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11:36 am
August 17, 2010
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Dave Reynolds
| | North… Just north. | |
| Elder God | posts 310 |
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Well, in a nutshell, Progenitors (the two legged fish monsters) are the normal species. The offspring (the giant crab looking guys) are their children or "offspring" that they have when they populate with humans. (Progenitors and humans are compatible species for procreation.)
Progenitors are much more primal based than the Offsprings. They're not as smart, probably topping out at around that of a really smart chimp. There are a few exceptions, but for the most part… They're only so intelligent. Their greatest strength lies in numbers.
Offsprings though are larger, more intelligent and stronger than the Progenitors, and whether it is due to biological or metalogical means, they don't die very easily and are very VERY hard to kill. They are also shape shifters, able to take human forms for extended periods of time. In some cases, such as Robert Olmsteads case in Lovecraft's original stories, and even with our own Christmas Snow, they could spend their entire lives as a human and even never know of their true aquatic origin.
That help?
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12:00 pm
August 17, 2010
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Meneskitten
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| Fish Monster | posts 3 |
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Thanks! So all progenitors are humanoid in shape, and all offsprings {when not disguised as humans} are more crustacean-y?
Wait… i just realized something. So, the love between Chrissy's parents stretched across a gap of intelligence similar to one between a human and a chimp?
Equal parts awww and ewww. :=O
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12:24 pm
August 17, 2010
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Dave Reynolds
| | North… Just north. | |
| Elder God | posts 310 |
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Post edited 12:49 pm – August 17, 2010 by Dave Reynolds
Meneskitten said:
So, the love between Chrissy's parents stretched across a gap of intelligence similar to one between a human and a chimp?
Equal parts awww and ewww. :=O
Well, I wouldn't say THAT… But apparently I did. It's probably a poor example I gave there. Talking total science here, I saw a documentary a while ago that said the reasons we develop higher in the mental facilities more than a chimp is because of our language, the fact we can speak. When we can speak, we're able to associate objects with noises or symbols. Since the Deep Ones do have very simple speech patterns, they're probably smarter than a chimp. (For example, they don't fling feces.) We don't really have it thought out on an I.Q. level for them. (Though if I had to guess, I'd say… Low 70s?)
Don't know if that helps the "eww" factor or not, but there you go. 
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1:04 pm
August 17, 2010
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Forsythe
| | Somewhere near soggy old Innsmouth | |
| Deep One | posts 271 |
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Something that may help resolve this… and I'm going to butcher it, but it's true nevertheless. Basically, and it's a fairly well-known fact amongst certain circles, but I.Q. tests aren't a measure of how intelligent one is. They're really a gauge for how well an individual aligns with and knows our ways and means – and then it's also useful to gauge intelligence. A genius-level aboriginal will still come in as a subnormal moron, for instance, because his way of life is focused on an entirely different realm. What's he care about mathematics, compared to how to stalk and hunt game?
Similarly, the fishyfolk may not be able to vocalize as well as we can, but most humans would look like a complete idiot if they were to go up against them in terms of aquatic survival – or even oceanography in general. And, given Puj's short-story sequence, Merri likely has at least an above-average intelligence – she just doesn't sound like it to our ears unless you know her kind's ways.
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1:42 pm
August 17, 2010
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Bounty
| | CA | |
| Deep One | posts 244 |
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It's probably more useful to think of terms on instinct vs. intellect. Instinct is how well the creature knows things, Intellect is the ability to make connections from Topic A to Topic B. The less obvious or logical the chain from A to B, the more Intellect needed to follow it.
Progenitors have LOTS of Instinct, but only a few, like Merri, seem to have developed much Intellect. Humans tend to have LOTS of Intellect (even if they don't use it) but not a lot of Instict.
And slightly more pause worthy than Papa Philbanks getting freaky with a Sea-Chimp is that Chrissy is "very VERY hard to kill." Like hit her with a car and shoot her in the brain with a Mystical Pistol and she stands back up hard to kill.
Wonder if the same applies to Misty?
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It's time for another good idea, bad idea:
Good Idea – Getting your Insider character into the comic
Bad Idea – Joining the EOD to do so. Gratz to Jacobus for the New Avatar!
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2:00 pm
August 17, 2010
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Forsythe
| | Somewhere near soggy old Innsmouth | |
| Deep One | posts 271 |
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Isn't calling what Progenitor have "instinct" a little.. well, insulting? (I know, I'm arguing a point in defense of a fictional race…  ) Granted, much of what they know is likely inherent in their genes, but to say that their vast repertoire of aquatic lore is nothing more than instinct seems a bit species-ist.
After all, they smith gold gewgaws of astounding beauty, they sing beauteous songs (well, beauteous to Progenitor and Offspring anyway) – in short, they have art. That's got to put them beyond just instinct, neh?
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1:29 pm
August 23, 2010
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Meneskitten
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| Fish Monster | posts 3 |
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Thanks!
A synthesis of what yall are saying seems to be that Progenitors are the rough equivalent of neanderthals. A basic level of intelligence, resulting in fairly rich culture {at least art-wise}, but not on the complex intelligence level of a healthy homo sapiens.
So yeah, eww factor significantly reduced. Can arguably be comparable to a healthy guy having feelings for a mid-functioning autist girl, but the neandertahl analogy is prolly still better.
Btw, avoid spoilers plz: i haven't finished my archive binge yet. I'm at the spiderwebs page.
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2:53 am
August 24, 2010
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Jacobus
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| Deep One | posts 303 |
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Meneskitten said:
Thanks!
A synthesis of what yall are saying seems to be that Progenitors are the rough equivalent of neanderthals. A basic level of intelligence, resulting in fairly rich culture {at least art-wise}, but not on the complex intelligence level of a healthy homo sapiens.
So yeah, eww factor significantly reduced. Can arguably be comparable to a healthy guy having feelings for a mid-functioning autist girl, but the neandertahl analogy is prolly still better.
Btw, avoid spoilers plz: i haven't finished my archive binge yet. I'm at the spiderwebs page.
Not far to go at all then 
Welcome to the forums and the comic!
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