String Puppets

Cruciform

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String Puppets

« on: 22 February 2011, 01:55:38 »

NOTE: This is most definitely not a complete piece. I still need names, a Construction section and a Use section, and I need to confirm and write the history. While I do not doubt that a Helcrani merchant (or merchant pretending to be a Helcrani) could be evil enough to do what is said AND implied in the History notes I have, I need to know if the Milken Brownies would stand for enslavement or if they should just be paid really well in return for crap treatment. Opinions on that and anything else while I finish it off, please.
*As an aside, I've looked through the miscellaneous section and haven't found puppets or marionettes of any kind, so I've taken them for further use in a second entry I would like to use as soon as this one is as good as blarrowed. If there's any known problem with me "inventing" this so late in the timeline, please bring it up.

Overview

For thousands of years, children have had toys created in the shapes of all manner of creatures and races. These have ranged from pieces whittled from wood, or even rags stuffed with other materials which have then been sewn into their “human” shape.

By far, one of the most revolutionary of these toys is the “string puppet”. The puppet’s limbs are attached to strings which are manipulated via wooden toggles to make the puppet seem lifelike, allowing the manipulator to have the puppet act out any number of manoeuvres. It was first officially seen in New Santhala in late 1656 in the hands of <name pending> who seems to have invented it.

The history of the puppet before 1668 is what makes it all the more interesting however, as it holds an almost gruesome past for those who were entwined within its strings.

Description

In 1656 when the string puppet was first seen in the hands of <name pending>, it was a crude piece that worked well only because of the skill of its manipulator. it was rather flimsy and the strings that held its limbs wore multiple knots along their length, suggesting that they had been broken many times. However, its execution was amazing, being that it had been created by little more than a child who had no access to professional resources.

The torso and head of the doll were a single piece of wood, shaped to resemble a woman with an ample bosom, as the assumed creator’s sister was so inclined. It did not have a mass of detail; it had no face but for the one that was painted on it in white and black, and the neck was thick and round. The string that held the entire doll upright was tied around the neck several times and was attached at the other end to a wooden toggle that <name pending> would hold in her mouth when in use.

Each of the four limbs were held in place by a girdle of string around the torso that the limbs could be tied on to. The arms and legs themselves were single pieces bent slightly at the middle to simulate knees and elbows. At the “hands” and “feet” on these pieces, <name pending> had attached other pieces of string attached to wooden toggles that she used in her own hands. The left arm and leg of the doll was controlled by her left hand and the right arm and leg were controlled by her right hand.

The toggles for these limbs she held in between her thumb and forefinger for the arms and between her bottom two fingers for the legs. The strings themselves were ingeniously well-presented despite their shambling appearance. The young woman creator had somehow cut the strings to be the exact same length for each limb, and had provided sufficient length for the leg strings that her movement of the arm strings would not affect it aversely.

The final addition was a little rag dress, assumed to have been cut from the owner’s own clothes to cover up the string girdle.

Modern string puppets are almost infinitely better prepared. The head moves freely to the neck and is sufficiently detailed to look human or elven, or even dwarven depending on the puppet’s height and body structure. The original puppet is remembered at being not much over a fore in height, though modern creations are almost two fores tall if they are to depict humans, which are currently the most common in circulation.

The heads are painted with a face and have small ear-like appendages on the sides that can, again, be either human or elven. The torsos are built in male or female varieties, but the biggest achievement with the puppets is the successful elbow and knee joints used in its creation. The head and other limbs are attached to the torso via small metal eyelets which are tied on with strong woven string to allow almost complete freedom of movement, but in the joints, movement is restricted to human possibility.

The Brownies responsible for this do not share their secret, but say they did modify the eyelets they used so that the arms could not bend too far backwards and the legs could not bend too far forwards. When in use by a skilled partisan, these modern versions of the original string puppets look as though they are flowing in dance and all other kinds of movement.

Wooden toggles are no longer used to manipulate the doll, having been replaced by two wooden bars. The first of these bars holds the head string in the middle and the arm strings at each end. This bar is about half as long as the doll is tall. The legs, on the other hand, are attached to a bar that is held about a palmspan and a half above the other. The bar itself is as long as the legs of the doll.

Construction

Use

History

1656- first official sighting by Helcrani merchant in hands of homeless sisters. He woos them and takes them under his wing.
1657- being built more efficiently by the Helcrani merchant’s Milken Brownie slaves.
1658- puppet sisters disappear from the streets of New Santhala.
1660- puppet sisters return to streets of New Santhala, apparently no longer homeless. One is a better dancer, and then other is a better puppet master with better puppets. They advertise the opening of a puppet shop owned by Helcrani merchant.
1662- puppet sisters die mysteriously. The Helcrani merchant’s business continues to flourish as his Brownies find a way to make better knees and elbows for his puppets.
1664- merchant hires dancers and artists to learn to dance along with the puppets at public and private performances around New Santhala.
1667- Helcrani merchant dies of an illness. His shopkeeper finds the cage in which the merchant has been keeping his Brownie slaves. Some of them are dead. Shopkeeper writes a book entitled, “The Puppet Master: thirty years of horror”, detailing the terrible secrets of the Helcrani merchant’s life.
1668- only three copies of “The Puppet Master” are sold before the puppet store goes up in flames. The shopkeeper escapes with minor burns. He continues the legacy of The String Dancers and hires the Milken Brownie slaves as actual employees to travel with them.
1670- string puppets are sold out of the String Dancers caravan as it passes through its route through New Santhala, <other cities>.


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Ta'lia of the Seven Jewels

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Re: String Puppets

« Reply #1 on: 22 February 2011, 10:09:14 »

Sounds cool, Cruci!

I don't know, what for you need the Brownies though... nimble fingers?

The only thing which I don't like is that the string puppet was invented only recently. I think that is something which should be far older - not the sophisticated versions, but the simple ones. Every parent can attach three strings to a puppet, be it one with a human shape or a bird etc...


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Re: String Puppets

« Reply #2 on: 22 February 2011, 11:49:04 »

Quote from: Ta'lia of the Seven Jewels on 22 February 2011, 10:09:14

Not so much the nimble fingers, but more for the small fingers. They can fit into the small joints on the puppets and still tie knots, et cetera.

As for the recent nature of it, I mentioned specifically in the overview that it was first "officially" seen in 1658. There would have been other even more crude versions in the past, but the point is that this is the first time where it would have been seen as even more of an art form than as just a toy and I plan on mentioning that sort of thing in the History.


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Shabakuk Zeborius Anfang

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Re: String Puppets

« Reply #3 on: 22 February 2011, 11:52:18 »

*cough, cough*

Fymbel puppeteers!

(See fymbels entry, Section on Trades.)

From what is said in the fymbels entry, string puppets must be much older than your current history implies. Puppetry is already a well-established art. But the fymbels entry says nothing about who invented the puppet, so you're free to roam in that respect!

Sorry for short message, I have little time these days, and in fact was just on the Dev Board to see whether my new wireless connection is working.

Good luck with the entry, Cruci!


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Ta'lia of the Seven Jewels

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Re: String Puppets

« Reply #4 on: 22 February 2011, 14:28:15 »

I knew there was something! But that had sunken too deep down in what I call my memory (which is terrible spongy anyway

) to surface when I would have needed it!


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Cruciform

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Re: String Puppets

« Reply #5 on: 23 February 2011, 03:57:00 »

GAH! Dangnabbit!

Well, I'll see what I can do with that.


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Valan Nonesuch

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Re: String Puppets

« Reply #6 on: 23 February 2011, 04:11:31 »

Quote

1657- being built more efficiently by the Helcrani merchant’s Milken Brownie slaves.

GAH! What would Rookie and Eldor say! Such ignorance! Please don't tell me you read the entry and still posted it like that.

From the Milken Entry Government and Diet respectively.

Quote

Since the Milken took up arms on behalf of their country they were considered citizens. So, they gained formally the title of Helcrani. They were allowed to have personal property and to live without a family to serve (although this was considered by the Milken to be most unpleasant). Anactar Ogygor set Browniecide as a criminal offence punished just like homicide.

Quote

[...]but anyone treating his Milken so poorly would be ostracized by society


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Re: String Puppets

« Reply #7 on: 23 February 2011, 09:18:39 »

Cruci, upon reading just your introduction I had a frisson of fear that your 'puppets' would actually BE Brownies with strings on, painted and ordered to move stiffly, or some such thing.... now that would be desolate slavery! Anyhow, a good beginning, and a nicely spotted 'hole' to fill. I've been turning over the idea of a general overview of Toys and Games - from 'poppets' (the old word for dolls) and tops and knucklebones to elder (the tree, not the grandfather) whistles and hopscotch... if I find the time. Your stringpuppen would fit right in...


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Deklitch Hardin

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Re: String Puppets

« Reply #8 on: 23 February 2011, 11:42:45 »

you know, Bard ... I had the same fear on reading Cruciform's introduction.

Dek


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Re: String Puppets

« Reply #9 on: 23 February 2011, 14:08:29 »

I'll take a look at the wording there, guys.

Quote from: Valan Nonesuch on 23 February 2011, 04:11:31

GAH! What would Rookie and Eldor say! Such ignorance! Please don't tell me you read the entry and still posted it like that.

From the Milken Entry Government and Diet respectively.

Yeah, (I do plan on him not being a real Helcrani) I think someone would still risk enslaving a few little people if they could, you know? People really are that evil.


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Bard Judith

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Re: String Puppets

« Reply #10 on: 23 February 2011, 14:44:18 »

Considering that at one time in Santharian history Brownies were a popular snack (and I do NOT mean the decadently rich little kao-kao cakes), I'd believe anything of humans...


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Re: String Puppets

« Reply #11 on: 02 March 2011, 04:09:21 »

Cruci

I haven't told you yet but I love this idea of having puppets. Can't wait to see your next update. I hope you include an interesting myth of a mysterious famous or infamous set of dolls. Aura +1 from me just for the idea.


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