Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 19 Nov 2001 to 20 Nov 2001 (#2001-319) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 21/11/2001, 19:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 5 messages totalling 226 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Rise of Nithian Studies 2. Rise of Nithan Studies 3. Mystaran Character Generator v0.001 (3) ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2001 14:51:22 +0200 From: Ville V Lahde Subject: Re: Rise of Nithian Studies Here's some ideas on the Bead of Oblivion that I intend to use IMC. Instead of just erasing memories of the Empire of Nithia, the Bead might also store them. Like this one AD&D monster I remember from the excellent module "When a Star Falls". (I forget the name, it's been years since i read the module.) Perhaps the Bead isn't an artefact in the normal sense of the term, but instead a prison or a cage for such a monster - "a Beast of Oblivion" that feeds on mortal memories and weaves them into its very own fabric. This would make it possible to release some of those lost memories back into the world - a quest worthy of any worshipper of the gods who had a piece of the Nithian pie. Release of such memories would make it possible to revive or reinvigorate their worship. IMC the cleric Alexander Penhaligon has found out "the truth" (I mean campaign-specific truth of course) behind the Traladaran pantheon. It is just a front for an ancient Nithian goddess Taranis, who led the Traldar away from the sphere of influence of Thanatos. When we played the campaign "Division of the Five" with the player of Alexander (it was a period when the PCs lived their own lives, having their own adventures), Alexander found a strange metallic suit and a rod. These were crafted by Taranis, and their function is to shield her followers from the effects of the Oblivion. In the years to come, after(if!) the plans of Thanatos are beaten in the Nomad War, Taranis will send Alexander to the quest where he must try to recover the memories concerning the goddess. Memories, which could be spread into the concisousness of the Traladaran people. This would enable Taranis to come out of "hiding" after so many centuries. (She's been basicly hiding behind the Halav/Petra/Zirchev front, in order to avoid the anger of Thanatos.) During the quest he'll bump into the worshippers of other gods: The once-defeated but not killed Firelord, who is looking after the secrets of the Magian Fire Worshippers. The scattered worshippers of Thanatos, who try to recover from their losses in the Nomad War (again IF the PCs manage to win the war and kill Hosadus!). I know that this is very campaign-specific, but the idea of recovering the memories might be interesting to you. Ville ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2001 12:23:56 -0800 From: Chris Furneaux Subject: Re: Rise of Nithan Studies > This signals the birth of a new branch of > scholarchip: the Nithian > studies. But where might they start? Actually, there > are a few good > places: Well, I thought I would put in some ideas even though I don't have the gaz. I always liked the idea that it wasn't just that it simply erased your memory, but that it became uniterested in it and then forgot. You could talk to someone and would be reminded that you knew something, but would not contribute much if any of the infomation that he knows to the conversation because he is not interested in discussing it. Any serious scholar would no doubt come to surra-man-ra in a very brief time. Thus it could become knowen as a fad of the youth. "He thinks thats an interesting course of study does he, hell soon give up" The people who do know a fair ammount could even believe that what they know is not much or not important and so just tend to leave that stuff out of their writings. Those that have stayed away from surra-man-ra enough to write a book or become known for their knowledge who encountered the bead may become arogant about their work, and while changing the focus of their studies where they can. If people talk to them about their book they can talk about what is in it but suffer from the *do not contribute much to the conversation* thing and say things like "go read my book, as that covers all the important issues, althougth it's not that interesting." > The elves and the dwarves Gaz 5 indicated that the elves of alfhiem are not very forthcomming to outsiders and do not allow them acess to their great libary easily. I don't know what the dwarves would be like (I don't have the Gaz). > Alphatians have been around a long time , and as an > ancient civilisation > they should have at least some info on Nithia. Yes but you would have to find the right libary, and to get acess and help you would have to be a mage, and to find the right book. And once you find a book understanding whats in it and linking it to the modern world thats the most tricky part of all. Of course you would also have to learn ancient alphatian which the alphanians may be couscious to teach and I'm sure not that many of them know. And to learn that you would have to learn modern alphanian quite well. And even then they may not want to let forigners in. I aliken identifying nithia to possibly Atlantis, which now we know was probally cuba but for years we just couldn't settle on a location. > Traladaran folklore might also include hidden > details of the flight of Traldar from Nithia How many Traladaran experts are nithian experts too (none?). and how would one possible make the link. Also any link could be quite tenuous and easily dismissed ("oh it's just a legend"). > Also, the Nithian colonisation of > Minrothad may have left some fragmented hints. Yes but once again it is only today that we are comparing the hirogliphs from south ammerica with those in egypt and seeing the simalarities. Making this connection could be very difficult and once done how long would it take to be of use. I thought that I would show a scheptictal view point as I think that what I know about what it says on the bead and the lack of knowledge is quite reasonable. I must admit I do like the idea of Ville's with the immortal plotting. Chris __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! GeoCities - quick and easy web site hosting, just $8.95/month. http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info1 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2001 15:59:07 -0600 From: John Polacek Subject: Mystaran Character Generator v0.001 Hey guys, I've been working on making a Mystaran Character Generator, of sorts. It's main purpose is to give players that are new to Mystara a quick and easy way of getting Mystara-specific information their character's class, race and place of origin. It deal with stats or specific rulesets. The generator is a series of linked web pages and is set for the period of AC1000. So far, I've only worked on Karameikos, but I plan on doing as many other nations as I can get to, hopefully just about all of them. I wanted to get some feedback on what I've done so far before I proceed. Anyway, if you guys could let me know what you think and any mistakes I need to correct or things I could add, please do so, either here or at my messageboard at mystaraproject.tripod.com - Thanks!! here's the address for the Mystaran character generator: http://mystaraproject.tripod.com/chargenerator/index.html _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2001 15:16:35 -0800 From: Joe Kelly Subject: Re: Mystaran Character Generator v0.001 I believe the Vyallia Elves are also in Karameikos, even though they are very seclusive. JK Wolf ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2001 08:13:14 -0500 From: Giampaolo Agosta Subject: Re: Mystaran Character Generator v0.001 John Polacek wrote: > > The generator is a series of linked web pages and is set for the period of > AC1000. So far, I've only worked on Karameikos, Well, in AC 1000 there's no School of Magecraft in Krakatos. The magic-users learn at the Mages' Guild in Specularum. Otherwise, it is quite good. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 19 Nov 2001 to 20 Nov 2001 (#2001-319) ****************************************************************