More civilized?  Hey!  That depends on how you want to define 'civilized'....

We loyal Sarvonians might say they are 'more effete'.... 'vainer'... 'heads-in-the-clouds dreamers'...'indolent folk who overuse the power of magic for petty purposes'.... I could go on, but you see my point...

( Coren, don't blast me with a fireball now - you know I love your guys!  )

Nybelmargerim - any dwarf of the continent Nybelmar

Kavogerim – Dwarves of Desert Travel
Lohogerim – Dwarves of Desert Country
Gunolwergerim – Clan of the Resettlers




Fine by me!

Sorry about the misunderstanding of 'plain' - we did the same thing with 'chest' earlier!  I MUST go through and sort the dwarven dictionary into adjectives, nouns, verbs, etc. or at least add a parenthetical note to the homonyms..  

"You should never wear your best trousers when you go out to fight for freedom and truth."

Henrik Ibsen, AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE

Whew!  Well, thanks for doing the legwork, there, Victhorin!

I don't know if Art will thank us for having to make thirty-three separate changes (although I guess the Web History is not so important, so that's only thirty-two  ) - better check with him and see if it's something that could be done in the future, or by the other person who is helping him put up entries (Sifler perhaps?  Not sure  )

At any rate, don't start using the new name until he knows about this concept, ok?  We can always live with Nybermargerim; dwarves ARE pretty insular...  

"You should never wear your best trousers when you go out to fight for freedom and truth."

Henrik Ibsen, AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE

Although this suggestion comes late, it may have some slight helpful concepts and influences for developing this entry...

If we think more of the principles of slave ownership as they existed in Ancient Rome rather than in the Deep South, we might all a) be more comfortable with the idea b) have a more workable and humane system c) have a very clear precedent for designing Aeruillin social levels...

According to my readings and research, slavery in Rome was far more 'tolerable'  than the American institution - as someone said above, more like a thrall or bondservant's work than like a field hand.  Nor was it based on race exclusively - rather, as also mentioned above, slaves were generally taken from conquered nations or races, but could also be sold to pay off debts or even volunteered (selling themselves into servitude) to make certain of a future!  Certainly there were bad masters and slaves could be killed, whipped, and tortured (inevitable if they were to give 'accurate' testimony) but on the whole it was considered ignoble.

"The other slaves they treat fairly humanely, all things considered, but absolutely impersonally - their presence is to be taken for granted like articles of furniture, and their personal problems ignored...house-slaves have their sorrows but they need not ordinarily fear two mortal evils - hunger, or overwork...every servant has some limited appointed task.  When that is finished nothing else is expected of him, and to require other duties would not merely make the master unpopular...it would stamp him before his equals as an extremely mean and sordid man..."  (this was written about the state of slavery in Hadrian's day)

Slaves were allowed to marry by an informal ceremony called Contubernium, which "only a very harsh master will dissolve", and a faithful and hardworking slave can often expect manumission upon his master's death or some other significant event.  Some slaves act as 'craftsmen and tradesmen...custom, though not law, entitles them to a part of their earnings..."   And once free, even a slave's brand or pierced ears will not count against them if they are successful; freedmen can rise high in business and commerce in Hadrian's Rome.

(Quotes taken from "A Day in Old Rome" by W.S.Davis, 195  

Hi, Aeruillin people!

Could someone suggest a region where a citrus-type tree could grow? Or even better, help develop such a plant for us?

We have no lemons, oranges, mandarins, etc. and could really use some in Caelereth.  Talia suggested that they wouldn't grow well in Sarvonia but probably would be a popular import from Aeruillin.  I think that's a great idea, so if you have any opinions, please put them in this thread!

My concept for these plants are as follows:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------


The Citron

This small shrub is actually a fruit-bearing tree; glossy olive leaves on thick grey branches conceal the fruits until fully ripe.  The deep yellow globes, about the size of a man's fist, have a thick, oily rind with a pungent, refreshing smell, which when broken open shows segmented bright yellow flesh composed of many tiny juicy baglets.  Biting into a segment will cause the baglets to burst into refreshingly tart liquid in one's mouth.


The Argantine:  (also known as Moonfruit)

The Argantine tree is about two to three peds tall, with a straight central trunk and numerous tiny branchlets with a thick puff of greyish leaves at its top.  Scented white flowers soon turn into little green balls, which ripen into the orange Moonfruit.

Tiny juice-filled central spheres are protected by a ring of thick, melon-like orange flesh which in turn is covered by a dimpled deep orange rind.  Here and there on the surface of the Argantine are tiny craters and embedded little black seedlets, giving the whole globe the appearance of a full golden harvest moon.  


The Lon-Lon

This heavy melon is a vine-fruit with a powerful citrus taste, more bitter than the Citron and Argantine, but delectable when sprinkled with some sweetening agent, such as a bit of Foridite.   The fruit is more perishable since its flesh resembles the watery crisp pulp of a melon, and does not travel well.

(It should be available throughout Aeruillin but an expensive rarity in Sarvonia, in other words!)

If you have written ANYTHING that's in the Library, for Art's sake could you take a look at the Library Reorganization Discussion thread and let us know what you think?  I have submitted a possible way of categorizing the stories and don't want to offend anyone who thinks his/her wonderful creation is in the wrong area...


"It's NOT a ghost story, it's a wonderfully emotional tale of fated love, you thick-as-bricks-bard!" sort of thing...


Oh, and I really did mean 'to help out Artimidor' in the first sentence above; I'm not taking our dear sage's name in vain!  

Ahah!  The inquiry mail and the second sending are there, though not the first one - (masterbard is not my primary email account atm, but I should have thought to check it ere now....) so I have your very thorough comments!  Thank you - will respond via email so we can keep this hush-hush until it's more accurate and can 'burst upon the Santharian horizon'....    

Coren!  Thou hast returned!  Whither, then, my promised email?  Whither thy comments on my humble depiction?  Hast thou misplaced my edress, or have I in sooth somehow offended thee?

Prithee, answer, or I shall pine, droop and dwindle...

A melancholic bard awaiteth,
Judith      


COREN: Judith! Someone must be putting a lot of effort into thwarting our correspondence! I sent you the email on Saturday after being delayed a week without internet access. Then on Tuesday morning sent an 'inquiry'-mail asking whether you have received it. And just to be on the safe side, I re-mailed the whole thing Tuesday afternoon.

Check your masterbard@poetic.com address - if it's STILL not there maybe I should seriously consider hiring a wynd-racer! or retreating to a corner and sobbing... Pray tell, was the address wrong?

Edited by: Coren FrozenZephyr at: 7/12/06 18:29

Thanks for the heads up and assistance, Mira!

My reply both above and below:

Hello, Swensen!

I use Adobe Illustrator, PhotoImpression, and Paint in conjunction to create my digital illustrations.  However, none of the above are actually meant as 'fine digital art' programs and I would not recommend them to any serious digital artist - just as I create my little pictures with only a Logitech mouse because I do not own and cannot afford a proper tablet and stylus.

I am a bit wary when you simply ask me for 'software', as it suggests that you have done no research on your own and have no experience with computer-assisted art at all.  It took me literally years to make the switch from traditional media into the digital field, and I have years more to go (and doubtless some better tools to buy) before I can begin to produce pieces that have the finish, finesse, and quality of our professional digital artists such as Faugar, Quellion, Eratin, and the like.  

As such, I can't really recommend anything to you.  You'll have to experiment yourself with various free programs such as Oekaki and Gimp (available online - do some googling) , but it is highly unlikely that at first you will be able to produce anything in the digital field that will be of an acceptable level.  Do you have anything online in your own style, whatever that might be, to give us an idea of your current artistry and level of accomplishment?  Please provide a link here, if so.

Regards from the bard,
Judith

Need the Bard's attention?            

Post a message here with a link to whatever you'd like me to see, edit, comment upon, or proofread...

Edited by: Bard Judith  at: 2/10/06 0:57

Hello, Swensen!

I use Adobe Illustrator, PhotoImpression, and Paint in conjunction to create my digital illustrations.  However, none of the above are actually meant as 'fine digital art' programs and I would not recommend them to any serious digital artist - just as I create my little pictures with only a Logitech mouse because I do not own and cannot afford a proper tablet and stylus.

I am a bit wary when you simply ask me for 'software', as it suggests that you have done no research on your own and have no experience with computer-assisted art at all.  It took me literally years to make the switch from traditional media into the digital field, and I have years more to go (and doubtless some better tools to buy) before I can begin to produce pieces that have the finish, finesse, and quality of our professional digital artists such as Faugar, Quellion, Eratin, and the like.  

As such, I can't really recommend anything to you.  You'll have to experiment yourself with various free programs such as Oekaki and Gimp (available online - do some googling) , but it is highly unlikely that at first you will be able to produce anything in the digital field that will be of an acceptable level.  Do you have anything online in your own style, whatever that might be, to give us an idea of your current artistry and level of accomplishment?  Please provide a link here, if so.

Regards from the bard,
Judith

Elendilwyn's Digs    the last post!

Edited by: Bard Judith  at: 2/6/06 1:43

Tarquet:  I'm sorry to sound as though I'm jumping on the bandwagon (and on your ideas) here...

but I was rather uncomfortable when I first read the description of your Netherworld....and wasn't sure how to say that courteously.  

So... please don't take this the wrong way.  Solely from my point of view, the demonology, detailed descriptions of torture, reinterpretations of the Inferno, and the other grisly information that's been built up so far - is not appropriate for the sort of world and cosmos that I visualize Aer'e'chan being.  Of course, I hasten to say that MY visualization is not the prime goal...I think Santharia and its developers needs to have room and tolerance for many different visions - and we need to realize that Artimidor is really the only one with the 'final' say....

Anyhow - if that's just me being too squeamish, I will gracefully concede, and bow to the will of the majority, or our Sage, whichever is appropriate.  But I did want to give you my opinion directly, because I was somewhat distressed by the Netherworld post.

Thank you for your time and your understanding...
Bard Judith