Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 14 May 2006 to 15 May 2006 (#2006-97) From: MYSTARA-L automatic digest system Date: 16/05/2006, 17:00 To: MYSTARA-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 8 messages totalling 344 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. orcs and inherent evil (3) 2. VotPA collection, hard cover 3. Savage Tide in Dungeon for Mystara 4. What's your Thyatis like? (3) ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.pandius.com To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 15 May 2006 10:47:19 +0200 From: Havard Faanes Subject: Re: orcs and inherent evil Similarly, I always believed the Fell beasts, the flying mounts of the Nazgul were corrupted versions of the Great Eagles... Håvard --- Thibault Sarlat skrev: > I am not sure about this but it is said elsewhere in > Tolkien writings that > the true origin of orcs and troll is not known even > by the sages. Them being > respectively twisted elves and treants is only one > hypothesis. > What is sure is that their "creator" was Melkor but > that since only Iluvatar > had the power to instill life and full sentience, > Melkor had to use already > existing material and made his pawn in derision of > Illuvatar children > (elves) and the treants. Yet this explanation can > work with the first > hypothesis. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.pandius.com To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 May 2006 14:46:53 +0200 From: Havard Faanes Subject: VotPA collection, hard cover Want to see Paizo publish a collected Voyage of the Princess ark hard cover book for 3.5? http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/dragon/generalDiscussion/collectingTheVoyageOfThePrincessArk&page=1#74873 Håvard ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.pandius.com To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 May 2006 14:49:04 +0200 From: Havard Faanes Subject: Savage Tide in Dungeon for Mystara Over at paizo's boards, they are discussing how to adapt Dungeons upcoming Adventure Path, The Savage Tide to Mystara http://paizo.com/dungeon/messageboards/savageTide/knownWorldMystaraAPConversions The Savage Tide is generic, but features the Isle of Dread. The writer, James Jacosbs has also said that he has a soft spot for Mystara. Could be interesting... Håvard ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.pandius.com To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 May 2006 14:51:02 +0200 From: Havard Faanes Subject: What's your Thyatis like? Thyatis has been a source of heated debates on this list, so I urge everyone to keep civil. :) One question that often comes up is whether to emphasize the Byzantine, Roman or other elements of that country. What is your Thyatis like? IMC, Thyatis is more or less what the Roman Empire would have been if it had survived utill the 1500s. The Senate is now made up of more medieval-style nobility, the legions are supported by a more raffined Cavalry of Knights, and although it is possible to make your way up along the ranks by joining the legions, it is probably harder to do so than in the old days since the Empire is mostly at peace. My Church of Thyatis is more consolidated than the old Roman religion, though far less organized than the early Christian Church. I have purged the Church of Thyatis from all Immortals who are recognized as Alphatian, Antalian, Traladaran or Ochaelan, though included a few from WotI that seemed like they belonged there (Khoronus, Ixion). Dragon-riders (of Retebius and Knights of the Air) exist pre-WotI due to an alliance with the Gold Dragons of Ochaela, though this pact is broken after WotI, and the Dragons are replaced by Wyverns. Slavery is common as by DotE and although slaves were also used in medieval Europe, their numbers are closer to that of historical Rome. Gladiatorian matches are still popular in the Empire, and amazing fighting scenes are arranged in the Great Arenas, aided by illusion magic, monsters etc. Gladiators, although not free, are the equivalent of movie stars or rock stars in the Empire. Håvard ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.pandius.com To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 May 2006 15:11:39 +0200 From: Giampaolo Agosta Subject: Re: What's your Thyatis like? Havard Faanes ha scritto: > > IMC, Thyatis is more or less what the Roman Empire > would have been if it had survived utill the 1500s. Same here, though with the addition of the semi-feudal structure of DotE. > The Senate is now made up of more medieval-style > nobility, the legions are supported by a more raffined > Cavalry of Knights, and although it is possible to > make your way up along the ranks by joining the > legions, it is probably harder to do so than in the > old days since the Empire is mostly at peace. IMC (which actually adopts the Thyatis designed by Giulio, with some contribution from me), the Senate is made up of both elective members and aristocrats (as in the Roman Senate), as well as the landed nobles. There are no large numbers of Knights, though -- the legion is mostly infantry, with Kerendan medium cavalry in a support role. Most of the army is geared for battlefields different from open field -- defense of heavy fortifications at home, hill or mountains abroad, and of course a lot of sea-based combat. > My Church of Thyatis is more consolidated than the old > Roman religion, though far less organized than the > early Christian Church. I have purged the Church of > Thyatis from all Immortals who are recognized as > Alphatian, Antalian, Traladaran or Ochaelan, though > included a few from WotI that seemed like they > belonged there (Khoronus, Ixion). IMC, the Church is strongly pantheist, with all the Immortals from DotE -- the Romans as well were very inclusive in their worship, easily integrating foreign gods. However, it is definitely not a cohesive structure -- there are several hierarchies that coexist as the result of too many merges and splits. Independent temples and orders (the Endless Sea of Protius or the Wings of Vanya, for example) also exist, though they are at least nominally part of the Church. Philosophers are also common, and so are church members who double as politicians. > Dragon-riders (of Retebius and Knights of the Air) > exist pre-WotI due to an alliance with the Gold > Dragons of Ochaela, though this pact is broken after > WotI, and the Dragons are replaced by Wyverns. IMC, Dragon riders are the result of an alliance with the Dragon King of Wyrmsteeth. The Dragon King loses some interest in the alliance after the destruction of Alphatia, but many dragons stay with the Thyatians out of individual friendship (especially those in the Knights of the Air). > Slavery is common as by DotE and although slaves were > also used in medieval Europe, their numbers are closer > to that of historical Rome. IMC slaves are definitely less common in Thyatis than in RW -- more or less as in DotE. They make up a significant part of the population (more than in Ylaruam, for example), but not a majority as in Alphatia. > Gladiatorian matches are still popular in the Empire, > and amazing fighting scenes are arranged in the Great > Arenas, aided by illusion magic, monsters etc. > Gladiators, although not free, are the equivalent of > movie stars or rock stars in the Empire. IMC, many of the real stars are free gladiators -- slaves are most often the arena fodder: those who perform well often manage to buy their freedom. Bye, GP ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.pandius.com To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 May 2006 19:06:33 +0200 From: la Volpe Subject: Re: What's your Thyatis like? --- Giampaolo Agosta ha scritto: > Havard Faanes ha scritto: > > > IMC, Thyatis is more or less what the Roman Empire > > would have been if it had survived utill the > 1500s. > > Same here, though with the addition of the > semi-feudal structure of DotE. > Yeah, I'm mostly with Giampaolo on this issue. > > Dragon-riders (of Retebius and Knights of the Air) In my campaign no dragon-riders, thanks. I don't get it that any dragon would serve (or be bound) in the ranks of human troops... Giulio ___________________________________ Yahoo! Mail: gratis 1GB per i messaggi e allegati da 10MB http://mail.yahoo.it ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.pandius.com To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 14 May 2006 19:16:17 +0100 From: Mortus Subject: Re: orcs and inherent evil Any of you guy's read the 'Orcs' trilogy of novels, can't remember who wrote them, and I don't have them handy ( in a drawer in work). These books portray Orcs as good an honourable, but forced into fighting for less honourable lieges against the invading evil pink skins, us. They were stolen from their own home plane, where there were only Orcs, by sorcerous means. nice twist on the whole orc question. Mortus. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.pandius.com To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 May 2006 20:28:04 +0100 From: Mark Howard Subject: Re: orcs and inherent evil Read it a couple of times. Orcs basically being treated as fighting slaves, traded between competing "rulers". Humans draining the natural magic from the ground. Could be an idea as to why they were drawn to the Broken Lands, to stop the natural magic of Mystara being reduced by individuals tapping the Radiance.(?) I always found the "Quest for the Blue Knife" a bit weak to stand on it's own. -----Original Message----- From: Mystara RPG Discussion [mailto:MYSTARA-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM] On Behalf Of Mortus Sent: 14 May 2006 19:16 To: MYSTARA-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] orcs and inherent evil Any of you guy's read the 'Orcs' trilogy of novels, can't remember who wrote them, and I don't have them handy ( in a drawer in work). These books portray Orcs as good an honourable, but forced into fighting for less honourable lieges against the invading evil pink skins, us. They were stolen from their own home plane, where there were only Orcs, by sorcerous means. nice twist on the whole orc question. Mortus. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.pandius.com 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 The Mystara Homepage: http://www.pandius.com To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 14 May 2006 to 15 May 2006 (#2006-97) ***************************************************************