Table Plan: World Building pt.2 (more Wintermoot)

In the last post we discussed the building of a geography and the beginnings of a political map for a region.  As an example, I used my arctic island chain of Wintermoot as an example of what it looks like.  Let us bring up a map of Wintermoot to see what has been done so far:

As we can see, the land looks pretty barren, but this is an arctic region, we aren't exactly expecting a massive variety of flora and fauna.  I already mentioned that Frost Giants and White Dragons will be present in this region.  I can also close my eyes and picture Remorhazs and Frost Worms slithering down the countryside, making abandoned ruins their nesting grounds.  This is all good and all, but we need fluff.  We need stuff here to give the region pizzazz.  Adventurers need a reason to come to the land of the ice and snow.

The easiest place to begin adding fluff is in your towns and cities.  Let us begin with Skrarut, our only locale that is somewhat safe at Wintermoot.  Skrarut, I can picture as a town founded by adventurers.  They came long ago to Wintermoot in search of Frost Giant treasure, but were greeted with the barren cold.  However, the determination of an adventurer made them fight the bitter cold, and when they began to find treasure, it only attracted all sundry sorts to their city.  The city is united by a sort of oligarchy from the heads of the major guilds, in an attempt to keep the peace.  They city I can also imagine united in faith, especially around deities of death, which is all to common, but also deities of strength, and also the worship of the god of the Frost Giants.  However, the Frost Giant deity (Thrym in the core setting) is more worshiped against, in hopes to keep away the Frost Giants.

It is harder to give examples on what you should do for civilization fluff, because every place is different.  My first two, and pretty much only two suggestions on this would be to think about the region the city or town is in, and then think of it's history and psychology.  What do the townspeople think?  A town or city in the mountains might have an economy based on mining, and probably a Dwarven culture, compared to a town located along a river fork, which would be more focused on trading, and also more cosmopolitan.  Sometimes even neighboring locations can be vastly different.  Philadelphia and Camden are separated by a single river, and yet both have very distinctive feels as cities.  In my more personal campaign setting, the city of Pendragon's Cauldron is even internally inconsistent, showing off it's own history as a handful of towns and trading posts.

And a city built into the side of a waterfall will have a very different feel.  

Let your imagination run free.

Then next major piece of fluff you can make is the relationships between the major forces of the region.  How does civilization compete with things like dragons and giants.  A good stating point, again, is the region and history.  The Frost Giants have ruins scattered along the island, which means that they once had a civilization here that was brought down, maybe by the White Dragons?  Maybe the current White Dragon is a descendent or even consort to the original menace.  Maybe the Frost Giants call her things like White Bitch and Mother Giant Killer, pointing to the fact that she has a clutch of eggs, or maybe wyrmlings.  Maybe the original menace is a Dracolich still hiding in Mount Ereberous, clinging onto it's treasure with an unholy death-grip.  At the moment, let us focus on one dragon, whom lives on the giant iceberg known as the Ice Palace.  Let's leave some mystery on the island.

How does Skrarut fair against these forces.  Well, the original adventurers came prepared for giants, and maybe have a very fragile trade plan open with them, one constantly chipped away at by raiding groups looking for treasure.  However, Skrarut is laughably unprepared for the White Dragons, and live in constant fear of their attacks, not knowing if their next day will be their last.  This is partially what will make Skrarut dangerous, living with such a constant threat does things to people.  Again, this goes back to the civilization fluff and psychological conditioning based on the region.  Psychology is an unthought of power over people.  Its so basic and pervasive nobody ever thinks about it, and yet without it, all we got are cookie cut-out locales and people.

Super-awesome Frost Giant image by Boudiccia

And there we have it, we have a pretty solid region.  Now, its a stand-alone place, not really connected to anything.  Maybe in a later post I will go over linking areas that are close by, but next Table Plan, I believe we should begin talking about dungeons, and how I go about making them, and maybe giving you an idea or two on how to go about making them to, if you don't have your own process.  Maybe next world-building post I can show off my personal campaign world, maybe go on discussions about making governments and homebrew faith systems.  But until next time my friends, hapy adventuring. :D

PBP #6: Disease, and Dealing with it as a Pagan

Last PBP post, which I decided to skip, I was floored with flu.  This one, which I am deciding to do, since I am well enough to do it, I am still in the throws of a sinus infection.  The gassyness is gone, I am so thankful for that, and we don't need a repeat of that, except maybe the Mentos commercials, I still lol about the Star Wars one.  There were some other good movie spoofs of Mentos, like Total Recall.  Because Arnold Schwarzenegger's angry face is a perfect time to remind us that Mentos is the Freshmaker.

Mentos freshness FULL OF LIFE! (Mentos, the Freshmaker)

But I digress.  Let me take you back to when I was more sick than I was now, when Vertigo made it hard to do things.  And I would lie on the couch and I would softly pray to Isis and take my decongestant, and would begin to feel better.  If I felt well enough I would perform the LBRP, which felt like it cleansed the space around me.  And it would be in this space that I would think, and this is where this PBP post came from.  Why not discuss the way this Pagan deals with sickness, and how I deal with sickness in others.

First of all, I am a big believer in the idea that nothing cures a disease faster than rest, liquids, and doctor's orders.  In fact, any holistic healer worth their salt will tell you that.  Holistic healers heal you in a way the medicine and such cannot, but it works with the medicine.  With that said I do believe in holistic and natural healing, like with herbs or with practices like Reiki.  I personally think some skeptics throw the baby out with the bathwater, and not see the theraputic aspects of practices like Reiki beyond the claims of energy healing.  I also believe there is a mental component to disease as well.  Now, I'm not one of those "The Secret" thumpers who think that you get sick because you think sick.  I think these little microscopic things known as bacteria and viruses disprove that hundreds of years ago, but I do think your mental outlook changes how you treat and act about the disease.

With all of that said, I would say beyond Rest, Liquids, and Doctor's Orders would have to be Cleansing.  One of the most healing experiences I had with this recent bout of sickness was after I took a long steamy shower, almost like a sauna, which, for those of you who don't know, began as a sort of European sweat lodge (with a spirit of the sauna to go with it and all).  Spiritual cleansing would also go with this, and certain herbs like Sage, work wonders for that.  Now, with my problem, incense is somewhat out of the question, seeing as how the smoke would have aggravated my sinuses, but you might not have the same problem.  The ancients honored cleanliness like this, in fact, if one was not clean, one could not go before the Gods.  We still see this in Shinto, some forms of Dharmic religions, and we can even see this in the modern Christian idea of "Sunday Best" for church.  I honor this by always washing my hands before touching my altar for any reason.

Another things I do is Spiritual Practice.  One of the most powerful cleansers of space and a personal one to is the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.  I'm sure the Star Ruby would works amazingly for me, but I still haven't memorized the Greek in the end, and I still trip up on some of the ritual signs.  Anyway, but the LBRP banishes and cleans the space of unwanted energies, and invokes the protective forces of the four Archangels to watch over.  You also begin and end with the meditative practice of the Qabalistic Cross.  This entire practice is meditative, and ultimate acts as more than a space cleaner.  In fact, many would suggest one do the LBRP daily. Speaking of, meditation is an amazing practice as well, and if you haven't already started so, now would be a good time.  Prayer beads are a good meditative and devotional practice, of which I will be discussing more about when we get to the letter P.

Invoking and Banishing Pentagrams

Last, but certainly not least, is Opening up to people.  Sickness and disease bring about a lot of catharsis and emotion.  It's best to just let it all out when it needs to.  Show appreciation, surround yourself with good friends and things that make you happy.  Both are really good, because you are sick, you wouldn't want to surround yourself with negative energy, would you? 

And there we have it, that's how I generally handle being sick.  In this way, I hit all the ways we experience sickness and disease.  I think that is one of the amazing things about our community.  In the rest of the Western world, the human being is viewed as a cog in a machine, another brick in the wall.  The human being is much more than that, and we don't treat all aspects of our nature, do we actually get better, or do we just enter this fog of being just "okay"?  I for one, want to be well, I love being well.

NEXT WEEK:

Sinus Infection and Gas as told by 90's Mentos Commercials

So my flu turned into two separate problems of a Sinus Infection (of which I am still recovering from), and this annoying case of gas.  Why annoying, because it gives off all the signs and indications that I need to run, not walk, to the bathroom before Shitagra Falls breaks the levy.  This wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the fact that I have also turned into some sick living Larry the Cable Guy joke, needing to fart at every possible moment.  I'm laying down trying to recover and I start moving around for relief and softly groan out as if I am in some sort of hardcore porn.  So the purpose of this blog is to show off just how annoying this is, with 90's Mentos commercials, you know, the ones with that jingle and the outlandish shit happening.

So let us begin by talking about something completely different and... hold on...

Okay, where was I, oh yeah.  So, one thing this has given me some time on was some time to catch up on some of my reading.  It's been a while since I've sat down and read.  Destiny let me borrow Plato and a Platypus Walked Into a Bar... excuse me...

Anyway.  I've been a bit lax in reading stuff beyond blogs, D&D materials, and the news... hold on, might take some news in with me for this one...

So, reading?  Right.  So, the other book I am reading right now is Carte Blanche, the new 007 novel.  I actually haven't read a 007 novel before, so when I bought it, it was a pretty exciting buy, and so far, I am enjoying it quite a bit.  It is certainly a different kind of Bond experience, and speaking of different kind of experiences...

Oh Final Fantasy VIII, oh Spoony...

Anyway, back onto the main subject... wait... here we go again!

You know what, I think you get the idea of how annoying I feel right now.  So I think I'm gonna end it here for today folks.

No PBP Today

Due to having my ass kicked by Flu-Manchu, I didn't even type down a single letter of this weeks post.  I'm still deciding on whether or not to post it when I feel better (probably Sunday), or to just dump it all together.

Flu

I think I have the flu.  I've been coughing all day, been light headed like fuck, and now my joints ache and my hands, when washing them, felt like a sensitive penis after masturbation.  I don't usually get sick, but when I do, it tends to be a 24-hour bug.

Could be worse, there could be a scene from a Godzilla movie where the King of Monsters dances a jig........




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D&D Stories: Quicksilver! Quicksilver! Quicksilver!

I think I have stated before that in the current campaign I am playing in, both of my characters, Lazlo and Amadeus, were related.  I think I am now going to reveal their collective backstories, as well as a few factoids that I stated in earlier D&D Stories about Lazlo that actually were true.

Lazlo is the second oldest of five children.  His oldest brother is Alois, and is also a Paladin like Amadeus.  The oldest sister, who is older than Amadeus, is called Natalia, and she is married to a wealthy merchant is isn't home a lot.  Then we have Amadeus, my current character and Paladin.  Amadeus, to which I have not shown off the twist for yet, is actually married and had a child right before he went out in search of his older brother Lazlo.  So much for the celibate warrior monk image.  And then we have Tatiana, who also trained as a Paladin against her family's wishes.  Interesting fact, I was half tempted to play Tatiana for a while until I settled on Amadeus

Back when Lazlo and Ollie tried to steal a golden urn from a Temple of Pelor, Lazlo lied and said he was going to take the damaged urn to a goldsmith to get it fixed.  Technically Lazlo was not lying about the goldsmith part.   The Quicksilver family of Kormine became rich and well known for their goldsmithing.  Also, all the men had at least some sort of Paladin training.  Lazlo was more interested in sneaking out, living the city life in the underworld, having fun, and all of that shit.  Being a younger brother, Amadeus loved and looked up to his older brothers, and is a mix of both.  Amadeus is the libertine and freethinking Lazlo combined with the restrained and pious Alois.

It was that very nature that lead Amadeus to run away from his order and become an independent Paladin, falling in love, having a family, and the beginning a quest to find his brother, whom unfortunately met his end trying to saving one of his oldest companions from an acid pit trap.  Now Amadeus begins a new quest, to carry on his brother's work in protecting the young tiefling halfling whom has a mysterious fate.

Sorry for the short little Stories post, I guess I kind of wanted to show off how amazing characterization can be.  Here I have a Paladin whom I am playing not as a sort of "onwards Christian soldier" kind of style, but as a sort of world-traveled Sacred Band type, except he's straight, or maybe possibly bi, but I don't want to make Amadeus too much like myself, that's saved for my other character of Ceilos, a Half-Elven Ranger (I know, very original).  Of course, I have kept the idea of Ceilos alive for so long that he has grown beyond a Mary Sue and became a character with flaws and weaknesses, and Amadeus has his own to. 

Characterization within Role-Playing Games is something I think is starting to become a dead art in a way, we are conditioned into the hack'n'slash MMORPG style where its all combat.  It deletes the heroism that RPGs are supposed to have in general.  Where else do you find brave paladins riding off to fight a demon one-on-one to save a young girl (I did that, btw, I'll have to talk about it sometime, one of my crowning achievements)?  Where else do you also find tales of, depite all these warning and traps, a halfling stealing a dagger made of pure chaos?

Characterization is amazing, and in a sense, is the true magic of RPGs.

P.S.: It may be asked that, if Amadeus dies or retires, if we may see the rise of Tatiana.  Well, maybe, just maybe ;)

PBP #5: Celtic Appropriation

BEFORE READING: I wrote this blog up a while ago, as a beginning of a theme I wanted to have with my series of Pagan Blog Project posts, namely to show off the vastness of our own tradition, to show off how rich and varied it is without resorting to stealing from other cultures.

After typing this, I honestly did sit on it for a while.  I honestly did not know whether or not to post it.  I honestly feel like I could come off as an asshole, which is the last thing I would want to do.  Am I a bit scathing, well, yes, I guess scathing is a bit of an accurate term to use when it comes to bad history and appropriation, but that goes without saying.

This was the first time I did post-writing research, not on the topic, but on others who have posted something similar to this before.  Wicca For the Rest of Us certainly did so, and so did Metal Gaia.  And they an apologetics style defense of appropriation was posted on a Tumblr blog.  I figured with that post, and with the surprising numbers of supporters of it, that this blog needed to be posted.

The original name for the post was Celtophilia, meaning Love of the Celts.  The change was a last minute decision, since I am a bit of a Celtophile, so Celtic Appropriation it is. :)


AND NOW FOR YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PBP POST!



"The Celts believed in a single Goddess split into three aspects, which the Christians stole as their trinity."
-From Wicca For the Rest of Us

The Celts ranged from the Asia Minor all the way out to the Iberian Peninsula in their long history.  Over time, due to wars from both the Germanic tribes and the Romans, as well as Roman Catholicism and the British Empire, the Celtic tribes and nations fell one by one to the 6-9 left today (depending on whom you ask).  These nations being: Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany, Galicia, Asturias, and Cantabria.  Other groups of Celts still exist today in the process of reviving their culture, but for the most past, those are the nine.

In the 17th century, William Stukeley, an Anglican Vicar and an antiquarian began studying the ancient Druids, and began calling himself a Druid to.  These druids dressed in white, worshipped in stone circles, and believed in and worshipped a single sun god.  In fact, he stated that the only difference between the Druids and the Christians was that the Druids believed in a savior to come, and to the Christians, that savior had come in the form of Jesus of Nazareth.  Now of course, history has proven his theories wrong, but what he started was the archaeological study of the Celts, and the beginning of the Druid Revival.  Countless more followed in history, Iolo Morganwyn, William Price, Ross Nichols, etc.

I think the first point that must be made is that the Celts had a rich and vibrant spirituality and culture that still continues today.  Sure, it's definitely different from the Celts of the time of the Paleo-Druids, but it still lives on.  Within Neopagan Celtic Spirituality, beliefs in the Fair Folk, no matter under what name they are known by, is commonplace; as well as ancestor worship, communion with nature, and the use of poetry and inspiration.  The Celtic nations had varied deities, some shared between the tribes and some that were vastly different.  The popular modern deity Cernunnos actually was not found with the Insular Celts, although he is similar to other figures in their traditional myths, and today he is found among most modern Celts.

This leads me to the discussion on the misunderstanding of what is Celtic, and the appropriation of Celtic culture that happens a lot.  Like most appropriation and mislabeling, it begins with thinking of the Celts as one big unified culture.  Much like Native Americans, whom had many different cultures and tribes, the Celts were similar.  Hell, we even see this with the modern USA.  New English culture is vastly different from Dixie, which is vastly different from Cascadia.  Sure, we share certain features, like a history, certain beliefs about our nation, etc., but we come at them differently.  The Celts are the same.

Where to start.  I think a disclaimer is in order.  I am not folkish at all.  I feel that, if one is called to a practice, or wants to learn more about it personally, they are perfectly free to, as long as they are respectful.  I am no enemy of syncretism or acculturation, if I was, there would be no statue of Budai on my altar, nor would I study Buddhism or use a mala.  I am also not anti Celtic Wicca.  In fact, William Butler Yeats, a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, began creating a Celtic Hermeticism, so Wicca can definitely work within a Celtic context, and can work very well.

What I am against, is this belief that the Celts were Wiccan, and that Neopaganism is Celtic in general.  I know this is an idea that is rare anymore, we as a movement have grown up, but its still notable.  First of all, Wicca is only about 60 years old.  Second of all, the Celts were polytheistic, not Trinitarian (in response to the bunny posted at the top); were definitely patriarchal, not matriarchal (though women in Celtic society had more rights); and had a system that focused on the Land, Sea, and Sky (and not the Classical Elements of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth).  Also, the potatoes, the damn potatoes, need I say more.

The sad point is that appropriation can put lives at risk.  Sounds dramatic, no?  But shall I remind you of the James Arthur Ray sweat lodge debacle in which two people died, and eighteen more were injured.  In the 21 Lessons of Merlyn, amidst the misogyny and very New Agey beliefs about the Druids being from Atlantis, has put down some bad herbalism.  To quote Isaac Bonewits, "He also explains how to make a tincture of mistletoe without mentioning that the berries are deadly poisonous, or whether he is referring to European or American mistletoe, which have very different medicinal properties."  Now, I am going to give the author, Douglas Monroe, the benefit of the doubt.  However, I don't think the everyday person, whom might not know this would take that into account, and may accidentally poison themselves.  I for one, would not want that!

I will speak more of this in my two blogs on Eclecticism when we get to the E's, but there is one easy solution to this.  Solution thy name is education!  Pick up a good book on Celtic culture, both ancient and modern, and skim through it a little.  I'm not saying become a Celtic Reconstructionist.  Neo-Druidry and Celtic Wicca are a-okay in my book.  I don't think there is a way to write this, in some way, much needed blog, without coming off unintentionally as an asshole.  Yet, here I am, stating this fact out, when it's most needed, as we rediscover our footing.

NEXT WEEK: Something less Phlegmatic in humor (although I am pretty Phlegmatic), CARDINAL POINTS AND ASSOCIATED SPIRITS AND SYMBOLS