The Culture of the Phoda, by Jalendu

September 8, 2003

Funny you should mention it, but the Phodas did catch my eye. As a matter of fact, when I looked at the concept art, I could see potential in a rich backstory. I like the tooth-weapon motif, and the mythology of the 'Great Shrew'. The Phodas are based on shrews of course [ed. - some may believe they are of hamster heritage because of their name and appearance, but any Phoda will argue with you endlessly about this point], which I did a little research on and found a more interesting pedigree than you might think.

Shrews appear in world mythology even as far back as the 27th Dynasty of Egypt, and mummified shrews have been found in the tombs there. They were regarded along with bats, toads and others as 'creatures of the night.' They're apparently nocturnal, and are quite fierce predators that feed on insects, spiders, and worms.

And get this: THEY'RE POISONOUS! That's right, they're one of three poisonous mammals along with the platypus of Australia, and the solenodons of Cuba. There's a lot of folklore apparently associated with Shrews in Medival Europe, since their bite is enough to immobilize larger prey with a mild-to-moderate neurotoxin. I'm not making this up! People have recorded mild tingling sensations to painful welts after being bitten by shrews, which have a tendency to be fearless, violent and aggressive.

These aren't your sneakin-around, mousy, garden variety rodents. Ever heard of the Taming of the Shrew? 'Shrew' was a term for a woman with a violent, scolding, nagging temperament.

Put all this together, and you have the picture of a mouse-sized badger or wolverine, with a poisonous bite that can bring down larger prey for leisurely consumption later. To put it mildly, I wouldn't want to go up against a shrew if it was anything as large as even a Dwarf, much less man-sized.

So with this kind of background, I see a potential for an interesting player race in the Phodas. These are going to be hot-tempered, proud, aggressive creatures, sort of like pointy-nosed hamsters on crack. Wielding poisoned weapons, mostly, if not actually having a poisonous bite. I imagine if the Phodas have lost their natural poison, they are probably master alchemists with a reputation for having some pretty vicious toxins available, and probably it features in their rituals.

I can also imagine a well-known, respected and infamous secret society of Phoda assassins, maybe like the Morag Tong from The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind. I read each of the notes with the Phodas pictures, and I like the 'glimmers', and the simple clothing styles. And with the poison factor in mind, the whole imagery of the Phodas 'Tooth' and why it is to be feared, even by larger races, there's rich ground to be mined in the way of backstory.

Of course, I don't know much about who's doing the official fiction, and who's conceptualizing the Phodas race, but if they're really overgrown shrews, they're going to HAVE to pay homage to the poisonous little buggers they're based on. Otherwise, the phodas will be just a bad substitute for the Dwarf/Halfling/Gnome paradigm. Knowing that the simply dressed, proud little Phoda in front of you just might be wielding a poisonous notched axe puts the race in a whole new light, eh?

I'm already starting to get glimpses of possible Phoda stories. I definitely would have picked a different name, I mean, I loved the 'Meer', but hey you can't have everything.

Keep Yer Tooth Sharp!

--Jalendu

[as more information from the Dev Team is given out about the Phoda, Jalendu's research will expand and change as needed]