DShomshak

And oho, Mandeville's Travels includes canine folk! Dean Shomshak

Well, Volo's Guide to Monsters has it that gnolls all have what sounds like a permanent Mind Link to Yeenoghu, afflicting them with his savagery and hunger. Reading the mind of a gnoll turns out to be hazardous. Not much chance of reforming gnolls through sweet reason and benign social engineering. Looking beyond D&D, here's the Wikipedia page about all manner of dog-headed humanoids in myth and pop culture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynocephaly Myths if the Dog-Man, by David Gordon White, goes into some of this in more detail, esp. dog-men in Medieval legends about saints and Apostles. Dean Shomshak

Op-ed from conservative (but no fan of Trump) Jonah Goldberg, on Trump's continuing and bizarre hold on the Republican party. Main points: Republicans are in thrall to delusions of persecution from which only Trump can save them; and that for better or worse, democracy is working in that voters persistently ignore supposed kingmakers' attempts to control them. Jonah Goldberg: Is there any way to shift the bizarre Republican conviction that only Trump will save them? (msn.com) ADDENDUM: Point of clarification because of bad grammar: Republicans believe only Trump can save them from the persecution. He encourages their delusions. Dean Shomshak

For a gratuitous digression that would make me swat the head of player who tried it at the game table... The great hardness of diamond makes it indispensible for scientists studying the properties of matter that is under immense pressure. The article I read called it "Diamond Anvil" technology (which sounds like the name of a rock band, or maybe a supervillain). You squeeze a sample of the material you want to study between two diamonds! Not only are the diamonds rigid enough to transfer al the pressure to the sample instead of bending themselves, the transparency means you can also do neat stuff like heat the sample with lasers in order to simulate the heat and pressure of the Earth's core. IIRC scientists have even made metallic hydrogen, like in the depths of Jupiter. You study the compressed material with X-rays, neutron beams, and whatever else you can get to pass through the diamonds as well. So you've got diamonds in your experiment, you've got lasers, you've got otherworldly forms of matter, and maybe subatomic particle beams for good measure. Cue the lab accident for your next Champions adventure! Dean Shomshak

So... just like humans. Dean Shomshak

The AD&D Monster Manual says right out that "There is a great resemblance between gnolls and hyenas." The 5th ed D&D supplement Volo's Guide to Monsters develops the connection in greater detail. For instance, p. 33 gives their origin: Make of that what you will. Dean Shomshak

As Duke and others say, forget reality. Comic books don't deal in realism. Go with the *idea* of diamond, the mythology. Give the Diamond Robot as much DEF as necessary to be nigh invulnerable to the PCs' attacks. "Muah ha ha hah! You fools, my Diamond Robot is unstoppable! Soon I will RUUUULE THE WORRRRLD!" But then give it a heft Vulnerability to attacks that are backed by Find Weakness, to represent the equally legendary property of diamond to cleave to a precisely targeted blow. So you have the scene of the villain screaming "NOOOO! THIS CANNOT BE!" as the "invincible" Diamond Robot shatters when the heroes figure out its weakness (that the villain overlooked even though it should be obvious to a well read 10 year old). Dean Shomshak

I WILLNOT COMPLY!!!!! Proud and Free AMERICAN!

Apropos of this... A few months back, Scientific American had an article about leopards in India, and why there aren't more cases of leopard attacks on humans despite the two species living in close proximity. (Including leopards moving into cities -- or rather, cities growing rapidly to enclose wildlife reserves set aside for leopards.) Studying leopards involves catching and tagging them. And how does one trap a leopard? The author notes that "Leopards are smart. But being cats, they will go into boxes." I assume the box traps are made of something sturdier than cardboard, but still... Dean Shomshak YES I WILL ENJOY THIS MODERN RICE

On All Things Considered today, a heat expert came out and said it: Is it even rational to speak of a "heat wave" when the high temperatures don't stop? 3-5 days is a heat wave. Week after week is something else. Possibly the new normal for summer. And it's terrifying, because we are not ready. Dean Shomshak

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. A workmanlike bit of Fantasy filmmaking, which IMO puts it ahead of most attempts at Fantasy filmmaking. I can't say there's anything wrong with this flick: acting and dialogue are OK, the plot doesn't have gaping holes (though a magic artifact that was the subject of a large section of the film was forgotten about later, the characters were, I grant, kinda busy with other things), and the CGI monsters are spot on. A few chuckles, some adequately gamerish "clever" use of a magic artifact, and a Significant Choice you can see coming a mile away. Characteriization is at best ankle-deep, but that's okay for a popcorn movie. If you know D&D you may be amused to see representations of classic "bits" such as typically D&D-ish monsters (owlbear, displacer beast, gelatinous cube, mimic in treasure chest form) and one of those pointless self-destruct traps that how is it still there after so long? But also diverging from game for on the whole good reasons of cinema (druid shapeshifting is less limited, and that's apparently all druids do; no hint of "spell slots")). Abundant references to the Forgotten Realms setting which I might like if I gave a rat's ass about the Forgotten Realms. Hard to say how a person who knew nothing of D&D or the Forgotten Realms would take all the worldbuilding, but I give props for showing a lot of stuff without feeling the need to explain and justify everything -- as if we didn't know, going in, that this was a Fantasy movie. Dean Shomshak

Just as THEY planned... Dean Shomshak

Well, yes, when you brought up Dwarves I more than half expected you to post pictures of Fenrengi, the way a previous WCSD had "Orcks" but the pictures were Klingons. Oh, well. Dean Shomshak

Parts and wholes are one of Etterskell's secondary domains, and their gifts of alchemy and transplantation are about combining parts into new wholes. I'd call harmony a refinement or guiding principle. Not all combinations "work" -- as the Shoggoth demonstrated. Etterskell is grateful for Oeneous' efforts to repair the damage from the Big Oops. Dean Shomshak

Guilds. Plural. So Etterskell's power is acknowledged. They have no objection. Dean Shomshak

As a vacation from the impending self-destruction of the USA, here's a brief Economist article about states and cities redesigning their flags. (It resulted in some amusing letters in the latest Economist, including a recommendation for the flag of Wales. "It has a dragon on it. It's badass.") Dean Shomshak

After two days, we have one vote to give DT a bonus pick and no votes against. I don't think it's fair to leave DT hanging indefinitely, so I will take the initiative. A few more days, but only a few for people to vote. Going... Dean Shomshak

Well, I remember from the first WCSD that just because no God has taken something as part of its portfolio, doesn't mean it isn't part of the world. Things can exist without a God's sponsorship. But I really like sand seas and glass technology. (Given the influence of Multiplicity, there may be several rival materials and technologies. Especially given that we are still waiting for several entries for the God of Fire.) Dean Shomshak

Pedantically, no, thye Warden of the Cracks doesn't prevent Crax from killing another continent, just from killing the entire world. But it was inspired by that act of mass murder, so I'll take it. Alchemy is 90% cooking -- just especially complicated, precise cooking. So Etterskell is often considered a patron of cookery. But They didn't just teqach the first people to combine and process different foods. (Thoal Anni'in probably has an equal claim on the basic processes of Heat Stuff To Make It Better To Eat.) But the God of Multiplicity's influence meant that people would seek out different foodstuffs, and combine and process them in different ways. Every culture in the Chimney has its own distinctive foods. Gift to Civilization: Cuisine Images: Sacher torte, haggis, sushi, kebabs, gagh. EDIT: Or browse through this thread: Foods for those that just don't care anymore - Non-Gaming Discussion - HERO Games Dean Shomshak

Most of us received a bonus pick for positing a God for a con cept no one had done before. While I haven't followed every WCSD, I'm pretty sure nobody did a God of Murder before, so I am willing to grant a bonus, hm, Plant, Animal, or Ore. So that's one bote. Having Crax murder a continent benefited the Superdraft by increasing setting engagement and connectivity -- lots of Gods (and posters) reacting to a shared event rather than just going their own way. So although I am not going to grant an open Interference that could be used to counter the Warden of the Crax, I *am* willing to grant one specific Interference: No resurrection in the Chimney. Ever. Reincarnation, sure (Alitheon has "Death and Rebirth.") But no extra lives, no magical Make It Didn't Happen. Murder (or any other death cannot be undone. You already established that *controllable* time travel is impossible; now let's remove the other, even more Qwik'n'Eezy way of nullifying the moral weight of homicide. Anyone with me? Dean Shomshak

This is long. Probably too long, but it's my last entry for Etterskell and it brings together a number of previous entries. I hope it's a fitting conclusion for the God of Multiplicity. Special thanks to Psybolt for letting me write in Mister Rancor. I hope I portrayed him as enough of a jerk. ----------------- Surprise cut through Crax’s irritation. He had never heard Etterskell threaten another God. He lowered his hand and sighed. “If you insist… What concerns you, Multiplicity? Have you caused another doomsday monster you need me to kill?” He hoped the list would not be long: Etterskell rarely kept their mind on only one thing. Etterskell crossed its arms and frowned at Crax. “No, though that’s partly why I’m here. I owe you for that, and I’m repaying you now.” But Crax heard no gratitude in its voice. “I heard a prayer from Hedonia. A broken man, cursing me for the bad luck that cost his money, his family, and his hope. We would have blamed bad judgment, but… Our attention was drawn. We saw him jump from the tower and die. And we saw one of your hypostases there. Autothanatos. God of Self-Murder.” Crax cocked an eyebrow. “Yes, one of my favorites. The victim is always available, but the killing is often more difficult than you’d think.” “I know. Now. I was puzzled enough to consult your father. He explained that suicide often comes from hatred. Hating something within yourself so much you are willing to die to kill it. Some shame, especially. Or killing oneself from spite to harm someone else. Make them sorry. I looked at the wastes around Hedonia. And I knew I had to stop you before you do worse.” Crax tried not to show tension as he looked for Ceass. If Gods battled, she would surely be present. But he saw no sign of her. “Worse?” Crax sneered, but also felt his curiosity piqued. “I killed a continent. I’d kill another, but, been there, done that, got the t-shirt.” Which, now that he spoke the words, became true. He was wearing it. “Worse. I realized you could try to kill the World. Even if it meant your own destruction. Especially. Just… to do it. The ultimate expression of what you are. Murdering everything. Maybe even the rest of us. Not sure, we’ve never been in a world as it was destroyed. We’re not going to find out, either. We’ve already made someone to stop you. From the easiest way, anyway. Good thing you hadn’t done it before we thought of it. Crax nodded and smirked. “The cracks.” “The Cracks. All of us know not to try passing through. None of the rest of us wants to risk destroying ourselves, or the Chimney. Not even Mister Rancor. If he destroyed everything, what would he have to hate? But you might. Except not anymore. Have you called back Autothanatos?” The jump in topic was more typical Etterskell. Crax reflexively reached out to feel his hypostasis, wherever in the Chimney it might be, like a person paying attention to feel the presence of his own foot. It felt wrong. Numb. Detached. “What. Have. You. Done.” Etterskell smiled. “I made some changes to Autothanatos. Vivisection. Theosection. Whatever. Pulled an aspect from the aspect, merged it with a few other hypostases. The other Gods were glad to contribute, once I said what I was doing. Alchemy with Gods is fun!” It giggled. Crax couldn’t keep himself from trembling in rage. “You wouldn’t. You’ve never.” “Never before. And I’ll never have the power to do this again. Congratulations, Crax, you’re my one and only… one and only. No multiples here. Just one guardian to stop you from ever trying to go through a Crack and murder the World.” Crax instantly felt the location of the nearest Crack, and he was there. Etterskell still stood beside him. And there was a third figure, blazing with light but shrouded in shadow, winged, with a sword. “Say hello to the Warden of the Cracks… Crax. I made her from your own potential for self-murder. If you try to enter a Crack, she will be there, and you will die before you can succeed. You can’t fight her and win: Ceass gave her the aspect of the Unbeatable Foe. You’ll never evade her: There’s no Crack so small that Strangecharm’s portion will miss it, or so out of the way that Fitz’s portion will overlook it. Clarkent Kal was glad to add a little of his power to a champion who defends the World.” Etterskell smiled, and qer smile was not pleasant. “Mister Rancor didn’t contribute, except to allow it.” “Father?” Crax demanded. Mister Rancor stood beside them. “You didn’t warn me?” “Of course not, son,” Mister Rancor said. “What, and miss seeing you twist and snarl at being balked from your greatest possible deed? Your frustration, your hatred, is like candy.” Etterskell shrugged. “Maybe you’ll find some other way to murder the world, or murder us, or make the World so horrible the rest of us want to put it out of its misery. But that will be hard. We… I… have done my part for this World, my debt to you is paid by giving you fair warning, and am content.” Crax snarled and vanished to somewhere else. Mister Rancor shook his head. “I still don’t understand why you’d do this. This world is broken. You broke it beyond repair. Why save it?” Etterskell smiled. And frowned. And laughed, and wept. “Because broken things need more love.” He didn’t understand. Bonus Mythic Guardian: The Warden of the Cracks Dean Shomshak

I'll be getting back to you on that, once I recover from a tiring weekend snd post my final Guardian. Dean Shomshak

Two screams of horror. Not bad for a God who isn't evil. Just accident-prone. But hey. Maybe I can change your feelings about the Shoggoth with a nice, cheery earworm: Dean Shomshak

By my reckoning, that's the last of the regular picks for Etterskell. Nothing left except the Bonus Monster/Guardian that DT awarded. This will be a Guardian. Here's how it starts: Crax, the Head Honcho of Homicide, was devising another scheme for a Perfect Murder to whisper in some mortal's ear. Then suddenly Etterskell stood before him. "Crax," she began without the least opening courtesy, "We need to talk." Gah! Interruption, right when he was about to figure out how the killer would frame an innocent man for the crime -- a double murder, from the execution! "Talk to the hand," he snapped as he flipped up the divine appendage so named. Then curled in all but the middle digit. Etterskell's lips tightened. "If you insist," he said. "Shall I take it when I go, and hold my conversation elsewhere?" To be continued. Dean Shomshak

Etterskell never meant for it to happen. They did not will the horror into being; they didn't ask for it to be done; it wasn't even another Oops. And yet, the creature could never have existed without the gifts Etterskell gave to mortal kind. Anyone who knows anything about Etterskell knows that They broke the world; and consequently, everything that world is a little bit broken in turn. (Except the other Gods, who are whole and perfect and completely wonderful, just ask them. Especially, Masque, Crax, and Mister Rancor, whom we love and wouldn't have any different.) And in the Sharded World, everything can be divided into parts, which can be reassembled into new wholes. The cult of Aleph believed that mortal misery came from incompleteness. Individual souls were shards of a primordial World-Soul that broke in the Big Oops. Enlightenment came from recognizing that incompleteness; salvation came from reconnecting to other creatures and other souls. As mortals reconstructed the World-Soul, they would approach divine bliss and, ultimately, redeem the world. Etterskell insists They never said this. No other God will take the blame, either. Even Mister Rancor, Father of Lies, says "Ew" at the doctrine, mocks its touchy-feely optimism, and suggests maybe Nadiya gave mortals this hopeful dream. Which turned out to be so terribly destructive. Nadiya denies it. Calm Aziza, however, points out that mortals are more than capable of coming up with delusions on their own and any deceit by the Gods is redundant. But getting to the point: Aleph cultists often engaged in wild chimerism as a way to connect with other creatures and blur the distinctions between species, including the different species of the cultists. As best anyone can reconstruct the disaster, one group sought to connect their minds and bodies into one being -- to become the seed of a renewed World-Soul. But they went too far. Too much alchemy, too much metamorphosis, too much connection, broke their mortal forms completely. They... deliquesced, and flowed together into one shifting, churning mass of protoplasm. And hungry. The... thing... oozed out from the cult's shrine. Whatever it encountered, it consumed. Grew. Sought more. And it especially sought people. It overwhelmed homesteads, then villages. Heroes did battle, and fell, and were devoured. As it consumed a city, the Gods bade all their champions to try slaying the Thing. They failed. It was too big. It had no vital organs. It could not die. Until finally the God of Murder himself was prevailed upon to kill it. Mortals can only speculate what incentives were offered, whether threat, bribe -- or perhaps the fear that the Thing truly would consume and assimilate all life in the Chimney, and there would be nothing and no one left to kill or be killed. A creature bigger than a city is long in dying, even at the hands of a God. And in its death throes, Fitz say a flailing bit of the Horror fall across a Crack -- and vanish. To the past, to the future, no one knows. But the Chimney has not seen the end of the creature that threatened to devour the World. The creature had a name, Those who saw it and lived call it the Shoggoth. They just knew. In the aftermath, Etterskell did her utmost to stamp out the Aleph cult. They appeared to every one of the cult's initiates, slapped them upside the head, and said, "No! It doesn't work like that!" But the doctrine is still known, and other accidents may happen from excessive use of alchemy and chimerism. So that's another way a Shoogoth could menace the World again. Mythic Monster: The Shoggoth And Etterskell is very sorry for this terrible accident that resulted from her well-meant gifts. Dean Shomshak