Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 24 Dec 2003 to 27 Dec 2003 (#2003-298) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 28/12/2003, 19:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 3 messages totalling 239 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Extended Northmen Pantheon 2. Dwarves 3. History of the Dwarven Race - Dwarves of the First Age ******************************************************************** 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, 27 Dec 2003 18:00:07 +0800 From: "Francisco V. Navarro V" Subject: Extended Northmen Pantheon Hail Mystarans! Yuletide greetings to all! It's the season of winter, snow and mistletoe. And all this reminds me of the Northern Realms, so here's something to enjoy, curled up by a warm blazing hearth. Kit Navarro Mystaran Mythologer ========== The Extended Northmen Pantheon By Kit Navarro The Immortals of the Northmen are known for their common interest in the realms of Ostland, Vestlands and Soderfjord. Among them, Odin, Hel, Thor, Frey and Freya, Loki, and lastly Forsetta are the seven most worshipped patrons of the Northmen. But in recent years, other Immortals have played more active roles in the roles of mortal men and their cults are rising into prominence in the Northern Reaches. Njord, Patron of the Sea. (Protius) This ancient yet temperamental Immortal rules over the seas, sometimes placid and generous of its bounties, often times tempestuous and dangerous. He is also the bringer of storms, and seafaring Northmen offer to him to placate his wrath. The Norns are three eldritch and fearful Immortal crones that mysteriously appear to a mortal at the time of birth and death, though Northmen myth tell of heroes and even Immortals, who seek out the Norns in the remotest of mountain crags for their wisdom, their power, and their prophecies. By tradition, the Norns are known as Skuld (Khoronus), Keeper of the Unchanging Past, Urd (Ordana), Mistress of the Manifold Paths, and Verthandi, She Who Sees the Unforeseeable. Odur Sun-Lord. (Ixion) Though far less exalted than Odin All-Father, the Patron of the Sun has a following in the Northern Reaches, as he does elsewhere throughout Mystara. The Sun-Lord brings warmth, light, and life to the otherwise dark and bleak existence of the Northmen, and the passage of his sun-chariot across the skies mark the time for planting, growth, and harvest. Frigga (Valerias) may actually have been an earlier, more primitive Immortal of fertility and nature, whose worship was later subsumed by the more civilized cult of Freyja. But in recent years, Frigga has regained her popularity, in no small part due to the identification with the highly popular Thyatian Immortal Valerias. Nowadays, she is worshipped as the Patroness of Romance, Marriage, and Womanhood, particularly by women who do not fight with the sword-but use other means to express their passions and fury. Some cultists of Frigga have scandalously suggested that she is the mate of Odin, a grave heresy in the nation of Ostland where the worship of Frigga has been outlawed! Asgrod, Patron of Travelers and Merchants. (Asterius) Only one myth ever mentions the nimble Immortal Asgrod, who served as a messenger of Odin from Asgard. So quick in wit and feet was Asgrod that he could journey to the darkest depths of Hel unscathed. He was never truly worshipped, until recent cults imported by traders from Thyatis, Minrothad, and even far-off Darokin. Asgrod ensures safe, swift travel, and fair trades, but unlike his foreign counterpart, he wards against theft and trickery-misdeeds inspired by Loki! Baldur, Patron of Rebirth and Renewal. (Razud) His worship began in Norworld, but was eventually adapted by the Northmen. His curious myth revolves around his immortal death, which will herald the end of the world or Ragnarok, but disaster is averted as Baldur always returns, reborn and renewed! Many discount this myth as mere allegory: the eternal cycles of nature, the resilience of life, such as evergreen through the harsh winters (Baldur's holy symbol is the mistletoe.), while some interpret Ragnarok as the invasion of the Alphatians. But the godi of Baldur have demonstrated their Patron's will with miraculous powers of restoration, renewal, and even resurrection. Baldur is portrayed as an eternally young, handsome man with bright green eyes, and he rewards those who are self-sufficient, self-reliant, and enduring through hardships. Tyras, the Immortal Bard. (Tiresias) Compared to most of the grim and gloomy Immortals of the Northern Reaches, Tyras is relatively cheerful and carefree. His role is to bring song, poetry, music, and dance to the world, but he also composes epics tales of legendary deeds-or grand eulogies for heroes in Valhalla. On occasion, Tyras is known to let slip divine secrets or knowledge of the future. Vuller (Zirchev) is the patron of hunters and archers, and also protector of wild beasts and game. He was never recognized as a full Immortal (He was merely known as the huntsman of Frey), until the influence of the Alphatians and other worshippers of Zirchev from Norworld and Thyatis. Sentient forest creatures, as well as werewolves, werebears, wereboars, and other lycanthropes, also pray to Vuller to protect them from human incursions. Northmen Name Common Name Alignment Area of Concern Odin Odin LN Sky, Wise Rule Thor Thor N Honorable Warriors, Thunder Frey Frey LG Intelligent Warfare, Heroes Freyja Freyja LG Women Warriors Hel Hel NE Death, Reincarnation, Entropy Loki Loki CE Mischief, Betrayal, Trickery Forsetta Forsetta LG Law, Justice, Rulership Njord Protius N Seas and Seafaring, Storms Skuld Khoronus N Time, the Past, Fate Urd Ordana CN Time, the Present, Destiny Verthandi Verthandi LN Time, the Future, Prophecy Odur Ixion LG Sun, Harvest Frigga Valerias CN Fertility, Marriage, Women Asgrod Asterius CN Travel, Trade Baldur Razud NG Youth, Renewal, Rebirth Tyras Tiresias N Poetry, Songs, Bards Vuller Zirchev NG Hunting, Archery, Beasts ======= Notes: 1 The first seven Immortals are canon, thus not discussed further. (Forsetta is mentioned in WOTI with a reference to X3. Go figure!) 2 The other Immortals were inspired by Dieties & Demigods, both the 1st ed. and the 3rd ed. 3 Njord/Protius: I suppose all sea-faring cultures must worship the Old Man of the Sea in one form or another. This is not a far-flung idea. 4 Verthandi: He has always been a mysterious Immortal from the Sphere of Time, and his name clearly comes from one of the Norns of the Norse Patheon. So why not add two more Hierarchs of Time, do a little Immortal sex change (like Nyx) and you have the Norns! (Note: Which D&D adventure preludes with three mysterious hags high in the mountains? Could these be the Norns? Or at least avatars/mortal identities?) 5 Odur/Ixion: I believe that Ixion's worship must be universal throughout Mystara, and the Sun-Prince figures in cultures even when he is not the chief patron (i.e. as Horon in Nithia, Solarios in Thyatis). 6 Frigga/Valerias: As with Ixion, Valerias must have her finger in every pie, especially with her recent rise in popularity in Thyatis and Glantri. The problem is which Norse goddess would should be identified with? The wonderful thing about Valerias is that her portfolio (compared to the original entry in DotE) has expanded from a patroness of love/war (like Ishtar or Inanna) to a patroness of fertility and womanhood. Chaotic and ambitious as Valerias is, why not take on the role as Odin's peer and equal (especially with that little Freyja in the way)? 7 The Asgardian messenger god is named Hermod. Hermes = Hermod. Asterius = Asgrod. Enough said. 8 Baldur/Razud: One of my favorite mythological dieties, I just had to find some Immortal to tkae on Baldur's role. 9 Tyras/Tiresias: Sounds like Tyr and Tiresias, and his portfolio fits the Norse/Northmen pantheon, so why not? 10 Vuller/Zirchev: Derived from the Asgardian god Uller, with some spelling change. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 27 Dec 2003 12:03:38 +0100 From: =?iso-8859-1?q?la=20Volpe?= Subject: Dwarves I have finished my history of the Denwarf. I just have to add some thing regarding the Modrigswerg, then I'll begin translating and posting it here. I have written the history from a Denwarf perspective, not "as the Immortals know it". I plan to write the same history from the Modrigswerg perspective and then add the informations on the Savage Coast dwarves and on the Filwarf (obviously from THEIR perspective). I am also currently writing a description of the dwarven religion, and I plan to give a full description of dwarven society based on the PHBR and on GAZ6 and GAZ7. I hope to post something very soon! Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ______________________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Mail: 6MB di spazio gratuito, 30MB per i tuoi allegati, l'antivirus, il filtro Anti-spam http://it.yahoo.com/mail_it/foot/?http://it.mail.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 27 Dec 2003 12:58:11 +0100 From: =?iso-8859-1?q?la=20Volpe?= Subject: History of the Dwarven Race - Dwarves of the First Age HISTORY OF THE DWARVEN RACE 1. DWARVES OF THE FIRST AGE According to the most ancient dwarven chronicles, Dwarves had developed a cultural identity at least around 4000 BC (1). At that time Dwarves were not so shy and reserved, nor were they so obsessed with chronicling, age-reckoning and with their genealogies. This is a shame for dwarven historians. Anyway, Dwarves lived in a land that is believed to be the current Rockhome. Their main interests were agricolture and craftmanship, but apparently they weren't a politically united nation, mostly a confederation. They hadn't developed their interest for mining and for the underground, either. Some dwarven colonies had got in touch with Humans from Blackmoor and Thonia, and with Elves. It is believed that Dwarves were much more open-minded and friendly and interested toward strangers than they are now. Blackmoor became a huge Empire, and begun a meteoritic rise thanks to its incredible magic; this growth, however, got quickly out of control, and in 3000 BC the Blackmoorians magical arts resulted in a terrible catastrophe known as the Great Rain of Fire. ------------------------------------------------------ DM Notes: (1) Haavard Faanes, "Legends of the Dwarven Race", says that the Dwarves remember having existed before 1800 BC. I thought that, given their accurate genealogies and their precision, they would surely remember of their past. I will define better why it is "common knowledge" in the Known World that they were created by Kagyar in 1800 BC. They don't remember much more than this, before 3000 BC. An accurate DM-perspective description of the Dwarven Principalities would have to wait the Blackmoor d20 supplements to be written, and could be based on parts of James Mishler's work. It is to be noted that Dwarves believe their first and only territory has always been Rockhome. ______________________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Mail: 6MB di spazio gratuito, 30MB per i tuoi allegati, l'antivirus, il filtro Anti-spam http://it.yahoo.com/mail_it/foot/?http://it.mail.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 24 Dec 2003 to 27 Dec 2003 (#2003-298) ****************************************************************