[LMB] TSK SP: Second reading.

[Dan Tilque]

I'm still some 600 or so messages behind on the list (I was 1200,
so progress is being made) so it's possible these points were
made by someone else.

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I've now reread Beguilement and have resolved one issue I had
after the first read. That issue was whether there were physical
differences between Farmers and Lakewalkers.

I first note that hair color was not it, since Fawn has black
hair as does Dag and a couple other Lakewalkers. I hadn't noted
her hair color the first time around, but noted that Sunny
Sawfield has blond hair. Hair color of others was not mentioned.

But then I realized that the Farmers society does not resemble
the usual Medieval society of typical fantasy. Other than the
lack of certain technologies (railroads, telegraphs, guns) it
most resembles that of rural 19th century North America. I also
remembered that Lois said something to the effect that she based
the book to some extent on local superstitions. That's when it
struck me: the Lakewalkers are based on American Indians!
Specifically plains Indians.

Note that I say "based on". There are similarities but also
differences.

Similarities: skin color (coppery); nomadic; live in tents;
straight dark hair, worn long and braided; probably others that
we'll see in the second half.

Differences: height (Indians were, in general, no taller than
whites and for many tribes, significantly shorter); average life
span (Indians' were generally shorter than whites, although that
was probably mostly due to lack of resistance to white-introduced
disease); culture, of course (Lakewalkers have a decided
militaristic organization to their society, Indians did not). I'm
sure we'll see many more in part 2.

Well, that's the main thing I noted on my second read.

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--
Dan Tilque