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 Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2008 9:10 pm
Why would merfolk know that that is what we would do with them if we found them? We haven't had any contact with them, otherwise they would be a matter of fact, not a matter of debate at best. If they were out there and were avoiding us, they would know as little about us our culture as we would know about theirs. They would have no reason at all to believe we would lock them up as lab specimens. It's just as likely they would believe we would welcome them as overlords.
Berz.
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 8:31 am
I'll let someone else deal with this question. My turn is over for the moment.
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 2:47 pm
Berzerker_prime Why would merfolk know that that is what we would do with them if we found them? We haven't had any contact with them, otherwise they would be a matter of fact, not a matter of debate at best. If they were out there and were avoiding us, they would know as little about us our culture as we would know about theirs. They would have no reason at all to believe we would lock them up as lab specimens. It's just as likely they would believe we would welcome them as overlords. Berz. Just because they have not had physical contact does not mean their intellect is not great and they don't know a thing about us. Obviously, we must have had contact with them some time ago, and if we did, they would remember our ways which have not changed much at all. Back then we would either keep interesting creatures in cages and stuff (still do), kill all that would seem a threat to us (still do), use them for our own entertainment (still do), or even eat whatever we thought edible (still do). The last thing they need is to put their species at risk just to have constant contact with us, no matter how intelligent they are. I highly doubt even advanced oceanic beings can stand up to nuclear weapons and submarine weapons that can blow everything up to bits.
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 4:37 pm
E-Dragon is right! I couldn't have put it better myself. 3nodding
I think that in order for the supposed merfolk to stand a chance against us would be for them to have abilities that went beyond reality and into fantasy like, being able to create bubbles that could withstand enormous amounts of damage or alike.
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Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 8:41 am
Bubbles that could withstand damage? What do you mean by that Hypno?
Sounds like a forcefield to me.
Anyway, let's take Disney's "The Little Mermaid" as an example of how merfolk might act when faced with a species like us. Tritan forbids his people to go to the surface because of what humans are like. He sees them as barbaric (and I will concur - we were and still are, and will probably forever be that way). Ariel is fascinated by them and goes to the surface anyway.
In terms of the story itself, Tritan is the sensible one along with other merfolk who don't go to the surface at all. Of course they do at the end to say goodbye to Ariel, because it's a fairytale and everything's all lovey-dovey. Whereas in reality, something like that just isn't going to happen. Such beings are never likely to surface, at least not in areas were we're likely to see them......IF they exist or existed.
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 4:05 pm
I suppose there's no need to think too much about this cuz I was only thinking out loud. I guess it could be a forcefield that looked like a bubble. mrgreen
I agree with Mel. I also think humanity has been very cruel with the creatures of the ocean. Not all of us are like that but if we were all alike, we would probably still be cavemen, he-he.
And yeah, if the mermen exist or existed, I doubt we would see any. Though there are tales from seamen who claim they have seen things but, I bet most of them must have been drunk or on cocaine, ha-ha! lol
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 8:30 am
You weren't allowed to be drunk or high when you worked a ship. If you were on watch, you were sober or you got into a lot of trouble. Punishments on board ship were NASTY. You could drink if you weren't on watch and weren't due to be on watch within 4 hours. That's still how it's done today. I'm subject to these rules as well.
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Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 12:50 pm
Yeah, that sounds about right. Even pirates must have had something like that, right? I mean, the pirate who was on watch point couldn't get drunk, could he? Unless maybe they were not very responsible or didn't care about the consequences.
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Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 9:34 pm
The Egyptian Dragon Just because they have not had physical contact does not mean their intellect is not great and they don't know a thing about us. Obviously, we must have had contact with them some time ago, and if we did, they would remember our ways which have not changed much at all. Back then we would either keep interesting creatures in cages and stuff (still do), kill all that would seem a threat to us (still do), use them for our own entertainment (still do), or even eat whatever we thought edible (still do). The last thing they need is to put their species at risk just to have constant contact with us, no matter how intelligent they are. I highly doubt even advanced oceanic beings can stand up to nuclear weapons and submarine weapons that can blow everything up to bits.
First off, I don't mean physical contact, I mean contact at all. If they had had contact with us and any of that had happened, there would be some record of it. Otherwise, we would have by now faded into their legend the same way that they have, apparently, faded into ours. And second off, if they are as intellegent as that, they would have come up with a way of dealing with our apparent destructive nature other than hiding under rocks. Still, not buying it. Berz.
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Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 12:03 pm
Kenshin Belmont Yeah, that sounds about right. Even pirates must have had something like that, right? I mean, the pirate who was on watch point couldn't get drunk, could he? Unless maybe they were not very responsible or didn't care about the consequences.
If any sailor reported seeing a mermaid or siren whilst drunk, he wouldn't have been on watch at the time. Many claim to have seen them in the past, and even if they were telling the truth, few could have believed them because they still remain a myth. In days gone by, if such beings exist, then they've learned their lessons from taking the risks of being seen. They'd have seen our destructive prowess and MAYBE fled to a place where they knew they'd most likely be safe. Though, like Berz said, if they're intelligent then in all these years they should have come up with a way of dealing with us rather than just "hiding under rocks". However, not all intelligent beings are aggressive. They could be passive though? If we EVER did discover they existed, and if they are intelligent, they'll likely have a way of dealing with us. The sea would be their domain, and they'd know it much better than we do (IF they exist)
That doesn't mean they either exist or they don't, but if you consider a sailor's story as being true, why hasn't anyone seen one since? There are numerous explanations to prove or disprove the "possibilities".
Berz, could you also look at this in a non-literal manner? Whether they exist or not leaves something to be desired, so let's look at all of this in terms of alternative universes as well for fantasy purposes that relate to the guild rather then just using science alone to bicker about things that may or may not exist. All we do is talk about the possibilities of existences, and if we "assume" something exists, it's just a figure of speech as I mentioned in the "In terms of existence" thread.
There are lots of books, films and games about alternative universes that say "what would the world be like if......A, B or C existed?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 12:25 pm
DM_Melkhar A great many things could happen because people just aren't safe when they're drunk. You're handling several hundred if not a few thousand tons of wooden sailing ship, and if you're on watch you've got to be ready to do anything and everything that's required of you. If you're drunk you can fall asleep, fall overboard, fail to spot an enemy ship, you won't be able to steer, you couldn't climb the mast nor set or stow sails whilst up there. Pirates had strict rules like everybody else, and I don't know why it even needs to be questioned. I wasn't exactly questioning that, I was just saying... mrgreen But yeah, I do believe you make a good point Mel. I still don't think they exist but I'd like to keep an open mind to the possibility. 3nodding
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 7:34 pm
DM_Melkhar Berz, could you also look at this in a non-literal manner? Whether they exist or not leaves something to be desired, so let's look at all of this in terms of alternative universes as well for fantasy purposes that relate to the guild rather then just using science alone to bicker about things that may or may not exist. All we do is talk about the possibilities of existences, and if we "assume" something exists, it's just a figure of speech as I mentioned in the "In terms of existence" thread.
There are lots of books, films and games about alternative universes that say "what would the world be like if......A, B or C existed?" I'm completely open to that. It's called fiction and I'm a fan of it. Fiction is wonderful. Fiction is liberating. Fiction is the product of imagination. But fiction is fiction and real life isn't. To assume something exists in your piece of fiction is just fine. To some extent, you cannot write fiction without it (since you have to assume your characters exist). But you're assuming it for fiction, not for real life and you have to say you're doing that. Berz.
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Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 5:12 pm
I suppose you have to state it, don't you? Cuz if you tell people that you believe in fantastic creatures and all that, someone may have you commited, he-he. mrgreen
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Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 5:22 am
Rumours have to originate from somewhere, Hypno. The rest of the post is in the "What makes it fantasy?" and "In terms of existence" threads because it's not specifically about merfolk.
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Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 3:46 pm
Yes you're right but, what if rumors are started by a lie? After all, lots of nasty or fantastic rumors are started when someone thinks up of a cool thing or, something alike.
And yes, we should continue to talk about Merfolk only but, what should we discuss next? neutral
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