Linguistic Archaeology: Where is the Sar?

For some reason the Sar involked an idea of a grassy plain somewhere in North Africa. But the real Sar is a region on the southern edge of the Caspian Sea. It wasnt in any history, or even marked on a map but there are a few villages along the southern edge of the Caspian Sea that carry Sar as a phonetic marker. We can assume that this region was 'The Sar'.

Japanese Names
1. Sadakata (Sardarkuartar): Sar-Dark-Uartar

• Sar
• Dark
• Uartar (water)

Name: Sar Dark-Water

Other Sar names: sadafuji, sadaie, sadako, sadamasa, sadataka, sadato, sadauji, sadachiko, Tatsutsaka, tokisada, akusawa, asahina, asaka, asako, asakura, asaoka, asayama, yosai, yorifusa, yorisada, yoshimasu, chikatsada, fusasaki, fusaie, fusaaki, hidemasa, hisahide, hisemasa, osarkuku, sasakawa, sasase, satomura, sawai,


2. Awataguchi (Arkukuartargkuchku): Arkuk-Uartar-gkuchku

• Arkuk (city/Kirkuk)
• Uartar (water): *ata
• Guchi (family/Gucci)

Name: Arkuk-Water-Gucci

3. Watanabe (kukuartarnarbku): kuk-uartar-narbku

Awata (Arkukuartar): Arkuk-uartar kirkuk-water

Anyway we get two similar ideas:

• Arkuk-water
• Sar Dark-water

Its certainly odd to find a word that is 'almost' identical to water.

What is all this?
Its a map. A map by an ancient people. While I would think these indicate places you can go on (or off) the silk road for Well water, it might also refer to where to find oil.

Its also relevant in another part of our search... Saka's Tavern is on part of the ancient chinese wall (Barrier) out this way and Somewhere near it is an ancient tomb. A tomb yet to be found.


Update:

Sar-dark subgroup
Sadakata (Sar-dark-uartar)
sadaie (Sar-dark-uku)
sadako (Sar-dark-uo)
sadauji (Sar-dark-ujku)

Sar-Dar* subgroup
sadamasa (Sar-dar-mar-sar)
sadataka (Sar-Dar-tar-kuar): '-kuar' means Crown Prince
sadato (Sar-dar-to): 'to' means 'tower'
sadachiko (Sar-dar-chkuk-uo)
sadafuji (Sar-dar-Fku-jku)
tokisada (To-kuku-sar-dar): to' means 'tower', ki means 'tree' so a tree is used as a watch-tower.
yorisada (kuku-oar-ku-Sar-dar) tree oars (pine trees)
chikatsada (chkukuart-Sar-dar)

sasakawa (Sar-sarku-arkuk-uar*)
sasase (Sar-sarsku)
satomura (Sar-to-mkuarar)
sawai (Sar-kukuarku)
Tatsutsaka (tartskut-sar-kuar)
akusawa (Arku-Sar-kukuar)
asahina (Ar-sar-hkunar)
asaka (Ar-sar-kuar) ka is crown prince
asako (Ar-sar-kuo)
asakura (Ar-sar-kuarar)
asaoka (Ar-sar-okuar)
asayama (Ar-sar-kuku-armar) 'y' is a variant of 'ki', 'armar' is armour. Yama means 'tree armour' to the people of the sar.
yosai (kukuo-Sar-ku)
yorifusa (kuku-oar-kufku-Sar) 'y' tree, 'or' means 'oar'. Oars made from trees.
fusasaki (fku-sar-sar-kuku)

fusaie (fku-sar-kuku) sar tree
fusaaki (fku-sar-ar-kuku)
hidemasa (hkud-kumar-sar)
hisahide (hku-sar-hkudku)
hisemasa (hkus-kumar-Sar)
osarkuku (o-Sar-kuku)

Partial Dictionary of the Sar

• Y is a variant of japanese ki meaning tree.
• Ama is armar or Armour.
• Yama means 'tree armour' (wooden/bark armour).
• Ka is -kuar or crown prince.
• Sa is Sar.
• Saka.
• *ata is *uartar or water.
• Ema is Kumar.

Moon Buggy: Dark side of the Moon

China does the thing. And whats on the far side of the Moon?

The pink is Iron (III) though slightly pale, the Pale is Chromium Hydroxide though slightly pink. So plenty of building blocks to separate and make water from.
And Ferrochrome is used to manufacture Stainless Steel. So shiny Stainless Steel Moon Cities? Not unless there is a good supply of Carbon.

Basic Red: A long run...

My Red finally died.  The card cover finally separating from the book within.  Thirty-five years of fun.
                                                         
So now I strive to turn its classic adventure Into the Caves into an Adventure module.
                                                         
The Climber's Inn is located several miles beyond town, serving as a gateway of sorts for those seeking adventure. Most who venture there do so seeking access to the caves beneath the inn.

The First Chamber
The sinkhole concealed beneath the Inn's floor boards descends fifty feet down to an ancient artefact that serves as a perch overlooking the first cave.  The iron gargoyle protrudes from the stone wall twenty feet above the cave floor - apparently caught in some ancient deposit layer long ago hardened, though there is a further shaft in the floor below that descends another thirty feet to a tunnel floor of some lower level.  The cave itself is ten feet wide, fifty feet long, and fifty feet high. Each end has a rise of twenty feet to a tunnel that leads off into the darkness...

I think a vertical reorientation of the classic dungeon will shake things up. Mysteries such as the Iron Gargoyle to bring them back.  A talking cave that doubles their wealth or picks their pockets. Rats, Goblins, a Rust Monster, and some undead... and other exits.  And somewhere in there an outlaw Wizard named Bargle and a fanatical Cleric named Aleena hell-bent on imposing on him her own brand of brutal justice.

Heist Music: Stealing Runa's Taxes

Part One: Runa's Taxes
The Halfling Merchant Runa Of Shireton arrives in your Town and having rented a small stone storehouse (20'x20') from the Merchants for a few gold hires four labourers for the week. A visit to the bank to arrange funds in the form of sixteen sealed coin firkins (each capable of containing five hundred coins) branded with the seal of the Bank and a large open urn of one hundred silver coins. With two labouers guarding the store house armed with a club each, Runa proceeds to the bank and has her two remaining labouers and begins shipping the firkins of Bank coin to the storehouse across town. It takes a day but by the evening all the coin firkins and the silver filled urn are safely locked up for the week. Two guards are left to guard the storehouse until dawn, and they swap places with the other two guards in the mornings.

How do you rob all that gold and get away with it?

Interlude: The PCs take the Bait

Having made off with the Coin firkins you find they are filled with five hundred copper pieces each - barely worth the effort. Soon after you and your three companions are detained by the towns guard and taken before the guildmaster of the thieves guild. In his office are four life sized portraits - one of each of you shown in a scene of the robbery.

"I have a job for you." The Guildmaster looks at a portrait and laughs. "You will sneak into the sewers of the Baron's Castle by the lake."

"Once inside," the guildmaster places what looks like a coin die on the table. "You will steal one of the coin dies he uses to mint new coins and replace it with this."

For those who fail to ask for a wisdom check to percieve the amount of mortal danger they are in... Excellent." A bald, seven foot tall leg breaker steps from the shadow behind the guildmaster. "We have an understanding."

Note: The PCs dont have to enter the Sewers. They can do a runner and flee town, but if they are caught returning to town, they will be disposed of.

Part Two: Into the Baron's Castle

The Sewers must be crawled through unarmoured being only two feet in diameter. And there are rats, spiders, snakes, yellow fungi, disease, human excrement... All unpleasant. Once inside they have access to every privy by this tunnel network including the one in the Baron's chambers. The mint is in a chamber on the lowest level but is beyond a barracks with twenty soldiers.

If the PCs think to cause a distraction they are able to draw most of these soldiers out leaving a few. One entering the Baron's Bedchamber and taking the Baron hostage is sufficient.

Space Balls: Ultima Thule by the colours

 Ultima Thule flyby gives up some colour.

The Dark patch is Nitrogen Dioxide, or Cobolt Ammine.

Updated (6/1/2019): The light patch between both objects is Nitrogen dioxide.
The dark patch on the upper spheroid is 'Cobolt Ammine'.

That Nitrogen is a common factor in this colour band gives us a Nitrogen rich surface.

 So best bet:

• Nitrogen Dioxide
• Nitrogen Trioxide
• Nitrogen Trihydride

And a resting toucher...

Web comics: Dollar and Wolfe

The adventures of Dave Underdark and Lexa are going to be your go to webcomic this year...

Source: dollar and wolfe tumblr

Basic Expert: A Mysterious Woman Summons you...

The mysterious Lady Payne, a Sorceress of considerable talent and dark reputation has summoned you. Perhaps thats not quite the right word for it. You were abducted from your beds, or simply snatched off the dark streets by agents acting on her behalf. If her plan was to make you feel unsafe in a world where only power equates to safety, she has demonstrated adequately that you have none. 

"You will put on these Masks." She indicates a selection of intricately carved wooden masks, engraved with runes, and painted red. "If you do not put on these Masks I will have you killed."

Once the PCs have complied, read the following:

"You will this evening seek out a grated sewer tunnel in the Western wall in the Dukes Park in Specularum and having entered make your way through the subterranean passages to the bottom of a privy shaft." You begin to feel an acceptance to obey her commands. "You will then climb the privy shaft to the privy at the top and enter a bedroom."

"Within the Bedchamber you will find a man asleep in bed." She fetches up an ebony wand that is floating loose and places it in a wooden case. "You will kill him."

"You will kill Duke Stephan Karameikos."

The words are overwhelming. The compelling geas of the Masks combined with her words have sealed your fates.