TEXT: The Silven
  Trumpeter
  The Official Magazine of       Silven Crossroads
  Silven Trumpeter 06 - January 2004 Edition
  http://www.silven.com
  COVER STORY:
  Faith Based Initiative
  Eytan Bernstein tackles the topic of fundamentalist misconceptions
  regarding RPGs
  Page 21
  d20 Reviews
  This month we take a look at the latest
  releases from WoTC and Mystic Eye
  Games
  Antipodean Adventures
  Shane Cubis takes a look at an
  aboriginal monster in gaming terms
  Page 28
  cover art : V.M. Joutsen
  
  From the Editor
  Welcome to the January 2003 edition of The Silven Trumpeter.  This issue 
  marks the Trumpeter’s sixth month in publication.  A round of applause goes 
  out to all of our writers, artists, and contributors for donating their talent and 
  their sustained effort to keep the Silven Trumpeter going.  And let’s not forget 
  Kosala Ubayasekara, the Silven Crossroads Site Admin and Founder, who, 
  diligently each month, works to compile, design, and format the Trumpeter.  
  Above all, a special thanks goes to our readers whose continued feedback and 
  support make all of our hard work worthwhile.
  When I first accepted the position as Editor-in-Chief a little over six months 
  ago, Kosala told me that he believed we could create a magazine that would 
  rival Dragon Magazine by the end of the year.  I thought he was crazy at the 
  time, but I kept my thoughts to myself and continued working to improve the 
  Trumpeter.  Looking back at what the Trumpeter has accomplished in the last 
  six months however, I realized that he was serious, and that we are very close 
  to achieving the goal.
  The Silven Trumpeter is a reflection of the Silven Crossroads community and 
  the larger online RPG community.  Each contributor—be it with the brush or 
  the pen—has added his or her own personal touch to make the magazine what 
  it is today.  It is this community aspect that sets The Silven Trumpeter apart 
  from other publications.   Perhaps it is fitting that this month’s feature, by 
  Eytan Bernstein, takes a look at the history of the attacks and false accusations 
  against role-playing games.  It is only through a sustained community effort 
  can these types of misunderstandings be finally ended. 
  On a side note, because of the Holiday season, we have a slightly slimmed 
  down edition this month, with no Chatting with Gygax or Cartographer’s 
  Corner.  As always, feel free to contact me with any comments, criticisms, and 
  questions.  Happy New Year and happy gaming.
  Best Regards,
  Dana Driscoll
          Dn Drsc
  Editor In Chief
  Silven Crossroads E-zine
  Sound off!
  Got an urge to send a note to our 
  editor? Would you like to volunteer 
  as a writer? Have comments about 
  an article?
  Write to Dana at :
  adriayna@yahoo.com
  Errata
  In our previous edition (Trumpeter 
  04 - November Edition) we 
  misspelled the name of Chris 
  Pramas as “Chris Paramas“ in the 
  contents page of the ezine. We 
  apolagize to Mr. Pramas for this 
  publishing oversight.
  
  The Contents Page
  Features
  Gaming Tips......................................................4
  by Scott Fitz
  Unnoticed and Underappreciated Part 2.................8
  by Angus McBlane
  Steel’s 2004 Gamer Resolutions.........................18
  by Bradford Ferguson
  What’s Missing in the Modern RPG......................20
  by Carl Batchelor
  d20 Review: The Deep......................................33
  by Brandford Ferguson
  d20 Review: Underdark.....................................35
  by Matt Haught
  Monthly Columns
  Through the Lens of History...............................16
  by Sean Holland
  Around the Butcher’s Block................................24
  by Chris Harris
  Faith Based Initiative........................................21
  by Eytan Bernstein
  Polyglot..........................................................23
  by Dana Driscoll
  Antipodean Adventures.....................................28
  by Shane Cubis
  Fiction
  The Invaders.....................................................9
  by Kosala Ubayasekara
  Rebels in the Dungeon Part 2.............................11
  by Raymond Huling
  Star’s Night - Part 5..........................................31
  by Aaron Todd
  Humor
  RPG Wars........................................................17
  by Kou and Ali
  The Fodder Canon............................................38
  Monthly news from the City of Silven
  Publisher Details and Legal
  Legal notice and contact info..............................40
  image by Florin Badita
  
  4
  Silven Crossroads and the Silven Crossroads logo are trademarks ©2003 Kosala Ubayasekara
  All Rights Reserved.
  Can you ever have too much of a good thing? Yes, I believe you can. Most game masters 
  want ”role-player” type players. They are seen as desirable player types. They add to the 
  game through character and story. They help develop plots. Yet every kind of gamer has the 
  dark potential to disrupt the game if they take their natural interests to extremes. Role-
  playing, taken to extremes, can destroy a campaign for a troupe just as easily as any power 
  gamer, rules lawyer, or munchkin. 
  If you ask GMs about what to do with any of the six types of problem ”role-players”, they will  
  generally shudder and look away or look at you blankly. The latter group having been lucky 
  as to never encounter a role-player gone bad. There are no rules in the book for the GM to 
  fall back upon to stop them. The GM must use their people skills to help correct the problem. 
  Note: The process of managing role-players is likened to herding cats in its ease and 
  simplicity. 
  The first step is recognizing there is a problem.  Usually this input will come from other 
  players in the troupe, as they will have ”less than positive” comments about the role-player 
  player. The next step is to identify what type of problem role-player you have.  Once 
  identified steps can be taken to help the player correct the play. You need to know your 
  players, so you can select the best approach for them. 
  Many people say the direct approach is best. Asking the player to pull back from their 
  extreme is usually the best first step. Bring it to their attention that their style of play is 
  occasionally disrupting the game for others is another good early step. However, some 
  players may take this adversely, so apply these two direct techniques only if you think they 
  might work well for you.
  Spotlight Hogs
  The most common type of role-players gone bad are ”The Spotlight Hogs”. These role-play 
  emphasis players want their characters to be the center of attention and the center of the 
  action in the game. Before they go bad, they tend to design/develop characters that are 
  central to the group. By motivating their character, the GM motivates the group. When they 
  go bad, they
  will do anything they can to get more ”airtime”, including pushing other characters out of the 
  way. 
  They will also stop and ”chew on the scenery”, role-playing minutiae, just because they can. 
  When they are not in the spotlight, they tend to be disruptive and distracting. 
  There are two main tactics to deal with ”spotlight hogs”. First you must set down new table 
  rules that restrict distractions and side conversation. Pun Taxes, Whisper rules, Penalties 
  such as docking 20% exp/drama points per disruption of play after a warning (yes after 5 
  infractions they do not earn any exp), and ”no repeat” and ”you miss it, you loose it” rules, 
  will all make sure you have a quieter and more focused group. It will also limit and 
  eventually correct for the disruptions a bored spotlight hog will produce. After those are in 
  place, the GM must be strong and apply cut scenes and stage direction to their game. By 
  ”forcibly” pulling away from the spotlight character and focusing the game on another 
  character somewhere else, other players get their share of spotlight time. This more evenly 
  distributes the spotlight AND prevents the spotlight hog from
  being in every scene. ”Yes Bob, you are piloting the ship through the mine field, but we are 
  going down to engineering now to see what is happening there AT THE SAME TIME.” As the 
  spotlight hog reigns back their attempts to be in every scene, reward them by giving the a 
  little more spotlight time. 
  If you know you have a spotlight hog that has not yet gone bad, give their characters 
  stronger supporting ties to the other characters. This way they are always in the scene, 
  even if they are not the center of the scene. Also remind every player, thus reminding your 
  potential spotlight hog, that no one character can do everything. That way everyone in the 
  group will have their own specialty. Note: Having the table rules AND practicing the cut 
  scenes in place will prevent them from ever going bad (in your campaign) in the first place.
  Gaming Tips by Scott Fitz 
            When Gamers go Bad #2 : Roleplayers
  DMing Advice
  author’s email: moonhunter_88@yahoo.com
  
  5
  Silven Crossroads and the Silven Crossroads logo are trademarks ©2003 Kosala Ubayasekara
  All Rights Reserved.
  D&D / d20
  Loonies
  The second most common type of role-player gone bad is related to the spotlight hogs. The 
  Loonies start as the role-players that run interesting characters.  Interesting characters are 
  normally good things. Loonies players begin running interesting characters that are very 
  ”far from the norm” of the group or genre. These loony characters are disruptive to the 
  group (usually based on their personalities), tends not to have useful skill/ abilities, and are 
  only in the character group because of their ”PC Status”. For example: A character with 
  make map skill of 0% (less than the
  default) saying ”Hey I want to map. Can I map? Where is the paper? Please can I map? 
  Their character is their way to get attention, the spotlight. If you treat them like a spotlight 
  hog, the problem will not go away (though they will be quiet when they are not in the 
  scene). The only way to stop a loony character player is to prevent it from getting said 
  disruptive character into the game. (Once you let it in, it is difficult to get out). This requires 
  the GM to be deeply involved in character development.  Every character needs to fit the 
  setting and the genre. The loony player’s character needs to be reigned in to conform to 
  them. In addition, the character needs to have deep ties to other characters in the group. 
  This gives them a reason to be involved, has other players interact with them, and gives 
  them much of the attention they crave without disrupting the game.
  Drama Queens
  Most gamers with a role-play emphasis like dramatic situations. The dramatic tension of a 
  scene is what they are playing for. Drama queens (or kings) are role-players who require 
  that EVERYTHING that happens in and around their character be dramatic or melodramatic. 
  This includes such things as buying supplies, meeting random people, and getting up in the 
  morning. These players, before taking things to dramatic and melodramatic extremes, are 
  good to have around because they provide strong and interesting development of their 
  characters, NPCs they have contact with, and game world. They can improve the quality of 
  the game play. However, when they go bad, they dramatize every aspect of the game. If it 
  is not immediately dramatic or melodramatic, they tend to ignore it. This includes story lines 
  that the campaign is based upon. If it is something dramatic, it immediately must be made 
  melodramatic, in an attempt to be more dramatic. This shifting of group focus takes away 
  from any plot lines (and other any other players subplots) running at the same time that are 
  not immediately interesting or dramatic to the player.
  But there are a few things to do. You can make sure that every important plotline has an 
  immediate dramatic hook. It will take some work on the GM’s part, but it will resolve some 
  of the issues. By shifting the drama queen’s character’s challenges from a social/personal 
  level to a more tactical physical level, they will have less to be melodramatic about.  The 
  herd of cats (i.e. players) can help. Talking to the other players and asking them to ”take 
  charge” of their world, by not accepting the shifted game focus of the drama queen can help 
  to resolve the issue. For exmaple: I
  know you think you might have food poisoning, but Ineed to investigate this possible 
  murder now.If the other players do not ”buy into” the histrionics and false dramatics of the 
  drama queen, the troupe can ”tone down” the drama queen and shift them away from 
  ”having gone bad”. Part of a drama queen’s problem is the ”bad acting” quotient. In games 
  where role-playing impacts the advancement (where role-playing modifies experience 
  earned), simply dialing down those players
  who are being ”bad actors”/ ”hams”/ or melodramatic soap stars, and letting them know it 
  is happening, will help reign them in from the extreme.
  Actors
  Many gamers with a role-playing emphasis begin to think of themselves as actors as rather 
  than mere players. These gamers are normally excellent role-players, who work with the 
  story and help the GM build it up. When this attitude goes to an extreme and ”Actor” must 
  be said with a snotty or haughty attitude, they tend to disrupt the game. Not in play mind 
  you, but with side conversations and complaints before and after the game. These Actors 
  have a distain for rules. They complain constantly and bitterly about ”the rules” that thwart 
  their artistic vision and ”that they can’t do what they feel they should be able to”. They are 
  constantly getting their characters in situations that they don’t have the skills and abilities 
  to get out of. This feeds the complaints cycle.
  DMing Advice
  
  6
  Silven Crossroads and the Silven Crossroads logo are trademarks ©2003 Kosala Ubayasekara
  All Rights Reserved.
  D&D / d20
  Normally these players are so focused upon the performance aspects, that they ignore the 
  ”rules aspect” of the game. They tend to avoid game situation that might require them to roll 
  dice or use
  rules. Because talking is their strength, they only want to talk out situations not wanting to 
  lower
  themselves to using dice. This also pushes them to chew on scenery and eschew conflict 
  because they can’t mechanically handle the dramatic scene. Most Actors only manage the 
  rules with help. One draconic method of stopping them is finding their co-dependent and 
  telling them to stop helping the actor with the rules. Sink or swim at that point. Better 
  methods are available. 
  One of the best methods to help an Actor is for the GM to get involved in their character 
  creation (or revision). The GM needs to walk the player though the game mechanics so they 
  know EXACTLY what their character is capable of. Once they have a clear idea of what their 
  character can and can
  not do, they can scale back their character conceptions to fit that. The player will also learn 
  what mechanics they actually want, not what they think they should have: You mean I don’t 
  want  professional skill healer, I want paramedic skill?. This process should increase their 
  satisfaction with their character. Once the process is complete, some of other methods are 
  more effective. Page noting, or writing down the page number for the given mechanic on the 
  character sheet, works well.  This makes it easy for the player to reference it and know what 
  they can do. The second is to run the actor through more tactical/rules oriented challenges. 
  Success in these situations will reinforce their confidence in the rules, de-emphasize their 
  dependence on acting, and get them back into ”the game”.
  Scripter
  Most role-playing emphasis gamers like to have detailed characters. Many of them store this 
  information in their head. Most write out detailed character histories. The best ones of these 
  are packed with telling details and weave elements of the other characters and the game 
  world into them. Others are merely long and filled with trivial details like ”hates all cheese 
  except American” (note: which are useless of the GM). People who write up detailed characters 
  often provide the GM with story lines they want to see their character in. Scripters start taking 
  this conception process to a less healthy extreme. They start turning in twenty plus page 
  character histories and more pages of character notes and cue cards. They begin to have a 
  ”vision” for their characters. They not only detail out their history, but their future. If the GM 
  does anything to the character that does not fit their ”script”, they will disrupt the game by 
  refusing to play out these scenes or even interact with the world. Example: Yes, I know I am 
  destined to marry her, but I am not supposed to meet her for three years after I have slain 
  the dragon. I can’t possibly meet her now? 
  The warning signs and the solution to Scripter issues are in their conception packets. The GM 
  needs to study their packets carefully. Use your red pen and root out everything that is future 
  dependent. Do not let them script their future, but only give you plot hooks that were attached 
  to their past. Remind them that they can make suggestions to the GM about the types of plot 
  lines they want, but it is a game and the GM needs to run it for everyone. 
  Role-play Nazis
  Some gamers with a role-play emphasis are just ”darn good”. They are everything you want in 
  a  role-player emphasis player. They assist in the story crafting and flow of the game. Having 
  them in play challenges the entire troupe to improve their gamecraft to keep up.  These 
  players are probably ex-GMs, GMs to be, or GMs on other nights. These players are a joy to 
  have, until they get one idea in their head—that certain players role-play is at an inexcusable 
  level. 
  Then it begins. 
  They begin by telling the GM how badly those people are playing. Soon it shifts to eye rolling 
  and snubs OOC. Eventually it becomes complaints about certain players before, after, and 
  during the game. ”They just CAN’T role-play,” they claim. They usually just focus on the worst 
  player, but sometimes they complain about the ”lower rung” of players in the group. 
  The solution to this is for them to put up or shut up. You assign them the ”bad role-player” as 
  a student. They are responsible for teaching their student how to role-play. They can help 
  them create character conceptions, creating cue cards/ character notes, help them in the 
  performance aspect of their gaming. (Normally the bad role-player is a power gamer or rules 
  monger, so this time mitigates their other bad habits.) The teacher’s experience or drama 
  rewards is impacted by how well their student does. This becomes a strong motivational force. 
  They either manage to
  DMing Advice
  
  7
  Silven Crossroads and the Silven Crossroads logo are trademarks ©2003 Kosala Ubayasekara
  All Rights Reserved. This article is the copyright of the author(s).
  teach the student better role-playing OR realize that role-playing is much harder to do than 
  they, the RP gamer, thought. 
  Something I have had personal success with is teaming up drama queens and actors with the 
  worst role-player in the group (usually the rules lawyer or power gamer). In this case, each 
  player is tasked with teaching the other player their specialty (the power gamer is taught to 
  role-play and the drama queen/ actor is taught to better utilize the rules). Both receive exp 
  based on the other’s performance in the given area. This can be tricky to set up and maintain, 
  but results in two players having better gamecraft.
  No one expects a role-player type gamer to disrupt a game. That is what makes them so 
  insidious and effective in doing it. When any gamer takes a game interest to an extreme, 
  ”going bad”, they can disrupt a game and even derail the campaign. The problems that role-
  players can generate are solvable. If the GM keeps an eye out for the warning signs, the 
  problems can be solved before they become real problems. This allows you to keep having 
  more of the good thing and not the good thing gone bad.
  Comment on this article here:
  Text only version here:
  http://www.silven.com/print.asp?case=article&camefrom=ezine&id=71
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  Humor
  by Kou and Ali
  DMing Advice
  
  8
  Silven Crossroads and the Silven Crossroads logo are trademarks ©2003 Kosala Ubayasekara
  All Rights Reserved.
  D&D / d20
  Everyone knows of the great classical composers of 
  history: Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Schubert, etc.  These 
  names are etched into people’s minds as being the 
  be all and end all of classical music.  But what about 
  contemporary classical music—has it dwindled into non-
  existence?  No, but classical music has dramatically 
  changed over the course of the last century.  Classical 
  music is no longer limited to a specific way of operating 
  or sounding.  An interesting term is being used on the 
  Internet message boards, including at http://www.soun
  dtrackcentral.com --Freeform Classical.  This is a perfect 
  term to describe most Console RPG soundtracks as well 
  as new film scores.  What classical music has become 
  is music not confined to the traditional instruments 
  of the past.  Rather experimentation is expected and 
  encouraged.  Console RPG music, especially arranged 
  albums, is highly reflective of this trend.  
  While not all console RPG soundtracks are classical in 
  style, the majority of Arranged soundtracks are.  There 
  are three types of main arranged OST (Original Sound 
  Track): fully orchestrated, vocal, and piano.  There are 
  also rock, jazz and other types of arrangements, but 
  most arranged music is of the three types described 
  above.  What an arranged OST is is the original source 
  song transposed and transformed into a new song.  The 
  core of the song remains the same but new elements 
  are added to create, for the most part, a non-sythesized 
  version.  The most well known company that puts out 
  a large number of arranged OST’s is Squareenix, or 
  rather Digicube, a subdivision of Squareenix which has 
  recently declared bankruptcy.  Square’s OSTs will be the 
  focus of this article.
  Personally, I believe that fully orchestral OSTs are by 
  far the best type one can get.  Square has done a great 
  job in the past with fully orchestrated tracks but the 
  releases are few and far between, and I can only recall 
  of two arranged albums released in the last six or so 
  years.  The Final Fantasy VII Reunion album, which only 
  had three fully orchestrated tracks: One-Winged Angel, 
  Main Theme, and Aeris’ theme, and Final Fantasy VIII 
  – Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec, which has thirteen tracks 
  of fully orchestrated goodness.  The Dragon Quest 
  (Dragon Warrior in North America) series has also had 
  quite a few fully orchestrated albums released.  
  Fully orchestrated albums add depth to any track that 
  was previously synthesizer only.  ”Full-bodied” tracks 
  are an excellent way to describe these tracks.  With 
  the advent of new technology, releasing arranged 
  fully orchestral albums is becoming less common as 
  the original soundtracks themselves are becoming 
  increasingly fully orchestral.  Two good example of this 
  are the Xenosaga soundtrack, composed by Yasunori 
  Mitsuda and the Star Ocean III soundtrack composed 
  by Motoi Sakuraba.  About half the tracks of each are 
  fully orchestrated or appear to be fully orchestrated as 
  the line between real instruments and synthesizers is 
  becoming increasingly blurred.  There are also many 
  non-RPG soundtracks that are becoming orchestral, 
  or at least inspired by orchestral instruments and the 
  history of classical music.  Hitman 2, composed by 
  Jesper Kyd and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, 
  primarily composed by Harry Gregson-Williams, a film 
  composer, are two such examples.
  A second type of arranged album is of the vocal sort.  
  Vocal collections are just as rare as fully orchestrated.  
  Vocal collections can take two forms: lyrical albums or 
  drama albums.  Lyrical albums, such as Final Fantasy 
  : Pray, Final Fantasy: Love Will Grow, and Valkyrie 
  Profile Voice Mix, can create quite a distinct effect for 
  each track.  As the albums come almost exclusively 
  from Japan, the language used is primarily Japanese.   
  But again there is a trend towards other languages 
  being used.  For example, English is used for some but 
  Latin and other languages are becoming increasingly 
  popular.  As players of the Final Fantasy series well 
  know, Square has decided to include a vocal theme, 
  tending to be associated with the love subplot between 
  the male and female lead, to each new Final Fantasy 
  from Final Fantasy VIII on.  While these tracks make 
  some players cringe, lyrical tracks do add a certain 
  depth and character to a particular scene that would 
  have otherwise lacked certain elements had that track 
  not been used.  Lyrical vocal collections can be quite 
  beautiful provided the singer does a decent job.  The 
  other type of vocal albums are drama albums.  These 
  albums usually consist of the narrative or pieces of it 
  spoken within the game or read by voice actors.  Drama 
  albums are like the radio-dramas of yesteryear.
  The third and final type of arranged OST’s are Piano 
  arrangements.  Piano arrangements are just that, tracks 
  are reworked for Piano.  Piano tracks can add quite 
  a nice amount of intensity to a track or it can make 
  the track tremendously bland.  The caliber of these 
  tracks is highly contingent on who is playing, where 
  it is being recorded, the quality of the piano, and the 
  quality of the arrangement.  There are some tracks 
  that just do not work well in piano.  I find that Piano 
  tracks are an acquired taste as they may appear to be 
  somewhat bland at the beginning but upon repeated 
  listening of the tracks one is able to hear the intricacies 
  that exist in the work.  A couple good examples of 
  piano arrangements are Final Fantasy VII: Piano 
  Collections, and Final Fantasy X: Piano Collections.  
  These two albums especially demonstrate how to do 
  piano arrangements right.  The older albums in the 
  Final Fantasy: Piano Collections series seem rather 
  unprofessional when compared to the newer albums.
  Classical music has changed much over the last 
  century and video games are one of the keys to this 
  change.  Film scores and video game music need 
  to be recognized as true classical music rather then 
  constantly being referred to as merely filler.  Music is an 
  important element of any movie or game and listening 
  to the soundtrack outside of the film or game should 
  not be viewed askew.  Arranged console RPG music is 
  an excellent way in which video game music can gain 
  legitimacy with mainstream audiences.  It is still a ways 
  off, though, before video games get the respect as an 
  art form that they deserve.
  CRPG
  Unnoticed and Underappreciated Part 2: An Introduction to Arranged RPG 
  Music  
   
   
   
  by Angus Mcblane
  author’s email: amcblane@shaw.ca
  
  9
  Silven Crossroads and the Silven Crossroads logo are trademarks ©2003 Kosala Ubayasekara
  All Rights Reserved.
  D&D / d20
  The Invaders
  by Kosala Ubayasekara
  Author’s note: I wish to acknowledge that inspiration for this short story came from a sci-fi short story that I 
  read many years ago. It was so long ago that I neither remember the author nor the title of the piece.
  Tyr Damo stood on the stone battlements of the city outskirts and gazed at the horizon beyond. Dawn was 
  creeping over the desert and the morning winds were catching trails of sand on the topmost ridges of dune 
  crests, whipping it gracefully across the ground. Tyr Damo loved the sand dunes of his homeland. Normally, 
  he would stand here each morning and watch the sun creep from the distance and take over the sky, and he 
  would know a great sense of calm and peace. That was before the monsters came.
  For the last week, he had awoken each morning to greet the fearful anticipation that only happens on the eve 
  of battle. For days now they had battled the invaders that launched themselves at the city gates and its walls 
  as if possessed by an evil whose only aim was destroying everything in its path. Every day Tyr Damo and his 
  warriors had beaten the monsters back to keep the city safe.
  The old warrior took another moment to savour the warm winds caressing his bare body before climbing down 
  a ladder to meet up with his lieutenants. Long hair, grown white over the years, flowed down to his shoulders 
  and at his belt hung two large battle axes. Cloth breaches provided ventilated cover against the dry winds 
  for his lower body. Tyr Damo was a massive warrior, his age not having diminished his tough physique or 
  weakening the corded muscles that silhouetted his body. Nonetheless, the warriors of the city of Caralas Haven 
  had more reasons than these to respect their leader. He was the one that showed them that only in peace did 
  communities thrive and how to work together for the common good. He was revered both for his prowess as 
  a warrior and his skill as a civil administrator. Civilization came to Caralas Haven only because Tyr Damo had 
  bought it. The city’s farming and agriculture, trade and commerce were built upon the ideals that Tyr Damo 
  had drilled into them. “Work together and prosper together,” he had said. And he had been right. He was the 
  father of their way of life and they would fight with him to preserve it.
  Tyr Damo looked with pride at the young faces that gazed at him. Inexperienced maybe, but they fought for 
  their families and their land with the skill that only someone defending his home knew how to muster. He 
  stopped briefly to watch a neighbour’s wife hustle a youngster into the safety of a hut as others rushed to set 
  up water and food pipelines to keep the warriors fed and watered during the coming day’s battle. Tyr Damo and 
  his troops had managed to keep the invaders from entering the city proper, forcing them to restrict themselves 
  to battling outside the walls. Better weapons and superior tactics had enabled the vastly outnumbered 
  inhabitants of Caralas Haven to keep the attacking monsters at bay.
  The old warrior signalled to the guards on the walls to commence the long range attacks. The first volley 
  of fire-englufed stoneballs launched themselves from shoulder mounted ejector units and sped towards the 
  invaders laying siege below. The monsters did not seem to have any long range weapons that were effective, 
  but they made up for it by mad tenacity and sheer numbers. But those numbers had dwindled to less than half 
  over the previous days of battle and Tyr Damo aimed to make this the last.
  A howl of anger and pain emerged from the invading horde as they fled amongst themselves to escape the fire 
  stoneballs. Tyr Damo signalled the opening of the gate and the warriors of Caralas Haven stormed out of the 
  gates and waded into the fray. The old warrior, leading the charge himself, wasted no time in opening a path 
  in the clot of the enemy in front of them. His mighty arms swung his battle axes in practiced concert coming in 
  first high and then low. The invaders he came up against were battle heartened and skilled but the old warriors 
  skills were up to the task each time.
  Dale Damo, the burly first lieutenant of the Caralas Haven defenders, sped past him with a smile and a battle 
  cry on his lips, barraging into an armoured enemy with such force that the unsuspecting invader was lifted 
  from the ground and flung backwards. Everywhere Tyr Damo looked the defenders were prevailing. Even the 
  younger and more inexperienced of his army proved to be a match for the invaders.
  Until the sun was high over the sky they fought. Once the invaders had recovered from the surprise of the 
  defenders coming out to them, they began to work in more cohesive units and started putting up some 
  resistance. But the city defenders, with superior weapons and skills were a proving to be fierce adversaries. 
  When at last Tyr Damo stood before the chieftain of the invading monsters both panting and sweat drenched, 
  many bodies lay littering the desert around them. Blood seeped into the ground to vanish in the depths of the 
  sand below their feet, and the noon sun beat down hotly as if challenging them both to take it on. The invading 
  chieftain looked up at the sun and let out a sound in a language that Tyr Damo did not understand. The 
  chieftain hoisted his sword up slowly and charged forward into the last battle he would ever fight.
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  Tyr Damo threw one his axes at the oncoming figure, who smartly dodged to one side. Faster than the chieftain 
  could expect Tyr Damo followed with his second axe, coming in low and spinning on a  heel, putting all his weight 
  into the downward slice. The chieftain found himself hurling forward by the momentum of his charge and landed 
  hard on the hot sand. It was in his mouth and nose and he found it hard to breathe. He tried to stand, but his 
  legs…where were his legs? He looked up in time to see the blade come down between his eyes. It was all over for 
  him then.
  All around the defenders of Caralas Haven lifted an arm in cheer. Inside the city gates women and children rejoiced 
  and poured out of their huts to tend to the wounded and begin the restoration of their home.
  Tyr Damo looked down at the body at his feet. What were these strange monsters that would give them no peace? 
  What drove these to attack us time and time again for no purpose than to conquer or destroy? Barbaric. Look at 
  them… only two arms and two legs and not even a decent shade of purple.
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  Fiction
  
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  Rebels in the Dungeon - Part 2
  by Raymond Huling
  Synopsis: In Part I, we saw the young boy, Qamus, who had hired a number of guards and assassins to 
  accompany him, treat with the mysterious Skullards, a quintet of strangely attired (or unattired) women, in 
  an abandoned cathedral.  One member of the boy’s company had been tasked to steal an object for these 
  Skullards, but was followed back to the church by some sort of demonic presence.  The women handled this 
  interruption and concluded their bargain with the boy.  While the transaction itself remains opaque to his troop, 
  they have continued to follow him southward, towards the desert lands…
  Deep in the undercrofts of the famous serai in the city of Palmyra, behind arras after arras, down twisting 
  hallways warmly lit by cressets in which there burns oil scented with eugenin, lie pools and baths of clear, fresh 
  water, inaccessible to all but the wealthy.  From the largest and hottest of these lavatoria, a trail of steaming 
  footprints leads across black marble and tiles patterned in abstract mosaics only to disappear in the depths of 
  an intricately woven carpet of red- and gold-dyed wool.  This carpet covers the floor of a chamber grand, not 
  in size, but in decorative opulence, and in the midst of its dense confusion of gilt and mirrors, sunk profoundly 
  in the cushions of a giant divan, splays Ghlaf, huge and enormously ugly, the figure of a man carved crudely by 
  war.  All his callosities are naked to the silks, and his skin smarts from the calefacients the louting bond-maids 
  had used to enhance their massages.  He found their ministrations intensely pleasurable—when they scraped 
  at his scall or scrubbed with their little brushes at his great burls of knuckle-bone, his eyes misted over with 
  delight.  Nor did he complain when their fingers advanced nimbly down the path of his arousal.  But he’d sent 
  them all away now, in order to rest his aging carcass in anticipation of his favorite’s arrival, a courtesan soon to 
  come with all the ease and appurtenances of familiarity.  He let his eyes close.
  When he awoke, Ghlaf found his circumstances conforming to his expectations, to the word of his demands. 
  Over the hearth, a brandreth had been raised, and from it there depended a pot in which an infusion of several 
  types of leaves and seeds had just begun to boil.  This was a decoction carefully attended by a lean and dusky 
  man of about thirty, in his dress and mien of that sad beauty proper to a slave with the grace of a prince. He 
  turned from his potioning to raise the lid of an athanor, in the egg of which he placed a small, frangible block 
  composed of an opiate.  Leaving this to melt, he began to ladle the tisane from the pot through a filter into 
  a large ceramic cup, reserving just a little to add to the drug in the athanor’s retort.  With tongs, he swirled 
  the fluid in the tiny glass receptacle and poured it into the cup as well.  Over it all he squeezed the juice from 
  several fat black berries and, at last, sucked his fingers clean.  Ghlaf stirred and smiled; the dark young man 
  rose and brought the drink to him. 
  ”Why do you answer to a child?”
  Old Ghlaf paused at his cup, then drank shallowly and looked away.  
  ”You are the great ‘aqid of the north, every winter, when the demons come down from the mountains, you 
  lead your people against them, you drive them off, chase them back to their caves. Why do you now follow this 
  boy?”
  ”Winter has come to me too, Karis.”
  ”No”—the younger man shook his head, as he took the vessel from Ghlaf’s huge hand—”no, you have aged like 
  a hunter, and you deserve better than this mal’un”—this word troubled the soldier’s brow; his face creased and 
  folded, dug shadows deep within itself.
  ”What have you heard?  Who has called him this?”
  ”They say he is cursed.”  Karis shrugged, as if so simple a judgement needed no explanation, as if it differed in 
  no way from an attribution of height or hue.
  ”Who says?”
  ”All the voices of the souk…you know this happens; they say that the brogældor took him from his father.  And 
  that he has been taught to consort with devils.”
  As Karis was speaking, Ghlaf dropped his head to his chest.  Everything that he’d paid for his prostitute, he 
  realized had become no more than a crown on the pile of coins of other masters.  This man couldn’t possibly 
  have come to these concerns on his own; his Karis had been bought. The boy’s fate had come to depend on his 
  bruised and bitten lips, and he pressed them together now, whitened them with anger.  Why not tear himself 
  from this tangle of loyalties?  Why not whisper away the conspiracies that have drawn close to him?
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  ”The boy’s gold keeps me warm; but it’s true; they took him” Ghlaf said as Karis settled back into a chair, away 
  from this man who had been flesh to flesh with one who has walked in hell.  However much he’d sold himself to 
  the depravities of the rich, in order to leave behind the indignities of the poor, he had not been able to trade away 
  the peasant superstitions inculcated in him by his grandmothers.  He lived and breathed at that moment but one 
  degree from damnation.
  ”When I was young, your janissaries used to raid my village from time to time, until we made you wiser; once, 
  they took a boy about my age, not my friend, but I knew him; we didn’t get him back until four or five days later; 
  you know what they did to him in that time; often that sort of trial breaks a man for his whole life, and sometimes 
  it fills him with steel; the boy from my village died meek years some time after that, but two hundred years ago, 
  the same thing happened to one of the guthweardes, a prince, in fact; only they had him for several months 
  before his ransom; you know what wrath he had when he took his kingship.”
  ”Kaziglu Bey.”
  ”Yes, the Lord Impaler—”Ghlaf leaned forward until Karis could smell on the veteran the crude soap the women 
  had washed him with; the warrior hated perfumes, ”—this boy, all that the brogældor did to him, they might as 
  well have done nothing at all.  He leads us and he pays us and he knows more than he should, but he laughs, 
  Karis; he has no…marks. He bears no curse of any kind—” Ghlaf gestured emptily, ”—you would never know him 
  from his peers.”
  ”They say he sold his soul”
  Ghlaf nodded,  ”He did, he did. Somewhere in there, in the halls of the brogældor, he met a young girl, one taken 
  just like him. They planned to get out together, and they made a pact”—sweat slicked in Karis’s fists—”Two teen-
  aged lovers who sold their souls.”
  ”For what? What did they get in exchange?” Karis said as he wrung his hands.
  ”He did it for money…just money; I don’t know much about her; I know he betrayed her in order to get free, and 
  that it doesn’t seem to bother him.”
  ----
  After two weeks’ travel in the desert, the northwoodsman alone of the Valtese boy’s company remained a mystery 
  to Hazim and to the other Hammalun.  It didn’t suit them to bear the burdens of a man whom they’d shared no 
  coffee with, to carry the water of one who hadn’t drunk theirs. But, out of pity, they made allowances:  he had a 
  sick wife.  Not that they’d seen anything of her, as she’d been shrouded for the duration of the journey; but camp 
  talk had brought her illness to light, if not her looks, and they pitied the man.
  They wondered at him as well:  none of the other women veiled themselves. They exposed their faces to all 
  the men—at least, whenever the sun relented enough to permit them so to do.  But they’d been introduced as 
  warrior-maids of the North, a kind of third sex they’d heard stories of before, which mean that even the ghazu, 
  the brother-warriors to mere porters such as Hazim, curdled at the thought of touching their alien skin.  These 
  women-not-women lived beyond their desires and beyond their prejudice—not so the mysterious one beneath 
  the northron’s cloth;  her they understood and, while they looked sympathetically at the solemn foreigner, as he 
  ministered to his ailing partner, they envied him as well. They spoke and speculated with each other as to her 
  condition, some claiming that she must suffer from terrible disfigurement, but most allowing themselves the sweet 
  torment of the fable that they had amongst them one of those witches of such beauty that it would kill a man to 
  look on her—why else would an outland bride take up their custom?  The stranger had no voice to tell them.
  Yet, here the man stood, for the first time unoccupied, almost errant, as the twilight cold swept up from the sand 
  and stone, as Hazim slogged back to his tent, having hobbled the few camels and earned his diversion at last.  He 
  didn’t know what to say.  
  They had settled on ar-raa’id as a moniker for him, because they’d learned that he’d wandered greatly in his life—
  this explained how he’d won such a peculiar and impressive woman, and they knew that he served the boy Qamus 
  as a kind of guide.  No one knew his name, nor had anyone attempted to call him by this new one, for his wife’s 
  sickness could have made him volatile.  Hazim, however, had been drinking for some time.
  ”Arraa’id…ah..gud eeveeneen tu yu.”
  The liquor fumed heavily on his breath, but ar-raa’id didn’t seem to mind. He smiled at the young badwaa, then 
  gestured at the man’s wineskin, ”arak-abbalah? ila ayn tethhub ma’al-arak-abbalah?”
  The stunned the half-drunk man said, ”na’am!” (you speak our language!)
  Ar-raa’id grinned broadly and said, ”So do you.”
  Fiction
  
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  ”All this time! we never would have guessed it!  what the hell!”  Hazim shook his head to clear it.  He now had the 
  opportunity to provide the answers to certain questions; his friends would enjoy this a great deal.  ”I’ll tell you 
  where I’m going with this date-wine!  We porters are getting drunk!  Come to the tent!  Drink with us!  You have 
  been the most mysterious of our guests, and now we’ll see who you are!”
  He grabbed the smiling northman and tugged him to the four-post black house of goat-hair panels that sheltered 
  the dozen and a half Hammalun.
  ”Look at this!” He shouted, ”Look whom I’ve brought!  Samar, get him a cup!  and listen to him!  he speaks the 
  language like an imam!”  
  They all drew up in surprise. ”Impossible!—What in hell!—Hazim! You’ve always been a liar! Why would you say 
  such a thing!”  Their protestations continued, though many of them quickly and furiously tried, meantime, to 
  remember if they had said anything insulting within earshot of the man.  
  ”Say something raa’id!  Tell them they are fools!”  Hazim said.
  ”But Hazim, my new friend, that would be ungracious, to say such a thing.”
  ”God! It’s true!”
  This overjoyed them; with a single mind, but with many, many voices they insisted he sit and drink and, above 
  all, speak with them.  This he did with perfect eloquence:  he remarked on the good quality of their wine and 
  the rightness of the measure of their vessels; he admired the roof panels of their tent, all of them he observed, 
  spun from long and unmixed hair.  Nothing could have pleased them more than for this foreigner with the gifted 
  tongue to have recognized this surest sign of their success; the older men, especially, regarded him with renewed 
  warmth—but this reaction seemed as nothing when compared with the delight they expressed when he implied his 
  status as a poet.
  ”Came one black night gliding the darkness walker…slept the soldiers who the horned hall secured, all but one.” So 
  ar-raa’id recited for them a verse of poetry from the north, to which they responded with unhidden displeasure.
  ”You talk backwards!” They cried, and then inquired as to whether all northern talk followed the same twisted path.
  ”No, no, we do that only sometimes in our songs, just as your cousins in the cities dignify their poems with rare 
  words, so we distinguish ours with…well, with that.”
  ”We hate the city! To hell with our cousins!  You need to learn the odes of the desert!  You learn for the first time 
  the real taste and color of coffee; you feel the fire in the blood of the justly vengeful man; and you know the gall of 
  love!”
  Ar’raa’id drank deeply as they lectured him, then spat in the fire to quiet them down and said, ”Your hospitality has 
  made me brave, my friends!  But do you think yourselves the first to have swollen my liver with date-wine? I know 
  your poetry; I have listened to those who know many stories and their lessons have served me well. My friends, I 
  don’t mind telling you that a few of your least songs, a few riddles even saved my life!”
  All of this aligned quite closely with the ritualised introductions to a story-telling that they had been taught to 
  respect, since before they became men; their quiet took on the intensity of an expectant audience.   
  He began, ”It happened years ago, when I traveled through the mountain country far to the north, even of my 
  homeland. You have heard the stories of the giants that live there. Look at me; you see that I am no warrior; but 
  I am yet a man, and I will tell you how I killed one of these giants myself. I had stopped to rest my wandering feet 
  at a small mining town—you know what I mean by mines because from them comes the ore that city—folk render 
  into steel, which you win from them. In this town, I ate and drank my fill and told tales to the miners and mingled 
  among them; and thus I came to see the most beautiful of their maiden daughters, the fairest woman I have ever 
  seen in all of my life.
  ”I resolved to have her, of course, to make my intentions known to her that very night, a night before a day of rest 
  and so a night of celebration and feast.
  ”Among all those who sang and danced between the fires, I showed myself the best, the most admirable, and I 
  saw that I had won her eye. I let my voice ring out above all the others, and there you see I made my mistake, my 
  friends. For the giants of the outer darkness, they hate all music, and my song had found the ears of one of their 
  worst, a bastard of the earth, his shoulders blacked out the stars above the trees, and he came hungry into our 
  circle of light.
  ”He swept up the townsfolk left and right, devouring them, swallowing them whole, pushing their hands and feet 
  past his hairy lips. He came close on my new love, and she wept and cried with fear. Knowing aught else to do, I 
  sang to him, I sang the cruelest of my taunting songs as mightily as I could, and slowly, word by word, I drew his 
  wrath away from her and upon myself. And then the chase began.
  Fiction
  
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  ”I slipped down the scarp of the forested hills and he rumbled behind me, snapping great trunks like reeds. Before 
  too long, I felt his fingernails tearing at my back—but at the last instant I came upon one of the pits of the mine, 
  a great wide hole, and I tumbled into it. He came down with me, crushing boulders, splintering stone; his weight 
  caused him to stumble, and I took my chance to slip into one of the black tunnels leading into the hill, one just a 
  little too small for him.
  ”Then the real game began.  He pounded at the entrance, and I mocked him further. Ft may be known to you 
  that these giants love riddles dearly; it is quite something among their kind to be considered a riddle-master and 
  I chose this as my way to enrage him further. I teased him with your riddles.  ‘Great stupid one!’  I called to him, 
  ‘Answer me this riddle and I’ll come out for you to eat me! Or you can pound the rocks ‘til the end of time, you 
  lumpen oaf!’
  ”He stopped beating against the hill, so I guessed that he had accepted. I said, ‘Seven ones named I ask—”
  ”The days of the week!”—one of the Hammalun cried out—”I was going to say that! I knew it too!”
  ”Yes, well, the giant didn’t know it, of course, but you could’ve let me finish it, as he did.”—Ar-raa’id admonished 
  them only lightly and with a smile, he continued, ”We don’t number our days as you do, and this left the giant at 
  a disadvantage.  Nothing could have infuriated him more; he roared and thrashed and clawed at the tunnel, even 
  crawling in a little way to try to get at me, but I hadn’t finished with him; I raised my voice and said, I ask you for 
  five of a lofty—”
  ”The five daily prayers! ha!” The men shouted.
  ”Let him finish! he’s telling the story!”
  Ar-raa’id let the older men take the younger to task for being a bad audience, laughing only into his cup.
  ”Go on, go on, Ar-raa’id…we’re listening to you.”
  ”Well, of course, the giants don’t know your gods, and so they know nothing of the prayers. Once again, he tore at 
  the walls of the mineshaft and pushed himself further towards me. The darkness in there came to be filled with his 
  stench; I could smell the blood of those good townspeople on his breath. But I had another riddle for him. ‘I ask 
  you for something that fills horses and she-camels with joy and cheers all the desert lands with love…fair women 
  laugh for it…while anxiety for it brings even the male sand-grouse down from the sky.’”
  ”Surely he knew that one, ar-raa’id!  Even the giants must have children!”
  ”They do, they do, my friend, but no giant of the north knows the sand-grouse or the camel, and I scorned him for 
  his ignorance. I tortured him and he strove for me; he pulled himself deeper and deeper into the tunnel, tearing 
  off his hide, splitting his fingers. I had only to take a few steps out of his reach and mock him once more; he made 
  one last lunge at me and brought the hill down on himself, and almost on me! Almost, but I’d gotten myself out 
  of the way-only to find myself  trapped! Trapped without hope, my friends; I slumped to the ground, it seems that 
  he’d beaten me, too, in his own giantish way, and I decided to give up and die right there in the darkness next to 
  him, but then the sounds of the collapse and of his death throes faded from my ears.
  ”Without light, I began to listen quite carefully, despite my resolution to quit life beside my foe. After a time, 
  I began to think that I heard a far-off music, a song natural and sweet. In the end, I figured that it made no 
  difference whether I died a little further away from the giant, so I set off to follow this unseen sparrow. This I did 
  for a day and maybe more; it became like a ghost of a thread to me and I followed it carefully in my blindness, 
  ever falling and stumbling, but ever rising anew.
  ”My friends, don’t you know that it was she who sang to me?  I followed her voice out of my tomb and back under 
  the stars; for a night and a day and into the night she sang for me, this woman whom I barely knew but loved, 
  and she led me out of the mine.”
  ”Well!  What happened to her!” They cried in unison.
  ”She is my wife of course!”
  The wanderer left the men to nod off in the tent, as dawn prepared to burst out of the night and over the sands.  
  He slipped under a couple of the guy-ropes, remarking that they’d been secured, not with iron or wood, but in the 
  traditional way, with oryx horn.  
  The boy Qamus had insisted that each tent burn outside of it a light of some sort, a lantern or a torch.  He didn’t 
  know but that some occasion may arise in which he needed to rouse a group of raiders or porters during the night.  
  Ar-raa’id stood now beside the small pot that had been given duty as a brazier.  Its embers had nearly lost all their 
  warmth, but he whispered to them a few fiery words, and they soon began to glow, almost with delight.  He drew 
  from beneath his cloak a long, inward-curving knife, a khukuri; his wife’s weapon.  It had a finely seriated edge, 
  Fiction
  
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  which he quickly drew across the nearest ropes, collapsing a corner of the tent.  He then kicked up the brazier, so 
  that its now searing, red coals disseminated across the hairy tent-walls.  He pulled up one of the oryx-stakes—the 
  last craft of theirs that he had admired before betraying them—and moved on to the rest of the camp.
  The desert had withered Simo at the core, but left her skin unmarred. She remained to all appearance as supple as 
  a willow over spring—or she would have seemed so, could they have allowed her to be seen.  What they would do 
  to these desert raiders, however, they would facilitate by maintaining her in mystery.  As it happened, her disguise 
  revealed the condition that her face did not:  she staggered beneath her veils, turned in her steps like a branch 
  in the wind.  Qamus had come for her this night all the same.  West of the tents, they huddled together, his three 
  bodyguards watching, Ghlaf with some concern.  ”I lied to my favourite whore for you, Harra; and now we’ll kill the 
  men who guide us.”
  ”Yays” Quamus said.  The boy liked the old man; he enjoyed bantering with him and would have tried again to 
  explain why their mission necessitated these murders, but he had no time—dawn would come suddenly.  
  Simo handed her small knife to him, a strange affair molded from a single piece of some translucent material.  
  Qamus held it carefully in his brown hands;  he knew weapon’s secrets and mistrusted to cut himself—not out 
  of concern for his own delicacy, but for the knife’s.  She had collected the sap from a single species of plant, a 
  common one in her homeland, and refined it, boiled it down to a base, to which she added juice from a pungent 
  root.  This mixture she had heated again, to the point where it obtained the maximum hardness available to it.  
  She shaped the blade as it cooled, then sharpened it on a very fine whetstone, honing it with her tongue—for, 
  of course, the recipe deviated in no way other than form from that known to the peasants for centuries—she’d 
  shaped a dagger out of candy.
  The boy positioned the blade in a direction propitious to the conduction of certain energies, the habits of which had 
  been imparted to him by the studies he’d been forced to undertake.  He whispered over it a traditional greening of 
  the men with whom they traveled—qawm willaa ssahhib.  Then her returned the knife to Simo’s unsteady fingers.  
  By the creed of her clan, her weapon would break with her blow; she would either kill or leave herself open to 
  death.  Silently, almost without disturbing the sand, she shuffled into the darkness.
  Qamus didn’t watch after her.  He knew that someday, someone would know, and that they would begin to call 
  him traitor, qamus arradis-sum’a.  But everything he did, he did in order to rescue his lost love; and, in his own 
  purpose, what could that not justify?
  Fiction
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  Vision 3: Winter Festivals of Europe
  People have always sought meaning for natural events and an opportunity to have a good time.  Festivals marked 
  important events, such as Winter Solstice, and people celebrated during the festivals.  This vision looks at some of 
  the European winter festivals from ancient history.
  Part I - The History
  For as long as people have known that the Winter Solstice was the shortest day of the year, it has been a focal 
  point for winter celebrations.  The return to lengthening days has been interpreted as the triumph of the Sun, the 
  rebirth of the world and other positive things, a sign that winter would not last forever.  The vast majority of such 
  traditions have been lost in the mists of prehistory and we only have echoes of what they once were.
  The Winter Solstice was often tied to the victory of the Sun over darkness, showing that once again the Sun’s 
  light would return to warm the world and free it from the dark and cold of winter.  The cults of Sol Invictus (the 
  Unconquered Sun) and Mithris both used their Solstice festivals for this purpose.  Symbols of stars, the sun and 
  candles at this time of year may reflect these traditions.
  The Winter Solstice is a time when the evil spirits are driven from the world.  We have memories of such traditions 
  in events as the “knocking nights” in Bavaria where children dress up in masks and go from house to house 
  reciting rhymes starting with ‘Knock’ (Klopf an in German) and making noise with bells, stick and similar objects.  
  All of this to drive away evil spirits and in reward for their efforts the children get candies or money by those living 
  in the houses.
  The Celts certainly celebrated the Winter Solstice as it marked the rebirth of the sun and marked ‘the shortest 
  day’ (or ‘the darkest midnight’); it was one of the four fire festivals marking the equinoxes and solstices.  Winter 
  Solstice was cause for celebration, since it meant the journey toward Spring would now begin.  But as the Celts 
  had no written tradition, we know little of the Celtic ceremonies or rituals tied to the Winter Solstice.  However, 
  at Newgrange in County Meath, Ireland, there is an ancient tomb covered with beautiful artwork, which remains 
  in darkness for much of the year.  But once a year, on the Winter Solstice, the tomb fills with light to reveal the 
  beautiful artwork on the walls.  Such a site certainly implies that the Irish Celts did consider this time particularly 
  important.
  Greenery, plants, evergreens, holly, oak and others are all used to symbolize the return of the Sun and the 
  approach of Spring.  Thoughts and theories about which plant symbolizes what and originates from what tradition 
  abound.  In any case, they are symbols of new life and warmer days ahead.
  For the Romans, the major winter festival was Saturnalia, beginning on the 17th of December.  Saturn was the titan 
  overthrown by Jupiter (Zeus) who then became king of the gods.  Saturnalia marked the end of saving resources 
  for winter and was a time of feasting and celebrating. The festival began with a formal sacrifice at the temple of 
  Saturn, guardian of the public treasury.  Followed by a festive banquet in front of the temple.  People dressed 
  informally, wearing pilei (soft caps), where there was unrestrained feasting amongst shouts of “Io Saturnalia!”  
  Saturnalia lasted until the 23rd of December with the days spent in relaxation and feasting, courts and schools 
  were closed, punishments were postponed and life was good.
  Saturnalia was also a time to celebrate Saturn, the ‘lord of misrule.’ Slaves were served by their masters and 
  children ran households.  It was a time for celebration with friends, public parties and revelry.  On the last day of 
  Saturnalia gifts were given.  The gifts were items such as: Strenae--fruits that were supposed to confer good luck 
  for the coming year.  Later fruits gave way to cakes and other tokens that served the same purpose.  Sigillaria, 
  small pottery dolls, were presented in sacrifice for atonement to Saturn and in memory of the ancestors.  Cerei, 
  candles to symbolize the light driving away the darkness, were another popular gift.
  A common theme of winter celebrations are special foods made for the occasion, from American turkey to the 
  British Christmas goose (as celebrated in Dickens A Christmas Carol) to special breads and sweets made just for 
  the celebrations.  It was also a time for drink, from brandy and ale to spiced elderberry wine, possets (a drink 
  made of hot milk curdled with ale or wine and flavored with spices), wassail (spiced ale or wine) and spiked 
  eggnog, alcohol has always been important to warm celebrants on those chill winter nights.
  Through the Lens of History: Using History 
  for Better Gaming
  a monthly column by Sean Holland
  General RPG
  author’s email: knightoflillies@netscape.net
  
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  Part II- Breaking It Apart and Putting It Back Together
  Adding such universal festivals as Winter Solstice may help to enrich the background of a game world, adding 
  depth and texture to the world.
  Festivals are always a good time to meet people and get together with old friends.  But beyond the role-playing 
  possibilities:
  A ‘knocking night’ group of children might encounter an evil spirit who is not afraid of their noises and songs, a 
  rescue would be in order.
  A wealthy merchant seeks to impress the King with lavish gifts and hires the characters to fetch unique foods and 
  gifts for the Winter celebration.
  Perhaps the legends of the gods fighting back the darkness are not legends but the truth, and this year the gods 
  need the characters help to defeat the darkness.  This could be as minor as protecting a shrine from desecration or 
  as epic as fighting beside the gods, as suits the campaign.
  A short vision this time.  I hope that all of you fine readers had a wonderful Winter Holiday season, whatever your 
  faith and traditions.
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  All Rights Reserved.
  With New Year’s Day coming and people across the world making New Year’s resolutions, I began thinking about 
  whether I should make any resolutions this year.  Undoubtedly, I make a resolution every other year to transform 
  my body into that of an idealized roman statue.  For 2004, I will make resolutions that I can keep.
  My Player Resolutions:
  Resolution #1: I resolve to write a one-page background for Gregor that explains his humility and suspicions.
  ”Hi, I’m Gregor, the white, anglo-saxon cleric of Torm!”  I have to admit that I have recently been playing a 
  character that has virtual no background written for him.  My character does have a personality; he’s humble and 
  suspicious of characters that hold different beliefs than he does.
  Resolution #2: I resolve to only advise the DM only when it is urgent or when I know that he is open to outside 
  input.
  As a former DM and an occasionally anal-retentive person, it can be hard for me to simply let go and not say 
  anything when someone else is the storyteller or Dungeon Master.  It is difficult to hold your tongue when you 
  think the DM is making a seemingly obvious error with the rules or with the management of the campaign.  My 
  advice here is to know your DM; some DMs are prideful and stubborn and resent any input, while other DMs are 
  more even-keeled and can put their emotions aside for the betterment of the game.
  Just like you cannot change a person, you cannot change a Dungeon Master.  
  The DM’s style will remain the same regardless of your objections.  DMs will, over time, learn new tricks if the go 
  online or read Dragon Magazine to better their DMing skills.  Though they may learn more tricks, their style will not 
  change.  I once had a DM that was bent on exploiting the rules to make fights extra hard for the PCs and then he 
  would chide the players after the fight if they struggled.  It was not fun for me to be a player when he DM’d, so I 
  left his game.
  I have played with a couple of very experienced DMs who occasionally look to me for rules and other advice - 
  though I’m not even that good with the rules.  They have been DMing for a while, so they are good about sending 
  out signals when they want input.
  Resolution #3: I resolved then and resolve again to not tell another player how to play their character except for 
  when they ask me.
  Following GenCon 2003, I DM’d an Arcana Unearthed game through the 
  Siege on Ebonring Keep mini-campaign (Mystic Eye Games).  After that, someone else in the group started 
  up a Forgotten Realms campaign where I played the aforementioned cleric.  At the first session, a new player 
  figuratively screamed at me to heal his character (he did this both in-character and out-of-character).  This 
  infuriated me because I am an experienced player and I know how to play a cleric.  I want to have fun when I play 
  and not be told what to do.
  My Dungeon Master Resolutions
  Resolution #4: I resolve to practice my NPCs in front of the mirror at home or in the car on the way to the game.
  Now that I am playing again, I have had the chance to see another DM in action.  My current DM is great with 
  thinking on his feet and is good with playing non-player characters (NPCs).  I remember a Warhammer Fantasy 
  game that I played in where there were two DMs (a married couple) and they were great with role-playing NPCs.  
  They would usually give me a ride from my place to the game, but sometimes they would have me take a train out 
  to a location near the game that they would pick me up from.
  Of the times that they would have me take the train, it was because they would talk to each other about the game 
  and practice the voices and mannerisms of the various NPCs that we were likely to encounter.  I usually make 
  notes about the mannerisms and voice of a NPC, but I usually do not practice those before the game.  Invariably, I 
  get too shy at the game, or I think that my players will think that my portrayal stinks.
  Steel’s 2004 Gamer New Year’s Resolutions
  by Bradford Ferguson
  author’s email: ferggm@hotmail.com
  General RPG
  
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  Resolution #5: I resolve to improvise more when my players do something unexpected.
  Every time my players do something that I am not prepared for, I silently freak out and rifle through my notes - 
  frantically searching for a note or tidbit to help me through this little bump.  Umm... Err... Uhh...  I realize that this 
  is not very fun for my players.  I want to run the best game possible and have everything make perfect sense, but 
  in these instances I need to simply think on my feet and wing it.  My fear was that my players would not like my 
  improvisations.
  Sometimes I get this little bee in my ear that buzzes and says, ”Don’t let the playerzzz get their way... Buzzzz!”  
  I run an Arcana Unearthed game where, through the standard AU rules, it is much easier for players to take 
  prisoners than in standard D&D.  Personally, I do not like prisoners to talk and to give up secrets.  I guess that this 
  goes back to my own personal desire not to talk if I were ever taken prisoner... Anyways, in reality, people talk.  
  Even if you do not want to do something because it is realistic, in that case it is more fun for the players if their 
  prisoner talks.  Besides, you should award the players for taking prisoners and not simply killing every enemy in 
  sight.
  Resolution #6: I resolve to let my players have their way more in certain parts of the story in order to speed the 
  game along.
  More generally, while it is always good to give your players a challenge at every turn, sometimes it is better to 
  let them have their way now and give them more challenges in the future.  Maybe you can have the prisoner 
  give some information, but refuse to give more until he or she is taken to another location that happens to be an 
  ambush.  ”Yes, now my plans are coming to fruition.” says the evil DM.
  There! I’ve done it!  I’ve finally made some New Year’s resolutions that I can keep!  Next year, I will have to 
  resolve to metamorphosize myself into the image of a Greek god.
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  D&D / d20
  CRPG
  I’ll admit that I spend too much time 
  complaining about modern CRPG designers and 
  not enough time pointing out what they could 
  be (or should be) doing to improve the genre. 
  Even though I cannot change the way Bioware 
  handles combat in its CRPGs or the nasty habit 
  some people have of slapping the "RPG" label 
  on action-oriented games like Diablo, I can 
  give some suggestions on what should be done 
  differently in order to move the genre out of the rut it’s 
  in.
  Although the past two years have been considered 
  a new renaissance for CRPGs, I didn’t consider it to 
  be so. Neverwinter Nights was nothing more then a 
  flashier version of Diablo with d20 rules, and the much 
  celebrated depth of Morrowind was actually about as 
  "deep" as a kiddie pool. Other disastrous titles like the 
  abysmally boring Dungeon Siege and the confused 
  RPG & RTS hybrid Freedom Force ended up serving 
  me better as drink coasters than games. The PC has 
  become so full of sub-standard CRPGs that if it wasn’t 
  for Gothic and Wizardry 8, I probably would have given 
  up PC RPGs altogether and stuck with my Playstation. 
  Thankfully, it isn’t too late to reverse this downward 
  spiral.
  Perhaps the easiest and most beneficial change would 
  be for the industry’s game designers to pick a style 
  of combat and stick with it. One of the main reasons 
  behind my strong dislike of the Infinity Engine games 
  was the fact that both the turn based and real-time 
  modes of the game were flawed. Real time was nothing 
  more than a frantic click-fest, and the pseudo turned 
  based mode was hampered by the fact that each 
  character’s rounds weren’t synchronized with the rest 
  of the group. This is caused by the designer’s lack of 
  focus. Rather then pick one style and build the game 
  around said combat style, they instead create a system 
  that relies on constant tweaking and modifying by the 
  user. What you end up with is a game that annoys the 
  Turn-based gamers and even alienates some Real-time 
  fans. One look at Troika’s Arcanum will prove that to be 
  true. Arcanum was an otherwise excellent game that 
  was held back only by its confused combat system. The 
  only game to have gotten this right is, oddly enough, 
  Troika’s infamous Greyhawk CRPG. Not only did it 
  stick with a traditional turn-based combat system all 
  throughout the game, but it recreated the strategy 
  and immense difficulty that had been missing in most 
  modern CRPGs.
  Speaking of difficulty, another change that needs to be 
  made is the one concerning the loss of challenge  in 
  CRPGs. While Troika’s Temple of Elemental Evil was a 
  fabulously difficult game, it is a rarity to find a CRPG 
  that cannot be beaten with minimal effort. Whether 
  it was Neverwinter Night’s Official Campaign and its 
  exploitable re-spawning mechanism, Dungeon Siege’s 
  "Hand’s Free" AI controlled combat, or Morrowind’s 
  archaic whack-a-mole simulation, it is obvious to the 
  more experienced gamers among us that games are 
  getting much easier. What happened to the difficulty 
  that PC RPGs have always been known for? How can an 
  adventure be enjoyable to the player if they can cruise 
  through a majority of the game’s battles using the 
  same tactic time and time again? Even though Baldur’s 
  Gate 2 has received enough awards to fill an Olympic 
  sized swimming pool, you have to admit that casting 
  Haste before each fight and charging in with constant 
  Whirlwind attacks while your mages threw magic 
  missiles and fireballs would win you 90% of the game’s 
  battles. Although I understand that our CRPGs have 
  been made easier in an effort to get more "Casual" 
  gamers into the hobby, I don’t like the effect it has had 
  on my favorite games. 
  Of course, the worst thing to happen to the genre 
  during the past five years has been the death of the 
  single player campaign. With the success of Ultima 
  Online, Everquest, Diablo, and now Neverwinter Nights, 
  publishers have begun to shy away from completely 
  "offline" games. Even when a game does posses a 
  single player campaign, there is always a multiplayer 
  mode available to gamers willing to sacrifice their free 
  time to kill strangers online. While there is nothing 
  wrong with the practice of including a multiplayer 
  function in a game, it often has the unintentional effect 
  of dumbing down the single player campaign. Much 
  like the habit of doing both turn based and real time 
  combat in a game, including both single and multiplayer 
  often hurts the "offline" campaign. What happened to 
  the epic storytelling and the non-linear questing we 
  all remember? Will it soon be necessary for me to go 
  online just to play the latest D&D CRPGs? Hopefully the 
  single player epic won’t die the way Turn-based tactical 
  RPGs did in the 90’s.  
  As always, my opinion is one that belongs to a small 
  but notoriously cranky minority. With that being said, I 
  don’t expect my comments to be taken seriously or for 
  them to have any bearing on next year’s crop of CRPGs. 
  What I do expect to happen is that other gamers who 
  think like me will support companies who create games 
  that not only challenge  us, but also do not cost us 15 
  dollars a month or frustrate us with frenetic combat and 
  overused clichés. CRPGs like Temple of Elemental Evil, 
  Divine Divinity, and Arx Fatalis are hard to come by, 
  and without our support and praise we will continue to 
  see less and less of them in the coming years.
  What’s missing in the Modern 
  CRPG?
  By Carl Batchelor
  http://www.silven.com/articles.asp?case=show&id=72
  http://www.silven.com/print.asp?case=article&camefrom=ezine&id=72
  author’s email: the_last_kai@hotmail.com
  
  21
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  All Rights Reserved.
  “Dungeons and Dragons is a tragic and tangled subject. It is essentially a feeding program for occultism and 
  witchcraft.”  This is the opening statement of an article by William Schnoebelen on the website of the infamous 
  Jack T. Chick – crusader against Dungeons and Dragons.  You can find his site at http://www.darkholmekeep.net/
  crusade/dd2.cfm. Chick is well known for his Dark Dungeons cartoons depicting how Dungeons and Dragons is 
  a worldwide cult in which young people are drawn into a web of satanic and occult practices.  Both Chick and 
  Schnoebelen are part of a still extant movement against all forms of roleplaying games.  In this month’s Faith Based 
  Initiative, I will be examining the myriad of anti-roleplaying material in an attempt to see into the psychology of its 
  proponents.  I will delve into the belief that the occult truly does exist and D&D players are at the forefront of its 
  propagation.  The goal here is to give an accurate history of the basic trends and members of the anti-role-playing 
  movement.  I will consider why these groups have sprung up:  What are they worried about?  Are there concerns 
  in any way legitimate?  Do their actions have any implications for the gaming community?    First I will look at the 
  various presumptions held by the opponents.  Then, I will discuss the various factions that make up the movement.  
  In the end, I will try to make sense of it all. 
  The first presumption of most Christian fundamentalist opponents is that the occult is real and that D&D players are 
  at the center of its practice. They claim to have seen D&D players in covens that practices actual spells.  Many claim 
  to have been former D&D players that saw the light of Jesus. Schnoebelen was a practicing Christian who lost faith 
  and turned to the occult arts.  He claims that he and his wife became accomplished occultists with significant powers 
  of ESP and ”white witchcraft.”   His wife was a high priestess and he was an avid participant.  They claim to have been 
  witness to a cult of almost 200 people in Wisconsin near the headquarters of the former TSR in Lake Geneva.   When 
  making points about D&D, Schnoebelen constantly refers to how his experiences as a satanic priest were extremely 
  similar to those printed in the D&D manual.  This brings us to our second presumption.
  The second presumption is that when playing D&D, gamers are actually participating in occult activities and that 
  there is some sort of overarching organization like the masons that governs D&D cultists.  When combined with 
  the first presumption, we have gamers playing D&D that actually have magical powers.  If only that were true, 
  but alas it is not.  These critics cannot seem accept the fact that roleplaying games are not about the worship of 
  Satan or the practice of witchcraft.  Most gamers grow up in normal houses and very few are Wiccan or in any way 
  pagan – not that there is anything wrong with this.    While organizations such as the RPGA do exist and people do 
  participate in gaming conventions such as ICON and GenCon -  as far as I am aware -  there is no overarching body 
  that dictates or controls roleplaying in any way.  Gamers are not told what to do, feel or believe, and often can’t 
  even agree upon what to eat at the game; imagine, trying to get these people into an organized coven. Opponents 
  feel that participants in D&D may be invoking magic and spirits simply by participating because they feel that the 
  game is based on real occult paraphernalia.  If playing D&D actually invoked magical power, why haven’t I won the 
  lottery?  Why can’t I put curses on those who I dislike?  Mr. Schnoebelen, if magic really does exist and D&D can 
  grant us the power to use it, please let the readers at Silven know how.  I am sure a lot of us would have great 
  use for a few trinkets or charms.  I have tried to get my groups to attempt more involved roleplaying – making up 
  little incantations and the like.  Most gamers sit around rolling dice and eating lots of chips.  Very few kneel in chain 
  mail bikinis in acts of rapt supplication to Chthonic deities.  If magic is real, I have certainly been playing in the 
  wrong groups.  Even if gamers are not involved in witchcraft, many argue that the games are a violent influence on 
  impressionable youth.  This is our third presumption.
  The third presumption is that roleplaying games, like video games and violent movies, increase the likelihood that an 
  individual or group will commit violent acts. Schnoebelen lists 11 acts of murder or suicide committed by D&D players 
  in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s.  He claims that in each case, the act is directly linked to the participation 
  in D&D.  This is a common debate on psychologists, educators and politicians.  Some feel that the constant violent 
  stimuli of movies and games desensitize youth to the harsh realities of death and suffering.  Others feel that only 
  unstable people are affected in this way and that if it wasn’t a game or movie, it would be something else.  While I 
  obviously side with the latter position, the first argument is not without some merit.  Parents do have reason to worry 
  about what their children are seeing and doing – especially in a world where information is so readily available.  While 
  I feel that parents cannot prevent their children from experiencing reality, many are worried about the corruptive 
  influence of pornography and violent games or movies.  What most parents don’t realize is that gamers are no more 
  likely to commit crimes and acts of violence than anyone else.  In fact, studies indicate the following things about 
  roleplayers:  According to Michael Stackpole – an awesome RPG writer/novelist who has studied this phenomenon 
  - they are significantly less likely to kills themselves than the rest of the population. Criminologists Suzanne 
  Faith Based Initiative: 
        BAFOON: Bothered About 
  Fundamentalists Offering  Opinionated 
  Nonsense
  By Eytan Bernstein
  Feature Story
  author’s email: manablast@aol.com
  
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  Abyeta & James Forest found that gamers were less 
  likely to commit crimes than others. The Association of 
  Gifted-Creative Children of California and The American 
  Association of Suicidology  have found no link between 
  suicide and RPGs.  All the cases being brought about by 
  Schnoebelen and BADD – Bothered by Dungeons and 
  Dragons, the most prominent anti-roleplaying group 
  – have been refuted by numerous sources.   This flies in 
  the face of our fourth presumption. 
  The fourth presumption is that D&D brainwashes 
  adolescents into a life of moral decrepitude and sends 
  them into a spiraling path of evil. (if you think I’m 
  kidding, read Dark Dungeons.) This concept is linked to 
  the second presumption that D&D is the vehicle of an 
  insipid organization whose goal is to spread the tenets 
  of Satanism.  I have heard from friends growing up in 
  western Pennsylvania and the mid-west that they went 
  to large organized events condemning D&D and rock and 
  roll.  That to me seems like brainwashing.  Advocates of 
  this presumption feel that older people – often teachers 
  or neighbors lure young people into playing D&D.  They 
  depict D&D as having stages.  The levels in the game 
  correspond to levels in the hierarchy of the D&D coven 
  as well as the level of magical power achieved by its 
  members.  Success in the game is directly linked to 
  success in the coven.  If a character dies, the player 
  is supposedly exiled – hence the accusation that such 
  abandonment leads to youth suicide.  This particular idea 
  is especially common to Jack T. Chick’s Dark Dungeons, 
  the first of the anti-roleplaying examples.
  Dark Dungeons is a surprisingly entertaining comic strip. 
  It follows the exploits of Debbie, an innocent young girl 
  who plays D&D.  She is about the be raised to the 8th 
  level, the level where you learn the ”real power.”  Her 
  friend Marci’s character – the indelible Blackleaf - dies 
  and in desperate loneliness, Marci kills herself.  The 
  wicked looking female DM has no sympathy for Debbie 
  or Marci.  Debbie goes on to seek the counsel of a 
  strange man in a park and then is saved by a priest? 
  in a rather cultish looking pulpit who exercises the evil 
  spirits out of her.   She thanks god for setting her free as 
  she is staring at a bonfire – presumably a book burning 
  of D&D material. (another frightening tendency of these 
  critics is the desire to burn books).   Also unusual is 
  the fact that all three of the main characters in the 
  comic strip are female.  While there are female gamers 
  – and they are some of the best roleplayers – they are 
  far less common than this strip suggests.  In addition, 
  the villain is a seductive DM reminiscent of a sucubus.  
  The supposedly good characters have a much more 
  wholesome appearance.  Not only is Chick’s comic strip 
  inaccurate of gaming, but it is also incredibly sexist. 
  Mystery Science Theater 3000 did a hilarious spoof of 
  this strip.  It is definitely a must see.  
   
  Another common source of grief from opponents 
  of D&D is the disappearance of Dallas Egbert III from 
  the steam tunnels under the University of Michigan. 
  Numerous accounts exist of what happened to him. 
  Sources suggest that he was a supra-genius, gay, socially 
  inept, an epileptic and mentally ill.   Others suggest 
  that he was simply a troubled student.  If any of this 
  is true, it seems unlikely that D&D was the cause of his 
  disappearance, but somehow critics have hounded this. 
  They feel it corresponds with their belief that D&D players 
  are corrupt, dangerous and unstable.  In all likelihood, 
  the incredible homophobia on campus combined with 
  mental instability lead to his disappearance – not D&D. 
  The fact that he serially murdered animals and had a 
  history of violent outbursts should give the impression 
  that he was already missing marbles before D&D.  The 
  game did not make him the way he was.  Many gamers 
  have gone to the tunnels out of curiosity.  I know a few 
  that have even played there – though I imagine that 
  to be a difficult task considering the steam.  Egbert 
  actually reappeared a month later in Louisiana as an oil 
  field roughneck – an unusual situation considering that 
  he was only 16 (lending some backing to the idea that 
  he was a supra-genius) and looked not much older than 
  12.  The media never seemed to take note of this though 
  and it is still used as a criticism of RPGs. 
  D&D critics have made forays into film as well.  The most 
  well known film made about D&D is the atrocious Rona 
  Jaffe’s Mazes and Monsters.  It is a TV movie based on 
  Jaffe’s book about how D&D leads to mental deterioration. 
  It was one of Tom Hanks’ first roles and was not a 
  particularly auspicious start to a very successful career. 
  He plays a college student that gets embroiled in a D&D 
  game in which the group sets up a live action dungeon 
  in some dangerous caves.  Hanks’ character runs off to 
  New York City where he lives out his life as a character 
  until he is apprehended.  He never recovers and remains 
  mentally ill.  The film depicts the game as having levels 
  that one achieves as a player, not a character.  This is an 
  example (among many) of critics really not being well 
  versed in what they are criticizing.  We can say this from 
  the perspective of D&D players, but fanatics rarely listen 
  to arguments of logic.  It also lends credence to the idea 
  that D&D is some sort of overarching organization that 
  attempts to brainwash youth into being their characters 
  (as well as becoming high priestesses of the cult of Diana 
  in the case of Dark Dungeons)  Fortunately, the film is 
  rather mediocre.  
  The quintessential critics of D&D are BADD – a rather 
  imposing sounding acronym for Bothered By Dungeons 
  and Dragons.  The group was founded by Pat Pulling 
  who blamed the game for the suicide of her son.   She 
  also claims that she received an ESP message before his 
  death and that her son’s teacher (apparently involved 
  in the game as well) put a curse on him.  She thus 
  started BADD, filing a suit against her school district 
  – dropped as frivolous – and petitioned the Federal Trade 
  Commission to put warnings on RPGs, advertising their 
  potential dangers.  The commission chose not to go 
  through with the warnings, citing insufficient cause for 
  concern.  Pulling used BADD as a vehicle to give lectures 
  condemning roleplaying.  Her antics were often backed up 
  by the ubiquitous psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Radecki – the 
  head and only member of NCTV the National Coalition on 
  Television Violence.  NCTV and BADD joined together in 
  1985 to file the petition.  Somehow, Pulling and Radecki 
  became experts on D&D and were consistently cited as 
  such in news reports. Radecki was even called in to give 
  expert testimony in the trials of murder defendants who 
  had played D&D.  Contrary to Pulling’s expertise is her 
  fervent belief in ESP as well as her clear lack of any 
  substantial knowledge of D&D – you only need read her 
  writings to see this.  Radecki should have easily been 
  discredited considering that his findings went against 
  everything that hundreds of more reputable sources 
  have found.  Despite all of this, their efforts seemed to 
  have paid off.  They caused a panic among parents in 
  the Bible belt and perpetrated many anti-D&D events as 
  Feature Story
  
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  mentioned in the fourth presumption.  They convinced 
  parents that D&D players cast hexes on parents and 
  teachers and actually engaged in Satanic rites and true 
  witchcraft.  Book-burnings occurred throughout the belt 
  along with the rallies and anti-D&D events.  
  So, what did all of the efforts amount to in the end? 
  Well, they may have stopped a few people that were 
  unsure of their interest in the game, but they certainly 
  didn’t stop many hard-core gamers.  They got a lot of 
  parents worked up and increased the level of censorship 
  considerably in many areas of the game.  It was not 
  entirely without cause that parents were worried.  If I 
  were Pat Pulling, I would be wondering what happened 
  to made my son kill himself.  She, of course, did the most 
  unhealthy thing she could have done and blamed it first 
  on the school and then on a game in which her son was 
  loosely involved.  Her grief is understandable, but rather 
  than looking inward or attempting closure, she started 
  a crusade.  Jack T. Chick has no excuse for his writings 
  and really seems to live in some bizarre fantasy-land 
  where magic exists and playing D&D allows us to tap 
  into the mysteries of evil.  The same goes for William 
  Schnoebelen and his cult of white magic.  How these 
  people continue to write this nonsense without admitting 
  to themselves that they are lying to everyone is beyond 
  me.  They are engaged in acts of ultimate hypocrisy. 
  They are condemning people who pretend in the name of 
  entertainment and mild diversion while they are claiming 
  that witchcraft, sympathetic spells, ESP magical satanic 
  cults truly exist.  Since these things obviously do not 
  exist, someone is lying.  Either all of the D&D players in 
  the world are keeping some giant secret (and apparently 
  I am not high enough ”level” to be privy to it) or the 
  opponents are living in a fantasy world where D&D is a 
  cult and Christianity is the savior of mankind.  
  Fortunately, the actions of these opponents have few 
  implications for today’s gamer.  Their fervor has died 
  down (though apparently it’s still going strong in a 
  few places in the Bible belt).  While the occasional TV 
  movie pops up (though not since 1992) and Mazes 
  and Monsters makes an appearance once in a while, 
  the media has mostly ignored RPGs.  They are now 
  lumped into the same category as video games, though 
  they are often seen as somewhat better because they 
  involve reading.  A recent case surfaced where a man 
  who killed his wife also happened to be a D&D player.  
  It got a little coverage and the issue resurfaced, but 
  it was generally dismissed.  The fervor in which the 
  game was attacked in the past has died down.  This is 
  especially good amidst the massive success of 3.0/3.5.  
  D&D is the most popular its ever been.  More people 
  are playing it than ever before and it is at a higher 
  level of quality.   Hopefully, we will be able to look back 
  on these opponents with mild amusement rather than 
  disdain and in some cases worry.  When 4.0 comes 
  out (hopefully not too soon) these attacks should be 
  all but gone.  I hope that the concerns of the parents 
  have lessened, but these sorts of worries will always 
  exist.  Some parents will always be overprotective and 
  this is their right to a certain extent.  We hope that they 
  will cease their efforts to increase censorship.  That is 
  something I’d certainly be willing to fight.  
  In next month’s Faith Based Initiative, I will be discussing 
  how people construct gods and pantheons for their game 
  settings.  In this, I will go into what it takes to make a 
  balanced and interesting pantheon.  I will discuss the 
  relevant theology behind the creation of realistic gods 
  that follow the patterns of literature as well as out-there 
  deities of our own make and model.  The article will also 
  go into what is necessary to make the pantheon fit the 
  world for which it is made.  This article is being done in 
  the hope that it will help people who are attempting to 
  create unique and interesting pantheons for their home-
  brew worlds.  Too often, people just use the Greyhawk 
  gods because they can’t be bothered with creating new 
  ones.  My question to them is, why go to the trouble of 
  creating everything else, but not work on something so 
  vital?  This article should help people who didn’t think 
  they could do this or didn’t want to put in the time. 
  Feature Story
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  Around the Butcher’s Block: Winter foods in Gaming
                                                                       By Chris Harris
  A few months before the Trumpeter became what it is today, I was going to start a small article series on cuisine 
  in gaming. After twenty years in the hospitality and restaurant industry, I thought it would be nice to bring some 
  of this knowledge to assist gamers in creating a better sense of foods and how this history can relate to gaming. 
  We all have taverns, inns, hotels, or some sort of ”house of hospitality” in our games. Some of us play in a pure 
  fantasy world and some head toward a more realistic version of a campaign. I hope to bring some light to the 
  edible aspects of your campaign or world. I am starting this series with the one time of the year where foods 
  become more a comfort and a necessity.  This article includes both some general suggestions to work food into 
  your campaigns as well as specific discussion of prevalent winter foods.  
  Types of Foods Found in the Winter Months:
  Winter is the time for feasting.  It is the time of year when work would be slowed or stopped. People would eat 
  richer, heartier foods to help ”thicken their chops” for the long cold times.   The end of the year food-wise, winter 
  is the toughest season of all.  Most would work the three other seasons to prepare for the long hard winters ahead. 
  Some edibles from the summer and early fall are preserved, canned, dried, smoked, and stored in cellars deep 
  within the earth. Depending on location, these cellars can actually become freezers if not placed deep enough 
  in the ground. Some regions during winter actual still have a growth season in warmer, milder climates of the 
  continents that are closer to the equator. 
  Most winter vegetables are hearty foods, high in starches and fiber. Great examples of these are beets, broccoli, 
  brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, potatoes, spinach, sweet potatoes, and winter squashes. 
  Depending on the region you are campaigning in, these may or may not be widely available and possibly only 
  found in farmer’s markets.   Most of these vegetables are cultivated in moderate to cold climates, however. 
  You can find quite a bit of spring or summer vegetables preserved in some form or fashion in the winter. These can 
  range from jarred or canned green beans, tomatoes, and cucumber/pickles to sun dried tomatoes (For those who 
  do not know, tomatoes are technically a fruit but are counted as a vegetable as well). For more information about 
  vegetables you can checkout this website, http://www.harvestfields.netfirms.com/food/06bkc/19.htm.  They also 
  offer preparation ideas and suggestions.
  Surprisingly, you can find fruits in these hard months in the warmer moderate and temperate climates. The fruits 
  that can be found are apples, avocado, dates, grapefruit, lemons navel oranges, and winter pears. Again, you can 
  find spring and summer fruits preserved as jams, jellies, or dried. Dried fruits are great not just for road travel but 
  make excellent additions to any meal.
  When it comes to meats during the winter months, all are readily available including most fish and seafood.  Meats 
  are region-dependent, and should be a consideration when planning your campaign menu.  One would not have 
  trouble finding cod, salmon, or other cold-water fishes in costal or river areas.
  Campaign Cuisine Considerations:
  If you are running campaigns based on  specific time periods here are a few things to keep in mind:
  • 
  Canning foods (this includes Mason Jars) did not come around till the early 1900’s.
  • 
  Most medieval people lived on a diet of meat, fish, and grains. Vegetables were not a staple in a commoner 
  or serf diet.
  • 
  Water was not consumed as much as is today. Many towns and cities that were located rivers had a lack 
  of clean water. This is because people would use that water to wash clothes, go to the bathroom, or even 
  bury the dead. The water would be tainted and many would drink brews or distilled liquids because of the 
  process used to make these included boiling, steaming, or long cooking times.
  • 
  Only the rich during the renaissance era could afford the fields to grow and eat vegetables. The serfs did 
  get some of the product they produced and normally bartered within the serfdom for other items such as 
  bread and meats.
  d20 Fantasy Food Ideas:
  For d20 fantasy play, winter foods can even have different inherent benefits. The food can be made to give 
  warmth and energy for the long cold periods. The high starches and meats are classic fuel sources. You can use 
  food sources like stews, breads, and preserved foods to give temporary modifiers to PCs or NPCs. A chef making 
  these foods would require some form of formal training, Profession: Cook or Chef (8 or more ranks), and some 
  talent in spellcasting (3rd level or higher).
  General RPG
  author’s email: ikusagwai@hotmail.com
  
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  Here are a few more ideas for the use of foods in your d20 campaign:
  • 
  The metamagic feat Brew Potion can work wonderfully when creating magical food and drink. Most recipes 
  call for some of the same ideals as brewing a potion. 
  • 
  The recipe might come from a scroll that infuses the magic to the food prepared. 
  • 
  Limit any magic used when crafting magical foods to that which gives temporary increases to ability scores, 
  save throws, and the feat Endurance. 
  • 
  Use food as a way to send healing into the campaign. Clergy where one of the first chefs though and the 
  food from a temple, church or monastery could give healing or help to the wayward traveler.
  Next season, I hope to bring some insight to spring. It’s the season of rebirth and the time for planting. Spring 
  foods bring some much-needed life to the bland heavy foods of the winter.
  Till next Season: 
  ‘Like the goodness of the five loaves and two fishes,
  Which God divided among the five thousand men,
  May the blessing of the king, who so divided, be upon our share of this common meal.’
   -- A Toast from Ireland
  General RPG
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    Polyglot :
                A monthly column by Dana Driscoll
  Linguistic Realism vs. Simplicity in RPG Gaming
  Welcome to Polyglot, your source for RPG linguistic insight.  This month, we delve into the depths 
  of realism vs. simplicity in RPGs, with a specific focus on the ramifications this struggle has on 
  how languages and language learning are handled within an RPG setting.  Not only will we survey 
  the way that languages are presented in several gaming systems, but also how this handling 
  plays into the larger issue of simplicity vs. realism.
  Perhaps simplicity vs. realism is the greatest conundrum known to the RPG game designer.  While 
  we are talking about fictional characters and fictional worlds, gamers still quantify most of what is 
  present in a game mechanics-wise in terms of real life.  How things work in reality is more often 
  than not the basis for how things work in a gaming system.  Note that I say ”basis.”  Obviously, 
  things like magic systems, new races, super-human powers, and extra-dimensional travel are not 
  reality based; but combat, weapons in fantasy games, skills, gravity, etc. are usually based on 
  reality.
  While it is true that game designers may have one thing or another in mind when designing an RPG gaming 
  system, the stance of this article is not that of questioning the motivations or intentions of designers, bur 
  rather the larger issue—the concept of realism vs. simplicity.  The question can be applied to a large number of 
  topics in RPG gaming, but the focus of this article—and indeed this column is language.
  Language is quite complicated.  Anyone who has attempted to master a language other than his or her native 
  tongue(s) knows that it takes years of sustained effort.  Accents and dialect differences are only further 
  evidence of how complex any—and every—language is.  With that, accurately capturing linguistic realism fully 
  in an RPG game is impossible.  Making a half-hearted attempt at realism, however, is an entirely different 
  matter.
  Let’s first take a look at how the d20 system handles language.  At level one, a character chooses bonus 
  languages based on an intelligence modifier plus the common tongue and a racial tongue (if playing a non-
  human race).  Additional languages can be gained by purchasing ranks in the Speak Language skill.  While 
  this skill must be trained, the Players Handbook gives no indication as to the length of time one needs to train.  
  From the PHB 3.5e, ”You purchase Speak Language ranks just like any other skill, but instead of buying a rank 
  in it, you choose a new language you can speak.  You don’t make Speak Language checks.  You either know a 
  language or you don’t.” 
  Now, a quick delve into reality.  First, language acquisition comes in two forms—primary language acquisition 
  and second-language learning.  Pre-adolescent children are the only individuals who can acquire languages 
  as native speakers—i.e. as primary language speakers.  If a child has substantial exposure to two or more 
  languages, the child will be bilingual—they will have two or more languages as native speakers.  Children 
  acquire languages effortlessly—they simply need exposure and interaction.  After a child reaches puberty, 
  however, the brain is no longer receptive to language, and any language learning after this period is a tedious 
  process (as anyone who has attempted to learn an additional language has discovered, I’m sure). 
  Language acquisition does fit, to some extent, into how d20 languages are determined at level one.  This 
  is only under the assumption that all humans speak common and that the character has grown up with 
  native speakers of his or her own racial language.  Determining bonus languages based on intelligence is 
  questionable, but probably the best way the d20 system has to handle it.  These bonus languages should be 
  learned languages—meaning that the speaker of them is not native and produces some form of accent.  The 
  whole d20 system can easily get thrown out of whack when a character decides to get creative with his or her 
  back story and ends up separated as a child from the rest of the race.
  Where the system really fails is in the utilization of the Speak Language skill after level one.  Purchasing a 
  single rank in Speak Language (or two for cross-class) and magically ”knowing” the language is completely 
  unrealistic.  There are levels of language proficiency, accents, and dialects—none of which are even mentioned 
  in the core material.  Either the designers simply did not want to deal with the concept of language, or they 
  never bothered to do their research and find out how it works. This lack of consideration or research of 
  linguistic principles seems to pervade other Wizards products as well.
  Lets move to the recent release of the Draconomicon for the d20 system;  specifically, looking at their  pitiful 
  treatment of the Draconic tongue.  Apparently the Draconic language is exactly like English in word order and 
  pronunciation of almost all sounds.  No systematic way of describing the lexicon is present, the words given 
  as examples do not use a standardized writing/notation system, and the way that syllables are broken up 
  and pronounced violates a universal linguistic phonetic principle called sonority sequencing.  Finally, the most 
  glaring issue is the sub-heading in the section—Pidgin Draconic—with a list of ”sample” Draconic sentences.  
  General RPG
  
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  D&D / d20
  General RPG
  Pidgin Draconic?  Its apparent that the designers have no clue what a pidgin is, but that the word was somehow 
  related to language and sounded good.  This small bit of writing (about two pages) does not even fit into today’s 
  discussion—it is obvious that reality vs. simplicity was not even considered in this case.  The designers did not 
  consult any linguistic reality but their own.  Shoddy research and ignorance should have no place in Wizards 
  publications, or any professional publication, for that matter. 
  There is one Wizards publication I found when researching this article that does a decent job with handling 
  language.  The Forgotten Realms campaign setting (specifically the Races of Faerun and the Campaign Setting 
  book) have a surprisingly through analysis of the racial and regional languages, dialect regions, and a through 
  description of why the common tongue exists.  
  Moving on to third party publications, let’s next take a look at the Everquest RPG gaming system, published by 
  Sword and Sorcery.   Everquest (EQ) is a d20 variant system which, of the language systems I have surveyed, is 
  by far the most realistic.  In  EQ, language is a trained-only skill, and a skill based on a 1-5+ ranking system.  One 
  rank in a language means that an individual can understand and speak a few simple words.  Two ranks means 
  that an individual can both comprehend and construct basic sentences.  Three ranks allows one to communicate 
  simple concepts.  Four ranks means that a character is as fluent as a native speaker, although they will still speak 
  with an accent.  Five or more ranks means that the person begins to understand word histories (etymologies) and 
  a bit of linguistics and can somewhat mask an accent.    The communication system itself requires skill checks for 
  characters with 3 or fewer ranks when utilizing Speak Language. There are several set DCs to convey complex 
  ideas depending on how many ranks in the language that the speakers have between them.  Many of the other 
  skills in this system are language dependent as well. This system would be relatively easy to implement in other 
  gaming systems.  
  Compared to the standard d20 system, the EQ system seems to have maintained a nice balance between realism 
  and simplicity.  While EQ’s system is not overly complex, it accurately takes into account the different stages of 
  language learning, non-native speakers with accents, and other communication complexities.  The EQ system is 
  not only much more linguistically sound, but actually treats the Speak Language skill like any other skill, being 
  much more consistent with the established mechanics than the core rules themselves.  EQ demonstrates that with 
  some relatively minor research, effort, and mechanics tweaking, one can please even the gamers who happen to 
  be linguists like myself.  
  Moving on to an example from a console RPG game, Final Fantasy X (FFX) has an interesting mini-quest—mastery 
  of the Al-Bhed language.  The Al-Bhed are a group of isolated humans that speak their own language.  Throughout 
  the course of the game, you can find ”Al Bhed Primers” and slowly ”learn” the language.  As you gather primers 
  and consequently encounter more Al Bhed, you can slowly decipher—letter by letter—what the Al Bhed are saying.  
  From a ”reality” perspective, FFX has language learning totally off.  People do not learn to recognize a language 
  sound by sound, but rather on a word (and morphemic) level.  While its true that someone learning to speak a 
  new language will learn the sounds of the language early on, knowing the sounds alone will not allow an individual 
  to decipher meaning in most of the world’s languages.  In this case, we have a simplicity way outranking reality.  
  Would there be a better way to do it?  Perhaps, although it may not give the same effect, and would be extremely 
  complicated to employ.
  Handling languages spoken, language acquisition, and language learning with RPG games is possible to accomplish 
  in a meaningful yet simplistic fashion, maintaining a reasonable balance between simplicity and reality.  And, as I 
  have demonstrated, some gaming systems handle language very poorly, like the d20 system or FFX, and others, 
  like EQ, handle language quite effectively.  
  The issue of reality vs. simplicity is one that seems to be a constant struggle when designing and playing RPG 
  games.  While some systems seem to either disregard realty and/or have a strong slant towards simplicity, the 
  best systems are the ones who can maintain a balance between simple, effective mechanics and preservation of 
  the basic facts of reality.   And as the EQ system demonstrated, rather minor effort on the part of designers can be 
  used to accomplish this balance. 
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  Antipodean
        Adventures
  A monthly column by
  Shane Cubis
  QUINKINS
  G’Day all. This edition of Antipodean Adventures departs 
  from the standard format used thus far. Rather than 
  dealing with a historical event or person, I have instead 
  chosen to focus on some mythological creatures from the 
  Aboriginal Dreamtime. I first heard about such creatures 
  when I was in second grade, where our teacher read us 
  a story which featured the Quinkins. Fear was struck into 
  the hearts of my whole class. When we walked home 
  that day, we squinted at every gum tree suspiciously. 
  Quinkins are an excellent example of the inventiveness 
  and distinctive style of Australian native mythology. 
  Quinkins are spirit people of the Cape York region, in 
  northern Queensland, who have taken on material form. 
  Their images have been recorded in cave paintings by 
  the Yalanji tribe alongside pictures of ancestral beings 
  and sacred animals. There are two types of Quinkins: 
  a tall, stick-thin race called the Timara and a shorter, 
  fatter, evil human eating race called Imjim. They dwell 
  in the same outback areas and fight a constant battle 
  with each other, although this is generally characterized 
  by guerilla raids and minor skirmishes rather than open 
  warfare. They fight with spears, sticks, rocks and natural 
  weapons such as bite and claw: a savage melee ensues 
  when the Quinkins meet in combat. Other races can 
  easily be caught in the middle of this never-ending battle, 
  although Quinkins rarely allow themselves to be seen by 
  anyone outside of their own species (except during the 
  Imjim transformation ritual, discussed below).
  Timara are ten to twelve feet tall, and as thin in body and 
  limb as the spears they wield. Their heads are shaped 
  like helmets, and their eyes glow with an unearthly 
  white light. As black as dark elves in skin tone, Timara 
  are humorous, whimsical spirits who like to play tricks 
  on humans, the Imjim and their thin Quinkin comrades. 
  Imjim, on the other hand, are seven to eight feet tall 
  with round bellies and long, knobbly tails which they 
  can use to leap great distances like a kangaroo. Their 
  ears are flat hexagons, which are almost as wide as 
  their heads, and can pick up the laughter of innocent 
  children from miles away. Their infravision-enabled eyes 
  glow red with a malevolent glare, especially as they plan 
  their nefarious schemes. Imjim have long, sharp claws 
  which they are more than happy to use alongside their 
  wicked fangs in any given melee situation. Imjim skin is 
  more of a dark, muddy brown than the deep black of the 
  Timara.
  Imjim are dyed-in-the-wool carnivores. They will eat 
  any meat available, but especially love the taste of large 
  green frogs. Imjim have been known to leap from behind 
  rocks and trees, frightening the living daylights out of 
  hunters and stealing their kills. Of course, they are not 
  adverse to eating the hunters as well, if the opportunity 
  presents 
  itself. 
  They 
  cannot 
  reproduce, and as such their only 
  method of propagation involves 
  turning human children into nasty, 
  ugly creatures like themselves. Imjim have the ability to 
  magically mimic any humanoid voice, which also acts as 
  a charm person effect. They often lure children into their 
  dark cave by imitating their parents. When the children 
  enter the cave, the Quinkins leap onto them, breaking the 
  spell at the same time they rend the poor victim’s body 
  to pieces. From the remains will rise a new Imjim, ready 
  and eager to recruit more of its kind. Imjim will track 
  and lure a potential victim over many miles, brushing 
  over the victim’s tracks as well its own so they cannot be 
  found. They always perform the transformation ritual in 
  their lair. It is considered a sacred event, to be shared 
  with their brethren.
  Timara keep a watchful eye on their evil counterparts, 
  often disguising themselves as spindly trees or part of 
  a fallen log. They are experts in the field of camouflage, 
  and if they decide to hide they are nigh impossible to 
  track down. Timara like nothing better than to thwart 
  the schemes of their dark brethren, and have the power 
  to automatically break the charm effect of the Imjim 
  voice imitation. They are also partial to eating meat, but 
  balance their diet with fruit and vegetables.
  The impossibly thin Timara live in the cracks of rocks 
  and other such natural crannies, where they can be 
  hidden from the eyes of humanity. Imjim prefer the 
  darkness of a cave, which they usually inhabit in groups 
  of around seven to nine. Timara rarely speak, even to 
  each other. It is not known whether they use other forms 
  of communication, or whether they are naturally laconic. 
  Imjim tend to speak only when imitating the voice of a 
  humanoid, although they are quite capable of regular 
  speech. 
  Adventure Ideas
  1. The son of the state governor has just gone 
  missing from his bedchamber. The window 
  is open. A passing maid swears she heard 
  the governor’s voice just before the boy 
  disappeared.
  2. The PCs are camping in the outback when one 
  of them swears he or she saw a tree move! It is 
  a Timara, investigating some Imjim activity in 
  the region. The Timara may call upon the PCs to 
  assist it in thwarting some nasty scheme afoot.
  Inspiration
  author’s email:rubikcubis@bigpond.com
  
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  D&D / d20
  3. A local woodcutter has accidentally wounded a resting Timara, thinking it was a gum tree. The Quinkin 
  population has become enraged at this apparent attack upon one of their own kind. Will the Imjim and 
  Timara join forces against the local community? Can the PCs resolve this diplomatically?
  Links to Previous Columns
  Note: The Quinkins are alleged to live exclusively in northern Queensland, as has been stated. The following 
  two adventures would take place in the southern states. I hope that I have offended anybody’s geographical or 
  mythological sensibilities by placing the creatures outside their traditional spiritual home.
  Bushrangers: Ben Hall held everyone captive in Robinson’s Hotel in Canowindra for a three day party. Was there 
  anything more sinister behind his motives than wanting to show up the police and improve his popularity? A war 
  between the Quinkins took place in Canowindra, and anyone who left the pub would become a pawn in their struggle. 
  Somehow Hall knows, and will do his level best to keep everyone alive, without ever mentioning the monsters. 
  Eureka Stockade: It is just before midnight, December 2nd, 1854. The miners are in the stockade, feeling a bit 
  nervous about the impending confrontation with the authorities. Suddenly, a warning blasts from a trumpet. It isn’t 
  the troopers, but rather a group of squat, leaping beasts with glowing red eyes, hungry for meat. Little wonder the 
  stockade was all but empty when the government launched its surprise 3am attack!
  Other Genres
  Pulp: A hunt has been mounted, with an eccentric millionaire scientist offering a substantial cash reward for evidence 
  of the existence of Quinkins in the Queensland outback. Extra money will be paid for the first group to bring in an 
  actual, live specimen. Adventuring parties will have to deal with potentially hostile natives, the dangers and heat of 
  the bush, as well as resistance from the Quinkins themselves. 
  Modern: A secret government department has captured a Timara, and they are currently attempting to unravel the 
  secret of the Quinkin mimicry (they are unaware of the difference between Imjim and Timara). The PCs are urged by 
  a local Yalanji elder to rescue the benevolent creature before it is tortured and killed – something which could have 
  drastic consequences for relations between Timara and humans.
  Science Fiction: Children are disappearing from the miners’ camps of Cubisia-6, and a dark alien presence is 
  beginning to be felt by those adults who are left. The slave miners and their reptillian overlords may have to band 
  together to defeat this menace before they are all killed. The mimicry talent of the Imjim is causing trouble in the 
  ranks, as miners are accused of insubordination and the reptiles are dressed down by their superiors for issuing 
  random orders.
  Horror: The Timara protect the Aboriginal people from the depredations of the Imjim, but perhaps they view other 
  races as similarly evil invaders. A group of PCs may awaken through the night to find their outback campsite 
  surrounded. They have unwittingly destroyed a sacred site, and the Quinkins are here to make them pay.
  Other Sources
  Percy Trezise, Turramulli the Giant Quinkin.
  Percy Trezise and Dick Roughsey, The Quinkins.
  I based my version of the Quinkins on Trezise’s work. There are certain sites on the Internet that refer to the 
  creatures as being Yeti-like, but that is nothing like the monsters who scared the hell out of me and my classmates 
  back in 1987. He combines a storytelling method which reads like an Aboriginal folktale with artwork that crosses 
  between native and European styles. Overall, I find his work very effective in creating an appropriate atmosphere, 
  and if you want to use Quinkins in a campaign, these books would be a great help.
  Information on the Cape York region can be found at http://www.visitcapeyork.com The section titled ‘History’ on the 
  left sidebar is useful for determining local flavor, and the ‘People’ section makes mention of Quinkin art and an area 
  of the region known as ‘Quinkan (sic) Country’.
  Concluding Statement
  I weighed up whether to create and include d20 stats for the Quinkins, but in the end decided against it. I think 
  that the creatures can cross a variety of genres. If there is an overwhelming outcry at this, and people want to see 
  mechanics for them, I may be able to include some in the next edition of Antipodean Adventures. Let me know what 
  you think in the comments section.
  
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  ANTIPODEAN ADVENTURES BONUS FEATURE: THE NAMES OF AUSTRALIA
  I currently work as a Directory Assistance Operator here in Australia. It is a repetitive job, and one which becomes 
  somewhat automatic after a while. Mind-numbing boredom can easily set in as one takes three calls a minute for 
  a four hour stretch. The other day I started paying attention to the names of some towns, cities and areas of this 
  broad, brown land, and decided to write some down. I focused exclusively on names which would be of use to 
  someone creating a campaign world, and struggling for good, generic appellations for their own civilizations. As 
  such, and in the order in which I heard and wrote them down, I give you....
  Antipodean Adventures: The Names of Australia!
  One last thing before we begin. Since I was hearing some of these areas mumbled down a phone line, I made 
  an error or two in what the name was – turning a boring name into a gussied up fantasy town name! In others I 
  altered the spelling to create a slightly more traditional name. I have marked these imposters with an asterisk.
  Purple Gardens* 
  Forest Hill 
   
  Stones Corner Daisy House 
  Ferny Grove 
  Springvale
  Fairy Meadow  
  RockdaleGold Coast 
  Sunshine CoastHaymarket 
  Forestfield* 
  Woodridge
  Black Creek* 
   
  Fortitude Valley 
  Princetown 
   
   
  Southport 
  Brookside
  Bayswater 
   
  Newcastle 
   
  Queensland 
   
   
  Blacktown 
  Shellharbour
  Shoalhaven 
   
  Sunnybank Hills 
  Sunshine 
   
   
  Box Hill 
  Kingsgrove
  Maidstone 
   
  Broadmeadows 
  Moon Ponds* 
   
   
  Castle Hill 
  Midland
  Crows Nest 
   
  Grovedale 
   
  Wintergardens  
   
  Southern Cross
  Mount Pleasant 
  Newtown 
   
  Middle Swan 
   
   
  Northern Territory
  Redcliff* 
   
  Rainbow 
   
  Gladesville 
   
   
  Merrylands 
  Oak Flats
  Merry Beach 
   
  Shell Cove 
   
  Rosebud 
   
   
  Ramsgate 
  Blue Mountains
  Ferntree Gully  
  Southerland* 
   
  Gladstone 
   
   
  Redfern 
  Brown Plains*
  Mornington 
   
  Clayfield 
   
  Highgate Hill 
   
   
  Doveton 
  Hunter
  The Rocks 
   
  Northbridge 
   
  Ringwood 
   
   
  Fairlight 
  Underwood
  Orange 
   
  Kings Cross 
   
  Black Rock 
   
   
  Applecross 
  Riverton
  Garden City
  http://www.silven.com/articles.asp?case=showreview&id=36
  http://www.silven.com/print.asp?case=monthlycolumn&camefrom=ezine&id=36
  Inspiration
  
  31
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  All Rights Reserved.
  Star’s Night Part 5
  By Aaron Todd
  Synopsis: Ynara Diri had learned a great deal about the planet that her son was supposedly being kept on, and 
  none of it was good.  The planet was a virtual wasteland with little hope of escape.  This information in hand, 
  though, she would return to her ship, get supplies, and head out to find her son. 
  Jagger Tan had been minding his own business at the bar when this woman came in and sat down after a 
  couple hands of Cinq-Zer.  She didn’t seem very happy.  She must have lost.  But then again, most people do.  
  The Bollen were tough to beat.
  She sat down a seat away from him.  He normally wouldn’t have noticed, but he’d lost five straight on the 
  H’rafa, so he needed something of a distraction.  The bar itself was a highly uninteresting place when you spent 
  enough time in it.
  To a foreigner, the place would seem exotic and fascinating with the variances of species that frequented the 
  place.  There were at least twenty races represented among the patrons that spanned the bar and booths 
  around the edges.  To the untrained eye, it would seem like a veritable melting pot of intergalactic travelers.
  Jagger knew better.  The representatives in this bar had nothing to do with travelers who happened to stop 
  by this bar because others had heard it was the place to be.  No.  This place was full of pilots and workers 
  who had frequently gotten stuck here for one reason or another and never managed to find a way off-planet.  
  Many had been downed by windstorms in the wrong season.  Others gambled too much.  And still more were 
  interplanetary migrant workers.  From season to season, they would follow the work.  There were those in here 
  that came and went every year, and some that got stuck because they didn’t get out before the second season.
  To them, this place was a tomb, and the trained eye could find that in each of their faces.  Every one of them, 
  with the few exceptions of legitimate passers-by had a characteristic expression of denial and confusion.  Each 
  species had it’s own way about them, but in this place, there was little question when you looked at someone.  
  Even those who were not known for facial expressions could be clearly pointed out.
  There was a distinct solemnity around those could not leave by choice.  In one species, it might be sunken 
  eyes, and in others there actual skin tone would change color.  There were two Voorundums in earlier today 
  that had grown hair on their previously mane-free heads.
  Besides the locals, about the only people that came in this place were stray travelers stopping to refuel at 
  the nearby port or the occasional tourists who had heard about the winds that came and wanted to see it for 
  themselves.  It really was a sight to see in the evenings on the mountainside of the town with the wind swirling 
  into giant upside down cones against the hilly backdrop.  The perspective alone could make someone think that 
  the cones were larger than they really were.
  But this woman really stood out in the crowd.  She was in here with a purpose.  That in and of itself made her a 
  commodity.  A commodity that Jagger knew right away he needed to exploit.
  So Jagger watched her from the time she sat down.  Jagger liked to think of himself as an opportunist.  He 
  liked to watch people and find a way to get what he wanted from them.  He never liked to hurt anyone, but if 
  he could find a way to benefit from someone, he would.  That was one of the reasons he like this planet and 
  town so much.  The people that came here almost always needed something.   If he could not provide what 
  they needed, he could find a way, for a price.
  This woman needed something, and he would find out what.  He watched her attentively as she placed a bet 
  on one of the H’rafa races.  He paid attention to what and how much she was drinking.  He took notes on 
  everything he saw that she did.  It could come in handy later.  He noticed her preoccupation with the Bollen and 
  his handy man-machine.  Jagger didn’t think much of the ARTs, nor did he care.  He didn’t get in their way if 
  they didn’t get in his.  They were glorified scanners as far as he was concerned.
  After a couple hours of sitting there, he hadn’t gathered anything that seemed too informative, until the dealer 
  began packing up.  She downed her drink and got very anxious.  She had some intention of dealing with the 
  Bollen in a less formal setting.  She was stopped short, however by a little man with a big attitude and a friend 
  to match.  This could get very interesting.
  The little man seemed quite upset with her about something, but she never gave him time to talk.  She must 
  have known exactly what he was talking about, because she didn’t waste any time listening to him.  She kicked 
  his friend in a very sensitive area (which made Jagger cringe), after which he fell rather heavily and pushed the 
  Fiction
  author’s email: toddkilgore@netscape.net
  
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  little man aside.
  This woman could take care of herself.  Jagger might 
  have to be careful with this one.  He dropped what 
  he owed on the bar, without tip.  Jagger never tipped.  
  It was bad for his own business.  People never gave 
  him extra money for anything, so why should he give 
  someone extra for doing what they were paid to do.
  He made it a point to get in her way.  He’d noticed 
  a data-pad bulging in one of her front pockets.  He 
  hadn’t used his pick-pocketing skills in some time, but 
  it did come in handy.  With a little luck, it might give 
  him some information as to where she was going after 
  her encounter.
  Once she was out the door, he would follow her.  He 
  could see from his vantage point the direction she 
  started in, so he could wait a few seconds before 
  going after her.  At the door, he watched her, to make 
  sure that she wasn’t herself watching for someone 
  following.  She never looked back, so he pursued.
  She moved rather slowly most of the way, but was a 
  bit jumpy at certain points, probably afraid she might 
  drop her quarry.  He got quite a bit closer to her.  The 
  crowd, although mild, afforded him that ability.  He 
  was sure that she hadn’t seen him at any time.  No, 
  she was too focused on the task at hand.
  By the time she turned a corner up the street a bit 
  from where they started, he was only a handful of 
  steps behind her.  When she went into the alley, he 
  saw her pulling out a circuit scanner from her left leg. 
  She was going to use it on the ART.  He had heard the 
  rumors, too that they could stun and confuse the ART 
  for a time, but he had also heard that it didn’t work 
  all the time.  He would have to help her and fast.
  But then again, what could he do against this thing.  
  He wasn’t exactly a warrior, and it was easily stronger 
  than he was.  By his natural size he would be.  With 
  the added mechanical functionality, it was even 
  stronger.
  He looked around for something that he could use, 
  and there it was: a hover-bike.  He may not be able 
  to beat it up, but he could certainly knock it down.
  Fortunately, it didn’t take much to start one of these; 
  it was an older model.  All he had to do was pull back 
  the thruster lever and wrap the igniter wire around 
  the transfer conduit.  Simple as can be, it was on in 
  just a couple of seconds.
  He popped the thruster lever back down and he 
  was off around the corner.  She had not strayed far 
  from the corner yet, though.  He nearly hit her as 
  he rounded the edge.  Fortunately for her, she was 
  nimble and jumped away.  He headed straight for 
  the ART, hoping to hit it, but the Bollen got scared 
  and ran into it for him.  Once he passed them, he 
  glanced back and saw that they were both lying on 
  the ground.
  She was on her own now.  Once he had rounded the 
  next turn, he pulled it over and stopped.  Jagger had 
  to see what she had in that data-card before he’d lost 
  sight of her.
  Jackpot.  Her ship’s berth assignment was on the 
  very first screen.  That was rather careless of her.  No 
  matter, he’d simply go there and wait for her.
  Fiction
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  D&D / d20
  d20 Review: The Deep 
  “The Deep: the Underwater Adventure 
  Sourcebook”
  Authors: Susannah Redelfs
  Publisher: Mystic Eye Games
  Reviewed by: Bradford Ferguson
  Review date: 11/17/2003
  From the Back Cover
  “Beneath the waves, creatures monstrous and unfamiliar swim all around you in primal hunger, and they’re 
  all looking straight at you. Everything that swims here is food for something, and while this may be as true on 
  land as in the sea, the sea is much more obvious in her hunger. In the sea, your focus is reduced to two critical 
  question: Will you feed? Or will you feed something else?
  The Deep is a 256 page aquatic campaign guide and sourcebook offering comprehensive rules for underwater 
  adventuring. This resource provides you with all the material you need to start an aquatic adventure today.”
  Presentation
  The Deep is a 256-pages hardback with a very sturdy sewn-in binding (the pages are sewn into the binding). 
  There is an inside front color cover and an inside back color cover. The inside covers are color maps of the “Sea of 
  Ishamark” which are done by the talented Ed Bourelle. The interior is black and white and there is a good amount 
  of interior art that ranges from nice gray scale art to sketchy but effective ink pieces. The layout is excellent and 
  the borders show coral formations and other sea forms and the borders are not overpowering.
  I realize that this sounds bizarre, but I have to mention the left-hand margin of the book. If you get this book, or 
  simply thumb through it at the store, you have to give The Deep the flip-book treatment while staring at the left 
  margin. That’s right folks, the left margin is animated if you flip through the pages! Craziness!
  Introduction
  The introduction is a real eye-popper. It weighs in at 20 pages and discusses real-world ocean ecology and d20 
  rules for the underwater environment. It helps to have seen a couple of Discovery shows about the deep ocean in 
  order to follow some of the discussion; however, overall it was an insightful discussion. What would a Mystic Eye 
  book be like without features? Susannah Redelfs introduces a new feature with the d20 rules that she presents as 
  several of the rules have both a PC Smackdown and a PC Bailout entry. PC Smackdown is for Dungeon Masters 
  who want brutal realism, and PC Bailout is for DMs who want an in-game effect but do not want to reduce the 
  fun factor. In addition, the Introduction gives a good taste for how comprehensive the book is with rules on topics 
  including Diver’s Madness, Bliss of the Deep, Disorientation, Claustrophobia, Pressure, and Surfacing Effects.
  Rating Snapshot
  CLASS: Alternative Ruleset (Underwater)
  STR: 16 (Physical). Hardback with sturdy sewn-in binding.
  DEX: 14 (Organization). To use the book, especially the settings, 
  you will have to flip around, but book has a handy index.
  CON: 16 (Quantity of the Content). Web enhancements make me 
  feel like more could have been included, but they stopped at 256 
  pages. 
  INT: 18 (Quality of Content). The writing is very good. The feel and 
  flavor are excellent.
  WIS: 12 (Options & Adaptability). It would be a huge change to 
  impose upon existing campaigns. Genre seems limited, though 
  interesting. 
  CHA: 14 (Look & Feel). Left Margin flipping is cool. Layout and art 
  are good. Interior is black and white.
  Scoring definitions.
  18 = Superior. Best of the best.
  16 = Very Good. Part of a Baker’s Dozen.
  14 = Good. Most gamers would like this.
  12 = Fair. Some gamers would like this.
  10 = Average. Most gamers would be indifferent.
  8 = Subpar. Flawed, but not without promise.
  6 = Bad. Most gamers would dislike this.
  4 = Very Bad. Among the Dirty Dozen.
  2 = Inferior. Worst of the worst.
  
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  System
  The Deep provides rules and background on Aquatic Races, Classes, Skills, Feats, Equipment, Aquatic Creatures, 
  Underwater Magic, and Magic Items. The Deep is very thorough and well-written and covers everything on a rules 
  basis. I was pleasantly surprised how in-depth The Deep is. It is the first book that I have seen with rules for 
  underwater adventuring, and I believe that if you are to incorporate underwater adventures in your d20 game, 
  then The Deep is all you really need. Because the subjects of naval combat and swashbuckling have already been 
  thoroughly covered by other d20 products, The Deep does not cover much material above the waves.
  I thought that the Aquatic Races section was particularly good. There are five races presented: Delphine (dolphin), 
  Merfolk (think mermaids), Selkies (shapechangers with the native form of seal), Sel’varahn (humanoids with 
  webbed hands and feet), and Sharken (sharks). All the races are described in detail - moreso than the races are 
  in the Player’s Handbook - with long overview, personality, relations, alignment, and religion entries (in addition to 
  the rules stuff). All of these races cannot survive long on land without the aid of magic; this is similar to how land-
  based creatures cannot survive in the depths without magic. There is certain symmetry here.
  I thought that the whole concept surrounding magic items is very interesting and has excellent flavor. Characters 
  can make vent-tempered items that are tempered in the hydrothermal vents in the sea floor, and crafters can also 
  make living items - items that are infused with tiny living sea creatures. Many of the magic item types that we 
  take for granted with land-based adventuring are simply different in The Deep because they need to be. Delphine 
  and Sharken characters do not have arms and hands, so they mount weapons on their “beaks” and attach other 
  items to their fins. I thought all of the rules subsystems in The Deep were good as they all enhance the feel of the 
  setting that follows.
  Setting
  Three major setting areas are detailed in The Deep: Crater Bay, the Northern Reach, and the Southern Reach. The 
  setting provided could be adapted to most worlds; however it fits best with the map provided because everything 
  in the setting has its own place. There are many factions with a lot of opportunities for both role-playing and 
  conflict.
  I particularly liked the section detailing Crater Bay. There are many alliances in the undersea region, so I had 
  concerns that there were not enough conflicts. I read how the Crater Bay was created and how it is currently and 
  I read “Point of Interest” after “Point of Interest.” There are a lot of shrines to good gods and there is the Coralline 
  Council and there are the good and neutral societies. I thought to myself, “Everything is just great! Let’s hold 
  hands and sing songs!” Then I read about the land-lubbin’ gnomes with their steam-powered inventions who dump 
  their waste into the water and destroy coral reefs (libraries of knowledge)! That was just the tip of the iceberg. 
  There is plenty of conflict and depth to keep things exciting.
  There is also a section that details the statistics on characters that are in the setting and in the introductory 
  adventure. The introductory adventure, “The Depths of Reason,” is a short adventure that could be completed 
  in one or two game sessions. The adventure is short and there is no map provided, but no map is really needed 
  as every location is described very well that the DM could create a map with no problem. There are several web 
  enhancements in the works, so maybe the adventure map will be in one of them. 
  Additionally, unlike many d20 books out there, The Deep contains a glossary, an index, and a descriptive 
  bibliography.
  Conclusion
  If you want to run an underwater campaign, The Deep is the definitive book for you. You will not be disappointed. 
  If you want to run an adventure or set of adventures under the waves, then this book is for you. You can add 
  an additional element to your campaign and many new intrigues. Overall, I thought the The Deep was very 
  comprehensive, though I did have a couple of reservations. I wish there were more maps or layouts. The number 
  of web enhancements worries me that a couple of small corners were cut to get to a specific page count.
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  D&D / d20
  d20 Review: Underdark
  “Underdark”
  Authors: Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F. M. 
  Kestrel, and Jeff Quick
  Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
  Reviewed by: Matt Haught
  Review date: 12/04/2003
  From the Back Cover
  “The ebon depths of the Underdark have spawned more 
  fables and fears than any other region of Faerun. In this 
  lightless world, the hazards of its unforgiving wilderness 
  are exceeded only by the perils found within the 
  communities of races such as the aboleths, illithids, 
  duergar and drow. Explore the labyrinthine tunnels and 
  endless caverns of the Realms Below to encounter 
  denizens and dangers of one of the most intriguing, 
  inhospitable regions in the Forgotten Realms game 
  setting.”
  Binding and Price
  This hardcover book with a glue binding retails at 
  $32.95. Underdark has 191 pages of content and this 
  review is based on a review copy. 
  First Impressions
  The characteristic Forgotten Realms cover design 
  bespeaks this book’s lineage from the first glance. 
  Being one of the many gamers who fell in love with the 
  Underdark long before D&D 3.x came on the scene, I 
  was anxious to see how the current crop of designers 
  would deal with the setting.
  As soon as I began perusing Underdark, something 
  leaped out at me: the Realms Below aren’t just for 
  Drow anymore. The Dark Elves are still well 
  represented and documented, but they are not the sole 
  focus of the book. Kuo-toa and illithids are given equal 
  space, and even the grimlocks have their own racial 
  feat. While this struck a sad note with the drow-phile in 
  me, it is undoubtedly a good move for the game itself. 
  The Realms Below, as a campaign setting, always 
  seemed to suffer from a bit of racial tunnel vision, if 
  you’ll pardon the pun. With Underdark, this is no longer 
  the case.
  Introduction
  The introduction gives a brief overview of each chapter 
  and a list of non-core D&D books necessary for full 
  utilization of the book, as well as a list of creatures 
  from the Monsters of Faerun and Monster Manual II 
  along with appropriate substitutes from the core 
  Monster Manual.
  Chapter 1: Races
  This chapter introduces several races for PC’s and NPC’s 
  that are appropriate for Underdark campaigns. Some, 
  like the Drow, have appeared in previous FR products. 
  Others, like the Chitine and Deep Imaskari, are new 
  content. The races have good flavor and identity, and in 
  some cases illuminate races that were once limited to 
  monsters such as the Kuo-toa and Grimlocks. Of the 
  new races, only the Deep Imaskari and the Drow are 
  likely to see much PC useage outside of purely 
  Underdark campaigns. The other races are either high-
  ECL or not particularly suited to non-evil characters or 
  both. The Drow will always have their cult following of 
  Drizzt fans and munchkins, though, and the Deep 
  Imaskari make excellent mages without any level 
  adjustment. There are additional races listed at the end 
  of the chapter, but these are almost universally suited 
  for NPC or monster roles.
  Rating Snapshot
  CLASS: Campaign Expansion Supplement
  STR: 14 (Physical). Typical glued-in hardcover binding.
  DEX: 12 (Organization). The chapters are organized well, 
  but the sidebars mean some items and optional rules are in 
  odd chapters.
  CON: 13 (Quantity of the Content). Decent price per page, 
  considering the hard binding.
  INT: 15 (Quality of Content). The specialized content goes 
  above and beyond previous products in the genre.
  WIS: 12 (Options & Adaptability). While useful for DM’s, 
  ordinary players will not find much use for this book. It is 
  also campaign-specific.
  CHA: 14 (Look & Feel). Some illustrations are better than 
  others. Specifically, some of the Kuo-toa look rather silly.
  Scoring definitions.
  18 = Superior. Best of the best.
  16 = Very Good. Part of a Baker’s Dozen.
  14 = Good. Most gamers would like this.
  12 = Fair. Some gamers would like this.
  10 = Average. Most gamers would be indifferent.
  8 = Subpar. Flawed, but not without promise.
  6 = Bad. Most gamers would dislike this.
  4 = Very Bad. Among the Dirty Dozen.
  2 = Inferior. Worst of the worst.
  
  36
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  All Rights Reserved.
  D&D / d20
  All of the PC races in this chapter are described with 
  WotC’s customarily high level of cultural detail. While 
  the subtle nuances of culture are reserved for later 
  portions of the book, general racial trends are stated in 
  a concise, easy-to-read manner.
  Chapter 2: Regions and Feats 
  This chapter contains six new racial character regions 
  and 23 new feats. Many of these feats, such as 
  Highborn Drow and Axeshield, are limited to individual 
  races of the Underdark. Others are useful to any PC 
  who finds himself in the lightless tunnels beneath Toril, 
  especially if the new rules for cramped quarters are 
  used. More importantly, this chapter introduces Earth 
  Node feats that augment the Earth Node spellcasting 
  described later in the book.
  Chapter 3: Prestige Classes
  Chapter Three introduces several new Prestige Classes 
  (PrC’s). Some of these are apparently suited primarily 
  for NPC’s, such as the Illithid Body Tamer, Sea Mother 
  Whip or the Inquisitor of the Drowning Goddess. 
  Others, such as the Prime Underdark Guide and 
  Cavelord are excellent for PC’s who call the Underdark 
  home. The Deep Diviner PrC was created to make use 
  of the Node Spellcasting system introduced later. The 
  Drow Judicator is basically a new version of the 
  Blackguard geared specifically for Drow. The 
  Arachnomancer and Yathchol Webrider are excellent 
  arcane caster classes for Drow or others who delve into 
  spider-related mysteries. The Vermin Keeper is an 
  excellent twist on the Druid, and unlike some of these 
  PrC’s, is equally useful above ground as below. The 
  Imaskari Vengeance Taker makes an interesting variant 
  of the Assassin, combining some of the aspects of the 
  Ranger with the Assassin’s dedication to the kill.
  These PrC’s are well thought out and interesting, 
  though they are of limited usefulness outside of an 
  Underdark campaign. Few of them will prove attractive 
  to the average PC, but they open up new worlds for 
  DM’s looking for a novel challenge for their players.
  Chapter 4: Magic and Spells
  This chapter finally explains and codifies one of the best 
  known, but least understood, aspects of the Underdark: 
  Faerzress. This energy, as explained in Underdark, 
  comes from Earth Nodes. Earth Nodes are centers of 
  power, similar in concept to the intersection of ley lines. 
  Chapter 4 introduces rules for harnessing the power of 
  Earth Nodes, including adverse effects on certain types 
  of spells such as teleportation and divination.
  Next, Chapter 4 discusses Portals and their tremendous 
  usage throughout the Underdark. New portal qualities 
  are discussed, as is the phenomenon known as portal 
  seepage. An alternative version of the Portal domain is 
  also presented.
  Speaking of domains, Underdark adds the Balance and 
  Watery Death domains. The Balance domain deals with 
  maintaining the balance of good versus evil, as well as 
  that of law versus chaos. The Watery Death domain is 
  limited to worshippers of Umberlee or Blibdoolpoolp, 
  goddess of the Kuo-toa. 
  The remainder of the chapter is dedicated to new spells, 
  some of which are in fact reprinted from earlier 
  Forgotten Realms material. Many of these spells deal 
  with Earth Nodes, while others relate to the Watery 
  Death domain. In particularly, Reflective Disguise and 
  its Mass version appealed to me. A mid-level arcane 
  caster can help his party pass undetected through the 
  cosmopolitan cities of the less-friendly Underdark races. 
  Chapter 5: Equipment and Magic Items
  This chapter begins with some specialized weapons and 
  armor found in the Underdark. Razored armor, a 
  repeating hand crossbow and the Kuo-toa’s signature 
  pincer staff are among some of the more interesting 
  weapons. Unlike some products, the weapons in 
  Underdark are fairly balanced. The razored armor and 
  shields are merely slashing versions of their spiked 
  counterparts, and the dart thruster is what the hand 
  crossbow should have been.
  The armor ranges from the interesting to the insane. 
  Some of the extras like buoyancy floats and stability 
  weights make little sense, while camouflage and 
  muffling are realistic add-ons for the stealth-conscious 
  rogue, ranger or even fighter. The new armor types 
  introduce the concept of exotic armors requiring specific 
  proficiency to use effectively. However, some of these 
  armors seem more than slightly strange. After all, how 
  often do you see a suit of rubbery hide armor complete 
  with tentacles that assist the user in making trip 
  attacks, or armor with wires extending from it to help 
  the user feel where an invisible opponent is moving? 
  Other exotic armors, such as nightscale and spidersilk, 
  have no real reason for requiring an extra feat other 
  than the fact that they are demonstrably superior to 
  standard PHB armors.
  The miscellaneous equipment is interesting, especially 
  the new alchemical items. In addition, there is a new 
  bardic instrument specifically designed for Underdark 
  minstrels. Several new poisons are introduced, though 
  the Drow sleep poison seems greatly underpowered.
  The magic weapons introduced in this chapter are a 
  welcome addition to the 3.5 arsenal. Metalline weapons 
  will go a long way towards eliminating the need for a 
  caddy just to carry the appropriate longsword for the 
  monster at hand. Tentacle weapons give the effect of a 
  vorpal weapon with an additional Illithid twist. 
  Drowcraft and Illithidwrought weapons make areas of 
  faerzress even more important.
  The armors show similar inventiveness. The Drow and 
  Illithids have their own armors that follow rules similar 
  to their weapons. Rogues, Barbarians and Rangers 
  everywhere will be tossing their mithril breastplates in 
  favor of halfweight full plate.
  This chapter continues with miscellaneous magic items, 
  artifacts and Illithid flesh grafts. Several of these will 
  prove very attractive to adventurers and NPC’s alike. 
  Underdark even mentions the Book of Perfect Balance. 
  Is this a foreshadowing of a future WotC mature 
  product? Only time will tell.
  
  37
  Silven Crossroads and the Silven Crossroads logo are trademarks ©2003 Kosala Ubayasekara
  All Rights Reserved. This article is the copyright of the author(s).
  4
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  Comment on this article here:
  Text only version here:
  D&D / d20
  Chapter 6: Monsters
  This chapter introduces some interesting new monsters, as well as updated 3.5 stats for some old favorites. 
  What’s impressive about this chapter is the sheer range of CR’s represented, from the CR 1/2 Giant Maggot to the 
  CR 23 Illithid Elder Brain. Creatures like the Annihilator and Kuo-toa Leviathan will keep mid- to high-level parties 
  on their toes, while an Ineffable Horror or Faerzress-infused Minotaur can challenge lower-level parties. Even the 
  CR 2 Giant Cockroach can be dangerous when encountered in a horde of hundreds.
  Chapter 7: Exploring the Underdark
  This chapter provides some innovative rules for the special environmental conditions found in the Realms Below. 
  Rules for stale and depleted air, seeping fumes that range from irritating to explosive, and extremes in 
  temperature can be used for attack and defense by the creatures that make their home in the lightless caverns of 
  the Underdark.
  Another important aspect of spelunking is the effect of cramped spaces on movement and, more importantly for 
  adventurers, combat. Rules for confined areas’ hindering effects on armed combat are explored in detail, and are 
  equally for indoor combat as well as brush-choked forests and jungles. 
  Encounter tables and a generic “Underdark Primer” round out this excellent chapter.
  Chapter 8: Geography
  As has become standard for Forgotten Realms products, Underdark includes a chapter detailing various relevant 
  locales. Familiar environs like Menzoberranzan and Blingdenstone are updated to take into account events in 
  recent novels, and new locations have been added to flesh out the Underdark like never before. While this is 
  standard fare for this campaign setting, this chapter is still well done.
  Conclusion
  Underdark picks up where City of the Spider Queen leaves off, and expands the Realms Below to include races and 
  cultures that were either unknown or neglected in earlier editions of the game. While it is of limited use to PC’s, 
  DM’s who wish to incorporate the Underdark into their game will find this book invaluable. Given the popularity of 
  the Realms Below in the general gaming public, this book should see wide useage.
  How to buy
  Silven Crossroads maintains active affiliation with several 
  third-party organizations and companies to assist us in 
  delivering a high quality service to our readers. For online 
  purchase of RPG related materials we have chosen to 
  partner with FRP Games. You can purchase this product 
  directly from FRP Games by using the link below
  http://www.frpgames.com/cart.php?m=product_
  detail&p=3458&ref=sil
  http://www.silven.com/adnd.asp?case=show&id=189
  http://www.silven.com/print.asp?case=sectionarticle&camefrom=adnd&id=189
  
  38
  Serving the City of Silven for over 1,000 Scribes!
  The Fodder Cannon is a monthly humour sec-
  tion by Lance Kepner and Dana Driscoll. Readers 
  are encouraged to contribute their own amusing 
  shorts. Send to adriayna@yahoo.com.
  BBEG Captured!
     On Monday of this week the infamous and notorious BBEG was 
  captured in a raid on his stronghold slum house.
    A combined effort between the Silven Mercenary Guild (SMG) and 
  the Battalion for Upholding Silven’s Heritage (BUSH) conducted the 
  raid in the daylight hours of Monday afternoon.
    No fighting was reported, and the BBEG was taken ‘without incident’ 
  said Chief Marshal Monger.
    It is not clear at this time where the BBEG is being held, or for 
  that matter why.  The unnamed BBEG has yet to be charged with 
  any crimes but charges are expected to be filed by the city of Silven 
  shortly.
    The slum lords of Silven have filed a formal protest, citing 
  unauthorized entry, unmitigated use of force, and invasion of privacy.  
  The slum lords have also filed an injuction with the courts to halt all 
  proceedings and expedite the BBEG to the slums for trial. 
    It is unknown what history the BBEG has, but with the amount of 
  attention focused in right now on the city of Silven and its recent 
  militaristic and imperialistic trends, there is sure to be substantial 
  fallout.
  Mayor Strikes Deal with Local Thieves Guild, Upsets other 
  Thieves Guilds
    Last Tuesday the Mayor of Silven struck a four year contract with the 
  renown thieves guild The Marut Kamahl.  The deal grants the guild 
  supreme access to all thieving operations within and around the city 
  of Silven for the duration of the contract.  In recompense the guild 
  will refund the city of Silven approximately a one third share of the 
  plunder.
    Upset over the contract, two other thieves guilds, the Brown Band 
  and the Darklings, sought to go to the courts for an appeal.  Litigation 
  is proceeding slowly on the case, but no changes are expected to take 
  place any time soon.
    In the meantime, the Mayor issued a public statement, ‘I have 
  formalized a deal that will ensure success and wealth for all the 
  citizens of Silven, except for those robbed, of course.  This is your tax 
  money hard at work, and the stolen money will go right back into your 
  pockets in the form of new schools, better working conditions, and 
  more patrols.’
  Gods Pass New Laws, World Confused
    Members of a special committee convened Thursday at the first ever 
  ‘Symposium on the State of the World’.  The committee was formed 
  hastily last month to look into the widespread changes that swept the 
  world overnight last July.
    One Symposium member, Silven’s own Orph Maloney testified, ‘One 
  day my spells worked one way, the next day they worked a different 
  way!’ to a startled crowd of onlookers.
    Indeed, magical spells were not all that was affected.  Many mundane 
  and magical items have increased or even decreased in value, and 
  provide different benefits to their owners.  Many merchants are 
  swamped with rabid customers seeking to return defunct items.
    It is unclear at the cause of the changes in the universe and many 
  attribute them to the Gods themselves.  But until a formal inquiry into 
  the situation is suggested, the Symposium is left to sort out the mess 
  and seek a means to handle it.
  -Reporting from Town Hall, for the Fodder Canon, Dak Tamble.
  Travelling Gypsies Set up Permanent Residence, Woman 
  Confused
     The caravan of Gypsies that arrived last month has not yet left.  This 
  has some citizens of Silven confused.
    Local seamstress and mother of six Jacqueline Vorax says, ‘I thought 
  Gypsies came and left?  It’s been a good month and they are still out 
  there every night, boozing it up.  The kidnapping rate has gone sky 
  high, and the number of public beatings is at an all time high.  They 
  can’t just sit out there.  I don’t care much for the beatings and rapes, 
  but I’d tolerate them if it were our own fine citizens and not some non-
  traveling band of good-for-nothings.’
    No Gypsy was available for comment.
  Pothole Monsters Snatch Third Victim
    In the last several weeks, the Pothole Monster, as citizens are calling 
  it, has snatched its third victim, a seventy year old grandmother of 
  seven.  
    Hobblin Graknee  was last seen in the south side of the city with a 
  bag from the meat market around her arm.  Moments later, she was 
  gone.  
    Onlookers described the scene, ‘I was over here getting a chuck of 
  beef for dinner, when I saw this old lady walking down the road.  I 
  saw her heading right into a pothole and I attempted to yell but it was 
  too late, and in she went.’
    The scene then turned to a horrified mass of screaming and panic.  
  When the riot settled down three minutes later, brave onlookers 
  ventured to the pothole to peer inside and found nothing but mud.
    The mayor had no comment on the events, and neither did the City 
  Guard.  
  Humor
  
  39
  Silven Crossroads and the Silven Crossroads logo are trademarks ©2003 Kosala Ubayasekara
  All Rights Reserved.
  Serving the City of Silven for over 1,000 Scribes!
  Classifieds:
  Wanted: Illusions.  Do you have illusions you are looking to rid yourself of?  Disbelieve no more, Farky Finkensnort is here to 
  purchase all at top dollar.
  Lucritive Investment Opportunity!  All interested parties contact Sly Slipperysocks for more information.  No goblins 
  involved.  
  Looking for Luv?  Look no more, Sophia’s House of Luv has opened for business.  Discretion guaranteed.  Your choice of 
  Toothy or toothless wenches. 
  Liquidation Sale: Frozen Elementals. The latest fad has hit the city of Silven!  All sizes.  Entire stock must go now!
  Public Poll: New Years Resolution?
  Orph Maloney, Wizard Extraordinaire 
  ”Be a better warrior.”
  Dak Tamble, Bard Wonder
  ”Work less. Sing more. Stop being disintegrated.”
  Brob Weeny, Ranger lookalike
  ”Do I look like that guy..uhm… Arathorn yet?  Oh what was his name?”
  Arch Druid Kamiya, 
  ”More neutral less good.”
  Marcus, the drunken Ranger
  ”Miss my D&D campaign less.”
  Humour
  
  40
  Silven Crossroads and the Silven Crossroads logo are trademarks ©2003 Kosala Ubayasekara
  All Rights Reserved.
              Printing Tips
  Printing out the entire e-zine can 
  be very demanding on your printer 
  and use a lot of ink. If you are 
  careful about the amount of ink 
  you use in printing then we advise 
  you not to print the entire e-zine.
  Article pages and excerpts that we 
  assume will be printed the most 
  have been purposefully illustrated 
  using light colors to conserve 
  printer ink reserves. Printing out 
  only the pages that you need will 
  make it easier for you manage 
  your ink usage.
  Its recommened that you print 
  the maps on glossy paper if you 
  can. Glossy paper is available from 
  most stationery or office supply 
  stores and is more expensive than 
  regular printing paper, but the 
  quality difference in the print is 
  worth it.
  Silven Trumpeter Magazine
  The Silven Trumpeter is a monthly publication produced by the Silven Crossroads 
  community (www.silven.com). Articles and fiction appearing in the Silven Trumpeter  
  are drawn from the various content areas of the Silven Crossroads site.  Because of 
  this, if you are interested in having a piece of writing published in the Silven Trumpeter, 
  it must first be submitted for inclusion in a specific content area on the site. For more 
  information, please contact the editor at adriayna@yahoo.com
  Publisher
  Silven Crossroads. attn: Kosala Ubayasekara
  kosala@silven.com
  c/o Lidström; Skyttevägen 17, 1tr; 19258 Sollentuna; Sweden.
  Editor in Chief
  Dana Driscoll
  Assistant Editor
  Edward Kopp
  Contributing Authors
  Sean Holland, Shane Cubis, Kosala Ubayasekara, Edward Kopp, Raymond Huling, Aaron 
  Todd, Eytan Bernstein, Scott Fitz, Dana Driscoll, Bradford Ferguson, Angus McBlane, 
  Lance Kepner, Matt Haught, Carl Batchelor, Chris Harris
  Contributing Artists
  Veli-Matti Joutsen
  Cover Art
  Veli-Matti Joutsen
  http://www.silven.com/gallery/vmjoutsen
  Interior Artists
  Kou and Ali
  http://www.fantasywars.org/
  Florin Badita
  http://elfwood.lysator.liu.se/loth/f/l/florin/florin.html
  Todd Lockwood
  http://www.toddlockwood.com
  Vshane SF/F Fantasy Studio
  http://www.vshane.com/
  Veli-Matti Joutsen
  http://www.silven.com/gallery/vmjoutsen
  Layout, and Design
  Kosala Ubayasekara
  {!
  Legal Notice
  Trademarks and Copyright
  Silven Crossroads and the Silven Crossroads logo are trade-
  marks ©2003 Kosala Ubayasekara. All Rights Reserved.
  All text and artwork are copyright their respective authors 
  and creators as noted in the text, images, or below.
  Distribution
  This document may be distributed in its entirety on any web-
  site for non-commercial purposes.
  In the event of this occuring, the owner of the website must 
  refer to our free syndication guidelines at:
  http://www.silven.com/syndication.asp
  Usage of this document
  No changes of any kind are to be made in this document 
  including, but not limited to, editing or changing the text or 
  images, saving and distributing parts of this document with-
  out the whole, and copying and pasting portions or excerpts 
  of any content found herein on any site or document.
  Printing
  You may print out pages and content in this document for 
  your own personal, non-commercial use only.
  }
  Next issue
  February 
  01, 2003
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/Books/3p/Silven/Silven - Trumpeter - 06 - Jan 2004.pdf