Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 12 Jan 2004 to 13 Jan 2004 (#2004-14) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 14/01/2004, 19:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 16 messages totalling 705 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Dwarves & Modrigswerg + question for Skytte (2) 2. Dwarves (9) 3. Dwarves in Northern Davania 4. Elves in Northern Davania (3) 5. What makes Mystara Special over on the WotC boards ******************************************************************** 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, 13 Jan 2004 10:55:20 +0100 From: =?iso-8859-1?q?la=20Volpe?= Subject: Dwarves & Modrigswerg + question for Skytte Hello guys, I didn't receive many comments to my work on the Dwarves. Ville Lahde, however, suggested to me that the ruling span for the dwarven kings is too short. I thought that abdication would be a common practice among dwarves, to keep a king in the best shape possible and also to leave room for an old dwarf to concentrate on his work and craftmanship in the last days of his life. Anyway, I think I'll fix it in a way or another. Moreover, I am planning to translate the third part of the Dwarven History. It's very very long and detailed and contemplates almost all clans that are found in the Known World and beyond, except for those of the Savage Coast. I would especially like to know what you think (and first of all Jacob Skytte, Grand Master of Northern Reaches Knowledge) about the Modrigswerg-Dwarves war before 1800 BC, and about the idea that Dwarves remember having existed before 1800 BC (an idea suggested the first time by Haavard Faanes), although their memories have been changed by Kagyar. I would like to write something that is widely recognized as a good basis for future developement of the Dwarven race and as a good, internally consistent way to deal with the informations about Dwarves found in canon and fan-based material alike. Thanks in advance. 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: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 12:55:29 -0000 From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Jo=E3o_Cartaxo?= Subject: Re: Dwarves Hi! Great work!! I'm currently, as a pace of change required by my players, playing in Davania, in the City States area, and i'm having some trouble in developing the dwarven clans (and of elves...) in the area. I simply can't find anything. Any toughts, anyone?? Thanks ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 05:30:51 -0800 From: Thibault Sarlat Subject: Re: Dwarves Well i am currently developping the polakatsikes region as an Heldannic colony. at the end of AC 1019, i'll have a samll clan of gnomes in the region (mainly in the hills south and east of Polakatsikes. I thought that small clans of dwarves could already been present in these mineraly rich hilly regions. Yet these dwarves are very reclusive and their main task is surviving the humanoids attacks (lots of trolls there), producing/trading food for the product of their mines and trying to maintain their number or face extinction. the arrival of the gnomes could be seen as a blessing for them since it means that the HK will start patrolling the region. One of the clans could also be well versed in dark ritual (like bounding the soul of an unwilling creature) to a weapon to enhance its magical properties. anyway, that's just some ideas out of the blue. See with Geoff and ethan cause they were in davania much before me. thib --- João_Cartaxo wrote: > Hi! > > Great work!! > > I'm currently, as a pace of change required by my > players, playing in > Davania, in the City States area, and i'm having > some trouble in developing > the dwarven clans (and of elves...) in the area. I > simply can't find > anything. Any toughts, anyone?? > > Thanks > > ******************************************************************** > 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. > ===== Thibault SARLAT a.k.a Clenarius www.mystara.fr.st ICQ 16622177 MSN Messenger: clenarius@hotmail.com __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Hotjobs: Enter the "Signing Bonus" Sweepstakes http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/signingbonus ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 11:21:15 -0500 From: Chris Cherrington Subject: Re: Dwarves > > From: Thibault Sarlat > Yet these dwarves are very reclusive and their main > task is surviving the humanoids attacks (lots of > trolls there), producing/trading food for the product > of their mines and trying to maintain their number or > face extinction. Trolls? Why would there be a lot of trolls in Davania? Davania should have its own breed of nasty humanoids. A remnant from the elves or something even more sinister, elves that survived Vulcania's destruction by breeding with other survivors. Since this was the time of beastmen, the mutation could be greatly different from anything seen before on Brun, whole new races of humanoids, green orcs, blue goblins, halftrolls (same as a normal troll, but half the size and double the number). ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 08:22:48 -0800 From: Thibault Sarlat Subject: Dwarves in Northern Davania Here is what i wrote today. I hope this might help you thib +++++++++++++ The Forgotten Clan Some 160 miles south east of Polakatsikes lies a region of hills and rocky mounts. Underneath them, a small clan of dwarves has been living for ages. Life has not been kind to them since the region is teaming with humanoids and particularly with Trolls. Over the years, the clan has suffered heavy tolls from the humanoids attacks. Their number has dwindled during the last century, mainly since the goblins have discovered gold deposits in the hills and have spread like fire. The Dwarves have done their best to repel the attacks, but slowly their best warriors have fallen to the enemy. Ever since Moray Vacco has claimed leadership over the humanoids of the desert (some 30 years ago), attacks have been more numerous and more fierce. The over ground villages have been raided and scorched, and the remaining dwarven population had gathered underground. Only the well designed dwarven fortresses have so far saved the clan from the humanoids attacks. The dwarves have had very little contact with the rest of the world since they have been in many ways under siege for 30 years. Twice a decade, a daring young dwarf has left the clan in great secret, carrying precious gems try to reach the city states which lies to the north west to gather help for his people. None have ever succeeded, or at least has even fulfilled its task (most were killed in the savannah or were tortured to death by bandits who captured them and wanted nothing but knowing were the gems came from). In AC 1015, when Wolfgang armies crossed the region, they met some scattered bands of trolls and hill giants, but these creatures soon retreated before the organised might of the Heldannic Order. That’s why the clan went unnoticed until now. Should the knights ever hear about the presence of a dwarven hold in the region they will launch an attack and try to secure the region ( first because the presence of humanoids so close to Polakatsikes is not tolerable, and second because of the gold deposits). The clan has only about 200 members among whom 27 venerable male dwarves and 10 venerable females (over 200 years old), some 40 under aged younglings (under 60 years old), the rest being some 63 females and 70 dwarven warriors (60 to 200 years old). In autumn AC 1019, when the Wolgang Stemmel ordered to secure the southern region to avoid any future humanoid invasion, they stumbled on an abandoned advanced dwarven hold. They cleared the region from the local Trolls, and finally met the dwarves. They struck a deal which guarantied the Heldannic Order protection for the clan in exchange for a good percentage of the riches and manufactured goods the Dwarves could mine or produce. This was seen as a last chance by the dwarves who had very little chance to hold the humanoids any longer. So they agreed on the terms and have enjoyed a better life ever since. The local agriculture does not provide enough food to sustain the clan and the Heldannic commanderies, so caravans are send every month to and from Polakatsikes and serve both as trade exchange and changing of the Heldannic garrison. Human colonists from Polakatsikes have slowly reached the region and started producing the food it needed to sustain a viable economic growth. The dwarven clan has been given some kind of political autonomy as long as it pays its share. The newly gained freedom has its cost, and the dwarves who have faced an almost complete extinction are way too happy to complain about their current fate. What the PC can do: They can have been sent as scouts for the Heldannic army to try to locate the remaining pockets of humanoids. Finding buildings and ruins which were not made by humanoids, they should guess that there might still be some survivors hidden somewhere. Or they could be dwarves sent as a last chance by their clan to either flee and found a clan elsewhere or gather forces and try to free their brethrens. ===== Thibault SARLAT a.k.a Clenarius www.mystara.fr.st ICQ 16622177 MSN Messenger: clenarius@hotmail.com __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Hotjobs: Enter the "Signing Bonus" Sweepstakes http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/signingbonus ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 08:25:45 -0800 From: Thibault Sarlat Subject: Elves in Northern Davania I am not a big fan of having elves clans in the city states region. I think that some might be found in Emerond or more generally under the deep foliage of the jungle. They should be sylvan elves. But i have no idea where they come from. Emerond is definetly the best place! thib ===== Thibault SARLAT a.k.a Clenarius www.mystara.fr.st ICQ 16622177 MSN Messenger: clenarius@hotmail.com __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Hotjobs: Enter the "Signing Bonus" Sweepstakes http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/signingbonus ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 09:08:06 -0800 From: Thibault Sarlat Subject: Re: Dwarves ok ok half troll then i just needed stupid powerful foes... i had some real world equivalent but i refrained myself. --- Chris Cherrington wrote: > > > > From: Thibault Sarlat > > Yet these dwarves are very reclusive and their > main > > task is surviving the humanoids attacks (lots of > > trolls there), producing/trading food for the > product > > of their mines and trying to maintain their number > or > > face extinction. > Trolls? Why would there be a lot of trolls in > Davania? Davania should have its own breed of nasty > humanoids. A remnant from the elves or something > even more sinister, elves that survived Vulcania's > destruction by breeding with other survivors. Since > this was the time of beastmen, the mutation could be > greatly different from anything seen before on Brun, > whole new races of humanoids, green orcs, blue > goblins, halftrolls (same as a normal troll, but > half the size and double the number). > > ******************************************************************** > 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. > ===== Thibault SARLAT a.k.a Clenarius www.mystara.fr.st ICQ 16622177 MSN Messenger: clenarius@hotmail.com __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Hotjobs: Enter the "Signing Bonus" Sweepstakes http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/signingbonus ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 09:10:55 -0800 From: Joe Kelly Subject: Re: Elves in Northern Davania In My Campaign I use the Imperial Elven Navy (spelljammer) to be stationed = on Davania, with a huge navy of about 1,000 ships. JK Wolf >>> clenariusfr@YAHOO.FR 01/13/04 08:25AM >>> I am not a big fan of having elves clans in the city states region. I think that some might be found in Emerond or more generally under the deep foliage of the jungle. They should be sylvan elves. But i have no idea where they come from. Emerond is definetly the best place! thib =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Thibault SARLAT a.k.a Clenarius www.mystara.fr.st=20 ICQ 16622177 MSN Messenger: clenarius@hotmail.com=20 __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Hotjobs: Enter the "Signing Bonus" Sweepstakes http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/signingbonus=20 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp=20 The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/=20 To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM=20 with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 12:07:57 -0600 From: Eric Anondson Subject: What makes Mystara Special over on the WotC boards Hey all, Over on the WotC boards, there is a request by someone to have fans of Mystara desrcibe what makes Mystara special. http://boards1.wizards.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=291 If anyone wants to head over there and give their take on it, you will be sincerely appreciated. Regards, Eric Anondson ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 14:22:33 -0500 From: Chris Cherrington Subject: Re: Dwarves > > From: Thibault Sarlat > > ok ok > half troll then > i just needed stupid powerful foes... > i had some real world equivalent but i refrained > myself. > You don't need to replicate me as the nasty foes (a bunch of Americans running around with artificial limbs with chef's knives would be a good advisary), but given the rich diversity that Brun has in races, I would decrease the diversity, but make them different than the "Main Land" Although, since the stars are different, then the powers must be "upside down" as well, so make as you design... ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 21:02:58 +0100 From: =?iso-8859-1?q?la=20Volpe?= Subject: Re: Dwarves --- Thibault Sarlat ha scritto: > ok ok > half troll then > i just needed stupid powerful foes... > i had some real world equivalent but i refrained > myself. 400 pound weighing body-builders? 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: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 21:41:37 +0100 From: Thibault Sarlat Subject: Re: Dwarves i'm sorry that ou misinterpreted my words. by real world i meant the kind of troll that were "created" in movies such as "the fellowship of the ring" or "harry potter" i'm in for your idea of very different troll like figures; I was very disappointed by the Peter jackson trilogy and i did not wanted to launch a debate on that movie. it's just that as a purist tolkien fan, i cannot see the troll evolve much. Thibault Sarlat. ICQ 16622177. Personal homepage http://www.mystara.fr.st thibault-sarlat@wanadoo.fr clenariusfr@yahoo.fr ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chris Cherrington" To: Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2004 8:22 PM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] Dwarves > > > > From: Thibault Sarlat > > > > ok ok > > half troll then > > i just needed stupid powerful foes... > > i had some real world equivalent but i refrained > > myself. > > > You don't need to replicate me as the nasty foes (a bunch of Americans running around with artificial limbs with chef's knives would be a good advisary), but given the rich diversity that Brun has in races, I would decrease the diversity, but make them different than the "Main Land" Although, since the stars are different, then the powers must be "upside down" as well, so make as you design... > > ******************************************************************** > 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, 13 Jan 2004 16:01:17 -0500 From: Chris Cherrington Subject: Re: Dwarves > > From: Thibault Sarlat > > i'm sorry that ou misinterpreted my words. > by real world i meant the kind of troll that were "created" in movies such > as "the fellowship of the ring" or "harry potter" > i'm in for your idea of very different troll like figures; > I was very disappointed by the Peter jackson trilogy and i did not wanted to > launch a debate on that movie. > > it's just that as a purist tolkien fan, i cannot see the troll evolve much. > I for one love the hag from "Legend", I picture trolls in that manner, only they are less vane and think more from their stomache. Grendle trolls are good examples too of how I like my trolls. I created a Hyborean gargantuan troll named Bamala. She would chew cud with other trolls as a form of dispatching punishment. Has anyone ever thought of a Hydra-troll? When you wack off an arm on this troll, it regenerates as a seperate troll (and the first will regenerate its arm). A Greater version would regenerate two arms! ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 16:46:13 -0500 From: Geoff Gander Subject: Re: Elves in Northern Davania Thib wrote: > I am not a big fan of having elves clans in the city > states region. I think that some might be found in > Emerond or more generally under the deep foliage of > the jungle. They should be sylvan elves. But i have no > idea where they come from. > Emerond is definetly the best place! There may indeed be elves living amongst the Emerondians, but they would likely be a reclusive lot, or perhaps the remnant of a once-strong clan. I was developing (and still plan to complete) an adventure module set in the Hinterlands, which involved the PCs exploring a lost elven stronghold, of the now-vanquished Alryll clan. This clan had splintered off of Ilsundal's migration, and opted to remain in the forests of northern Davania. They founded a powerful realm (having driven out the indigenous humans), but factionalism, as well as the presence of a cursed stretch of land in what is now the Hinterlands (possibly the site of an ancient Carnifex citadel where exceedingly dark rites were practiced - haven't worked it out yet), caused the Alrylls to dwindle over time - perhaps to be supplanted by something much darker. I'm toying with the idea of the remnants of that clan being twisted remnants of their former selves, or having their spirits bound to their cursed citadel in the jungle by the hidden Carnifex relic. Some of the Alrylls seeing that their people could not overcome the evil that permeated their lands, could very well have fled for greener pastures, and even now could be living in clanholds along the Jungle Coast. This opens the side question of whether or not they have (had?) a Tree of Life, and if so, which existing tree is its "mother", and what has become of that tree (if it still exists, or existed at all) but that can be resolved later. Carnifex-cursed Tree of Life brooding in a dark jungle...idea forming... On another thread, Jeff Daly created the unsavoury Kwythellar elves, who inhabit part of the southern coast of the Izondian Deep. All the information that currently exists about them (to my knowledge) can be found in the Vaults. Geoff -- Geoff Gander, BA 97, MPA 02 Carnifex Loremaster/Mad Roleplayer Master of the Elemental Plane of Bureaucracy au998@freenet.carleton.ca : www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/2091 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 23:04:15 +0000 From: Giampaolo Agosta Subject: Re: Dwarves & Modrigswerg + question for Skytte la Volpe wrote: > Hello guys, > I didn't receive many comments to my work on the > Dwarves. I'm sorry, I've had to send in my thesis' draft saturday, so I've had little time to read these days. Anyway, I hope I'll be able to read your work, now. > Ville Lahde, however, suggested to me that > the ruling span for the dwarven kings is too short. Uhm, you went for 40 to 60 years, yes? I don't think this is too short: the average dwarf lives 200 years and according to the gazetteer, this lifespan is divided into 4 ages, and almost all clan leaders (including the monarchs, then) belong to the third age (mature, IIRC). So they would rule for circa 50 years, then retire. Of course, some may keep their title longer, and few would relinquish it early, unless they die or suffer from some injury or illness. > thought that abdication would be a common practice > among dwarves, to keep a king in the best shape > possible and also to leave room for an old dwarf to > concentrate on his work and craftmanship in the last > days of his life. Anyway, I think I'll fix it in a way > or another. I wouldn't go too far, though. You might add some 10 years on average. Bye, GP -- di nuovo come un tempo sopra l'Italia intera urla il vento e soffia la bufera ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2004 08:49:20 +0100 From: Thibault Sarlat Subject: Re: Dwarves i do like this Hydra troll Thibault Sarlat. ICQ 16622177. Personal homepage http://www.mystara.fr.st thibault-sarlat@wanadoo.fr clenariusfr@yahoo.fr ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chris Cherrington" To: Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2004 10:01 PM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] Dwarves > > > > From: Thibault Sarlat > > > > i'm sorry that ou misinterpreted my words. > > by real world i meant the kind of troll that were "created" in movies such > > as "the fellowship of the ring" or "harry potter" > > i'm in for your idea of very different troll like figures; > > I was very disappointed by the Peter jackson trilogy and i did not wanted to > > launch a debate on that movie. > > > > it's just that as a purist tolkien fan, i cannot see the troll evolve much. > > > I for one love the hag from "Legend", I picture trolls in that manner, only they are less vane and think more from their stomache. Grendle trolls are good examples too of how I like my trolls. I created a Hyborean gargantuan troll named Bamala. She would chew cud with other trolls as a form of dispatching punishment. Has anyone ever thought of a Hydra-troll? When you wack off an arm on this troll, it regenerates as a seperate troll (and the first will regenerate its arm). A Greater version would regenerate two arms! > > ******************************************************************** > 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. > > ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 12 Jan 2004 to 13 Jan 2004 (#2004-14) ***************************************************************