========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 00:23:20 +0000 Reply-To: bing@iccom.com Sender: Mystara Comments: Authenticated sender is From: Mike & Rebecca Harvey Subject: Re: Ideal Artists for Mystara In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT For interior art I'd like to see Parkinson (who did X4) and Trampier. Easley's B&W art makes me think "Greyhawk" too much, but I really like his cover art. DiTerlizzi is good, but I'm not sure he's Mystara. I REALLY love the artwork on the back cover of the Rules Cyclopedia, by Robin Raab. I wish TSR would do more along these lines, instead of the pseudo-cyberpunk art they've been peddling lately. Of course for nostalgia, Erol Otus, Jeff Dee, and Bill Willingham! (Yes I started with the '81 Basic/Expert sets...) Mike ---------------------------------------------------------------------- bing@iccom.com (formerly mike@cs.pdx.edu) Mike Harvey HTTP://www.iccom.com/usrwww/bing/home.html Beaverton, Oregon ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 01:57:31 -0800 Reply-To: ironwolf@ewa.net Sender: Mystara From: IronWolf Subject: Savage Coast Days (with apologies to Garrison Keeler) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit And now for something completely different... the start of my AD&D Savage Coast campaign... Submitted for your approval, three characters step forward to the ranks of heroism, intent on discovering the source of the Red Curse and ending it, once and for all... An elven thief from Alfheim, a halfling fighter wielding a matara and a wheellock pistol, and a gurrash monk. (Not the fighting monk kit, the actual monk class from the Scarlet Brotherhood suppliment.) Adventure ahead! And bring your sense of humor. :) IronWolf P.S. It may get a bit.. silly. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 11:05:47 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: An Alphathian FLAW MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit This is something that isn't related directly to our precedent topic, but it is simply an example of how Alphathia's new 'Goodness' deprives that setting not only of credibility, but also of interesting possibilities of RPG. I think that there is a problem concerning the New Alphathia as it has been described by the PWA's, JA, MA that must be considered. Now, we must remember firstly that commoners in Alphathia has no rights, no education, no whatever. So surely they cannot care the less about an 'Illuminated' or not Alphathia, because they will continue to suffer. So if we have a land where appearantly more democratic institutions are taken in consideration, they would apply only to spellcasters, not to commoners. I mean, if an Alpathian gets himself to respect a Jennite, it would be not the commoner slave, but maybe the potential spellcaster genius, that could be a source of pride and power to the Empire. In the PWA's and following products, this fact has not been pointed out, but I think it would have been the key of a less flat Alphathia. The war in Esterhold was too much a Good vs. Evil war, while we should remember that it would have been a hard civil war, between an elite of fighter and magic user unit of Alphathians coming from the Hollow World, that allied themselves with Jennite slaves and rebels and attacked the Alphathian dominating cities of the region, where they had to fight against nearly the whole Alphathian population, extremely annoyed by a simple fighter coming from the distant central government, that have never cared the less of Esterhold, that was a marginal region of the Empire, and frustrated because their traditional ways and rights (their supremacy on Jennites) are being simply not taken in consideration because of that new way the utopistic Commander Broderick are trying to establish. This new way is probably to many Alphathians just a temporary fashion, 'Be happy and good to everyone', while at heart nobody could care less, and is followed mainly because in HW Alphathia there are no more enemies to hate. But in Esterhold Alphathians would stand against this way, too dangerous for their rights. Broderick, then, would probably have not moved against Esterhold, facing the fact that he would have killed Alphathians only for the benefit of Jennite SLAVES. Or, Broderick could really be the Paladin he seems, but then Esterhold would become such a blood bath that at the end of it, although Broderick would eventually win, Jennite rebels would make us of the situation and take over the country, causing another war between all Alphathians on one side and Jennites on the other. At this point, the Jennite rebels have gathered the support of all democraic lovers of Mystara, and Alphathians will seem like the Big Bad Wolf in this situation, maybe with many adventurers from Ol' World leaving to help them against treacherous Alphathians, especially since the Jennite leader has a parchment signed by Broderick, where it is stated that Alphathia will give the indipendence to Esterhold (obviously it is a fake, but it will be hard to prove it). So now Eriadna is really angry: bye bye, Commander Broderick, he is made the new Police Chief of Blackheart, and the new Commander is an old way Alphathian (and a Magic User, this time), that after another war re-conquests Esterhold, demonstrates the fake of the parchment and crucifies thousands of Jennites to show who rules in Esterhold. At the same time, Alphathians of HW Alphathia begin to wonder wheter in Neatharum they will suffer the same problems, giving way to xenophobic activities... OR Broderick leaves Esterhold its indipendence. Much to the ire of Eriadna, anyway... This view of the setting is an example of combining the illuminated view that some of the most important characters of Alphathia is following, and the objective problems that will arise trying to change a traditional and millenary way of dealing with things. You can't simply change things from one moment to another. Another last thing: the problem is that later Alphathians, in some aspects, seem to much to come out from bad 70's and 80's movies, where Americans always win against Russians, Chinese, Nazis Germans, Vietnamese, without any serious observation of the different facets of the parts in conflict, where they could be instead characters of films like Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, or others. USA is probably the most democratic state of the world, but also USA has its problems and its black sides (Allende-Pinochet, as an example), like everyone in the RW. Why should Alphathians in Mystara be different? Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 11:05:56 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: Re: Civil War in Old Alphatia (was ...of AncientEmpires:AnRamblin... MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > By the way, do the Italian translations of Mystaran products actually add > a second "h" to "Alphatia"? Your usage of "Alphathia" seems too > consistent to be accidental. Nah, it's just that I've always pronounced it Alphazia (the sound ti in latin is zi), so when I write in English I translate my mental pronunciation Alphazia---to the written Alphathia.It could be a typical error in Thyatis. Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 08:49:12 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: jdaly Subject: Re: Alphatian History (Revised), Pt III MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Here is Part III: Wherein Mystara is Graced With the Presence of the > Multiverse's Most Perfect Creation: Alphatia. > > The First 500 Years James, you are evil. Too bad some of our discussions on the MMB can't be dredged up...we could just copy and paste and save a whole heck of trouble. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 08:51:17 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: jdaly Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > They are located around the borders of various Alphatian kingdoms, along > the borders with their fellow Alphatians. Inference? The various Alphatian > kingdoms built these (very extensive and thus expensive) defensive networks > to protect themselves against each other You make a good point here, and one that Alex and I noticed when we began the Bettelyn and Randel gazetteers. In the end, James, you are correct...but only if you want to be a hardheaded stickler for reality and human nature. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 08:53:17 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: jdaly Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit (Supposedly said during the signing of the first peace treaty between Alphatia and Thyatis) Emperor of Thyatis: Well, you know what they say... (He chuckles) Emperor of Thyatis: We're only human! Emperor of Alphatia: No, my dear archrival, you are only human. I am Alphatian. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 09:39:16 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Re: Alphatian History (Revised), Pt III MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > James, you are evil. Too bad some of our discussions on the MMB can't be > dredged up...we could just copy and paste and save a whole heck of trouble. > I never claimed to be anything but. I know I'm the most disliked person on the MML (& MMB as well). Not a reputation I'm proud of, but one I unfortunately earned - both by my statements, and by people's reactions to them, and by my subsiquent responses to their reactions, and then their interpretations of me. I just live with it. Life, somehow, goes on. But I never claimed to be anything but "evil." Why should I? After all, it is I who am advocating that we shouldn't expunge the parts of Mystara that we like of evil and make them completely lovable, which IMO would make them un-fun to adventure in. But yes, you're right - I'm beating an old drum in trying to advocate that position. Btw, because I rarely empty my mailbox, and because I've *never* emptied my Netscape newsgroup "Sent" box (not because the stuff in there is so valuable to me - in fact I haven't re-read those ever. I'm just too lazy to do so. Witness the fact that I purged 10,000 mails from my e-mail storage a few weeks ago; I just let 'em build up too long), I have somewhere my parts of those discussions (unfortunately my Newsgroup didn't save the "recieved" messages in a box), so if you've got yours, go ahead and cut and I'll paste. 8-) ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 17:40:44 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?=E0=E9=EC=EF_=F9=E7=ED?= Subject: New Campaign.. at last!!! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi all! In the last few days a couple of freinds of mine have shown interest in = starting RPGing again after long long years of not playing. Some of them wanted non fantasy games, but as it seems I am going to be = the GM, I took the liberty of informing my freinds that it WILL be = fantasy, it WILL be OD&D (sort off) and it WILL be in Mystara. Now Im planning on having the campaign in Glantri (you expected that = didn't you?).=20 My problem is this. Most of the people that probably will game with me = are/where experienced players, some of them are fameliar with Mystara = and some not. I am asking the people of this list for "alternative" campaign ideas.=20 No "going to Boldavia and kicking vampire arse" ideas. Im looking for = something different. Low fantasy maybe (not low magic though... we are = in Glantri). One thing I thought off was getting the players into a hyper- complexed = political scheme. But as it seems they will all create commoner = charechters (Mundaners even!) I cxan't think of a way to introduce them = into such a campaign. Can you help a master vampire in distress? Thanks in advance=20 Morphail (Ohad Shaham) "and crawling on the planet's face, some insects called the human race. Lost in time, lost in space and meaning..." Last words from the Rocky Horror Picture Show Visit the dark prince of Boldavia at- = http://www.geocities.com/morphail_o/ =20 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 09:51:30 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Re: An Alphathian FLAW(?!?!?!???) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > OR Broderick leaves Esterhold its indipendence. Much to the ire of Eriadna, anyway... > > This view of the setting is an example of combining the illuminated view that some of the most important characters of Alphathia is following, and the objective problems that will arise trying to change a traditional and millenary way of dealing with things. > You can't simply change things from one moment to another. > like everyone in the RW. Why should Alphathians in Mystara be different? > I've Been there, done that argument. I Didn't get anywhere with it, and neither will you. But that doesn't stop me from pointlessly pursuing other aspects of my argument (as we have over the last two weeks), despite knowing the futility of it all, so you go for it! Good luck. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 11:39:45 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jeremy Morris Subject: Re: New Campaign.. at last!!! In-Reply-To: <01BF59FF.82AEF5A0@hrz-154-33.inter.net.il> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=X-UNKNOWN Content-Transfer-Encoding: QUOTED-PRINTABLE On Sat, 8 Jan 2000, [iso-8859-1] =E0=E9=EC=EF =F9=E7=ED wrote: > Hi all! > I am asking the people of this list for "alternative" campaign ideas.=20 > No "going to Boldavia and kicking vampire arse" ideas. Im looking for=20 > something different. Low fantasy maybe (not low magic though... we are > in Glantri). One thing I thought off was getting the players into a > hyper-complexed political scheme. But as it seems they will all create > commoner charechters (Mundaners even!) I cxan't think of a way to > introduce them into such a campaign. >=20 > Can you help a master vampire in distress? Just a few ideas off the top of my head -- * If they're all starting out as non-mages, what about a "criminal" campaign. Start them out in a place with a particularly oppressive low-level ruler (Baron or lower I would think), and get them wrapped up in the double-standard nature of the Glantrian political system. Maybe the Baron does something that he needs a convenient scapegoat for and uses one or more of the PCs as the scapegoat. After all, if they aren't mages who is really going to look too closely. If one of the PCs is a cleric or a thief, that could be enough to make them obvious scapegoats. This type of campaign could go in a number of directions: The PCs could become dedicated to overthrowing the Baron (or even the Glantrian political system), or the PCs could get wrapped up with the Baron's rivals in attempts to discredit or destroy the Baron. Less ambitious PCs could become fugitives, trying to fix their reputations while evading capture by the Glantrian authorities. *The PCs could be the servants of a mid-level mage. You can use this kind of campaign to do just about anything, since who knows what a mage might need or use. On one adventure they could be searching the ruins of a crypt for some ancient artifact, on the next they could be in Glantri City keeping their patron safe from assassins while he petitions the the government for some particularly unpopular cause. A slightly less savory mage might have the PCs break into his rival's towers to steal research or find material suitable to blackmail them with. As the PCs grow in power, their patron can grow in power as well, leading to more dangerous adventures. *The PCs could be members of the Glantrian Military. Since they aren't all mages, they probably can't be officers, but they could be part of a Glantrian equivalent of a Special Forces unit. You could have their superiors send them out to investigate the Great Crater area, do reconnaissance on the Ethengars, re-enforce the border areas, etc. I'd think that this might be a little limited for a long-running campaign, but once they made a name for themselves they could leave the military and you could move on to other things. *The PCs could be spies for a particular Prince. This could be a "Mission Impossible"-type game set in Glantri. (I can just see the magic item "Rubber Mask of Impersonation ) Unlike the "patron mage" idea above, the Prince would be mainly using the PCs to spy on his rivals and on his subordinates (Trust No one, after all). The Prince could also use the PCs to spy on potentially dangerous people outside of Glantri, allowing a gateway to some adventures in the rest of Mystara. *The PCs are all commoners who have come to Glantri City to seek their fortune. This would allow you to make use of the political structure of Glantri City quite a bit, as the PCs would have to deal with the people who run the city. The PCs could easily get wrapped up with the intrigue and mystery of Glantri City, and the campaign could actually morph into any of the above types. That's about all I can come up with right now. I haven't actually used any of these ideas myself, but I think any one of them could make for an interesting campaign. Hope this helps! Jeremy ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 20:01:49 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.com:80) Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- On Fri, 7 Jan 2000 22:09:43 James Ruhland wrote (replying to me): >Well, another notion to disabuse folks of is the impressions that the >Alphatians never fought each other - that's who they'd fight. > Unfortunately since you don't have DotE (you really should try and pick up >a copy if you can, it's worth it), you don't have the map of Alphatia that >is included inside it. Alphatia is full of walls, fortifications, castles, >and other defensive structures. Where are these located? Are they located >on the coasts, for protection against internal invaders? > No. > They are located around the borders of various Alphatian kingdoms, along >the borders with their fellow Alphatians. Inference? The various Alphatian >kingdoms built these (very extensive and thus expensive) defensive networks >to protect themselves against each other. > Second inference? That means they don't always get along very well (note >also that the Player's Guide refers to being allowed to conquer a >neighboring kingdom and add it to your own). So they fight each other. > Does that mean they have to fight hugely destructive wars all the time? > Again, no. > Remember in my previous post I refered to "conflict," but not >*nessissarily* military conflict/war - conflict can take all sorts of >forms; rivalries between various Alphatian wizards, political intrigues, >spiteful contests, outbreak of thieving and crime, discontent among the >servile classes (not nessissarily, but possibly, small-scale uprisings), >someone summons a monster and it escapes and he hires adventurers to get >rid of it or otherwise he'll be held responsible - in the middle of the >adventure the party discovers that the monster didn't just escape on its >own, an enemy of the guy that hired him made sure it would, hoping he'd get >the blame. Only in the end it turns out that the guy that hired him knew >what the other wizard planned to do regarding freeing the summoned monster, >and used the party as a convenient tool to eliminate/discredit the rival. >Hidden cabals, plots, and the like. They don't have to fight the birds (I >saw that movie, and it was ok, but got a little lame). Ah, yes. If you think that I'm about to disagree with you and say that this is not how a great many Alphatian wizards would act you are sorely mistaken - I fully agree that *some* Alphatian wizards would do just the thing you describe here, sadly (just think of those awful people in Blackheart. They are a stain on our beloved Alphatian Empire, if you ask me - I don't blame the that elf from the Princess Ark or other Shiye-Lawr elves for not putting up with them). Just don't throw all of us in with that lot, okay? Terari, Mylerental, and a number of other Alphatian wizards (hopefully including myself) are nothing like those awful people. I agree that some Alphatian wizards wield a power that they lack any maturity to wield (Zandor, even pre-WotI, comes to mind). I also agree that a great many Alphatian nations spend a lot of time fighting each other. Just consider the relationship between the naboring nations of Shiye-Lawr and Blackheart - ouch. One of the reasons I left Alphatia to adventure in the rest of the Known World was to get any from those awful internal politics - you just can't have people like Zandor running around spontaneously killing anyone who offends him for some trivial reason, perhaps even without realizing it (criticize it all you like for being 'out of character' or 'overly benevolent', but I for one was overwhelmed with joy that Eriadna changed her mind and had Haldemar and Broderick capture him - even if her change of mind was *quite* unexpected. Too bad they could keep him captured, though) >> >> So the, IMO, inescable conclusion is that change is REQUIRED or else >Mystaran >> politics will cease to make sense. >> >It depends; some of these changes are made simply because people prefer >that the Alphatians be portrayed as Paladin-like, not because they are >"required by the situation." Some of these same people seem to portray the >surface Alphatian Kingdoms (AKA NACE) as having as much magical superiority >over their neighbors as before. NACE has as many "Alphatian Artifacts" as >people care to create - all you need is a few moments left to let your >imagination run wild, and *poof* - enough magical power to maintain their >previous level of (wait a minute while I sing the Lollypop Guild song*) >"superiority," whatever one imagines that to be. LOL. Well, I don't think it's quite *that* bad (not yet, anyway), but I must confess that I'm not so certain that I like the 'Alphatian Artifacts' idea much. Sure, it's something new, so I'm definitely willing to give it a try and see if the result are interesting, but if I begin to think that it starts to go down the path you're describing here, I'll be sorely disappointed - I like my fantasy magic powerful and dangerous, not childish and 'funny' (I leave that to people like Jeff Grubb and, to a greater degree, Terry Pratchett - why that is so is another debate entirely). >Plus, needing to change and changing are two different things. But that's a >whole 'nother topic, one that would I'm sure create circular arguments and >lead to discussion's which would boil down to "well, I think they'd >immediately recognize the need to make a bunch of wholesale changes in >their society" vs "well, I don't think they would, not all the sudden like >they did" vs "well, I disagree" vs "well, that's just because you're >obstinate" vs "I know you are but what am I?" In the end that discussion >would be even more pointless than this one (or that duel between Clerics I >mentioned some time ago). Ha. You're probably right (hmmm, now why does that seem Sooooo similar to some debates I've seen and occasionally participated in (I'm reluctant to admit it, but I might as well) on the DND-L). :) > >*From "Wizard of Oz". It becomes Alphatia's national anthem circa AY 2000, >when Haldemar creates the "improved" version of the Princess Ark by >completing the Thothian Enchantment. Once again, LOL. - Stalker Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 20:53:46 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.com:80) Subject: Re: Alphatian History (Revised), Pt III Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- On Sat, 8 Jan 2000 00:52:41 James Ruhland wrote: (snip) >Here is Part III: Wherein Mystara is Graced With the Presence of the >Multiverse's Most Perfect Creation: Alphatia. > (history bits snipped) Hmmm. I'm starting to get worried now. Clearly this was written by an Alphatian, since the word 'our' is used several times about 'Alphatian lands' (in cases, obviously, where it is *highly* questionable whether the Alphatians have any claims to said lands whatsoever). I'm starting to wonder if it's actually Zandor who's writing this for three reasons. (1) The description of Mylertendal (who uncharacteristically, in the writer's opinion, feels that the Alphatians are imperialistic), (2) the description of Emperor Tylion IV (since he, unlike all other Alphatians, is described as being 'angry' and 'unwise' - he was, but why would the writer choose to portray him accurately ?), and (3) the odd numbering. These are all dead giveaways. I thought this was humorous, but now I'm starting to get scared *VERY SCARED*. I'm really anxious/afraid to see how the third chapter (Part I, obviously) will say of Zandor :) - Stalker Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 13:59:54 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >>Alphatian wizards would act you are sorely mistaken - I fully agree that *some* Alphatian wizards would do just the thing you describe here, sadly (just think of those awful people in Blackheart. They are a stain on our beloved Alphatian Empire, if you ask me - I don't blame the that elf from the Princess Ark or other Shiye-Lawr elves for not putting up with them).<< Ahh, here we get into the "designated whipping-boy" category. May as well play in Karameikos - "all our bad guys are in Halag with Bargle & Ludwig, so we can keep an eye on 'em." In this case, Blackheart serves the role of "designated blight", and everyone else gets to be contrasted against them favorably. Again: why is the Glantri Gaz so popular? Is it *just* because people are munchkins and like wielding great power, casting great spells? Or is it because the place is filled with intrigue, interesting (scheming) characters in all areas, rivalries where sometimes even the "nice" guys play dirty, and the like? I mean, sure - folks (including myself) like to wield lots of magical power and strut around the world thinking their the best and the brightest member of the most pussant nation in the world, but if that isn't balanced by a goodly ammount of scheming and stuff that *challenges* such assumptions, then things grow dull as everything comes to easy. So the question is: why is Alphatia so popular? Is it *just* because people like to sing the national anthem? I guess it could be. No, all Alphatians shouldn't be portrayed as nasty types. But neither, IMO, should the vast majority of them get to preen in the light of their own virtue, with sharp contrasts between the "good" Alphatians and the "black sheep of Alphatia" who have their own private ghetto in Blackheart where they're all congregated and segregated from the "fine, upstanding" ones. Some of the Gazetteers are like that, but that sort of thing isn't what attracts me, for one, to Mystara. I may as well go back to the Realms if that becomes the case, where "everyone knows" that all Red Wizards are evil, all Zhentarim are wicked, but all Cormyrian leaders are noble and honorable and all Shadowdalesmen are the salt of the earth, and "everyone knows" that when the Harpers or the Simbul does something, the ends justify the means because "their hearts are pure" or some such. Ok, so that is a bit of an extreme characterization of how the Realms have been portrayed; but I'm using that as an example. Mystara is, or should be, different, IMO. If people check out the Alphatia stuff in DotE, and reads it carefully (I know some, many, think that they "scanted" Alphatia in the amount of information they provided, but really if one reads it one gets a very good impression - there is a lot more detail in there, in both the Player's Guide & the DM's Sourcebook, than people give it credit for having - sure, a number of kingdoms, including some significant ones, didn't make it in at all for lack of space. But none the less, what is in there gives one a lot to work with. Anyhow, where was I?) If you check out the Alphatia stuff in DotE, you'll notice that it isn't so black and white - Blackheart being the "evil" area and the rest of Alphatia being full of Myrtendal sorts. Blackheart is at one extreme (the not-nice extreme) - but many Wizards throughout Alphatia travel to Blackheart to conduct their. . .less nice. . .experiments. There is a continum in between: Haven is possibly the "nicest" of the Kingdoms, Draco treats non-spellcasters the best. Eagret a little less well, Arogansa very harshly, etc. A wide range of attitudes, not sharp divides between the "good" parts and the "bad" parts. Same with individual Alphatians, I hope - you have in any one person admirable traits and less admirable traits. Complex characters, not flat-two dimensional ones like were appearing in the PWAs (Zandor & Broderick are almost steriotypical, and those are only two examples because my post is already long and no one wants a complete list). I think that's what I see you doing. All fine in your campaign if that's what you prefer, of course. But since we're having a discussion, I just like to say "I disent". ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 14:10:20 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Re: Alphatian History (Revised), Pt III MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >> Hmmm. I'm starting to get worried now. Clearly this was written by an Alphatian, since the word 'our' is used several times about 'Alphatian lands' (in cases, obviously, where it is *highly* questionable whether the Alphatians have any claims to said lands whatsoever).<< All Mystara (and indeed all the Multiverse) = Rightful Territory of Alphatia, portions of which are allowed to be used by other peoples until the Alphatians decide they need to re-assert their ligitimate authority over them. > >> I'm starting to wonder if it's actually Zandor who's writing this for three reasons. (1) The description of Mylertendal (who uncharacteristically, in the writer's opinion, feels that the Alphatians are imperialistic)<< That part on Mylertendal is almost directly out of the DotE Alphatian Player's Guide "History of Alphatia" section. The only real "distortion" there was when I said that the Alphatians had never engaged in "Thyatian-like" land grabbing. . . >>I'm really anxious/afraid to see how the third chapter (Part I, obviously) will say of Zandor :)<< > Zandor was misunderstood, but *did* unfortunately needed career counciling (which is now being provided to him on the floating continent). He did Alphatia the wonderful service of re-uniting all the surface colonies so that they could become the "Newest New Version of the Alphatian Empire, Mk III" - all unselfishly, like the good Alphatian he was, neither asking for nor expecting gratitude for the service he rendered the Alphatian people in making the NNVAEMkIII possible. After that, like the Lone Ranger, he rode off into the sunset, returning to the bosom of his caring mother. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 21:40:18 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.com:80) Subject: Re: Alphatian History (Revised), Pt III Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- On Sat, 8 Jan 2000 14:10:20 James Ruhland wrote (replying to me): (snip) >>> I'm starting to wonder if it's actually Zandor who's writing this for >three reasons. (1) The description of Mylertendal (who >uncharacteristically, in the writer's opinion, feels that the Alphatians >are imperialistic)<< > >That part on Mylertendal is almost directly out of the DotE >Alphatian Player's Guide "History of Alphatia" section. The only real >"distortion" there was when I said that the Alphatians had never engaged in >"Thyatian-like" land grabbing. . . Yes, you're right, but the point I was trying to make here was that it was odd that Mylertendal wasn't 'distorted' like all other Alphatians - sorry if I didn't make that point too well > >>>I'm really anxious/afraid to see how the third chapter (Part I, >obviously) will say of Zandor :)<< >> >Zandor was misunderstood, but *did* unfortunately needed career counciling >(which is now being provided to him on the floating continent). He did >Alphatia the wonderful service of re-uniting all the surface colonies so >that they could become the "Newest New Version of the Alphatian Empire, Mk >III" - all unselfishly, like the good Alphatian he was, neither asking for >nor expecting gratitude for the service he rendered the Alphatian people in >making the NNVAEMkIII possible. After that, like the Lone Ranger, he rode >off into the sunset, returning to the bosom of his caring mother. Eat your heart out Blair Witch!! - this is *MUCH* scarier :) - Stalker Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 14:47:19 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Re: Alphatian History (Revised), Pt III MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > Yes, you're right, but the point I was trying to make here was that it was odd that Mylertendal wasn't 'distorted' like all other Alphatians - sorry if I didn't make that point too well > Well she was distorted, just not in that specific case. The part about her caring for the welfare of the poor and working as a social worker in the slums of Aasla (*not* that there are slums, mind you) wasn't in DotE either. 8-) > > Eat your heart out Blair Witch!! - this is *MUCH* scarier :) > *_+ ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 21:56:16 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.com:80) Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- On Sat, 8 Jan 2000 13:59:54 James Ruhland wrote: > Ahh, here we get into the "designated whipping-boy" category. May as well >play in Karameikos - "all our bad guys are in Halag with Bargle & Ludwig, >so we can keep an eye on 'em." In this case, Blackheart serves the role of >"designated blight", and everyone else gets to be contrasted against them >favorably. Well, yes... sort of. Those people in Blackheart, or coming to Blackheart when convenient, ARE some pretty awful types. However, that's not meant to imply that everyone else in the Alphatian Empire is 'nice and benevolent'. Not so, just think of Zandor who lived in Sundsvall (I *really* don't like that guy). Of course, he's just an example, but I can't remember anyone else who fits the descriptions so well (I still don't have DotE, though I really should take your advice and get it somehow). Also, while there's a lot of good background stuff in DotE about the traditions of the cultures, there just isn't a huge gallery of characters. But, yes, there are many non-Blackheart, non-Zandor Alphatian wizards who are utterly evil - I just can't mention any because I don't remember any. (snip) > So the question is: why is Alphatia so popular? Is it *just* because >people like to sing the national anthem? I guess it could be. No, all >Alphatians shouldn't be portrayed as nasty types. But neither, IMO, should >the vast majority of them get to preen in the light of their own virtue, >with sharp contrasts between the "good" Alphatians and the "black sheep of >Alphatia" who have their own private ghetto in Blackheart where they're all >congregated and segregated from the "fine, upstanding" ones. Some of the >Gazetteers are like that, but that sort of thing isn't what attracts me, >for one, to Mystara. (FR stuff snipped) > If people check out the Alphatia stuff in DotE, and reads it carefully (I >know some, many, think that they "scanted" Alphatia in the amount of >information they provided, but really if one reads it one gets a very good >impression - there is a lot more detail in there, in both the Player's >Guide & the DM's Sourcebook, than people give it credit for having - sure, >a number of kingdoms, including some significant ones, didn't make it in at >all for lack of space. But none the less, what is in there gives one a lot >to work with. Anyhow, where was I?) If you check out the Alphatia stuff in >DotE, you'll notice that it isn't so black and white - Blackheart being the >"evil" area and the rest of Alphatia being full of Myrtendal sorts. >Blackheart is at one extreme (the not-nice extreme) - but many Wizards >throughout Alphatia travel to Blackheart to conduct their. . .less nice. . >.experiments. There is a continum in between: Haven is possibly the >"nicest" of the Kingdoms, Draco treats non-spellcasters the best. Eagret a >little less well, Arogansa very harshly, etc. A wide range of attitudes, >not sharp divides between the "good" parts and the "bad" parts. Same with >individual Alphatians, I hope - you have in any one person admirable traits >and less admirable traits. Complex characters, not flat-two dimensional >ones like were appearing in the PWAs (Zandor & Broderick are almost >steriotypical, and those are only two examples because my post is already >long and no one wants a complete list). > I think that's what I see you doing. All fine in your campaign if that's >what you prefer, of course. But since we're having a discussion, I just >like to say "I disent". Oh don't think that just because I happen to like Alphatians my campaign will be populated only by 'nice upstanding' Alphatians (except Blackheart). You're reasonably safe in Sundsvall (pre-WotI) because Eriadna won't allow too much chaos (except Zandor), but otherwise travelling Alphatia IMC is *dangerous*, because there could be an oh-so evil mage around the next corner. No evil Alphatians are by no means limited to Blackheart - Blackheart is just a good example because most wicked wizards either live or go there. In fact, I would NEVER allow ANY nation IMC to be played as 'all good' or 'all evil'. Like you, I think that this is one of the good things about Mystara. But I don't think that the Dupuis stuff destroys that image, though it might be because I won't let it - but I still like the post-WotI stuff. Go figure! - Stalker Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 14:36:03 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Eleanor Williams Subject: Commercial site MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Heres a site with some out of print stuff, if any are interested http://www.nobleknight.com/dd2.html ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 15:57:27 PST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: adrian mattias Subject: Re: The rat came back (it wouldn't go away)... Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >About Yalu River region, there should be a lot of material in Christian >Constantin's site (http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Cauldron/5014/) That is correct. North of the Yazak Steppes lie the Bylot Hills which separate the Empires of Zuyevo and Hule. North of Hule is the Midlands and north of Zuyevo lies the Hyborean Steppes. Check out Christian's site for more info. >From: Agathokles >Reply-To: Mystara >To: MYSTARA-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM >Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] The rat came back (it wouldn't go away)... >Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 19:41:33 +0000 > >Daniel Boese wrote: > > > > >> First - would somebody mind pointing me to references about the Free >City > > >> of Dunwick (on the Savage Coast), the Hollow Moon, or that large area >of > > >> Brun north of the Savage Coast (eg the 'Yalu River', etc)? Online >items > > >> and officially published works would both be useful. > > >[snip] > > Indeed, "Red Steel" and "Savage Baronies" seem like the best places to > > look; however, although I've found blurbs on the various actual >'nations' > > (ie, the ones given borders on the maps), I haven't yet found anything > > about Dunwick itself. > > > >There should be something in the Cimarron County entry. Look in the >colonies section. > > > >Of good use also are the Voyage of the Princess Ark articles that >detail > > >the Savage Coast, if you have the issues of the Dragon that they appear > > >in, or the recently released CD Rom version. > > > > I have both the original Dragon Magazines, and the new CD-Rom; > > unfortunately, the search program that comes with the CD's... doesn't > > work, and I'm only up to reading the third disk's .pdf files, so I'm >still > > not sure which issue(s) would cover the right region. > > >Try issues 179-181 (this is the result given by the search program to >the "Dunwick" query). > >There is also an adventure idea for Dunwick undercity written by Bruce >Heard somewhere in the Web (of course, it must be available at Shawn's >site). > >Hope it helps, >-- > > > Giampaolo Agosta > > >agathokles@libero.it >http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles/index.htm > >******************************************************************** >The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp >Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp >To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM >with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 10:46:38 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?=E0=E9=EC=EF_=F9=E7=ED?= Subject: Re: New Campaign.. at last!!! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Thank you Jeremy! This helps a lot! -----Original Message----- From: Jeremy Morris [SMTP:morris@MCS.KENT.EDU] Sent: =F9 =E9=F0=E5=E0=F8 08 2000 18:40 To: MYSTARA-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] New Campaign.. at last!!! << File: ATT00005.txt; charset =3D X-UNKNOWN >> ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 15:08:44 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Mischa E Gelman Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. Comments: To: James Ruhland In-Reply-To: <200001082001.PAA11010@smtp10.atl.mindspring.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII > So the question is: why is Alphatia so popular? I can't understand this one personally. Libertine druggie elitists aren't my cup of tea. Can some of the Alphatia-philes explain this? > people like to sing the national anthem? I guess it could be. No, all > Alphatians shouldn't be portrayed as nasty types. But neither, IMO, should > the vast majority of them get to preen in the light of their own virtue, > with sharp contrasts between the "good" Alphatians and the "black sheep of > Alphatia" who have their own private ghetto in Blackheart where they're all > congregated and segregated from the "fine, upstanding" ones. Some of the > Gazetteers are like that You mean almost all of the Gazzetteers right? - Mischa The Torah tradition says that you have to be morally sensitive to the needs of others, even if it's not in your self-interest. There's nothing in there that says, "Look, if it's in your interest, love your neighbors, but if it's not in your interest, screw 'em." It's just not what's in the Torah - Michael Lerner, on neoconservative Jews' denial of their ancestry ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 21:24:06 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: Re: BRIAN Collector MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit > Hi, > I was the one how invented the Brian Collector, although I dont remember > who made the original spelling error. > > H�vard VEERY GOOOD!!! And thanks a lot Iulius S. Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 01:23:15 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.com:80) Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- On Sun, 9 Jan 2000 15:08:44 Mischa E Gelman wrote: >> So the question is: why is Alphatia so popular? > >I can't understand this one personally. Libertine druggie elitists >aren't my cup of tea. Can some of the Alphatia-philes explain this? > OK I'll give it a try. I guess it comes down to whatever captures your imagination. Personally I like wizards, and I always have. It follows quite naturally that my favorite cultures would thus be those that put a high focus on wizards. That's only a partial reason, but it's a beginning. This means that I'll probably be attracted to either Glantri or Alphatia. However, I don't care much for the Glantrians because almost everybody who's anybody there is either very manipulating, very evil, or both. The same is true of many Alphatians, but not all of them (e.g., Terari or Mylertendal). Also, there is the sort of society that exists in the nation of my preference. In this case, the Alphatians are extremely liberal, bordering on chaotic. This also appeals to me - I like the fact that the Alphatians could potentially enslave all of Mystara, but they just aren't disciplined enough to muster their powers to do so (I believe Bruce Heard said something like this in a column of VotPA in Dragon). For me that would be consistent with the tendency for wizards to be very solitary and isolated. So, for these reasons (be they good or bad - you tell me) Alphatia appeals to me, and I make up an Alphatian character along those lines. He has most of the 'Alphatian flaws' in the beginning (looks down on non-spellcasters, believes himself to be superior because he's one himself, etc.), but for me that's just a start for role-playing him 'into' a position from which he realizes just how inaccurate all those presumptions are. And please note that I had only read through DotE at the time - the PWA hadn't even appeared yet. So the PWA are published, and I realize that Alphatia is changing for the better - no longer is Alphatia populated almost solely by power-hungry arch-mages ruled by a sly but harsh Empress. Eriadna has changed, and a great deal of Alphatian society is apparently changing as well. And toward the sort of philosophies that my wizard is already advocating. Of course, I'll like it (and my mage will feel proud of his empire). Of course, Alphatia still has a long way to go before we could call it 'benevolent'. And naturally the 'evil wizards' are likely none to pleased by the changes they are witnessing. In fact, I fully expect an sort-of 'Alphatian civil war' between Eriadna and her 'benevolent' followers (like Haldemar and Broderick) and the 'old-style' evil wizards that seem to abound in DotE. When it comes, I'll stand by Eriadna and Haldemar all the way, though :) I'm sure I've forgotten many, many reasons why I like the Alphatians, but I'm sure that this post is already long enough, and I probably couldn't get much more specific anyway. If you comment on my post, I might be able to shed new light on the subject, though. - Stalker, who apologizes for the lengthy post Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 16:25:40 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: John Calvin Subject: Catastrophe Myths Volume2 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Here is volume #2 in my series of catastrophe myths. You can find volume #1 (and many other interesting books) in the Glantri Library http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dungeon/1092/glantri_index.html I hope you enjoy it, and will let me know what you think of it. Catastrophe Myths - Volume2 Dalwin Lussos Published in 979 AC This leather-bound tome is marked with the stamp of the Lussos family of Darokin. It measures 12 by 14 inches to a side and is filled with sheets of supple parchment. Volume 1 in this series discusses the various catastrophe myths that can be found throughout the Known World, and beyond. Most of these myths describe an event that I have termed, The Great Rain of Fire, in which the world, and all civilizations, are destroyed. Invariably some immortal intervenes to save a small group of people which then go on to repopulate the planet. This story seems almost too rediculous to believe. I never would have if not for several of the following points. The myth appears in several unrelated, and often distant, cultures. The story, with few minor variations, is always the same. The world is destroyed. Some few people are saved by the immortals. Those survivors go on to repopulate the world. There is physical evidence to support this theory. It is of the last point which this volume will deal with. Yes indeed there is physical evidence to support that the world perished in a Great Rain of Fire, and was then reborn into that which we live in today. What might this evidence be? First let us consider the myths themselves. They state that civilization was destroyed. This implies that a civilization (either one or many) existed before now. If this is true, then we should be able to find the physical evidence of this civilization scattered throughout Mystara. It is just that evidence which I am about to present. The Pyramids We need look no further than Ylaruam to find evidence of a former, great civilization that has long since collapsed. Having heard numerous tales about wonderous structures called pyramids from my business associate, Sayar-ibn-Memnet, I decieded that I would have to see these structures for myself. After driving a caravan to Ylaruam, I did just that. The pyramids are indeed wonders of this world. Giant, triangular structures made from thousands of cut limestone blocks, each weighing the equavalent of several elephants, the pyramids are a spectacular feet of engineering. It confounds my mind as to how the construction of such monuments was achieved. This alone would not prove that an ancient civilization once dwelt here, however similar structures have also been found to the west - in Sind, and along the Savage Coast, as well as to the east - in Thothia and scattered throughout the Isle of Dawn. These pyramids are not the work of a single ingenious wizard, but are fruits of the concerted effort of an entire, wide ranging, civilization. Who built the pyramids, and why. This question may prove impossible to answer. Scholars and sages can not come to an agreement as to the identity of this once great kingdom. Some argue that the Thothians on the Isle of Dawn are direct descendants of these people, while others claim that they simply "moved in" after the pyramid builders vanished. Under the Waves Of equal interest to the mighty stone pyramids are reports of vast columnar complexes, and even of entire cities, underneath the Sea of Dread. Reproduced below is an excerpt from the logs of Captain Zenthralin of Aquas. Zenthralin is the skipper of an Alphatian Shark, an enchanted vessel which is capable of traveling beneath the waves. He writes: "I was at once overcome with amazement and resentment. As the Silver Mako floats along what once must have been a wide paved road, I can see vast complexes of columns expanding in all directions around us. Now crumbled and partially buried in sand, the columns stand as a tribute to what must have once been a proud and powerful people. I must now be the bearer of the unthinkable news that Aquas was not the first city to be built beneath the sea." Zenthralin later sent divers out to explore the ruins, however much of his following report has been classified by the Alphatian government, and we may never know what he found. The little information we recieve from him may provide us with valuable clues. Who built these cities underneath the Sea of Dread? The first possibility is that they were built by the tritons or merrow which live in the area now. Minrothad, as well as Aquas, has numerous dealings with such creatures and their existence is well know. Zenthralin however, appears to discount that an aquatic folk could be responsible for these buildings when he laments about Aquas not being the first city to be built under the sea. The presence of paved roads implies that citizens of the city used them for walking - a rare occurence for aquatic folk who swim from place to place. Columns also indicate a terrestrial origin because they imply that something was being held up - perhaps a roof or ceiling of some kind. This also implicates a land dwelling architect, for roofs are primarily used to keep the weather out - a need that is not present on the ocean floor. Zenthralin may be wrong on another point however. He seems to assume that whoever built those cities, built them underneath the ocean. There is another possibility, and one that lends support to my own studies. Could these cities have been built by land dwellers... on the land? Is it possible that these lands were then sunk beneath the ocean in a cataclysm, the likes of which have not been seen in modern times? At this point I have no evidence to substantiate such claims (other than the cities themselves), so I will leave it to the reader to decide. The City of Silver My next piece of evidence, tales of a silver city in the mountains, also comes from the journals of an Alphatian captain. However instead of travelling beneath the ocean as Zenthralin did, Captain Farnemir of Aasla soars through the skies. In one of his journals we find this entry: "...the creatures are horrendous! Nearly a third of my crew has been slaughtered without warning. They swarmed about Sun Chaser on insect-like wings, their writhing tentacles either tearing my men apart or flinging them over the side to perish upon the rocks below. I ordered a hasty retreat away from the dome, and as quickly as they had appeared, the vile creatures had vanished..." The dome that Farnemir makes mention of is of interest to this study. Before being attacked, sentries on the Sun Chaser caught a glimpse of a flashing light high in the mountain tops. Moving in to investigate, they descovered that the flashes were produced by a "giant and inverted silvery dome." The dome was large enough to occupy an entire valley in the Silver Sierras range. Farnemir's account may be hard for some to believe, but there is more evidence to back up his story. In 927, after traveling through the Silver Sierras, Cruth Mountains, and the Altan Tepes, Magnus Thorvaldson told this tale, excerpted from The Riders of the Winds [Geoff Gander]: "Can't believe what I saw; words cannot describe it! I shall attempt to draw what I saw on the last page of my journal - a fitting end to my quest. All that can be said is that all of the old tales are TRUE! They are out there, and they live in great citadels on the tallest peaks." He later sketches what he saw: "...it is depicted as having four tentacular "arms", a vaguely insect-like body (with what appear to be folded wings projecting behind it), and four spindly legs. Notes typed beside the picture indicate that the creature's skin has the appearance of an insect's carapace, as is a mottled greenish-grey in colour. The head of the creature appears to be crested, and large in comparison to the body. Dominating its face are three large eyes, which are noted as being red, below which four thin tentacles protrude." Being most intrigued by these two reports, I financed an expidition into the Silver Sierrasin 978 AC. I equiped seven hardened adventures for a journey into that range. Only three of them returned. One, Engvid Gerut, a Wendarian ranger, disappeared before I could interfiew him. Of the two that were left, Malarik Fortane, a seasoned veteran out of Corunglain, and Luriea Malatarnakis, a mage and scholar from Thyatis, only one was left sane. Luriea spoke nothing but gibberish until she died earlier this year. Fortain, although a changed man, was able to confirm both the tales of Thorvaldson and Farnemir. Conclusion I think it is easy to see that there are numerous examples of ancient, and advanced, civilizations that have preceded us on this world. What may be harder to determine is who these people were? Was there a single civilization from which we are all descended, and thus from which we all inherit the same catastrophy myths? Or were there instead several great civilizations that all describe, through their myths, the same catastrophic event? We may never know. The story does not end there however. In the next volume I will again delve into catastrophe myths and investigate the events which they claim happened after the Great Rain of Fire. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 19:27:49 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: David Knott Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2000-01-09 15:16:44 Eastern Standard Time, megst19+@PITT.EDU writes: << I can't understand this one personally. Libertine druggie elitists aren't my cup of tea. Can some of the Alphatia-philes explain this? >> I think you answered that one for yourself. Remember that the gazetteers came out in the late 1980s -- which means that most of its buyers were born in the 1960s and early 1970s. The United States changed a great deal between then and the late 1980s -- more than enough to make a lot of people nostalgic for the days when becoming a "libertine druggie elitist" seemed possible. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 01:37:24 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: DM Subject: Re: New Campaign.. at last!!! Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable On Sat, 8 Jan 2000 17:40:44 +0200, wrote: <> Hey, congrats Ohad! It's always good to see the number of Mystarans increase :) <> Either that or an underwater city of gnomes... I guess Glantri is a bit more... dry :) <> uhmm... some adventure ideas based on the X-files I've adapted to Mystara can be found on Shawn's site. Of all of them, a few can be set in Glantri, and these have been reproduced below with the synopsis. Hope this helps. :) Squeeze This adventure is best set in Glantri, Alphatia or Thyatis. Eugene Victor Tooms (Tooms only if Alphatian) is a murderer who was sentenced to death back in AC 850. However, unknown to everybody, the government decided to volounteer him to experiment special potions and new magical dweomers. After a year, Tooms died during a last experiment involving altering his genetic structure mixing it with parts of amoeboid creatures. His corpse was then dropped in the disposal compound to be assimilated by gelatinous cubes. However, he wasn't dead, but merely cataleptic. The genetic structure of Tooms had udergone many transformations in the precedent months and when he awoke, he was able to free himself from the gelationous cube and to escape the compound. Now he roams the streets of the most crowded citites of the country and has the following powers/characteristics (he's a veritable living ghoul):=20 =B7 his eyes glow yellow when he is experiencing strong emotion and has Infravision (90'); =B7 he has stopped aging;=20 =B7 he is forced to hibernate for thirty years at a time to maintain his youth, if he fails to return to hibernation within one year of waking, his age starts catching up with him at fast pace (this he discovered soon);=20 =B7 to enter and survive hibernation, he must consume five human livers;=20 =B7 he hiberates in a nest made of trash bound together by a glue-like substance he produces from the bile in the livers; =B7 his skeletal and muscular structures have changed so that he can squeeze through very small openings (vents, chimnies, barred windows, etc; maximum 10' radius); =B7 he finds the taste, smell, and texture of decaying meat appealing (must make a Wis check to resist eating rotten food whenever he finds it);=20 =B7 he has the power to regenerate lost limbs and body parts (2 hp per= round) The PCs will have to cope with him when a strange series of death will begin to befall some people in town=85 Ice In a cold northern region (Glantrian Alps, northern Norwold) a meteor strikes down from the sky. The nearest mages (magical guilds) hire the PCs to build up an expedition and retrieve parts of that meteor to use for studies and magical researches. Once there, the research team is forced by bad weather conditions to remain inside a wooden refuge waiting for better conditions to make the trip back (this means the group must not have means of Teleporting itself back). During their stay one of them is infected by a parasite from the meteor. The parasite is a worm that feeds by attatching to the hypothalamus and absorbing its secretions (it could feed on Psi Points or Spell Levels ot Int or Wis or whatever too). Anyhow, the effect of this is that the person's emotional state changes. They become paranoid, then angry, finally homicidal. When the party discovers one of those strange worms about to enter the ear of one of them, the doubt that anyone could have already been infected spreads fast=85 The best way to do this is to create a claustrophobic feel and emphasize that no-one can know for certain who is infected and who isn't. The PCs must find a cure before it's too late.. and before they run out of provisions. [I've run this and it runs very well if you're able to put paranoia and suspect into each player..] Eve This is best set in Glantri, Thyatis or Alphatia. The government's magists are trying to create a super-soldier (or spy or something). They have taken the best females they could find and created clones of her altering their genetics so that they look normal but are super-smart and super-strong: the perfect unsuspecting ultimate weapon (a special type of flesh golem). However, the clones are also aware of their status and want to escape their creators' yoke, so some of them finally fool their masters and are able to escape. They look like young girls, but are hardened killers. Also, a design flaw causes their bodies to start going bezerk, changing and growing increasingly inhuman. When some girls are accused of killing their parents in different parts of the country, the PCs start investigating, with the government secret agents trying to retrieve or eliminate the golems in the meantime. Sleepless This adventure is best set in Glantri (but can be also staged in Thyatis or Alphatia). To create the perfect warmachine, a soldier who need not sleep but can fight by day or night with no rest, Herr Doktor (Rolf Graustein) removed portions of the brains of five men. While the men needed no sleep, they required certain compounds of herbs and minerals to replace the chemicals created in sleep. These compounds were the only things that kept them relatively sane. Prinz Jaggar decided to test their capacities by having them raid a small village in the Broken Lands to retrieve a magical item he desired. They did not get the item however, as they soon turned from their assignment to slaughter all the inhabitants of the village, and eventually returned to Aalban. Enraged by their failure, Jaggar told Herr Doktor to punish them to teach them to respect the orders. So the doctor withheld their compounds and locked them in a cell together. In the madness, two of the men killed each other, one simply died, but two survived by removing the traces of the compound left in the bodies of their comrades and consuming them. Eventually, the remaining soldiers managed to escape their master when he freed them and fled (to Glantri City or to Darokin). One worked at an inn, eventually inheriting it. The other became obsessed with religion (maybe contacting a hidden clerical sect if in Glantri) and finally became an avenger. After 18 years, he has decided that he has been called to cleanse the world of the evil that he was part of. He has six targets: Prinz Jaggar von Drachenfels, Rolf Graustein, two other wizards who assisted Herr Doktor, the remaining soldier, and himself (will commit suicide at end of mission). He kills in an unusual manner: he projects dreams. He can at will project an entirely convincing dream, such that the person experiencing the dream is convinced it is real (if he fails his Saving Throw). Therefore, of the person in the dream dies, they really die because the mind and body are totally convinced that it actually is happening (a powerful version of a Phantasmal Force). The bodies will display the secondary signs of the cause of death (i.e. a burn victim will not be burned, but a high internal temperature, pugalist position, and internal bleeding would have occured). The PCs start to investigate after the second assistant of Herr Doktor is found dead without any real explanation and Herr Graustein asks either the PCs personally to help him because he feels targeted or asks the Prinz to hire somebody to investigate the matter. DM Senior Editor of the Mystaran Almanac First Officer of U.S.S. Unicorn Visit Marco's Mystara Homepage at: http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Dungeon/2967 Join the Mystara Webring at: http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Dungeon/2967/mystring.html Join the Starfleet Academy at: http://gilda.it/startrek (Italian RPG PBEM) ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 18:41:16 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > > So the question is: why is Alphatia so popular? > > I can't understand this one personally. Libertine druggie elitists > aren't my cup of tea. Can some of the Alphatia-philes explain this? > Well, 1) Far from all of them are druggies. The Alphatia stuff is the only Mystara materiel which deals with this problem, so it shouldn't be treated too harshly, because there are adventure oportunities embeded in it (rescue your cousin who's lost in the Zzonga pits, break up smuggling operations, etc.) Doesn't make the Zzonga dealers or users lovable scamps, but again if everything is copacetic then there is no reason for heroism or even adventure. Unless the party wants to remain in the role of Cruise Director on the Airship of Love and get lobotomies so they can bear the week in, week out inanity of star-crossed lovers, mistaken identity, down-and-out actors from Starpoint needing to jump start their careers, whining children of fellow crew members who become infatuated with teen idols from Haven, etc, etc. 2) Not all Alphatians are libertine elitists: about 70% of the population isn't, in fact. Only the spellcasters fall into the category of libertine elitism. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 02:31:56 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.com:80) Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- On Sun, 9 Jan 2000 18:57:51 James Ruhland wrote (replying to me - obviously :) ): > >> That's only a partial reason, but it's a beginning. This means that I'll >probably be attracted to either Glantri or Alphatia. However, I don't care >much for the Glantrians because almost everybody who's anybody there is >either very manipulating, very evil, or both. The same is true of many >Alphatians, but not all of them (e.g., Terari or Mylertendal). >> >You don't think Terari is a master of manipulation? >What about Mylertendal? She's a positive Hiver (if you've ever played >Traveller, you know what I mean) - manipulating the entire Alphatian >society to reshape it according to her desires. Hmmm. I guess it's because I mostly tend to see manipulation as something bad, and thus didn't think of it that way - mea culpa! But you're right. Those two are manipulators to a point: I just can't hold it against them :) > >> Also, there is the sort of society that exists in the nation of my >preference. >> In this case, the Alphatians are extremely liberal, bordering on chaotic. > >> >They aren't "extremely liberal, bordering on chaotic." They are chaotic. >Plus, only part of the population (and far from the majority), gets to >enjoy this liberal spirit. I quote from DotE: > >1) Player's Guide to Alphatia, P.13 > "Alphatians, as a people--their ruling classes, anyway--are chaotic, free, >and individual. They believe in freedom of thought and choice. . .but only >for those privileged enough to wield magic. Those who cannot utilize any >sort of magic are destined to serve in one fashion or another." The general population does not get to enjoy the same freedom and liberalism that the spellcasters do - no. And it's not fair - no it isn't. However, I would still maintain that they would value those qualities. Otherwise the general Alphatian population would IMO have "overthrown the oppressive overlord wizard remnants of the cruel old ways of the empire, and have sought to join the great and 'freedom for all' philosophies of the Thyatians" :) Hell no. I'm *sure* that the general Alphatian population is as proud of their empire as one could be, even though that same empire never treated them very well - they would never see Thyatian invasion forces as 'liberating armies', if such an invasion were to come. > >2) Player's Guide to Thyatis, P.9 > "Thyatians adore the individualists who preserve the Thyatian state but >also do not give in to that state when choosing how to live their own >lives." > >In other words, *anyone* can have liberty in Thyatis and be respected and >admired for it. But only some people in Alphatia are allowed to have >freedom, and if the others have the temerity to behave as if they were >free, they will be put back in their place harshly and immediately - they >live to serve, not to express their individuality. Pardon me, but this sounds quite similar to the way various european nations argued when they invaded countries of other parts of the world a couple of centuries ago. 'We bring enlightment to the poor' they argued, but the native populations rarely saw it that way, and I, for one, can't blame them - It was imperialism and nothing else IMO. They DO have slaves in Thyatis, and while anyone can climb the social ladder, few would have the opportunity (go and see Ben-Hur for excellent examples of how this would work in Thyatis - it deals with Rome, but it would be just as relevant for Thyatis, I think). Besides, I always got the impression that once people had served their purpose and fallen from greatness in Thyatis and were no longer that useful to the empire, they were quickly, er, disposed off with (in Thyatis there is always somebody new trying to get the high position you're sitting in. You're in their way, and if you're no longer strong... well...). I don't see that this is a basis for saying that Thyatis is any better than Alphatia. Sorry! > >As far as the other stuff in your post, I guess I won't reply to it since >we already discussed those items and disagree on them. > We probably can't get any further here, no :) - Stalker Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 19:43:33 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > The general population does not get to enjoy the same freedom and liberalism that the spellcasters do - no. And it's not fair - no it isn't. However, I would still maintain that they would value those qualities. Otherwise the general Alphatian population would IMO have "overthrown the oppressive overlord wizard remnants of the cruel old ways of the empire, and have sought to join the great and 'freedom for all' philosophies of the Thyatians" :) Hell no. I'm *sure* that the general Alphatian population is as proud of their empire as one could be, even though that same empire never treated them very well - they would never see Thyatian invasion forces as 'liberating armies', if such an invasion were to come. > That likely depends on who you talk to within Alphatia, though. The Esterholders? Note also the stuff re the IoD border fluctuating a lot - it says in DotE, under "Dunadale," that this problem was only halted when Dunadale effectively adopted part of Thyatian custom (some elective politics & voice for not just spellcasters) - and states in a couple places that the people of the IoD tended to prefer the Thyatians to the Alphatians (with the noitable exception of the Thothians, who prefered the Alphatians). Remember also that when the Thyatians revolted against Alphatia most of the Alphatian empire revolted as well: the Alphatians made peace with the Thys, Ochs, and P.I.ers and ceded half the IoD as well so that they could concentrate their efforts on stamping out the other revolts and save as much of their Empire as possible. Not a sign that everyone except the Thyatians were contented and happy and proud of the Alphatian Empire. > > Pardon me, but this sounds quite similar to the way various european nations argued > when they invaded countries of other parts of the world a couple of centuries ago. Sort of a non-sequiter argument since we're discussing things "from the outside looking in" as players. I guess what you're now saying is that if I take an argument contrary to yours or disagree with you or point out where I think you're wrong then I'm some sort of cultural imperialist - not out of line because of what I say it, but because I say it at all. So on that "happy" note I guess it's time that I do what I said I'd do but didn't discipline myself to do and bow out of this discussion. Have it your way: Alphatia is good, the lower classes admire the individualism and freedom of the aristocracy even though they don't get to have any themselves, and the Thyatians are wicked trying to force their ways on others, while presumably the Alphatians never do that sort of thing. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 21:20:47 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: David Knott Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2000-01-09 20:33:51 Eastern Standard Time, alphatian@ANGELFIRE.COM writes: << I don't see that this is a basis for saying that Thyatis is any better than Alphatia. Sorry! >> The chief difference that I would see between the two empires is that Thyatis is more of a meritocracy while Alphatia is more of a hereditary aristocracy. In Thyatis, a slave can become emperor -- in fact, Thincol started out that way. On the other hand, accidents of birth (ethnic background and magical talent) are far more important in Alphatia. For most people at the bottom of either society this distinction is of little importance -- after all, slaves are treated pretty badly in both empires. However, for ambitious non-spellcasters with a lot of talent and potential in other areas (or "player characters"), this distinction is of critical importance. BTW, I thought of another analogy for thinking about Alphatians. Just as I compared Alphatians of the "First Decline" to Moorcock's Melniboneans, I would be tempted to compare modern Alphatians to the Zhodani of the Traveller universe. One reason that most mundane Alphatians (at least, those of Alphatian or Thothian ancestry) don't revolt is that they have the hope that their children will turn out to be spellcasters who will be able to join the aristocracy. Of course, Alphatians don't have anywhere the resources that the Zhodani do to ensure that the "proles" are in fact happy and content with their lot in life -- you can ensure that nearly anyone is happy all the time if you are willing to use telepathic powers to brainwash them followed by periodic scans to ensure that they are not having "bad thoughts". ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 23:05:04 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: ...of Ancient Empires: An Rambling Missive. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 1/5/00 9:25:22 PM Eastern Standard Time, alphatian@ANGELFIRE.COM writes: << On Wed, 5 Jan 2000 19:57:52 Alex Benson wrote: >In a message dated 1/5/00 6:23:21 PM Eastern Standard Time, >jruhlconob@SPRYNET.COM writes: > ><< Alex wrote: > > strange "order in the chaos". though alien to foriegners, > > imo alphers see the social structure as perfectly normal > > (even the nonspellcasters). afterall it has been in place > > for 2000+ years. > > > With remarkably little change (almost stasis in fact) for a society that >prides itself on creative inovation. . .>> > >well i think that the chaos is indicative of the progress or lack of >progress. imo there has been change. given the size of alph and its longevity >on mystara change tends to be dilluted. as for the creative inovation i think >alot of that depends magical pursuit. socially changes are present. iirc old >alph had the spellcasting majority as being more sympathetic to "handicapped" >nonspellcasters. they sort of clamped down on mundaners, but have begun >offering more personal power to mundaners off-continent. likewise, alphers >have gone from Air Mage refugees, to more diverse schools. it may have taken >another 2000 years but you would have probably seen the powerstructures >eventually even out. And please notice that things WERE starting to change even before Wrath - people like Mylertendal and Terari (though mostly due to his personal history) had clearly abandonned Alphatia's imperialist tendencies, and they were just a couple of the more prominent people. Likely there were a number of more 'common' people who started to follow the more peaceful ways of the Immortals Razud, Koryis, and Alphatia. In fact, I see the involvement in the war of the Immortal Alphatia as a major reason why the empire itself got so involved with the war: If she, as a peaceful Immortal, actually *supported* the war, then surely there must have been something *VERY* wrong in Glantri according to the general populace.>> well...as far as immortals are concerned the alphers place a good deal less emphasis on immortals than other peoples partly due to their haughty nature and their fertile spellcasting core. imo to the alphers an immortals is greeted in as much for the spells granted as it is for its edicts. as far as social changes i have to disagree in regards to mainland alphatia. the IoD, alatians, belly, and norwold are a bit more leniant. as for ericall...well one has to remember that he is still of imperial blood and he had to nag and beg for his throne. it's not like she set him up in a prize kingdom either. and its not like she was bountiful with imperial aid during its woes. as for noted individuals, you cannot use them as a general example of a people's national character. for every "terari" you could easily find an "anti-terari". the same goes for any kingdom, empire, or people. > > > well...that is one of the problems with the Fire/Air war. > > to us and the mainstrean mystarans it does seem trivial. > > however, i tended to look at it as a final straw type event > > between these two factions. > > > Notice that I didn't criticize the origins/reasons for the war (they can >fight over whatever they'd like) - the end game, however: The Air faction has >the war won. The Fire faction is sueing for peace (after deposing Alphaks). >That's when they decide to reduce the world to gravel and move elsewhere. >That's just a petty, destructive act that can't be justified within the >context of the war between the factions (which is over by that point). Heck, >if they want to slaughter the last remaining Fire followers, it wouldn't be >as big a deal - sure, it would confirm them as not nice folks, but it's >another thing all together to take it the next step. That smacks of being a >petty temper-tantrum.>> > >the utter level of planetary destruction, revenge, and weakened state are >cited as being a predominant causes for the egress. i'll agree that the air >mages could have simply finished the fire mages off....and that avenue could >find a degree of justification. regardless....the addage of "following the >path of least resistance" works as good as any. however, i found it strange >that the alphers abandoned the rest of their settled planets in that system. I agree with this. Actually I'm sort of glad that I've never had to address this IMC, because I'm not so sure that I'd use the 'Air faction destroys Old Alphatia' approach. I know that they did, but I just can't find a reason why they would. I can accept that they *were* probably 'spoiled children', but it still doesn't explain why they would utterly annihilate their own homeworld. It's one thing to say they were childish, but I don't think that even they would do this without reason. If forced, I would probably come up with a reason along the lines of the war between the factions having caused so much devastation to Old Alphatia that it was easier to settle somewhere else. Note that I'm not saying that they weren't childish (they were!), I just can't find a reason to explain those actions. (Not that anybody said so, but I wouldn't accept that they did this just because they were 'evil and childish'. There must have been more to it than that.)>> you know...that is a good angle. i mean the alpher civil war happened over 2000 years ago. information so archane is not a big deal for a current alphatian. however if explanation is required or comes into play, the established reasons are as good as any. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 23:04:52 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: The Enemy: dumb as a post, or too bored to care? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 1/5/00 8:52:01 PM Eastern Standard Time, jruhlconob@SPRYNET.COM writes: << > > imo...Wrath was probably seen as a way to stir Mystara up as a > setting....probably more for the pending conversion to adnd. from post Wrath > sources and from K:KOA and G:KOM you can tell which kingdom were to get the > lion's share. i suspect that had official material continued there probably > would have never been a unified nace or that thyatis would have survived as > an imperial force. > As no doubt Herve would want me to remind everyone, the various Alphatian kingdoms which would become the core of NACE were reunified in Joshuan's Almanac. As far as whether or not Thyatis would have survived as an Imperial Force, or even at all, all one has to do is look at Bruce Heard's HK Timeline, 2nd Millenium. Add to that the obvious preferences of the person who was writing the Almanacs at the time and the conclusion is obvious.>> however, there is a difference between the canon "core" and what would become Nace. post Wrath "proto-Nace" was on shaky grounds throughout the PWAs and barely spoken of in JA. my impression of it (compounded by a lackluster show in JA) was that as a people the alphers were to be a scattered disunified bunch of city states. if any unity came into play it may have been on Belly. likewise my impression of an intended post wrath thyatis was that it would have probably broken down into independant kingdoms. as for nace in general, i am glad that it was created and continues to develop. any disagreements i have with nace are more of a result of canon noncharacteristic social attributes placed on post wrath alpher kingdoms and inherited by nace. so i cannot place blame on Herve for nace as he built it from what he was given. > > strangely enough....in my own campaign i was pretty even handed when it came > to alphatia and thyatis. most gaming unfolded on alphatia so that's where the > bulk of my attentions were. > Well, even with me: the first campaign I was involved in where both Empires played a role was one based on the Test of the Warlords & other Norwold modules; our party's goal was the pretty usual one - try to avoid entanglements with either Empire. My own character supported Ericall vs. Thyatis in the various battles (as well as advocating as much independence as possible from Alphatia).>> that's a similar theme from my own campaigns in "buffer zone" regions. alpher and thyatian pcs tended to avoid imperial concerns or acted against them due to personal experiences, sometimes with them going against their homeland. mainly they focused on the domestic situation as both imperial capitals (and their duties) were across their respective seas. also the nationals seemed well aware of the evils of their own empires and though they were accepted as part of the respective mainlands, were not seen as being needed to be spread throughout the world. [snip] > the alphers. also i'd like to add that both glantri and thyatis were both > threatened by Rad's pursuit of the magic draining radiance. > Yes, but none of the mortal participants (including the Alphatians) knew the whys and wherefores of the dispute over the Radiance.>> no they weren't privy to that info. however, alphatia, glantri, and thyatis all had a magical stake in the war and their immortals should have recognized this. even rad should have taken some heed in the risky radiance and looked to his glantrians and its magic before his own curiosities. iirc rad even remarked that the war would be damning for glantri. still, he did not back down even after ixion admited that such a war would cost the lives of so many mortals. > > in wrath's content, "balance" and post wrath concerns went hand and hand. the > war and alliances seemed to favor preempted balancing of numbers for fighting > forces to level the discrepancies between glantri and alphatia. > Except that there is one big thing I didn't bring up that belies any claim that efforts were made to "balance" the sides - the Immortal meddling pre-war that undermined the effectiveness of Thyatis' armies. If it wasn't for that, Alphatia would have had much more trouble on the IoD, the war would have been much longer and more damaging, and the outcome uncertain. Far from "balancing" the sides, this heavily weighted things in the Alphatian's favor.>> i'll agree to that to a point. the point being that the meddling seemed a partial counter to the numerical buildup of the glantri/hk/thyatian alliance. this meddling would have been a trivial part had the alliance acted in unity in meeting the alpher offensives. instead of a powerful trio facing alpher forces one is left with three seperate forces facing stepped alpher offensives. the core of the trio actually meeting the alphers being further depleted by the meddling. alphatia was also the target of immortal meddling. torenal was killed, the skyships were conveniently torched in aasla, the shiye-lawr were influenced to protest the war, and ...the biggie...they were moved to war to begin with. > > i will agree with the ignore thyatis strategy. an assault through norwold > would be the best avenue. an alliance with the ethie is a no brainer. but > lets not forget the dwarves of rockhome. you also have the alphatian > descended peoples within glantri (excluding flaems) which were likewise > conveniently removed in wrath and in post wrath publications. > So were the neighboring Thyatian descended folk.>> minor losses. i was thinking more of the convenient eradication of alpher descended glantrians....at least those that offered favoritism to alphatia. this doesn't just include those wiped out by the meteor, it also includes later plots that swung political power to the thyatian side in aalban. anyway...in the end the pro-alpher sects are no longer a political entity in glantri. > > it may appear complicated but it really isn't. one reason i went with > assembly pointas for the assault groups was to avoid the possible problems > with mass departures from various ports. i tried to demonstrate the > coordination problems by altering assembling times. > Ok. Well I guess I didn't explain my points very well. It's my opinion that they focus on too many targets in one go, even if the arrival times to each is different.>> no...i got what you were going for. i thought that i had explain that though in the part about the real offensives being trader island and divided into two fronts. harbortown being the real assault and mincity being more passive seigecraft (until resolution in harbortown). open island and fire island being relatively minor securing actions, both technically part of the pacification of the minrothad waters. being self-sufficient task forces i saw these objectives as being no big deal. perhaps the opening stages would have seen less complicated/over-ambitious if smaller forces had been used in the supporting fronts. anyway, had i gone with the one step at a time approach i would have probably drawn fire for downplaying thyatian military ingenuity. > > have the thyatians been devoid of the use of magic in OpHydra? nope. thyatian > magic has been both inferred and specifically cited as being used. > It wasn't your portrayal of their capabilities (or lack thereof) vs. Minrothad that I was referring to (though the heavy emphasis on how vital the Alpher forces among the Thy troops is telling. . . .) - it was your portrayal of Thyatian impotence vs. the NACE forces: their "heavy use of magic" (see above) that comes as a complete shock to the Thyatians, bewildering them completely (this after 1,200 years of experience with Alphatian methods). But I'm trying to discipline myself to not get into this stuff again - I've already explained, multiple times, my beefs with this sort of thing on the list. Perhaps if you'd like we can start another thread on this.>> it's an optional part of ophydra and even is stated as such. therefore, the subject matter was less of a priority to the mainstream plot. as for the longevity of alph/thyatian conflicts, i'd like to point out that whenever the two really go at it, thyatis loses, only to rise due to some series of events. so obviously the 1,200 years of lessons have left a good degree unlearned. as for those scripted salvation events: 1) thyatis being occupied for years only to be ousted by lucinius and zendrolion. for one thing their planning would be subject to discovery via magic. second i find it convenient that they'd be able to "simultaneously assassinate" the mages and oust the occupational alpher forces. 2) the resurgant thyatian military thanks to the presence of a piddly gladiator. a bit convenient that he was able to rally the thyatians after the imperial city and palace had been stormed and majority of the noble family had been killed. 3) in wrath thyatis was beaten and knew it. dispite having an age old rival on the ropes, eriadna conveniently agrees to a treaty and thyatis is allowed to live on to another day. as for the notes about the alpher nationals within their ranks, these references were not a direct slight against thyatian magic capabilities. so far, the heavy intricate uses of magic have been seen in the sacking of fire island and in the communication roles. the summoning of the alpher magists are done for a different reason.....more for their expendibility than for any perceived magical superiority. << Still, I notice you sniped my examples of how Eusebius & the other Thyatians were portrayed as bumbling incompetents in the face of the NACE attack, and didn't deal with them. I'll take that as a tacit admission that those points were valid.>> no i snipped those for message space. those aspects were addressed and have been addressed. no need to rehash, especially within the same message. > well i think that therein lies part of our differences in opinion. as i see > it (at least in the alternative OpHydra timeline). thyatis is focusing more > upon its mainland holdings. you have the pwas plots of independence movements > on the IoD. > Well, if that's the rationale for surrendering the IoD to NACE, then Eusebius should also sign over the Thyatian mainland to them, because Ann Dupuis also scripted an annual revolt there, too. So far the IoDers hadn't even resorted to violence to overthrow Thyatian rule. Eusebius should move to Minrothad, and sign a new treaty with NACE recognizing their rule over the Thyatian mainland. 8-)~>> actually there is a canon independence movement on at least two IoD kingdoms. one of which being contemplated by stefana. actually i tend to think that the thothian offensive did much to keep the thyatian IoD kingdoms more imperial. as for the ophydra offensives, nace only really gained a couple of kingdoms (not including those typically considered alphatian). not only that but the remaining thy based kingdoms were designed to act as trade ports between thyatis and nace. given the advances to thyatian trade fleets that the acquisition of minrothad brings, these will come in handy in conducting trade between peoples that do not like each other. > > nace is more insular and not perceived as a threat as alphatia > had been. > Why is that? IMO, the reverse might be true - even in the big wars between Alphatia & Thyatis, the former never tried to wipe out the latter's civil population, which a noted NACE member attempted in the PWAs. . .Thyatis wouldn't perceive such people as threatening? Would view NACE access to the western half of the IoD as unremarkable? The possibility of a NACE naval base in West Portage, opposite the Thyatian mainland as nothing to be concerned about? Big territorial losses after so many other humiliations as not notable (remember, at the beginning of the OpHyd there is an explanation that includes remarks to the effect that Thyatis needs a big military victory to recover prestige/etc - the IoD events certainly redound to the contrary, and make Thyatis appear even more impotent and "castrated" than before - they march on Minrothad, blithely unaware of the possibility that {"insular, unthreatening"} NACE might try to take advantage of their destraction, and like a dull-witted moron they do indeed get sapped in the back of the head.)>> nace is not alphatia and therefore not as much a threat to thyatis. for ophydra, a militarily weakened thyatis would have to ration its existing forces. imo thyatis would have maintained a military presence on brun. the IoD kingdoms would have been stripped of imperial forces as they would have had their own home armies. the focus on minrothad also diverts imperial intel resources and places IoD info gathering in the hands of the locals, who may not be as adept at such things. therefore, the losses on the IoD to nace are as much of the fault of the locals as it is anyone's. blame is not and will not fall upon the empire. as stated in ophydra the excuses and scapegoats are present. spoiler material asside....i would offer that the offensives actually aid thyatian military power by assigning more proper funding to the needed thyatian rebuild and reformation projects. <> insular or not, the nace would have been stupid not to take advantage of any weakening of thyatian. and since thyatis was by canon references weakened militarily to fill out the needed troop numbers for ophydra. from there it became a matter of what thyatian areas would be protected with the limited thyatian forces. > > well....back when OpHydra was originally introduced political outcry was > often cited. personally i never saw it as a big deal. thyatis is an > imperialist empire and they have precedent at expansion. political outcry has > come into play and a lack of action has been explained in OpHydra. as for > diplomacy, i assure you that the fight for Minrothad as a whole will not end > with each island and guild being overrun. > All the more reason why a "straight up trade - Isle of Dawn for Trader's Island" is something only an idiot would do. See above re. portraying the enemy as dumb.>> how many times have the IoD kingdoms switched sides? just because nace currently has the bulk of them (per ophydra) that doesn't mean that the status is permanent. without offering any more spoiler info....i cannot go on about any further plans for ophydra beyond the capitulation of minrothad. i will say that much of the seeds of the future are present in current ophydra offerings. however i will say that thyatis needs a rival beyond the scope of the WDL to justify the need for an imperial body. <<1) Plot drives events & strategy: wanting the IoD to fall to NACE quickly isn't bad in and of itself if that's what you want. BUT on the other hand since the plot/pre-determined outcome determines the course of events, then that meant scripting "the enemy" as bumbling and stupid. 2) Like I said, we all do it, probably more often than we'd care to admit. I'm just taking this as an opportunity to point that out, since you brought it up. While it's *preferable* to have intelligent, crafty, difficult to defeat enemies, it is not always possible to do that when you want events to take a certain course and direction. Making the enemy competent, throwing obstacles in the way of the success of your own plotline, etc. makes it that much harder to achieve overnight victories on a vast scale.>> i would like to remind everyone that ophydra was first begun back in october of 1997 as a demonstration of just how easy thyatis could take minrothad...that conquest was quite controversial at the time. it's not intented to be almanac type material (at least without some tweaking) and i have said so. that's why i did not suggest it as an alternative to another plot in this year's almanac. competance in combatants is one thing that i have felt that i have adhered to. for the thadders their apparent stupidy is often at times a result of their own shortsidedness than any activity on my part. for thyatis their plan is simple enough to work and complicated enough to be demonstrative of efficient thyatian military might. as for thyatian shortcomings on the IoD those are more domestic than imperial. any imperial fault coming as a trade off for minrothad's bevy of trade potential. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 23:59:39 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: David Knott Subject: 3E Wizard options Comments: To: mystara3E@onelist.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Here are some options that should be considered for conversion of Mystaran wizards to 3E: 1) Magical talent/armored wizard: Most humans lack the talent to case wizard spells, and most of the few who have that talent are unable to do so while wearing armor (with the significant exception of Thyatian foresters). However, a few bloodlines (such as Alphatians and Flaems who retain characteristics inherited from Old Alphatia as well as the Laterrans of New Averoigne) seem to have a greater degree of magical talent than other Mystaran humans. 2) Longevity: This characteristic appears to be tied with the "magical talent" cited above. Members of the "House of Sylaire" appear to be ageless -- once they reach maturity, they seem to have indefinite lifespans. Alphatians and Flaems do not seem to have indefinite lifespans, but there is evidence that they do live longer than normal humans and may be able to extend their lifespans further by reaching high levels or by consuming elixirs of youth or potions of longevity (presumably without the same risks that lesser mortals are subject to). 3) Chaos/madness: So far the only drawback I have found to the increased longevity and magical talents of certain bloodlines is that they have a greater than normal susceptibility to various forms of mental instability. Has anyone else explored the possible advantages and disadvantages of characters from highly magical bloodlines? ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 00:08:29 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Re: The Enemy: dumb as a post, or too bored to care? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > no they weren't privy to that info. however, alphatia, glantri, and thyatis > all had a magical stake in the war and their immortals should have recognized > this. > As far as the decisions the various Immortals made I'd agree that they seem almost arbitrary, the only pattern being that they are set up to create the mortal alliances and enimities that occur. As for Thyatis, when Alphatia begins threatening Glantri over their experimentations with "forbidden magics", it would probably seem like the pot-calling-the-kettle-black, since any and all sorts of magical researches are allowed and encouraged in Alphatia, including mages going to Blackheart to conduct experiments everyone finds distasteful. So the Thyatians can, IMO, be excused for thinking that the Alphatians were driven by some other motive (their natural agressive tendencies). But yes, as to the motives given for the Immortals, that was just scripting (the dispute over the Radiance was allowed to transmogrify into a dispute over Immortals who became Immortals "the old fashioned way" and followed tradition and the "new" Immortals that came from wherever - this becoming the main pretext that determined how the sides were chosen, because it was easier to fit the various alliances into it, though still far from perfect - you have Korutiku supporting the Fellowship, but his Pearl Islanders "opting out" of the war and Vanya rabbidly supporting the Fellowship for unknowable reasons. Perhaps she really is an Avatar of Thantos.) > > nace is not alphatia and therefore not as much a threat to thyatis. > Unless Thyatis (stupidly) helps them advance in power at its own expense, by stripping the frontier of defenses and then losing the inevitable land-grab. > > have said so. that's why i did not suggest it as an alternative to another > plot in this year's almanac. > Actually, you did bring up on several occassions that you prefered that a version of Operation Hydra be used instead - that's why I was familiar with its existance. As I said in my initial post wherin I mentioned having finally read Operation Hydra, I wasn't on the list in '97 when you started it, for a variety of reasons I happened to be off the list when you posted most of it even after the time when I initially joined (for example being off the list in Sept & Oct when you made the latest updates, involving the IoD additions/supliments), and hadn't read any of the stuff that happened to be posted when I was on the list, because I would have prefered to start at the begining but had other priorities at the time. I read it right around Christmas (now I can't remember if I read it before or after), and I can't remember exactly why I decided to finally read it; but at the time I was going through the version of the 1016 Almanac Herve had posted for us to review & edit for malapropisms et al. - for some reason (again, I forget exactly) that reminded me of the existance of Operation Hydra so I searched it out at Stan's site. The fact that I remember it had more to do with Almanac-related discussions about the Min events than anything else, and I'm pretty sure that it wasn't some other person that recomended it as a different way to handle things. I'm sure if it was someone else they'll correct me if I'm wrong. Anyhow, as for the rest of the discussion, the parts I didn't comment on, I snipped them since I've kind of grown weary and disinterested in discussing it further, since it's just old stuff we disagree upon. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 12:52:09 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?=E0=E9=EC=EF_=F9=E7=ED?= Subject: Re: New Campaign.. at last!!! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >uhmm... some adventure ideas based on the X-files I've adapted to Mystara can be found on Shawn's site. Of all of them, a few can be set in Glantri, >and these have been reproduced below with the synopsis. Hope this helps. :) It sure does! I think I will compine several ideas just to make it more treaky for my PCs. Thanks a lot (for Jeremy too)! Well gotta get to work... Morphail (Ohad Shaham) "and crawling on the planet's face, some insects called the human race. Lost in time, lost in space and meaning..." Last words from the Rocky Horror Picture Show Visit the dark prince of Boldavia at- http://www.geocities.com/morphail_o/ ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 15:36:24 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Gordon McCormick Subject: Re: New Campaign.. at last!!! In-Reply-To: <01BF59FF.82AEF5A0@hrz-154-33.inter.net.il>; from ohadshm@INTER.NET.IL on Sat, Jan 08, 2000 at 05:40:44PM +0200 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit On Sat, Jan 08, 2000 at 05:40:44PM +0200, ���� ��� wrote: > My problem is this. Most of the people that probably will game with me are/where experienced players, some of them are fameliar with Mystara and some not. > I am asking the people of this list for "alternative" campaign ideas. > No "going to Boldavia and kicking vampire arse" ideas. Im looking for something different. Low fantasy maybe (not low magic though... we are in Glantri). > One thing I thought off was getting the players into a hyper- complexed political scheme. But as it seems they will all create commoner charechters (Mundaners even!) I cxan't think of a way to introduce them into such a campaign. One idea that hasn't been mentioned yet is to have the PC's as part of the constabulary of Glantri City. Starting off with low-level type investigations and peace keeping stuff, eventually working their way up the ladders until they're noticed by Viriyana and put into the spying business. Once there the politics can only get hyper-complicated :) gordon ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 15:38:23 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Gordon McCormick Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. In-Reply-To: ; from megst19+@PITT.EDU on Sun, Jan 09, 2000 at 03:08:44PM -0500 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii On Sun, Jan 09, 2000 at 03:08:44PM -0500, Mischa E Gelman wrote: > > So the question is: why is Alphatia so popular? > > I can't understand this one personally. Libertine druggie elitists > aren't my cup of tea. Can some of the Alphatia-philes explain this? > > > people like to sing the national anthem? I guess it could be. No, all > > Alphatians shouldn't be portrayed as nasty types. But neither, IMO, should > > the vast majority of them get to preen in the light of their own virtue, > > with sharp contrasts between the "good" Alphatians and the "black sheep of > > Alphatia" who have their own private ghetto in Blackheart where they're all > > congregated and segregated from the "fine, upstanding" ones. Some of the > > Gazetteers are like that > > You mean almost all of the Gazzetteers right? It's scary but true, when looking through the nations of Mystara I keep noticing all the faults and things that just aren't quite right, from small problems I have with Glantri and Karameikos to my intense dislike for the Hin. Yet it's still by far my favourite campaign world. I just don't get it myself :) gordon ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 15:41:12 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Gordon McCormick Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. Comments: To: James Ruhland In-Reply-To: <200001080315.WAA30921@smtp10.atl.mindspring.net>; from jruhlconob@sprynet.com on Fri, Jan 07, 2000 at 09:13:41PM -0600 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii What ho! Once I played an alphatian campaign with the tone and style of 'Jeeves and Wooster' [1] It worked really well, if you ever wonder why the Alphatians haven't conquered the world, imagine the upper class nobles as the chaps in the Drones Club, with more money than sense (Yes, I've heard of those job things). It was a fun campaign actually.. pip pip! gordon [1] I really liked the Granada TV Series with Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, I'd recommend it to anyone who liked the books... ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 11:43:48 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Emperor Porphyrogenitus Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. Mystara wrote: > On Sun, Jan 09, 2000 at 03:08:44PM -0500, Mischa E Gelman wrote:> >>>It's scary but true, when looking through the nations of Mystara I keep noticing all the faults and things that just aren't quite right, from small problems I have with Glantri and Karameikos to my intense dislike for the Hin. Yet it's still by far my favourite campaign world. I just don't get it myself :)<<< Well, it might be because we like the world so much that we notice its flaws. I mean, if we didn't care we wouldn't bother, right? Anyhow, it does also tend to be a good thing in a certain sense because it spurs people to create stuff and write "repairs" for percieved flaws, resulting in the wealth of "fan-materiel" we have access to. I've always had an irrational dislike for Halflings, myself, and 5 Shires did only make that worse (that Gaz just grates on me for some reason). ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 18:50:13 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > I've always had an irrational dislike for Halflings, myself, and 5 Shires did only make that worse (that Gaz just grates on me for some reason). I don't have that Gaz, but I too have a dislike for halflings. And it didn't help with Joshuana's Almanac. Probably it's that halfling that believes to all the stories-of-Alphathians-become-good, and puts idiot events in the Almanac while they plot to conquer the world. [Humour on (to acertain point), mind you! Ouch! Ouch! Hey, Stalker, stop it with those Meteor Swarms!] Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 12:50:59 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Mischa E Gelman Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII > I've always had an irrational dislike for Halflings, myself, and 5 > Shires did only make that worse (that Gaz just grates on me for some > reason). Since it's an Ed Greenwood product, I wouldn't touch it with a 10' foot pole (well, if I got it free, I would), especially as it might ruin my love for that land. It's one of the few Mystara products I neither own nor wish to buy ever. - Mischa We're living in an age when lemonade is made with artificial ingredients and furniture polish is made with real lemons. - Alfred E. Neuman ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 15:33:17 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Agathokles Subject: Re: New Campaign.. at last!!! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Jeremy Morris wrote: > > Just a few ideas off the top of my head -- > > * If they're all starting out as non-mages, what about a "criminal" > campaign. Start them out in a place with a particularly oppressive > low-level ruler (Baron or lower I would think), and get them wrapped up in > the double-standard nature of the Glantrian political system. Maybe the > Baron does something that he needs a convenient scapegoat for and uses one > or more of the PCs as the scapegoat. After all, if they aren't mages who > is really going to look too closely. If one of the PCs is a cleric or a > thief, that could be enough to make them obvious scapegoats. > > This type of campaign could go in a number of directions: The PCs could > become dedicated to overthrowing the Baron (or even the Glantrian > political system), or the PCs could get wrapped up with the Baron's rivals > in attempts to discredit or destroy the Baron. Less ambitious PCs could > become fugitives, trying to fix their reputations while evading capture by > the Glantrian authorities. > Perhaps the PCs happen to be servants of some evil but inapt minor ruler (ex.: Giovanni di Malapietra), who gives them task which aren't illegal per se, but contribute to some evil plan of his. When the plot is finally ready, it fails, and the characters become the scapegoats, since their patron is protected by some important noble (in the example, Innocenti). At that point, proving their innocence should be rather difficult. However, if they are sentenced, another noble, who is in good standing with the current Supreme Judge, offers them freedom, if they are willing to perform some errands for him... -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles/index.htm ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 19:49:46 +0100 Reply-To: mystara@com.bi Sender: Mystara From: thibault sarlat Subject: LOOK at what titan game has this week!! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit TSR: (D&D) (Basic Rules) B4: The Lost City (9049) [$17.5, VF] B7: Rahasia (9115) [$18.5, VF] B9: Castle Caldwell and Beyond (9143) [$15, NM] B10: Night's Dark Terror (9149) [$50, NM] (Blackmoor Campaign) DA1: Adventures in Blackmoor (9172) [$23, VF] DA2: Temple of the Frog (9175) [$29, NM] DA3: City of the Gods (9191) [$25.5, F] DA4: The Duchy of Ten (9205) [$16, VF] (Companion Rules) CM3: Sabre River (9119) [$13, VF] CM4: Earthshaker! (9128) [$15.5, NM] CM6: Where Chaos Reigns (9158) [$13, NM] (Expert Rules) X6: Quagmire! (9081) [$17.5, VF] X10: Red Arrow, Black Shield (9160) [$40, NM] X12: Skarda's Mirror (9188) [$11.5, F] -- Thibault Sarlat ICQ 16622177. My other adress is tsarlat@etu.montaigne.u-bordeaux.fr Homepage http://www.mystara.com.bi Pour rejoindre la Mystara mailing liste francophone, rendez-vous sur ma page de garde en bas. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 13:52:00 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Carl Quaif Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 10/01/00 15:41:34 GMT Standard Time, gmcc@ESATCLEAR.IE writes: > What ho! > > Once I played an alphatian campaign with the tone and style > of 'Jeeves and Wooster' [1] It worked really well, if you ever > wonder why the Alphatians haven't conquered the world, imagine > the upper class nobles as the chaps in the Drones Club, with > more money than sense (Yes, I've heard of those job things). > > It was a fun campaign actually.. > > pip pip! > > gordon > > [1] I really liked the Granada TV Series with Stephen Fry and > Hugh Laurie, I'd recommend it to anyone who liked the books... Gordon, old chap, you know you REALLY shouldn't perpetuate the stereotype these Johnny Foreigners have of us; not the done thing! The next thing you know, they'll be asking for care packages of crumpets and Earl Grey... Up the Empire! (British, that is, not Alphatian/Thyatian/Dorfinian...Johnny-come-latelies, the lot of them...;-) Carl Q, with stiff upper lip (and tongue in cheek) firmly in place... ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 19:06:18 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Gordon McCormick Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. In-Reply-To: <6a.6a10c055.25ab8450@aol.com>; from CQuaif@AOL.COM on Mon, Jan 10, 2000 at 01:52:00PM -0500 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii On Mon, Jan 10, 2000 at 01:52:00PM -0500, Carl Quaif wrote: > > > > Once I played an alphatian campaign with the tone and style > > of 'Jeeves and Wooster' [1] It worked really well, if you ever > > wonder why the Alphatians haven't conquered the world, imagine > > the upper class nobles as the chaps in the Drones Club, with > > more money than sense (Yes, I've heard of those job things). > > Gordon, old chap, you know you REALLY shouldn't perpetuate the stereotype > these Johnny Foreigners have of us; not the done thing! The next thing you > know, they'll be asking for care packages of crumpets and Earl Grey... > > Up the Empire! (British, that is, not > Alphatian/Thyatian/Dorfinian...Johnny-come-latelies, the lot of them...;-) > > Carl Q, with stiff upper lip (and tongue in cheek) firmly in place... I say, that would be below the belt. Not the done thing and all that. Actually I love the names from the stories, I mean who wouldn't run in fear from the great mage Barmy Fungy-Phipps, or Gussie Fink-Nottle, or Cecil Bassington-Bassington. :) Actually I do use a lot of British Empire stuff when dealing with Alphatia, but more of the Blackadder goes Forth style than anything else :) (You know what won us the empire? Shouting!!!) gordon ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 22:49:51 -0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Rob Subject: Re: New Campaign.. at last!!! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >> I am asking the people of this list for "alternative" campaign ideas. >> No "going to Boldavia and kicking vampire arse" ideas. Im looking for something different. Low fantasy maybe (not low magic though... we are in Glantri). Well, I don't know about a long term campaign, but for a one off (at the 'con at the local university this year) I'll be doing a one off in Glantri where the PCs are all undead under the thrall of Prince Morphail. I'm thinking of having a vampire, a vampyre, a nosferatu, a velya, a ghost and an ermordenung as the pregen characters (Variety is the spice of life). It's going to be the Masquerade in Glantri, with this brave gang of souls (well, those that have souls) tangling with the evil Prince Brannart's minions... And probably tangling with a few vampire hunters who just don't understand on the way :) Rob ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 17:58:17 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Aaron E Nowack Subject: Mystaran Pie (or Mad Wizard's Lament) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit With some of the recent postings this piece of filk seemed appropriate. To the tune of "American Pie": A long, long time ago I can still remember how the zzonga used to make me smile And I knew if he had his chance Broderick would whoop Thincol's ass And then Zandor would be happy for a while But AY 2012 made me shiver With events that it delivered Bad news on the doorstep I couldn't take one more step I nearly broke right down and cried when I heard about the Ark crew's plan. But something touched me deep inside The day Alphatia died... So bye-bye Eriadna High flew my skyship down to Sundsvall but Sundsvall was gone Fighters, Wizards, Clerics, and Thieves, singing, "This'll be the day that I die. This'll be the day that I die." Did you ride the Ship of Love, and do you have faith in the Immortals above? If the Emperor tells you so Oh, do you believe in the World Hollow, can Alphatia still go? Will you listen to a mundane tell you no? Oh, I know that they are traitors, 'cause I saw them plotting in the moors. Their evil Thyatian plot slew many on the spot. He was another insane emperor But his trusted friends even more knew they ran out of luck The day Alphatia died... He was singin� bye-bye Eriadna High flew my skyship down to Sundsvall but Sundsvall was gone Fighters, Wizards, Clerics, and Thieves, singing, "This'll be the day that I die. This'll be the day that I die." Now for four years we've been on our own and towers've crumbled down to stone But that's not how it used to be when black wizards walked in the day with evil plots, it was okay and the mundaners, they were oppressed. Oh, but while Zandor was feeling down Haldemar snuck in and stole his crown Then he picked up and he split for that we should convict And while we read a book of spells the Council made itself all swell And the coup, it made an awful smell The day Alphatia died... They were singin� bye-bye Eriadna High flew my skyship down to Sundsvall but Sundsvall was gone Fighters, Wizards, Clerics, and Thieves, singing, "This'll be the day that I die. This'll be the day that I die." Blackheart, Darkheart Not to mention the slave mart Were no longer places to park for they were no longer a smash for the Council made them look crass to please the mundane mass With the Thyatians on the sidelines, getting cash Well the Esterhold war was a foul perfume to help make us wake up and resume the policies of Zandor But the Council found that poor As Broderick's horde unleashed their wrath they should have gotten an oily bath And Skothar went a different path The day Alphatia died... They were singin� bye-bye Eriadna High flew my skyship down to Sundsvall but Sundsvall was gone Fighters, Wizards, Clerics, and Thieves, singing, "This'll be the day that I die. This'll be the day that I die." Terari nimble, Terari quick Terari plays a magic trick to get away from this insane place And Zandor watched him from the stage his face painted in shades of rage No Thousand Mages should betray this land of age And as the skyships flew away Zandor thought of how he may find a way to save the day The day Alphatia died... He was singin� bye-bye Eriadna High flew my skyship down to Sundsvall but Sundsvall was gone Fighters, Wizards, Clerics, and Thieves, singing, "This'll be the day that I die. This'll be the day that I die." I met a mage who who saw the true And I asked him for good news but he just frowned and turned away And I went down to the ocean floor But I couldn't find the bodies anymore And a friend told me they wouldn't stay And in the streets the mundanes screamed the wizards cried and the Council schemed But not a word was spoken, Alphatia was broken. And the three men I admire most Zandor, Torenal, and King Hurgoth's ghost took the last boat off the coast. The day Alphatia died... I was singin� bye-bye Eriadna High flew my skyship down to Sundsvall but Sundsvall was gone Fighters, Wizards, Clerics, and Thieves, singing, "This'll be the day that I die. This'll be the day that I die." Aaron Nowack "Never let reality get in the way of a good hypothesis." http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Dungeon/5930/ ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 03:12:24 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.com:80) Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- On Mon, 10 Jan 2000 18:50:13 Caroletti wrote: >> I've always had an irrational dislike for Halflings, myself, and 5 Shires did only make that worse (that Gaz just grates on me for some reason). > >I don't have that Gaz, but I too have a dislike for halflings. And it didn't help with Joshuana's Almanac. Probably it's that halfling that believes to all the stories-of-Alphathians-become-good, and puts idiot events in the Almanac while they plot to conquer the world. [Humour on (to acertain point), mind you! Ouch! Ouch! Hey, Stalker, >stop it with those Meteor Swarms!] Oh isn't it nice to always be able to blame everything on those 'evil, evil' Alphatians! Well, I call your bluff this time, because I'm not even experienced to cast Meteor Swarms yet! Delayed Blast Fireballs, yes (so look out!), but not Meteor Swarms. I *WILL* learn them, though, and then I'll come around and really treat you to the experience so that you know what you're talking about - HA - HA ! :) - The Stalker Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 03:36:15 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.com:80) Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- On Sun, 9 Jan 2000 19:43:33 James Ruhland wrote (in a personal note to me - sorry for putting it on the list): >> >> The general population does not get to enjoy the same freedom and >liberalism that the spellcasters do - no. And it's not fair - no it isn't. >However, I would still maintain that they would value those qualities. >Otherwise the general Alphatian population would IMO have "overthrown the >oppressive overlord wizard remnants of the cruel old ways of the empire, >and have sought to join the great and 'freedom for all' philosophies of the >Thyatians" :) Hell no. I'm *sure* that the general Alphatian population is >as proud of their empire as one could be, even though that same empire >never treated them very well - they would never see Thyatian invasion >forces as 'liberating armies', if such an invasion were to come. >> >That likely depends on who you talk to within Alphatia, though. The >Esterholders? > Note also the stuff re the IoD border fluctuating a lot - it says in DotE, >under "Dunadale," that this problem was only halted when Dunadale >effectively adopted part of Thyatian custom (some elective politics & voice >for not just spellcasters) - and states in a couple places that the people >of the IoD tended to prefer the Thyatians to the Alphatians (with the >noitable exception of the Thothians, who prefered the Alphatians). > Remember also that when the Thyatians revolted against Alphatia most of >the Alphatian empire revolted as well: the Alphatians made peace with the >Thys, Ochs, and P.I.ers and ceded half the IoD as well so that they could >concentrate their efforts on stamping out the other revolts and save as >much of their Empire as possible. Not a sign that everyone except the >Thyatians were contented and happy and proud of the Alphatian Empire. I was talking more about a mindset of a person than about a person from a specific place in the empire, though, yes, people from mainland Alphatia would probably be more inclined to think this. I generally meant some who sees himself as a full member of the empire rather than someone whose lands were invaded and who was then forced to become part of the empire. I agree, though, that people from Esterhold are unlikely to care much for the empire, espcially after the Alphatians kings they had there. As for the revolt, that happened more than a thousand years ago during a time when the nobility had treated the general population particularly poorly. Coming from me that means a lot, since I freely admit that the Alphatian nobility never treated the common people well, perhaps until recently (but I'm not too sure about that either). >> >> Pardon me, but this sounds quite similar to the way various european >nations argued >> when they invaded countries of other parts of the world a couple of >centuries ago. > > >Sort of a non-sequiter argument since we're discussing things "from the >outside looking in" as players. I guess what you're now saying is that if I >take an argument contrary to yours or disagree with you or point out where >I think you're wrong then I'm some sort of cultural imperialist - not out >of line because of what I say it, but because I say it at all. I'm not sure I follow you here. As I understod it, you stated that because the Thyatians did not discriminate against them, non-spellcasters could rise to high positions in Thyatis and thus there was more freedom in Thyatis. I'm not so sure about that - I think you may be talking about laws while I'm talking about national spirit - not the same thing (please correct me if I'm wrong). I also believe that you argued that because Thyatis accepted all people in the conquered territories as members of the empire, that somehow granted those invaded people some special benefits. I'm sure that if you asked them, those people would prefer not to be invaded at all! Mind you, Alphatia is just as guilty, but I don't see your point! > So on that "happy" note I guess it's time that I do what I said I'd do but >didn't discipline myself to do and bow out of this discussion. Have it your >way: Alphatia is good, the lower classes admire the individualism and >freedom of the aristocracy even though they don't get to have any >themselves, and the Thyatians are wicked trying to force their ways on >others, while presumably the Alphatians never do that sort of thing. Oh well, it's the end then. However, that is not what I said. I never claimed that Alphatia *IS* 'better' than Thyatis - I just see that it is *changing* for the better. Thyatis could too, except Eusebius has made a few blunders - he seems to be catching on in the new Mystaran Almanac, though, which is a good thing. (Although, I must confess that I haven't read the whole Almanac yet, so much could happen yet - I'm a heretic for not reading it all yet. I know :) ). - Stalker Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 19:08:23 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Richard Drozdik Subject: Information from the Castle's Guide Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hey Everyone, I'm trying to track down something... Years ago I remember perusing some information in the back of the Castle's Guide (2E Supplement that came out around the time of the original Handbooks). The information was a general map and description of a large (King's?) castle. I know that the informtion was somewhere near the end of the book and that the castle described was on a hill...an island! Yes, that's it. If someone might happen to have a copy of this information and could bounce it to me, privately, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks again, Richard Drozdik richard.drozdik@home.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 20:12:53 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Leroy Van Camp III Subject: Re: Information from the Castle's Guide MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Richard Drozdik meandered fecklessly... > Years ago I remember perusing some information in the back of the Castle's > Guide (2E Supplement that came out around the time of the original Handbooks). > > The information was a general map and description of a large (King's?) > castle. I know that the informtion was somewhere near the end of the book > and that the castle described was on a hill...an island! Yes, that's it. > > If someone might happen to have a copy of this information and could bounce > it to me, privately, I'd greatly appreciate it. The castle guide, including maps, is available on WotC's site... http://www.wizards.com/dnd/DnDDownloads.asp Leroy Van Camp III malacoda@uswest.net http://www.users.uswest.net/~malacoda/TarkasBrainLabIV.html ICQ #20039817 "When you die you're free. I had a friend who committed suicide, and she's free now. I talked to her on a ouija board, and she said she was free." November 17, "Wasted" ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 20:59:07 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Kar Ess Subject: Re: Information from the Castle's Guide MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Castle guide, went there, couldn't find it. Could you be a bit more specific than: > The castle guide, including maps, is available on WotC's site... > > http://www.wizards.com/dnd/DnDDownloads.asp > What is it listed by? Thanks KS __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 22:20:03 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Leroy Van Camp III Subject: Re: Information from the Castle's Guide MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Kar Ess meandered fecklessly... > Castle guide, went there, couldn't find it. Could you be a bit more specific than: > > > The castle guide, including maps, is available on WotC's site... > > > > http://www.wizards.com/dnd/DnDDownloads.asp > > > What is it listed by? Ironically enough, it is listed as Castle Guide. = P Here is a direct URL... http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/CASTLE.ZIP Leroy Van Camp III malacoda@uswest.net http://www.users.uswest.net/~malacoda/TarkasBrainLabIV.html ICQ #20039817 "When you die you're free. I had a friend who committed suicide, and she's free now. I talked to her on a ouija board, and she said she was free." November 17, "Wasted" ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 22:02:29 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Kar Ess Subject: Re: Information from the Castle's Guide MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii --- Leroy Van Camp III wrote: > > Ironically enough, it is listed as Castle Guide. = P > > Here is a direct URL... > > > http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/CASTLE.ZIP > Thanks, for some reason the whole page doesn't load for me. Went there several times, kept getting error message. But the link works. KS __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 22:42:44 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Richard Drozdik Subject: Re: Information from the Castle's Guide In-Reply-To: <200001110616.WAA15918@rm-rstar.sfu.ca> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >At 07:12 PM 10/01/00 , Leroy Van Camp III wrote: > >The castle guide, including maps, is available on WotC's site... > >http://www.wizards.com/dnd/DnDDownloads.asp > Thanks, this is exactly what I was looking for. And here I thought I was about to be swatted by the List-Admin :-) Richard ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 23:41:50 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Leroy Van Camp III Subject: Re: Information from the Castle's Guide MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Kar Ess meandered fecklessly > > > Ironically enough, it is listed as Castle Guide. = P > > > > Here is a direct URL... > > > > > > http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/CASTLE.ZIP > > > Thanks, for some reason the whole page doesn't load for me. Went there several times, kept getting > error message. But the link works. Happy to help out. The WotC web site has a tendency to be cranky at times. Appearently millions upon millions of kids looking for Pokemon stuff tends to overwhelm them... Leroy Van Camp III malacoda@uswest.net http://www.users.uswest.net/~malacoda/TarkasBrainLabIV.html ICQ #20039817 "When you die you're free. I had a friend who committed suicide, and she's free now. I talked to her on a ouija board, and she said she was free." November 17, "Wasted" ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 23:45:23 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Leroy Van Camp III Subject: Re: Information from the Castle's Guide MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Richard Drozdik meandered fecklessly... > > > >The castle guide, including maps, is available on WotC's site... > > > >http://www.wizards.com/dnd/DnDDownloads.asp > > > Thanks, this is exactly what I was looking for. > > And here I thought I was about to be swatted by the List-Admin :-) The list Ogre is a feckless creature, driven more by instict than thought. Leroy Van Camp III malacoda@uswest.net http://www.users.uswest.net/~malacoda/TarkasBrainLabIV.html ICQ #20039817 "When you die you're free. I had a friend who committed suicide, and she's free now. I talked to her on a ouija board, and she said she was free." November 17, "Wasted" ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 10:50:42 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: Re: Mystaran Pie (or Mad Wizard's Lament) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Aaron E Nowack ha scritto: > With some of the recent postings this piece of filk seemed appropriate. > To the tune of "American Pie": > [Clap! Clap! Clap!] Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 14:03:08 -0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Rob Subject: Forbidden spells of the Radiance MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Some new Radiance spells. Some are ripped off and modified slightly from other sources, some are modifications of existing Radiance spells, some are completely new. All go by the old Radiance connected to Energy bias. (Personally this Entropy stuff is a load of squit as far as I'm concerned, its one of these canon things I ignore ;) Radiance Boost Level 3 Range : 10 yards Casting Time: 3 Components : V,S,M Duration : Special Save : Special A metamagic spell, this spell amplifies the magic of the targeted being so that a spell cast in the round after Radiance Boost is cast is cast at maximum effectiveness (damage and effects). Boosted spells that do not directly inflict damage that require saving throws (eg hold person) have a penalty of -4 to enemy saving throws. If the recipient of the spell can save versus spells the booster persists for an extra round. A magic resistant creature struck by a boosted spell who successfully resists it is instead struck by the spell at its normal level of power. The reverse, radiance dampener, is cast upon an enemy spellcaster and persists for 1 round per level. The target may make a saving throw to avoid the effect, if this save is failed all spells cast during that time have the minimum possible effect (including a +4 bonus to save against their magic). This spell requires the use of the casters Radiance receptacle. Energy Transformation Level 5 Range :0 Components: V,S Casting Time : 4 rounds Duration : Special Area : 40' radius Save : None This spell creates a permanent undetectable magic field. The field absorbs all magical discharges such as spell effects and item functions, and uses them to extend the duration of a magical spell or ward which is linked to the energy transformation spell. The linked spell must be specified when the energy transformation is cast, and so must any desired limits on the absorption area of the spell, subject to the maximum size of 40' radius. The field does not affect magical items unless they are using a spelllike effect while in contact with the field, which causes spell effects to be absorbed, but without further harm to the item. The field absorbs spells of any school(s) designated by the caster, with the exception of other Radiance spells (which cannot be affected). The energy absorbed can be used to power any spell with a duration longer than instantaneous - the spell linked requires a number of levels of magic to be absorbed per day equal to the level of the linked spell. So, a web spell requires 2 spell levels to be absorbed into the field per day to be maintained. If the required energy is not provided the linked spell fails. If the linked spell is dispelled or fails, the energy transformation field fails as well. The linked spell must be either within 20 miles per level of the Nucleus of the Spheres, or linked to it via a receptacle. If linked via a receptacle, smashing the receptacle will cause the linked spell to fail. Radiance Doubler Level 5 Range : 0 Components : V Casting Time : 5 Duration : Instantaneous Area : Special Save : None When this spell is cast, the wizard may cast two spells of 5th level or lower simultaneously. The wizard selects targets and parameters as if casting each of the two spells normally. The Doubler itself has only a verbal component - this effectively replaces the verbal and somatic components of the doubled spells, but material components must still be provided. The spell requires the wizards Radiance receptacle. Radiance spells cannot be doubled through the use of this spell. Improved Radiance Doubler Level 6 Range : 0 Components : V Casting Time : 6 Duration : Instantaneous Area : Special Save : None And improved doubler, this allows spells of any level to be cast simultaneously using it. This spell still cannot double Radiance spells however, and still requires the casters Radiance receptacle. Utilise Radiance Level 7 Range : 0 Components : V,S Casting Time : 7 Duration : 5 rounds per level Area : The caster Save : None This spell allows the use of the Radiance without using a receptacle or a Summon Radiance spell. It even allows the use of the Radiance where that power is unknown or alien, for example other planes. It works by drawing upon Radiance energy stored within the casters body via the Retain Power spell. Each point of power stored can be used to power two spell levels of Radiance spells. So, for example, Prince Brannart has 24 stored units of power via retain power. If his receptacle is not available, he could cast this spell and then cast Discharge, which would consume four units of that power, leaving him with 20 points. He could continue using Radiance spells so long as he still holds enough Radiance within his body and as long as the Utilise Radiance duration has not expired. If the caster is trapped within a dead magic zone, antimagic shell or similar effect, he can even use the Utilise Radiance spell to cast despite that. If he so chooses normal nonradiance spells can be cast, draining power in the same way. By accessing his personal reserves of magic in this way, antimagical effects can be avoided. Upon casting Utilise Radiance four energy points are immediately drained. The spell immediately fails if the caster tries to utilise more power than he has. The Utilise Radiance spell itself does not otherwise require the casters receptacle. Divert Radiance Level 8 Range : 0 Components : V,S Casting Time : 8 Duration : Permanent Area : 10' radius per experience level Save : None The reverse of Saturation, this spell diverts all inherent Radiance in the area away into the casters body. The caster immediately gains 20 radiance points as if by a Retain Power spell (possibly having a serious detrimental effect). The area around the wizard is then permanently rendered a magic dead area. No magical spell can be cast in the area, and no magical effect can penetrate it - similar to an antimagic shell but permanent and on a larger scale. Even constructs like golems are affected by this, becoming immobile as soon as they enter the deadzone. Magically sustained undead are either banished to the Negative Material plane temporarily (if incorporeal) or lie quiescent (if corporeal) until the magic dead zone is destroyed or the body removed from the affected area. The sole exception to this is a lich created through the misuse of the Radiance (ie Brannart McGregor) who's undead functions are not impeded by this spell. A Wish spell has a 50% chance of undoing the damage done to the magical continuum. A Saturation spell cast within the deadzone (via a Utilise Radiance spell, see above) will return the area to normal instead of having it's usual effect. Radiance Reversal Level 9 Range : 0 Components : V,S Casting Time : 9 Duration : a year and a day Save : None Upon casting this spell upon a target a small trefoil symbol appears on the targets body. The spell is designed to be a weapon to be used against those creatures which cast spells or use spell like abilities. When a spell is cast by the victim, the Radiance Reversal spell causes the energy to be corrupted and held within the victims body rather than be shaped and directed into a magical effect, as is normal. A random body part of the creature falls prey to the corrupting influences of the Radiance (as can happen to irresponsible Radiance wizards). For the next few minutes the victims body glows a flickering blue. Characters afflicted usually suffer further effects some time later, such as hair loss, nausea and bleeding gums. If a victim does not get the hint and continues using spells, when his final body part is corrupted his soul is drawn from his body into the Nucleus of the Spheres, leaving a lifeless husk behind. The curse can be done away with only via the use of a Wish, its reverse (Radiance Correction) or the intervention of a deity. The trefoil symbol disappears when the dweomer has been removed. The curse does not however impede the casting of other Radiance spells. It has never been tried, but it may be possible for a wizard to cast spells despite Radiance Reversal through the use of the Utilise Radiance spell. This spell requires the use of the casters Radiance receptacle. Ray of Radiance Absorption Level 9 Range : 60 yards Components : V,S Casting Time : 9 Duration : Instantaneous Area : One targeted creature or item Save : None When this spell is invoked, the caster strips all magic from the target. Cast upon an item, this produces an effect identical to that of a Rod of Cancellation. Cast upon a spellcaster, it removes all memorised spells from the casters memory, and automatically dispels any dweomers in place upon his person. The spell can cripple wizards, destroy golems, and return conjured creatures to their place of origin, among other things. Unlike Sever the Tie, this spells effects are purely temporary. Wizards struck can rememorise their spells in the normal way. Magical items remain as mundane items, though they could theoretically be reenchanted. This spell requires the casters receptacle. Some of these are quite powerful, but I feel that the Radiance should be powerful - it's the 10th level magic of Mystara, the way I see it. Also, seems to me that there simply arent enough Radiance spells at the moment, its crying out for some more spells. So here they are! Rob ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 14:32:52 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Gordon McCormick Subject: Re: Forbidden spells of the Radiance In-Reply-To: <01bf5c3c$96905de0$9240d4d4@rmunch>; from rmunch@EASYNET.CO.UK on Tue, Jan 11, 2000 at 02:03:08PM -0000 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii On Tue, Jan 11, 2000 at 02:03:08PM -0000, Rob wrote: > > Some of these are quite powerful, but I feel that the Radiance should be > powerful - it's the 10th level magic of Mystara, the way I see it. Also, > seems to me that there simply arent enough Radiance spells at the moment, > its crying out for some more spells. So here they are! Agreed and agreed! They're very cool, I wish I had them when I had a PC using the radiance in my last campaign!!! But then they are fun for NPC's :) :) gordon ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 09:05:34 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Destruction of Old Alphata MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Ok, so all jesting asside, there is a question that can be "solved" regarding the destruction of Old Alphatia. If we follow the DotE Alphatian History and assume it is accurate, then we know that a rivalry developed between the Followers of Air and the Followers of Fire, which got increasingly violent and bloody, but didn't seem to get to far out of hand. Then at some point during the conflict, a "neutral mage" posed a question for both factions to debate. That question - for a time - seemed to re-direct the conflict into a more peaceful venue; if the factions were spending a lot of time debating the question, at least they weren't slaughtering each other anymore. The results of the debate, arguments made by both sides, were put into a book and published. The "neutral mage" then made a fortune. Then Alphaks made his fateful proclamation. Open warfare restarted between the Followers of Air and the Followers of Fire, this time even more vicious and bloody than before. As a result, Old Alphatia was first ravaged, then destroyed. Those are the things we know happened. What about the thing we don't know? Who was that "neutral mage"? What were his motivations? Was he *really* simply interested in taking the rivalry to the intelectual plane of debate, out of the arena of fighting? Was he really only interested in making a bundle selling the results in book form? Or was it a plot to start a chain reaction all along: conflict dies down but doesn't go away, meaning steam builds up and isn't released (folks on the oposite sides still get vexed that their opponents are unable to see reason), Alphaks is given cause to think that it won't be that big a deal to make the proclamation (given that no one is being killed over it anymore), resulting in an explosion of violence even greater than before, leading to the destruction of Old Alphatia. Does anyone else sense a hidden hand at work? Who was the "neutral mage" that started everyone down this path? And why? ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 11:50:50 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jeremy Morris Subject: Re: Destruction of Old Alphata In-Reply-To: <200001111507.KAA24988@smtp10.atl.mindspring.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Tue, 11 Jan 2000, James Ruhland wrote: > Those are the things we know happened. > What about the thing we don't know? > Does anyone else sense a hidden hand at work? Who was the > "neutral mage" that started everyone down this path? And why? I've always wondered about why Alphaks became an Immortal in the Sphere of Entropy myself, if this timeline is actually true. After all, it's not like he intended to start a war that would cause the greatest destruction the Alphatians had ever seen - he just made a political error. At least, if the historian of the DoE set was telling the truth. Regardless, I have a few ideas about who this neutral mage might be, but since I'm away from my references right now these could be completely off base from a continuity/historical perspective: 1.) Thanatos - He was Alphak's patron, wasn't he? Perhaps this was a scheme he and Alphaks cooked up together, after Alphaks was already on the route to Immortality. This would explain (to me anyway) how he ended up as an Entropic Immortal - he was already on his way and the sacrifice of his homeworld was his Testimony (or something). 2.) Some scapegoat paid off by Alphaks - as with Thanatos above, but without the Immortal's direct intervention. Again, Alphaks setting things up for his quest for Immortality. I actually like this one better, as it doesn't make much sense for Thanatos to take such a direct role in Alphak's Immortality. 3.) Koryis (or a servant of Koryis) - Koryis is a patron of peace, right? And he was an Immortal before the Landfall, I think (like I said, I'm away from my sources right now). So, what if Koryis either posed as the neutral mage OR instructed a servant to do it, thinking he could redirect the Alphatian's energies to something less destructive (like scholarly debate). For a time it worked, until Thanatos and his protege Alphaks decided to pervert Koryis's work and create the ultimate Testimony for Alphak's rise to Immortality - the destruction of an entire planet. (I think I like this on the best, personally). Of course, I think I read somewhere that it was the long years of wandering after the destruction of the Alphatian Homeworld that led to Alphaks' bitterness and travel down the Path of Entropy, probably in WotI. It still could work, but Alphaks might have to be more of a pawn than a plotter. Jeremy ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 23:08:55 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Solmyr of the Azure Star Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel wrote: > > That's only a partial reason, but it's a beginning. This means that I'll probably be attracted to either Glantri or Alphatia. However, I don't care much for the Glantrians because almost everybody who's anybody there is either very manipulating, very evil, or both. The same is true of many Alphatians, but not all of them (e.g., Terari or Mylertendal). > I also love wizards, but those things are exactly what attracts me to Glantri :) Although my favorite Mystaran, Etienne d'Ambreville, is neither evil nor particularly manipulating. > Also, there is the sort of society that exists in the nation of my preference. In this case, the Alphatians are extremely liberal, bordering on chaotic. This also appeals to me - I like the fact that the Alphatians could potentially enslave all > True, but I don't think Alphatians should be liberal to everyone - they are liberal only to spellcasters, after all non-spellcasters are little different from uneducated boors, in the Alphatian mindset. Also, chaotic is just fine with me (although I don't see why you prefer Alphatia over Glantri, if anything is chaotic it's Glantri; especially after their establishment of NACE in total agreement and harmony Alphatians seem rather lawful to me; anyway, to quote Porphyrogenitus, where was I? Oh yeah :) ) Chaotic is just fine with me, if it takes the form of anarchy or a similar society. Democracy in a medieval fantasy setting, on the other hand... urrrrrrggh *cough gag choke* > So the PWA are published, and I realize that Alphatia is changing for the better - no longer is Alphatia populated almost solely by power-hungry arch-mages ruled by a sly but harsh Empress. Eriadna has changed, and a great deal of Alphatian society is apparently changing as well. And toward the sort of philosophies that my wizard is already advocating. Of course, I'll like it (and my mage will feel proud of his empire). Of course, Alphatia still has a long way to go before we could call it 'benevolent'. And naturally the 'evil wizards' are likely none to pleased by the changes they are witnessing. In fact, I fully expect an sort-of 'Alphatian civil war' between Eriadna and her 'benevolent' followers (like Haldemar and Broderick) and the 'old-style' evil wizards that seem to abound in DotE. When it comes, I'll stand by Eriadna and Haldemar all the way, though :) > Nope. The PWAs (and the NAs) transform Alphatia into a benevolent, democratic nation where everyone's life is wonderful, the various rulers of NACE countries never argue with each other, instead deciding things efficiently in a very peaceful, loving atmosphere. There's no trace of "evil wizards" ever since Zandor was phased out (and even he was more twinky than evil). Oh yea, those losers in Esterhold, who got crushed in a year and immediately replaced by a democratic republic (mainly populated by bronze-age Jennite savages, who got educated overnight on the wonders of 20th-century democracy). And there was not even a squeak from among the pure-blood Alphatians, who only a few years ago considered anyone not of their race a lower form of life. Next thing you know, they'll be dumping zzonga into the sea and electing a President of United States of Alphatia, land of the free. -- ****************** Aleksei Andrievski aka Solmyr, Archmage of the Azure Star solmyr@kolumbus.fi http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Fortress/2198/index.html ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 17:14:30 -0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Rob Subject: Re: Forbidden spells of the Radiance MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >> Some of these are quite powerful, but I feel that the Radiance should be >> powerful - it's the 10th level magic of Mystara, the way I see it. Also, >> seems to me that there simply arent enough Radiance spells at the moment, >> its crying out for some more spells. So here they are! > >Agreed and agreed! They're very cool, I wish I had them when I had >a PC using the radiance in my last campaign!!! Glad you like them. The comment on the NoS draining from Entropy is really aimed at the fact that such a fundamental change would likely, it seems to me, change perhaps radically what the Radiance spells do. I suppose its a bit of an opportunity really, you could write out a spell list for Entropy Radiance Spells. But I want to let the Energy variant of the NoS be tried out, and it wont get used before 1009 AC I imagine, so I will ignore the Entropy effects - or maybe just delay them for a decade. Rob ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 11:17:31 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > > > twinky than evil). Oh yea, those losers in Esterhold, who got crushed in > a year and immediately replaced by a democratic republic (mainly > populated by bronze-age Jennite savages, who got educated overnight on > the wonders of 20th-century democracy). And there was not even a squeak > from among the pure-blood Alphatians, who only a few years ago > considered anyone not of their race a lower form of life. > I have to encourage you to read the 1016 Almanac's events 8-). While what you say is true for most of Esterhold (it makes a fairly smooth transition to Democratic Repubicanism), Verdan especially experiences some difficulty (though it is the Jennites who are portrayed, to some extent, as the villians of the piece - but by and large I'd say it's a fairly evenhanded portrayal, with that little caviat). "Someone" also wrote the Esterhold Geographic entry this year, and that "someone" highlighted a few of the difficulties that had previously been scanted or ignored. You'll know who wrote it when you see who the correspondent was. It is true that the Alphatian segment of the population in Esterhold (and in NACE generally) is portrayed in the events & overal as remarkably layed back and accepting (even encouraging) of these "progressive" changes, but all in all I'd say the 1016 Almanac was an improvement on past treatments. And as Alex pointed out the MA staff (well mainly Herve in this case) was handed most of these trends from previous PWAs & JA, and has had to make the best of them. Folks know from my previous screeds of a couple years ago that I think more could have been done, but since I already posted lots to that effect and people are already familiar with my lamentations, I won't include them here. Sheesh; only I could write a message saying "read the 1016 Almanac, there's some interesting stuff in there on Esterhold and everything isn't wonderful" but have it balloon to three paragraphs. "Long-winded" comes to mind. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 11:35:39 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Re: Destruction of Old Alphata MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > I've always wondered about why Alphaks became an Immortal in the Sphere of > Entropy myself, if this timeline is actually true. After all, it's not > like he intended to start a war that would cause the greatest destruction > the Alphatians had ever seen - he just made a political error. At least, > if the historian of the DoE set was telling the truth. > Well, somewhere it says that Alphaks was originally seeking Immortality via the Sphere of Energy, and only switched over to the "dark side" after everything went splat. So thatexplains that. > > 1.) Thanatos - He was Alphak's patron, wasn't he? Perhaps this was a > scheme he and Alphaks cooked up together, after Alphaks was already on the > route to Immortality. This would explain (to me anyway) how he ended up > as an Entropic Immortal - he was already on his way and the sacrifice of > his homeworld was his Testimony (or something). > Widespread destruction of entire civilzations and planetary systems would be right up Thantos' ally (he was my prime candidate, too) - though again, see above: IMO Alphaks was "recruited" into being Thantos' candidate after words (perhaps as part of the plan: nuke a whole system, snatch an Immortal Candidate from another Sphere, and elivate him to Immortality in Entropy - of course, Thantos can only say he's a bit disapointed in how dull and unsubtle Alphaks turned out as an Immortal, but a minor drawback to an otherwise satisfying outcome). > > 3.) Koryis (or a servant of Koryis) - Koryis is a patron of peace, right? > That could be. In which case he can only say "oops, that didn't work out well." Koryis would have been a young Immortal at the time; perhaps he *did* pose as the "neutral mage" - but (to combine with the above), perhaps (being inexperienced) he was duped and manipulated into doing so by none other than Thantos - that makes for a really vicious scheme, both Thought (Koryis) and Air (whoever Alphaks' original sponsor was) end up holding the bag, while Thantos laughs himself silly. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 13:16:01 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jeremy Morris Subject: Re: Destruction of Old Alphata In-Reply-To: <200001111737.MAA09743@smtp10.atl.mindspring.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Tue, 11 Jan 2000, James Ruhland wrote: > > I've always wondered about why Alphaks became an Immortal in the > >Sphere of Entropy myself, > Well, somewhere it says that Alphaks was originally seeking Immortality via > the Sphere of Energy, and only switched over to the "dark side" after > everything went splat. So thatexplains that. Ah-ha. I thought I'd read something like that somewhere. I'll have to look for the reference later. > > 1.) Thanatos - He was Alphak's patron, wasn't he? Perhaps this was a > > scheme he and Alphaks cooked up together, > Widespread destruction of entire civilzations and planetary systems would > be right up Thantos' ally (he was my prime candidate, too) - though again, > see above: IMO Alphaks was "recruited" into being Thantos' candidate after > words (perhaps as part of the plan: nuke a whole system, snatch an Immortal > Candidate from another Sphere, and elivate him to Immortality in Entropy - > of course, Thantos can only say he's a bit disapointed in how dull and > unsubtle Alphaks turned out as an Immortal, but a minor drawback to an > otherwise satisfying outcome). I like this, especially if combined with the Koryis stuff. Koryis, a young Immortal of Thought tries to end the conflict in his beloved homeland by posing as a neutral mage and pushing them toward scholarly debate instead of warfare. Thanatos sees the potential for mayhem and secretly prods Alphaks (a candidate for the sphere of Energy) to name a "winner." After all, what could happen? The conflict had ended, so why worry about a victor. Alphaks names the Followers of Flame, destruction of homeworld follows. Alphaks gets abandoned by his patron in Energy and is taken under the wing of Thanatos. And you're right - Thanatos gets a major stroke against both Thought and Energy AND makes it look like they are at fault, an excellent plan. One thing, though. Why has Alphaks been such a boor of an Immortal? According to the DoE boxed set, Alphaks was an intelligent if unwise king, so why is he now a monstrous destroyer? Did the destruction of Alphatia unhinge him to become the psychopath we all know today, or is there something deeper involved? Jeremy ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 19:42:44 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit > Next thing you know, they'll be dumping zzonga into the sea and electing > a President of United States of Alphatia, land of the free. > > -- > ****************** > Aleksei Andrievski > aka Solmyr, Archmage of the Azure Star > solmyr@kolumbus.fi > http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Fortress/2198/index.html LOL I can figure Broderick dancing in a tut� while the Philarmonia of Esterhold (everybody dressed in smokings) plays a wonderful Frank Sinatra tune, sung by Master Terari. All before the Alphathian SuperHardball, in the Aquas Giant Stadium. Iulius S. Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 19:53:15 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: Re: Destruction of Old Alphata MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > One thing, though. Why has Alphaks been such a boor of an Immortal? > According to the DoE boxed set, Alphaks was an intelligent if unwise king, > so why is he now a monstrous destroyer? Did the destruction of Alphatia > unhinge him to become the psychopath we all know today, or is there > something deeper involved? > > Jeremy > Probably the same reason why Alphatia has become an happy nation of merry gentlemen that love democracy: the Forgottenrealmization of Mystara following the suicidal new tendencies of TSR. Mystara was too intelligent for a RPG publicum that went in two directions: 1) Favor rules over RPG (see Rolemaster), the Group of Elistists 2) Favor Good/Evil axis, with classical epic fantasy, for most of the others 3) Stupidity (turning to Magic, then (worse) to Pokemon), for younger players Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 13:22:33 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Re: Destruction of Old Alphata MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > One thing, though. Why has Alphaks been such a boor of an Immortal? > According to the DoE boxed set, Alphaks was an intelligent if unwise king, > so why is he now a monstrous destroyer? Did the destruction of Alphatia > unhinge him to become the psychopath we all know today, or is there > something deeper involved? > Unhinged is possibly the best explaination, at least the best one so far. Perhaps their is something deeper. It would be fun to explore that a bit. It could be that Alphaks is longer-sighted than we all believe. Perhaps this "unsubtle, impatient destroyer" bit is all an act, a ruse to lull the other Immortals into a false sense of security regarding Alphaks. Then he keeps his other (real) plots hidden beneath that veneer, and people are all the less likely to suspect his involvment because it doesn't have his "characteristic brute force" approach attached to it. For example, do we know *why* Rad's Doomsday Artifact malfunctioned? I don't think we do. But it's a question - and indeed a question very similar to the "who is the 'Neutral Mage'?" question. Is it because Rad screwed up? Is he a bungler? Or did someone make sure it got screwed up? Who's most interested in wiping out Alphatia (no, the answer is not "that loudmouth, Porphy", though I guess I give that impression sometimes). Alphaks. Perhaps his stumbling around during WotI masked his real plot, which involved tampering with Rad's "Doomsday Weapon," then making sure that it would be used (however that happened in your campaign) - resulting in the sinking of Alphatia. And we all thought he was a unhinged, dumb, unsubtle, boorish psychopath. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 13:58:58 -0800 Reply-To: ironwolf@ewa.net Sender: Mystara From: IronWolf Subject: The Known World, by yours truly MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=x-user-defined Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I've been working on this one on and off the last week or two... and it's finally close to finished. It's based upon the original map in the module X1: Isle of Dread, so it will lack some later details added by the Gazateer maps. If anyone wants to have the BMP's let me know, they're much crisper and can be used as a desktop wallpaper. Commentary is welcome, by the way! The map is located at: http://users.ewa.net/ironwolf/tkw1.jpg IronWolf ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 23:03:56 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: Unavailable Official Products MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Here is a question that could arouse some trouble. Now that Shawn's site is the official for Mystara, why couldn't TSR allow him to reproduce on it the official products of Mystara that are now unavailable? I don't think it will be an economical damage for them, because other worlds players would anyway be attracted by their world's products, and this would be a generous action toward we poor Mystaraphiles, that have to spend 40 bucks to get a copy of 'Red Arrow, Black Shield', not included the expedition costs, that are quite a lot of money since I live in Italy. And many products here have never been published. Would it be so dangerous to Hasbro's economy? Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 14:32:24 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Damon Brown Subject: Re: Unavailable Official Products MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii --- Caroletti wrote: > > why couldn't TSR allow him to reproduce on it the > official products of > Mystara that are now unavailable? Well, as someone who has paid more than face-value for a number of Mystara products, I can definitely relate. However, the thing to keep in mind is that anything WotC releases now for free will not be able to be released(feasibly) down the road in a commercial format. Up until a few years ago that might have seemed like them saying, "It's our copyright, and we can do whatever we want with it." But after releasing Return to the Keep on the Borderlands and re-releasing Against the Giants, it puts everything in a new light. Who knows, maybe down the road some of the Mystara-line will be re-released or updated; though, I don't work for WotC [::: shameless pandering alert ::: hey guys, I'm already in Seattle if you wanna hire me ;p] so I don't know what their plans are for the future. Heck, even if they aren't interested in releasing OOP Mystara products now, they might consider it someday... BTW, WotC has been releasing free stuff for download for some time now. Check out their site! Anyway, I agree that it would be nice if more Mystara stuff was available for free, but at this point I think we're just gonna have to keep tracking stuff down the hard way... sorry. Good luck nonetheless! auf wiedersehen, Damon ===== "Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool." __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 14:55:26 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Richard Drozdik Subject: Re: Unavailable Official Products In-Reply-To: <387BA8CC.1B98CA6F@tin.it> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 02:03 PM 11/01/00 , Caroletti wrote: >Here is a question that could arouse some trouble. >Now that Shawn's site is the official for Mystara, >why couldn't TSR allow him to reproduce on it the official products of >Mystara that are now unavailable? I don't think it will be an economical >damage for them, because other worlds players would anyway be attracted >by their world's products, and this would be a generous action toward we >poor Mystaraphiles, that have to spend 40 bucks to get a copy of 'Red >Arrow, Black Shield', not included the expedition costs, that are quite >a lot of money since I live in Italy. And many products here have never >been published. Would it be so dangerous to Hasbro's economy? The problem with this comes in if the official availablity of free resources starts to draw people away from buying the resources that are available for purchase. Not everyone that plays in a particular world is going to be a die-hard devotee of said world, be it Forgotton Realms, Greyhawk, or even Mystara, and if there are free resources for Mystara available then a percentage of the people that are buying the FR/Greyhawk stuff are going to stop spending there money. As an aside that might help broaden the view of about some gamers, I personally haven't bought any TSR products since before Mystara was officially discontinued. My decision to do this was solely based upon the fact that the quality of the products I was buying wasn't worth the money anymore, especially when compared to what I consider to be TSR's Golden Age (around the time that 2E and the first Gazetters were published). I could produce better products myself. I also happen to own over 75% of the Harn product line (and have purchased Harn products as recently as last year) while never having actually done any real roleplaying using the Harn system. The maps alone are worth the money. Richard ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 00:03:55 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.com:80) Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- On Mon, 10 Jan 2000 23:08:55 Solmyr of the Azure Star wrote (replying to me): >I also love wizards, but those things are exactly what attracts me to >Glantri :) Although my favorite Mystaran, Etienne d'Ambreville, is >neither evil nor particularly manipulating. WHA..??? *cough*, *cough*, hrmph. Ahem. Well, I might I be so bold as to disagree with some of this. I would agree that Etienne is not evil, no, but I would *DEFINITELY* call him manipulating - before and during the war he manipulated the princes into the war as well as the Immortals, he defended the Radiance vehemently by *any* means necessary. Now, there is nothing wrong with defending your interests, but I would certainly call him manipulating - just not evil. (much snipping) >Nope. The PWAs (and the NAs) transform Alphatia into a benevolent, >democratic nation where everyone's life is wonderful, the various rulers >of NACE countries never argue with each other, instead deciding things >efficiently in a very peaceful, loving atmosphere. There's no trace of >"evil wizards" ever since Zandor was phased out (and even he was more >twinky than evil). Oh yea, those losers in Esterhold, who got crushed in >a year and immediately replaced by a democratic republic (mainly >populated by bronze-age Jennite savages, who got educated overnight on >the wonders of 20th-century democracy). And there was not even a squeak >from among the pure-blood Alphatians, who only a few years ago >considered anyone not of their race a lower form of life. Well, actually the very reason that the old 'evil' Alphatian wizards have been so quiet is a major reason why I think there'll be an Alphatian civil war - they are planning a coup-d'etat against Eriadna (floating continent) and Broderick (NACE) - so maybe they finally learned something from the Thyatians :) (shameless jab at any Thyatians on the list). On the other hand, everyone on mainland Alphatia *DID* die at the end of WotI and were then resurrected by the Immortals, and since it's been suggested that the Immortals wanted the Alphatians to 'police' Mystara, it might be possible that they have altered their mindsets in some way. However, that would not explain the change of mind for people in NACE, though they might just have seen the way the wind was blowing and gotten off their high horses. Still, if the Almanacs do deal with this at some point, then I believe that we DO have reason to be a bit disappointed, though. - The Stalker Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 17:28:31 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > On the other hand, everyone on mainland Alphatia *DID* die at the end of WotI > and were then resurrected by the Immortals, and since it's been suggested > that the Immortals wanted the Alphatians to 'police' Mystara, it might be possible > that they have altered their mindsets in some way. > That was always such horse [feces] though. I print out every message that I recieve with such a suggestion, and use it to clean up dog crap. 8-) I mean, the mind wobbles. The main people Mystara needs policing against is the Alphatians themselves. So Quis Custodes Ipsos Custodiet? Anyhow, that was just part of the absurdity to which things decended, and was what I was talking about before (re the whole "Jafili incident" et al), so I'll just stop here and "refer you to the answer I gave some time ago" like the P.M. does during Question Time in Great Britain. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 18:47:01 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: redrobyne Subject: Re: Mystaran Pie (or Mad Wizard's Lament) MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit This is put together fairly well! Bravo! > With some of the recent postings this piece of filk seemed appropriate. > To the tune of "American Pie": > > A long, long time ago > I can still remember how > the zzonga used to make me smile > And I knew if he had his chance > Broderick would whoop Thincol's ass > And then Zandor would be happy for a while > But AY 2012 made me shiver > With events that it delivered > Bad news on the doorstep > I couldn't take one more step > I nearly broke right down and cried > when I heard about the Ark crew's plan. > But something touched me deep inside > The day Alphatia died... > > So bye-bye Eriadna High > flew my skyship down to Sundsvall but Sundsvall was gone > Fighters, Wizards, Clerics, and Thieves, > singing, "This'll be the day that I die. > This'll be the day that I die." > > Did you ride the Ship of Love, > and do you have faith in the Immortals above? > If the Emperor tells you so > Oh, do you believe in the World Hollow, > can Alphatia still go? > Will you listen to a mundane > tell you no? > Oh, I know that they are traitors, > 'cause I saw them plotting in the moors. > Their evil Thyatian plot > slew many on the spot. > He was another insane emperor > But his trusted friends even more > knew they ran out of luck > The day Alphatia died... > > He was singin' > bye-bye Eriadna High > flew my skyship down to Sundsvall but Sundsvall was gone > Fighters, Wizards, Clerics, and Thieves, > singing, "This'll be the day that I die. > This'll be the day that I die." > > Now for four years we've been on our own > and towers've crumbled down to stone > But that's not how it used to be > when black wizards walked in the day > with evil plots, it was okay > and the mundaners, they were oppressed. > Oh, but while Zandor was feeling down > Haldemar snuck in and stole his crown > Then he picked up and he split > for that we should convict > And while we read a book of spells > the Council made itself all swell > And the coup, it made an awful smell > The day Alphatia died... > > They were singin' > bye-bye Eriadna High > flew my skyship down to Sundsvall but Sundsvall was gone > Fighters, Wizards, Clerics, and Thieves, > singing, "This'll be the day that I die. > This'll be the day that I die." > > Blackheart, Darkheart > Not to mention the slave mart > Were no longer places to park > for they were no longer a smash > for the Council made them look crass > to please the mundane mass > With the Thyatians on the sidelines, getting cash > Well the Esterhold war was a foul perfume > to help make us wake up and resume > the policies of Zandor > But the Council found that poor > As Broderick's horde unleashed their wrath > they should have gotten an oily bath > And Skothar went a different path > The day Alphatia died... > > They were singin' > bye-bye Eriadna High > flew my skyship down to Sundsvall but Sundsvall was gone > Fighters, Wizards, Clerics, and Thieves, > singing, "This'll be the day that I die. > This'll be the day that I die." > > Terari nimble, Terari quick > Terari plays a magic trick > to get away from this insane place > And Zandor watched him from the stage > his face painted in shades of rage > No Thousand Mages > should betray this land of age > And as the skyships flew away > Zandor thought of how he may > find a way to save the day > The day Alphatia died... > > He was singin' > bye-bye Eriadna High > flew my skyship down to Sundsvall but Sundsvall was gone > Fighters, Wizards, Clerics, and Thieves, > singing, "This'll be the day that I die. > This'll be the day that I die." > > I met a mage who who saw the true > And I asked him for good news > but he just frowned and turned away > And I went down to the ocean floor > But I couldn't find the bodies anymore > And a friend told me they wouldn't stay > And in the streets the mundanes screamed > the wizards cried and the Council schemed > But not a word was spoken, > Alphatia was broken. > And the three men I admire most > Zandor, Torenal, and King Hurgoth's ghost > took the last boat off the coast. > The day Alphatia died... > > I was singin' > bye-bye Eriadna High > flew my skyship down to Sundsvall but Sundsvall was gone > Fighters, Wizards, Clerics, and Thieves, > singing, "This'll be the day that I die. > This'll be the day that I die." > > > Aaron Nowack > "Never let reality get in the way of a good hypothesis." > http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Dungeon/5930/ > > ________________________________________________________________ > YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! > Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! > Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: > http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. > > ******************************************************************** > The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp > Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp > To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM > with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 00:46:46 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.com:80) Subject: Re: Destruction of Old Alphata Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- On Tue, 11 Jan 2000 09:05:34 James Ruhland wrote: >Ok, so all jesting asside, there is a question that can be "solved" >regarding the destruction of Old Alphatia. If we follow the DotE Alphatian >History and assume it is accurate, then we know that a rivalry developed >between the Followers of Air and the Followers of Fire, which got >increasingly violent and bloody, but didn't seem to get to far out of hand. > >Then at some point during the conflict, a "neutral mage" posed a question >for both factions to debate. > >That question - for a time - seemed to re-direct the conflict into a more >peaceful venue; if the factions were spending a lot of time debating the >question, at least they weren't slaughtering each other anymore. > >The results of the debate, arguments made by both sides, were put into a >book and published. The "neutral mage" then made a fortune. > >Then Alphaks made his fateful proclamation. Open warfare restarted between >the Followers of Air and the Followers of Fire, this time even more vicious >and bloody than before. As a result, Old Alphatia was first ravaged, then >destroyed. > >Those are the things we know happened. >What about the thing we don't know? > Who was that "neutral mage"? What were his motivations? Was he *really* >simply interested in taking the rivalry to the intelectual plane of debate, >out of the arena of fighting? Was he really only interested in making a >bundle selling the results in book form? > Or was it a plot to start a chain reaction all along: conflict dies down >but doesn't go away, meaning steam builds up and isn't released (folks on >the oposite sides still get vexed that their opponents are unable to see >reason), Alphaks is given cause to think that it won't be that big a deal >to make the proclamation (given that no one is being killed over it >anymore), resulting in an explosion of violence even greater than before, >leading to the destruction of Old Alphatia. > Does anyone else sense a hidden hand at work? Who was the "neutral mage" >that started everyone down this path? And why? Good question!! For all we know it might have been Thanatos in a mortal incarnation (why should he be active only on Mystara?). Since Thanatas is ancient, it could have been him. It seems to me that it's just the sort of thing he would do. Of course, your idea about a clever and devious mage speculating on the potential funds he could make is also pretty solid, except a mere mortal could sure not have caused such havoc with the forefathers of the Mighty Alphatian Empire :) - The Stalker Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 15:57:47 -0800 Reply-To: Jenni Merrifield Sender: Mystara From: "Jenni A. M. Merrifield" Subject: CM2 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Hey: Can anyone give me a run-down of the plot for CM2 Death's Ride? Thanks. Jenni A. M. Merrifield -=> strawberryJAMM <=- -- Jenni A. M. Merrifield | Designing to Requirements -=> strawberryJAMM <=- | And Walking on Water strawberry@jamm.com | Are Easy if Both http://www.jamm.com/jenni/ | Are Frozen ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 01:17:09 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.com:80) Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- On Tue, 11 Jan 2000 17:28:31 James Ruhland wrote (replying to me): >> >> On the other hand, everyone on mainland Alphatia *DID* die at the end of >WotI >> and were then resurrected by the Immortals, and since it's been suggested >> that the Immortals wanted the Alphatians to 'police' Mystara, it might be >possible >> that they have altered their mindsets in some way. >> >That was always such horse [feces] though. I print out every message that I >recieve with such a suggestion, and use it to clean up dog crap. 8-) >I mean, the mind wobbles. The main people Mystara needs policing against is >the Alphatians themselves. >So Quis Custodes Ipsos Custodiet? > >Anyhow, that was just part of the absurdity to which things decended, and >was what I was talking about before (re the whole "Jafili incident" et al), >so I'll just stop here and "refer you to the answer I gave some time ago" >like the P.M. does during Question Time in Great Britain. Yes, I agree, though mostly because I don't like the idea of the Immortals changing and so violently manipulating the minds of the noble Alphatian Aristocracy :) That would be 'deux ex machina' in a case where it's not needed at all. It does explain why Eriadna suddenly started acting the way she did, though. No, I must be mistaken - I refuse to even consider the possibility (or else I would have to consider the possibility that I was so manipulated myself) :) - The Stalker Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 16:28:59 -0800 Reply-To: Jenni Merrifield Sender: Mystara From: "Jenni A. M. Merrifield" Subject: Hail the Heroes MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Hey MML'ers: Another Module related question -- what can anyone tell me about the "First Quest" CD Adventure "Hail the Heroes". Thanks again, Jenni A. M. Merrifield -=> strawberryJAMM <=- -- Jenni A. M. Merrifield | Designing to Requirements -=> strawberryJAMM <=- | And Walking on Water strawberry@jamm.com | Are Easy if Both http://www.jamm.com/jenni/ | Are Frozen ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 18:34:01 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Re: CM2 Comments: To: Jenni Merrifield MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > Can anyone give me a run-down of the plot for CM2 Death's Ride? > Gosh, it's been so long. Let me look it up. "Death Doesn't Take a Holiday." Ok, so most of the action takes place in the "Barony of Two Lake's Vale". Ericall asks the crew (that'd be those disreputable adventureres) to investigate trouble in Two Lake's Vale. The Baron hasn't sent any booty or messages to the King in several months. The problem in Two Lakes involves the Really Bad Dead Guys (Entropy); a secret gate has been opened in Two Lakes, out of which pour all the undead one party of travelers can enjoy. These dead guys are spreading out over the Barony, causing property values to plumet and a severe drop off in tourism from Aasla. The Adventurers get to kill dead guys, and are supposed to find out who opened the gate, and close the gate. There's lots of little snapshot adventures (well, not "lots"), which occur in random order (what is known as "DM's whim"). Anyhow, as the Adventurers get to Two Lakes, there's a black pall overhanging the place, and not on account of Zandor's last visit - it's a real black cloud, shrouding the place in endless night, choking off life like re-runs of "Ellen" on Lifetime. The cloud eminates from a magical item called the Deathstone (real creative these names, gotta hand it to 'em), which is the key to the adventure (but not part of the "Key to Time" that Doctor dude & Romana are looking for). There's the typical Really Bad Dudes who are involved in the Diabolical Plot - Wazor (an early incarnation of Wastore?), an "Atlantean Mage," Ulslime, a nasty Cleric who made a pact with the Usual Dark Powers of Entropy And All Things Unpleasant, and Korbundar, a Dragon with a irritable disposition. Character's visit the Baron's castle, Korbundar's lair, Gollim Villiage (the quaint local settlement where native crafts can be purchaced at reasonable prices), Highpass Tower, the Temple of the Stars, and other sites they will long remember. Snapshots included at no extra charge in this package tour. The Gateway to the Sphere of Death is in the Temple of Stars, but travel to the Sphere of Death is not part of the itinerary. The tour ends when the participants close the gate or leave the barony. Hope that helps. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 18:40:50 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > That would be 'deux ex machina' in a case where it's not needed at all. > Boy, your mention of "deus ex machina" really takes me back. Reminds me of those first arguments I had on the list. I'm getting all nostalgic. I have to go cry now. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 16:42:08 -0800 Reply-To: Jenni Merrifield Sender: Mystara From: "Jenni A. M. Merrifield" Subject: Re: CM2 Comments: To: James Ruhland In-Reply-To: <200001120036.TAA00103@smtp10.atl.mindspring.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Tue, 11 Jan 2000, James Ruhland wrote: > > > > Can anyone give me a run-down of the plot for CM2 Death's Ride? > > > Gosh, it's been so long. Let me look it up. > "Death Doesn't Take a Holiday." [snip of excelent and engaging description of module] > Hope that helps. Oh abso-posi-lutly! ;-) Thanks so much James! Jenni -- Jenni A. M. Merrifield | Designing to Requirements -=> strawberryJAMM <=- | And Walking on Water strawberry@jamm.com | Are Easy if Both http://www.jamm.com/jenni/ | Are Frozen ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 02:52:26 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.com:80) Subject: Re: Hail the Heroes Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- On Tue, 11 Jan 2000 16:28:59 Jenni A. M. Merrifield wrote: >Hey MML'ers: > > Another Module related question -- what can anyone tell me about the >"First Quest" CD Adventure "Hail the Heroes". Sure. I don't have many of the OD&D adventures, but I have all AD&D ones. It's been some time since I read through this one, though, so I can only give you rough outline - let me know if you want more info. Basically, the heroes are hired by the Church of Traladara to find the missing relic The Shield of Halav. The church plans to use it in their inter-church political competitions with the Church of Karameikos and the Cult of Halav. However, the Shield has been lost for a long time, so the PCs must first discover where to look. This leads to a library with lots of short passages from various cryptic sources (nice cd-tracks here, though I was completely surprised by how they pronounced "Alphatia", as I never pronounced it like that - how do you say it??). The library bit is actually a good bit if you like poking through crummy old books as much as I do (being an Alphatian mage) :) Next the PCs have to actually go out and find the temple in which the shield supposedly resides. Along the ways they have to deal with the obligatory bad guys but also opposed priests and paladins from the Church of Karameikos (great RPG aspects here - I like it when the enemies of the LG heroes are also LG!). Once the reach the temple there's a bit of dungeon-crawling with Traladaran history-references along the way until they find the shield and learn some stuff about Thelvyn Foxeyes and Solveig White-Gold (lots and lots of Dragonlord of Mystara references here - TSR was obvioulsy trying to sell the books :) ). I can't tell you a lot more because I don't remember it - I'll have to read through the adventure again. But it's a nice little thing with some nice ideas (except for the Dragonlord part - I didn't care much for that trilogy). - The Stalker Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 18:57:50 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Leroy Van Camp III Subject: Pronunciation (was Hail the Heroes) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel meandered fecklessly... > (nice cd-tracks here, though I was completely surprised by > how they pronounced "Alphatia", as I never pronounced it like > that - how do you say it??). al - FAY - shuh How do you pronounce it? How does the CD pronounce it? Leroy Van Camp III malacoda@uswest.net http://www.users.uswest.net/~malacoda/TarkasBrainLabIV.html ICQ #20039817 "When you die you're free. I had a friend who committed suicide, and she's free now. I talked to her on a ouija board, and she said she was free." November 17, "Wasted" ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 19:58:08 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Re: Och, but One More. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > Yes, I agree, though mostly because I don't like the idea of the > Immortals changing and so violently manipulating the minds of > the noble Alphatian Aristocracy :) > That would be 'deux ex machina' in a case where it's not needed at all. > I was going to try and quit. I guess I'm hooked. Tax TSR! Tax Dupuis! Tax Bruce Heard! Tax the MML! They sell an adictive substance that's ruined my life! I am compelled to respond to Alphatiascreeds with long diatrabes and rants! Hopefully this is my last one. I'm going to quit tommorow, I tell you. I'll shake this habit, you mark my words! Anyhow: > [E]veryone on mainland Alphatia *DID* die at the end of > WotI and were then resurrected by the Immortals, and since it's been > Yes, that gets me to Pt. I (er, Pt III) of the "Alphatian History, Revised" (since discontinued - I doubt I'll finish it; IMO dealing with stuff from 1000AC up through WotI, the PWAs, JA, and everything since would cause hurt feelings, but here was one part:) "On the third day they were born again, not just some of them like with most civilizations that were transfered to the Hollow World, but as many as possible, and their whole continent entire, since we are talking about Alphatians here, not just undeserving average people. And they were seated at the Center of Mystara, so the whole planet could revolve around them literally, as is only right." > suggested that the Immortals wanted the Alphatians to 'police' Mystara, it > might be possible that they have altered their mindsets in some way. > However, that would not explain the change of mind for people in NACE, I'm sorry, but this one really got my goat. Here the other day you were all over me about "cultural this and that mindset of the Thyatians" etc. But what do you think the Alphatians (post-WotI) are doing in Neatharum & Esterhold if not some sort of "civilizing mission" - and here we are, "the Alphatians police the world" - so I guess they're bringing hope and civilization to the poor benighted natives - "We're not exploiting and opressing them, we're protecting them from exploitation and opression by others, including their own kind, who aren't as enlightened as we are about these things. We're the Chosen of the Immortals, our Manifest Destiny given us by the Immortals is to protect and civilize the world." The same thing you tried to pin upon the Thyatians. It would be one thing - perfectly appropriate - for this to be the "in character" mindset of the Alphatians, or the Thyatians, or any other group or nation within Mystara to have that self image. What is occuring here, however, is something else entirely. This is the OOC opinion of seemingly a lot of folks, going from the 1st PWA through JA down to the present; this is what Solmyr was alluding to (some of it anyhow) in his post about what Alphatia has become, what it has been *portrayed* as by the people who write & design for it. They have, it seems, accepted the premises of the Alphatian aristocracy, the mindset and self-image of the Alphatian aristocracy as literally true (or at least the ones that consider themselves "enlightened" like Myrtendal, Eriadna, and Flavius Vern), and adopted it as their own - as being the way the world of Mystara works, in an OOC sense. This is what is so frustrating to me about talking to "Alphatiaphiles" - and why I keep trying to restrain myself from these debates but why, like a moth to a flame, I can't escape them. Ok, I admit I have some of the same falicies and tendancies with respect to "my guys" - but two caviats: 1) Fortunately I haven't had a free hand to shape Mystara to fit within my "pro-Thyatian" preconceptions, the way others have (including the official TSR writers, but also others who know who they are). 2) Now more conciously aware of this pitfall, and what it can do to the world - come close to ruining it as a playable setting, at least with respect to Panglossian Alphatia, I hope to make a more concious effort to resist the temptation that I feel all too many fans of Alphatia fall into. Thyatians won't all be nice. It will (I hope) remain a place people can feel good about having their characters come from (and have a little self-respect when they say they are Thyatian - something they couldn't in previous years when it was all a litany of woe, fecklessness, and corruption) - BUT a place that retains all its aspects, a place that isn't "Barneyized". People don't believe me when I tell them I used to like Alphatia and enjoy running and participating in adventures in it. That's because by the time I joined the list that Alphatia was long dead, replaced by this. . .doppelganger. This Changeling. This creature left by the faerie in the place of the previous Alphatia. Some people have said that I hate the event wherin Alphatia got put into the role of "policeman" - I'm not ashamed to say I hate everything that's happened to Alphatia since WotI, and which started to begin even before that (with Champions of Mystara), everything that made it a two-dimensional cartoonish caricature and completely ignored and destroyed what made Alphatia interesting and multi-faceted, multi-dimensional. Yes, I'm a hater. I hate. I'm not ashamed to say so. On that happy note, I do hereby end my latest series of posts on the subject of what happened to Alphatia. Hopefully it will be six months before it happens again. Hopefully longer. Hopefully I'll never return to this topic, since just about everything that can be said about it (by me at least) has been said. I guess I could and should post my opinion on my webpage, and simply give out the URL to save people time. That would be no fun, though. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 18:01:50 -0800 Reply-To: Jenni Merrifield Sender: Mystara From: "Jenni A. M. Merrifield" Subject: Re: Hail the Heroes In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Wed, 12 Jan 2000, Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel wrote: > On Tue, 11 Jan 2000 16:28:59 Jenni A. M. Merrifield wrote: > >Hey MML'ers: > > > > Another Module related question -- what can anyone tell me about the > >"First Quest" CD Adventure "Hail the Heroes". > > Sure. I don't have many of the OD&D adventures, but I have all AD&D ones. [snip of rough description of module] Thanks Jens. That was very helpful. :-) Jenni -- Jenni A. M. Merrifield | Designing to Requirements -=> strawberryJAMM <=- | And Walking on Water strawberry@jamm.com | Are Easy if Both http://www.jamm.com/jenni/ | Are Frozen ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 18:05:13 -0800 Reply-To: Jenni Merrifield Sender: Mystara From: "Jenni A. M. Merrifield" Subject: Re: Pronunciation (was Hail the Heroes) In-Reply-To: <0a2601bf5ca0$6eafc900$fb88a1d8@thedeadlands> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Tue, 11 Jan 2000, Leroy Van Camp III wrote: > Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel meandered fecklessly... > > (nice cd-tracks here, though I was completely surprised by > > how they pronounced "Alphatia", as I never pronounced it like > > that - how do you say it??). > > al - FAY - shuh That's very close to my pronunciation as well, though I tend to bring the "i" in the last sylable out a bit more: al - FAY - shya > How do you pronounce it? How does the CD pronounce it? Good questions. Jens? Jenni -- Jenni A. M. Merrifield | Designing to Requirements -=> strawberryJAMM <=- | And Walking on Water strawberry@jamm.com | Are Easy if Both http://www.jamm.com/jenni/ | Are Frozen ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:25:28 +0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "Francisco V. Navarro" Subject: Re: CM2 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > ----- Original Message ----- > From: James Ruhland > To: > Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2000 8:34 AM > Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] CM2 > > > > > > Can anyone give me a run-down of the plot for CM2 Death's Ride? > > > > > Gosh, it's been so long. Let me look it up. > > "Death Doesn't Take a Holiday." Hahaha! I like the way you write. Would you consider writing for the Glantrian Paparazzi? (You're not a cleric, are you?) Kit Navarro fanavarro@pacific.net.ph Editor-in-Hiding Paparazzi Glantri ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:31:43 +0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "Francisco V. Navarro" Subject: Re: Pronunciation (was Hail the Heroes) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > On Tue, 11 Jan 2000, Leroy Van Camp III wrote: > > Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel meandered fecklessly... > > > (nice cd-tracks here, though I was completely surprised by > > > how they pronounced "Alphatia", as I never pronounced it like > > > that - how do you say it??). > > > > al - FAY - shuh > > That's very close to my pronunciation as well, though I tend to bring > the "i" in the last sylable out a bit more: > > al - FAY - shya > > > How do you pronounce it? How does the CD pronounce it? > > Good questions. Jens? Coming from an Asian country, I tend to say, "al-FAT-tya" or "al-FAT-ti-ya" In Mark of Amber, the Sylaire (French) mentions the war with "al-FAY-shya". I was thinking this might be dialect thing. I imagine in other parts of Mystara, (i.e. Ochalea, Ethengar, perhaps Ylaruam and Ierendi?), they say "al-FAT-tya" or "al-FAT-ti-ya" as well. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 20:33:06 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Re: CM2 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > Hahaha! I like the way you write. Would you consider writing for the > Glantrian Paparazzi? > Huh? Sure. If it doesn't take a heck of a lot of time. Work on the 1017 Almanac is starting up and so I'm about to hit the grind. Plus I'm falling way behind in PBeMs at the moment. > (You're not a cleric, are you?) > Not last time I checked, though I do harbor reverence for the Immortals in my heart. I guess I can keep that secret and join the appropriate faction. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 03:39:30 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.com:80) Subject: Re: Och, but One More. Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- On Tue, 11 Jan 2000 19:58:08 James Ruhland wrote: >I was going to try and quit. I guess I'm hooked. Tax TSR! Tax Dupuis! Tax >Bruce Heard! Tax the MML! They sell an adictive substance that's ruined my >life! I am compelled to respond to Alphatiascreeds with long diatrabes and >rants! Hopefully this is my last one. I'm going to quit tommorow, I tell >you. I'll shake this habit, you mark my words! - See Master Terari, my spell is working ! - Ah yes. Well done my young apprentice... :) >Anyhow: >> [E]veryone on mainland Alphatia *DID* die at the end of >> WotI and were then resurrected by the Immortals, and since it's been >> >Yes, that gets me to Pt. I (er, Pt III) of the "Alphatian History, Revised" >(since discontinued - I doubt I'll finish it; IMO dealing with stuff from >1000AC up through WotI, the PWAs, JA, and everything since would cause hurt >feelings, but here was one part:) > >"On the third day they were born again, not just some of them like with >most civilizations that were transfered to the Hollow World, but as many as >possible, and their whole continent entire, since we are talking about >Alphatians here, not just undeserving average people. And they were seated >at the Center of Mystara, so the whole planet could revolve around them >literally, as is only right." > >> suggested that the Immortals wanted the Alphatians to 'police' Mystara, >it >> might be possible that they have altered their mindsets in some way. >> However, that would not explain the change of mind for people in NACE, > >I'm sorry, but this one really got my goat. Here the other day you were all >over me about "cultural this and that mindset of the Thyatians" etc. But >what do you think the Alphatians (post-WotI) are doing in Neatharum & >Esterhold if not some sort of "civilizing mission" - and here we are, "the >Alphatians police the world" - so I guess they're bringing hope and >civilization to the poor benighted natives - "We're not exploiting and >opressing them, we're protecting them from exploitation and opression by >others, including their own kind, who aren't as enlightened as we are about >these things. We're the Chosen of the Immortals, our Manifest Destiny given >us by the Immortals is to protect and civilize the world." The same thing >you tried to pin upon the Thyatians. Well, I merely mentioned that the possibility existed. In truth, I'm not such a big supporter of it myself - but since the suggestion was there in PWA1 we should at least consider it, particularly since it would explain some things. But you're right about one thing: If the Immortals changed the Alphatians so, the Empire should remove itself from the Neathar and probably have the NACE remove themselves completely from Esterhold, or else they would be abusing their position already. > >It would be one thing - perfectly appropriate - for this to be the "in >character" mindset of the Alphatians, or the Thyatians, or any other group >or nation within Mystara to have that self image. What is occuring here, >however, is something else entirely. This is the OOC opinion of seemingly a >lot of folks, going from the 1st PWA through JA down to the present; this >is what Solmyr was alluding to (some of it anyhow) in his post about what >Alphatia has become, what it has been *portrayed* as by the people who >write & design for it. They have, it seems, accepted the premises of the >Alphatian aristocracy, the mindset and self-image of the Alphatian >aristocracy as literally true (or at least the ones that consider >themselves "enlightened" like Myrtendal, Eriadna, and Flavius Vern), and >adopted it as their own - as being the way the world of Mystara works, in >an OOC sense. This is what is so frustrating to me about talking to >"Alphatiaphiles" - and why I keep trying to restrain myself from these >debates but why, like a moth to a flame, I can't escape them. For the record: I *don't* see the new Alphatia as 'democratic' and 'benign' - it's not. But it *IS* improving. In truth no-one on Mystara would probably realize what democracy was if it tied them to a tree and explained itself for the duration of the Permanency spell. No, we can't have an Alphatian Empire that's democratic yet, but we can start working toward it. For one thing, a lot of Alphatians should go to Darokin to learn something about diplomacy! I don't see that the changes are basically a bad thing, except that Alphatia will be 'a dull and uninteresting place role-playing wise' as I understood you to imply at one point (not that I agree that it would be). >Ok, I admit I have some of the same falicies and tendancies with respect to >"my guys" - but two caviats: > >1) Fortunately I haven't had a free hand to shape Mystara to fit within my >"pro-Thyatian" preconceptions, the way others have (including the official >TSR writers, but also others who know who they are). > >2) Now more conciously aware of this pitfall, and what it can do to the >world - come close to ruining it as a playable setting, at least with >respect to Panglossian Alphatia, I hope to make a more concious effort to >resist the temptation that I feel all too many fans of Alphatia fall into. >Thyatians won't all be nice. It will (I hope) remain a place people can >feel good about having their characters come from (and have a little >self-respect when they say they are Thyatian - something they couldn't in >previous years when it was all a litany of woe, fecklessness, and >corruption) - BUT a place that retains all its aspects, a place that isn't >"Barneyized". Believe it or not, but when I started role-playing my Stalker character, he was actually in the group along with two Thyatian twin brothers who were gladiators from the Arena of Thyatis city - this was before the war, of course. Though it was obviously the source for many debates and heated arguments between the PCs, they still managed to overcome their differences and worked well together. Sadly, neither of them survived the campaign for any great length of time (and for the record: I had *NOTHING* to do with their deaths - honestly). >People don't believe me when I tell them I used to like Alphatia and enjoy >running and participating in adventures in it. I do! I just don't see the changes being as bad as you apparently do. >That's because by the time I >joined the list that Alphatia was long dead, replaced by this. . >.doppelganger. This Changeling. This creature left by the faerie in the >place of the previous Alphatia. Ah yes. It's the Dominion that's come through a wormhole to Mystara now, isn't it - they failed to invade the Federation and now they'll take a crack at us: Time for us to reread all those 'Tech vs. Magic' posts :) > >Some people have said that I hate the event wherin Alphatia got put into >the role of "policeman" - I'm not ashamed to say I hate everything that's >happened to Alphatia since WotI, and which started to begin even before >that (with Champions of Mystara), everything that made it a two-dimensional >cartoonish caricature and completely ignored and destroyed what made >Alphatia interesting and multi-faceted, multi-dimensional. > Yes, I'm a hater. I hate. I'm not ashamed to say so. - "I'm impressed, er, 'Stalker'. I didn't think you could make the spell last for such a long duration" >On that happy note, I do hereby end my latest series of posts on the >subject of what happened to Alphatia. Hopefully it will be six months >before it happens again. Hopefully longer. Hopefully I'll never return to >this topic, since just about everything that can be said about it (by me at >least) has been said. I guess I could and should post my opinion on my >webpage, and simply give out the URL to save people time. That would be no >fun, though. Okay then. Until we hear from you again in six months then :) - Stalker Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 03:46:35 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.com:80) Subject: Re: Pronunciation (was Hail the Heroes) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- On Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:31:43 Francisco V. Navarro wrote: >> On Tue, 11 Jan 2000, Leroy Van Camp III wrote: >> > Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel meandered fecklessly... >> > > (nice cd-tracks here, though I was completely surprised by >> > > how they pronounced "Alphatia", as I never pronounced it like >> > > that - how do you say it??). >> > >> > al - FAY - shuh >> >> That's very close to my pronunciation as well, though I tend to bring >> the "i" in the last sylable out a bit more: >> >> al - FAY - shya >> >> > How do you pronounce it? How does the CD pronounce it? >> >> Good questions. Jens? Well... Since the two of you have a pronounciation very close to the one used on the cd, I'm almost afraid to say it now... Maybe the Immortals really *DID* do something to my mind - I can't even seem to correctly pronounce the name of my own empire now :) >Coming from an Asian country, I tend to say, "al-FAT-tya" or "al-FAT-ti-ya" That is basically how I would pronounce it as well, yes. > >In Mark of Amber, the Sylaire (French) mentions the war with "al-FAY-shya". >I was thinking this might be dialect thing. It's the same pronounciation on the 'Hail the Heroes' cd. I'd forgotten it was on Mark of Amber. Do you remember which track ? > >I imagine in other parts of Mystara, (i.e. Ochalea, Ethengar, perhaps >Ylaruam and Ierendi?), they say "al-FAT-tya" or "al-FAT-ti-ya" as well. So would I, since I'm supposedly an Alphatian and I say it that way... Well, maybe it's just the way Alphatiaphiles say it, what do I know :) - Stalker Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 20:52:01 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Re: Pronunseeation Guydee MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > - See Master Terari, my spell is working ! > > - Ah yes. Well done my young apprentice... :) > I hope he said that in a Papataine-like voice. That's how "my young apprentice" should always be spoken. Especially by an Emperor. Or former Emperor. Btw, when I speak the word "Alphatia" out loud I pronounce it "al-FEY-shya" but when I'm thinking in my head it's more like "al-FEY-tya". Go figure. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 11:01:45 +0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "Francisco V. Navarro" Subject: GPD Update 8.Jan.2000 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Attention Mystarans: The Day of Dread has come and passed, and much like the Glantrian wizards who take a sabbatical in some other Plane of Existence to return at a later date, the GPD has returned with full force. We mark off our arrival with an update to the website: http://sato.helsinki.fi/~montola.valt/mystara/index.htm The update includes: "Griseo Fulvina" by Giampaolo Agosta A focus on Signor Griseo Fulvina, the Caurenzan noble and spy master, perhaps a future Prince of Nuova Caurenze, complete with genealogies and family history. "Tea & Treachery" by Kit Navarro A short story which clarifies some questions about Diane de Moriamis and Dian de Moriamis, and perhaps brings up some more questions. Also featuring Princess Dolores Hillsbury, Prince Malachie du Marais, and Noussoir du Marais. "History of House Linden" by Harri Maki For ye history buffs, an account of the greatest Flaemish family of all time, including such notables as Prince Vanserie, Lady Wilhelmine and Princess Juliana Vlaardoen. Even Alphatians would like to read this. Of course, we've got the rest of our Glantrian nobles on parade: wizards, spies, politicians, vampires, lycanthropes. The Council of Princes could not be more colorful. Kit Navarro fanavarro@pacific.net.ph GPD Editor ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 21:41:34 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Re: In the category of: People are Young. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > >That's because by the time Ijoined the list that Alphatia was long dead, > > replaced by this. ..doppelganger. This Changeling. > > This creature left by the faerie in the place of the previous Alphatia. > > Ah yes. It's the Dominion that's come through a wormhole to Mystara now, isn't it - they failed to invade the Federation and now they'll take a crack at us: Time for us to reread all those 'Tech vs. Magic' posts :) > No, no no. *shakes head sadly, disapointed in Stalker's lack of vision* I didn't mean that kind of Changeling. I meant those Changelings from the old stories, the stories of elves and the fey taking human babies from their mothers and leaving behind their own tainted children to be raised in the human family. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 23:26:50 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jeremy Morris Subject: The Church of Traladara MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hey Everyone, I've finished a rough draft of a bit of an embellished description for the Church of Traladara. I was planning on passing it out as an "in character" reference for my players, and I was wondering if anyone on the list might be interested. If you see any way I could improve it OR if you see any glaring errors between this and what's been published, I'd appreciate the advice. This work is based on the sources in GAZ1, WotI, and Kingdom of Adventure supplements. In addition, I've made a number of embellishments to the Church that I think are still within the spirit of the religion. Let me know what you think. And if this is off-topic, or shouldn't be posted here, please let me know where it should be posted. Thanks. ---- The Church of Traladara ----------------------------------------------- excerpt from The Journal of Pyotr Magdanov Felmont 1, 1012 When I began this journal of reflections on the various religions I encountered on my travels over Mystara, I never thought that I would be reflecting on the faith of my birth. But here we are in Mirros, co-incidentally on the Feast of Halav, the day commemorating the triumph of King Halav over the King of the Beast Men. I can hear the festival outside the window of my room, but I find that I cannot join in with the revelry of my fellow Karameikans. I have never been a religious man, which is perhaps why I've always been interested in the faiths of others. I grew up in a family of devout Traladarans, and the tenets of the faith as well as the Feast Days were ingrained into me at quite a young age. Sitting in on the Celebration of Preparation today, I realized how much the faith of my parents has been ingrained into me, despite my lack of involvement or recognition of it. Regardless, since I set out to do a comprehensive study of the religions of our nations, I feel that I must include my own faith. I hope that those who read this after me recognize that my own biases are within this description, but perhaps my previous observations are also flawed with bias. Ever the lot of the researcher, I suppose. Anyway, on with my observations. The Church of Traladara is an ancient religion stretching back thousands of years to ancient Traladara, long before the crowning of the first Emperor of Thyatis. The Church centers around the teachings of three primary Immortals - Halav the Patron of Warfare and Weaponsmiths, Petra the Patron of Defense and Cities, and Zirchev the Patron of Forests and Hunters. In additon to these three Immortal patrons, the Church also acknowledges the existance of a fourth Immortal. This Immortal is known by a number of names, including the Adversary and the Beast-King, but in the Concordance he is given the name Flaghr. Flaghr was the Beast-Man king that King Halav fought in his final battle. According to the epic Song of Halav, Flaghr and Halav struck killing blows against each other simultaneously. The Church teaches that Halav and Flaghr continue their epic struggle, Flaghr trying to destroy Traladara, Halav trying to save it. The Feast of Halav commemorates this struggle every year. The primary document of Church teaching is the Song of Halav, an epic legend passed down through the centuries to modern day. The Song of Halav tells of the struggle of King Halav and the Traladaran people against an invading force of beast-men. The Song is a long work, and one that has moral and ethical teachings embedded throughout. Part of the traditional duty of the priests of the Church is to extract the teachings of the Immortals from the Song, and to pass this knowledge on to their faithful. These teachings from the Song have been codified into a work called the Concordance. The Concordance is organized into a number of chapters, opening with the Song of Halav, and followed by the traditional teachings. The Concordance also contains a complete history of the Traladaran people, kept up to date by the priests of the Church. Unlike many of the religions I have examined over the years, the Traladaran faith is neither very restrictive nor very demanding of its faithful. The only taboo of the faith is that the faithful must do no harm to others. Every moral tenant of the faith can really be boiled down to this simple belief. Compared to the regimen of the Karameikan Church and the fervor of the Ylari followers of Al'Kalim, the Traladaran faith is very simple and relaxed. Outside of ethics and morals, the Church teaches that simple, non-magical divinations can be used by the faithful to determine the will of the Immortals. The priests themselves teach fortune-telling through reading tea-leaves or cards to those faithful who are interested. Many priests are schooled in astrology and the daily ceremonies of the church usually incorporate some kind of non-magical divining to determine what the Immortals want on a given day. ( As an aside, this may seem awfully backward and superstitious to the more "civilized" among you, especially the Thyatians and Glantrians. In fact, from watching the priests perform these "divinations," I have noticed that most of them use them more from an aspect of counselors. The believer asks the priest a question, and the priest "divines" the answer while asking questions of the believer and allowing the believer to divine his own solution. I invite anyone who thinks this is a backward custom or overly superstitious to sit down with a Traladaran priest for a card reading and see how unburdened your spirit feels afterwards. Often a very cleansing experience.) The daily life of a Traladaran priest varies. The majority of the priests run the churches and temples of the Church. These priests spend their days performing daily ceremonies, ritual divinations, and leading their congregations in prayer. In addition, these priests are expected to act as "faith guides," advising their faithful on matters of scripture and Immortal will, as well as assisting them with their problems. The majority of these priests have also traditionally acted as teachers for the faithful, teaching the history of the Church as well as basic astrology and mathematics to those faithful who have an interest. Most "parish priests" are not followers of a particular Immortal, instead following the philosophy of the Church and honoring all of the Immortals equally. Some priests, however, feel the need to join a "holy order." Traladaran "holy orders" are similar to the orders of other religions about which I have written. In general, each holy order of the Church of Traladara venerates one particular Immortal above all others, and each member of the order focuses on one particular aspect of the Traladaran faith. The Order of the Sword, for example, are a militant order dedicated to the protection of the Church above all else. The patron of the Order is Halav, and they are sometimes known as Halavites or Swords. Swords dedicate most of their time to perfecting the art of war and defense, and unlike the rest of the Church are not prohibited from the use of swords and edged weaponry. In exchange for this military training, Halavites have less training in the use of spells of faith, causing them to rely on their swords even more. The Order of the Sword is based out of the Temple of Halav in Mirros. The Order of the Shield is an order dedicated to the protection of the believers. The Order has Petra as its patron, and they are known variously as Shields or Defenders of the Faith. Defenders are renown for both their healing abilities and their fighting prowess, although they are restricted to certain weapons by their patron. In addition, a Defender only has access to her superior fighting ability when actually defending someone. If the Defender is the aggressor in a conflict, Petra takes her favor away and the Defender must rely on her own (usually ample) abilities. The Defenders call the Shrine of the Shield in Vorloi their home. The Order of the Wolf is an order dedicated to the celebration of life. Zirchev is the patron of this order, and his followers are known as Huntsmen or Wolves. Huntsmen are best known for their wilderness skills and their amazing tracking abilities, but are hindered when forced to stay within a city. The Huntsmen have no temple, but say that the Dymrak Forest is sacred and spend much of their time driving evil from the Forest. Neither the traditional priests nor the members of the holy orders are required to be celibate. In fact, the Church encourages its priests to marry. Often the children of priests will continue on with their parent's occupation and become priests themselves. In addition, the Church allows both men and women to become priests, and entire families of priests have been known to run churches in some villages. Like the rest of the Church, the heirarchy of the priesthood is very loosely structured. A young man or woman who wishes to join the Church begins as an Initiate. The Initiate is "apprenticed," for lack of a better word, to a more senior priest for a period of two years. Over this two year span, the senior priest is expected to teach the Initiate everything he can about the beliefs and history of the Church. In return, the Initiate assists with the daily duties of the Church, including performing the daily rituals and services, enacting the daily divinations, keeping the Church clean, etc. After two years, the Initiate is officially named a Priest, and the new priest is expected to choose his future direction. Most priests choose to continue on as a priest in the church in which they were taught, although a few choose to travel to other areas and establish new churches, or travel to another church for a permanent home. Some choose to join the holy orders, and dedicate themselves to one particular aspect of the faith. Within the local church, the most senior and respected priest is considered to be the leader, and all other priests are considered equals. The most senior and respected priest of a given area is considered to be a Patriarch. This title is partly based on geography, partly on scholarship, and partly on age. While the word of a Patriarch is not technically law within the Church, these and women are usually so well respected and so learned in the teachings of the Church that their opinions are often listened to by both the priests and the faithful. The size of a Patriarch's area of influence varies from Patriarch to Patriarch. In general, each major city has a Patriarch, so the more populous south has more Patriarchs in a smaller area than the more sparsely populated northlands. Since the reign of King Stefan began, the most powerful Patriarch has been the Patriarch of Mirros, Father Aleksyev Nikelnevich. I'm not sure if this is due to the wide amount of respect he has across the nation, or if it is due to his proximity to the King. Although the King is not a follower of the Church of Traladara, he does like to understand the minds of his subjects. I suspect that he considers Father Nikelnevich an expert on Traladaran faith (which he is) and as such uses him as a resource for how his Traladaran subjects think and feel about various issues. This places Father Nikelnevich in a very powerful position. (It is interesting to note that in the Traladaran heirarchy, priests and the faithful refer to each other as "Brother" and "Sister," so "Sister Misha" could be either a priest or a believer. The Patriarchs of the Church are usually referred to as "Father" or "Mother" by both the faithful and the priests. In the Church of Karameikos, every priest is referred to as "Father" or "Mother" and the Patriarchs are simply referred to as Patriarch, whether they are male or female.) The Church of Traladara has a number of holy days or feast days. The most important to the Church is the Feast of Halav, a celebration that begins on the twenty-eighth of Klarmont and continues for a total of three days. The first day is the day of Preparation, a day when the priests of the Church prepare for the final battle of the King. The priests perform traditional divinations and rites to ensure that Halav will find success against his foe. The second day of the Feast of Halav is the day of Triumph, a day celebrating the victory of King Halav over the Beast King Flaghr. This day is commemorated by more Church services, but also by parades, parties, and re-enactments of the battle. The Thyatian settlers adopted this day as a holiday, and it is officially recognized as "Beast Day" by the Karameikan government. The final day of the Feast is the day of Mourning. This is the day when the priests perform traditional funeral rites for their dead King Halav, and perform traditional warding rites against the Beast-King Flaghr. Every faithful member of the Church is expected to participate in these rites, though it is not considered a sin to not attend. The Feast of Petra is celebrated on the last full moon before the spring equinox. This Feast Day is traditionally the day that new defense constructions are started in the cities. All of the faithful are expected to come together to repair walls, make weapons, and generally prepare for any assaults on their city. Today, the Feast is still celebrated and the faithful still assist in preparations, but it has become more of a time for repairing and rebuilding the cities. New roads are constructed and old roads are repaired. At the end of the day, the city celebrates with a night-long party under the full moon, reveling under the guardianship of Petra. The Midsummer Feast is the Feast of Zirchev, occurring every year on the day of the summer solstice. This Feast is a celebration of life and nature, and a time of rememberance of the natural world. Priests hold outdoor ceremonies away from the cities and towns, and the faithful usually celebrate with outdoor parties and revelry. In addition, hunting is prohibited of the faithful for this one day, and the faithful are expected to plant new trees and make sure that the forests and outdoor areas are in good condition. The Church of Traladara remains a powerful faith within Karameikos despite the invasion of the Thyatians and the influx of new leaders and new settlers. In fact, the invasion may have done good things for the Church. A number of refugees fleeing from the invasion forces fled north to Darokin years ago. These refugees settled in southeastern Darokin, most in the villages of Armstead and Reedle, and when they did they brought their faith with them. Both villages have strong churches within them, each large enough to have its own Patriarch. The faith has begun to spread througout the Republic, apparently because the merchants love both the relaxed nature of the faith and the number of festive holy days, which are always good for business. In addition to Darokin, I've also seen missionary churches to the faith in Ierendi and (surprisingly) in the Five Shires. Supposedly, the Church has spread to the Shires by way of hin converts living within Karameikos. These hin priests have set up a church in Werskalot and are working hard to convince their fellows that the philosophy of the Church is the way to spend their lives. I wonder if they are having any success at all. The Church does have its own share of worries, however. Although the King is lenient of the religion of the natives of his nation, some fear that the leadership of the Church of Karameikos has an eye on eliminating the Church of Traladara from Karameikos. I've heard talk of Patriarchs of the Karameikan Church petitioning the King to make the Traladara Church illegal. I know that the Karemeikan High Patriarch Olliver Jowett has no such designs, nor do I think that King Stefan would do such a thing. But Jowett is getting older, and will not be in charge of the Church forever. When that happens, many are predicting a schism of epic proportions. The Church of Traldara could survive or fail on the heels of such a schism. Enough of these worries about things that may not happen. I grow weary now after this day of festivities, and I should get some sleep. Perhaps I will attend the ceremonies tomorrow, to mourn the death of King Halav. I haven't been to a Day of Mourning in over a decade, so perhaps it is time for me to attend one again. If nothing else, I may be able to make a few more observations for my research. On another note, while I'm here in Karameikos again, I should try to do some research on the other faiths of the nation. I can't believe I've traveled as much as I have in this world and have not even bothered to chronicle the beliefs of my own homeland. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 23:49:22 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Daniel Boese Subject: Lion Castle MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII I was just flipping through some of my old modules, when I found one of my favorites - BSOLO, The Ghost of Lion Castle. Unfortunately, I seem to have lost the last page, the one with the pre-generated character sheets... given that Clarensa the Seer was originally a pre-generated character, I was hoping that somebody might be able to forward me the names of Sargon's would-be heirs... :) And while we're here - have you ever done anything with Lion Castle besides run single characters through it? Ever include it in an adventure's background, or anything? For that matter, why wasn't it mentioned in the Ethengar Gazeteer (or was it, and I just didn't notice)? Thank you for your time, -- Daniel Boese, trying to avoid thinking of mad mages crossbreeding ratlings with other rodents. Especially hamsters. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 23:59:15 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: The Enemy: dumb as a post, or too bored to care? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 1/10/00 1:10:56 AM Eastern Standard Time, jruhlconob@SPRYNET.COM writes: [snip] <> my impression on the mud slingimng about forbidden magics was more on the potential disasters to magic as a whole. that part is vague but i have to think that some knowledge of the risks to magic had to be known, else the alphers probably and shouldn't have cared what magics the glantrians were toying with. without such insight/warnings it would be doubtful and hypocritical for war between alphatia and glantri. <> not only was Rad aided by other nontypical immortals. he was also aided by eirundryl, who is the patron of the very pro-alphatian Shiye-Lawr. he was aided by asterius who is stated as a friend and ally of ixion. ka, the preserver sided with him, despite the magic drain and carnage the war would cause. and there are the rest of rad's allies who could each be found as being oddly allied in rad's cause. a good example of scripted immortal problems is ilsundall. his alliance to ixion could be questioned. however, most disturbing is his miraculous success in influencing the independance movements of the PI and Och. however, he was inactive when his favored alfheimers were under fire. rad's allies were scripted....that's a given. imo a better alliance would have come from the entropics. however, by allying with entropics rad's cause would have lost any vestige of righteousness. with his precarious allies glantri was garnered mortal allies and rad's cause was deemed more grey that outrightly dark. > > nace is not alphatia and therefore not as much a threat to thyatis. > Unless Thyatis (stupidly) helps them advance in power at its own expense, by stripping the frontier of defenses and then losing the inevitable land-grab.>> they removed the IoD imperial forces and the opportunity to deploy imperial forces if need be. the true folly was with the IoD kingdoms and their own domestic defense forces. i mentioned in ophydra that eusebius wanted an investigation on how nace advanced so swiftly. as info comes forth, i think it will better explain things. not to be too much a spoiler...the nace offensives were not as quick as one would think. > > have said so. that's why i did not suggest it as an alternative to another > plot in this year's almanac. > Actually, you did bring up on several occassions that you prefered that a version of Operation Hydra be used instead - that's why I was familiar with its existance. As I said in my initial post wherin I mentioned having finally read Operation Hydra, I wasn't on the list in '97 when you started it, for a variety of reasons I happened to be off the list when you posted most of it even after the time when I initially joined (for example being off the list in Sept & Oct when you made the latest updates, involving the IoD additions/supliments), and hadn't read any of the stuff that happened to be posted when I was on the list, because I would have prefered to start at the begining but had other priorities at the time. I read it right around Christmas (now I can't remember if I read it before or after), and I can't remember exactly why I decided to finally read it; but at the time I was going through the version of the 1016 Almanac Herve had posted for us to review & edit for malapropisms et al. - for some reason (again, I forget exactly) that reminded me of the existance of Operation Hydra so I searched it out at Stan's site. The fact that I remember it had more to do with Almanac-related discussions about the Min events than anything else, and I'm pretty sure that it wasn't some other person that recomended it as a different way to handle things. I'm sure if it was someone else they'll correct me if I'm wrong.>> nope...i don't recall offering it as an alternative for the minrothad plot. i did offer it as an argument for military action and as the litmus test for a thyatian takeover of thadder lands. as it is ophydra would need a great deal of tweaking to fit into the current thyatian scheme. remember ophydra was started several net almanacs ago and there are details offered there that are not present in the almanacs. ophydra was preempted by a couple of years of recon work, political maneuvering, and military buildups and reorganization. ophydra would need a major rewrite to work in the present thyatian scheme. given that its been a work in progress since 1997, i would not have time to do it even if i wanted to. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 00:55:40 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: David Knott Subject: Re: Pronunciation (was Hail the Heroes) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2000-01-11 21:37:31 Eastern Standard Time, fanavarro@PACIFIC.NET.PH writes: << Coming from an Asian country, I tend to say, "al-FAT-tya" or "al-FAT-ti-ya" In Mark of Amber, the Sylaire (French) mentions the war with "al-FAY-shya". I was thinking this might be dialect thing. >> That "al-FAY-shya" pronunciation is the first thing that would occur to most English speakers -- and probably to nobody else. That "AY" sound is how an "a" followed by a single consonant and then another vowel would be pronounced in English -- but I suspect that nearly every other language in the world would pronounce it "AH", right? ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 00:55:42 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: David Knott Subject: Re: Destruction of Old Alphata MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2000-01-11 18:47:13 Eastern Standard Time, alphatian@ANGELFIRE.COM writes: << Of course, your idea about a clever and devious mage speculating on the potential funds he could make is also pretty solid, except a mere mortal could sure not have caused such havoc with the forefathers of the Mighty Alphatian Empire :) >> Thus are conspiracy theories born.... ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 00:55:41 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: David Knott Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2000-01-11 18:15:45 Eastern Standard Time, alphatian@ANGELFIRE.COM writes: << On the other hand, everyone on mainland Alphatia *DID* die at the end of WotI and were then resurrected by the Immortals, and since it's been suggested that the Immortals wanted the Alphatians to 'police' Mystara, it might be possible that they have altered their mindsets in some way. However, that would not explain the change of mind for people in NACE, though they might just have seen the way the wind was blowing and gotten off their high horses. Still, if the Almanacs do deal with this at some point, then I believe that we DO have reason to be a bit disappointed, though. >> One explanation for the changed attitudes of NACE is the trauma that the Alphatians went through during and after the events of WotI. To begin with, an entire continent sank and millions of their people were apparently killed by means of a magic artifact in that "little pipsqueak nation" of Glantri. If that is not a humbling experience, I don't know what is. The Japanese radically reshaped their society after World War II for very similar reasons. Then the reign of the mad Zandor must have been especially uncomfortable to the leaders of Alphatia after the long and mostly uneventful reign of Eriadna. Under the circumstances, it is not at all surprising that the remnants of Alphatia were ready for major changes. Of course, news of the survival of Alphatia in the Hollow World could cause NACE to "backslide" a bit. Emboldened by the news that their beloved empress and the millions of dead loved ones are alive after all but too far away from them to be influenced by their changed attitudes, many Alphatians may decide that contrary to what they thought they are favored by the Immortals and should go back to their old ways. If enough Alphatians do that, the results could be quite frightening to the rest of the world. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 17:00:48 +1100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: shawn stanley Subject: Re: Unavailable Official Products Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 23:03 11/01/00 +0100, you wrote: >Here is a question that could arouse some trouble. it really shouldn't, if you think about it it's a pretty sound economic decision. >Now that Shawn's site is the official for Mystara, >why couldn't TSR allow him to reproduce on it the official products of >Mystara that are now unavailable? let's say some time in the future TSR wants to re-release all the Mystaran material on a CD or something. if the material is already out there then nobody will buy the CD. shawn stanley http://dnd.starflung.com what have you done for me lately ... more to the point what have i done for me - mightyfew, "i can't wait" ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 22:38:01 -0800 Reply-To: ironwolf@ewa.net Sender: Mystara From: IronWolf Subject: Mapping Projects: Savage Coast? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Greetings. Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback about the map. I'm still finishing up some glitches, and considering whether or not I should add political borders, cities, and labels. Any opinions? In the meantime, I'm looking ahead to my next project. I was considering putting together a hex map of similar caliber and quality of the Savage Coast regions, based upon the maps published in Dragon Magazine. But I'm not certain it's necessary, or needed. Thibalt has done a smash-up job using Grid to fill in most map gaps, including the Savage Coast, plus there's the added complication that the maps are accessible from the Dragon Archive, which brings up some touchy legal issues. Plus, since I do all the map work by hand, I'd rather not commit time to it if nobody really cares. :) Oh, and if anyone wants to know how I did the map, I'll be happy to tell you. Forewarning: I do it the hard way. IronWolf Map URL: http://users.ewa.net/ironwolf/tkw1.jpg ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 01:48:21 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: David Knott Subject: Re: Unavailable Official Products MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2000-01-12 01:04:18 Eastern Standard Time, stanles@ALPHALINK.COM.AU writes: << let's say some time in the future TSR wants to re-release all the Mystaran material on a CD or something. if the material is already out there then nobody will buy the CD. >> Not "nobody" -- I bought the Dragon magazine archive even though I had every issue from 40 through 250. Why? Because it is one heck of a lot easier to search the CDs than a stack of magazines. There is some value to convenience. Still, the possibility that WotC may someday want to sell something related to Mystara is good reason for them to hold back on uploading all of the available material. Of course, if they ever do change their minds about it, I am sure they know that there would be no shortage of volunteers to scan and upload the material. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 23:52:29 -0800 Reply-To: ironwolf@ewa.net Sender: Mystara From: IronWolf Subject: The Known World Map - Done! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Okay, I finished up the map. I corrected some glitches,such as the hills around the Black Eagle Barony, looks like I accidentally dropped a hex there, and added cliff faces, then trimmed the whole thing up a bit and added some fluff, like my name. The file at the URL is, of course, a JPG, BMP's are far too large for this kind of work. They compress down nicely, though, if anyone would like the original BMP at 149k, just drop me a mail. Myself, I made an embossment for my desktop, which I must say is rather cool looking. The whole thing is about 1100x1085 pixels, though, so it doesn't fit quite on any desktop, unless you have one of those big time 1280x1024 monitors. It wouldn't be hard to cut up the BMP for any particular piece though. In case you're wondering, there wasn't any magical way of doing this. I copied the originals by eye and hand in MS Paint, and created layers for the coastlines, water, hexgrid, and assorted terrain work. That way I could just drop copies on top of each other for the finished product. There's probably an easier way to draw maps, but I've not found many paint programs that I agree with. (Lviewpro perhaps, Paint Shop Pro, you can't even draw a line? Sheesh. PSP is mostly handy for special effect work.) The graphics I also copied by eye from the originals on maps, although I've jazzed them up here and there. (I love 16 bit color... the last time I worked with paint programs was on a computer with severe color limitations, 16 total and only two colors every row of eight pixels. Blech.) Anyway, back to the drawing board, possibly to start on the Savage Coast. IronWolf Map URL: http://users.ewa.net/ironwolf/tkw1.jpg ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 09:08:05 +0100 Reply-To: mystara@com.bi Sender: Mystara From: thibault sarlat Subject: Re: Pronunciation (was Hail the Heroes) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Frenchies would have no reason to say "al-FAY-tya" cause the central vowel cannot be pronounced as an english "a" but as a french "a" that is to say we have to pronounce al-fa-tya . It would be interesting to know were this name come from (in real world ethymology). -- Thibault Sarlat ICQ 16622177. My other adress is tsarlat@etu.montaigne.u-bordeaux.fr Homepage http://www.mystara.com.bi Pour rejoindre la Mystara mailing liste francophone, rendez-vous sur ma page de garde en bas. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 00:44:08 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?=E0=E9=EC=EF_=F9=E7=ED?= Subject: Re: Forbidden spells of the Radiance MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Wow Rob! Even before I read it all, I have to comment something. You have gone into something I am in the middle of developping (the "unknown" Radiaance spells...). Im working on some middle leveled Radiance spells for the GPD files, I won't tell for which NPC. Actually Im not sure if Markus even wants us to reveal these things... OH NO! PLEASE MARKUS, NOT THE "FETTER OF SOUL POWER"! NOOOOOO!!!! Ahmm, that was painful... Anyway I would love to adress your work in the said file. Would that be OK? Ohad Shaham Energy Drained and Spell Robbed by a powerful Italian mage. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:06:02 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Well, actually the very reason that the old 'evil' Alphatian wizards have been so quiet is a major reason why I think there'll be an Alphatian civil war - they are planning a coup-d'etat against Eriadna (floating continent) and Broderick (NACE) - so maybe they finally learned something from the Thyatians :) (shameless jab at any Thyatians on the list). Oh, well, we haven't learnt well as you. We haven't destroyed Mystara, yet. Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis [I love In Character Discussions.] ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:06:10 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: Och, but One More me Too MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit James Ruhland ha scritto:What is occuring here, > however, is something else entirely. This is the OOC opinion of seemingly a > lot of folks, going from the 1st PWA through JA down to the present; this > is what Solmyr was alluding to (some of it anyhow) in his post about what > Alphatia has become, what it has been *portrayed* as by the people who > write & design for it. They have, it seems, accepted the premises of the > Alphatian aristocracy, the mindset and self-image of the Alphatian > aristocracy as literally true (or at least the ones that consider > themselves "enlightened" like Myrtendal, Eriadna, and Flavius Vern), and > adopted it as their own - as being the way the world of Mystara works, in > an OOC sense. This is what is so frustrating to me about talking to > "Alphatiaphiles" - and why I keep trying to restrain myself from these > debates but why, like a moth to a flame, I can't escape them. > > Ok, I admit I have some of the same falicies and tendancies with respect to > "my guys" - but two caviats: > > 1) Fortunately I haven't had a free hand to shape Mystara to fit within my > "pro-Thyatian" preconceptions, the way others have (including the official > TSR writers, but also others who know who they are). > > 2) Now more conciously aware of this pitfall, and what it can do to the > world - come close to ruining it as a playable setting, at least with > respect to Panglossian Alphatia, I hope to make a more concious effort to > resist the temptation that I feel all too many fans of Alphatia fall into. > Thyatians won't all be nice. It will (I hope) remain a place people can > feel good about having their characters come from (and have a little > self-respect when they say they are Thyatian - something they couldn't in > previous years when it was all a litany of woe, fecklessness, and > corruption) - BUT a place that retains all its aspects, a place that isn't > "Barneyized". > > People don't believe me when I tell them I used to like Alphatia and enjoy > running and participating in adventures in it. That's because by the time I > joined the list that Alphatia was long dead, replaced by this. . > .doppelganger. This Changeling. This creature left by the faerie in the > place of the previous Alphatia. > > Some people have said that I hate the event wherin Alphatia got put into > the role of "policeman" - I'm not ashamed to say I hate everything that's > happened to Alphatia since WotI, and which started to begin even before > that (with Champions of Mystara), everything that made it a two-dimensional > cartoonish caricature and completely ignored and destroyed what made > Alphatia interesting and multi-faceted, multi-dimensional. > Yes, I'm a hater. I hate. I'm not ashamed to say so. > I agree for the most part with James. One of Mystara's best characteristics is that there were no good nor evil boys, but this drastically changed after WotI. In the PWA's, Alphatians are portrayed as best than Thyatians in most aspects. Just look at the armies of the KW. If the armies were as they told, Alphatia would have rapidly crushed Thyatis in the war. In a Bellissarian or IOD domain, IIRC, a description of the domain says clearly that there is no corruption and everything goes well, and its queen is worried because she is going to face a probable Thyatian domination and thus their CORRUPTION. Thyatis are all treacherous, evil, backstabbers. Thyatis is full of riots, economical problems and that like, while in Alphatia everything goes well. And, logically thinking, even Alphatiaphiles should admit that it would go even worse for a country that is completely cut off from other countries, put in a new unknown world, or for the remnants of an Empire on the Known World. But no, all goes fine, there. I didn't like Alphatians because of their culture before the War, now I don't like Alphatia because it's irrealistic and not logical to the way things develope in Mystara! I mean, it's a RPG, but does it have to be stupid? I don't want to jab at the brave souls who have developed Alphatia on the MA, their ideas are good, the only fact is that a country's mindset can't change so quickly without problems, just look at the 1700 in Europe. When the Aristocracy begun to sense the civil uprest, they begun the 'enlightened monarchies', but that was not enough, and we ended up having a French Revolution. I don't mean we must have an Alphatian revolution, but maybe: 1) An attempt of assassination directed at Broderick or some other influential man of the NACE, not at the hand of one of Norlan's men, but at the hand of a killer payed by a group of Alphatian mages discontented of what is happening 2) Two countries of the NACE have an argument with each other. The NACE resolvs in favor of one of them, and the other replies retiring its representants from the NACE, and declaring Indipendence 3) In Esterhold, many Alphatians, especially wizards, given the continual unrest of the country, denounces the NACE, saying that everything went ok before they meddled with their affairs and wanted to give the savage Jennites rights, say that Broderick is a traitor and a)leaves to form their own kingdom and city on one of the Alphatian Island or north of Esterhold. b)sends a delegation to complain officially to Eriadna What do you think about it? Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 11:01:49 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Gordon McCormick Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. Comments: To: James Ruhland In-Reply-To: <200001112330.SAA01049@smtp7.atl.mindspring.net>; from jruhlconob@sprynet.com on Tue, Jan 11, 2000 at 05:28:31PM -0600 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii On Tue, Jan 11, 2000 at 05:28:31PM -0600, James Ruhland wrote: > > > > On the other hand, everyone on mainland Alphatia *DID* die at the end of > WotI > > and were then resurrected by the Immortals, and since it's been suggested > > that the Immortals wanted the Alphatians to 'police' Mystara, it might be > possible > > that they have altered their mindsets in some way. > > > That was always such horse [feces] though. I print out every message that I > recieve with such a suggestion, and use it to clean up dog crap. 8-) > I mean, the mind wobbles. The main people Mystara needs policing against is > the Alphatians themselves. I think the idea was that they would police the Hollow World since not only the Alphatians, but the Heldannic Knights and potentially Thyatians, Minrothadders and Karameikans were on there way. With the weakening of the Spell of Preservation and Clarasa's Travels the secret of the HW was out and a resource rush could be expected. Who better to keep out the Outer Worlders than the Alphatians? Anyway, that's what I think they were saying, I wouldn't at all use that in my own campaign though - no transportation to the hollow world for the alphatians IMC I'm afraid. I want the horror and suffering of an entire continent on some PC's and some Immortals concience. If everything goes back to niceness it kind of takes away the point. All IMHO, IMC etc... gordon ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:57:46 -0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Rob Subject: Re: Forbidden spells of the Radiance MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Ahmm, that was painful... Anyway I would love to adress your work in the said file. Would that be OK? Excellent! (WoW, people like my stuff???). Rob ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 09:16:52 -0500 Reply-To: au998@freenet.carleton.ca Sender: Mystara From: Geoff Gander Subject: Re: Hail the Heroes >Basically, the heroes are hired by the Church of Traladara to find the missing relic The Shield of Halav. The church plans to use it in their inter-church political competitions with the Church of Karameikos and the Cult of Halav. However, the Shield has been lost for a long time, so the PCs must first discover where to look. This leads to a library with lots of short passages from various cryptic sources (nice cd-tracks here, though I was completely surprised by how they pronounced "Alphatia", as I never pronounced it like that - how do you say it??). I always said "al-FAY-shya", myself.... Geoff -- Geoff Gander, BA 97 Cartographer/Game Designer/Government Peon Carnifex Loremaster au998@freenet.carleton.ca : www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/2091 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 09:26:39 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Emperor Porphyrogenitus Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. Gordon McCormick wrote: >>I think the idea was that they would police the Hollow World since not only the Alphatians, but the Heldannic Knights and potentially Thyatians, Minrothadders and Karameikans were on there way.<< We discussed this very extensively on the MMB a couple weeks ago. I'm surprised you forgot that discussion so quickly. 8-) Anyhow, I will refer you to the remarks I made there re. the Spell of Preservation, or to the synopsis/conclusory remarks which are now on Stan's site (under "Rules" IIRC). The only thing I'll add is what I told Jen yesterday, via private mail, when we discussed this more: If anyone "polices" Mystara, or the Hollow World, I want it to be the PCs. No, it shouldn't be "an organization," or a "divinely chosen country and people" that manipulates Mystara and "polices" it the way the Harpers & the 7 Sisters do in the Forgotten Realms (this was during a period of FRization of TSR words, remember, that the "Jafili" stuff was written. Hence Joshuan, too). It should be the PCs. The PCs. Player Characters go on adventures. I don't like any group or organization or country that displaces the focus from the PCs. Sure it isn't realistic that a world revolve around the affairs of some group of travelling tomb-robbers. But *gaming* sessions do. Whatever the PCs do is the most important thing in a gaming session, because RPGs are all about the participants having fun. Not about having things decided by some sort of "offstage" group or organization or nation that sets everything right while the PCs hustle Kobolds for copper pieces (until the Harpers come along and put a stop to it). If the PCs don't want to do it, then it doesn't need to be done - let the world - surface or Hollow go "unpolicied" (SoP "polices" the HW anyhow). There should be organizations in the game world, even good and noble ones. But the people that "police" the world are and should be the PCs, or no one at all. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 16:54:40 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?=E0=E9=EC=EF_=F9=E7=ED?= Subject: Re: Destruction of Old Alphata MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable > >> One thing, though. Why has Alphaks been such a boor of an Immortal? > According to the DoE boxed set, Alphaks was an intelligent if unwise king, > so why is he now a monstrous destroyer? Did the destruction of = Alphatia > unhinge him to become the psychopath we all know today, or is there >> something deeper involved? >> >Unhinged is possibly the best explaination, at least the best one so = far. > Perhaps their is something deeper. It would be fun to explore = that a bit. Deeper? I think the transformation from a world emperor to a demon will do the = trick. The things demonic immortality can do to a mind (even an = intelligent one) are beyond our understanding. I love thinking of Alphaks as the "Roaring Demon". A kick-ass chaotic = evil thing. We have enough "manipulating" entropics (Thanatos, = Loki/Bozdogan, Atzanteotle, Hel....).=20 > For example, do we know *why* Rad's Doomsday Artifact = malfunctioned? I don't think we do. But it's a question - and indeed a question very = similar to the "who is the 'Neutral Mage'?" question. Is it because Rad screwed = up? Is he a bungler? > Or did someone make sure it got screwed up? Who's most = interested in wiping out Alphatia (no, the answer is not "that loudmouth, Porphy", = though I guess I give that impression sometimes). Alphaks. > Perhaps his stumbling around during WotI masked his real plot, = which involved tampering with Rad's "Doomsday Weapon," then making sure that = it would be used (however that happened in your campaign) - resulting in = the sinking of Alphatia. > And we all thought he was a unhinged, dumb, unsubtle, boorish = psychopath. Actually, I mailed to the list something hinting about the malfunction = of the Doomsday Weapon" in the "Baba Yaga story".=20 If you want I can send it again. Ohad ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 07:33:51 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: John Calvin Subject: Re: Destruction of Old Alphata MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii James Ruhland writes > For example, do we know *why* Rad's Doomsday Artifact malfunctioned? I don't think we do. But it's a question - and indeed a question very similar to the "who is the 'Neutral Mage'?" question. Is it because Rad screwed up? Is he a bungler? Or did someone make sure it got screwed up? Who's most interested in wiping out Alphatia (no, the answer is not "that loudmouth, Porphy", though I guess I give that impression sometimes). Alphaks. Perhaps his stumbling around during WotI masked his real plot, which involved tampering with Rad's "Doomsday Weapon," then making sure that it would be used (however that happened in your campaign) - resulting in the sinking of Alphatia. And we all thought he was a unhinged, dumb, unsubtle, boorish psychopath.< I really like this idea! Let me throw my own 2 cents worth in the pot as well. If Thanatos "tricked" Alphaks into becoming an Entropic immortal, it would only make sense to me that Alphaks' real goal is to zing Thanatos. Destroying Alphatia in the above mentioned fashion was just icing on his cake. The question then becomes how will all of this lead the Thanatos' downfall...?? Plots within plots within plots...I don't have the answer myself (at least not yet). Does anybody else have any ideas? __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 16:10:04 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Gordon McCormick Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. In-Reply-To: ; from jruhlconob@SPRYNET.COM on Wed, Jan 12, 2000 at 09:26:39AM -0500 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii On Wed, Jan 12, 2000 at 09:26:39AM -0500, Emperor Porphyrogenitus wrote: > Gordon McCormick wrote: > > >>I think the idea was that they would police the Hollow World since > not only the Alphatians, but the Heldannic Knights and potentially > Thyatians, Minrothadders and Karameikans were on there way.<< > > We discussed this very extensively on the MMB a couple weeks ago. I'm surprised you forgot that discussion so quickly. 8-) > I forget a lot of things, I've been consitently forgetting to check the MMB for the last few weeks for instance :) > If the PCs don't want to do it, then it doesn't need to be done - let the world - surface or Hollow go "unpolicied" (SoP "polices" the HW anyhow). There should be organizations in the game world, even good and noble ones. But the people that "police" the world are and should be the PCs, or no one at all. > Agree about the PC's being the folks that should help out others, any sort of group of Harpers, or Rangers (from Babylon 5) are all very well if the PC's are the ones calling the shots. Otherwise they tend to be used as replacements for the PC's, rather than as another source for conflict. gordon ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 17:12:32 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Andr=E9s_Piquer_Otero?= Subject: Re: Unavailable Official Products MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit > In a message dated 2000-01-12 01:04:18 Eastern Standard Time, > stanles@ALPHALINK.COM.AU writes: > > << let's say some time in the future TSR wants to re-release all the Mystaran > material on a CD or something. if the material is already out there then > nobody will buy the CD. >> > Well, I for one bought GAZ13 "The Shadow Elves", even after downloading the online version... I cannot help wanting to have the original illustrations and nifty maps. I think that the matter is just NOT delivering on-line a WHOLE product (like making everything PDF), but a useful part of it, just to entice gamers and DMs. And I think that with 3E the situation would change: I mean, for the little I know on 3E, it's going to offer the possibility to tailor-cut campaigns using "core" products... so good e-materials for a campaign (including OOP items here and there) would not hinder buyers, they coud even attract them... Andr�s ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 13:27:09 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Carl Quaif Subject: Site Update...and a sample item MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit All, Since it was suggested recently that folks should mention when their sites got updated - and since I've been tardy in that respect - I thought I'd mention that "Fahvarim's Lorebook" is due for an update tomorrow - and has a goodly lot of stuff on it for the discerning item-and-spell-phile; some of which you won't have seen before, and ALL of it penned by my good, yet humble, self. ;-) The site address is:- http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Cauldron/2399/ - and to whet your appetites, here's a sample. Please let me know what you think - my last post didn't even make a ripple. Was it as awful as all that? :-( Carl Q. - Soul Children: These items resemble attractive dolls, of the sort beloved by children in civilised countries, with ceramic heads, arms and legs and soft, padded bodies; they are frequently dressed in pretty clothes in the latest styles. A close examination, however, reveals that the dolls are not as innocent as they first seem. The heads and limbs are not made of china, but of bone; the bodies are not cloth, but cleverly-preserved human skin. The hair used both for stuffing the body and decorating the head is that of a human being; while that fact is not disturbing in itself, the traces of dried blood and scalp on the hair show that it was not cut, but ripped brutally from the head. A Soul Child is constructed from the dead body of a human being (or Elf, Dwarf, etc) for the purpose of trapping a portion of the soul within it. Certain spellcasters through the ages, such as Wokani, Necromancers and Witches - and even, in some cases, Entropic Clerics - have used this technique on both unwilling souls and on each other (in some traditions, the heir to a dying mage uses his master's body to make a Soul Child on the master's own order). If the victim is unwilling, a Save vs. Death Ray is permitted to resist this foul enchantment; success renders the doll powerless, allowing the soul to journey onward to Limbo. Those who know the secret of the Soul Children - who need not be spellcasters themselves - can use them to summon forth the captive soul in the form of a Wraith, Spectre, or some form of Haunt, depending on the level and power of the living being the doll was made from. Somewhat like a genie, this Undead creature must serve the holder of the doll by performing some task or providing advice when asked, fading back into its prison when the task is over. A doll may be used by hundreds of people over the years, but no single being may summon the denizen of a particular Soul Child more than twice; a third attempt will cause the spirit to attack the summoner, fighting brutally until either spirit or summoner is dead. Each time a Soul Child is used, there is a flat 7% chance that the doll will explode, causing 5d6 damage to all within 15' and sending the spirit howling to its final reward. The creation of a Soul Child is almost always considered an Evil act, although the powers of the doll can easily be turned to a Good purpose; Clerics of many Lawful Immortals, however, consider them profane, and will absolutely refuse even to handle one. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 13:37:24 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Emperor Porphyrogenitus Subject: Re: Site Update...and a sample item Mystara wrote: >> - and to whet your appetites, here's a sample. Please let me know what you think - my last post didn't even make a ripple. Was it as awful as all that? :-( << If there's one thing I've learned is that people rarely reply to substantive posts (by "substantive" I mean descriptions of items, places, people, etc. that flesh out the game world). If you want to generate a response, lengthy diatribes and rants are the way to go - that's always good for at least two weeks of spirited discussion. 8-)~ Anyhow, glad to hear about the impending page update 8-). >> Soul Children: Youch! Chillingly nasty. Cool 8-) ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 13:52:13 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Carl Quaif Subject: Re: Site Update...and a sample item MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 12/01/00 18:39:09 GMT Standard Time, jruhlconob@SPRYNET.COM writes: > Mystara wrote: Huh? When did I mutate into the MML? ;-> > If there's one thing I've learned is that people rarely reply to substantive > posts (by "substantive" I mean descriptions of items, places, people, etc. > that flesh out the game world). If you want to generate a response, lengthy > diatribes and rants are the way to go - that's always good for at least two > weeks of spirited discussion. 8-)~ :^) "The world goes as it will, not as you or I would have it..." I'm afraid I just can't maintain a good enough head of steam for that kind of rant; I'm more your "peace and love" type. ;-) > > Anyhow, glad to hear about the impending page update 8-). > > >> Soul Children: - don't you mean "snipped"? Or is this rant-material? ;-) > > Youch! Chillingly nasty. Cool 8-) Thanks,and thanks again. Carl Q. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 11:01:09 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Damon Brown Subject: Re: Site Update...and a sample item MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii --- Carl Quaif wrote: > > Please let me know what you think - > Soul Children: My, my, Carl... you're one devious individual, indeed. I'm almost afraid to ask where you get your inspiration for some of those "darker" knick-knacks of the arcane. Very ingenius(if not somewhat disturbing)! And to think you and Geoff (with his vivid imagery of the Outer Beings) seem like such nice, polite boys. Gee, I shudder to think what one might find in the "spare room" of your either one of your residences. ;p Seriously though, great work, as usual. It seems like a relatively straightforward concept, but I think the subtle little details (heads and limbs of bone; bodies of human skin) give it an appropriately creepy tone. > My last post didn't even make a ripple. > Was it as awful as all that? > :-( I assume you are referring to Vorbiant's Rings? Clever stuff... I'm sure they'll find a way into my campaign. Although it'll be quite some time before any of the characters are sufficiently high enough in level to merit such goodies. Keep up the good work! auf wiedersehen, Damon ===== "Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool." __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 14:22:34 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Carl Quaif Subject: Re: Site Update...and a sample item MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 12/01/00 19:05:20 GMT Standard Time, habgyp@YAHOO.COM writes: > My, my, Carl... you're one devious individual, > indeed. I'm almost afraid to ask where you get your > inspiration for some of those "darker" knick-knacks of > the arcane. Very ingenius(if not somewhat disturbing)! Many thanks. For this particular item, the inspiration is no doubt obvious to readers of a certain Vampire-Queen's other works...;-) > And to think you and Geoff (with his vivid imagery of > the Outer Beings) seem like such nice, polite boys. > Gee, I shudder to think what one might find in the > "spare room" of your either one of your residences. > ;p Well, I can't speak for Geoff, but my spare room contains me, my computer and stacks of floppy disks at the moment, which is scary enough, I'll grant you. ;-) (Hmmm...I'd imagine Geoff doesn't actually HAVE a spare room any more; it's probably been turned into a portal to Akh'All's realm or a repository for Outer Being lore...< 8-0 > Seriously though, great work, as usual. It seems > like a relatively straightforward concept, but I think > the subtle little details (heads and limbs of bone; > bodies of human skin) give it an appropriately creepy > tone. Thanks for that. My wife made the flattering comment of "Ugh! UGH! What HAVE I MARRIED?!?!", when she read it...;-)) > I assume you are referring to Vorbiant's Rings? > Clever stuff... I'm sure they'll find a way into my > campaign. Although it'll be quite some time before any > of the characters are sufficiently high enough in > level to merit such goodies. Oh, good! :-) > Keep up the good work! > > auf wiedersehen, > Damon I'll do my best. Cheers, mate. Carl Q. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 14:42:11 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Emperor Porphyrogenitus Subject: Re: Site Update...and a sample item jruhlconob@SPRYNET.COM writes: >> Mystara wrote: >Huh? When did I mutate into the MML? ;-> The mail thingie I'm using while I'm away from my own computer adds that and I sometimes forget to nuke it before sending. > :^) "The world goes as it will, not as you or I would have it..." > I'm afraid I just can't maintain a good enough head of steam > for that kind of rant; I'm more your "peace and love" type. ;-) > Yes; I noticed that straight off when I read the "Soul Children" 8-) For some reason every time someone mentions "peace and love" (no, I *don't* reach for my revolver), I think of the last episode of "The Prisoner," the one with the Beatles' "All You Need is Love" playing in the backround while they machinegun down the various dudes at "The Village." 8-) > - don't you mean "snipped"? Or is this rant-material? ;-) > That's just my usual spelling errors 8-) ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 11:40:32 -0800 Reply-To: Jenni Merrifield Sender: Mystara From: "Jenni A. M. Merrifield" Subject: Seeking "playtest" comments on Jet Black MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Hey everyone: For a number of reasons, I'm thinking about converting/modifying my "Jet Black" Module (that I 'unofficially' label as JAMM1) into 2E format (it's originally 0E format of course). In the past, I've had "first impression" comments sent to me by a few list members (and which I definitely appreciated) but now I'm wondering if there is anyone out there who has actually *PLAYED* it -- either as part of an ongoing campagin or as a "one shot" module -- and who would be willing to offer some "playtest" comments on it. Constructive criticism on where improvements could be made or comments on when certain things maybe didn't work as smoothly as they might have, is the sort of thing that I'm looking for -- though if you feel like sending me a heap of glorious praise I'll be happy to accept that too ;-) Anyone with comments should send them privately -- no need to fill the list up with personal comments. :-) Jenni A. M. Merrifield -=> strawberryJAMM <=- PS: For anyone 'new' who hasn't seen the module and may be interested -- it's set in Darokin and can be seen in its current form at my "minimal" Mystara page: http://www.jamm.com/mystara/index.html :JAMM -- Jenni A. M. Merrifield | Designing to Requirements -=> strawberryJAMM <=- | And Walking on Water strawberry@jamm.com | Are Easy if Both http://www.jamm.com/jenni/ | Are Frozen ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 14:48:12 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Master's Pawn Subject: Re: Site Update...and a sample item MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >> Soul Children: > > Youch! Chillingly nasty. Cool 8-) > Double-creepy Youch! ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 20:37:29 -0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Rob Subject: Re: Forbidden spells of the Radiance MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Wow Rob! Even before I read it all, I have to comment something. You have gone into something I am in the middle of developping (the "unknown" Radiaance spells...). Im working on some middle leveled Radiance spells for the GPD files, I won't tell for which NPC. Actually Im not sure if Markus even wants us to reveal these things... OH NO! PLEASE MARKUS, NOT THE "FETTER OF SOUL POWER"! NOOOOOO!!!! I could do with some more radiance spells BTW. I am saying that a Radiance mage must do the following (dont know if the original Glantri gaz has the study of Radiance in more detail than G:KoM, but the latter tome doesnt have anything in it)... 1) Study the magical fields around Glantri to become aware of the Radiance in the first place. This can be circumvented by finding out about the Radiance from another source (ie, an adventure). Otherwise mages tend to find out about the "mysterious energy field" by accident (like all good scientists). 2) Research the Summon Radiance spell. 3) After doing this, the wizard can construct a receptacle - that takes another year. 4) Then the wizard is away. The Brotherhood of the Radiance contact him via the receptacle and he effectively joins the club. He must then research every Radiance spell in the book, starting at the lowest level ones and working up to level 9. Transcend Life Force is the very last spell mastered. i worked out that with all the new spells I added, and using AD&D rules, doing this little lot takes around 11 years assuming the wizard passes every roll first time (not likely). Or to put it another way, wizard sits down, studies the Radiance, and with no hitches will succeed and become an Immortal in just over a decade. Now, I think this is too short personally. I want to get that time upto about 30 years by adding more Radiance spells to research. Its just that I in my usual neat way want to quantify exactly what you have to do to become Immortal via the Radiance, and more importantly, how long it will take to Master the Radiance. Cheers Rob ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 21:29:07 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Pronunciation (was Hail the Heroes) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit thibault sarlat wrote: > > Frenchies would have no reason to say "al-FAY-tya" cause the central > vowel cannot be pronounced as an english "a" but as a french "a" that is > to say we have to pronounce al-fa-tya . > It would be interesting to know were this name come from (in real world > ethymology). > Alpha -> first letter of the Greek alphabet (='a') The rest is just a suffix meaning "named from". Probably the whole thing as to do with the CM1 explanation of Alphatia as Atlantis. BTW, we Italians pronounce Alphatia [�l'f�ti:�] (in phonetic transcription). -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles/index.htm ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 21:29:51 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Solmyr of the Azure Star Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel wrote: > > WHA..??? *cough*, *cough*, hrmph. Ahem. Well, I might I be so bold as to disagree with some of this. I would agree that Etienne is not evil, no, but I would *DEFINITELY* call him manipulating - before and during the war he manipulated the princes into the war as well as the Immortals, he defended the Radiance vehemently by *any* means necessary. Now, there is nothing wrong with defending your interests, but I would certainly call him manipulating - just not evil. > Well, he is manipulating, but not as manipulating as some other princes (i.e. Innocenti or Morphail). I see him more as a powerful archmage who holds his studies above all and cannot be bothered with "petty" issues of mortals (or Immortals). > Well, actually the very reason that the old 'evil' Alphatian wizards have been so quiet is a major reason why I think there'll be an Alphatian civil war - they are planning a coup-d'etat against Eriadna (floating continent) and Broderick (NACE) - so maybe they finally learned something from the Thyatians :) (shameless jab at any Thyatians on the list). > Well, I doubt something like this would happen. If it did, the plotters would be probably crushed quickly and efficiently, and everything would return "back to normal". Another problem I have (and one which I'm sure Porphyrogenitus knows very well about) is that everything good that happens to Alphatia almost always does so at the expense of Thyatis. I.e. the newly discovered good Alphatian qualities are really borrowed from Thyatis (and in some cases outright transferred so that Thyatians seemingly no longer possess them), any NACE land expansion invariably happens into Thyatian-controlled territories (while Thyatis gains little if anything, Minrothad for example - yea I know it was me who wrote it, but when you look at it it's really little consolation for the Empire's other losses; I'd have Karameikos re-establish closer ties to Thyatis as well, but that would probably make me the most wanted man on Earth). Anyway, just some more rants so that you don't think that Porphy is the only one here :) -- ****************** Aleksei Andrievski aka Solmyr, Archmage of the Azure Star solmyr@kolumbus.fi http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Fortress/2198/index.html ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 21:29:51 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Solmyr of the Azure Star Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel wrote: > > WHA..??? *cough*, *cough*, hrmph. Ahem. Well, I might I be so bold as to disagree with some of this. I would agree that Etienne is not evil, no, but I would *DEFINITELY* call him manipulating - before and during the war he manipulated the princes into the war as well as the Immortals, he defended the Radiance vehemently by *any* means necessary. Now, there is nothing wrong with defending your interests, but I would certainly call him manipulating - just not evil. > Well, he is manipulating, but not as manipulating as some other princes (i.e. Innocenti or Morphail). I see him more as a powerful archmage who holds his studies above all and cannot be bothered with "petty" issues of mortals (or Immortals). > Well, actually the very reason that the old 'evil' Alphatian wizards have been so quiet is a major reason why I think there'll be an Alphatian civil war - they are planning a coup-d'etat against Eriadna (floating continent) and Broderick (NACE) - so maybe they finally learned something from the Thyatians :) (shameless jab at any Thyatians on the list). > Well, I doubt something like this would happen. If it did, the plotters would be probably crushed quickly and efficiently, and everything would return "back to normal". Another problem I have (and one which I'm sure Porphyrogenitus knows very well about) is that everything good that happens to Alphatia almost always does so at the expense of Thyatis. I.e. the newly discovered good Alphatian qualities are really borrowed from Thyatis (and in some cases outright transferred so that Thyatians seemingly no longer possess them), any NACE land expansion invariably happens into Thyatian-controlled territories (while Thyatis gains little if anything, Minrothad for example - yea I know it was me who wrote it, but when you look at it it's really little consolation for the Empire's other losses; I'd have Karameikos re-establish closer ties to Thyatis as well, but that would probably make me the most wanted man on Earth). Anyway, just some more rants so that you don't think that Porphy is the only one here :) -- ****************** Aleksei Andrievski aka Solmyr, Archmage of the Azure Star solmyr@kolumbus.fi http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Fortress/2198/index.html FX-Mozilla-Status: 0009:10 2000 X-Mozilla-Status: 0801 X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 FCC: /C|/Ohjelmatiedostot/Netscape/Users/solmyr/mail/Sent Message-ID: <387CF351.DFBC4872@kolumbus.fi> Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 23:34:09 +0200 From: Solmyr of the Azure Star X-Mozilla-Draft-Info: internal/draft; vcard=0; receipt=0; uuencode=0; html=0; linewidth=0 X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.5 [en] (Win95; I) X-Accept-Language: en,ru,fi MIME-Version: 1.0 To: EBR Mailing List Subject: Ruling on summoned troops Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Okay, after reading people's responses, here's how summoned troops will work: 1.They are immediately available for defense and movement within friendly provinces. 2.They must wait until next turn to invade; but see below. 3.If they are summoned directly into an enemy province, they can be used for attack. They will fight any defensive troops in that province automatically (unless the defenders have orders to retreat). However, a Declare War action must be made for them to occupy holdings. -- ****************** Aleksei Andrievski aka Solmyr, Archmage of the Azure Star solmyr@kolumbus.fi http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Fortress/2198/index.html ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 17:39:34 -0500 Reply-To: au998@freenet.carleton.ca Sender: Mystara From: Geoff Gander Subject: Re: Site Update...and a sample item >Soul Children: Yuck! At least you didn't say something about how the dolls' clothing is made - ie: by druing the intestines of the victims, cutting and dyeing them, and then creating frilly dresses and whatnot... Incidentally, how long would it take to make such a doll (materials, incantations, etc...)? Very cool, Carl! Geoff -- Geoff Gander, BA 97 Cartographer/Game Designer/Government Peon Carnifex Loremaster au998@freenet.carleton.ca : www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/2091 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 17:46:40 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Steve Smith Subject: Mystara Pronunciation MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Forget about Alphatia for a moment. How do all of you pronounce the name of our favorite game world itself? Do you say "my-STA-ruh" (As in "Hey! That's My Stara! Go get your own!")... ...or maybe "miss-STA-ruh," or perhaps something totally different? I use Choice #2 myself.... ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 17:50:51 -0500 Reply-To: au998@freenet.carleton.ca Sender: Mystara From: Geoff Gander Subject: Re: Site Update...and a sample item Carl wrote: >Well, I can't speak for Geoff, but my spare room contains me, my computer and >stacks of floppy disks at the moment, which is scary enough, I'll grant you. >;-) (Hmmm...I'd imagine Geoff doesn't actually HAVE a spare room any more; >it's probably been turned into a portal to Akh'All's realm or a repository >for Outer Being lore...< 8-0 Damn! You figured it out!! Took me ages to get it right, what with the blasphemous and otherworldly dimensions and all (try fitting a five-dimensional structure into a three-dimensional room!), and the noises! If I hear one more neighbour complain about the spectral chittering at night....:-) At least the servitors help cover the rent through odd-jobs between sacrifices, so there's a nice cost savings there. It's amazing how desperate people are to find night-shift workers - just don't ask about who (or *what*) you employ. Now, maybe with the accumulated unthinkable lore of the Outer Beings, I might be able to do the impossible...comprehend economics!!! *gasps heard in the audience, as well as "Not even the unholy lore of Akh'All the Unmentionable can plumb the mysteries of National Income Accounting and Deficit Financing!"* :-) Geoff -- Geoff Gander, BA 97 Cartographer/Game Designer/Government Peon Carnifex Loremaster au998@freenet.carleton.ca : www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/2091 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 23:56:29 +0100 Reply-To: mystara@com.bi Sender: Mystara From: thibault sarlat Subject: Re: Pronunciation (was Hail the Heroes) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit agathokles wrote"Alpha -> first letter of the Greek alphabet (='a') The rest is just a suffix meaning "named from". Probably the whole thing as to do with the CM1 explanation of Alphatia as Atlantis. BTW, we Italians pronounce Alphatia [�l'f�ti:�] (in phonetic transcription)." I agree with you , we french pronounce it the same way as you do.It seem to me that the fellow who says it on the track (which i don't have) is a bad Etienne D'Ambreville .But i noticed in the mark of amber that what was funny in the tracks was the strange English accent the d'Ambreville had.It would have been wiser to take french people speaking English with a French accent than the opposite.... -- Thibault Sarlat ICQ 16622177. My other adress is tsarlat@etu.montaigne.u-bordeaux.fr Homepage http://www.mystara.com.bi Pour rejoindre la Mystara mailing liste francophone, rendez-vous sur ma page de garde en bas. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 17:58:53 -0500 Reply-To: au998@freenet.carleton.ca Sender: Mystara From: Geoff Gander Subject: Re: Mystara Pronunciation Demmero wrote: >Do you say "my-STA-ruh" (As in "Hey! That's My Stara! Go get your own!")... > >...or maybe "miss-STA-ruh," or perhaps something totally different? I pronounce it the second way. Geoff "I went from Thi-A-tis to Kare-uh-MY-kose, via MIN-ro-thad, but saw nothing of interest. So I decided to take the next stagecoach to Dar-O-kin instead." :-) -- Geoff Gander, BA 97 Cartographer/Game Designer/Government Peon Carnifex Loremaster au998@freenet.carleton.ca : www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/2091 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 00:00:50 +0100 Reply-To: mystara@com.bi Sender: Mystara From: thibault sarlat Subject: Re: Mystara Pronunciation MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit frenchies would also use "miss-ta-ra" with each "a" as the "a" of cat. It seem that would be dictated by the origin of the name "Mystara= land of mysteries", the suffix "a" being a latinism form to indicate a country (remember the first declinaison?). -- Thibault Sarlat ICQ 16622177. My other adress is tsarlat@etu.montaigne.u-bordeaux.fr Homepage http://www.mystara.com.bi Pour rejoindre la Mystara mailing liste francophone, rendez-vous sur ma page de garde en bas. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 15:12:22 -0800 Reply-To: Jenni Merrifield Sender: Mystara From: "Jenni A. M. Merrifield" Subject: Re: Mystara Pronunciation In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Wed, 12 Jan 2000, Steve Smith wrote: > Forget about Alphatia for a moment. How do all of you pronounce the name of > our favorite game world itself? > > Do you say "my-STA-ruh" (As in "Hey! That's My Stara! Go get your own!")... > > ...or maybe "miss-STA-ruh," or perhaps something totally different? > > I use Choice #2 myself.... That's close, but for me it's more like mi-STAR-ruh And how about these other Mystaran (mi-STAR-ran) countries: Thyatis: thai-AY-tis (for linguiphiles, the 'th' is 'voiceless') (for non-linguiphiles: it's 'soft' like 's', not 'hard' like 'z') Darokin: DARE-oh-kin Karameikos: kare-ah-MEE-kohs Alfheim: ALF-hai Glantri: GLAN-tree Atruaghin: ah-TRU-ah-gin (hard 'g' sound, not 'j') Jenni -- Jenni A. M. Merrifield | Designing to Requirements -=> strawberryJAMM <=- | And Walking on Water strawberry@jamm.com | Are Easy if Both http://www.jamm.com/jenni/ | Are Frozen ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 00:18:01 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.com:80) Subject: Re: Unavailable Official Products Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- On Wed, 12 Jan 2000 01:48:21 David Knott wrote: >In a message dated 2000-01-12 01:04:18 Eastern Standard Time, >stanles@ALPHALINK.COM.AU writes: > ><< let's say some time in the future TSR wants to re-release all the Mystaran > material on a CD or something. if the material is already out there then > nobody will buy the CD. >> > >Not "nobody" -- I bought the Dragon magazine archive even though I had >every issue from 40 through 250. Why? Because it is one heck of a lot >easier to search the CDs than a stack of magazines. Amen to that :) >There is some >value to convenience. Still, the possibility that WotC may someday want >to sell something related to Mystara is good reason for them to hold back >on uploading all of the available material. Of course, if they ever do change >their minds about it, I am sure they know that there would be no shortage >of volunteers to scan and upload the material. I'm not so sure that WOTC would lose anything by doing so. I suppose the question is: If WOTC released new, updated Mystara material for 3e, would people who already have the old gazetteers (and whatever) buy it? (I suppose a great deal of people on this list would fall into this category!) IMO the answer would clearly be YES!! I own some of the old stuff myself (though not enough!), but I would jump at the chance for updated stuff. Don't forget that the old gazetteer stuff would not be updated, so if people wanted to use it (especially in 3e) they would have to do a *LOT* of work updating it themselves - I don't see that WOTC stand to lose any money here! - Jens Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 18:24:12 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: redrobyne Subject: Re: Pronunciation (was Hail the Heroes) MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit I pronounce alphatia as al - fay -shuh . Stewart 3 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 00:25:14 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.com:80) Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- On Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:06:02 Caroletti wrote: >Oh, well, we haven't learnt well as you. We haven't destroyed Mystara, yet. Jealous? Jealous because *WE* hold vast powers that your puny empire cannot hope to match a fraction of? - Stalker >Iulius Sergius Scaevola >Captain of the XXth Cohort >Port Lucinius, Thyatis > >[I love In Character Discussions.] [Hey, surprise, surprise! So do I :) ] Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 18:42:45 -0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Paul Benfield Subject: Re: Unavailable Official Products MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Shawn Stanley wrote: > let's say some time in the future TSR wants to re-release all the Mystaran > material on a CD or something. if the material is already out there then > nobody will buy the CD. We can always hope can't we! Having a searchable electonic resource would really help me follow all that's going on on this list - so many references to NPCs I haven't heard off! Great list nonetheless - its very entertaining and I take hope from all this support for the original and best TSR setting ever! :) Paul Benfield paul.benfield@virgin.net > ******************************************************************** > The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp > Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp > To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM > with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 15:31:10 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Damon Brown Subject: Re: Mystara Pronunciation MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii --- "Jenni A. M. Merrifield" wrote: > > That's close, but for me it's more like > mi-STAR-ruh I'm with ya there, Jenni. > And how about these other Mystaran (mi-STAR-ran) > countries: I believe "official" pronunciations for all of these is in X1 along with the Known World map. Below are my "from memory" comments. Keep in mind that "official pronunciations" don't really mean much in the grand scheme of things... > Thyatis: thai-AY-tis > (for linguiphiles, the 'th' is 'voiceless') > (for non-linguiphiles: it's 'soft' like 's', not > 'hard' like 'z') I tend to pronounce with a short 'a' (as in cat). Can't remember how they have it in X1, however... > Darokin: DARE-oh-kin Dah-RO-keen (according to X1, IIRC) > Karameikos: kare-ah-MEE-kohs Kah-rah-MY-kohs > Alfheim: ALF-hai What about the "m"? > Glantri: GLAN-tree Yup. > Atruaghin: ah-TRU-ah-gin (hard 'g' sound, not 'j') You betcha. Like I said, just 'cuz we may or may not use the "official pronunciations" doesn't really mean we are "right" or "wrong". It's all subjective when you're speaking about your own campaign. auf wiedersehen, Damon ===== "He who laughs last... thinks slowest." __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 15:36:35 -0800 Reply-To: Jenni Merrifield Sender: Mystara From: "Jenni A. M. Merrifield" Subject: Re: Mystara Pronunciation In-Reply-To: <20000112233110.8926.qmail@web507.mail.yahoo.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Wed, 12 Jan 2000, Damon Brown wrote: > --- "Jenni A. M. Merrifield" wrote: > > Alfheim: ALF-hai > > What about the "m"? My bad. Dropped the 'm' by mistake. :-) Jenni -- Jenni A. M. Merrifield | Designing to Requirements -=> strawberryJAMM <=- | And Walking on Water strawberry@jamm.com | Are Easy if Both http://www.jamm.com/jenni/ | Are Frozen ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 00:40:32 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.com:80) Subject: Re: Och, but One More me Too Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- On Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:06:10 Caroletti wrote: (heavily snipped) >Thyatis is full of riots, economical problems and that like, while in Alphatia >everything goes well. And, logically thinking, even Alphatiaphiles should admit >that it would go even worse for a country that is completely cut off from other >countries, put in a new unknown world, or for the remnants of an Empire on the >Known World. But no, all goes fine, there. I didn't like Alphatians because of >their culture before the War, now I don't like Alphatia because it's >irrealistic and not logical to the way things develope in Mystara! I mean, it's >a RPG, but does it have to be stupid? I don't want to jab at the brave souls >who have developed Alphatia on the MA, their ideas are good, the only fact is >that a country's mindset can't change so quickly without problems, just look at >the 1700 in Europe. When the Aristocracy begun to sense the civil uprest, they >begun the 'enlightened monarchies', but that was not enough, and we ended up >having a French Revolution. I don't mean we must have an Alphatian revolution, >but maybe: >1) An attempt of assassination directed at Broderick or some other influential >man of the NACE, not at the hand of one of Norlan's men, but at the hand of a >killer payed by a group of Alphatian mages discontented of what is happening Possible, though I'd prefer the idea of an attempted coup-d'etat by the old-style aristocrats against Eriadna. Even if it failed (I hope it would), it would still reveal that not everybody in Alphatia is as fond of the new philosophies as it would have seemed - they merely bided their time until they could mount a resistance. >2) Two countries of the NACE have an argument with each other. The NACE resolvs >in favor of one of them, and the other replies retiring its representants from >the NACE, and declaring Indipendence This doesn't seem likely at the moment, but it would be rather interesting. Or how about if Blackheart, fed up with Eriadna's awful 'peach philosophies' decides to declare its independence on the floating continent? Big trouble lurking there, I think. >3) In Esterhold, many Alphatians, especially wizards, given the continual >unrest of the country, denounces the NACE, saying that everything went ok >before they meddled with their affairs and wanted to give the savage Jennites >rights, say that Broderick is a traitor and >a)leaves to form their own kingdom and city on one of the Alphatian Island or >north of Esterhold. >b)sends a delegation to complain officially to Eriadna This doesn't seem quite so unlikely, except that you would have to get rid of Favian Vern in some way first, as I don't see him turning his back on Broderick (or Haldemar) or the NACE (please don't kill him, though). > >What do you think about it? Good ideas - especially because they lend themselves well to interesting role-playing IMO. > >Iulius Sergius Scaevola >Captain of the XXth Cohort >Port Lucinius, Thyatis > Ahh, another Thyatian plot, eh :) - The Stalker Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 18:35:55 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jeremy Morris Subject: Re: Mystara Pronunciation MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit thibault sarlat wrote: > frenchies would also use "miss-ta-ra" with each "a" as the "a" of cat. > It seem that would be dictated by the origin of the name "Mystara= land > of mysteries", the suffix "a" being a latinism form to indicate a > country (remember the first declinaison?). Hmmm... "Land of Mysteries" sounds like the name of a hard-bound campaign book or a boxed set, kinda like Ravenloft's Domains of Dread. I never really thought about what the name Mystara meant before, but that makes sense. For the record, I've always pronounced it 'miss-ta-ra' as well, but how does everyone pronounce Karameikos? Jeremy ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 00:48:20 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.com:80) Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- On Wed, 12 Jan 2000 11:01:49 Gordon McCormick wrote: >On Tue, Jan 11, 2000 at 05:28:31PM -0600, James Ruhland wrote: >> > >> > On the other hand, everyone on mainland Alphatia *DID* die at the end of >> WotI >> > and were then resurrected by the Immortals, and since it's been suggested >> > that the Immortals wanted the Alphatians to 'police' Mystara, it might be >> possible >> > that they have altered their mindsets in some way. >> > >> That was always such horse [feces] though. I print out every message that I >> recieve with such a suggestion, and use it to clean up dog crap. 8-) >> I mean, the mind wobbles. The main people Mystara needs policing against is >> the Alphatians themselves. > >I think the idea was that they would police the Hollow World since >not only the Alphatians, but the Heldannic Knights and potentially >Thyatians, Minrothadders and Karameikans were on there way. With the >weakening of the Spell of Preservation and Clarasa's Travels the >secret of the HW was out and a resource rush could be expected. Who >better to keep out the Outer Worlders than the Alphatians? > >Anyway, that's what I think they were saying, I wouldn't at all >use that in my own campaign though - no transportation to the hollow >world for the alphatians IMC I'm afraid. I want the horror and suffering >of an entire continent on some PC's and some Immortals concience. If >everything goes back to niceness it kind of takes away the point. All >IMHO, IMC etc... Well, apart from your arguments (which are sound), there's another reason why I still don't understand why the Immortals would choose the Alphatians for this task (and, no James, it's not because it's the Alphatians that would require themselves to be 'policed' the most :) ). I don't understand it because if there is one nation in Mystara that shows lack of interest for the Immortals, it would be Alphatia IMO. Only Glantri (much smaller and fewer people) could rival them there - so why would the Immortals choose as 'policemen' the very nation that traditionally has paid the least respect to them?? Anyway, it doesn't matter because the idea was never really developed anyway (probably just as well). - Jens Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 18:59:35 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: redrobyne Subject: Re: Hail the Heroes MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit oh just a few other notes it can get really interesting when you have a player from oppossing churches/faith and the library is at the mages guild, which is more like a club since there headmaster died. Also a few of the npc's are very good for reaccuring roles, a bard (always good for telling everybody about the adventurers good and bad fortune), the werewolf inflicted npc (as I mentioned earlier) and a very competitive (but chivalrous) Order of the Griffon member (one minute hes your enemy the next he's a friend). The players can also get furnishings or money by taking all the tapestries. I also had a pc in a group I DMed who came back 6 or 7 levels later and re-opened the temple to the public (making her dispose of some much tougher baddies). ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 18:59:23 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jeremy Morris Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel wrote: > Well, apart from your arguments (which are sound), there's another > reason why I still don't understand why the Immortals would choose the > Alphatians for this task (and, no James, it's not because it's the > Alphatians that would require themselves to be 'policed' the most :) ). > I don't understand it because if there is one nation in Mystara that > shows lack of interest for the Immortals, it would be Alphatia IMO. > Only Glantri (much smaller and fewer people) could rival them there > - so why would the Immortals choose as 'policemen' the very nation > that traditionally has paid the least respect to them?? Anyway, it > doesn't matter because the idea was never really developed anyway > (probably just as well). Personally, I never really understood why the Immortals saved the Alphatians in the first place, other than they felt guilty about manipulating the Alphatians to their death. After all, enough Alphatian culture was left alive on the Outer World that the culture would be preserved, and their power in the Hollow World seems like it would be a big disruption on the natives. Hmmm... That could be the justification of the Immortals for making the Alphatians the Hollow World police. The Immortals of the Hollow World Council agreed to allow the Alphatians in IF their culture was altered in some way to prevent them from disrupting the balance of the Hollow World. Not a great justification I admit, but a justification nonetheless ;) Jeremy ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 18:12:39 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Re: Destruction of Old Alphata MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit .>> Actually, I mailed to the list something hinting about the malfunction of the Doomsday Weapon" in the "Baba Yaga story". If you want I can send it again.<< Sure. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 01:25:59 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.com:80) Subject: Re: Mystara Pronunciation Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- On Wed, 12 Jan 2000 17:46:40 Steve Smith wrote: >Forget about Alphatia for a moment. How do all of you pronounce the name of >our favorite game world itself? > >Do you say "my-STA-ruh" (As in "Hey! That's My Stara! Go get your own!")... > >...or maybe "miss-STA-ruh," or perhaps something totally different? > >I use Choice #2 myself.... I pretty much agree with you then, although I would more clearly pronounce the final 'a' making it "mis-TA-ra" or some such (can I do phonemes here? I hated learning it, but it *IS* very useful, though I hate to admit it). - Jens (whose name BTW is pronounced "YENS" (drop the 'd'-like sound of the 'j') in case anyone's interested (yeah, right!) ) :) Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 01:34:35 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.com:80) Subject: Re: Mystara Pronunciation Comments: To: Jenni Merrifield Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- On Wed, 12 Jan 2000 15:12:22 Jenni A. M. Merrifield wrote: >On Wed, 12 Jan 2000, Steve Smith wrote: >> Forget about Alphatia for a moment. How do all of you pronounce the name of >> our favorite game world itself? >> >> Do you say "my-STA-ruh" (As in "Hey! That's My Stara! Go get your own!")... >> >> ...or maybe "miss-STA-ruh," or perhaps something totally different? >> >> I use Choice #2 myself.... > > That's close, but for me it's more like mi-STAR-ruh > > And how about these other Mystaran (mi-STAR-ran) countries: > >Thyatis: thai-AY-tis >(for linguiphiles, the 'th' is 'voiceless') >(for non-linguiphiles: it's 'soft' like 's', not 'hard' like 'z') > >Darokin: DARE-oh-kin > >Karameikos: kare-ah-MEE-kohs > >Alfheim: ALF-hai > >Glantri: GLAN-tree > >Atruaghin: ah-TRU-ah-gin (hard 'g' sound, not 'j') Before this pronounciation thread gets out of hand, let me remind people that there *IS* a guide to how the various names are said at the end of the X1 - Isle of Dread adventure (the one that came with the old blue box expert OD&D rules). Neither the words 'Mystara' or 'Alphatia' were in it, though. It did change how I pronounce some of the nations (look in X1 if you want to see it). - Jens Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 09:07:29 +0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Alexander Osias Subject: Re: Site Update...and a sample item MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Well, to be honest... the substantial stuff is stuff that you snip and copy into a word file. Otherwise, there'd just be a dozen "good job, dude"'s on the list... ----- Original Message ----- From: Emperor Porphyrogenitus To: Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2000 2:37 AM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] Site Update...and a sample item : Mystara wrote: : >> - and to whet your appetites, here's a sample. Please let me know what you think - my last post didn't even make a ripple. Was it as awful as all that? :-( << : : If there's one thing I've learned is that people rarely reply to substantive posts (by "substantive" I mean descriptions of items, places, people, etc. that flesh out the game world). If you want to generate a response, lengthy diatribes and rants are the way to go - that's always good for at least two weeks of spirited discussion. 8-)~ : : Anyhow, glad to hear about the impending page update 8-). : : >> Soul Children: : ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 19:18:41 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Re: Feedback. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > Well, to be honest... the substantial stuff is stuff that you snip and copy > into a word file. Otherwise, there'd just be a dozen "good job, dude"'s on > the list... > Well, it doesn't have to be on the list. But I do think people like to hear what people think of their stuff, even if it is just "good job, dude." Otherwise it disapears into the void and with no feedback people get to wondering whether anyone noticed or even cared. But yah, folks can mail the author privately instead of to the whole list. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 20:03:02 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Aaron E Nowack Subject: A Question About the Mystara Mountrous Apendix MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hello there. Does the MA have an entry for devilfish? If so, could somebody send me it or summarize what it says? Thanks. Aaron Nowack "Never let reality get in the way of a good hypothesis." http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Dungeon/5930/ ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 20:36:56 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Almanac 1016: Update(?) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Well, everything was going pretty well. Too well. Then yesterday I was looking over something in preparation of making further diabolical and beatific plans, checking a list of which rulers had been naughty and which had been nice. And lo, I discovered something. About a half-dozen events somehow were accidentally omitted from the Almanac, and I never noticed. I blithely went forward under the assumption the events were taking place (because they'll have ramifications down the line), but when reviewing materiel prior to Herve' releasing the Almanac, editing for malapropisims and snafus (people who read my posts know there are many in my writing), but somehow never made the mental connection that events were missing. At any rate, now much chagrined, I e-mailed Herve' about it yesterday and the disapeared events might appear in an Almanac Update. But for those of you who have downloaded it already and want to just cut and paste into what you have, here they are. Hope you enjoy 'em. If you think they blow, blame me. Sviftmont 26, AC 1016: Decision for Anaxibius and Stefania. Location: Redstone Castle, Redstone, Thyatian Empire. SD Description: Delegates of the Countess of Kendach and the Baron of West Portage meet with Stefania and Anaxibius in Redstone Castle. They state that their lords are tired of the disorders that have wracked Thyatis in recent years, and are going to side with the rebels in hope of getting more autonomy. They ask the rulers of Redstone to join them in overthrowing Eusebius' administration on the Isle of Dawn. Stefania agrees to talk with Thrainkell Firestorm about the matter, and Redstone mobilizes its forces. (See Ei 9, Ei 19) What This Means: With the strange disorders in Thothia and recent NACE expansionism, Stefania is less keen on independence. After studying the terms of the Treaty of Helskir and the arrangement between Westrourke and Thyatis, she believes Redstone can get greater autonomy from Eusebius while still retaining Imperial support if war breaks out on the Island. She certainly doesn't want to join some Hattian-led revolt at this time. But Redstone doesn't want to stand alone, and if Firestorm decides to join the revolt, Stefania will go along. Eirmont 9, AC 1016: Stefania Meets with Firestorm. Location: Newkirk, Westrourke, Thyatian Empire. SD Description: Countess Stefania Torion meets with Thrainkell Firestorm to discuss his opinion of the Crown War in Thyatis. She finds Firestorm doesn't seem to be the bold man she knew. He says he's content with his status under Eusebius and has even considered sending re-enforcements to Thyatis City. With that she reveals the plans of Julia Kendach and Periandra Docerius. Firestorm and Stefania decide it might be wise to discuss the matter further with them, and send messengers to call a meeting in Redstone. What This Means: The Crown War is causing ripples throughout the Empire, and everyone is being forced to take sides. Firestorm's personality change is also evidencing itself again. He seems more content, not the ambitious man he once was. This puzzles those who know him, but most decide he is just more mature now. Eirmont 10, AC 1016: Rulers Consult Location: Bietung, Ochalea, Thyatian Empire. SD Description: Nurokidu Nuar of the Pearl Islands arrives in Beitung to discuss what action, if any, the island nations should take in reaction to the civil war in Thyatis. He expects Teng Lin-Dieu to urge caution at the least and withdrawal from the Empire again at the most. If Teng advises the latter Nurokidu is ready to propose a federation of some kind to replace the Thyatian presence throughout the Sea of Dawn. Teng surprises everyone when he declares that Ochalea will fully back Eusebius with all its strength, and that the Pearl Islands should do the same. After a short closed-door discussion, Nurokidu agrees. Both nations will dispatch forces to re-enforce the Emperor as soon as they are able. What This Means: While Nurokidu was travelling to Bietung, Teng Lin-Dieu prayed to Koryis for guidance. He received a series of dreams in response, filled with disturbing imagery. Twin lightning-bolts burying themselves into Thyatis, dividing the land. A black-clad figure cutting down humanity with a scythe. Blood, fire, and darkness filling the streets of Thyatis City, spreading outwards to cover first the Empire, then the lands beyond. Mystara a burned out cinder in an endless void of darkness. Koryis sent this imagery after piecing together strands of information and arriving at a disturbing conclusion. Though things aren't quite as apocalyptic as his apocryphal dreams portray, Koryis knows that if Heinrich wins there will be neither peace nor prosperity on Mystara, only strife and destruction. Thus an immortal of peace urges his followers to involve themselves in war. On his trip back to the Pearl Islands Nurokidu receives similar dreams from Korotiku. Dreams with different images, but the same message. Eirmont 19, AC 1016: Meeting in Redstone. Location: Redstone Castle, Redstone, Thyatian Empire. SD Description: Thyatian lords gather in Redstone to decide on what policy they should adopt towards the Empire and the War of the Crown. Julia Kendach and Periandra Docerius are surprised when Anaxibius suddenly orders his guards to arrest them. Both look to Thrainkell Firestorm for support, but he simply folds his arms. The rebel lords are dragged off to cells, shouting invective and complaining of their betrayal. Meanwhile joint forces of Westrourke and Redstone march to West Portage and Kendach, quickly assuming control of both regions. There is little resistance, as the garrisons of both domains believe they are welcoming allies. What This Means: For now those loyal to Eusebius remain in control on the Isle of Dawn. Anaxibius and Stefania announce their intention to lead a force to Thyatis City, to join her brother in fighting the rebels. Firestorm will assume control of the situation on the Isle of Dawn in the meantime. Ironically, this puts him in the position of dominance he always dreamed of attaining. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 20:43:19 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Caucus Time! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Just a reminder that I'm conducting a little informal-formal vote on the following question: As those of you who have read the 1016 Mystaran Almanac (aka "Net Almanac") know, the year ends with Thyatis in a civil war. I've decided to allow the readers to determine who should win. Vote for either Eusebius' faction or Oesterhaus' to win the War of the Crown Rebellion. One vote per list member. Send any and all votes directly to me, not to the list as a whole (votes improperly cast by spaming the list will be discarded as invalid - though if you do that by accident you can still vote by re-submiting the "balot" to my addy). Only actual "votes" submited via e-mail will be counted, not ruminations expressed over ICQ, so if you want your vote counted, e-mail it to me (Rob: That means you). Several people have voted already (no multiple voting, btw), but so far fewer than 10% of the list has voted - so if you're the kind of person who decrys low voter turnout, well - now's the time to do something about it. Vote. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 20:52:54 -0800 Reply-To: ironwolf@ewa.net Sender: Mystara From: IronWolf Subject: Another map... MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=x-user-defined Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Greetings. Well, today, instead of doing something productive and meaningful like cleaning up my desk or working on my campaign for Friday, I drew another map. (Anyone else have days like these?) I must be getting faster, it only took me about five hours to get this one done. The map is from the Eastern Gulf of Hule, the outer eastern edge of the Savage Coast, where the Traladaran city-states reside. The original was in the Voyage of the Princess Ark series, but it was badly colored, and didn't look very good. (It looks like the printer made a mistake when choosing color filters for mountains.) I think mine looks pretty snappy, actually. About the only trouble I've had thus far is with political borders and labels. I've yet to find a border that looks good and doesn't clash or seem out of place, the original reds just don't look very good on screen for some reason. The labels are a thornier issue, the fact is that despite the fairly high resolution per hex, the whole map is still too small, pixel for pixel, to do easy labeling. Plus, labels tend to clutter up, something I've heard from a few of you about concerning my last map. (i.e. don't put them on.) My brother suggested using numbers and a map key instead, which seems a compromise, but better than nothing. Any comments? Anyway, here's the link. Yes, I am planning to make a website so they're easily accessible! It's down there on my list of things to do... somewhere... http://users.ewa.net/ironwolf/egh.jpg IronWolf (I stopped saying it for a bit because I thought people were getting a little creeped out.) "It's Specularum, damn it!" ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 21:08:11 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Damon Brown Subject: Re: Another map... MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Ummm... so what's the scale? Oh yeah - nice map, dude! -Damon ===== "He who laughs last... thinks slowest." __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 21:12:38 -0800 Reply-To: ironwolf@ewa.net Sender: Mystara From: IronWolf Subject: Re: Another map... MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=x-user-defined Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Whoops, I did forget to put that on there, didn't I? 8 miles a hex. Probably would be on a key, if I go that route. IronWolf Damon Brown wrote: > > Ummm... so what's the scale? > > Oh yeah - nice map, dude! > > -Damon > > ===== > "He who laughs last... thinks slowest." > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. > http://im.yahoo.com > > ******************************************************************** > The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp > Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp > To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM > with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 10:14:02 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: Re: Unavailable Official Products MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Well, my point was this: now that we are recognized by TSR/WotC/Hasbro, what the hell does it cost us to try and ask? If they don't want to publish the adventures, they should at least let us free access to Gazetteers, and Geographical/Political Modules (X4,X5,X10), because they could help us develope Mystara. Or at least, let us update on Shawn's site all the informations from them, I mean history, politics and geography, so we can make use, even without the original art, and let us describe the figures from the Gaz's etc. In the worst case, Jim Butler will tell us: 'Forget it'. But we should at least ask them. Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 10:13:28 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: New Site: Nightmare Dim & Outer Beings MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit "soon the stars will be right, and they will be able to pass through the Dark Portal and haunt not just our darker dreams, but also our bodies and souls...Hail to the Lord of the Worm that Gnaws! I�! I�!" After a month of working, finally I got Geoff Gander's approval to make this announcement: the Outer Beings and Fifth Dimension Web Site is now available to the Mystarans who would dare to get in. Not all the links are perfect, and there's a lot to do, but be sure that me, Andrew Theisen and Geoff Gander will try to do our best...I mean, worst, to be more effective in the body and mind disruption a clever Servant always is joyful to do. Particularly of attention should be the reading of the Introductory and Structure Files, but there are also available four monsters, although they were already developed by Geoff and available at Shawn's. Last thing, I'll tell you about updates, and if anyone has interesting ideas feel free to mail me personally. The address is: www.geocities.com/Area51/Neptune/3107/ (Hmmm, I have problems to create a link on the Mail. Maybe you should type all the address). Giulio N. Caroletti aka Iulius Sergius Scaevola ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 10:14:15 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel ha scritto: > -- > > On Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:06:02 Caroletti wrote: > > >Oh, well, we haven't learnt well as you. We haven't destroyed Mystara, yet. > > Jealous? > > Jealous because *WE* hold vast powers that your puny empire cannot hope to match a fraction of? Stalker Oh, I forgot: we have also not been sunk through the sea to a stupid Zoo of should-be-dead cultures. Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 20:14:22 +1100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: shawn stanley Subject: Re: Unavailable Official Products Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 10:14 13/01/00 +0100, you wrote: >Well, my point was this: now that we are recognized by TSR/WotC/Hasbro, what the hell does it cost us to try and ask? If they don't want to publish the adventures, they should at least let us free access to Gazetteers, and Geographical/Political Modules (X4,X5,X10), because they could help us develope Mystara. Or at least, let us update on Shawn's site all the informations from them, I mean history, politics and geography, so we can make use, even without the original art, and let us describe the figures from the Gaz's etc. In the worst case, Jim Butler will tell us: 'Forget it'. But we should at least ask them. He already suggested to me that we forget it. shawn stanley http://dnd.starflung.com what have you done for me lately ... more to the point what have i done for me - mightyfew, "i can't wait" ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 20:22:24 +1100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: shawn stanley Subject: Re: Unavailable Official Products Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >><< let's say some time in the future TSR wants to re-release all the Mystaran >> material on a CD or something. if the material is already out there then >> nobody will buy the CD. >> >> >>Not "nobody" -- I bought the Dragon magazine archive even though I had >>every issue from 40 through 250. Why? Because it is one heck of a lot >>easier to search the CDs than a stack of magazines. > >Amen to that :) funny that, I'm reading the paper copies more since buying the CD. shawn stanley http://dnd.starflung.com what have you done for me lately ... more to the point what have i done for me - mightyfew, "i can't wait" ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 18:12:17 +0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "Francisco V. Navarro" Subject: Re: Mystara Pronunciation MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > "I went from Thi-A-tis to Kare-uh-MY-kose, via MIN-ro-thad, but saw > nothing > > of interest. So I decided to take the next stagecoach to Dar-O-kin > instead." :-) > > > > Geoff Gander, BA 97 > > Cartographer/Game Designer/Government Peon > > Carnifex Loremaster > > au998@freenet.carleton.ca : www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/2091 > Well, here are some differences: Karameikos: Kah-rah-MEH-yi-kos Darokin: DAH-ro-kin. I guess cuz they got the name from their coins, the daro (DAH-ro). Ylaruam: eeh-LAH-ru-AM. I always wondered about Ierendi (To me it's EE-yeh-REN-di.) and Ethengar (EH-theng-gar). Kit Navarro fanavarro@pacific.net.ph ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 11:09:45 +0100 Reply-To: tsarlat@picasso.etu.montaigne.u-bordeaux.fr Sender: Mystara From: thibault sarlat Subject: about my maps MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > It seems that a lot of people on this list is annoyed by my ping format maps.So i think i would have to go back to the old good gif format (bigger but better shared). i would need some time to replace the ping by the gif but this would be done by the end of the month. any comments? -- Thibault Sarlat. ICQ 16622177. homepage http://www.mystara.com.bi Join me at: mystara@com.bi or at tsarlat@etu.montaigne.u-bordeaux.fr ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 02:21:56 -0800 Reply-To: ironwolf@ewa.net Sender: Mystara From: IronWolf Subject: My Mystara (prototype) Site is now up MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=x-user-defined Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Okay, I burned a few hours this evening preparing this site. At the moment it's not got much on it beyond the maps I created, a skeleton as it were, but I'll be working on filling it in. (I should also add I have a slight non-Mystara reason to put a site up, numerous inquiries for employment with mention of HTML experience typically demand examples.) Yes, the site is SUPPOSED to look like I'm color-blind. :) I sort of like dark motiff with little color distracting the eye. Please, feel free to let me know what you think. I'll register it on the Mystara ring as soon as I got it at a relatively 'complete' state. The URL is: http://users.ewa.net/ironwolf/ IronWolf "It's Specularum, damn it!" ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 18:26:50 +0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "Francisco V. Navarro" Subject: Re: A Question About the Mystara Mountrous Apendix MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ----- Original Message ----- From: Aaron E Nowack To: Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2000 10:03 AM Subject: [MYSTARA] A Question About the Mystara Mountrous Apendix > Does the MA have an entry for devilfish? If so, could somebody send me > it or summarize what it says? Yes, I have the Mystra Monstrous Appendix and I will generously type up the entire, full-length referrence on the devilfish. Mystara Monstrous Compendium Appendix, p. 7 Introduction Other Monsters of Mystara and I quote: [*ahem*ahem* throat-clearing sound] "Devilfish: [This is in boldface, by the way!] [Dramatic pause] This is the Mystaran name for the ixitxachitl. [That last word was in italics.]" [Fini] [Raise the hand overhead in a flurry, bend at the waist in a deep bow... waiting for the applause] [Still waiting...] Kit Navarro fanavarro@pacific.net.ph Graduate of the Glantrian School of Dramatics and Flair "What?! You think these Glantrians are born pretentious with histrionics and affectations?! They had to learn that from some school as well!" ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 10:55:58 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Gordon McCormick Subject: Re: Mystara Pronunciation Comments: To: Jenni Merrifield In-Reply-To: ; from jamm@jamm.com on Wed, Jan 12, 2000 at 03:12:22PM -0800 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii On Wed, Jan 12, 2000 at 03:12:22PM -0800, Jenni A. M. Merrifield wrote: > On Wed, 12 Jan 2000, Steve Smith wrote: > That's close, but for me it's more like mi-STAR-ruh mi-STA-Rah > And how about these other Mystaran (mi-STAR-ran) countries: > > Thyatis: thai-AY-tis Thai-AH-tis > Darokin: DARE-oh-kin Dah-RAW-Kin > Karameikos: kare-ah-MEE-kohs Kah-Rah-Mee-Kohs > Alfheim: ALF-hai ALF-Hime (ryhmes with mime) Of course what with everyone on the list having different accents, they're all going to sound wierd anyway :) gordon ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 08:17:16 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Ed Paynter Subject: Re: about my maps MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Any format is fine for me. I still think smaller size is better of course, but being able to share it with the greatest number of users is also important. An interesting side note, appearently the .gif compression algorithm is patented (or some such ) but I don't recall by which company. So anyone using GIFs without license is in violation of patent laws. The company has said, so I am told, that any internet sites that earn $5,000 / year or more will (or may) be investigated. Just an FYI for all. I plan to convert most of my GIFs to jpg, etc, even though the comany is not interested in personal pages and free sites. Ed Paynter epaynter@iupui.edu > It seems that a lot of people on this list is annoyed by my ping format > maps.So i think i would have to go back to the old good gif format (bigger > but better shared). > i would need some time to replace the ping by the gif but this would be done > by the end of the month. > any comments? > > -- > Thibault Sarlat. > ICQ 16622177. > homepage http://www.mystara.com.bi > Join me at: mystara@com.bi or at > tsarlat@etu.montaigne.u-bordeaux.fr ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 14:37:44 +0100 Reply-To: tsarlat@picasso.etu.montaigne.u-bordeaux.fr Sender: Mystara From: thibault sarlat Subject: Re: about my maps MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit i don't make money out of my poor site .So i have nothing to worry about compuserve. I prefer gifs over jpeg because gif is closer to the maps color depth i use when i draw the maps with grid cartography.So once converted from BMP they are best viewed (and smaller) if converted to gif (or to ping). Ed Paynter a �crit : > Any format is fine for me. I still think smaller size is better of course, > but > being able to share it with the greatest number of users is also important. > > An interesting side note, appearently the .gif compression algorithm is > patented (or some such ) but I don't recall by which company. So anyone > using GIFs without license is in violation of patent laws. The company has > said, so I am told, that any internet sites that earn $5,000 / year or more > will (or may) be investigated. Just an FYI for all. I plan to convert most > of > my GIFs to jpg, etc, even though the comany is not interested in personal > pages and free sites. > > Ed Paynter > epaynter@iupui.edu > > > It seems that a lot of people on this list is annoyed by my ping format > > maps.So i think i would have to go back to the old good gif format (bigger > > but better shared). > > i would need some time to replace the ping by the gif but this would be > done > > by the end of the month. > > any comments? > > > > -- > > Thibault Sarlat. > > ICQ 16622177. > > homepage http://www.mystara.com.bi > > Join me at: mystara@com.bi or at > > tsarlat@etu.montaigne.u-bordeaux.fr > > ******************************************************************** > The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp > Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp > To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM > with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. -- Thibault Sarlat. ICQ 16622177. homepage http://www.mystara.com.bi Join me at: mystara@com.bi or at tsarlat@etu.montaigne.u-bordeaux.fr ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 10:06:19 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Master's Pawn Subject: Re: Mystara Pronunciation MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit 6> > > Atruaghin: ah-TRU-ah-gin (hard 'g' sound, not 'j') Always liked "ah-tru-AH-gin" with a light stress on the first beat and primary on the third. Like Alabama. This turns the Phrase : The Atruaghin Clans into a nice iambic triameter. But that's just the actor in me. > Like I said, just 'cuz we may or may not use the > "official pronunciations" doesn't really mean we are > "right" or "wrong". It's all subjective when you're > speaking about your own campaign. Amen > ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 13:37:20 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Carl Quaif Subject: Re: Site Update...and a sample item MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 13/01/00 01:08:12 GMT Standard Time, aosias@I-MANILA.COM.PH writes: > Well, to be honest... the substantial stuff is stuff that you snip and copy > into a word file. Otherwise, there'd just be a dozen "good job, dude"'s on > the list... Good point; and I'm as guilty of that as anyone (for instance, who else zips off to Stan's site the moment he announces an update, copies the new stuff to HD, and reads it off-line at their leisure?). Mind you, the occasional "good job, dud" is ALWAYS appreciated...;-) Carl Q. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 13:37:24 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Carl Quaif Subject: Re: Site Update...and a sample item MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 12/01/00 19:42:26 GMT Standard Time, jruhlconob@SPRYNET.COM writes: > jruhlconob@SPRYNET.COM writes: > >I'm more your "peace and love" type. ;-) > > > Yes; I noticed that straight off when I read the "Soul Children" 8-) Hey, even "peace and love" can have an off-day...;-)) > For some reason every time someone mentions "peace and love" (no, I *don't* > reach for my revolver), I think of the last episode of "The Prisoner," the > one with the Beatles' "All You Need is Love" playing in the backround while > they machinegun down the various dudes at "The Village." 8-) I remember. Chilling. Tell me, someone (off-topic); what exactly was that series all about?? > > - don't you mean "snipped"? Or is this rant-material? ;-) > > > That's just my usual spelling errors 8-) Ah, good-oh. ;-)) Carl Q. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 15:04:40 -0500 Reply-To: au998@freenet.carleton.ca Sender: Mystara From: Geoff Gander Subject: Re: Mystara Pronunciation Kit wrote: >Karameikos: Kah-rah-MEH-yi-kos Now that's an interesting one! I've heard Kah-rah-MEE-kose before, and Kah-rah-MAY-kose.... >Darokin: DAH-ro-kin. I guess cuz they got the name from their coins, the >daro (DAH-ro). That would make sense, too. But I still can't help but say it to rhyme with "da rockin'" >Ylaruam: eeh-LAH-ru-AM. Cool! Or you could say, "IL-lar-um". :-) >I always wondered about Ierendi (To me it's EE-yeh-REN-di.) and Ethengar >(EH-theng-gar). For some reason I always used to say "EYE-ren-dee", but then I looked at X1, and lo and behold, it appears to be "EER-en-dee". Now what I want to know is how one pronounces Eusdria? YOOS-dree-uh? AYOOS-dree-uh? OIS-dreh-uh? *baffled* Geoff -- Geoff Gander, BA 97 Cartographer/Game Designer/Government Peon Carnifex Loremaster au998@freenet.carleton.ca : www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/2091 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 07:26:29 +1100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: shawn stanley Subject: Re: Mystara Pronunciation Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > Well, here are some differences: >Karameikos: Kah-rah-MEH-yi-kos >Darokin: DAH-ro-kin. I guess cuz they got the name from their coins, the >daro (DAH-ro). >Ylaruam: eeh-LAH-ru-AM. >I always wondered about Ierendi (To me it's EE-yeh-REN-di.) and Ethengar >(EH-theng-gar). i'll join in this fun as well with an option I haven't seen mentioned yet Glantri: guh-lan-tree shawn stanley http://dnd.starflung.com what have you done for me lately ... more to the point what have i done for me - mightyfew, "i can't wait" ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:59:33 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: Site Update MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Well, just two days passed, but I put on the site another article of Geoff, and new links are now availabe for monsters. Soon we'll have new stuff, not the one that were already on Shawn's. Check the Nightmare Project Site at www.geocities.com/Area51/Neptune/3107 Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius,Thyatis ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 23:54:11 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.com:80) Subject: Re: Unavailable Official Products Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- On Thu, 13 Jan 2000 10:14:02 Caroletti wrote: >Well, my point was this: now that we are recognized by TSR/WotC/Hasbro, what the hell does it cost us to try and ask? If they don't want to publish the adventures, they should at least let us free access to Gazetteers, and Geographical/Political Modules (X4,X5,X10), because they could help us develope Mystara. Or at least, let us update on Shawn's site all the informations from them, I mean history, politics and geography, so we can make use, even without the original art, and let us describe the figures from the Gaz's etc. In the worst case, Jim Butler will tell us: 'Forget it'. But we should at least ask them. > >Iulius Sergius Scaevola >Captain of the XXth Cohort >Port Lucinius, Thyatis > Seeing as how representatives of the mighty empires of Alphatia (me) and Thyatis ('Iulius') actually agree for once (will wonders never cease ??) on this point, I fail to see how the rest of the feeble nations of Mystara could possibly resist, if nothing else, to at least ask the powers that be at WOTC. :) - The Stalker of Alphatia Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 00:00:34 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.com:80) Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- On Thu, 13 Jan 2000 10:14:15 Caroletti wrote: >Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel ha scritto: > >> -- >> >> On Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:06:02 Caroletti wrote: >> >> >Oh, well, we haven't learnt well as you. We haven't destroyed Mystara, yet. >> >> Jealous? >> >> Jealous because *WE* hold vast powers that your puny empire cannot hope to match a fraction of? > >Stalker > >Oh, I forgot: we have also not been sunk through the sea to a stupid Zoo of >should-be-dead cultures. > >Iulius Sergius Scaevola >Captain of the XXth Cohort >Port Lucinius, Thyatis Ah, my most-worthy adversary (as if) - that is not a denial !!! 'Qui tacet consentire videtur' as I believe you would say. May I take your silence as to my question as an admission that you *ARE* jealous ?? Naturally as a member of a now reformed and benevolent empire, it truly saddens me to see that Thyatians would envy us such wanton destruction... alas!! :) - The Stalker of Alphatia (*Boy*, am I gonna get it from Emperor Porphyreginitus (or whatever) now....!!!) Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 01:13:44 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.com:80) Subject: Re: Site Update...and a sample item Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- On Thu, 13 Jan 2000 13:37:20 Carl Quaif wrote: (snip) >Mind you, the occasional "good >job, dud" is ALWAYS appreciated...;-) Ah, but as an Alphatian, I know why no-one commented on your 'Vorbiant's Rings' post: It was because us Alphatian wizards cast Programmed Amnesia at everyone on this list, except that it didn't work on you, as you were the one who posted it. Why did we do this?? Because we don't want you to reveal all of our arcane secrets to the general population (even including Thyatians - Yuck!). Vorbiant's Rings are some of the more powerful and inventive creations of the arcane Alphatians (especially the Ring of Arctic Fire, the Corps Ring, and Vorbiant's Ring), and we don't feel like sharing our secrets with everybody. Still, since you brought it up, the spell is now broken, and I might as well set you straight and let you tremble before the might of Alphatia before we cast the spell again and make everybody forget again... So when nobody comments in the future, you now know why, and you also know not to ask :) (is that comment and praise, enough ?) The Soul Children, however, are NOT of Alphatian origin (yuck!) and I may thus comment on them (we would never dirty our skilled hands such). Though I wouldn't call them particularly dangerous they will cause fear with those who realize what they are (have you considered using Ravenloft/3e's Horror check for them?), as they are of a truly nasty and gruesome origin (are you *sure* they belong here and not in Call of Cthulhu :) - actually they might fit well with the whole Outer Beings idea). - The Stalker Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 08:47:55 +0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "Francisco V. Navarro" Subject: Re: Mystara Pronunciation MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Shawn enunciated: > i'll join in this fun as well with an option I haven't seen mentioned yet > > Glantri: guh-lan-tree I'm sure this name has tons of variation, if only for the accents and dialects within the Principalities. Guh-lan-tree is how some people pronounce it in the MoA and GKoM CDs. The Sylaire make it more nasal: Guh-lohn-tree The Ethengars probably make the a more open, like 'man' or 'plan: GLAN-tree Kit Department of Lignuistics Great School of Magic in Guhlohntree ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 20:45:51 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Master's Pawn Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 01/12/2000 6:48:45 PM Eastern Standard Time, alphatian@ANGELFIRE.COM writes: << so why would the Immortals choose as 'policemen' the very nation that traditionally has paid the least respect to them?? >> While not the theocracy that some other KW nations are, they do have a large number of spellcasting clerics in their society, all of whom are dependant on their Immortal's good graces for power, so they would have a vested interest in doing the Immortal's will, as would their "flocks." Remember that Alphatians honor magic, all magic, and would have found practical and institutional applications for clerical spellcasting throughout the empire, which means as a whole, the Immortals must be kept happy. Meandering here . . . just Alphatia is not a bigger and less well documented Glantri. BoBoII ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 20:28:59 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: City Map Scales. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > Alphatians honor magic, all magic, and would have found practical and > institutional applications for clerical spellcasting throughout the empire, > which means as a whole, the Immortals must be kept happy. > And here I thought they were chosen because they were self-evidently more virtuous and deserving than anyone else. (Anyhow, isn't it the Alphatians who must be kept happy?) 8-)~ In any case, that's not why I'm posting. One of my buggaboos (again, I have several: exaustive list to follow) was and is the scale of the city maps in DotE (both Sundsvall & Thyatis City) - at 1"=1,000', the cities are far too small. Bruce gave one answer to this question in one of the VotPa "letters" collumns in TD (forget the issue) - that the maps just represent the city's "core". However, that was unsatisfying to me. I had this map (URL to follow), but until now I hadn't been able to get it scanned & uploaded (ok, I hadn't tried exceptionally hard to get it scanned, what with having other priorities). I think it demonstrates decisively while the city scales for Sundsvall & Thyatis City should be retroactively altered from 1"=1,000' to 1"=1,000 yds. The marked areas represent, respectively, the size of the Villia Oesteropolis & the Colloseum from DDA 1 & 2, to scale. In red is the area they'd occupy at the 1"=1,000' scale. In blue is the area they'd occupy at 1"=1000 yds scale (the Villia Oesteropolis is superimposed over the Emperor's Hill region for purpose of comparison, rather than in the Estates region). Note that even at 1"=1,000 yds they seem a bit largish (the Colloseum doesn't really quite fit into the area it is supposed to - but still a vast improvement on the 1"=1,000' scale where it flows out over everything in sight). Anyhow, the URL for that map is: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/7211/Thyatis/Images/ThyScale.gif (Note: the quality of the map is somewhat deliberately bad because I know TSR doesn't want people scanning & uploading published maps, so this one is so wrechedly copied to guarantee no one would want to use it for gaming, in the hopes that they won't object to its existance). Their aren't similar structures to compair on the Sundsvall map, though one could just as easily superimpose the Villia Oesteropolis & Colloseum of Thyatis City over that and see that a scale change is equally valid for Sundsvall. Anyhow, Based upon this I do hereby sieze authority in a naked power grab and, as a benign (and temporary) dictator, do hearby declare and proclaim the City Scales for Sundsvall & Thyatis City altered to 1"=1,000 yds, as "canon". All hear and heed this proclamation. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:02:59 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Thyatis City: Images. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Some folks have asked what the Great Palace in my most recent Thyatis City descriptions looked like, or if I had a map, and whatnot. Well, I did have images, and a rough map (of the grounds; I don't have a detailed interior map) - but I didn't have them scanned & uploaded. (Before anyone asks: I drew the crude maps. I did NOT draw the views/pictures. The views/pictures were photocopied out of a book called "La Civilasation Byzantine". The maps are based on a similar map in that book.). Well, now I do. There are several images, here are the links: Large view of the Great Palace & Augustium Forum: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/7211/Thyatis/Images/GPalExtens.gif Smaller view of the Great Palace & Augustium Forum: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/7211/Thyatis/Images/GPalView.jpg Colored map of the Great Palace & Augustium Forum: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/7211/Thyatis/Images/PalColMap.gif Plain map of the Great Palace & AUgustium Forum: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/7211/Thyatis/Images/PalMap.gif Anyhow, they should help give you some idea what the stuff in my descriptions were intended to look like. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 21:09:25 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Re: Thyatis City: Images. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > map) - but I didn't have them scanned & uploaded. (Before anyone asks: I > drew the crude maps. I did NOT draw the views/pictures. The views/pictures > were photocopied out of a book called "La Civilasation Byzantine". The maps > are based on a similar map in that book.). > Oh, btw, just to pre-empt possible criticism of me for doing that: it's part of the long and honorable tradition of stealing maps from real life places. For example, the Palace map in TSR's "City of Delights" (Al-Qadim) is stolen from the same city I stole mine from, but at a later date; I have a photocopy of the original (IRL) palace, and it is effectively identical to the Caliph's Palace in Huzuz. So there 8-)~ ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 19:34:38 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Dave Keyser Subject: Re: City Map Scales. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit James Ruhland wrote: > > > Anyhow, Based upon this I do hereby sieze authority in a naked power grab > and, as a > benign (and temporary) dictator, do hearby declare and proclaim the City > Scales for > Sundsvall & Thyatis City altered to 1"=1,000 yds, as "canon". All hear and > heed this > proclamation. And if anyone sayeth that the scale should be any other, let him be anathema. I have a question though, how many people can fit inside the Colloseum? DOTE says 50,000, but the maps and scale in DDA1 suggest something closer to 500,000. Dave Keyser ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 22:03:19 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Re: City Map Scales. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > I have a question though, how many people can fit inside the Colloseum? > > DOTE says 50,000, but the maps and scale in DDA1 suggest something closer > to 500,000. > Oh, I doubt 500,000. I'd guess somewhere between 80,000 - 120,000, same as your larger IRL sporting arenas. Of course, it looks a lot like Lambeau Field with a bit of Soldier Field thrown in when I'm imagining it (that collumned structure at Soldier Field being very appropriate). But then I'm a NFC Central fan 8-) (well, Packer fan. Don't like those Bears. Not like they're as bad as Alphatians, mind you). But yes; probably 80-120 thousand folks. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 00:39:57 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Magister Mystaros Subject: Re: City Map Scales. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 00-01-13 21:35:01 EST, jruhlconob@SPRYNET.COM writes: << Anyhow, Based upon this I do hereby sieze authority in a naked power grab and, as a benign (and temporary) dictator, do hearby declare and proclaim the City Scales for Sundsvall & Thyatis City altered to 1"=1,000 yds, as "canon". All hear and heed this proclamation. >> Huzzah! Storm the Hasbro Castle! Wahoo! Down with the Keepers of the Canon! :) Hmmm... maybe we should ALSO look at the Colosseum as presented in DDA1 versus the RW Colosseum for comparisons. The RW Colosseum in Rome has the following dimensions: 205 yards long and 170 yards wide. The Colosseum of Thyatis in DDA1 is 491 yards long by 333 1/3 yards wide (59 by 40 squares at 25 feet per square). I'd say that that itself might be a mistake. Rescale that to 15 feet per square (the scale of the basement and of the Villa maps) and you have dimensions of 295 yards long by 200 yards wide, which would make it just slightly larger than the RW Colosseum. When you compare it to the Upper Basement map that also makes sense; it fits together just right. Changing the size of the Colosseum 3/5 the "Canon" size) would make it fit in the area defined by the three streets it now flows over JUST perfectly at the 1000 yards per inch scale... Mystaros ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 23:45:03 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Re: City Map Scales. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > Changing the size of the Colosseum 3/5 the "Canon" size) would make it fit in > the area defined by the three streets it now flows over JUST perfectly at the > 1000 yards per inch scale... > Good point. In fact, they probably just mislabled the "20' per square" when they meant "15' per square". Lets go with your scale. I'm noting it in my DDA1 map now. 8-) ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 23:46:19 -0600 Reply-To: jruhlconob@sprynet.com Sender: Mystara From: James Ruhland Subject: Re: City Map Scales. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > > Good point. In fact, they probably just mislabled the "20' per square" when > they meant "15' per square". Lets go with your scale. I'm noting it in my > DDA1 map now. 8-) > Oop, that was a typo in mine, which shows how easy these things can happen: they had it marked as 25' per square, not 20' as I wrote. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 00:48:54 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Magister Mystaros Subject: Re: City Map Scales. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 00-01-13 22:25:46 EST, dave@PALMCHIP.COM writes: << I have a question though, how many people can fit inside the Colloseum? DOTE says 50,000, but the maps and scale in DDA1 suggest something closer to 500,000. Dave Keyser >> Well, if you go with the rescaled Colosseum as I suggested above then I would say it could fit 50,000 like the RW Colosseum, or, since it is a little larger (1.7x square footage larger, mostly in arena area, probably for bigger monsters), perhaps 60,000 to 75,000. If you go with the Colosseum as depicted in DDA1 (~4.7 times the square footage of the RW Colosseum), though, it could probably fit at least 200,000 easily, up to perhaps 250,000! Mystaros ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 01:00:34 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Magister Mystaros Subject: Re: City Map Scales. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 00-01-14 00:49:39 EST, Mystaros@AOL.COM writes: << 1.7x square footage larger, mostly in arena area, probably for bigger monsters) >> Hmmm... just measured the size of arena in the Thyatian Colosseum (at 15 feet per square); it measures 200 yards long and 120 yards wide, versus 94 yards long and 59 yards wide for the RW Roman Colosseum! I really am beginning to think that this was based on a MODERN stadium, not a classical coliseum... thus, perhaps the 50,000 figure should stand due to the extremely large percent of space that the arena take up! Mystaros ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 00:47:02 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Ron Rogers Subject: Re: Mystara Pronunciation In-Reply-To: Steve Smith 's message of Wed, 12 Jan 2000 17:46:40 EST Content-Type: Text/Plain; Charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7Bit MIME-Version: 1.0 (WebTV) Here is how I pronounce some Mystara associated words. I am in the midwest US so my pronunciations might be different from other Americans if we are from different regions. Mystara: mi-star-uh or miss-tar-uh Karameikos: care-uh-my-kos Mirros: spec-you-lar-um Thyatis: thi-a-tis Thyatian: thy-ay-tian Ylaruam: ill-ar-oo-um Glantri: glan-tree Darokin: dare-o-kin Minrothad: men-ro-thad Ierendi: e-ear-en-dee Atruaghin: ah-true-again Alphatia: al-fay-shuh and my characters name Elcalear Dracul: el-cal-e-are dra-cul CronoCloud (Ron Rogers) Knight of the Square Table Member of the Knights Knoble http://knightsknoble.cjb.net ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 22:52:34 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: John Calvin Subject: More on Hidden Blackmoor MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Here is some more about society in Hidden Blackmoor. It's still incomplete, as I need to write up a history section for them (but at the moment I can't find the reference materials I wrote up for HB), so that will have to wait. Hope you enjoy, and as always if you have comments or suggestions, please let me know. Zen-Thara This elite group of warriors is composed of (90%) humans (8%) dwarves, and (2%) emmerondians.They are trained to be stealthy and unobtrusive. Many of them travel to the surface and work alongside the Not Men. The Zen-Thara were formed in ??? when it was deemed safe that living members of the Enclave could once again visit the surface worlds. Clad in finely woven Nullium garments and armed with sophisticated (but fairly normal looking) weapons, such as the electro sword, the Zen-Thara would make formidable opponents... if only the outside world could detect them. Their Nullium clothing renders them virtually immune to direct spell attacks, or any magical means of information gathering. Their weapons are extremely deadly and destructive. In addition to this, all Zen-Thara carry a personal disintegration device, to be used in the event that they are discovered and captured by immortal entities. All Zen-Thara are trained in the martial arts (and may choose from fighter and mystic classes). Induction into the order is accomplished through a master-apprentice relationship. A Zen-Thara master must hand pick, and train his apprentice. Those chosen must renounce all ties to family, clan, and corporation. Some 7% of Zen-Thara (mostly humans, but including the rare dwarf and emmerondian as well) have an aptitude for magical training, and may learn and practice the magical arts once they leave the World Shield (and as long as they are not wearing any Nullium). Due to the many generations of Enclave citizens that have spent their entire lives within the confines of the World Shield, Zen-Thara mages have some penalties. Their base chance to cast any spell is 10% per their experience level -10% per spell level that they are trying to cast. There are two ways that a Zen-Thara can improve his spell casting abilities. The first way is by studying under a full mage, and the second way is by using technomantic devices. Those who can spare the time often train with a mage in Jomphur Blackmoor. Training for a full year will add a 10% chance to the Zen-Thara's base chances for casting a spell. Up to three years of training can be taken in order to improve magical abilities, however additional years of training have no further effects. Technomantic devices (described later) may also used by the Zen-Thara, each increasing the base chances of spell casting by 10%. Any percentage over 100% may be used to boost one spell effect (if the spell's description allows it). Only 5 technomantic devices may ever be used together at one time (2 gloves, 2 boots, and one helmet). These devices must be powered by an engine/radiance power source worn around the belt. [Thus an untrained 3rd level mage trying to cast a 1st level spell could do so successfully only 20% of the time (30% - 10%). If that mage trained with a non-Enclave mage for two years he would increase his chances of casting the same spell to 40%.] Miscast spells should be dealt with by the DM on a per spell basis. The DM can either rule that the spell fizzles out completely, or that it misfires in some way. Technomantic devices are powered by the radiance, and thus each time one is used there is a 1% chance per level of the spell cast, that the caster will develop a rotting disease (as per Gaz 3 rules). This chance is cumulative based on the number of devices used. [Thus, if three technomantic devices were used to help cast a 4th level spell, there would be a 12% chance (3% x 4%) that the caster would aquire the rotting disease.] __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 11:35:42 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Gordon McCormick Subject: Re: Mystara Pronunciation In-Reply-To: <21361-387EC666-6281@storefull-298.iap.bryant.webtv.net>; from CronoCloud@WEBTV.NET on Fri, Jan 14, 2000 at 12:47:02AM -0600 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii On Fri, Jan 14, 2000 at 12:47:02AM -0600, Ron Rogers wrote: > Here is how I pronounce some Mystara associated words. I am in the > midwest US so my pronunciations might be different from other Americans > if we are from different regions. > > Mirros: spec-you-lar-um LOL!! :) gordon ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 15:39:20 +0100 Reply-To: mystara@com.bi Sender: Mystara From: thibault sarlat Subject: update and new maps available MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi everyone.As i was remodeling the general aspect of my site i also added four new maps to my already big collection.The Shadow elves territories (as in Gaz 13), The city of stars (as in Gaz 13), Thyatis mainland (as in DotE), and finnaly a small gift for the underocean lovers , the Alphatian sea (on a large scale).I hope you will all enjoy the improvements i made in my site. If any of you experiences a malfunction , please tell me fast. NB : for those who have bookmarked my map index page, the correct URL is now http://perso.club-internet.fr/thibsylv/geo/cadremap1.htm -- Thibault Sarlat ICQ 16622177. My other adress is tsarlat@etu.montaigne.u-bordeaux.fr Homepage http://www.mystara.com.bi Pour rejoindre la Mystara mailing liste francophone, rendez-vous sur ma page de garde en bas. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 06:44:17 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jenn Subject: Tome of Mystara MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Tome of Mystara Issue #2 will be released tomorrow, 15 January! And it's loaded with great new stuff! Including: - Tervine's Travels, by Carl Quaif; - Artwork and photography by Tim Weiser and Heather Siple; - 7 new maps by Thibault Sarlat; - Fiction from Kevin Turner and Scott Hertzberg; - Articles by Geoff Gander, John Calvin, and others; - Part two of John Calvin's Lost Nation Series adventures, "Night of the Blue Sun"; - Special feature, the Gazetteer of The Dragon Kingdom of Wyrmteeth, by Giulio Caroletti; ...And more! So watch for it, tomorrow! Jennifer Favia Guerra Editor, Tome of Mystara http://www.geocities.com/mystaratome/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:44:50 +0100 Reply-To: mystara@com.bi Sender: Mystara From: thibault sarlat Subject: gif AND ping now!!! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I also just added the Gif equivalents of the ping maps.To get them, just click on the size they have in the chart. -- Thibault Sarlat ICQ 16622177. My other adress is tsarlat@etu.montaigne.u-bordeaux.fr Homepage http://www.mystara.com.bi Pour rejoindre la Mystara mailing liste francophone, rendez-vous sur ma page de garde en bas. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 18:45:56 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jamuga Khan Subject: Re: about my maps MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > It seems that a lot of people on this list is annoyed by my ping format > maps.So i think i would have to go back to the old good gif format (bigger > but better shared). > i would need some time to replace the ping by the gif but this would be done > by the end of the month. > any comments? It would have been no problem when the browsers would save this format as good as they can show it. Obviously there is a loss of information. :-( Jamuga Khan "Hear and obey, because the Mighty Khan's word is law!" ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 12:58:54 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Carl Quaif Subject: Re: Site Update...and a sample item MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 14/01/00 00:18:55 GMT Standard Time, alphatian@ANGELFIRE.COM writes: > Ah, but as an Alphatian, I know why no-one commented on your 'Vorbiant's > Rings' post: It was because us Alphatian wizards cast Programmed Amnesia at > everyone on this list, except that it didn't work on you, as you were the one > who posted it. Alphatian scum! An here's me thinking no-one loved me anymore. I'm not having this...be prepared for a mighty blast from "Quaif's Sceptre of Race-Annihilation: Alphatian Setting" - and you thought Rad's Doomsday Weapon was bad, Baby, you ain't seen NOTHING yet... Why did we do this?? Because we don't want you to reveal all > of our arcane secrets to the general population (even including Thyatians - > Yuck!). Vorbiant's Rings are some of the more powerful and inventive > creations of the arcane Alphatians (especially the Ring of Arctic Fire, the > Corps Ring, and Vorbiant's Ring), and we don't feel like sharing our secrets > with everybody. Still, since you brought it up, the spell is now broken, and > I might as well set you straight and let you tremble before the might of > Alphatia before we cast the spell again and make everybody forget again... So > when nobody comments in the future, you now know why, and you also know not > to ask :) (is that comment and praise, enough ?) Oh...okay then. Gratuitous praise always defuses righteous indignation, somehow. ;-)) > The Soul Children, however, are NOT of Alphatian origin (yuck!) and I may > thus comment on them (we would never dirty our skilled hands such). Though I > wouldn't call them particularly dangerous they will cause fear with those who > realize what they are (have you considered using Ravenloft/3e's Horror check > for them?), as they are of a truly nasty and gruesome origin (are you *sure* > they belong here and not in Call of Cthulhu :) - actually they might fit well > with the whole Outer Beings idea). Not being a major Ravenloft fan - while I own and have read/enjoyed some of the RL stuff, I'm not a fan of horror in general, although recent works might make this hard to believe - I hadn't thought of Horror Checks; no reason why it couldn't work, though. I'd be quite happy to see my Soul Children show up in OB lore - imagine the shock if a Soul Child manifest the spirit of a Blessed One, or even a Lesser Servitor..... Carl Q. PS - update to Fahvarim's Lorebook now complete, thanks to the fabulously gorgeously wonderful Jennifer Favia Guerra, Webmistress Extraordinaire. Go have a look at:- http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Cauldron/2399/ - you'll be glad you did - or if not, *I* will be!! :-) ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 13:05:24 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: jdaly Subject: Re: Destruction of Old Alphata MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ----- Original Message ----- From: James Ruhland > Ok, so all jesting asside, there is a question that can be "solved" > regarding the destruction of Old Alphatia. If we follow the DotE Alphatian > History and assume it is accurate, then we know that a rivalry developed > between the Followers of Air and the Followers of Fire, which got > increasingly violent and bloody, but didn't seem to get to far out of hand. AY-2000 On the Alphatian's homeworld, the natural aggressiveness of the Alphatians has been supplanted by Cypric self-absorption. The study of magic turns "inward". AY-500 On the Alphatian's homeworld the civilization has achieved total mastery of its environment. The great universities are at the peak of their powers, and just beginning to indulge in serious scholastic competitions and squabbles. AY-90 Fire and Air rivalry begins. AY-27 Sporadic violence breaks out. AY-10 There is a temporary peace caused by one academian's proposal of a Flame vs Air essay debate. AY-9 Emperor Idiotchild decides to declare a victor. This is the beginning of the real war. The above is from the DM's book. My own interpretation of the above, is that nearly two thousand years of peace begin in AY2000. During this time, conflicts revolve around philosophical debates. I like this idea. Then in AY-90, tradition breaks down. Perhaps the younger generations stop believing in the Immortals, who knows. Alphaks no doubt thinks he stands to earn favor of some sort with the Flaemish. Or perhaps his line is of the Flaemish. But I do like the questions that revolve around this academician. Is he a good guy or a bad guy? Perhaps he is a traditionalist who still retains faith in the Immortals. Or perhaps he is a modernist who has rejected the Immortals, and only seeks to fill his own pocket. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 18:48:19 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Mystara Pronunciation MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit "Francisco V. Navarro" wrote: > > I'm sure this name has tons of variation, if only for the accents and > dialects within the Principalities. > > Guh-lan-tree is how some people pronounce it in the MoA and GKoM CDs. People from Fenswick, I suppose ;) > The Sylaire make it more nasal: Guh-lohn-tree > The Ethengars probably make the a more open, like 'man' or 'plan: GLAN-tree > Same would work for the Caurenzans (no vowel sound between 'g' and 'l') -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles/index.htm ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 20:24:12 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel ha scritto: > -- > > On Thu, 13 Jan 2000 10:14:15 Caroletti wrote: > >Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel ha scritto: > > > >> -- > >> > >> On Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:06:02 Caroletti wrote: > >> > >> >Oh, well, we haven't learnt well as you. We haven't destroyed Mystara, yet. > >> > >> Jealous? > >> > >> Jealous because *WE* hold vast powers that your puny empire cannot hope to match a fraction of? > > > >Stalker > > > >Oh, I forgot: we have also not been sunk through the sea to a stupid Zoo of > >should-be-dead cultures. > > > >Iulius Sergius Scaevola > >Captain of the XXth Cohort > >Port Lucinius, Thyatis > > Ah, my most-worthy adversary (as if) - that is not a denial !!! 'Qui tacet consentire videtur' as I believe you would say. May I take your silence as to my question as an admission that you *ARE* jealous ?? Naturally as a member of a now reformed and benevolent empire, it truly saddens me to > see that Thyatians would envy us such wanton destruction... alas!! :) > > - The Stalker of Alphatia > Not jealousy, my dear Hostis (enemy in Latin): having such vast powers does not mean to control them. Mostly, you are controlled by them. Thanks the Immortals, no one has them anymore. They are justly been stripped away from the Multiverse. Probably THEY planned to have you reach that sort of level of power just to blow yourself up. Unfortunately, not enough. Or maybe, your low level of learning from so evident teachings is a warning to other countries to avoid following your footsteps. No one could possibly want to be like you... Ah ah ah ah (evil laughter) Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis (I love in character discussions!! Wow!! How low can I get, now, really?) ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 14:54:06 -0500 Reply-To: au998@freenet.carleton.ca Sender: Mystara From: Geoff Gander Subject: Re: Site Update...and a sample item Carl wrote: >Not being a major Ravenloft fan - while I own and have read/enjoyed some of >the RL stuff, I'm not a fan of horror in general, although recent works might >make this hard to believe - I hadn't thought of Horror Checks; no reason why >it couldn't work, though. I'd be quite happy to see my Soul Children show up >in OB lore - imagine the shock if a Soul Child manifest the spirit of a >Blessed One, or even a Lesser Servitor..... Actually, not to toot my own horn or anything, there is a set of rules governing horror checks in Mystara (as well as insanity!), written by myself. It's available on Shawn's site! :-) Geoff PS - Carl, the mere thought that a servitor's "soul" could be bound into a portable object (like the doll)...well, let's just say that "evil" doesn't begin to cover it. ;) -- Geoff Gander, BA 97 Cartographer/Game Designer/Government Peon Carnifex Loremaster au998@freenet.carleton.ca : www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/2091 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 19:56:36 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: DM Subject: Weapon Mastery question Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hi everyone! I've got a little doubt in my head: when a person acquires a weapon mastery in a weapon that can be used both one and two handed, should he spend two slots to advance as one and two handed or just one to advance in both? Ex: Thar is Basic level in Bastard Sword. He wants to become Skilled, does he have to spend only ONE slot to become skilled both with one hand and with two hands, or should he spend TWO slots, one to advance one handed and the other to advance in two handed style? And does this mean that if he spends only one slot, say to advance one handed, he will be Skilled with one handed Bastard sword and only Basic level with Bastard Sword wielded two handed? Please, enlighten me on this issue.. :) DM Senior Editor of the Mystaran Almanac First Officer of U.S.S. Unicorn Visit Marco's Mystara Homepage at: http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Dungeon/2967 Join the Mystara Webring at: http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Dungeon/2967/mystring.html Join the Starfleet Academy at: http://gilda.it/startrek (Italian RPG PBEM) ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:27:22 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Meltheim Shadowstalker Subject: Re: Weapon Mastery question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit If the character had to spend additional slots to learn different fighting styles with a weapon which can be fought with two different ways, then I believe that to advance his level of expertise, he should have to spend additional slots to learn different fighting styles again. If Thar spent 1 slot to be proficient with 1 hand, and another so that he could use it 2 handed, then in order for him to be Skilled in both forms of combat without a penalty, he should have to spend additional slots. Basically this would boil down to the fact that although I can write with both my left and right hand, i can barely write with my left, and perfectly write with my right. If I had spent additional time learning how to write better with my left, I could eventually be equally gifted with the pen in either hand, make sense? Meltheim the Shadowstalker Infiltrator to the Immortals Devotee of Fate Eyes of the Starwatcher ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:59:30 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Master's Pawn Subject: Re: Weapon Mastery question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit It was my impression that in OD&D, if you weapon Mastered in the Bastard Sword, then the two charts mearly reflected the two damage and defence ratings for single or double-handed use. As a player, I would raise hell if my DM wanted me to spend the time, money, etc to gain mastery twice as slowly as anyone else, just cause the weapon has different damage ratings. I believe all one handed weapons get a +1 to damage if wielded with two hands (a game mechanic to make up for no shield, but in the RC none the less)and they don't have to spend extra slots for shield or non shiled use. It's not AD&D Weapon proficiency slots where you can specialize in "One Handed" or Two Handed" Styles. Am I reading this correctly?? ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 15:03:31 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Damon Brown Subject: Re: Weapon Mastery question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii --- Meltheim Shadowstalker wrote: > If the character had to spend additional slots to > learn different fighting > styles with a weapon which can be fought with two > different ways, then I > believe that to advance his level of expertise, he > should have to spend > additional slots to learn different fighting styles > again. I tend to agree with Meltheim here. However, I think something may some clarification. If I am reading things correctly, Marco is referring to oD&D rules (Weapon Mastery), while Meltheim is referring to AD&D2 rules (Fighting Styles). The only reason I mention this is that in 2E this point would be moot. The rules for 2E clearly state that a bastard sword, for instance, would require 2 weapon proficiency slots to be proficient with a bastard sword both 1-handed as well as 2-handed. IIRC, the Rules Cyclopedia is a little vague here. Whether or not a character must spend two weapon mastery slots to use a bastard sword 1- & 2-handed is not specifically spelled out. Therefore, I think the question really is: Should the character be required to spend two Weapon Mastery slots(oD&D rules) to learn to use the bastard sword in the first place (let alone advance)? My answer to this would be 'yes'. But, hey, that's just me - IMO, that (oD&D) rule is sufficiently vague that a case could be made either way. Wow. That's an awful lot of rambling to simply say: "Yes." Oh well. auf wiedersehen, Damon ===== "He who laughs last... thinks slowest." __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 15:31:24 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Damon Brown Subject: Re: Weapon Mastery question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii --- Master's Pawn wrote: > It was my impression that in OD&D, if you weapon > Mastered in the Bastard Sword, then the two charts > mearly reflected the two damage and defence ratings > for single or double-handed use. See? I wasn't just rambling... there is a counterpoint, afterall! > As a player, I > would raise hell if my DM wanted me to spend the > time, money, etc to gain mastery twice as slowly as > anyone else, just cause the weapon has different > damage ratings. I believe all one handed weapons > get a +1 to damage if wielded with two hands (a game > mechanic to make up for no shield, but in the RC > none the less)and they don't have to spend extra > slots for shield or non shiled use. Aha, but keep in mind that when you are speaking of the *optional* Weapon Mastery rules you are including a great deal of things other than more damage depending 1- or 2-handed use. You also have special maneuvers, defensive bonuses, bonuses to hit, etc. Anyway, that's my reasoning for requiring two slots for *full* usage of a bastard sword (with all the extra fun stuff). BTW, you pretty much have to use the Weapon Mastery rules for the "1-handed weapon used 2-handed, extra damage" to make sense. Otherwise, as you said, you'd be hosed as a bastard sword wielding character if someone using a normal sword could do the same damage using it two-handed. But then again, I'm kinda playing devil's advocate here. IMC, I only allow fighters to use Weapon Mastery and even then it's highly modified (and substantially simplified). auf wiedersehen, Damon ===== "He who laughs last... thinks slowest." __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 15:48:17 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Greg Weatherup Subject: Re: Mystara Pronunciation Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I figured I would add my unusual pronunciations to the growing list. My pronunciations are rather unique as I tend to switch between the english, the hawaiian and the spanish pronunctiaions of vowels. That and I even still don't get them right (hey, for years I called the capital of the Czech republic Pray-goo like the sauce, so what do I know!) Mystara: My-stare-ah Karameikos: care-ah-me-cos ('cos' like 'oh-s' or in coast, not as in 'cuz') Thyatis: thigh-at-iss ('is' as in hiss) Thyatian: thigh-ay-shun Ylaruam: y'ill-ar-um ('y'ill' kinda like the ill in will and it is put with the y like a contraction) Glantri: glan-tree (like 'gland' but with a 'tree' instead of d) although I do sometimes say glon-tree If I'm portraying a non-glantrian insulting a glantrian. Darokin: darr-row-kin although I used to say dire-row-kin Minrothad: min-row-th-ad ('min' as in minimum. the 'th-ad' is pronounced quickly) Ierendi: eye-er-rend-e (the final 'e' like the spanish y) Atruaghin: that's a hard one, ah-true-a-g'in (g'in not pronounced like the drink, more like the g is pronouced sepeartely like the second g in Geographic, but not like an h the way such a g is pronounced in some languages. Is everyone confused yet?) Alphatia: Until this whole debate got started I always pronounced it Al-faye-shi-ah but when this debate got started I looked at the word I realised I should be calling it Al-fat-e-ah (the 'e' like the spanish 'y'). I don't know where I got the 'shi' from but now its stuck in my mind and I will probaly always call it that way. Alfheim: Alf-high-me (alf like the old tv show and 'me' like in mime) Wendar: when-d-are (the last two sylables pronounced quickly together) or maybe Wind-are Heldannic: Hell-don-ick. It actually should probaly be hell-danny-k but its been stuck in my mind as don-ick for too long now to change. luckily I don't have to worry about pronunciation on PBEM's wich is all I get to play anymore. Greg Weatherup Gecko GWxup@excite.com http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/spock/67/index.html P.S. for something kind of like this but non mystara related, check out www.slanguage.com _______________________________________________________ Get 100% FREE Internet Access powered by Excite Visit http://freeworld.excite.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 01:20:05 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.com:80) Subject: Re: Just General Musings On the Usual Topic. Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- On Fri, 14 Jan 2000 20:24:12 Caroletti wrote: (my own shameless comments snipped) >Not jealousy, my dear Hostis (enemy in Latin): having such vast powers >does not mean to control them. Mostly, you are controlled by them. Thanks >the Immortals, no one has them anymore. They are justly been stripped away >from the Multiverse. Probably THEY planned to have you reach that sort of >level of power just to blow yourself up. Unfortunately, not enough. Or maybe, your low level of learning from so evident teachings is a warning >to other countries to avoid following your footsteps. No one could possibly >want to be like you... >Ah ah ah ah (evil laughter) Ah. Funny then that we never had to kill off your archmages because they were 'controlled' by magic, but then I suppose we're all so evil and twisted by magic that we wouldn't notice, right? Still, that certainly does explain to me why Zendrolion, reluctantly and with tears in his eyes, was forced, against his will, to slay Lucinius. Finally we all know. :) >(I love in character discussions!! Wow!! How low can I get, now, really?) (So do I, so I guess we both have a horribly bad sense of humor - but what really surprises me is that the rest of the list doesn't object to us using it as an arena of imperial insults) - The Stalker of Alphatia Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 19:32:02 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Meltheim Shadowstalker Subject: Re: Weapon Mastery question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit as a child of the 90's, i was referring more to the Player's Option stuf f in which you can become Proficient, Master, or Grand Master. In this situation, I would say that you would have to learn to use the weapon with 2 hands as well as with 1 hand, because they are different fighting styles (in real life they are different, i'm not referring to Fighting Styles such as 1 handed, 2 handed, shield, 2 weapon, etc) because with a quarterstaff for instance if you are fighting one handed (really difficult though) you are doing all striking and no counter attack moves, if you are using 2 hands (much easier) then you can parry, thrust, strike, defend, everything else. I hope my reasoning works out here. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 02:03:41 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jens Arvid Larsen Schnabel Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.com:80) Subject: Re: Weapon Mastery question Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- On Fri, 14 Jan 2000 19:32:02 Meltheim Shadowstalker wrote: >as a child of the 90's, i was referring more to the Player's Option stuf f in >which you can become Proficient, Master, or Grand Master. In this situation, >I would say that you would have to learn to use the weapon with 2 hands as >well as with 1 hand, because they are different fighting styles (in real life >they are different, i'm not referring to Fighting Styles such as 1 handed, 2 >handed, shield, 2 weapon, etc) because with a quarterstaff for instance if >you are fighting one handed (really difficult though) you are doing all >striking and no counter attack moves, if you are using 2 hands (much easier) >then you can parry, thrust, strike, defend, everything else. I hope my >reasoning works out here. While I think your reasoning works out, the player option rules don't support that interpretation. Keep in mind that under those rules Weapon Specialization/Mastery is quite a different thing from Fighting Styles and the consequent Style Specialization. With Weapon Specialization (later Master, High-Mastery, and Grand Mastery) you get the bonuses if you use the appropriate weapon - it's that simple (specialization with long sword gives you the bonuses every time you use a long sword). With Style Specialization you get the bonus whenever you use whatever weapon you use in the style you've specialized in. Whether you use the long sword or the bastard sword one-handed doesn't matter - you'll get the applicable Style Specialization bonus either way. Of course, the real problem here is that AD&D/Player Option rules uses the word 'Specialization' to cover a great many different things. Don't blame Player Option, though, because the trouble started in the Complete Fighter's Handbook which introduced the various styles in which you could fight, and then said that you could Specialize in a style (after 2e PHB had already established Weapon Specialization) - it would have been much better if the Complete Fighter's Handbook had called it Expertise or something instead. - The Stalker of Alphatia Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 21:34:06 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Meltheim Shadowstalker Subject: Re: Weapon Mastery question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit yup yup I agree wholeheartedly. The way that I see it though doesn't it make sense that you would have to become skilled in both methods of fighting in order to receive the same bonuses? ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 04:17:49 GMT Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: kevin wyton Subject: MYSTARA-greetings Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed GREETINGS TO ALL ON THE MYSTARA MAILING LIST. AS A NEW SUBSCRIBER I'VE BEEN ENJOYING YOUR DISCUSSIONS IMMENSELY.AS SOON AS I GET MY PROVERBIAL FECES TOGETHER I HAVE A WEALTH OF INFO TO SHARE.WATCH FOR THE TALE OF DARIEN MOONEDGE, MASTER BLADESINGER TO UNFOLD.TILL THEN; KEEP TALKING, I'M LISTENING. OH YEAH, I'VE NOTICED SOME SIGNOFFS WITH INTERESTING SAYINGS. HERE'S A BUMPER STICKER I FOUND AMUSING "KEEP HONKING, I'M RELOADING" KEVIN WYTON ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 04:20:09 -0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Paul George Dooley Subject: Rakes and Swashbucklers MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit RAKES I wonder how many Thieves are passing themselves off as Rakes in Mystara currently? As long as they don't get caught actually doing non Rake, but thiefly, things it's probably most of them. Personally I think the restrictions given to rakes don't really make sense e.g. The party have to get the evil sorceress' mystical talisman off of her during a ball. The Rake has to watch as his thief companion tries to Pick Pockets to remove it during a dance. Later he manages to sneak up behind one of her guards, intending to subdue him, but doesn't manage to do enough damage to stop the guard from crying out. Since Pick Pockets can also be used as sleight of hand and palming etc there is a reasonable case for Rakes to retain the skill (perhaps under another name, legerdemain for example). Also why not allow Rakes to backstab but using the nonlethal combat rules (again perhaps under a new name, waylay for example). The real difference between the Thief and Rake is IMO, thieves use their skills primarily for personal gain, whereas the Rake would take the item to show how foolish it's owner was, or for a bet, usually returning the item in question. SWASHBUCKLERS In Red Steel, and perhaps all of Mystara, Swashbucklers can be mages, fighters and thieves. There may also be some clerical candidates out there too e.g. Speciality priests of Asterius in his aspect of thief patron, Speciality priests of Korotiku (Korotiku and swashbuckling go so well together), Speciality priests of Eriundel. Others perhaps? Hamlet I, v, 166 Paul ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 04:20:32 -0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Paul George Dooley Subject: Tactics v Magic MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Has anyone worked out the tactics that would have been developed by Mystaran nations because of the constant threat of magic upon the battlefield. Unfortunately very little thought has been put in to this officially. Let's face it, the usual tactics used by the RW counterparts have serious problems dealing with the Mobile Weapon Platforms known as adventuring groups, when they are used in conjunction with an opposing army. Unit formations should be different with the threat of area affect magic, otherwise the potential casualties are massive e.g. Fire Storm from the druid, at 14th level it can affect an area of nearly 100 yards by 10 yards causing on average 23 HP damage save for 1/2. Siege warfare just became very dangerous for the attacking force. If the defenders fall back at one point you usually strengthen your attack there to cause a breach. Your assault troops are now a perfect target for annihilation by magic. Would Mystaran conflicts not more closely resemble a modern day war of manoeuvre rather than large easily disabled forces? After all they've had over 2000 years to work on the problem in some cases. Help and/or Comments please? ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 20:52:44 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Dave Keyser Subject: Re: Lion Castle MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Daniel Boese wrote: > I was just flipping through some of my old modules, when I found one of > my favorites - BSOLO, The Ghost of Lion Castle. Unfortunately, I seem to > have lost the last page, the one with the pre-generated character > sheets... given that Clarensa the Seer was originally a pre-generated > character, I was hoping that somebody might be able to forward me the > names of Sargon's would-be heirs... :) > All the NPCs have titles according to the old D&D basic boxed set, so a level 2 magic-user is a seer, a third level elf is a swordmaster-conjurer Nathel 3rd level elf Eztar 3rd level mage Philiam 2nd level elf Zayghel 2nd level mage Leesmith 1st level elf Cortayo 1st level mage No background is given, just stats, equipment, spells and languages > > And while we're here - have you ever done anything with Lion Castle > besides run single characters through it? Ever include it in an > adventure's background, or anything? Believe it or not, yes. I included references to Lion Castle in Zelligar's diary, when I ran the PCs through the Jenni-modified B1 adventure. Zelligar provided the background information which the player gets from that tavern in Sarsdell. I eliminated the tarvern and village completely. The owner of the castle had been a powerful hakomon, and wizards from Glantri and Darokin, as well as Ethengar, had been trying to claim it. The mage PC took the bait, and split from the party to find the site. He joined a caravan to cross the Broken Lands. (By the way, the caravan trail from Darokin to Ethengar doesn't match up between GAZ10 and GAZ12, the one in GAZ10 is correct.) I still had the player roll randomly to determine encounters, but each time the creature materialized, being gated in from the Ethereal Plane. A few other details were changed to make it more suitable for a campaign. One of them was that the PC inherited the castle after successfullying completing all of the challenges. He also gains the attention of the Ethengarian hakomons, the Goleen Khan, and the Virayana clan. Most of the enchantments in the castle will wear off, but a few useful ones will remain. The PC was 6th level though, I wouldn't recommend random encounters with a 1st-3rd level character. Even so, he was down to his last two spells when he faced a tiger in the library, fortunately for him, the tiger failed its first saving throw. > For that matter, why wasn't it > mentioned in the Ethengar Gazeteer (or was it, and I just didn't > notice)? There is a listed hakomon site on the map, approximately where the module describes Lion Castle should be. I placed it there, with a small hakomon camp nearby. Dave Keyser ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 21:04:53 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jenn MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Tome of Mystara Issue #2 is here! And it's loaded with great new stuff! Including: - Tervine's Travels, by Carl Quaif; - Artwork and photography by Tim Weiser and Heather Siple; - 7 new maps by Thibault Sarlat; - Fiction from Kevin Turner and Scott Hertzberg; - Articles by Geoff Gander, John Calvin, and others; - Part two of John Calvin's Lost Nation Series adventures, "Night of the Blue Sun"; - Special feature, the Gazetteer of The Dragon Kingdom of Wyrmteeth, by Giulio Caroletti; ...And more! Check it out! :-) It's at: http://www.geocities.com/mystaratome/tomevol2/cover.html or, just follow the link to our main page, below. Thanks! Jennifer Favia Guerra Editor, Tome of Mystara http://www.geocities.com/mystaratome/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 21:11:46 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jenn Subject: Re: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Hi all, Sorry - I was in such a hurry to post that last one, I forgot to put in a subject. It should have read (natch!) "Tome of Mystara". ;-) Jennifer Favia Guerra Editor, Tome of Mystara http://www.geocities.com/mystaratome/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp Find Local Players: http://nafsasp.wizards.com/Registries/TSR/Welcome.asp To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message.