Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 6 Jan 2002 to 7 Jan 2002 (#2002-8) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 08/01/2002, 19:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 6 messages totalling 291 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Problems with MA1018 pdf 2. War Journal of Bue Geirsteinson (3) 3. War Journal of Bue Geirsteinson - Part V 4. web site update ******************************************************************** 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: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 01:54:56 -0800 From: Herve Musseau Subject: Problems with MA1018 pdf Well, as several of you have noticed there is a problem with the pdf file of the almanac. That problem concerns all the files - be it the split (over 13 files) on both geocities and starflung, and the 12MB file on starflung. Thanks to those who pointed this out to me, and please forgive me for the mix-up. The problem comes from the source, ie me. I made a stupid mistake at the beginning of the process of distributing the files (DOS's ftp is set for ascii transfer by default, not binary, how silly of me not to check), and I did download all files at home to check they were all present and I did reassemble them to check they were okay (and then uploaded them to starflung), but I didn't make the ultimate test of verifying the resulting file did unzip (generally a garbled zip file doesn't even open, but here it did--it would have been better if it didn't, because at least I'd have noticed it). Ah well. The files on geocities are good now (or so I hope--I didn't check them yet, I'll do that when I'm at home). The files on starflung are NOT good yet--I can upload them only from home, so I'll let you know when they are okay. Sorry again for the trouble I've caused you. I'm doubly vexed at my own stupidity because I am a web comp guy for a living so I'm used to checking that my ftps are set correctly (d'oh!), and because getting only the rtf file which looks not so good with the modifications apparent by default and not having a look at the much better looking pdf is really a shame (shame!). Sorry sorry sorry. ===== ___________________________________________________________ Herve Musseau http://www.geocities.com/hmusseau/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send FREE video emails in Yahoo! Mail! http://promo.yahoo.com/videomail/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 14:30:22 +0200 From: Ville V Lahde Subject: Re: War Journal of Bue Geirsteinson Jacob Skytte wrote: > > Glad somebody's reading. One entry a day though or I won't have time > to write it. > I must say, these entries have been a real treat, and they help the long days at work go by. It's cool to grab the noon cup of coffee, wait for the digest to arrive, and jump into your river of story. Tack så mycket, as our Ostlandian friends would say. Ville ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 16:02:46 +0100 From: Jacob Skytte Subject: War Journal of Bue Geirsteinson - Part V What will happen next..? Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk --- The War-Journal of Bue Geirsteinson Vatermont 21st, the year 1000 After Crowning of the First Emperor of the = Thyatian Empire It is madness what I have done! 'A warrior strong and true.' To raise = arms against a faceless enemy has never been hard. To fight in mock = combat is a sport. But to spill the blood of your fellow clansman, a = karl sworn to your family's service, is utter madness. And I have = accepted this madness, I have asked for help from the 'Blessed' Warriors = of Thor and have gotten exactly what I asked for. As we entered the domain of Noslosford, we were met by a force of karls, = wanting to protect their land from the invader. I tried to reason with = them, to explain our purpose, when suddenly the berserkers of the = Ravenguard let loose a mighty battlecry and tore into the ranks of my = clansmen, beginning a slaughter over my cries of protest. A battlelust = was upon them and they would not yield until every man standing before = them had drawn his last breath. In the confusion of the battle my kinsmen fought in terror against my = overwhelming forces, and one of them came face to face with me. He did = not hesitate but struck at me with his axe, and I was forced to put him = down if I would not lose my own life. As much as I might have preferred = that to the shame I would carry always for this terrible incident, I = still had an obligation to save as many of my clan as I was able. I knew = that should I fall, Hord would not hesitate to let the Ravenguard = continue this slaughter all throughout the domain till my clan was = extinguished. But the horror of killing a member of my own clan will = never pass. At the end of the slaughter I found the man responsible, Sven Svenson, = renowned Warrior of Thor and leader of these berserkers. Confronting him = I asked for an explanation of why they had attacked, while I was = negotiating. His reply chilled me to the bone. "The Ravenguard do not negotiate. It = is not the nature of a Warrior of Thor to settle disputes with words. We = have chosen to follow you, but you do not rule us. Our orders come from = the God of Thunder and from the king of Ostland. We are told to fight = bravely against any enemy, to punish any who would stand against the = throne. Taking up arms against us amounts to treachery and will be = punished as such." I had no doubt what this would lead to if I allowed these Warriors of = Thor to enter Leirbotn, the clan hall. My entire family would be slain = and along with them numerous clansmen. There could be no reasoning with = men like these in my army. And if word got out of what had happened here = today, my clansmen would take up arms for fear of their lives and, thus, = would invite destruction upon themselves. I could not allow this to be. Gathering the berserkers I addressed them. "Sven Svensson and his = Blessed Warriors of Thor. You have fought well today, bravely and with = honor. You are a credit to your God. The fear you have struck in our = enemy by this glorious victory has already defeated him. When word = reaches Leirbotn of this momentous event, every warrior standing before = us will lay down his arms in defeat. All that is left for us to do is to = march into Leirbotn and accept their surrender. I thank you for your = services." One of the berserkers scratched his beard. "Are you saying there will be = no more fighting? No slaughter, no plunder, no singing glorious hymns to = Thor?" "Indeed, mighty karl. Your prowess has already been proven. Your enemies = quaver in fear before you and dare not take up arms against you." "If so, then I want no part in this. I can find more action back at = Zeaburg than among scared peasant villages. You march on and accept = their surrender. Brynjolf Bloodaxe will not waste his time with this." Mumbles of agreement spread among the Ravenguard. Sven Svensson stepped = forward to speak to me. "I know what you are doing. I saw you during the = battle. You do not have the stomach for slaughter. But you are making a = grave mistake. When you are killed by the troops that will be waiting = for you, the berserkers will once again be sent to take care of this = mess, and we will show no mercy. You have only postponed the inevitable. = And should you succeed, I will not forget that you have spurned the help = of Thor's chosen. You would have done well to affiliate yourself with = us, from this day on we will see you as a coward and a trickster." With that the Ravenguard packed up and left for Zeaburg. Asta = Katlasdottir approached me. "Now you know what the rest of us have = learned long ago. The Ravenguard lives to fight and cannot be = controlled. You point them at your enemy and step back. They are not = good at strategy or negotiation, only at killing. Our king knew this = when he sent these men with you." I knew there was truth in her words. "You are saying that the king = wanted as much carnage as possible. I do not want you to be right, but I = cannot delude myself. Of course he knows of the nature of these = berserkers, he knew that they would attack anything in their path. He is = using me against my kin because this excites him. But he is the chosen = of Odin. How could one such as he hold the throne of Ostland? Do the = Gods enjoy seeing men manipulate each other?" She lay her hand on my shoulder and squeezed it. "It may well be so, = Geirsteinson. They sit above us and play with our lives like we were = pieces on a gameboard. Why should they care about individual lives and = feelings? But I believe that some do. Only others are taking their time = and attention, like Loki the Trickster or the Queen of the Underworld. = And their plotting takes so much time from the caring Gods that they = cannot always intervene on our behalf. Hord may be cruel at times, but = he is still a strong king, one that will hold Ostland tightly together = and defeat any threat to our nation." "And yet his schemes may defeat the country from within," I replied. = "Setting brother against brother will not endear him to his subjects and = one day this might be his undoing. Our nation needs to stand together, = not be divided in squabbling regions. We have lived too long thinking = that the strong shall rule over the weak, I fear." Asta contemplated this. "You sound like the queen, Yrsa, she who is also = called the Deep-Minded. She too proposes change for a less authoritarian = rule. She has found support, but mostly among women and some men who are = not fighting men, but free karls. It is odd to hear a warrior, such as = yourself, think along those same lines. You are among the strong, the = son of a ruling jarl as well, and yet you do not hold fast to the ideals = of most men such as yourself. It is as I have heard then. You are truly = a man of honor and wisdom, one deserving of admiration. I am pleased to = serve in your army." Again I was surprised by the women I met. Asta is clever as my sister = Oda, but without the malice she possesses. And while her exotic looks = mark her not as a true Northlander, still she is one who cares for our = nation and wishes the best for its inhabitants. I wonder what it is I = have done to deserve the admiration of such a woman. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 18:44:28 +0100 From: la Volpe Subject: Re: War Journal of Bue Geirsteinson > > I must say, these entries have been a real treat, and they help the long > days at work go by. It's cool to grab the noon cup of coffee, wait for the > digest to arrive, and jump into your river of story. Tack så mycket, as > our Ostlandian friends would say. > > Ville Uhm...I've always thought that a Vestlandian would say "Tack så mycket". A Soderfjorder would say "Mange takk". And an Ostlander would say "Mange tak" or something similar. I've always thought that the Northern Reaches reflected the three vikinglands: Soderfjord, with its internal conflicts, was Norway. Vestland was Sweden, and Ostland was Denmark (Ostland = many islands, Vestlands all on land). What do you scandinavians think of this? Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 20:03:05 +0100 From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: War Journal of Bue Geirsteinson la Volpe wrote: > I've always thought that the Northern Reaches reflected the three = vikinglands: > Soderfjord, with its internal conflicts, was Norway. Vestland was = Sweden, and > Ostland was Denmark (Ostland =3D many islands, Vestlands all on land). > What do you scandinavians think of this? I've always thought that particularly Ostland/Vestland merely = represented a generic viking nation at different points in time, = Vestland being the later, more civilized nation on its way to losing = actual 'viking' status. In my campaign world Ostland is considered = Denmark though, and the Ostlanders speak Danish, so I guess 'my' = Ostlanders would say "Mange tak." :) I'm not too good at distinguishing the three nations in the viking age = though. And since Denmark used to conquer the other nations once in a = while (sadly they got back at us later, *sigh*), it's no wonder it's = hard to find your way around. Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 22:18:50 +0200 From: Eyal Fleminger Subject: web site update I've made a few changes in my site. The most significant one is the addition of a file containing many monsters converted from AD&D. While it's far from complete, I'll add to it as time allows. http://fleminge0.tripod.com/index.html Eyal _________________________________________________________________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 6 Jan 2002 to 7 Jan 2002 (#2002-8) ************************************************************