Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 8 Dec 2001 to 9 Dec 2001 (#2001-338) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 10/12/2001, 19:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 5 messages totalling 410 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Gnomes of Mystara (2) 2. Minotaurs: Introduction 3. more about holidays: elves, ylauruam and humanoids 4. Minotaurs: the Bargda - Part One: the Curse of Eritteus ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 8 Dec 2001 23:11:58 +0100 From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Gnomes of Mystara scott ludwig wrote: > > Thanks for the detailed responses regarding my queries--and especially for > the paragraph (below) outlining your personal views. You're welcome :) Much of what I reported are actually ideas that have been around for quite some time. The only thing I think I've come up with there was the bit on Illusionists as Ether Gnomes. > However, following some of your insights (as well as the responses others > have been kind enough to offer) will hopefully help create a race of Gnomes > that is truly unique--more than just a Dwarf or Halfling with a big nose and > short beard. Well, you could always have a look at the non-canon material at the Vaults, both the Technomancy stuff and the Snartan Empire are definitely far from the Dwarf/Halfling stereotype. Of course, we can also provide further info from PC2, if needed. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2001 15:01:21 +0100 From: la Volpe Subject: Minotaurs: Introduction (note to Shawn: this file should replace the old "Origin of Minotaurs" that appears currently on Vaults of Pandius. Thanks in advance) MINOTAURS An Introduction to the Origin of Minotaurs The history of Nimmur before the coming of the menscorpion presents an event that all enduks remember with shame: it is the death of their father and protector, the shedu Gildesh. The common belief is that an enduk called Minoides killed Gildesh in order to take its place on the throne, but, due to this, he was punished by the Immortals and lost his wings, and so did all his followers: they were exiled and were the ancestors of all minotaurs of Mystara. However, this is only partly true: while the enduks of Nimmur were a happy people under Gildesh’s rule, some of them had begun to show a genetic mutation: one every twenty child approximately was born without wings. The wingless enduks were not objects of hatred or intolerance, nor scorn: they were considered equal in rights to all other enduks. A thing that encouraged this behavior by winged enduks was also the fact that never was the offspring of a Wingless (even of two Wingless) a Wingless, but they always bore a True Enduk. But as the centuries passed, their number constantly increased, until there was one Wingless for every four or five True Enduk. Social tensions erupted soon when, all of a sudden, the Wingless begun to breed true. Wingless were always the offspring of Wingless. The leader of the Wingless was a powerful enduk named Minoides. He asked several times for auditions with Gildesh. He was intending to offer suggestions to save both species, finding some compromise, maybe dividing the country in two. However, although Gildesh did never know it, Gildesh’s advisors and counselors refused him access to the supra-natural enduk ruler. Mocking the wingless enduk, they played with his feelings, forcing him to wait forever in the halls of Gildesh’s palace, and then telling him that the enduk’s king hadn’t time to waste for such an inferior being. In the end, Minoides became furious, and he and his lieutenant Eritteus conceived a devious plot to kill Gildesh. It is not known how exactly they managed to murder the nearly-Immortal king, but in the end, their purpose was reached. But after the death of Gildesh, Ixion's wrath stroke hard against the Wingless and the Winged alike, against all those who had furthered Gildesh’s death. Firstly, the Immortal changed all the enduks who had mocked Minoides into Wingless. Then, he made the air magically poisonous to all Wingless. He didn’t care what they did thereafter, but in this way, the uncompromising Immortal was sure to purge his follower’s kingdom of all that was impure. The Wingless decided to flee a kingdom that had become uninhabitable to them. The now poisonous atmosphere of the area moved them first westward, until they reached the sea. Determined to set too much distance as possible from the hated shores of the Enduk kingdom, Minoides decided to start a completely new life. After the loss of faith in Ixion, that Minoides blamed for all his suffering, the minotaur leader sought the protection of Poseidon (= Protius), hoping that he could help the minotaurs on their long quest on the sea. Poseidon agreed to sponsor Minoides. He told the minotaurs to travel westward and cross the ocean; then they would have had to sail all along the coast of Skothar, until they would see a bird made of water rise from the sea before them: if the minotaurs had followed it, they would have been guided to their new kingdom. At the same time, Poseidon also warned Minoides about the fact that he would never help them anymore, nor would he interfere with their quest, nor hinder them, until they would find the Waterbird. Eritteus, that had helped Minoides to kill Gildesh, and had been his right-hand all the time, didn’t agree with Minoides’ choice. He didn’t understand why Minoides had sought the help of an Immortal, when Ixion hadn’t helped them, and had banished them from their ancestral lands. Moreover, the minotaurs didn’t have any seamanship skills. Eritteus, mad of rage at the current situation, took with him a large following of minotaurs and left northwards. [See à Bargdha: the Curse of Eritteus] Led by Minoides, all the remaining minotaurs left Nimmur. First they crossed the ocean. Many minotaurs lost their way on the ocean, and were doomed to die, except a small number. [See à A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers] During the many years of travel, the minotaurs waited for Protius’ Waterbird to show. The death of minotaurs from plagues, hostile natives when they stopped for days or months for rest, and the total absence of signs from the Immortal Protius, led, through time, to the separation of small minotaur groups from the main migration led by Minoides. One by one, small groups of Wingless, that from his name had taken the name "minotaurs ", left him to settle down whenever they found an unsettled area, or friendly natives. [See à Oriental Minotaurs]. Minoides still travelled on, keeping faith in the words of Poseidon. In the summer of 1’699 BC, Minoides reached the area of the Teslan Coast (now it is known as Minaea). There, the minotaurs were greeted by the sight of a marvellous phoenix with feathers made of salt water. The bird rose from the sea, and with a musical cheerio it welcomed the minotaurs. Following it into land, Minoides was guided to an unsettled area where he built a city, Erech. Erech was built in an area abandoned by the Teslan after a raid. Although some village rests warned the minotaurs of the presence of other intelligent beings, they had faith in Poseidon, and ended their long journey. [See à Rise and fall. The New Way and the Savage Ones.] However, not all the Minotaurs were happy about the situation. Between 1’699 and 1’204, many groups of minotaurs, for a reason or another, left westwards, towards Brun. There they gave birth to another branch of the minotaur race, the most commonly known by Old World’s adventurers and people. [See à Western Minotaurs] A last note: not all minotaurs are descendants of the Wingless Enduks. The Minotaur Curse has struck hard upon many races in the long history of Mystara. Once again, this is a story of harship and suffering. [See à Children of the Damned] ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2001 16:53:04 +0100 From: Francesco Defferrari Subject: more about holidays: elves, ylauruam and humanoids First, i would like to add a date to elven holidays, that is. 1/3 First day of Spring, feasting and dancing (inspired by Shadow elves = Discovery feast) Then, updating festival and holidays of mystara, i saw that there are no = festival for the Emirates of Ylauruam nor for the Humanoids, AFAIK nor = canon neither uncanon.. So i came up with those holidays, using the RW = muslim calendar for Ylauruam and just my imagination for the 'Noids.. = Let's start with Ylauruam In the RW the Islamic or Hijra calendar is made up of 12 lunar months. = The Hijra year is therefore 354 11/30 days long, which means that it = migrates through the solar year, starting about 11 days earlier each = (Gregorian solar) year. But for RPG purposes i think it's better to have = fixed dates, besides in PWA3 Ylauruam have an year of 12 normal solar = (of mystara sun, then 28 days) months. Anyway the name of the months (1 = Muharram 30 2 Safar 29 3 Rabi' I 30 4 Rabi' II 29 5 Jumada I 30 6 Jumada = II 29 7 Rajab 30 8 Sha'ban 29 9 Ramadan 30 10 Shawwal 29 11 Dhu al Qa'da = 30 12 Dhu al Hijja 29/30) are the same of the RW, but in RW Muharram = have a different starting each year (26/3/2001 this year), while in = Mystara the first day of Muharram is always the first of Nuwmont, but = the first day of the year is always the first day of Rabi al Thani = (Flaurmont, April). So the holidays will be: 10 Muharram (Nuwmont) Ashura' Shi'a In Mystara could be th joyous = celebration of the victory of Tameronikas in 830 AC, when Ylauruam = became an indipendent nation. (In RW For Sunnite Muslims is the = commemoration of the wonderful events traditions say occurred on this = day, including: Noah's ark came to rest, the Prophet Abraham was born, = the Kaaba was built. Among Shiite Muslims (Iran), it is a day of special = sorrow commemorating the martyrdom of the Prophet's grandson Hussain and = his followers at the battle of Kerbala in Islam's first century. It is = commemorated in Shiite communities with reenactment of these events and = is a time of mourning). 1 Rabi Al-Awwal (Thaumont) In Mystara could be the conquest of the city = of Ylauruam, that will be the start of the war of Al Kalim against = Alphatian and Thyatians to free Ylauruam, in 825 AC. (In RW commemorates = the Hijrah ("migration") of the Prophet Muhammad from Makkah to Medina, = and marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar in history 622 A.D.) 1 Rabi al Thani (Flaurmont) Hijra New Year (Maybe traditional from = Nithian times) 12 Jumada al Thani (Klarmont) Mawlid an Nabi Birthday of Al Kalim (in RW = birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, a day that migrates each year, 4 June = this year 2001). Speeches are given about the life of the Prophet in = gatherings, and dinners are held.=20 27 Rajab (Felmont) Lailat al Miraj The Ascent of the Prophet to the = heavens (obviously Al Kalim in Mystara and Muhammad in RW) 15 Sha'ban (Fyrmont) Laylat Al-Baraa has been translated as "the night = of repentence." (Laylat means night). It is the night when forgiveness = is granted to those who repent. Believers believe it is a night when Al = Kalim is setting the coming year's course for each person. It is = therefore a time when one asks for Al Kalim's blessings as well as for = any specific request. 1-28 Ramadan (Ambyrmont) Month of fasting=20 27 Ramadan (Ambyrmont) Lailat al Qadr Evening of destiny, revelation of = the Nameh (Qur'an in RW) Believers pray that Al Kalim will grant them a = good destiny. 1-3 Shawwal (Sviftmont) 'Id al Fitr This feast marks the end of Ramadan. = It commonly lasts 3 days. The most elaborate dishes are served at large = banquets to which relatives and friends are invited. These colorful = celebrations are the climax of the sense of fullfiliment = characterizing,a month of fasting and hardships. 10-14 Dhu al Hijja (Kaldmont) 'Id al Adha Festival of sacrifice. (In RW = commemorates Abraham obbedience to God) The culmination of the Hajj or = holy pilgrimage. Commonly a 4 day holiday. This holiday is then = celebrated in much the same way as 'Id Al-Fitr - with good food, gifts = for children and general merrymaking.=20 And now Humanoids : - ) Months: Nuwmont: Coldsnow Vatermont: Deepice Thaumont: Firstraids = ('Noids start their spring raids) Flaurmont: Fightdays Yarthmont: = Fruitsdays ('Noids care about food and whelps in their own lands and = raids decrease) Klarmont: Lightdays Felmont: Sundays Fyrmont: Hotdays = Ambyrmont: Berrydays ('Noids search the woods and gather food for the = winter) Sviftmont: Blooddays ('Noids increase their raids to gather = enough food to survive the cold months, and they became very dangerous). = Eirmont: Darkdays Kaldmont: Lairsdays 1/1 Coldsnow, middle winter, 'noids gather around fires telling tales. = (Traditionally 'noids don't have a calendar and don't keep a count of = the years, but many tribes and nations consider that day the start of = the new year) 1/3 First raid day, traditionally war bands gather and go raiding. 1/6 Light day, humanoids feast in the woods mocking and praying the sun = god 1/9 Berry day, humanoid go in the woods to gather food.=20 1/10 Blood day, holy day of humanoids immortals, warriors' feast, = preparation for war 28/10 Serpent day, holy day of Atzanteotl where the immortal has = followers. (the holidays was estabilished next to the more ancient holy = day of Hel 'cause Atzanteotl is always trying to steal away humanoids = followers from the dark goddess. Many religion wars were fought in the = past between the two churches, and clerics of Hel and Atzanteotl fight = each other on sight. all thar is quite canon and mentioned in WotI and = Gaz10, i think) 1/11 Dark day, holy day of Hel, religious celebration 1/12 Lair day, first day of winter, in that day females, older 'noids = and whelps go underground to survive the cold months So 'noids will have two yearly cycles of great activity against humans = (and other races) settlements: from 1 Thaumont to 28 Flaurmont (after = the winter) and from 1/10 to 28/11, more in Sviftmont (just before the = winter).=20 And that'all folks : - ) bye Francesco "What can change the nature of a man ?" ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2001 12:59:24 -0500 From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: Gnomes of Mystara On Sat, 8 Dec 2001, Agathokles wrote: > Well, you could always have a look at the non-canon material at the > Vaults, both the Technomancy stuff and the Snartan Empire are definitely > far from the Dwarf/Halfling stereotype. > Of course, we can also provide further info from PC2, if needed. Speaking of Technomancy and Snarta.. There is a sourcebook coming out called DragonStar which details a whole load of technomancy ideas and What-not, as well as next month's Dragon, being completely about Gnomes.. I'm in heaven, and can adapt and improvise to make my fan-stuff easier to digest. Ethan -- Kinard 210 Linux Guru Webmaster www.steelangel.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2001 19:12:15 +0100 From: la Volpe Subject: Minotaurs: the Bargda - Part One: the Curse of Eritteus BARGDA - THE CURSE OF ERITTEUS While Minoides was leaving Nimmur's coasts, his lieutenant Eritteus, annoyed by Minoides' request of help to Poseidon, had a long and harsh argument with his leader. Eritteus argued that it was folly to ask the Immortals for help: they had proved to be evil and malicious, and never helped them, although the Wingless Enduks never did anything wrong for deserving their situation. Moreover, they didn’t have any seamanship skills, nor did they know when they would find (if ever) a new land beyond the sea. So Eritteus, mad of rage at the current situation, took with him a large following of minotaurs and left northwards. Eritteus took his followers with him beyond Nimmur, to the Yazak Steppes. Here they found only violent humanoids, that attacked them and harassed them all the way north, where he decided to lead them as the Wingless were not in stand to fight with the humanoids for a piece of their land. Heading northwards, Eritteus arrived in the northern regions of what is now Zuyevo. Tormented by its long cold winter, many Wingless died, as there were no magic users nor priests between them. An opposition faction created itself among the Wingless, led by Arianna, a female Wingless who proposed to return to the worship of their old Immortals, especially Ixion, that represented the Sun and could maybe help them in the harsh climate, or, if they repented, to allow them to return back home. But Eritteus had begun to lose his sanity. Burning with rage, he had spent months and months always re-thinking to what had happened, failing to understand why he had deserved all that misery, and with him all his people; and the suffering of his people was becoming more and more his own suffering. The opposition grew among the Wingless. Eritteus wanted to continue the trip north. Arianna claimed that this was madness, as they would just freeze themselves on the mountains of the Endworld Spine, whose snow-filled tops were seen in the clear winter sky. Eritteus, however, had become crazy. He killed outright Arianna during a council, and then he challenged every other Wingless to question his rule. Nobody dared to raise a finger, and they travelled on. Many more died, until the situation was nearly unbearable. Arianna's companion, Laconius, once more raised his voice and pointed his finger toward Eritteus, accusing him of being a madman who were bringing his followers to total destruction. Eritteus killed him. He spoke against the Immortals and all priests. Once again, the Wingless went with him. In summer, a terrible plague stroke hard on the few survivng Wingless. To the exhausted survivors, to the few silent and deprived children, Eritteus once again made a passionate and empious speech in which he accused the Immortals of all the evil they had suffered, in which he even doubted the Immortal's existance. While no Wingless dared to speak or oppose him, he laughed at the Immortals and, offending them in various manners, he asked them to prove in some way their existance to the Wingless. The air became hot. A fiery ray descended from the sun and burned Eritteus. Eritteus was burning and screaming in agony, but his body wasn't consumed. Still, he continued to insult the Immortals. The other Wingless, astonished, didn't say a word. Then they begun to mutate. To change. They became crippled and distorted images of their older selves. The horns were torn, their feet and clows bent, their bodies filled with pimples, their eyes reddened, their furs were hit by alopecia. As they had bent their wills to a crazy Wingless, and hadn't helped innocent testimonies of the will of Ixion, they would become bent in their bodies, and would be denied help by all other living creatures, that would avoid them forever then. As for Eritteus, he still lives, consumed by an eternal fire that will never cease. He roams the Endless Spine mountains, doomed to forever seek a way to quench the fire of his living torch. He has seldom been encountered, but there are reports of a fiery minotaur in the legends and folk tales of all the populations of the Endless Spine. ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 8 Dec 2001 to 9 Dec 2001 (#2001-338) **************************************************************