Would You Believe?

Posted on by September 2, 2017

Online shopping for Electronics from a great selection of Traditional Laptops, 2 in 1 Laptops, Netbooks & more at everyday low prices.

Source: Amazon.com: Under $500 – Apple / Apple / Personal / Mac OS X / Laptops / Computers & Tablets: Electronics

Would you believe I found used MacBooks on this page for less than $150. Used yes, but they’re still Macs.

If you’d druther pay for one your self, then you can send it to:

  • Alan Kellogg
  • 1475 Imperial Ave #312
  • San Diego CA 92101

If I’m not there when it arrives tell them to leave a note telling me where I can pick it up.

If you’d rather send the cash my way, then use one of the links in the left sidebar.

Please, be generous, be kind, help make it easier for me to write this damn book I’m now working on.

Aerth’s Gnolls

Posted on by August 31, 2017

I’m working on the Mythus Vocations—there are lots—when it occurs to me that the Mythus Gnolls need some explanation.

First thing; Gnolls are nuts. What you’d expect when Gnomes and Trolls interbreed? Now I’m well aware there is a sizable disparity in size, but keep in mind that the Skandian troll is a shape shifter and more than capable of changing his size. Need I mention that along with the shape shifting Trolls can also change their appearance? So you take a nice Gnomish maid, a rakish Trollish lad, and a pleasant spring day, and about 6 months later—a normal gnome gestation—you have a baby Gnoll.

Normally you wouldn’t really have that great a number of Gnolls, for girl Gnomes are crafty and quick to spot deceit, but the Gnolls of Ærth can breed, and they breed true. Though in later generations you do get those who are more Gnomish and Trollish, and more Trollish than Gnomish. But the most important thing to remember about Gnolls is, they’re nuts.

They are merrily nuts, gleefully nuts, outrageously nuts. But that don’t mean they’re stupid. When their thoughts are organized they are among the wiliest folks around. And even when their thoughts are scattered they are still among the smartest folk around.

Gnolls love to amuse themselves, and they especially love to rile up Orcs, Dwarfs, and Humans. Since the Orcs see Gnollish antics with a sardonic eye, Gnolls don’t really bother them as much as they do Dwarfs and Humans, though they do look a challenge.

Most often Gnolls are Entertainers and Mountebanks. They do like to pretend to be of another Vocation, and those who can shape-change—not all but a few—will take on the appearance of another species and impersonate a particular individual. It is a rare Gnoll that does not have the Mimicry Quirk, and they studiously practice that. Assuming that you could say that Gnolls do anything studiously.

Gnolls are usually Gnome size, though some be larger, and a few smaller. And those who can shape change can often be found in a larger or smaller form. For the most part they appear to be a blend of Gnome and Troll, though those of a later generation than the first more often appear to be something that remind one of a Gnome and a Troll, but more a unique appearance of its own.

There’s more to be said about Gnolls, but that’s what I have at the moment. A tip of the hat to Lord Dunsany who created the creature somewhat over a century ago now.

Disappointment

Posted on by August 31, 2017

I have come to the conclusion that I can trust Libre Office when it comes to formatting my work. Just too many problems, especially when it comes to indenting paragraphs and the like. So I’ll be doing my formatting in Scribus.

And now I need to go to bed.

BTW, money for a Mac would be nice, for using a Mac would make this job easier.

Our Interpretations.

Posted on by August 31, 2017

We tend to interpret things as we insist they have to be interpreted. In Ars Magica the original authors, Mark Rhein*Hagen  and Jonathan Tweet, interpreted the world of Mythic Europe as presented by what they read on the subject. Which means they followed the interpretations of those who insisted that what people in Renaissance days said was going on

In science we get interpretations based in large part on what the interpreter prefers to be right, whether it is or not. As an example we have people insisting that since Gravity as to be a force, it means that gravitons must exist. Which means that any results we get from experimentation has to point to gravitons.

Or, cats have to rub against people and things in order to leave their scent. That cats do this is because it feels good is anathema to these people, for only Humans can have such feelings. Hate to tell you this bub, but Darwin told us we aint so different from other animals as you insist.

What does such misinterpretation get us?

Road blocks. Road blocks and red tape. What we get are delays in how our knowledge progresses. All too often we get occasions when we have to go back and correct our mistakes, for more often then you’d like what we think we know has to be corrected.

There are people who insist that domesticating an animal is a matter of training, when it is far more a matter of breeding. The California Grey Fox was domesticated back before the white man came. The North American Bob Cat and the Raccoon are in the process of being domesticated, for there are individuals in both populations who can and do tolerate associating with Humans, and even go so far as living with them. Zoological Puritans aside, any animal comfortable living with us will live with us and your laws aint worth rotting meat.

Then you have the Tasmanian Devil, who insist on treating us as though we are replacement mothers. Same as with dogs, cats, and even horses. But we keep insisting they have to be wild animals because that’s how we insisting on interpreting them.

We see things because that’s how we want to see them. Seeing them another way scares us because we hate being insecure. So you get people who insist that the Sasquatch can’t exist because the very idea of the animal’s existence scares them. Got news for you, but existence don’t give a rats ass what scares you. Existence just is and you can just get used to it.

The Monk in Mythus

Posted on by August 30, 2017

Introduction

In issue 4 of the Dangerous Journeys Fanzine Dangerous Ideas author Glenn R. Martin introduced the oriental Monk for Mythus. I suspect that Glenn drew in large part from the Monk in D&D, which in turn took what was presented in the tv show Kung Fu and martial arts flicks from Hong Kong.

This got me to thinking, and the encouragement from Lars Silberg Hansen on facebook helped to spark this

Buddhism in Ærth

It is true that a change in what occurred in the past will change the course of history, but one thing we tend to forget is that sometimes there is no real reason for a certain change to occur. It is true that there no Jews on Ærth—their place is taken by the Shamash—but as far as I can see there was really nothing stopping Buddhism from arising on that world.

An Inadequate History

In the 16th century Before Atlantl’s Fall—our 6th century BC—a philosophical/theological doctrine we now know as Buddhism appeared in the Hindic States. Primary credit is given to the man now known as The Buddha, though there were other notables besides him. The original teachings gave birth to others, and they all began to spread from their point of origin. Sung, Ch’in and later Japan took it up to the east, while to the west the Persians, Babylonians, and later the Shamash, Ægytians, and Greeks adopted it.

More accurately certain of the western gods found things to like in Buddhism and decided their followers should try it too.

Marduk of Babylon liked it because he could use it to promote his proselytizing, Athena of Athens because it promoted civic discipline, and even Loki of the Aesir took it up because he could see ways of using it as a source of mischief. In the far west of Vargaard the Pueblo adopted Buddhism because it promoted self-sacrifice and encouraged the peaceful resolution of conflicts in a land where violence could be a regular part of life.

And Monks?

As in our world the monk idea got its start in two locations largely because it fit the local situation. As in our Europe, in Æropa it served as a refuge from the chaos of the 3rd through 6th century BAF, and promoted the preservation of ways and knowledge being lost in those dark ages. But conditions in the west were not exactly the same as in the east. Where the Oriental Monk too up the practice of arms as a way to promote discipline, the Occidental Monk tended to be more contemplative. Though both did adopt physical exercises as a way of meditation and contemplation. It should be remembered that the Shamash Monks and their Yarbay counter parts took up vigorous dance as a way to meditate.

So I’ve got the basic idea, I just need to come up with a list of skills a Western Monk would be expected to know, and how to rate them according to their respective importance in the Vocation. Have you any ideas you’re welcome to pass them on.

Something About the Dog

Posted on by August 29, 2017

Gary Gygax was working on his own 2nd edition of Mythus before the 1st even got published. As you may expect, he did not agree with everything Chadwick wanted to do, and I have the feeling he was none to happy with how JVC was forcing things.

Among his goals was a comprehensive revision of Mythus Magick, and that included material listing the sort of things that were natural sources of baraka, baraka being a sort of natural heka.

One source he listed were dogs. I agree with him, dogs are kind of magickal and I can see them providing magickal energy in some small way. Or some large way depending on the dog.

We are talking about ordinary canines here, something like a mascot or totem would provide more, sometimes a lot more. A small dog something like 5 points—enough for a small psychogenic power. A large dog such as a mastiff maybe as much as 100 points—enough for a potent casting.

Now make it a special dog, a foo dog or a totem animal—and you could get up to a 1,000 points or more. Think of what a competent caster could do with that amount of power.

Bandit: Where did these people get all the magickal lights?

Bandit Chief: Have you looked at their dogs?

There are of course other natural phenomena to consider, but for the moment let’s focus on dogs. What do you think of dogs as a source of magickal power?

 

New to Me

Posted on by August 29, 2017

At this moment in time I’m going through Gary’s revision of the Magick chapter for Mythus. Though I suspect that when he wrote this version of the chapter in question he was already thinking of getting it published as a separate book. We’re talking about 629 page here, without illustrations.

I also get the impression that back in 1991 word processors were missing fair number of features, which means I have my work cut out for me.

This version also has a number of things the hard copy is missing, which makes sense. Print costs money, which means that books cost money and the more expensive something is the harder it is to sell if there isn’t all that great a demand for it.

Still this Mythus Magick Revised has a ton of stuff I believe you’ll be interested in, so now comes the time to do my own revising, putting it into my own words and doing my own formatting. Which leads me to doing my own write up on animals as a source of spell points. But that will be later.

In other news, Scrivener is proving to be an asset, which means I’ll be paying for it this Friday. Call it an investment, and a worthwhile one because it helps me get the manuscript organized. But anyway…

This is Free

Posted on by August 28, 2017

I’m feeling like crap. But since I don’t have the money to see a doctor I have to wait until Oct. 5th see a dentist to get my teeth dealt with, and Oct. 14th to see my doctor regarding the infection they allow entrance to.

I get tired, and I can’t truly recover from this fatigue. This fucks with my ability to work, and my ability to straighten up my place. I’ve got news for you folks, free medicine is too expensive. And until my health is dealt with I’m going to have a hard time getting things done.

That’s just how it is, and our government won’t do a damn thing about it.

So if you want to see more material and sooner, drop me a dime.

Reassurance And…

Posted on by August 27, 2017

Be reassured that I am still with you and still working on Mythus. I’m learning how to use Scrivener and when the manuscript is ready I’ll be converting it to Libre Office in order to format it so I can put it up—bit by bit—on the blog, then get it “printed” as a PDF.

In other news, I remain as hostile to medical insurance as I’ve ever been. But how to address it.

My recommendation is, raise wages. Start paying people what they’re worth and stop this ungodly fussing and fretting over how much money you have salted away. Invest in your workers, not your portfolio.

On Oct. 5 I have a dentist appointment. Oct. 10 I see my doctor, on Oct 14 I see my shrink. Not every dentist, doctor, or shrink takes Medicaid. Hell, there are dentists, doctors, and shrinks that won’t take private insurance because insurance costs them too much. Too much paper work and too much time tied up in waiting for some cleric in an office somewhere to make a medical judgement.

That’s what they’re doing, practicing medicine without a license, when they haven’t any real part in the matter.

So raise pay and outlaw comprehensive medical insurance. Reserve the insurance to catastrophic care, which would include continual care. You pay cash the medico only needs your approval, and he can get that with you in his office. Keep the matter to the interested party, not some third party concerned only with his company’s profits.

Though private and public bureaucrats would have to find real work, but I suspect they will.

And if you feel like supporting my blogging, send some weregild my way by clicking on the button below. In a small way you’ll also be helping PayPal cover their bills.

Preparation

Posted on by August 23, 2017

I’m now working on a new project. You could call this an ur-project, because it will act as a foundation for other projects. This ur-project is learing how to use Scrivener from Literature and Latte.It does cost money, but from what I’ve seen the fee is worth considering what all is available to you.

It the very least it should mean that Mythus as a while is organized, so I can work on separate parts without having to open and close files. And once I have the outline set up I’ll have a good idea of where things are supposed to be. If this sounds like I’m pushing Scrivener, you’re right.

So expect more from me in the near future, including a PDF or two as a way of previewing the guide.

I thank you for your patience and hope you have a bit more, for Mythus is still going to take awhile.