Topic: Words of praise and a few questions

[Rochndil]

First off, many thanks to Master Amthor; Shadow World is a truly amazing place. I'll never know how you managed to keep up with so many people, peoples, and all the other details, let alone imagine them. I'm just about through reading the Master Atlas (4e), and am awaiting delivery of some other materials.

I do have a few specific questions that I haven't been able to find answers to on the board, hopefully they're not too foolish.

1. How is Essaence pronounced properly? Latinate ae would be a long I sound like "eye," but is this correct? "Ess-eye-ence" seems a bit awkward on the tongue, and "Ess-eyence" doesn't seem much better.

2. It's mentioned that the Essaence is NOT the same as Arcane magic, but is this discussed formally somewhere I haven't looked yet? Before I'm ready to run in this world, I'd like the distinction nailed down pretty firmly, ie HOW is it different and what are the game effects of this difference?

3. Are the spell lists for the Loremasters and Navigators published anywhere? Perhaps in Powers Of... (which I don't have YET)?

4. Do any published materials indicate the architectural and/or aesthetic/artistic differences between the, for want of a better term, fore-runner cultures, such as the Althans, Worim, etc.? It'd be nice to know how they built when designing their ruins for hapless little players to die in.

Thanks to anyone who can shed some light on this, I really appreciate the help.

Rochndil, who has been a GM, and will be again...

[egdcltd]

There are some Navigator and Loremaster spell lists available here: http://homepage.mac.com/WebObjects/FileSharing.woa/wa/default?user=terbob&templatefn=FileSharing1.html&xmlfn=TKDocument.2.xml&sitefn=RootSite.xml&aff=consumer&cty=US&lang=en

[Rochndil]

Thanks!

It's funny, I was just THERE the other day and must have missed that file. Data overload!

Rochndil, who will need to sub-divide his RM stuff folder...

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

I also went ahead and uploaded them to the Download section of the forums as well...

[Guillaume]

2. It's mentioned that the Essaence is NOT the same as Arcane magic, but is this discussed formally somewhere I haven't looked yet? Before I'm ready to run in this world, I'd like the distinction nailed down pretty firmly, ie HOW is it different and what are the game effects of this difference?

Essaence is even more primal than Arcane. Essaence is the raw magical energy that is present on Kulthea. Arcane Magic is just an application of the use of that magical energy, as are the three other realms ( Essence, Channeling and Mentalism )

In game term, very few people understand truly Essaence, these few people have furthermore have to go though a long and difficult training to learn a few use of Essaence... Basically they are Loremasters and Navigators, and the extremely rare peoples that spend the time learning the spell lists Warding Lore and Warding Power.

So all in all, there's 14 Essaence spell lists, 6 are restricted to Loremasters, 6 are restricted to Navigators, the last two being quite difficult to learn about and even more difficult to learn.

3. Are the spell lists for the Loremasters and Navigators published anywhere? Perhaps in Powers Of... (which I don't have YET)?

To complete the answer, the Loremaster and Navigator lists were published in the Master Atlas World Guide ( Blue book from the Shadow Wortld Master Atlas Box )
The two Essaence Warding lists were published in the Shadow World Atlas Addendum ( pink book from Emer Box )

All were published again in SWMA 2nd Edition.

They are not in 3rd and 4th Edition.

4. Do any published materials indicate the architectural and/or aesthetic/artistic differences between the, for want of a better term, fore-runner cultures, such as the Althans, Worim, etc.? It'd be nice to know how they built when designing their ruins for hapless little players to die in.

The cover of the Emer Box is supposedly the City of the Dead. IIRC, of Jinteni making.

Otherwise sadly, there's not much left... several millenaries usually do that to human ( or any other race ) made buildings.... and only things that were built with the will to have it stay for a very long time in a climate that allow it will have survived.

typically Egyptian Pyramids... In Egypt. The same pyramids in Europe would have been reduced to rubbles long ago ( too much rain, rain and sedimentary rocks usually ends up with erosion... fast erosion )

[Rochndil]

Thanks for the information! I may still not have all the pieces (yet), but at least I know where to look.

Rochndil, haunting Ebay...

[Terry K. Amthor]

Hi a couple quick notes:

Most of what has already said is basically what I had in mind... though there could be many more spell lists, or truly gifted users of Arcane )or especially the raw Ess?nce) could theoretically make up a spell on the spot. My feeling is that spell lists are just a way to give structure to tapping the power of the Ess?nce and making it easier to use. The 'known' spell lists are just the generally accepted ones. You could research your own but it would take a lot of time and skill.

As for pronouncing 'Ess?nce', kind of a good question. Either pronouncing it basically the same, but an additional overtone comes out on an inaudible level (just saying the word and meaning the raw Ess?nce conjures a bit of power) or saying it more like 'Ess-eynce' with the little extra sound after the eye sound.

Hope that helps.

TKA

[Rochndil]

Thanks for the clarification.

Everybody focuses on slightly different aspects of a world when thinking about it. Language (I'm an English major/Technical Writer), architecture (I do a little construction on the side) and jewelry/metalworking (I smith iron and silver) are things that I think of quickly. Other folks will focus on different things, like social customs or family lineage/heraldry (I am TERRIBLE keeping people straight, which is why I'll never be in sales).

With as rich a world history as SW has, there's plenty of room for everyone to explore their own interests. I'll have to add to my list-o-things-to-do to tabulate the ancient (ie ruin-spawning) cultures on Kulthea and see if I can intuit some appropriate styles for them. Then, an educated adventurer could walk into a lost ruin or find an object and say, "This is the work of X."

Rochndil, who always has more projects than time to do them...

[Kabis]

Verily yea. I also offer praise to Mr. Amthor and Mr. Ruemmler for their outstanding work in Middle Earth long ago. The settings of Shadow World being also - quite tasty.

:: licks tendrils ::

[Terry K. Amthor]

Everybody focuses on slightly different aspects of a world when thinking about it. Language (I'm an English major/Technical Writer), architecture (I do a little construction on the side) and jewelry/metalworking (I smith iron and silver) are things that I think of quickly. Other folks will focus on different things, like social customs or family lineage/heraldry (I am TERRIBLE keeping people straight, which is why I'll never be in sales).

With as rich a world history as SW has, there's plenty of room for everyone to explore their own interests. I'll have to add to my list-o-things-to-do to tabulate the ancient (ie ruin-spawning) cultures on Kulthea and see if I can intuit some appropriate styles for them. Then, an educated adventurer could walk into a lost ruin or find an object and say, "This is the work of X."

Interesting, Rochndil!

I have a degree in architecture, and am always striving to bring interesting descriptions into SW. In some ways, though I think it hampers me, because there is always a little voice saying things like "That's not practical; it would never work!" or "Oh, that's obviously Gothic; can't you think of something new and different?"

As for people... I could never be a salesman either: I am terrible with names and not very social. Ironically, I have been told that in my regular narrative writing, I describe fairly well fleshed-out characters.