children do. Occasionally, some Pokemon may even seek to feed in the same general area as the Lost Kids in order that they might share the warnings. This kind of puts them at risk from the Lost Kids themselves, but harassment is better than being eaten - and they try not to get too close to the children if they can help it.
What about the Character Classes?
As for Mini-Merchants, there is a simple barter system used by the feral children, when they do not simply snatch or steal things from one another. Generally, though, they learn that swapping means less kicking, biting, scratching and pulling of hair. In the spirit of this, some Lost Kids will set up piles of stolen objects during the day, and sit near them ready to swap - some even go to the trouble of making signs, usually by scratching letters or images into the ground. Not all of the Lost Kids are wholly illiterate, as some learned to read - whether fluently, haltingly, or barely - before turning to the wilds. Similarly, there are some among them who don't need their fingers to count. However, literacy and numeracy vary greatly within the population.
Micro-Mercenaries, however, are those that stand lookout for others, whether at home or Questing, and are tributed a cut of their fellows' stolen, foraged, scavenged or somehow created goods in exchange for this service, and their efforts in protecting other feral children. It is these scrappy Lost Kids who are first into the fray when danger looms, buying time for the others to get themselves sorted, and for the smaller tykes to be swept away to safety.
Small Survivors are those who venture out into the Great Beyond in order to scout out new locations, find new sources of water and plant-related food, hunt down meat-related food, keep an eye on populations of wild Pokemon or civilised humans, and things like that. It is these individuals who most often go missing, and they should be accompanied by a Micro-Merc if at all possible in order to protect them.
Rinky-dink Researchers are also prone to going missing in the Great Beyond, but not as often as Small Survivors. These Lost Kids are the tinkerers who try to figure out more about the world around them, and how to make stuff that the others can use. Will a new berry be food or foul? A Rinky-dink Researcher will present it to a few Pokemon to see if they'll eat it - if they will, the wee scholar may try a tiny taste to see if it seems yucky or sickly-making. What does a newly-stolen device do? These Lost Kids'll push all the buttons and tweak all the levers. More proficient ones may take it apart and put it back together, or use its parts to make other things.
There is, however, another class that these feral children respect - those that comfort and nurture the younger ones. These Lost Kids are those that take the time and make the effort to ensure the survival, wellbeing and happiness of the tinier tykes. In the case of those who are literate, they are also those who may teach the others their numbers and letters. These individuals, who rarely if ever leave the warren, are tributed food and other things by the others, especially when personal gratitude is involved. As these are the ones who are most likely to tuck the other in goodnight, kiss them better when they're hurt, try to make them well when they're hurt or sick, and hold them when they're sad, the name given to this class is, depending on gender, Mama or Papa, or some variation on the theme. After all, many of these children remember a time when their own parents did these things for them, and long to regain some of what they have lost.
What about Tiny Tykes?
In general, the littler Lost Kids are looked after and kept close to the warrens, treated like little siblings, but few have the patience to baby them. The littler ones are also not given as nice items to use, as they are the more likely to break things, and are only allowed to have tame or Domestic Pokemon. If a tyke wants better stuff, more and/or stronger Pokemon and more respect, they have to prove themselves. Usually, this takes the form of a rite of passage - a quest to bring back something of great value, whether knowledge, item, Pokemon, food or whatever. Nothing trifling or common, though - something to impress the leader/s of the community. Some may choose to quest together, while others may set out alone. However, it is a custom of the Lost Kids to treat every Questant as 'alive somewhere', even if they don't come back. They only wilfully acknowledge the death of their own if they can see the evidence - partly out of hope, partly to spare the feelings of the littlest ones.
It's a jungle out there, What about Death?
In the event that there is a death in the community, their stuff will be taken and distributed among their friends and/or siblings before the rest of the Lost Kids. Their remains would then be taken as far from the settlement as possible and either shoved respectfully into a hole, covered with undergrowth, set to drift in a river or, in the case of the most enterprising funerary attendants, lodged in a tree. However the dead are set to rest, though, so long as there are remains, a small toy will be sacrificed for the deceased to take with them - usually tucked into the crook of the arm. Once the body has been taken care of, the keening and wailing begins. It would be too much to ask for the Lost Kids to grieve in silence, and they are far more likely to give voice to their emotions en mass. Finally, when most of them have calmed down, one of the literate or moderately literate ones will painstakingly carve the deceased's name into a bit of wood, so that the fallen feral child will - in part - be among them forever. The names of those gone questing, or simply missing, are sewn into the bags used to store things such as name-wood, food, or items - this is so that, even if they fail or never return, they will always support the needs of the community.
Because of the very real presence of death in the community, it is perhaps unsurprising that superstition has risen up around the subject. Given that many of the children had already heard assorted factoids and stories about Pokemon before becoming feral, it is natural that they would use these pre-existing ideas to help them come to grips with things like mortality. A prominent example of this is the case of Phantump. As the Lost Kids live within a forest environment, the stories of the spirits of children dying in the woods take on a rather marked relevance to the feral children - the idea that, if they die, they could return as a Phantump, is comforting to those who fear for their lives, or have lost someone. It is for this reason that the Lost Kids treat Phantump with reverence, perhaps even viewing them as sacred, and will defend them as though they were other Lost Kids - because they just might be. Some will offer a Phantump food if they see one, and no Lost Kid would consider trying to tame one. In the event that a trainer comes and captures one, they are likely to steal it back and release it if they possibly can.
While most of the Lost Kids would not be able to fully articulate all of this, some of the older ones and/or literate ones would be able to explain at least a few of the concepts.
Sounds anarchic - What about Rules?
There aren't many prominent rules among Lost Kids, but the most important revolve around heeding the leader/s of the community, never eating something the Pokemon won't touch, not going potty near food or water, never leading something big and scary to the others, not disrespecting or trying to capture Phantump, and never ever eating something that talks. According to the older kids and the literate, food that talks is not food. Normal Pokenoises are fine, but it gets really creepy if one starts thinking about eating a conversational partner, and cannibalism is not something anyone wants to contemplate. Nobody may ever know for sure how many Chatot this edict has saved.
What kind of population spread are we looking at?
Well, a large settlement like the one near Port City could house perhaps 150-ish kids - small enough to stay hidden and to not have SO many mouths to feed that it becomes ludicrous. This type of settlement could be termed a central hub of Lost Kid habitation, but there do exist other, far smaller areas of Lost Kid habitation spread out from the main settlement. Some of these are simply boltholes, little refuges in which one or two feral children might seek sudden shelter. Others, however, are large enough to house approximately 10 feral children at once, and are usually used for Micro-Merc scouts to rest at or to set up a prolonged watch over one area for whatever reason. It is possible that one day, if and when their population spreads far enough, a second large settlement may begin to grow in the forest to the west of New Pallet. However, at this time, the feral children have only just begun to hear of New Pallet, and do not possess the numbers to split the population that much. In terms of where these rules come from, they mostly originate from Chieftains and/or the Council - said council being made up of at least one proven member of each main profession.
-------------------------------------------
Here are some examples of what feral children may look like - but variation is of course expected.