Back to the main page

Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: "J.W.Thomas" <cm5323@***.AC.UK>
Subject: RACES
Date: Fri, 3 Jun 1994 15:13:53 +0100
Question:What happened to the Dwarves?

answer:Look down

The dwarves are greatly under rated...they would have surveied
the plagues that killed off so many peaple due to there high BOD
vs disease, and even if the rumours about agrophobia(you never
hear of dwarf pilots) are true , the dwarven race is greatly
under rated...

Unlike the vain and superficial Elves (Hakkkk... SPIT) the
dwarves have a 'down to earth' (no pun intended) view

In my game the dwarves have a predominantly subterainian
country / arcology in antartica , and mine all over antartica,
some never coming to the surface ...
GeoTech Inc is the geological resource company, mainly fronted
by Dwarves due to the stereotype dwarf geological knowledge
(Even if most just push keyboards)
They also use deep core geothermal technology w/ Earth Elements
and spirits to mine deeper than any conventional mine...
There latest technique has caused quite a stir , as they vent
thousands of tonnes of magma into the sea and all allow it to
cool. Some minerals crystalise out faster, so they can seperate
out the valuable stuff and make new islands... (a growth
industry, as the islands have a background count of 2+ and are
magically secure)
And my players will never forget the Antarctic Merc dwarf with
Physical Science6 (structural engineer)8 and demolitions 6 who
collapsed the building they were holed up in.!!


CHOPPER
paniced shadrunner "run!!! they've started their warsong!!"
All runners exit, stage right from dwarven Bar
"HI HO HI HO ITS OFF TO KILL WE GO
"WITH A MAC AND A SPADE AND A FRAG GRENADE
"HI HO HI HO HI HO, HI HO HI HO
Message no. 2
From: Shadowdancer <BRIDDLE@*****.VINU.EDU>
Subject: Races
Date: Mon, 21 Nov 1994 19:56:43 EST
Hoi all!! I have not been writing, for some reason the listserv kicked
me off. Anyway, someone mentioned the fact that the VITAS plague
and UGE happened almost simultaneously. He also was thinking that
maybe it wiped out a specific race of creatures. Here is a thought:
What are there no Windlings, Obsidimen, or T'skrang? What if the
VITAS killed all of those individuals who were to become these races?
I know, SR came out before ED, but how would FASA explain the
incongruency? Just some scary thoughts...

P.S. If this thought has already been posted, ignore please. The letter
I read was forwarded to me by Lucifer. By-the-by, I have spoken to
him, and he now knows the art of the smiley. I also told him to speak
of topics that are in the here and now, not the decker dead-horse we
beat to death a couple weeks ago. So Wesley, this Apology is for
you!!!!! :-)

P.P.S. Frag!!!!!!!! Seems all I have been doing in the last posts is
apologize!!!

* *
* * * *
* * * *
* @ * * @ *
* * * *
* * * *
* *

\
\
\
\
\
_____\




|~WWWWWWWWWWWW~|
| |
\ /
\ /
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<Smiley from Hell!!!!>


-----------------------------------------|
*****************QUOTE:***************** |
-----------------------------------------|
"I took the beauty into my arms, and I found
her bitter, so I insulted her."-Arther Rimbord,
A Season in Hell

Shadowdancer<BRIDDLE@*****.VINU.EDU>
|Geek Code| GB d--(-d+) H+ s:+>s g+>!g p? au-- a-- w+++
v+ c+(++++) U--- P? !L !3 E? !N K- W M-- !V -po+ Y+ t !5
j R++ G+ tv+ b++ D+ B--- e+ u---(**) h f r++ !n y++(**)
Message no. 3
From: Tim Skirvin <tskirvin@***.UIUC.EDU>
Subject: Re: Races
Date: Mon, 21 Nov 1994 20:15:07 -0600
> What are there no Windlings, Obsidimen, or T'skrang? What if the
> VITAS killed all of those individuals who were to become these
> races? I know, SR came out before ED, but how would FASA explain
> the incongruency? Just some scary thoughts...

Easy.

Windlings exist. Look under Paranormal Animals of Europe, under
"Sprite". Nice comments, too. Possibly, they were almost wiped out by UGE;
possibly, they lost a lot of people through their low birth rate.

Obsidimen: they're just rock guys. Either they were wiped out by
UGE (I doubt it), or they just haven't emerged from their LifeRock yet.
Probably, FASA will pick up on it.

T'skrang: good question. I theorize that they're just hiding so
far...and they're only in the Barsaive region. Or else they're in the next
wave of UGE...

--
Tim Skirvin (tskirvin@***.uiuc.edu)
Message no. 4
From: Eve Forward <lutra@******.COM>
Subject: Re: Races
Date: Mon, 21 Nov 1994 19:43:41 -0800
--Tim Skirvin (tskirvin@***.uiuc.edu) writes:

> T'skrang: good question. I theorize that they're just hiding so
>far...and they're only in the Barsaive region. Or else they're in the next
>wave of UGE...

Heh heh heh! A word of warning... don't badger your GM to tell you when the
t'skrang are gonna show up in Shadowrun, unless you want your character to
abruptly have to go around with a tail for the rest of his life....


"My momma din't raise me ta be no LIZARD!"

-Tigger the Rigger
Message no. 5
From: Nightfox <DJWA@******.UCC.NAU.EDU>
Subject: Re: Races
Date: Tue, 22 Nov 1994 09:34:16 -0700
>Hoi all!! I have not been writing, for some reason the listserv kicked
>me off. Anyway, someone mentioned the fact that the VITAS plague
>and UGE happened almost simultaneously. He also was thinking that
>maybe it wiped out a specific race of creatures. Here is a thought:
>What are there no Windlings, Obsidimen, or T'skrang? What if the
>VITAS killed all of those individuals who were to become these races?
>I know, SR came out before ED, but how would FASA explain the
>incongruency? Just some scary thoughts...


actually, this concept first appeared in either Tir Tairngire or Tir Na Nog

Nightfox
Message no. 6
From: Adam Getchell <acgetche@****.UCDAVIS.EDU>
Subject: Re: Races
Date: Tue, 22 Nov 1994 08:52:12 -0800
On Mon, 21 Nov 1994, Eve Forward wrote:

> Heh heh heh! A word of warning... don't badger your GM to tell you when the
> t'skrang are gonna show up in Shadowrun, unless you want your character to
> abruptly have to go around with a tail for the rest of his life....
>
>
> "My momma din't raise me ta be no LIZARD!"
>
> -Tigger the Rigger

Now Tigger the Lizard, but that too is a long tail ... er, tale.
Y' see, Tigger's got some Cajun blood in him and had been running with
his friend Swamp Rat in skimmers until *somebody* ratted them out and one
day the laws were waiting for Swamp Rat, and he died in a mangled streak
of glory. Tigger just naturally had this urges to hide things
underwater, so he went down and took the amphibious X-Wing (no I don't
mean from _Star Wars_, rather a helicopter/lifting surface platform) and
ran for Seattle. All there in Eve's beautifully detailed character history.
So of course when magic started going a little funky after their
alternate reality excursion at Easter Island with Aztechnology, some odd
things were going on at the North Pole and after they freed the Obsidimen
Guardian (who was written about before _Denizens of Earthdawn II_ came
out and showed the "Purifier" discipline) they went there and Tigger just
sort of grew a tail ....
After they fought the Horror, of course. Ah, those were the days!

"Live fast, die wide"
-- Tigger the Rigger

"Sss, gollum, gollum -- I'll gets them, I will."
-- Tigger the Lizard

I suppose the most hilarious thing about Eve's character was
Tigger changing to the dominant T'skrang sex, which is female. Of
course, Tigger had a rather close female friend before, but ....

+-------------+---------------------------------------------------------------+
|Adam Getchell|acgetche@****.engr.ucdavis.edu | ez000270@*******.ucdavis.edu |
| acgetchell |"Invincibility is in oneself, vulnerability is in the opponent"|
+-------------+---------------------------------------------------------------+
Message no. 7
From: Alex van der Kleut <sommers@*****.UMICH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Races
Date: Tue, 22 Nov 1994 12:00:23 -0500
On Mon, 21 Nov 1994, Tim Skirvin wrote:

> > What are there no Windlings, Obsidimen, or T'skrang? What if the
> > VITAS killed all of those individuals who were to become these
> > races? I know, SR came out before ED, but how would FASA explain
> > the incongruency? Just some scary thoughts...
>
> Easy.
>
> Windlings exist. Look under Paranormal Animals of Europe, under
> "Sprite". Nice comments, too. Possibly, they were almost wiped out by
UGE;
> possibly, they lost a lot of people through their low birth rate.
>
> Obsidimen: they're just rock guys. Either they were wiped out by
> UGE (I doubt it), or they just haven't emerged from their LifeRock yet.
> Probably, FASA will pick up on it.
>
> T'skrang: good question. I theorize that they're just hiding so
> far...and they're only in the Barsaive region. Or else they're in the next
> wave of UGE...
>
> --
> Tim Skirvin (tskirvin@***.uiuc.edu)
>
Windlings exist. Okay. Fine. They are a totallyt seperate race. I don't
know where the T'skrang are hiding, but they aren't going to come from
another UGE. Somewhere in that section on races it says that "sages have
theorized that elves, dwarves, orks, trolls and humans all spring from
some distant common ancestor race" or words to that effect. IE they are
all Homo Sapien (whatever). Therefore none of the other ED races can
goblinize from humans. Whether or not they can do it from other races,
however...
Message no. 8
From: Thomas Hirt <kragan@***.UVIC.CA>
Subject: Re: Races
Date: Tue, 22 Nov 1994 09:49:00 PST
Tim Skirvin wrote,

>
> Obsidimen: they're just rock guys. Either they were wiped out by
>UGE (I doubt it), or they just haven't emerged from their LifeRock yet.
>Probably, FASA will pick up on it.
>
> T'skrang: good question. I theorize that they're just hiding so
>far...and they're only in the Barsaive region. Or else they're in the next
>wave of UGE...
>

About the references to the other Name-Givers. I do believe that this will
be expounded upon depending on the results of the informal poll being done
by FASA. In the back of Harlequin's Back, they ask GMs to respond to
whether or not they want the concept of the "Enemy", ie. the Horrors, to be
used in future Shadowrun products. I do believe that responses to this poll
will also be used in gauging the desire of SR players to enhance the
connection between the Fourth and Sixth world.


Just my thoughts,
Blackest Night
AKA Tom Hirt.


"I do believe that we are up an unsanitary tributary with insufficient means
of locomotion." Kryton, Red Dwarf


Geek Code v1.01 GM d? -p+ c++ l u e+(*) m++(---) s+/+ !n h+ f? !g w+(-) t+(-)
r++ !y
Message no. 9
From: Erik S Jameson <esj@***.UUG.ARIZONA.EDU>
Subject: Re: Races
Date: Tue, 22 Nov 1994 11:14:24 -0700
Alright, why do we have to have Obsidimen or T'skrang or Windlings or any
of those races included into Shadowrun. I want to play Shadowrun, not
Earthdawn. Now, some of the ED stuff included into SR make it better,
stronger. But, really, why do we need friggin' rock people? Let 'em
stay back in the fourth age...

As far as the combined affects of VITAS/UGE wiping out an entire new
race, I think that was mentioned in one of the Tir books. I would hazard
a guess that it was in Tir Tairngire...

But if some of you out there need a rational, pseudo-scientific reason
for there being no Windlings and such, here's my idea.

We already know that racial expression and magical abilitiy is tied to a
certain genetic code that 'hides' in our DNA until activated by an
outside factor, namely an increase in mana, or magical energy. Perhaps
this is the same for the other ED races. Perhaps not within human
genetics, but perhaps within other races, such as Komodo dragons or
something equally strange. For sake of argument, lets assume that my
above statements are true, or true enough. Now, in the past thousands of
years since the Fourth Age, we have rendered extinct a wide variety of
organisms, from simple bacteria to the carrier pigeon and the dodo bird.
This has happened because of pure human stupidity in the case of the
carrier pigeon and the dodo birds, but we have rendered several diseases
extinct or pretty damn near in the name of medical progress. Please, no
value judgements here. I would also claim that we have practicall
eliminated a small number of genetic traits in both humans and other
species. In dogs and cattle it is because of selective breeding, and in
humans it is the same, although we normally aren't rude enough to say
so. Now the point of all this set up is that perhaps we have rendered it
impossible for those other, Earthdawn, races to re-appear because we have
rendered them unwittingly extinct.

Sorry this took so long, but I seems to me to be a very viable answer for
why we have so rock people.

Erik, a.k.a. the Whistler
Message no. 10
From: Eve Forward <lutra@******.COM>
Subject: Re: Races
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 1994 05:19:29 -0800
Adam Getchell writes:



> I suppose the most hilarious thing about Eve's character was
> Tigger changing to the dominant T'skrang sex, which is female. Of

Ha-fraggin'-ha. You just better pray I don't ever get your pointy-eared
mugician on the wrong end of a gaming table... Let's see how he likes growing
thorns out of his body or something.

It did make for a pretty amusing scene, must admit. I got to talk in a funny
voice and everything, and he/she kept knocking stuff over with his/her tail.
He/she spent loads of Karma getting a disguise spell locked on, so he/she could
try and stay in normal society, and of course a Horror grounded a spell through
it and destroyed it the next time we played.
And Tigger admittedly was sorta set up for turning into a t'skrang;
Born in a city famous for riverboats and spicy fish dishes, spending his time
running around in a swamp, hiding things underwater, (this wasn't just a
background thing. Every chance he got; "What do you do with the truck?"
"Um, I
drive it into the reservoir and sink it." "Where'd you stash your copter?"
"Oh,
it's in a lake a few miles away." "They're tracking you; what do you do?"
"I
head for the river and swim downstream." etc., every vehicle was set up for
Amphibious stuff, etc.) being good at climbing, being flamboyant and dramatic
and hyper, etc...
Still, it's upsetting to live your whole life being proud to be human
and macho, and suddenly turning into a six-foot-four mutant female lizard.

Further Reading

If you enjoyed reading about Races, you may also be interested in:

Disclaimer

These messages were posted a long time ago on a mailing list far, far away. The copyright to their contents probably lies with the original authors of the individual messages, but since they were published in an electronic forum that anyone could subscribe to, and the logs were available to subscribers and most likely non-subscribers as well, it's felt that re-publishing them here is a kind of public service.

Thwap!