Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 13 Nov 2002 to 14 Nov 2002 (#2002-296) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 15/11/2002, 19:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 4 messages totalling 834 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Tax Collection 2. A Guide to Human Ethnography - Main chronology of racial evolution 3. A Guide to Human Ethnography - Neathar 4. NWN Mystara group ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 14 Nov 2002 11:29:14 -0000 From: Colin Davidson Subject: Re: Tax Collection ----- Original Message ----- From: "S. van Doornspeek" To: Sent: Thursday, November 14, 2002 12:38 AM Subject: [MYSTARA] Tax Collection > Heyas, > > having been quiet for a long time on this list, years it seems, I do have a > question. In several of the mystara products, taxes are mentioned and in > DoE, there is a bit about taxes as well and how they relate to crimes. > > But, nowhere does it explain how taxes are collected. I assume that, for > example, the Thyatian empire would send tax collectors after those who they > know got a lot to pay, but what about the normal people? Do they go to a > local official for this, or is there a periodical collection by an official? > > I'm curious to know if (and how) people have used taxes in their campaign. In the corner of Mystara where I run my game (a city called Magan, in the county of Maganshire, Norwold) there is a highly professional 'inland revenue service'. The duke employs a seneschal who deals with this organisasion on his behalf, and he in turn employs a series of officials (tax collectors) who's job it is to obtain fair taxes from all of those within a certain area. Most of these collectors deal with a small town or set of villages, and many of them also serve as local magistrates. This, of course, is not a system that is immune to corruption, so a right of appeal exists where anyone who feels unfairly done to can take his case to another of the dukes representetives, the Lord Judge. The make up of the inland revenue service is fairly varied. Most of them come from mercantile backgrounds and a high proportion (even amongst human communities) are dwarves who, who are generally viewed as fair and even handed folks in Norwold. I won't bore people with details of how much tax is paid, but I'll hilight the idea that having an identifiable tax service makes for some highly amusing roleplaying experiences. The PC's will undoubtedly get to know their local tax collector, magistrate, and other members of the service. Give your tax collectors strong personalities, make them sticklers for doing things their own highly inefficient way, and you have entertaining foils for even the most cynical of PC's. There's also scope for adventure, with the PC's potentially becoming embroiled in rooting out corruption, or being the targerts for crooked tax collectors or magistrates. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2002 14:06:24 +0100 From: =?iso-8859-1?q?la=20Volpe?= Subject: A Guide to Human Ethnography - Main chronology of racial evolution A GUIDE TO HUMAN ETHNOGRAPHY 3/Main chronology of racial evolution ------------------------------------- by Giampaolo Agosta & Giulio N. Caroletti This is a tentative complete chronology of the human racial evolution. It is useful as a reference, but it is strongly raccomended to read carefully the individual racial entries (that will follow) while reading this chronology, to have a good picture of the times of changes to the various populations. The Tanagoro, Yezchamenid and Hulean-region humans have been mostly dismissed in this work for various reasons: Tanagoro are very little detailed; Huleans and Yezchamenids have terribly complicated ethnic compositions and a lot of minorities are present. Ochaleans are still a big issue, and we haven't included alien humans (like Emerondians and Alphatians). Moreover, there are fan based races that we haven't talked about (Nentsun, etc.). Maybe we will deal with them in a later update of the work. Note: to fully understand this work see also the following articles regarding Neathar races and the tables presented within them. BIRTH OF THE HUMAN RACE Before 75'000 BC Black skinned human race in Tangor Bay area. 75'000 - 70'000 BC First migrations leave eastwards and cross the Tangor mountains. Those that remain are the ancestors of the Tanagoro and of the other black-skinned humans. The evolution of the black skinned races will be treated separatedly in a later article. 67'000 - 56'000 BC Southians remain on the south-eastern coast. They may have become extinct, or have crossed over the sea to Zyxl.The rest of the migrating humans, known as Northians, continue upwards near the eastern Skotharian coast. THE FIRST STONE AGE 50'000 BC The Northians split in two. 45'000 BC One group of Northians settle in central Skothar (now the Steppes of Jen) and become the Skotharians or Proto-oltecs. 40'000 BC The other Northian group reaches Brun. They are the Brunians 35'000 BC First Proto-oltec migration reaches the Brunian shores of the Sea of Dread through Alphatia. They will be joined by other two migrations during the next 20'000 years. 25'000 BC Brunians evolve into the first Neathar and Lhomar tribes. 20'000 BC Skotharians of Skothar evolve into three recognizable main groups: Valoin, Afridhi and Peshwans. 15'000 BC Skotharians of the Sea of Dread have become the ancient Oltecs. 12'000 BC Neathar of Brun evolve into the Aharians (or True Neathar). 10'500 BC Neathar of norhern Brun cross the landbridge to Skothar. They evolve differently from the True Neathar and become the Ahonians. THE ERA OF LHOMARR 10'000 BC Some Lhomar leave Brun for the southern lands where they become the Lhomarrians. 9'000 BC Afridhi settle down and become farmers. 9'000 BC Valoin from Skothar leave west for Brun. They settle around the Frosthaven Sea and develop the somatic traits of blonde hair and blue eyes. 9'000 - 6'000 BC Valoin of Brun are conquered and assimilated by the Aharian tribes of northern Brun. They become the Skandaharians. 8'000 BC Lhomarrians found the Empire of Lhomarr. 7'000 BC Lhomarrian empire and Carnifex empire destroy each other. THE SECOND STONE AGE 6'000 BC The last Valoin group of southern Skothar is forced north by the Tanagoro. 6'000 BC Lhomarrian exiles move toward Alphatia. 6'000 BC There is no human or demi-human civilized culture on Mystara. 6'000 BC Aharians of southern Brun evolve into Durhanians and Maharians. THE FIRST CIVILIZATIONS 5'000 BC Lhomarrians reach Alphatia and mix with the Afaharians. 5'000 BC The Ahonian descended Thonians form the first human civilized culture after the Lhomarrians. 4'500 BC Yanifey race formed by the union of Afaharians (dominant) and Lhomarrians. THE ERA OF BLACKMOOR 4'000 BC Blackmoorians, a separatist branch of Thonians, begin a meteoritic rise in technology and found an Empire that soon replaces the Thonian one, and assimilate part of the Afridhi and Skandaharians. 4'000 BC Peaceful Maharians enter the regions of Varellya. They meet the remnants of an Oltec colony. 3'500 BC Peshwans leave Skothar for Brun. Those that don't are absorbed into the Blackmoor Empire. 3'200 BC Some Peshwans settle down in Ethengar. THE THIRD STONE AGE 3'000 BC Some Peshwans reach the Midlands. 3'000 BC Great Rain of Fire. Blackmoor obliterates itself. Change of the terrestrial rotational axis. 3'000 BC Skandaharians leave Norwold for the areas of nowadays Known World. 2'800 BC Northern Skandaharians occupy the Northern Reaches. They are the Thantalians. 2'800-2'000 BC An Oltec colonization party reaches Skothar. The Oltecs begin to spread in the regions of Minaea, Esterhold and Jen. With the passing of time and the change of climate and other conditions, from the original Oltecs two different groups form: the nomadic Jennites and the farming Teslans. 2'700 BC Dunharians of the west call themselves the Carnuilh. 2'600 BC The Carnuilh are the first Dunharians to be threatened by the Skandaharians. They resettle in nowadays Wendar and Denagoth. 2'550 BC Northern Skandaharians evolve into the Antalians. Their main area of influence is Norwold. THE BRONZE AGE 2'500 BC Most of the Maharian tribes are conquered and assimilated by Bronze Age descendants of the Thonians known as Taymorans. 2'500 BC Antalians enter Wendar. They are the ancestors of the Wendarians. The Dunharians flee west (among these tribes are the ancestors of the Ranax tribe). 2'400 BC Antalians reach northern Denagoth. They are the ancestors of the Northwestern barbarians. 2'400 BC Warlike Maharians fleeing the Taymorans reach Varellya and conquer the Maharian/Oltec culture that lives there. They become the Varellyans. 2'450 BC Maharians leaving the areas of the Known World under the pressure from Dunharians and Skandaharians reach Hule. Some settle down. 2'400 BC Peshwan descended tribes of the Adri Varma Plateau move west and enter the Midlands and Hule. They bring with them the Temple of Chaos faith. Contrasts, mixes and wars with the Maharians form a maze of conflicting tribes and nations (with the occasional Barbarian tribe from the western fringe of Antalian migration in the picture). The most common Peshwan/Maharian mixed race become the Huleans. The complete (and complicated) figure of races and tribes in the region should be checked in the "Hulean Timeline" by Christian Constantin. 2'300 BC Dunharians fleeing the Skandaharians reach the Isle of Dawn. These become the Dunael. 2'300 BC The Antalian invaders are repelled by the Peshwans of the steppes. Some remain in the area; most are assimilated by the locals, becoming the Ethengarians. 2'250 BC Maharians from Hule, known as the Urduks, reach the grasslands (now desert) west of the Sind regions. They mix with the remnants of the Oltec-descended tribes of the region. 2'200 BC Dunharians and Skandaharians tribes mix and become the Trantalians. 2'100 BC Skandaharians known as the Nantalians reach the Isle of Dawn. They begin warring with the Dunharians (now known as Dunael) that settled here two centuries ago. 2'000 BC Dunharians fleeing the Skandaharians reach Davania. They become the Thratians. 2'000 BC Humanoid invasions throw the Antalians into a dark age. 2'000 BC Antalians enter the Northern Reaches. Thantalians move south to Ylaruam and Soderfjord. 2'000 - 1'000 BC The Trantalians of nowadays Thyatis evolve into the Doulakki, city-bulders and explorers. Outside Thyatis they are responsible for the founding of Ekto, Trikelios, Cynidicea, Akorros, Athenos. 2'000 BC The Nantalian culture is losing ground to the Dunael. Desperate, they ally themselves with local Oltec cities. 1'850 BC Kingdom of Varellya founded. 1'800 BC The Oltec/Nantalian alliance have generated the Nithians. 1'750 BC Taymora sinks to the sea. THE IRON AGE 1'700 BC Nithians lose to the Dunael, and leave the Isle of Dawn for nowadays Ylaruam. 1'700 BC The Ethengarians are conquered by the humanoids of Akkila Khan and assimilate part of their culture. 1'700 BC A small group of Antalians that had resisted in Ethengar is forced to leave by the humanoid invasion. They are the Yevo. 1'600 BC Jennites enter their dark age, after a long civil war between the followers of Rathanos and those of Tarastia. The few survivors of the second group of Jennites leave south and reach Minaea, where they mix with the Teslans and become the Tarystians. 1'600 BC A group of Taymorans settles in northern Isle of Dawn, conquering several Durhanian tribes and founding the Aseni culture. 1'500 BC Nithian civilization on the rise conquers part of the Trantalian tribes. The Traldar clan is sent on an expedition toward southern Brun. 1'500 BC The Maharian tribes stranded on Ierendi and Minrothad get in touch with the Tanagoro. They evolve into the Makai. 1'500 BC Varellyans reach Cestia. They later become the Androkians. 1'500 - 1'000 BC Nithia conquers the Thantalian and Trantalian tribes of nowadays Ylaruam. 1'400 BC Traldar lose all contacts with Nithia and return to a barbaric way of life. 1'400 - 1'000 BC Under non-human Hutaakan influence, Traldar rise to power in nowadays Karameikos and in the Selenica region. They assimilate the Selenican Trantalians. 1'100 BC The Aseni are conquered and colonized by Nithians. THE DARK AGES 1'000 BC Alphatian Landfall. The Yanifey are wiped out of Alphatia and Bellissaria, or absorbed into the slave population. Some survive in the Yannivey Chain. 1'000 BC Gnolls destroy the Traldar civilization. 1'000 - 500 BC Traldar of Karameikos revert to a dark age and become the Traladarans.Traldar of Selenica are isolated and lose all memories of their past glory. They begin trading with the Doulakki of the west. 1'000 BC Nithia conquers the Northern Reaches. Thantalian tribes are all annihilated, with the exception of the tribes of Kerendans and Thyatians. Along with the Hattians (an Antalian tribe), they are sent to Davania as slaves, but soon they rebel and regain indipendence. 1'000 BC Nithia establishes a colony on the Isle of Dawn, known as Thotia. They conquer and absorb the Doulakki of Ekto and Trikelios. 1'000 - 500 BC Antalians of Norwold and Northern Reaches become the Heldanners. Later, they become the Heldannics, Northmen and Norwold Heldanners. 800 BC Traldar migrating to Davania become the Milenians. They soon become an important Empire in the south. 700 BC Thotians separate themselves from Nithians, increasingly turning to dark arts and worship. 600 BC Thyatians, Kerendans and Hattians led by Vanya leave Davania under the Milenian attacks, and reach the regions of nowadays Thyatis. They conquer the local Doulakki and assimilate them. 400 BC Alasyians (the Aseni which were conquered by the Nithians) leave the Isle of Dawn for desertic Ylaruam. 200 BC In nowadays Darokin, the mix of Doulakki, Traldar and colonists from the Thyatian region become the Daro. 100 BC Milenian Empire is crumbling. Some Milenians flee to Skothar. They mix with the local Tarystians and become the Minaeans. THE MODERN ERA AC 500 The Ranax, a Carnuilh tribe, reach the Savage Coast along with the Antalian descended tribe of the Eusdrians. The Ranax found a kingdom and become the Robrennians. AC 800 Thyatian expeditions toward the Savage Coast (and heavy mixing with local Oltec-blooded uncivilized tribes, local elves and dwarves) result in the formation of two other cultures, the Espa and Verdan. ===== Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis "We poor few forged as brothers in this furnace will emerge as the steel of future generations" -- from "Legionary's Prayers", by Ionaos Nolan ______________________________________________________________________ Per te Blu American Express è gratis! http://it.yahoo.com/mail_it/foot/?http://www.americanexpress.it/land_yahoo ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2002 14:30:00 +0100 From: =?iso-8859-1?q?la=20Volpe?= Subject: A Guide to Human Ethnography - Neathar A GUIDE TO HUMAN ETHNOGRAPHY 4/Neathar ---------------------------- by Giampaolo Agosta & Giulio N. Caroletti In this chapter of the Mystaran Ethnography we will deal with the Neathar descended races. The Neathar were a fair skinned people, that simplistically could be called the "white human race" of Mystara. Their primary areas of influence were the coastal areas of what is now the ocean that separates Skothar from Brun. Around 10'000 BC the Neathar may be divided in two main groups: the Aharians, which lived on Brun, and the Ahonians, which lived on Skothar. Neathar --> N.1. Ahonians --> N.2. Aharians AHONIANS Some of the Ahonian tribes evolved into the Thonians, which built an impressive Empire on Skothar. After the end of the Lhomarrian Empire, this was the first true Empire on the planet's surface, dating probably around 5000 BC. The Empire suffered decadence and some of its border lands claimed indipendence. The must notable was the Kingdom of Blackmoor. N.1.Ahonians -->N.1.2-->Thonians-->Blackmoorians -->Taymorans-->Albarendi -->Aseni-->Alasiyans Around 4000 BC the Blackmoorians begun a methoritic rise thanks to the contact with the technological devices of the FFS Beagle. Blackmoor soon became an Empire that fully replaced Thonia. When Blackmoor blew itself in the Great Rain of Fire (3000 BC), all that was left of the Ahonian Neathar was a small group of Thonians, that had refused the technological ways and had remained a semi-autonomous kingdom at the borders of the Empire of Blackmoor. The Thonians strived hard against the climatic changes, and has since remained in the area. Another group of surviving Thonians left westwards and ended up founding the Empire of Taymora (2'500 BC). Taymorans established bronze age kingdoms in southern Brun, obliterating most of the Maharians of the regions. Much later, with the destruction of Taymora (1'750 BC), a few survivors left northwards. Some reached the Isle of Dawn, where they conquered some of the Durhanian tribes and became the Aseni (1'600 BC). Later, the Aseni were conquered by Nithians and became the Alasyians (1'100 BC). They later migrated to old Nithia (400 BC), where they founded Ylaruam and the various Emirates. Another small group of Taymorans may have reached Alphatia and Bellissaria, where they would have been absorbed by the local Yanifey who formed the original Alphatian population. AHARIANS The Aharian (or True) Neathar evolved on Brun in many different clans and tribes that generally warred against each other. Skandaharians were the Neathar of northern Brun and northwestern Skothar. Maharians and Dunharians were the Neathar of eastern Brun. The Afaharians were the Neathar of Alphatia and Bellissaria. N.2.Aharians ---> Skandaharians N.2.1 ---> Dunharians N.2.2 ---> Maharians N.2.3 ---> Afaharians N.2.4 N.2.1--Skandaharians The seafaring clans near Neathar became known as Skandaharians, after they had merged with some Valoin refugees from the north (7'000 BC). While part of them settled in Skothar and were later absorbed by Blackmoor (4000 - 3000 BC) and destroyed by the Great Rain of Fire, a more traditionalist and primitive group of Skandaharians continued living in what is now northern Brun. With the change of axis brought by the calamity, the Skandaharians begun migrating southwards, first to Norwold and Heldann, and then farther south, even to Thyatis, replacing and disperding the Aharian Neathar of the south. [Go to the "Skandaharians" article for additional informations.] N.2.2--Dunharians The Dunharians settled portions of lands that now are the Northern Reaches, Ethengar, Ylaruam and Thyatis. The Skandaharians in part mixed with the Dunharians, and the result was the Trantalian race (2'200 BC), but for the most they were warlike and forced the Dunharians to leave toward better shores: Dunharians reached the northern Davanian shores and became later Thratians (2'000 BC), the Isle of Dawn where they evolved into the Dunael (2'300 BC), or left westwards. The western Dunharians, also known as the Carnuilh, were threatened by the Antalian tribes and eventually left the region (2'550 BC), mostly moving toward the Midlands; much later, one of the Carnuilh tribes, that spoke a language known as Ranax, reached the lands of nowadays Robrenn around 500 AC. N.2.2.Dunharians --> Thratians --> Dunael --> Carnuilh --> Western nomads --> Robrennians N.2.3--Maharians The Maharians were the first wave of Northians that had arrived on Brun, and that never had ethnic contacts with the Valoin. They lived on the southern shores of Brun. Of the Maharian tribes, most were absorbed by the Taymoran kingdoms (since 2'500 BC); there were some exceptions, like the Makai, that were stranded on the islands of Ierendi and Minrothad that split from the continent of Brun due to earthquakes, and got in touch with the Nuari tribes (1'500 BC). As a result, nowadays Makai are about 90% Maharian and 10% Tanagoro. Another Maharian group migrated westwards toward Hule. The horde descended the Black Peaks up to Hule (2'450 BC), where the Urduk horde split from the main migration and reached the areas of the Desert of Sind, where they mixed with the local descendants of the Oltecs (2'250 BC). The horde that remained in the Hulean region was reached by Peshwan related horsemen that warred against them (2'400 BC). The result of this chaotic situation was a mix of races and tribes of different levels of blood relations to the Peshwans or Maharians, althought the most common population became the Huleans (RW Turkish): they were mostly of Maharian ethnicity but spoke a more Peshwan related language. To have a clear picture of the complicated situation in the region, and of the many ethnic minorities in the region, take a look at the "Hulean Timeline" written by Christian Constantin. The Varellyans were the result of the conquest (2'400 BC), on the part of Maharian tribes fleeing the Taymorans, of a Maharian/Oltec civilization of Davania that dated back to 4'000 BC. In this case too, the Maharian ethnicity prevailed in the formation of the racial features and culture. The nowadays Androkians are descendents of the Varellyan colonizers of Cestia (1'500 BC). N.2.3.Maharians --> Makai --> Varellyans --> Androkians --> Western Maharians --> Huleans --> Urduk N.2.4--Afaharians The last Aharian group is that of the Afaharians that settled Alphatia and the surrounding isles. They made up the original population of Alphatia, then mixed with Lhomarrian refugees and became the Yanifey (5'000 BC). The Yanifey were dispersed or absorbed by the Alphatians at the time of their Landfall (1'000 BC), with the exceptions of those who live currently in the Yannivey islands. N.2.4.Afaharians (mix with Lhomarrians) --> Yanifey ===== Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis "We poor few forged as brothers in this furnace will emerge as the steel of future generations" -- from "Legionary's Prayers", by Ionaos Nolan ______________________________________________________________________ Per te Blu American Express è gratis! http://it.yahoo.com/mail_it/foot/?http://www.americanexpress.it/land_yahoo ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2002 10:39:18 -0800 From: John Calvin Subject: NWN Mystara group Hi all, Would anyone be interested in joining a yahoo-group where we could discuss Mystara in a NeverwinterNights related way? Perhaps we could also organize some working groups to do the following: - Create templates for known NPCs - Crete some Mystara specific prefab areas - Create Mystara specific content (such as new tiles, models, textures, etc...) I would be more interested in creating prefab resources that could be used by a variety of different mod designers than in trying to create and maintain a persistant world. If there is interest, I could set this up. Anyone interested please respond to this post (on or off list). -John ===== Rule #85. I will not use any plan in which the final step is horribly complicated, e.g. "Align the 12 Stones of Power on the sacred altar then activate the medallion at the moment of total eclipse." Instead it will be more along the lines of "Push the button." from "A Guide to Becoming an Evil Overlord" by Peter Anspach __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Web Hosting - Let the expert host your site http://webhosting.yahoo.com ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 13 Nov 2002 to 14 Nov 2002 (#2002-296) ****************************************************************