Skirwan wrote:Second, the correct plural of 'Zo' is 'Zo'. Count with me: one Zo, two Zo, three Zo, a lot of Zo, a whole bunch of Zo. Hard it ain't. I mean, if we all can figure it out, then... Er, I mean, it's easy.
So noted
Third, Stylunk isn't a proper example of how anyone should act. He's a Zo raised by Sylvans, for Gaia sake! I'm pretty sure if you got him drunk enough he'd even admit it (hint: offer Sylvan Whiskey instead of the beer or bloodmead most Zo prefer).
Sorry to hear he was raised by Sylvans. I was raised by a mean step momma ho-witchy fen.
Anotherth, I've been Zoin' it up since long before most of y'all hit town, and I can assure you this whole "saying 'am' every other word" thing isn't a Zo tradition at all, but a silly fad inspired by a friendly but tragically brain-damaged worker and a stylish-but-vapid Zo who didn't learn Common until about yesterday afternoon I think.
Finallyth, Zo are an important part of the Puddlebean community, making numerous contributions to the fields of hitting stuff, finding stuff, complaining, drinking beer, and maybe 'the arts' if you're not going to check up on that too much. If I wanted to deal with this sort of racism and oppression I'd go back to the Ascendancy.
Sorry to hear you think of this as racist. I grant it sounds racist to you, but that is not the intent. My little butt has been saved far too many times by my Zo friends to make such statements. I for one love Zo, as they are perhaps the most fun save a PND DH.
Perhaps I should have emphasized Ratbane as my ideal Zo. He fears nothing, charges into danger without hesitation, and is my favorite mystic. He manages to survive when all the 'stronger' exiles in his party fell (see MI hunt on our sketchbook). Perhaps I should emphasize more than Zo Speak. And until this series of posts, I did not equate 'am' as being required for Zo speak, and still do not.
Another example Zo, Gremlins. He does not speak 'Zo' in the stereotypical sense as has been posted on this subject. He also embodies the Zo well in that he willingly sacrifices himself for a stupid little sylvan who mistakenly went on a rescue mission above her level. Plus he is excellent at trying to toughen up said sylvan by dropping bears on her.
Another example is BlackHand, my clanmate. He also is fearless and a model Zo in his demeanor. He loves adventure and has saved us on more than one occasion. He too does not speak in the stereotypical Zo manner.
I have more examples of honorable and smart Zo but this topic would be too long. My point is that although this was started in jest (and not meant to be racist), I really do want to know what is correct Zo speak. There is some disagreement about that, between the stereotype that I myself and others hold (or did hold) and that of the Zo themselves.
Finally since when does speaking a certain way equate to intelligence? I for one do not hold that view as I am the product/relative of non-native speakers who still get ridiculed for their accents (IRL). They are much smarter than many native speakers despite their accents and sometimes incorrect grammar (although many of them have far better grammar than me).
