Linguistic Archaeology: Origin of the Trickster's Mask

Mask in every Language
1. Masker
2. Maske
3. Chinibili
4. Qunae
5. Dimak
6. Maska
7. Myetnharhpone
8. Mascara
9. Mga maskara
10. Mianju
11. Maschera
12. Masko (esperanto)
13. Mask
14. Naamio
15. Masque
16. Nighabi
17. Mahorum
18. Maski
19. MS*
20. Mukhauta
21. Ntsej muag
22. Maszk
23. Grima
24. Nkpuchi
25. Topeng
26. Measca
27. Masuku
28. Mukhavada
29. Rbang
30. Maseukeu
31. Berru
32. Na kak
33. Larva
34. Kauke
35. Saron-tava
36. Maskra
37. Taka
38. Mukhavata
39. Mkuta
40. M*
41. M*SK
42. Mascarar
43. Masaka
44. Masca
45. Maskirovat
46. Fulufulu
47. Measg
48. MA*K
49. Maskovat
50. MAP*A
51. Hnakak
52. Maskelemek
53. Niqob
54. Mat na
55. Mwgwd
56. Iboju



Popularity of use
A      %      E       %       I        %       O       %       U        %
45    80%  14    25%   10    17%    10     17%    15       26%

B      %      C       %       D        %       F       %       G        %
5       8%   7       12%   3        5%    1       1%     7        12%

H      %      J       %       K        %       L       %       M        %
10     17%  3      5%     27     48%   4       7%     40       71%

N      %      P       %       Q        %       R       %       S        %
13    23%  4       7%     3        5%    13     23%    26      46%

T      %      V       %       W        %       X       %       Y        %
11   19%   6       10%   1        1%      0       0%    1        1%

Z         %
1          1%




Popularity of use of names
80% A:
71% M, A: M*,
48% K, M, A: MA*K,
46% S, K, M, A: Masaka, M*SK, MS*, Mask, Maska,
26% U, S, K, M, A: Masuku,
25% E, U, S, K, M, A: Kauke, Maseukeu, Maske,
23% N, R, E, U, S, K, M, A: Maskra, Na kak, Masker,
19% T, N, R, E, U, S, K, M, A: Mat na, Mkuta, Taka,
17% I, O, H, T, N, R, E, U, S, K, M, A: Hnakak, Mukhauta, Maski,
         Mahorum, Naamio, Masko (esperanto),
12% G, C, I, O, H, T, N, R, E, U, S, K, M, A: Measg, Masca, Mascarar,
         Measca, Grima, Maschera, Mga maskara, Mascara,
10% V, G, C, I, O, H, T, N, R, E, U, S, K, M, A: Maskovat, Maskirovat,
         Mukhavata, Larva,
8% B, V, G, C, I, O, H, T, N, R, E, U, S, K, M, A: Saron-tava, Berru,
       Rbang, Nighabi,
7% P, L, B, V, G, C, I, O, H, T, N, R, E, U, S, K, M, A: Maskelemek,
       MAP*A, Fulufulu, Topeng, Nkpuchi, Chinibili,
5% Q, D, J, P, L, B, V, G, C, I, O, H, T, N, R, E, U, S, K, M, A: Iboju,
       Niqob, Mukhavada, Ntsej muag, Masque, Mianju, Dimak,
       Qunae,
1% Z, Y, W, F, Q, D, J, P, L, B, V, G, C, I, O, H, T, N, R, E, U, S, K, M, A:
       Mwgwd, Maszk, Myetnharhpone,
0% X

Conclusions: At 71% language use, the earliest is M* (Pashto) followed by MA*K (Sindhi) at 48%, M*SK (Persian) and MS* (Hebrew) at 46% along with the first intact forms: Masaka (Punjabi), Maska (a few people including Bulgarian, Azerbaijani), Mask (a bunch of peoples including English, Basque).

Masks might have emerged in the Indus Valley culture.

Colonial Space: The Colony

The Citadel
The Colony is a single white citadel a thousand feet high, housing three hundred elf colonists overlooking the sea. It is the colony vessel which transported the elves here and that hilt which protrudes above the surface is a fragment of that great lance which is buried to the hilt below it.
While the hilt is effectivly a city with residential space, and a library, the structure below which consists of the ship drives and mineral extraction systems delves three thousand feet downward penetrating rock, caverns, and deep ocean.

The Mountains of Madness
In the distance the Mountains of Madness, a fragment of the ruined planetary core, protrudes skyward, its magnetic field causing a strange yellow-white haze in the sky.

The World-Tree
Around the colony is some of the teraformed ecosystem, a single tangled vine like tree whose roots burrow into soil across much of the surface of the world creating a thick canopy that shields the ground from the sky and turns much of the hostile atmosphere into breathable air.
The leaves are a food source meeting the nutritional requirements of the elves.

Coronavirus Memes: Where Covid-19 came from

Makes you wonder whats infecting the bats up all the other trees in the forest we are chopping down to make more pool cues.

Colonial Space: planetary geography

A. Planetary Geography
1d20   Geography
01-10  forest/jungle
11-15  swamp/marsh
16-17  ocean/sea
18        desert
19        mountains
20        ice

Result: the colony world was shattered as a near ftl warpfield punched a hole through crust and mantle in a glancing blow that drained its seas into two holes connected by a deep fissure. The planetary magnetic field pours out of the near bottomless oceans while the atmosphere is blown slowly away. It will be gone in a million years though this is sufficient time for the needs of the colonizers.

The terraforming reforested it in trees and the species the colonials are familiar with, but the alien life that called this world home and are thought now to be extinct survived in its subterranean realms. A desert near the southern pole exists where lunar fragments impacted, the fireball radiation sterilizing the surface.
The oceans drained leaving behind tidal mudflats. Mountains are pushed-up fragments of the iron core.

First Aid: The effects of WW1 Battlefield Gas

Because of the significant volumes used during WW1 CS Gas had a side effect that isnt known to US citizens because their participation in that war was limited to the last few years: It contributes to long term brain damage resulting particularly in increasing lack of sympathy for the suffering of others.
While it isnt the singular contributing factor to why American police officers take civilian lives, it is a significant contributing factor (the others being shockwaves from exploding artillery and the reuse of used cooking oil- which WW1 soldiers were exposed to continuously during the war, and less so in the impoverished decades that followed).

Removing CS Gas from the United States of America along with that portion of the police force who exhibit the associated symptoms of brain damage characteristic of heavy exposure causing them to be unsympathetic bastards will reduce the death toll amongst civilians at the hands of police.

That will allow you to address actual racism. This isnt going to be easy for you, but... you are all poorly educated fucking idiots.

The US and its citizens have for centuries been and continue to be indoctrinated in the belief that these are racial divisions separating one group from another. Skin colour, culture, and religion are not racial divisions.

The only race here is human. And despite my objections that you fail to meet the minimum, you are all humans. You are most definatly all criminals because the only crime is ignorance of the truth and you have proven beyond all doubt that you are guilty of ignorance of the truth.

And yes David, only the uncivil need laws, and only children need to be governed. You are most definatly worthless children who need to be governed. The apple didnt fall far from the tree.

Update: CS gas causes Parkinsons Disease-like Symptoms meaning of the two million protestors, two hundred thousand of whom were exposed to CS gas, and twenty thousand protestors heavily dosed with CS gas thats between twenty thousand and two hundred thousand Poorly educated Americans who will over the next twenty years begin to experience the life destroying side affects of CS Gas Exposure. They will need care in care facilities paid for by tax payers.

Mystaran Campaign: The Year of the Bat

Numont 1-7: The Ochalean New Years Festival of the Bat

Location: Any community in Ochalea

Description: The Ochalean New Years Festival is held in which people spend the day eating exotic foodstuffs from marketplaces, watching fireworks, and listening to music. Foreign Wizards from across the world with access to teleportation magic are known to attend the festival, as well as foreign travellers visiting the ports of Ochalea by boat or flight magic. This year is the year of the Bat and new year festival goers are celebrating by eating soups made of bat meat, deep fried bat wings, burning paper effigies of bats, and in general celebrating all things bat related.

Numont 1: The Bat Soup is off
Location: Port-Town of Chung Tsu, Ochalea
Description: Kai Tsu, a festival cook, has recieved a rare giant vampire bat caught in the Thyatian Hinterlands. The Bat sinks its fangs into the flesh of his hand as he reaches into the wicker cage to pull it out. After some minor discomfort he pulls out the bat and chops off it's head before dismembering it, removing its organs for boiling in a pot, deep frying its large wings in oil in a wok, submerging its brains in a hot bowl of black sauce covering it with a lid and dicing up its meat for stuffing in dumplings, cooking its bones for broth in boiling water with lemon grass. After the food is cooked he serves it to festival goers.
What is going on? The giant vampire bat is infected with a virus (other than vampirism) and Kai Tsu has just cooked and served infected bat as well as having been infected by a bat bite.
What Players can Do: They might be in Ochalea during the New Years Festival period or if they have access to teleportation magic, may have teleported to Ochalea for the New Years Festival. They might try some festival food. If they do they are exposed to the virus.

Numont 1: Tar Gan dies from Pneumonia
Location: Ravenscarp, Thyatian Hinterlands
Description: The Animal Merchant Tar Gan collapses and dies from pneumonia in the back of his shop.
What is going on: About seventeen days ago the Animal Merchant Tar Gan was bitten by a rare giant vampire bat which he sold to an ochalean ship's captain along with a number of other bats. Unfortunately for the last seventeen days he has been spreading the virus asymptomatically in Ravenscarp and a number of his clients have fallen ill, some dying. For the last three days he has had increasing pneumonia-like symptoms and now this afternoon he collapses and dies in the rear of his shop.
What the Players can do: if the players characters are in Ravenscarp they may have been exposed to the virus.

Numont 1: The Sang-myu looses a Captain
Location: Port-Town of Chung Tsu, Ochalea
Description: The Ochalean merchant ship Sang-myu looses its Captain. Ping Ping Ye collapses and dies having overexerted himself earlier in the day selling his prized giant vampire bat to a festival cook.
What is going on: about fourteen days ago the Captain was bitten by a giant vampire bat while feeding it a piece of fruit. Now they are in port, He fell ill with the light symptoms of sweating a few hours earlier. He left instructions to his now infected crew that he be buried at sea in the eye of the maelstrom- ownership of the Sang-myu going to the first mate. Consequently the First Mate has the body wrapped in white silk and orders the crew to give up their plans to take in the festival. They sail out into the sea of Dread intent on disposing of their Captain's body in the eye of the maelstrom, a rotating current flow seven days north from their current location.

 The Great Dying                                        

 Asymptomatic Infector Period                

  5-14 days (3d4+2)                                       

 Spread                                          Method                                   
 Physical contact                          touched person                   
 Close proximity respiration     spoke with person               

                                                        entered crowded area       
 Coughing                                      coughed in crowded area 
 Previous presence                      touched object/surface     
 Prolonged presence                   infected room                       

  Crowded Communal Use Areas                                               

  Caves, huts, temples, market places, Taverns, Inns,               

  Great Halls, Kitchens, Workshops, Barracks, Prisons,            

  Sailing ships.                                                                                   

                                                                                                              

  Symptomatic Period                                       
  Dice Roll cumulative Penalties                       

  Condition                                       Penalty       
  Male                                                    +1             
  Exposed to Multiple Infectors       +1             
  Exposed to serious infected           +1           
  Exposed to critical infected           +2              

       

 1d6  Severity  Symptoms                                                    Recovery  
 1-4   Light          Sweating, reduced resp.      (-1d4 Con)*  2d4  days 
   5     Serious     Flu, reduced respiration      (-2d4 Con)*  2d4 wks   
   6     Critical     Pneumonia, Reduced resp.  (-4d4 Con)*  2d4 mths 
 *Wish spell required or Death if Con reduced below 3.                     

 Post Symptomatic Period                                                   
 Post symptomatic spread possible.                                     

                                                                                                     

 Dissemination Method                         Infectious Period  

 Males infect partners through sex.    2d4 months           

                                                                                                     

Linguistic Archaeology: B1 In Search of the Unknown

Naming Patterns in B1 In Search of the Unknown

Human names
1. Famed
2. Dohram
3. Mulgar
4. Seeful
5. Philgo
6. Tassit
7. Wilberd
8. Kracky
9. Grampal
10. Nupo
11. Eggo
12. Brandon
13. Evro
14. Glendor
15. Alho Rengate
16. Mohag
17. Norrin
18. Webberan
19. Nickar
20. Shobaffum
21. Yor
22. Ralt Gaither
23. Glom
24. Trebbelos
25. Beska Miltar
26. Surfal
27. Luven
28. Treddo
29. Bozomus
30. Estra Zo
31. Laggamundo
32. Feggener
33. Mezron
34. Drebb
35. Postue
36. Harg
37. Afton Borr
38. Sporragha

Human Names by popularity
57%   O, R:
52%   A, O, R:
47%   E, A, O, R:
36%   L, E, A, O, R:
34%   G, L, E, A, O, R: Eggo,
31%   N, G, L, E, A, O, R:
26%   M, S, N, G, L, E, A, O, R: Glom,
23%   T, U, M, S, N, G, L, E, A, O, R: Mulgar,
21%   B, D, H, T, U, M, S, N, G, L, E, A, O, R: Harg, Drebb,
           Laggamundo, Treddo, Trebbelos, Mohag, Alho Rengate,
           Glendor, Brandon, Dohram,
15%    F, I, B, D, H, T, U, M, S, N, G, L, E, A, O, R: Afton Borr,
           Feggener, Surfal, Ralt Gaither, Shobaffum, Norrin, Tassit,
           Seeful, Famed,
10%   P, F, I, B, D, H, T, U, M, S, N, G, L, E, A, O, R: Sporragha,
           Postue, Nupo, Grampal, Philgo,
7%     K, Z, P, F, I, B, D, H, T, U, M, S, N, G, L, E, A, O, R: Mezron, 
           Estra Zo, Bozomus, Beska Miltar,
5%     V, W, Y, K, Z, P, F, I, B, D, H, T, U, M, S, N, G, L, E, A, O, R:
           Luven, Yor, Webberan, Evro, Wilberd,
2%     C, V, W, Y, K, Z, P, F, I, B, D, H, T, U, M, S, N, G, L, E, A, O, R:
           Nickar, Kracky,
0%     J, Q, X

Note: Common human name patterns
Group A: 21%-7% name+family name.
Group B: 34%-2% name-family name.
Group AB: 34%-5% *gg*, *bb*, *rr*, *ff*, *ss*, *ee*;


Elf Names
1. Lappoy
2. Fencig
3. Presto
4. Mezlo

Elf Names by Popularity
75%   E, O:
50%    L, E, O:
25%    A, C, F, G, I, M, N, P, R, S, T, Y, Z: Lappoy, Fencig, Presto,
           Mezlo
0%      B, D, H, J, K, Q, U, V, W, X

Note: Common name form: 50% *e*o*, 25% *e*, *o*


Halfling Names
1. Sho-Rembo
2. Lefto
3. Pendor

Halfling Names by Popularity
100%   O, E:
66%      R, O, E:
33%      B, D, F, H, L, M, N, P, S, T, R, O, E: Sho-Rembo, Lefto, Pendor
0%        A, C, G, I, J, K, Q, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

Note: Common name form: *e*o*


Dwarf Names
1. Krago
2. Zeffan

Dwarf Names by Popularity
100%   A:
50%     K, R, E, G, O, F, Z, N: Krago, Zeffan
0%       B, C, D, H, I, J, L, M, P, Q, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y
Note: Common name form: *a*


Conclusions: we have a shared origin between halfling and elf names in the form: *e*o*. Humans share O with elves and halflings, and A with dwarves as primary linguistic forms.
We also know this adventure belongs to the greyhawk setting originally.