Anonymouswizard's Random Banter #227 and Free Cup of Tea

[el minster]

Last night I dream of a dragon deity: Aasterinian and Lendys. They were fighting for an ethical reason to have Chaos and Law clashed each other. However one of their siblings Sardior made a special appearance to stop fighting to balance the Chaos and Law together.

Maybe it's a prophesy from your campaign

[deltamire]

One of the very few good things about the lockdown these days is the fact that I've been able to go out wandering a lot more, and I've slowed down enough to be seeing a lot more wildlife. It's probably just the fact that the spring in Ireland this year is so phenomenal - and I'm wearing my glasses a lot more - that I've noticed it but so far I've seen;

- Two jackdaw youngsters in the trees outside my house, slowly working up to more powerful flight.
- Flocks of starling juveniles (too young to mate, so they just . . . Hang around in groups) and a starling family with three youngsters not yet showing their usual plumage.
- Blue tit chicks barely out of the nest, perpetually screaming for food. They are incredibly fluffy, about the size of a golf ball, and always look like they're annoyed at the world.
- a moorhen and her single youngster, both incredibly loud as they swim.
- three herons in different bodies of water, definitely plotting to kill something. Their necks are terrifying with how they can bend.
- a pair of mated mistle thrushes up in on the large lawn, both incredibly curious to why all the people have suddenly stopped visiting their park.
- Two goldfinches. Their colours are just so vibrant, it's almost like they've been painted on.
- an oystercatcher wrenching a shellfish open and eating the insides, then promptly flying off with the remnants.
- a woodpecker (!!!) on the road. I get my interest in birds from my dad, and he's never seen one this close. Of course, this momentous occasion was ruined by the fact that said bird was pecking at horse manure, which ruined the picture a bit. You can't have everything, I guess.
- And finally, a sparrowhawk over an urban area, and one other unidentified bird of prey that was probably a hawk as well.

I'm not sure if I'm posting in the right thread, but there doesn't seem to be a 'birdwatching' thread here and I really, really wanted to share my Cool Bird Thoughts. Has anyone else seen any notable ones? I'm usually not paying as much attention to the world around me, but it's nice to slow down and watch them for a while.

[Anonymouswizard]

Last night I dream of a dragon deity: Aasterinian and Lendys. They were fighting for an ethical reason to have Chaos and Law clashed each other. However one of their siblings Sardior made a special appearance to stop fighting to balance the Chaos and Law together.

There are only three dragon deities, Siberys, Eberron, and Khyber!

Actually, that and the Rakasha bits are implied to be the only 'almost certainly true to a degree' in-setting legends via everybody having a variation on the dragon creation myth. Although it's probably better to refer to the three as 'primordial dragons' rather than 'dragon deities' because Eberron really likes it's religious uncertainty.

Actually, I honestly find D&D deities weird, human deities change from setting to setting, but a lot of nonhuman deities exist across multiple settings. Why do so many settings have Io/Tiamat/Bahamut but not Pelor/St Cuthbert?

[el minster]

There are only three dragon deities, Siberys, Eberron, and Khyber!

Actually, that and the Rakasha bits are implied to be the only 'almost certainly true to a degree' in-setting legends via everybody having a variation on the dragon creation myth. Although it's probably better to refer to the three as 'primordial dragons' rather than 'dragon deities' because Eberron really likes it's religious uncertainty.

Actually, I honestly find D&D deities weird, human deities change from setting to setting, but a lot of nonhuman deities exist across multiple settings. Why do so many settings have Io/Tiamat/Bahamut but not Pelor/St Cuthbert?

I belive Bartmanhomer has a whole dragon pantheon actually.

[sktarq]

One of the very few good things about the lockdown these days is the fact that I've been able to go out wandering a lot more, and I've slowed down enough to be seeing a lot more wildlife......them for a while.

I rather agree and while I am normally quite an active wildlife watcher the lockdown has been a wonderful time to do more of it. And doing it daily has been a boon to watching as things change and the beat of the area shift from season to season.
some of the highlights:
Watching the seal colony near my house. on a protected beach here and watching the pupping season and now they are just getting to the point where they are leaving for long times. but watching them learn to swim and getting freaked out by seagulls was very cute.

Deer in the mountains are staying pretty high up so far this year. so have only seen a few but with the fire regrowth doing well in my area they look fat and happy with a ton of fawns when I have seen them.

The rabbits down by the beach are having a bumper year and are so cute when they just freeze to wwatch the humans go obliviously by.

The skunks, coyotes, rats, roadrunners, red tail hawks, etc that I see on the regular
the kestrels (particularly fun to watch hover hunt), owls, ospreys, bats, snakes, and bobcats I don't see as often

The egrets, night/green herons, blue herons, and various shorebirds of the saltmarsh. Though the stingrays are showing up again this month so that has been fun to start seeing them again (which is just as I got back to work...boo)

Figuring out the social conflict between what appears to be two different and possibly mutually exclusive groups of crows in the area.

.. and my other personal highlight. saw a ringtail on one of my night hikes! SO CUTE! and rare this far south/low altitude combination.


yeah the lockdown has had benefits. going for a 8-15 mile hike most days has been very useful for mental health. Would recommend to anyone who can tbh.

[deltamire]

I rather agree and while I am normally quite an active wildlife watcher the lockdown has been a wonderful time to do more of it. And doing it daily has been a boon to watching as things change and the beat of the area shift from season to season.

Jesus, I was very proud of my sightings, but you've blown mine out of the water! I wish we had more dramatic wildlife here, but that's the price you have to pay for no large, venomous spiders. Or snakes.

Watching the seal colony near my house. on a protected beach here and watching the pupping season and now they are just getting to the point where they are leaving for long times. but watching them learn to swim and getting freaked out by seagulls was very cute.

That sounds fantastic. There are a few grey seals out and about our main piers here - a juvenile floating in the shallow with still half of its fluff still comes to mind - but being able to see them develop in real time seems like a brilliant experience. I'm delighted you got to see it, and am definitely, absolutely not jealous. Not at all. You're right about the season-to-season aspect, too - it's been a good way to keep myself going through the lockdown.

[Anonymouswizard]

I belive Bartmanhomer has a whole dragon pantheon actually.

Sorry, should have been clear, I was ranting more about the way religions tend to work in D&D (including multiversal gods so they don't have to think up new ones) and the definitive nature of the gods that avoids some things I really like. When I run homebrew settings I ask my players to just give me the name of their god or religion and then the player becomes the authority on that religion, and the only published settings I'm willing to run these days are Dark Sun and Eberron which have very different takes on religion.

As a side note, Forgotten Realms technically fills half my requirements, but turns me off for other reason.

To focus in on Eberron, the creation myth for the setting, which is very widespread, is that of the three dragons that made the planes Khyber killed Siberys in an attempt to control everything, at which point Eberron grappled Khyber and contained him, thus turning Eberron into the world, Khyber into the underdark, and Siberys in the planetary rings. It's pretty much the only consistent part, and you then get very different faiths (both deific and non deific) spreading up, from the pantheon of the Sovereign Host and Dark Six to the more philosphical movements like the Blood of Vol.

Eberron's take on religion and cosmology makes me annoyed that WotC tries to connect it to the Great Wheel as a world in the Deep Ethereal, as either the connection is actively blocked and as such has no need to exist, or it starts to erode what makes Eberron unique. D&D deserves to have settings that just plain have different cosmologies, and that are self contained in order to better explore themes.

[Bartmanhomer]

Maybe it's a prophesy from your campaign

Maybe.

There are only three dragon deities, Siberys, Eberron, and Khyber!

Actually, that and the Rakasha bits are implied to be the only 'almost certainly true to a degree' in-setting legends via everybody having a variation on the dragon creation myth. Although it's probably better to refer to the three as 'primordial dragons' rather than 'dragon deities' because Eberron really likes it's religious uncertainty.

Actually, I honestly find D&D deities weird, human deities change from setting to setting, but a lot of nonhuman deities exist across multiple settings. Why do so many settings have Io/Tiamat/Bahamut but not Pelor/St Cuthbert?

Cool are those Eberron dragon deities?

[el minster]

Maybe.


Cool are those Eberron dragon deities?

Tiamat, Bahamut, Pelor, and St. Cuthbert are from Greyhawk.

[Bartmanhomer]

Tiamat, Bahamut, Pelor, and St. Cuthbert are from Greyhawk.

I know that but I was asking Anon if the three dragon deities are Eberron deities?

[el minster]

I know that but I was asking Anon if the three dragon deities are Eberron deities?

Oh, sorry I don't know.

[Aotrs Commander]

Bleakbane, last night: "Well, this sure has been a right crappy couple of days, hasn't it, what with the 3D printer being down, MS fracking up the regular printer and being in considerable pain every time I walk, sit, stand, lie-down, move or stay still probably for the next several weeks if form continues, gee, I sure hope tomorrow doesn't suck as much."

2020, this morning: "Hey Bleakbane, your grandmother's dead!

...

...

And the pony fanfiction website you like is down due to hardware problems (so look foward to a repeat of the Great Playground Absense if I have anything to say about it) and good luck enjoying your little escape via Supergran tonight like you have been doing now! Because that first one just wasn't enough, I always like to go that extra mile to be TRULY despicable! It's those extra, truly petty, details that makes it, you see! Ahahahahahahahahaha!"



You know, it strikes me that if I wasn't already so (mal)adjusted that I can make cracks at my own expense about this sort of crap after but a few hours, I might have DEVELOPED A COMPLEX.

[sktarq]

Jesus, I was very proud of my sightings, but you've blown mine out of the water! I wish we had more dramatic wildlife here, but that's the price you have to pay for no large, venomous spiders. Or snakes.

LOL.
eh. I grew up on the edge of the Los Pardres National Forest. . . as in a couple hundred feet from it.
We have lake nearby that attracts a lot of wildlife
Then I moved to the shore into a town between the mountains, and whose beach is between a seal refuge and a saltmarsh. . . so lots of interesting opportunities over the years without leaving my hometown of the moment.

Bears coming down the hill to eat the windfall avocados are just part of life.
Black widow spiders, scorpions in your bathroom or stables, rattlesnakes etc are all just part of life here and far less dangerous than the sun or the fires you have build for and watch for most of the year. Also the various mudslides, earthquakes, volcanoes, and in the rest of the state tornadoes, floods, and avalanches....Yeah the animals are the least of your issues here in paradise...I repeat it is the sunshine that is most likely to kill you in my neck of the woods.

You grow up with it and over time you get to see quite a bit. You learn to keep your eyes open. And really that is what you are getting to do too. Really experiencing your environment there is huge joy in it.
as for seeing interesting stuff. It's largely out there if you know how to look (and two+ months of long walks each day gives opportunity)....most people just don't choose to look.

[enderlord99]

Bleakbane, last night: "Well, this sure has been a right crappy couple of days, hasn't it, what with the 3D printer being down, MS fracking up the regular printer and being in considerable pain every time I walk, sit, stand, lie-down, move or stay still probably for the next several weeks if form continues, gee, I sure hope tomorrow doesn't suck as much."

2020, this morning: "Hey Bleakbane, your grandmother's dead!

...Permanently? Oof.

I'm guessing she's dead in all realities, including both the ones where her grandson is a lich and those where there's no such thing as undead? And presumably one of the reasons she can't be resurrected or reanimated is because it would cause too much additional desync between those realities?

In any case: I'm sorry to hear about it.

[Anonymouswizard]

Cool are those Eberron dragon deities?

Strictly speaking? No. They're believed in most of the setting to have created the world, and as such can be considered deities, and are referred to as Dragons, but are not dragon deities. And might not even have ever existed, the dragons are the oldest civilisation in the setting and their myths might have just been picked up by other cultures.

In D&D terms Eberron is weird religion-wise, most people worship gods that don't exist physically (the Sovereign Host and Dark Six), the closest thing to gods that unambiguously exist are a silver flame and imprisoned demon lords (the rakasha), although some powerful Outsiders might be able to put forward a case), and some religions are based around philosophies rather than worship (the Blood of Vol is the major one that springs to mind). Faiths are actually contradictory and divine magic is powered by faith, Warforged clerics might not be common but they're not impossible, and it says a lot about the sheer depth of emotion the race possesses.

The Dragon Deities, while not a bad element (I think they're from Greyhawk? I honestly don't know because TSR had racial deities be cross-setting) don't appeal to me because they're too definitive. I want the Sovereign Host and Silver Flame worshipers disagreeing over the final fate of mortal souls, I want people arguing against the existence of any divinity, and I want people taking joining seemingly evil religions and using them to turn their life into something positive.

Because that to me is closer to my experience. I don't want to go into any details, but Greyhawk with it's unified churches and provable gods breaks my immersion more than a digital watch (after all, I'm sure somebody in House Canith has made one).

[LaZodiac]

Well.

I officially have been let go from my job. So I'm flying a little solo, as it where.

Cool. Great.

[Bartmanhomer]

Strictly speaking? No. They're believed in most of the setting to have created the world, and as such can be considered deities, and are referred to as Dragons, but are not dragon deities. And might not even have ever existed, the dragons are the oldest civilisation in the setting and their myths might have just been picked up by other cultures.

In D&D terms Eberron is weird religion-wise, most people worship gods that don't exist physically (the Sovereign Host and Dark Six), the closest thing to gods that unambiguously exist are a silver flame and imprisoned demon lords (the rakasha), although some powerful Outsiders might be able to put forward a case), and some religions are based around philosophies rather than worship (the Blood of Vol is the major one that springs to mind). Faiths are actually contradictory and divine magic is powered by faith, Warforged clerics might not be common but they're not impossible, and it says a lot about the sheer depth of emotion the race possesses.

The Dragon Deities, while not a bad element (I think they're from Greyhawk? I honestly don't know because TSR had racial deities be cross-setting) don't appeal to me because they're too definitive. I want the Sovereign Host and Silver Flame worshipers disagreeing over the final fate of mortal souls, I want people arguing against the existence of any divinity, and I want people taking joining seemingly evil religions and using them to turn their life into something positive.

Because that to me is closer to my experience. I don't want to go into any details, but Greyhawk with its unified churches and provable gods breaks my immersion more than a digital watch (after all, I'm sure somebody in House Canith has made one).

I see. Well, I actually love the Greyhawk deities and the Forgotten Realm Deities. I haven't caught up with the Eberron deities yet.

[Anonymouswizard]

Well.

I officially have been let go from my job. So I'm flying a little solo, as it where.

Cool. Great.

Sorry to hear.

If it makes you feel any better, I've been having a little bit of trouble reading your book at work (oh yes, lets talk loudly on the phone during lunch break with the phone on speaker, not like anybody wants to read a book), but you could potentially make it as a professional author!

I mean, it'll come with more stress than a ten centimetre thick steel bar in a stretching machine, but you've got the skills.



EDIT: @Bartmanhomer, 'Eberron deities' is kind of a misnomer, Eberron focuses on religions and faiths instead of deities, some of which focus on self improvement over god-bothering.

[Aotrs Commander]

Well.

I officially have been let go from my job. So I'm flying a little solo, as it where.

Cool. Great.

2020 and this week in particular seems REALLY just has it in for people.



(Oh and for the record, just to pur soime more salt in the wound of today? Attempting to play BATTLETECH for some much-needed stress relief? First mission 1 skull (on a scale of 1 to 5), and the AI IMMEDIATELY gets not one, but TWO head hits on my commander, and a third head hit on my second-in-command (in five salvoes) in five salvoes - bearing in mind at this point my best gunner (the commander) has about a 5% chance of landing a head shot with precision fire ability - and funnily enough I score exactly none the entire battle. AH. HA. HA. HAAAA.)

[Bartmanhomer]

Sorry to hear.

If it makes you feel any better, I've been having a little bit of trouble reading your book at work (oh yes, lets talk loudly on the phone during lunch break with the phone on speaker, not like anybody wants to read a book), but you could potentially make it as a professional author!

I mean, it'll come with more stress than a ten centimetre thick steel bar in a stretching machine, but you've got the skills.



EDIT: @Bartmanhomer, 'Eberron deities' is kind of a misnomer, Eberron focuses on religions and faiths instead of deities, some of which focus on self improvement over god-bothering.

I see. Got it.

[el minster]

EDIT: @Bartmanhomer, 'Eberron deities' is kind of a misnomer, Eberron focuses on religions and faiths instead of deities, some of which focus on self improvement over god-bothering.

Cool, reminds me of the second series of Mistborn if you know what that is.

[Anonymouswizard]

Cool, reminds me of the second series of Mistborn if you know what that is.

Grumble grumble it would have been better to keep Harmony in the background grumble grumble

[LaZodiac]

Sorry to hear.

If it makes you feel any better, I've been having a little bit of trouble reading your book at work (oh yes, lets talk loudly on the phone during lunch break with the phone on speaker, not like anybody wants to read a book), but you could potentially make it as a professional author!

I mean, it'll come with more stress than a ten centimetre thick steel bar in a stretching machine, but you've got the skills.

EDIT: @Bartmanhomer, 'Eberron deities' is kind of a misnomer, Eberron focuses on religions and faiths instead of deities, some of which focus on self improvement over god-bothering.

Aw, thanks AnonWizard. Be sure to PM me your thoughts and stuff, I'm a greedy little mindflayer that wants to eat every last bit of people's brains.

2020 and this week in particular seems REALLY just has it in for people.

(Oh and for the record, just to pur soime more salt in the wound of today? Attempting to play BATTLETECH for some much-needed stress relief? First mission 1 skull (on a scale of 1 to 5), and the AI IMMEDIATELY gets not one, but TWO head hits on my commander, and a third head hit on my second-in-command (in five salvoes) in five salvoes - bearing in mind at this point my best gunner (the commander) has about a 5% chance of landing a head shot with precision fire ability - and funnily enough I score exactly none the entire battle. AH. HA. HA. HAAAA.)

Plague Year can **** right off, if we're being honest.

Battletech is a game that is very hit or miss. Namely that until you're out of medium mech hell you miss all your shots and they hit all theirs. Sometimes the dice are bad today, and you just kinda have to live with it.

[Fyraltari]

Grumble grumble it would have been better to keep Harmony in the background grumble grumble

How about A Song of Ice and Fire?

[Anonymouswizard]

How about A Song of Ice and Fire?

I've only read half of A Game of Thrones, but it was so much better than this TV series everybody was telling me to watch. A lot fewer pointless breasts for a start.

@ Zodi: will do, although it might take me a while to finish.

[Insane Jeenyus]

Naw. It's what British people call locksmiths and pianists. Y'know, because they work with keys.

So string us along with a link?

Well folks, you lovely band of miscreants who I love so much, I have some cool news for you.

the cover art is done, as is my own working on it into a proper front and back and spine.

I'm so very, very excited for this. The e-reader version is actually already up, but the physical release still has at most 72 hours to finish cooking in the review process.

I am, officially, a published author, and I'm so ****ing happy right now I can't believe it.

In retrospect I should have explained myself I'm just very excited.

And yeah no don't worry, no dogs died or were harmed in the writing of this book

This is great News!

.. .. .. EDIT .. .. .. The skunks, coyotes, rats, roadrunners, red tail hawks, etc that I see on the regular
the kestrels (particularly fun to watch hover hunt), owls, ospreys, bats, snakes, and bobcats I don't see as often.

did someone mention those delectable delights: Road runner? *slobber drool*

Well, I officially have been let go from my job. So I'm flying a little solo, as it where. Cool. Great.

ok, its official. . . 2020 really sucks.So sorry to hear this.

[LaZodiac]

I've only read half of A Game of Thrones, but it was so much better than this TV series everybody was telling me to watch. A lot fewer pointless breasts for a start.

@ Zodi: will do, although it might take me a while to finish.

I mean I don't mind ongoing commentary. Just slam down your thoughts every chapter and feed them to me!

I've read exactly one book of Game of Thrones and it is... okay. It's okay.

[Anonymouswizard]

I mean I don't mind ongoing commentary. Just slam down your thoughts every chapter and feed them to me!

I've read exactly one book of Game of Thrones and it is... okay. It's okay.

Will do, but I mainly read at work these days, and people don't have much respect for other people in the staff room (there's a reason I have earphones).

And there's only one book of A Game of Thrones, the next one is called A Clash of Kings but yeah, that's my view. It's better than the TV series because I dislike pointless nudity (nudity with an in-story point is okay, but I dislike 'you will watch because tits'), but it's no masterpiece.

[Fyraltari]

It's better than the TV series [...] but it's no masterpiece.

I respect your opinion, but know that I do not share it.

[LaZodiac]

Will do, but I mainly read at work these days, and people don't have much respect for other people in the staff room (there's a reason I have earphones).

And there's only one book of A Game of Thrones, the next one is called A Clash of Kings but yeah, that's my view. It's better than the TV series because I dislike pointless nudity (nudity with an in-story point is okay, but I dislike 'you will watch because tits'), but it's no masterpiece.

Yes yes the series is Song of Nice and Dire, but I've only known it as Game of Thrones. Clash of Kings is actually the one I've read.

I respect your opinion, but know that I do not share it.

*Tyrion looks around at the survivors, which include a princess trained by shapeshifting assassins and who killed an unkillable immortal king, a prince and son of an ancient lineage who has died and come back and is theoretically the chosen of the God of the Sun*

I think we all know who has the most interesting story here. *Gives the iron crown to Bran, of all people, who was friends with a furry and has broken legs.*