The way the characters in the game see and recognize people, objects, structure, and other things is not like we do. We see a small oval vertical smooth placid lake hanging on a cave wall that casts your reflection back at you and we immediately recognize a mirror, they will not.
When we look at something we try to understand it with the library of things we already understand, so as to make it “less scary”. And we know more than any other humans ever knew. The characters in Primal Quest do not have this knowledge however, so they will need to “understand” the things they find in the mythical and weird primal world of the game with what they know, which is not much beyond what they see in the primeval setting they live in.
So when you are describing the world to the players, being their sense in the game, make sure to remember that. Try to imagine you don’t recognize any of these things, and can only rationalize them through the natural world and early technological objects. And then try to explain this to the players. Here are some examples to help you get inspired.
Crashed Plane: A huge creature made of this shining hard rock that makes loud clattering noises when hit. It appears to have wings, but one of them was torn apart from its side, and hundreds of small blank eyes stare at the nothingness. A small mouth on the side lies open, and a furry humanoid is getting in, carrying a sack on their back.
Hand Gun: A small bent object made of this hard smooth dark stone that resembles an unbalanced boomerang. It has a hole the size of a finger in one extremity, and a larger and wider part on the other end that is used to hold the object. When the gray slender humanoid points it to you and moves their finger you hear a loud noise, almost like a small thunder, and fire comes out of the hole, and you feel a sharp pain in your shoulder. Blood is spilling out.
Mirror: Hanging on the rough cave wall is a small oval flat object that, once you approach it, reminds you of the placid reflective waters of a small lake. Your image stares back at you from the oval flat lake, and you notice something moving behind you.
Glass Wall: If you didn’t see that bird hitting it, it would have been you. You touch it with your hands and you feel the warmth of the sun on the invisible surface of the invisible glass. You see ahead where the air broke, and sharp pieces of it lie scattered around. Who knew air could cut you.
Rocket Ship: In the middle of the shrouded vale you can see this colossal irregular obelisk covered in vines and overgrown. Smaller gray rounded orange obelisks the size of a large dinosaur circle around the larger one. By the side, a great structure of connecting branches made of the gray hard and heavy stone lead all the way to the top of an obelisk by winding stairs, where you can see the entrance of a cave.
Digital Display: A large flat stone with smooth sides and weird black vines liking it to the smooth white walls. From one side you can see moving images, as if rock spirits were telling a story with color and sounds, just like magic.
Music Player: A small flat sided rock with 6 sides. Four of those are featureless and feel like the surface of a flower petal. Another one has some sort of soft skin stretched over the edges and another is decorated with a series of small lustrous stones, which themselves are painted with alien symbols. As you accidentally press one with a bit more strength, you hear the sound of a branch breaking, and sound comes from the side with the soft skin.
ATTENTION: This is only a preview, and is just a draft text of the rules that are going to come eventually. This may change, be cut, etc. Use at your own risk, and hopefully we won’t upset any of our ancestors!