Lore from Ghosts of Ascalon [Potential Spoilers]

[BrettM]

Just finished my second, note-taking pass through the book. Some interesting bits of charr culture in there.

Spoiler

Charr matings are not usually for life, though it can happen, and are not necessarily within legion. (For example, Ember Doomforge is Ash Legion and so is her mother, but her grandmother is Almorra Soulkeeper of the Blood Legion.)

It is also mentioned that charr children are placed in the fahrar of one of their parents' legions, which also suggests that cross-legion matings are not uncommon.

Dougal gives a bit of a lecture on the different legions. He states that the Iron Legion attracts warbands with an affinity to explosives and machines, the Blood Legion gathers those that are strong and violent, and the Flame Legion has most of the spellcasters and shamans. The Ash Legion is largely spies and saboteurs.

(The phrasing in that speech -- which is uncorrected by Ember, who was present -- seems to suggest that warbands have a choice in their legion affiliation, and can go where they are attracted. This may or may not apply only to new warbands coming out of the fahrar, but, at some point they have a choice. Could it be that legions have recruiters who visit the various fahrars to try to find likely prospects?)

Warbands are usually 20 members or less, to maintain mobility, though there are exceptions. The warband that the party kills when leaving Ebonhawke seems to have 10 members, based on the kill counts given for each party member. The three warbands that chase them into the Dragonbrand are said to total up to sixty-some charr.

Ember eats some nutbread at one point in the story. Later, when the party encounters some cows, she says that charr are mostly carnivorous. So they are clearly carnivorous, but may not be obligate carnivores, as felines are in the real world.

(Puzzling thing still correlates to the notes on charr culture mentioned above.)
One thing that puzzles me:

Spoiler

Mention is made of charr farmers, merchants, and other civilians. Where do these come from? They can't all be retired military charr or charr who have lost their warbands. Are there "warbands" that choose civilian pursuits when they leave the fahrar? Or do most civilian charr somehow fail to form groups while in the fahrar, essentially leaving them outside this social-support mechanism that is more important than biological family to other charr? I hope we get some lore eventually that explores these questions.

[Barinthus]

Good summary on the Charr based on the novel

don't forget...

[Charr hierarchical notes.]

Spoiler

Heirarchy

So far we know the following:

imperators - head of a Legion
gladiium - a Charr without a warband... somewhat like Japanese's ronins

tribune - Remember when we meet Rytlock Brimstone on pg 306, he was referred as Tribune. Perhaps some kind of honorary title for a great hero? He was obviously greatly respected by the charr. As Ember said, she could buff or intimidate a regular charr commander but she's completely powerless regarding Rytlock for his stature is so great among the Charr.

p.278 describes a pasture area by the charr... they raise cows, sheep, hogs, dolyaks, and devourers. The page also said that most of their lands are cleared for ranches and slaughterhouses.

[Qanar]

don't forget...

Spoiler

p.278 describes a pasture area by the charr... they raise cows, sheep, hogs, dolyaks, and devourers. The page also said that most of their lands are cleared for ranches and slaughterhouses.

(Silliness, not particularly spoilerish?)

Spoiler

Also... it might be possible to tip cows!

[Lady Rhonwyn]

Spoiler

Also... it might be possible to tip cows!

Yes, if you're Norn...

Spoiler

And I loved his reaction when he wasn't allowed to tip cows!

And about the charr culture:

Spoiler

I don't think all Charr are made equal. With any group of intelligent creatures, you will have a few who simply aren't fit for a military life. It might also be that there are some casts, comparable to one they had in Japan. With semi-autonomous leaders (the four factions), a warrior class, a fallen warrior class and farmers and traders below that. We already know they can have a "great leader": the one who carries the Claw.

[BrettM]

Good summary on the Charr based on the novel

don't forget...

Spoiler

Heirarchy

So far we know the following:

imperators - head of a Legion
gladiium - a Charr without a warband... somewhat like Japanese's ronins

tribune - Remember when we meet Rytlock Brimstone on pg 306, he was referred as Tribune. Perhaps some kind of honorary title for a great hero? He was obviously greatly respected by the charr. As Ember said, she could buff or intimidate a regular charr commander but she's completely powerless regarding Rytlock for his stature is so great among the Charr.

p.278 describes a pasture area by the charr... they raise cows, sheep, hogs, dolyaks, and devourers. The page also said that most of their lands are cleared for ranches and slaughterhouses.

You missed a couple:

Spoiler

Centurion - officer in charge of multiple warbands. The one mentioned in the book was in charge of "scores of warbands". This would make the rank quite a bit higher than a centurion in the army of ancient Rome, who originally commanded a unit of 100 men. (Hmmm. "Scores" could mean five-score, or 100 warbands, justifying the name of the rank. In which case, assuming 10-20 charr per warband, it would be 1,000-2,000 charr.)

The ordinary charr in a warband seems to be addressed as "legionnaire", but it isn't clear whether that's a rank (equivalent to ordinary soldier) or just a general term for any charr in a legion's military.

Tribune strikes me as being a particularly high rank. Perhaps one rank below the imperator. I don't think it's a special title just for Rytlock, because it fits the theme of using ancient Roman titles for other military charr.

[Konig Des Todes]

(Puzzling thing still correlates to the notes on charr culture mentioned above.)One thing that puzzles me:

Spoiler

Mention is made of charr farmers, merchants, and other civilians. Where do these come from? They can't all be retired military charr or charr who have lost their warbands. Are there "warbands" that choose civilian pursuits when they leave the fahrar? Or do most civilian charr somehow fail to form groups while in the fahrar, essentially leaving them outside this social-support mechanism that is more important than biological family to other charr? I hope we get some lore eventually that explores these questions.

Spoiler

Aside from the injured and retired, there are also children (before they go to the creche/fahrar's) that help in domesticated tasks.

There are likely those who are weak (due to genes, lack of interest in war, etc.) that likely aid in these tasks. Just like every human isn't interested in the things that humanity usually is, there are bound to be charr who aren't interested in the things that their race is.

However, considering how combatant the charr are, I wouldn't doubt that the injured to the point of inability to fight perfectly is not uncommon.

[BrettM]

Spoiler

there are also children (before they go to the creche/fahrar's) that help in domesticated tasks.

Spoiler

"...our children enter the fahrar of one of their parent's legion once they have been weaned." (GoA p 276)

Charr children are called cubs, though female cubs are occasionally called “kits” out of affection. Infants are born fully furred, with open eyes and functional limbs. Within a few days, cubs can follow their mothers over even the harshest terrain. They eat meat within a month of birth, and are fully independent several months later.

Charr cubs are raised by their parents only during this short period of time. Thereafter, they are taken to Fahrar camps -- "Ecology of the Charr"

I suppose it's vaguely possible that the cubs assist with domestic tasks while only a few months old. It does seem a little contrary to experience though, for the same reason we don't try to ride an unweaned foal even though it can walk shortly after being born. A charr that young doesn't seem as if it would be physically up to many tasks, and, unless they are all geniuses, I don't see how they could learn enough in that amount of time to do anything requiring judgement.

I'll keep looking for the reference from which you paraphrased that information. Perhaps it will explain more.

[Konig Des Todes]

I most likely misremembered what you quoted from the Ecology - as that is where I recall the information coming from.

[Gorani]

It would be much easier for people not done with the novel to not just put everything into SPOILER tags, but describing what it is or giving it a chapter tag.

Asura Lore, Legacy of Blimm
<enter SPOILER here>

Chapter 4
<enter SPOILER here>

[BrettM]

Looking further, there is a statement in "Ecology" about "young charr" being used to herd the beasts that fed the legions. That may be what you remembered.

This could have been a duty for cubs in the fahrar, though I doubt that unweaned cubs would have been used for this. The fahrar couldn't have been some giant playpen where the cubs were penned up until they grew up. There must have been lessons, martial training, and duties of some sort to teach them discipline and responsibility.