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Arak and Gwydion (Some Thoughts on the Shadow Elves' History) By R. Sweeney Gwydion isn't a 'real' demon, but rather a creature of great power from the plane of shadow. Gwydion's evil was his enslavement of the ShadowElves. His torment is his betrayal by Arak. Unlike Vecna, he was not on the prime and could only be 'trapped' because he was trying to follow the Shadow Elves into RL. (Presumably to kill them or re-enslave them). I wonder what Arak was thinking, however. Would there be anyplace he could take the Shadow elves into exile where Gwydion could not follow? Did he think he could hide from such a powerful creature? Gwydion must have had an enemy. A sibling perhaps. The Shadow Elves must have acted as some sort of armed forces for him. Arak must have believed that if Gwydion suddenly found himself without his Slaves, he would have been destroyed by his rivals. However, there other.. less satisfying, perhaps, ways of re-writing ShadowElf history. Gwydion, the shadow-being, falls 'in love' with an elf from some other world. They mate, bear children. Woman dies, Gwydion takes his children and their children as slaves. Millenia pass. Arak was Gwydion's favorite. Perhaps, Gwydion had mated with one of the Shadow elves of unsurpassed beauty and begat Arak. Thus, he set his son above all the other slaves. Arak, however, desired more than to be the head of the slaves. He managed to betray his father to his enemies. Arak had intended patricide. He was going to take away Gwydion's protective armed forces, leaving him vulnerable to attack by his other enemies. -
The Urban Weird
OPEN GRAVES, OPEN MINDS & SUPERNATURAL CITIES PRESENT: THE URBAN WEIRD Conference 6-7 April Schedule 2018 University of Hertfordshire www.opengravesopenminds.com www.supernaturalcities.co.uk Open Graves, GA17515_DS_03/18 Open Minds Conference Schedule 06 April 2018 Registration Coffee and Chair: Carina Hart 09:00 - 09:45 Atrium 4 China Mieville pastries Seminar Room M015 Dr Sam George, Dr Karl Bell, Dr Kaja The space out of joint: haunted urban 09:45 - 10:00 Welcome Lecture Hall 9 András Fodor (University of Szeged, Hungary) Franck spaces in China Miéville’s Un Lun Dun 10:00 - 11:00 Boggart Workshop Dr Ceri Houlbrook Lecture Hall N003 ‘Up’s no longer out of bounds, and down’s 11:00 - 12:20 Parallel Session 1 30 nothing to fear’: Verticality and Locomotion Sarah Neef (TU Dortmund University, Germany) in China Miéville’s Urban Fantasy Chair: Ceri Houlbrook 1 Urban Myths and Fairy Tales Chair: Kaja Franck Seminar Room M015 5 The Virtual Weird Seminar Room M021 Fairy Tales of the Neoliberal Gothic City: Dr Carina Hart (University of Nottingham Malaysia 14 Michael Cunningham’s The Snow Queen Campus) “Welcome Home, Good Hunter”: 17 The Gothic and Environmental Storytelling Dr Madelon Hoedt (University of South Wales) Mind the doors! Folk horror on the London 35 David Powell (University of Birmingham) in From Software’s Bloodborne Underground Ghosts of the Shadow City: adventures in Hell Finding Cabs Round Here: Taxi Rides 20 Debbie Kent (Goldsmiths, University of London) 36 Dr William Redwood (Supernatural Cities) the CGI dreamscapes of urban development through the Urban Weird “Everything is True” A Weird Tale: Urban 21 Gothic meets Urban Myth in Multiplayer Prof. -
October 26-28, 2012 Marriott Ann Arbor Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest Info Info 2012 U•CON GAMING CONVENTION
October 26-28, 2012 Marriott Ann Arbor Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest Info Info 2012 U•CON GAMING CONVENTION Map Location Marriott Ann Arbor Ypsilanti Eagle Crest, 1275 S Huron Street, Ypsilanti, MI 48197. Phone: Special (734) 487-0600. Registration is located in the lobby of Eagle Crest (not the hotel lobby). Open Gaming is on the second floor. Schedule Board/Card Friday, October 26 8 pm ...................Exhibitor Hall Closes 12 pm ................... Registration Opens 11 pm ................... Registration Closes 12 pm ............................ Events Begin Sunday, October 28 5 pm ...................Exhibitor Hall Opens 8:30 am ................ Registration Opens 8 pm ...................Exhibitor Hall Closes 9 am .............................. Events Begin CCGs 11 pm ................... Registration Closes 10 am .................Exhibitor Hall Opens Saturday, October 27 3 pm ...................Exhibitor Hall Closes Minis 8 am ..................... Registration Opens 5 pm ..................... Registration Closes 9 am .............................. Events Begin 7 pm ................................. Events End 10 am .................Exhibitor Hall Opens Roleplaying Prices On-Site Weekend Badge ............... $25 Seminars ......................................free On-Site 1-Day Badge (Fri, Sun) ...... $10 U-Con 6-sided dice (set of 4) ........... $1 On-Site 1-Day Badge (Sat) ............ $15 U-Con Logo bags ......................... $15 Event Tickets ................ priced by event Kid U-Con Badge (Ages 5-10): ...... $10 Living Campaign Living Generic Tickets ......................... $1.50 Shirt (M, L, XL) ............................. $22 Play Games All Weekend Ribbons ...$15 Shirt (2X, 3X, 4X) ......................... $25 Some events have higher entry fees. These events typically run for more than a standard time block or include the cost of event materials like sealed decks that participants get to keep. Please note that a badge is required to play in events. -
Nocturnal Sea Gazetteer
Chapter 1 Survey on the Expedition to The Nocturnal Sea 1 2 Chapter 2 Authors Commissioned drawings The Fraternity of Shadows Eleanor "Isabella" Ferron Oksana "lawerta" Romanova While we all heavily commented, edited, and made suggestions on each other's parts, the lead writers for particular sections were: Document compilation David: Liffe*, Easan's stats & new maps The Fraternity of Shadows Joël: Introduction, Vechor (the land), Île de la Joel: First document assembly & project Tempête*, both Interludes, Viktor's intro for coordination the Drowning Deep & Sea-claimed Stephen: The amazing PDF formatting you Nathan: Vechor (the people), Isle of Ravens* have in your hands & Dirac's text on the Drowning Deep* Sharon: Vechor (fauna & flora, sidebars) & In April 2007, we held a submissions contest Nebligtode* (Graben and Todstein) on the FoS forums for "sayings, rumors, adventure hooks and Dread Possibilities" of the Nocturnal Sea. The contest entries were Chris Nichols very interesting and most were selected for this Original concept of the Drowning Deep; plus book. Bravo to the author of the winning entry, the Somnanbulism spells, numerous ideas and Robert "Cure" Elliott, who chose the WotC suggestions throughout book Heroes of Horror as his prize. His winning entry can be found in the Deep's "As Heard in a Port" sidebar. * and this domain's related material in the Shipwreck ideas on Île de la Tempête came DM's appendix from these ENWorlders: Agent Oracle; And no, nobody wanted to convert the giant Ambros; Grymar; DJCupboard; Imagicka; starfish from Ship of Horror to 3rd Edition! ivocaliban; TheAuldGrump; Tonguez; Varianor Abroad; Whizbang Dustyboots. -
Dragon Magazine #248
DRAGONS Features The Missing Dragons Richard Lloyd A classic article returns with three new dragons for the AD&D® game. Departments 26 56 Wyrms of the North Ed Greenwood The evil woman Morna Auguth is now The Moor Building a Better Dragon Dragon. Paul Fraser Teaching an old dragon new tricks 74Arcane Lore is as easy as perusing this menu. Robert S. Mullin For priestly 34 dragons ... Dragon Dweomers III. Dragon’s Bestiary 80 Gregory W. Detwiler These Crystal Confusion creatures are the distant Dragon-Kin. Holly Ingraham Everythingand we mean everything 88 Dungeon Mastery youll ever need to know about gems. Rob Daviau If youre stumped for an adventure idea, find one In the News. 40 92Contest Winners Thomas S. Roberts The winners are revealed in Ecology of a Spell The Dragon of Vstaive Peak Design Contest. Ed Stark Columns Theres no exagerration when Vore Lekiniskiy THE WYRMS TURN .............. 4 is called a mountain of a dragon. D-MAIL ....................... 6 50 FORUM ........................ 10 SAGE ADVICE ................... 18 OUT OF CHARACTER ............. 24 Fiction BOOKWYRMs ................... 70 The Quest for Steel CONVENTION CALENDAR .......... 98 Ben Bova DRAGONMIRTH ............... 100 Orion must help a young king find both ROLEPLAYING REVIEWS .......... 104 a weapon and his own courage. KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE ... 114 TSR PREVIEWS ................. 116 62 PROFILES ..................... 120 Staff Publisher Wendy Noritake Executive Editor Pierce Watters Production Manager John Dunn Editor Dave Gross Art Director Larry Smith Associate Editor Chris Perkins Editorial Assistant Jesse Decker Advertising Sales Manager Bob Henning Advertising Traffic Manager Judy Smitha On the Cover Fred Fields blends fantasy with science fiction in this month's anniversary cover. -
Sample File Searchers After Horror Haunt Strange, Far Places
Foreward TM Table of Contents Chapter One: The World of Ravenloft 3 Clusters 165 Why a New Edition? 5 The Frozen Reaches 170 How to Use This Book 5 The Shadowlands 174 The Gothic Mystique 6 The Verdurous Lands 178 The Realm of Dread 8 Islands of Terror 184 History 13 Chapter Five: Horrors of the Night 194 The Geography of Mists 21 Vampires 196 Lexicon 31 Ghosts 201 Chapter Two: Player Characters 33 Liches 208 Races 35 Lycanthropes 212 Classes Sample43 fileConstructs 217 New Prestige Classes 54 The Ancient Dead 221 Skills 59 Fiends 226 Feats 61 Hags 232 Faiths 63 The Vistani 236 Equipment 69 Chapter Six: The Ravenloft Campaign 244 Final Thoughts 72 Gothic Horror 246 Chapter Three: The Ways of the World 75 Gothic Themes 247 Fear, Horror and Madness 77 Gothic Adventure 248 Curses 89 The World of Ravenloft 251 Powers Checks 95 Recommended References 253 Altered Magic 105 Index and List of Tables 255 Chapter Four: The Dread Realms 124 Traveling the Dread Realms 126 The Core 129 2 The World of Ravenloft ChapterChapter One:One: TheThe WorldWorld ofof RavenloftRavenloft Sample file Searchers after horror haunt strange, far places. For them are the catacombs… and the carven mausolea of the nightmare countries. They climb to the moonlit tow- ers of ruined… castles and falter down black, cobwebbed steps beneath the scattered stones of forgotten cities…. The haunted wood and the desolate mountain are their shrines, and they linger around the sinister monoliths on uninhabited islands. —H. P. Lovecraft, “The Picture in the House” 3 Chapter One I am the Ancient, I am the Land. -
For Those Who Won't Fail Themselves
~For Those Who Won’t Fail Themselves~ Black Sun Imperium 2 Mine is a Heart of Carnelian, Crimson as Murder on a Holy Day. Mine is a Heart of Corneal, the Gnarled Roots of a Dogwood and the Bursting of Flowers. I am the Broken Wax Seal on my Lover's Letters. I am the Phoenix, the Fiery Sun, Consuming and Resuming Myself. I Will what I Will. Mine is a Heart of Carnelian, Blood Red as the Crest of a Phoenix. ~To My Beloved Master Enlil Hiro-kura Hoshigaoka~ 3 Phagos Angmar Hoshigaoka Black Sun Imperium Bringing Forth the Noesis of the Ancient Darklords 4 Black Sun Imperium Index Foreword ………………………………….. 7 Preface …………………………………... 9 Imperium of the Black Sun …………………………………On 16 The Deathtrap of Mental Inertia: The Yoke of the Herd ………………………………. Two 26 The Black Sun ……………………………… . Thr 35 Darklords in Disguise ……………………………… Four 55 The 5 Second Rule ……………………………… Fi 91 The Abysmal Bridge ………………………………… Six 100 The Bridge of Manifestation ………………………………… S n 122 Prelude to the Styx ………………………………… ight 130 The Styx ov Power ………………………………… Nin 144 The Styx ov Wealth ………………………………… Ten 199 The Styx ov Eminence ………………………………… le n 220 The Styx ov Strife ………………………………… Twl 252 The Nine Pointed Star Black Sun Working ………………………………… . 13 266 Glossary ………………………………….. 274 List of Resources …………………………………… 277 5 6 Foreword Foreword from the Editor When first I was asked to proof read and correct this book, I had no idea what to expect; I myself was an open book as far as this subject was concerned. Always a fan of Darkside characters but never having done too much research into the subject, I had no formed opinions and absolutely no idea there was a culture dedicated to living life in this manner. -
All but War Is Simulation: the Military Entertainment Complex
1 THEATERS OF WAR: THE MILITARY-ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX Tim Lenoir and Henry Lowood Stanford University To appear in Jan Lazardzig, Helmar Schramm, Ludger Schwarte, eds., Kunstkammer, Laboratorium, Bühne--Schauplätze des Wissens im 17. Jahrhundert/ Collection, Laboratory, Theater, Berlin; Walter de Gruyter Publishers, 2003 in both German and in English War games are simulations combining game, experiment and performance. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has been the primary proponent of war game design since the 1950s. Yet, commercial game designers produced many of the ideas shaping the design of military simulations, both before and after the advent of computer-based games. By the 1980s, the seeds of a deeper collaboration among military, commercial designers, the entertainment industry, and academic researchers in the development of high-end computer simulations for military training had been planted. They built “distributed interactive simulations” (DIS) such as SIMNET that created virtual theaters of war by linking participants interacting with distributed software or hardware simulators in real time. The simulators themselves presented synthetic environments—virtual worlds—by utilizing advances in computer graphics and virtual reality research. With the rapid development of DIS technology during the 1990s, content and compelling story development became increasingly important. The necessity of realistic scenarios and backstory in military simulations led designers to build databases of historical, geographic and physical data, reconsider the role of synthetic agents in their simulations and consult with game design and entertainment talents for the latest word on narrative and performance. Even when this has not been the intention of their designers and sponsors, military simulations have been deeply embedded in commercial forms of entertainment, for example, by providing content and technology deployed in computer and video games. -
Threshold Issue 10 V5
#10 The Mystara Magazine The tenth issue of the Mystara Magazine, featuring Elves of Mystara, and their countless Realms. pandius.com thepiazza.org.uk Previous Issues Previous Issues Issues #1 to #9 of THRESHOLD - the Mystata Also available at the same location are higher Magazine, are available for download from the resolution versions of the maps that were Vaults of Pandius website. included in the issue’s PDF, allowing greater detail to be viewed. #1 #2 #3 #4 Karameikos Vaults of Pandius The Sea of Dread Return to Dread #5 #6 #7 #8 Exploring The Northlands Exploring Warlords Davania Norwold of Norwold #9 Hollow World THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #10 Issue Contents ISSUE #10 Editorial Credits.....................................................................2 Editorial..................................................................................3 This Issue s Contributors.......................................................4 Call for Contributors..............................................................6 Elven Calendar and Holidays.................................................7 The Elven Clans and Their Migrations.................................10 Elves of Mystara - Elven Class Variants.................................39 The Fall and Rise of the Canolbarth.....................................65 The Stalkbrow Bad Magic Node.........................................115 Vesperlands Atlas................................................................125 Savage Seas: Pirates, Corsairs & Buccaneers.....................140 -
Dragon Magazine #236
The dying game y first PC was a fighter named Random. I had just read “Let’s go!” we cried as one. Roger Zelazny’s Nine Princes in Amber and thought that Mike held up the map for us to see, though Jeff and I weren’t Random was a hipper name than Corwin, even though the lat- allowed to touch it. The first room had maybe ten doors in it. ter was clearly the man. He lasted exactly one encounter. Orcs. One portal looked especially inviting, with multi-colored veils My second PC was a thief named Roulette, which I thought drawn before an archway. I pointed, and the others agreed. was a clever name. Roulette enjoyed a longer career: roughly “Are you sure you want to go there?” asked Mike. one session. Near the end, after suffering through Roulette’s “Yeah. I want a vorpal sword,” I said greedily. determined efforts to search every 10’-square of floor, wall, and “It’s the most dangerous place in the dungeon,” he warned. ceiling in the dungeon, Jeff the DM decided on a whim that the “I’ll wait and see what happens to him,” said Jeff. The coward. wall my thief had just searched was, in fact, coated with contact “C’mon, guys! If we work together, we can make it.” I really poison. I rolled a three to save. wanted a vorpal sword. One by one they demurred, until I Thus ensued my first player-DM argument. There wasn’t declared I’d go by myself and keep all the treasure I found. -
The Video Game Asset Pipeline a Pattern Approach to Visualization
The Video Game Asset Pipeline A Pattern Approach to Visualization James Lear Student ID: 91002002 [email protected] The University of the West of England Faculty of Environment and Technology This thesis is submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy March 2021 Director of Studies Supervisor Professor Richard McClatchey Dr Simon Scarle [email protected] [email protected] a Abstract Video games consist of virtual worlds modelled as an approximation of either a real or imaginary environment. The amount of content required to populate the environments for Triple-A (AAA) video games doubles every few years to satisfy the expectations of the end-users. For this reason, the art and design discipline now constitute the maJority of those employed in a video game studio. The artists use Digital Content Creation (DCC) tools to design and create their content; tools not originally designed for video game asset creation. Ultimately the artists require to preview their content in the form of source assets in the runtime environment, the game engine, to ensure they provide an accurate rendering of their original vision. However, there exists a barrier to achieve this workflow; the original source assets are persisted in a proprietary format, information rich to handle future edits, and the final runtime environment requires the assets to be lightweight ready for fast and efficient loading into the game engine. The video game industry has solved this problem by introducing a fast and efficient workflow known as the asset pipeline. The asset pipeline is recognized within video games technology as a general reusable solution to the common problem of converting source assets into their final runtime form as expected by the runtime game engine. -
Dragon Magazine #171
SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS Issue #171 AD&D Trading Cards Richard Brown Vol. XVI, No. 2 Insert July 1991 A preview of brand-new product, coming to a store near you! Publisher REGULAR FEATURES James M. Ward Guest Editorial Michael A. Stackpole Editor 6 Role-playing and reality: The dividing line is thicker than some people Roger E. Moore think. Whos Who Among Dragons Bruce A. Heard Fiction editor 9 Dragons, too, rule kingdoms in the D&D® Known World. Barbara G. Young Hunting Tanks is Fun and Easy! Thomas M. Kane 13 Dragons, Hellfires, and the LAW: Antitank weapons in the TOP Assistant editor Dale A. Donovan SECRET/S.I. game. The Making of a Monster Matthew Iden Art director 16 If ya wanna play an orc, ya gotta think like an orc. Larry W. Smith Care For a Drink? David W. Montgomery and Jim Milner 20 It can break a siege, end a drought, slay your enemies, and water Production staff your garden. What is it? Gaye OKeefe Angelika Lokotz Tracey Zamagne The MARVEL®-Phile Steven E. Schend 31 Chris Powell needed an edge against crime. He got itand how! Subscriptions The Role of Books John C. Bunnell Janet L. Winters 34 The woman who outsmarted Sherlock Holmes takes on her own murder-mystery adventure. U.S. advertising Roseann Schnering The Voyage of the Princess Ark Bruce A. Heard 39 They dont call it the Savage Coast for nothing. U.K. correspondent The Nature of the Beast Zoe Bell Hurst and U.K. advertising 48 A dozen people have a dozen ways to paint a griffon.