Re: Tit'xka (Pretty Long Post)

Sheets, Jeff wrote:
> I like the term "Root of Life".  Is it called thus because of its control
> over life or because by the prevention of new life it preserves existing
> life?
The second - without it, the population would swell rapidly, and then
crash.  Their distant ancestors had many predators, which is why they
needed both high fertility and high intelligence.  When they developed
stone tools and fire, and, most importantly, the ability to build walls
(even in the safest area, no city or town is complete without at least a
ceremonial wall - it's an instinctive urge, analagous to the human
desire for light of some sort, whether it be a fire or a light bulb) to
protect them and their young, especially at night.  Their population
grew rapidly, now only held back by disease and famine.  There were
probably many famines in their ancient history, which may have
encouraged their famous endurance and their intelligence - the smartest
ones could find food better.  Eventually, somewhere, Root of Life was
discovered, probably in a desparate search for edible food.  It's
properties were discovered, and eventually narrowed down to the root.
It was learned how much was needed to maintain a stable population (in
fact, it's now possible to calculate the exact amount needed for a
specific number of births - if 37 people died that year, you'd want the
exact amount to cause 37 births).  This would've been as great a
breakthrough for them as agriculture - they were able to have more
stable societies, and a leisure class which wouldn't be constantly
interrupted by famines.  Such a society could learn to expand at a
reasonable rate, and neighboring tribes would've learned about Root of
Life for them, much as agriculture spread on our Earth.  Also, with a
more stable population, the average population could be larger - the
land would be more fertile without being stripped of edible food every
decade or so.

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