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nNhd-strt.lev 1010285 nNob-fila.lev 1012827 nNob-filb.lev 1013572 nNob-goal.lev 1014189 nNob-loca.lev 1016396 nNob-strt.lev 1017141 nPir-fila.lev 1018697 nPir-filb.lev 1019296 nPir-goal.lev 1020085 nPir-loca.lev 1026271 nPir-strt.lev 1037157 nPri-fila.lev 1044478 nPri-filb.lev 1045022 nPri-goal.lev 1045710 nPri-loca.lev 1047386 nPri-strt.lev 1048546 nRan-fila.lev 1051090 nRan-filb.lev 1051579 nRan-goal.lev 1052164 nRan-loca.lev 1055257 nRan-strt.lev 1057401 nRog-fila.lev 1060382 nRog-filb.lev 1061134 nRog-goal.lev 1061886 nRog-loca.lev 1065274 nRog-strt.lev 1068402 nSam-fila.lev 1071830 nSam-filb.lev 1072367 nSam-goal.lev 1073927 nSam-loca.lev 1076195 nSam-strt.lev 1079835 nTou-fila.lev 1082359 nTou-filb.lev 1083200 nTou-goal.lev 1083881 nTou-loca.lev 1087455 nTou-strt.lev 1090539 nVal-fila.lev 1093819 nVal-filb.lev 1094368 nVal-goal.lev 1094965 nVal-loca.lev 1096732 nVal-strt.lev 1098592 nWiz-fila.lev 1101038 nWiz-filb.lev 1101742 nWiz-goal.lev 1102414 nWiz-loca.lev 1105803 nWiz-strt.lev 1108913 nabys2-1.lev 1111606 nabys2-2.lev 1114868 nabys2-3.lev 1121435 nabyss-1.lev 1127966 nabyss-2.lev 1131360 nabyss-3.lev 1134686 nabyss-4.lev 1138429 nabyss-5.lev 1144259 nabyss-6.lev 1148284 nair.lev 1149615 narcadia1.lev 1152958 narcadia2.lev 1155659 narcadia3.lev 1158144 narcfort.lev 1163107 narcward.lev 1168232 nastral.lev 1172060 natower1.lev 1176109 natower2.lev 1176540 natower3.lev 1176962 nbgrmb-1.lev 1177416 nbgrmb-2.lev 1180145 nbgrmb-3.lev 1182902 nbgrmb-4.lev 1185632 nbigrm-1.lev 1188410 nbigrm-2.lev 1191132 nbigrm-3.lev 1193910 nbigrm-4.lev 1196632 nbigrm-5.lev 1199362 nbrine-1.lev 1202140 nbrine-2.lev 1209422 nbrine-3.lev 1215463 nbrine-4.lev 1220699 ncastle-1.lev 1221854 ncastle-2.lev 1226641 ncastle-3.lev 1231732 ncastle-4.lev 1237703 ncastle-5.lev 1242625 ncastle-6.lev 1247355 nchalev.lev 1252827 nchaose.lev 1254327 nchaosf.lev 1256472 nchaosffh.lev 1263200 nchaosfrh.lev 1267266 nchaosm.lev 1269628 nchaoss.lev 1276234 nchaossth.lev 1278707 nchaost.lev 1283207 nchaosvth.lev 1285734 nearth.lev 1289772 nfakewiz1.lev 1293517 nfakewiz2.lev 1293913 nfakewiz3.lev 1294302 nfakewiz4.lev 1294691 nfire.lev 1295080 ngatetwn.lev 1298992 nhell-1.lev 1300892 nhell-2.lev 1303466 nhell-3.lev 1308502 nhell-4.lev 1316867 nhell2-1.lev 1321618 nhell2-2.lev 1325317 nhell2-3.lev 1329587 nhell2-4.lev 1337483 nhell3.lev 1348993 nillregrd.lev 1360095 nknox.lev 1383134 nlawlev-1.lev 1386018 nlawlev-2.lev 1388059 nlawlev-3.lev 1390100 nlbyrnth.lev 1392141 nleth-a-1.lev 1394142 nleth-a-2.lev 1398049 nleth-c-1.lev 1402476 nleth-c-2.lev 1406536 nleth-d-1.lev 1410674 nleth-d-2.lev 1413916 nlethe-b.lev 1417270 nlethe-e.lev 1420597 nlethe-f.lev 1423902 nlethe-g.lev 1428133 nlethe-z.lev 1434614 nmedusa-1.lev 1439016 nmedusa-2.lev 1441912 nmedusa-3.lev 1445225 nmedusa-4.lev 1448741 nminefill.lev 1452182 nminend-1.lev 1452871 nminend-2.lev 1455957 nminend-3.lev 1459202 nminetn-1.lev 1461867 nminetn-2.lev 1462946 nminetn-3.lev 1464232 nminetn-4.lev 1465451 nminetn-5.lev 1466658 nminetn-6.lev 1469328 nminetn-7.lev 1470858 nmtemple.lev 1472469 nneulev.lev 1475665 nnkai-a-1.lev 1478348 nnkai-a-2.lev 1481665 nnkai-b.lev 1484982 nnkai-c.lev 1488865 nnkai-z.lev 1492598 noracle.lev 1496019 nout1.lev 1496892 nout2.lev 1497282 nout3.lev 1497765 nout4.lev 1498312 npath1.lev 1498924 npath2.lev 1499075 npath3.lev 1499226 nqstlb.lev 1499377 nrlyeh.lev 1499997 nsanctum.lev 1505337 nsea-1.lev 1508789 nsea-2.lev 1512935 nsea-3.lev 1518904 nsea-4.lev 1524585 nsoko1-1.lev 1527964 nsoko1-2.lev 1529298 nsoko2-1.lev 1530662 nsoko2-2.lev 1531404 nsoko3-1.lev 1532242 nsoko3-2.lev 1533280 nsoko4-1.lev 1534226 nsoko4-2.lev 1534897 nspire.lev 1535603 nstair1.lev 1537541 nstair2.lev 1541546 nstair3.lev 1545551 nstair4.lev 1549556 nstair5.lev 1553561 nstor-1.lev 1557566 nstor-2.lev 1558308 nstor-3.lev 1559086 nstor-4.lev 1559866 nstor-5.lev 1560903 nstor-6.lev 1561735 nstor-7.lev 1562521 nsumall.lev 1563524 ntomb.lev 1564494 ntower1.lev 1568050 ntower2.lev 1568947 ntower3.lev 1569717 ntower4.lev 1570475 ntowrtop.lev 1573263 nvalley.lev 1575617 nwater.lev 1579507 nwizard1.lev 1583141 nwizard2.lev 1584789 nwizard3.lev 1585552 ^ Show the type of a trap ^[ Cancel command ^A Redo the previous command ^C Quit the game ^D Kick something (usually a door, chest, or box) ^E Search a room (available in debug mode only) ^F Map the level (available in debug mode only) ^G Create a monster (available in debug mode only) ^I Identify all items (available in debug mode only) ^O Show location of special levels (available in debug mode only) ^P Toggle through previously displayed game messages ^R Redraw screen ^T Teleport around level ^V Teleport between levels (available in debug mode only) ^W Wish (available in debug mode only) ^X Show your attributes (intrinsic ones included in debug or explore mode) ^Z Suspend game (only if defined) a Apply (use) a tool A Remove all armor b Go southwest 1 space B Go southwest until you are on top of something ^B Go southwest until you are near something c Close a door C Call (name) a particular monster d Drop an item D Drop specific item types e Eat something E Engrave writing or a ward on the floor f Fire ammunition from quiver F Followed by direction, fight a monster (even if you don't sense it) g Followed by direction, move until you are near something G Followed by direction, same as control-direction h Go west 1 space (if number_pad is on, display help message) H Go west until you are on top of something ^H Go west until you are near something i Show your inventory I Inventory specific item types j Go south 1 space (or if number_pad is on, jump to another location) J Go south until you are on top of something ^J Go south until you are near something k Go north 1 space (or if number_pad is on, kick something) K Go north until you are on top of something ^K Go north until you are near something l Go east 1 space (or if number_pad is on, loot a box on the floor) L Go east until you are on top of something ^L Go east until you are near something m Followed by direction, move without picking anything up or fighting M Followed by direction, move a distance without picking anything up n Go southeast 1 space N Go southeast until you are on something (if number_pad, name an object) ^N Go southeast until you are near something o Open a door O Show option settings, possibly change them p Pay your shopping bill P Put on an accessory (ring, amulet, etc) q Quaff (drink) something (potion, water, etc) Q Select ammunition for quiver ^Q Draw a ward. r Read a scroll or spellbook R Remove an accessory (ring, amulet, etc) s Search for traps and secret doors S Save the game t Throw something T Take off one piece of armor u Go northeast 1 space (or if number_pad is on, untrap something) U Go northeast until you are on top of something ^U Go northeast until you are near something v Show version V Show long version and game history w Wield (put in use) a weapon W Wear a piece of armor x Swap wielded and secondary weapons X Toggle two-weapon combat y Go northwest 1 space Y Go northwest until you are on top of something ^Y Go northwest until you are near something z Zap a wand Z Zap (cast) a spell < Go up a staircase > Go down a staircase / Show what type of thing a symbol corresponds to ? Give a help message & Tell what a command does ! Do a shell escape (only if defined) \ Show what object types have been discovered _ Travel via a shortest-path algorithm to a point on the map . Rest one move while doing nothing Rest one move while doing nothing (if rest_on_space option is on) : Look at what is on the floor ; Show what type of thing a map symbol on the level corresponds to , Pick up things at the current location @ Toggle the pickup option on/off ) Show the weapon currently wielded [ Show the armor currently worn = Show the ring(s) currently worn " Show the amulet currently worn ( Show the tools currently in use * Show all equipment in use (combination of the ),[,=,",( commands) $ Count your gold + List known spells # Perform an extended command M-? Display extended command help (if the platform allows this) M-2 Toggle two-weapon combat (unless number_pad is enabled) M-a Adjust inventory letters M-c Talk to someone M-d Dip an object into something M-e Advance or check weapons skills M-f Force a lock M-i Invoke an object's special powers M-j Jump to another location M-l Loot a box on the floor M-m Use a monster's special ability M-n Name an item or type of object M-o Offer a sacrifice to the gods M-p Pray to the gods for help M-q Quit M-r Rub a lamp M-s Sit down M-t Turn undead M-u Untrap something (trap, door, or chest) M-v Print compile time options for this version of NetHack M-w Wipe off your face # This data file is generated by 'makedefs'. Do not edit. 00004419 abbot 0,11 ac armor* armour* suit or piece of armor 680,19 aclys aglaope siren 1522,16 aklys 2407,4 ~agate ring agate* 2635,8 aleax 3134,2 alhoon 3222,4 *altar 3416,6 amat*rasu * 3697,6 amber* 3996,5 amethyst* 4283,6 *amnesia maud 4646,19 ammit 5230,6 ~amulet of yendor ~amulet of restful sleep *amulet amulet of * 5584,14 amulet of yendor 6203,6 ~fallen angel angel* 6538,12 angry god* 7230,6 anhur 7376,7 ankh-morpork 7800,9 anshar 8294,5 ant * ant 8587,4 anthemoessa 8795,9 anu 9253,5 anubite 9517,8 anuban* 9913,8 Aoa* 10284,11 ape apelike creature * ape 10793,20 apollyon 11809,9 apple 12356,6 archeologist * archeologist 12648,18 arcadian avenger 13535,13 archon 14154,4 argentum* argenach* 14343,9 arioch 14888,5 *arrow 15151,16 arkenstone 15653,21 *shikaga *akauji 16813,25 asmodeus 18146,37 athame 19833,5 athen* 20085,16 atma weapon 20999,3 axe 21160,15 axolotl 21588,1 baalphegor 21621,22 bag bag of * sack 22695,16 bael bel 23588,21 baelnorn 24494,10 b*lzebub 25030,7 balrog 25426,9 baluchitherium titanothere 25930,9 banana 26439,18 bandersnatch 27291,19 banshee 28041,6 baphomet 28388,6 barbarian * barbarian 28680,12 barbed devil 29324,4 bardiche long pole* 29537,16 *bat bat or bird 29850,9 bebelith 30345,11 bec de corbin beaked polearm 30718,12 bear trap 30994,15 *bee 31923,6 *beetle 32225,9 beholder 32636,4 ~bell of opening *bell 32756,8 bell*book*candle 33204,7 bell of opening 33662,14 bill?guisarme hooked polearm 34179,14 black flower 34408,16 black light 34805,5 blaster arm blaster hand blaster 35103,2 blindfold 35193,11 blind io 35838,9 blue jelly 36356,14 blob * blob ooze * ooze 37321,4 blood bloater 37525,16 bo*shuriken 38314,1 bone devil 38335,5 book of the dead 38524,6 ~*jackboots ~*water walking* ~*speed boots ~*boots of speed *boot* 38888,10 *booze potion of sleeping 39459,12 boulder 40186,16 ~*longbow of diana bow * bow 41091,14 brigit 41820,11 ~rune*sword ~stormbringer ~*vorpal* *broadsword 42439,5 bugbear 42578,21 bugle 43735,9 bullwhip 44026,4 byakhee 44198,5 *camaxtli 44486,7 camelot* 44890,12 candelabrum* 45516,9 *candle 45973,5 candy bar 46157,18 carmilla 47233,17 carrot 48102,11 *cat lord 48830,17 s*d*g*r* cat 49709,15 *cat *feline kitten 50663,11 cave*man human cave*man 51237,13 dwar* cave*man gnom* cave*man 51955,15 *centaur 52626,17 center of all 53629,5 centipede 53762,11 *erberus kerberos 54329,7 chameleon 54734,12 chaos 55401,15 charo*n 55613,7 chest large box 55999,19 chih*sung*tzu 57096,8 chromatic dragon 57534,17 circle of Acheron *acheron 58507,13 clarent 59035,5 cleaver 59280,5 ~elven cloak ~oilskin cloak *cloak* 59556,12 clockwork automaton 60271,8 cloud* 60553,7 cobra 60823,16 cockatrice 61703,23 changed warrior changed 62908,6 chickatrice 63223,4 citrine* 63408,1 pyrolisk 63471,4 *coin *coins zorkmid* 63714,5 combat fight fracas melee spat squabble tiff 63987,8 cope * cope 64401,5 cornuthaum 64642,19 corwin 65594,9 couatl 66069,13 coyote 66859,2 cram* 66955,6 cream pie 67298,7 *crocodile 67650,16 croesus kroisos creosote 68227,8 crom 68667,29 crossbow* 70220,6 crystal ball 70433,5 black crystal black orb 70701,4 fire crystal water crystal earth crystal air crystal fire orb water orb earth orb air orb 70784,21 *cthulhu *Cthulhu *ct*ul*u *kt*ul*u *cht*ul*u *kht*ul*u 71069,24 curse* 72223,12 cwn*n 72821,8 cyclops 73284,37 daemon 74855,18 ~sting ~grimtooth *dagger 75321,10 dagon 75739,9 damned pirate 76197,15 dark one 76715,8 dark young 77153,13 darkness given hunger 77859,13 dart* 78532,12 deep one 79105,12 deeper one 79786,9 deepest one 80341,19 deminymph 81434,3 demi*lich 81607,11 demogorgon 82249,20 demon major demon 83220,9 demonbane 83732,6 devil*snare 83914,15 diamond 84665,18 dilithium* 85767,21 dingo 87028,4 disenchanter 87248,6 dispater 87528,17 displacer beast 88350,13 djinn* 88977,8 ~hachi ~slasher ~sirius *dog pup* *canine 89465,6 ~trap*door ~*spellbook* *door doorway 89789,11 doppelganger 90242,27 *dragon *xoth 91454,18 *dragon*scale* 92462,9 dragon lance dragonlance 92913,2 dread blossom* dreadblossom* 92993,8 dread pirate roberts 93403,18 drider 94369,12 drow* 95018,28 *drum* 95918,7 dunce* 96288,7 ~dungeon fern* dungeon* 96697,17 ~dwarf ??m* dwarf* 97437,21 earendil elwing 98678,15 earth 99584,2 ebon pane 99659,7 edderkop 100035,13 eel giant eel 100830,9 egg 101324,7 eladrin 101707,7 noviere* water dolphin* 102126,27 bralani* singing sand* 103674,28 firre* dancing flame* 105208,25 shiere* ball of light 106512,21 ghaele* luminous cloud* 107531,15 tulani* ball of radiance 108287,24 elbereth 109468,20 elder brain 110213,16 *elder elemental eye 111043,7 *elder sign *eye of yggdrasil 111363,10 electric eel 111882,5 *elemental 112173,5 ~human or elf* ~elf ??m* ~gr?y*elf *elf* elvenking 112476,19 elven cloak elf* cl* elv* cl* 113538,10 emerald 114094,18 engrav* A.S* 114561,20 enormous rat 115494,28 *epidaurus 116576,8 erinys erinyes 117073,11 ettin 117623,2 excalibur 117748,14 expensive camera 118543,11 eye of the aethiopica 119175,8 eyes of the overworld 119608,6 father dagon mother hydra 119970,8 fauchard 120444,15 fallen angel 120844,16 fedora 121586,5 *fern* 121832,11 field*marshal* baton 122339,3 figurine* 122445,11 *finger of death wand of death 123065,10 fire brand 123847,8 fire trap 124203,10 fierna belial 124759,7 flail nunchaku 125093,9 floating eye 125600,7 flesh golem 125999,21 flint* 127147,10 floating eye 127440,7 *flute 127839,5 fog* cloud 128037,8 *food* 128186,9 fountain 128710,15 fox 129209,11 ~violet fungus *fung* 129776,21 frost brand 130952,14 galadriel 131401,15 *garuda 132275,12 *gargoyle 132838,14 sir garland 133580,4 garland 133664,7 garo 133816,7 garo master 134187,3 gas spore* 134372,7 *garlic 134768,20 gehenn* *h?nnom hell 135908,9 gelatinous cube 136445,10 *gem gem or rock 136987,4 *genocide 137163,8 geryon 137658,28 *ghost valley of *dea* 138903,10 ghoul 139475,22 giant eagle 140670,4 *giant giant humanoid 140882,6 giant rat 141233,4 giant turtle 141443,16 githyanki* 142110,28 gnoll* 143715,5 glaive single?edged polearm 143857,19 giant*er 144473,16 glasya 145337,6 ~gnome ??m* gnome* gnomish wizard 145610,28 goblin 147108,10 god goddess 147639,13 gold gold piece 148425,9 treasury golem gold golem 148892,10 ~argentum golem ~gold golem ~treasury golem ~flesh golem ~straw golem ~wood golem ~glass golem *golem 149458,18 gorgoneion 150477,10 grave 150991,5 grayswandir 151196,9 graz*zt 151636,6 *grease 151903,3 gremlinoid 152042,13 gremlin 152700,9 gr?y*elf 153118,9 grid bug 153652,13 grimlock 154355,11 gug 154887,11 guisarme 155561,6 gunyoki 155930,2 hachi 156041,8 halb??d angled pole* 156519,16 *hamsa 156943,12 *harp 157566,22 halberd 158778,12 hawaiian*shirt 159539,9 healer * healer attendant doctor physician 160069,20 heart of ahriman 161205,19 hell hound* 162326,23 *heptagram 163662,15 *hexagram 164401,24 hermes 165653,15 hezrou 166565,2 hippocrates 166681,11 hobbit 167279,13 hobgoblin 167956,23 holy water 169203,22 hom*nculus 170333,13 ~pruning hook *hook 170993,9 ~unicorn horn *horn 171473,9 horn of plenty cornucopia 171864,11 horned devil 172344,5 *horror 172524,8 ~horsem* *horse 172954,8 *horsem* rider* death famine pestilence war hunger 173419,26 huan*ti 174815,5 hu*h*eto*l minion of huhetotl 175117,6 humanoid 175453,5 human chieftain guard ninja maid nurse page ronin student thug warrior *watch* player human or elf* 175715,7 hunter 176120,9 hunting horror 176469,7 ice devil 176783,7 idefix 177061,8 i*lona s* 177495,7 illurien of the myriad glimpses 177884,10 imp imp or minor demon 178345,13 incantifier 178996,26 incubus succubus 180239,10 intoner 180709,6 irrational pi* 180995,7 *insect *insects 181374,20 *iron ball *iron chain 182464,11 iron bars 183046,9 ishtar 183323,7 issek 183690,13 itlachiayaque 184440,8 izchak 184918,19 jabberwock jabberwockian 186108,20 jacinth* 186731,9 jackal 186998,13 *jack*boot* 187722,7 jade* 188144,10 jaguar 188718,4 jellyfish 188936,5 juiblex jubilex 189113,14 jubjub* 189794,19 k-ration k ration 190568,9 kabuto 191042,19 katana 192186,3 kelp* 192353,13 keter seph* 193093,3 chokhmah seph* 193225,10 binah seph* 193704,7 gevurah seph* 193995,9 netzach seph* 194429,2 hod seph* 194497,10 yesod seph* 194956,6 malkuth seph* 195197,7 kiku*ichi* 195449,6 ki-rin 195803,4 king arthur *arthur 196022,23 kingslayer 197224,3 knife stiletto 197390,15 ~death knight knight * knight 197993,10 ~kobold ??m* *kobold* 198345,5 *kop* 198614,28 kos 200272,6 koto 200587,1 kraken 200605,25 *lady 201758,30 *lamp 203077,15 lance 203771,14 land mine 204549,5 *lantern 204814,3 lash of the cold waste* 204997,6 lava * lava 205338,21 law* 206699,10 leash 207178,9 ~legion dev* legion 207710,4 legion dev* 207942,9 lembas* 208259,18 lemure larvae 209282,22 leocrotta leu*otta 210424,7 Leo Nemaeus hide lion skin 210812,10 leprechaun 211406,18 lethe sparkling water 212411,11 leviathan 212849,24 *lich death knight 213781,26 lichen 215334,7 ~* of light ~black light light * light 215693,3 *lightsaber 215819,3 lillend 215922,26 crone lilith 217354,17 mother lilith 218246,32 Daughter Lilith 219784,7 gecko iguana lizard 220145,9 loki 220672,14 *longbow of diana 221474,2 looking glass mirror 221611,13 lord carnarvon carnarvon 222064,8 lord sato sato 222526,3 lord surt* surt* 222704,9 lucern?hammer pronged polearm 223185,13 lucifer 223453,21 luck bad luck 224190,13 lug lugh 224822,8 lurker* 225295,8 lycanthrope were* human were* *were 225749,17 lynx 226742,13 lyre 227390,9 ~*sceptre of might mace sceptre 227828,7 magicbane 228216,5 magic marker 228497,2 magic mirror of merlin 228575,21 mail d*emon 229520,2 malcanthet 229610,10 mammon 230134,41 ma*annan* 231872,7 manes 232237,10 manticore 232746,16 marduk 233511,10 marilith 234077,10 mars 234547,7 mask 234944,6 master assassin 235207,19 master key of thievery 236110,5 master of thieves 236393,11 mastodon 237017,14 *mattock 237743,7 mayor cummerbund 238129,20 meat* huge chunk of meat 238818,5 medusa perseus 238987,22 melon 240181,10 mephistopheles 240712,6 mercury 240970,3 *metroid* 241125,11 migo mi-go 241725,11 migo worker mi-go worker 242368,5 migo soldier mi-go soldier 242635,5 migo philosopher mi-go philosopher 242922,11 migo queen mi-go queen 243552,5 *mimic 243835,6 mina harker 244179,28 *mind flayer 245779,25 mine* gnomish mines 246906,12 minotaur 247621,9 mirkwood spider mirkwood elder 248118,22 mirror brand 248688,21 mirrorbright 249699,5 mit*ra* 249898,16 *mithril* 250746,6 *mitre of holiness 251081,4 mjollnir 251327,14 mog 252167,2 ~slime mold *mold 252282,6 mol?ch 252615,16 monk * monk grand master master kaen 253451,38 monoton 255259,3 duton 255382,4 triton 255563,5 quaton 255843,5 quinon 256066,4 axus 256222,4 auton modron 256427,8 auton caste* modron caste* 256752,8 monkey 257135,15 morning star 258037,14 mumak* 258819,8 *mummy 259275,14 mummy wrapping 260017,15 movanic deva 260857,10 monadic deva 261453,9 monastic deva astral deva 261961,13 mahadeva 262759,19 *naga* *naja* 263723,4 naginata 263964,18 nalfeshnee 264914,2 nalzok 265032,7 nazgul 265435,17 neanderthal* 266401,3 necronomicon 266580,18 neferet neferet the green 267614,7 nessian pit fiend 268024,8 neverwas 268425,8 newt 268889,13 ninja 269333,3 ninja-to 269506,1 *nkia *n'kai 269530,5 noble nobleman noblewoman 269843,9 *norn 270288,14 nightgaunt night*gaunt 271038,21 nunchaku 272217,13 ~swamp nymph *nymph dryad naiad oread 272927,23 obsidian* 274219,10 ochre jelly 274801,8 odin 275268,22 offler 276487,27 ogre* 277767,16 oilskin cloak 278666,9 oilskin sack 279181,9 olog-hai 279672,13 oona 280466,3 oracle delphi p*thia 280597,9 orange pear 281076,11 phantom fungus 281701,15 phase spider 282485,19 polymorph trap 283487,9 pyrolisk 284073,13 *orb of fate orb of fate 284834,7 goblin king orcrist 285234,9 orcus 285736,12 ~orc ??m* ~orcish barbarian ~orcish ranger ~orcish rogue ~orcish wizard orc* * orc 286302,15 ochre jelly 287144,7 orihalcyon gauntlet orihalcyon gauntlets orihalcyon bracer orihalcyon bracers 287623,8 orion sirius 287948,19 orpheus 288911,23 osaku 290165,1 owlbear 290211,6 page 290524,5 pale night 290786,8 *pall 291223,6 panther 291542,9 *paper 291862,11 partisan vulg?r polearm 292604,17 peace keeper 293035,2 pelias 293095,18 *pentagram 294099,24 *pen of the void 295292,12 pick*ax* broad pick 295676,5 *piercer 295859,8 pindar 296266,1 piranha 296325,8 pit spiked pit 296750,10 pirate 297329,29 pirate brother 298304,20 pirate king 299222,26 pit fiend 300018,13 platinum yendorian express card 300556,7 player play* style user 300946,12 pony 301287,14 *portal 301921,6 poseido*n 302261,17 ~*sleeping ~*booze *potion* 303185,25 pray* 304378,3 ~priest of an unknown god ~elder* priest* * priest* acolyte 304543,16 elder priest 305493,16 priest of an unknown god 306197,3 priest of Ghaunadaur 306333,10 priestess of Ghaunadaur 306839,7 prisoner 307239,15 ptah 307598,9 *pudding 308075,23 *purple worm 309006,14 pyrolisk 309740,13 python 310501,11 *speed* 311105,5 quadruped 311439,5 quantum mechanic 311730,16 quasit 312601,2 queen bee 312721,7 *quest 313125,13 quetzalcoatl 313858,13 quickling 314647,5 quit* 314879,8 raijin raiden 315260,7 ramiel 315709,3 rans??r hilted polearm 315825,14 ranger * ranger 316139,14 ranseur 316966,10 rat sewer rat rabid rat 317602,13 raven 318262,7 razorvine razor vine 318668,18 ~*invisibility *ring ring of * 319691,9 ring of invisibility 320123,17 robe 321193,11 rock 321780,21 rock mole 322988,6 rodent 323330,5 rodent of unusual size 323595,2 *rod of seven parts* 323693,31 rogue * rogue 325303,11 roshi 325925,6 rothe 326285,3 *royal jelly 326427,14 ruby sapphire 326998,7 ~stormbringer ~orcrist rune*sword 327380,8 rust monster 327737,12 r*lyeh 328442,15 r*lyehian star spawn* 329220,8 r*lyehian faceplate 329664,7 the drowned 330049,9 ~lightsaber *saber *sabre 330405,14 saddle *black web entity 330813,9 sake 331081,1 salamander 331102,7 samurai * samurai 331453,11 sandestin 332116,31 sasquatch 333461,18 scalpel 334540,5 *sceptre of might 334823,6 scimitar 335126,5 *scion queen* 335381,4 scorpio* 335580,5 scorpius 335854,6 ~*amnesia ~*genocide ~*light ~*paper ~stamped scroll unlabeled scroll scroll* 336209,18 scythe 337013,11 sea monster 337586,13 serpent-necked lioness 338252,20 set seth 339120,11 shad* 339869,4 shaman karnov 340062,3 shan*lai*ching 340231,5 shark 340489,15 shield of the resolute heart 341254,4 shito 341362,1 *shoggoth *shuggoth 341390,16 shopkeeper 342290,24 shrieker 343595,7 throwing star shuriken 343997,7 *sickle 344408,12 siege ogre 344977,23 silver 345479,16 silver key 346277,14 skeleton 347022,4 slasher 347265,17 slave to armok 348243,1 *sleep 348258,5 *slime 348425,9 slime mold 348969,10 sling 349529,11 *snake serpent water moccasin python pit viper 350066,24 snickersnee 351465,6 sode no shirayuki 351687,14 sokoban 352384,18 *soldier sergeant lieutenant captain 353240,8 son of Typhon 353700,11 *spear javelin 354297,18 *spellbook* 355328,16 spetum forked polearm 356212,14 ~phase spider *spider 356561,10 spell 356992,14 *sphere 357789,4 spire 357969,28 sprow 359403,9 squeaky board 359950,8 ~*aesculapius *staff 360362,18 *staff of aesculapius 361450,5 staircase down 361721,11 staircase up 362196,4 stairs ladder 362366,15 stalker invisible stalker 363228,8 ~statue trap statue* 363712,17 sting 364726,12 stormbringer 365346,16 *strange object 366247,6 straw golem 366544,10 sunflower 367173,19 sunsword 368128,3 susano*o 368244,6 swamp nymph 368549,6 ~excalibur ~giantslayer ~vorpal* sword * sword 368847,3 tanko 368997,1 *temple 369055,7 tengu 369277,7 tensa zangetsu 369669,30 thorin* 371025,3 thoth 371221,19 thoth*amon 372279,5 thug 372531,9 *throne 373044,16 thug 373709,9 tiamat 374223,6 tiger 374352,12 tin tin of * tinning kit 374851,8 tin opener 375187,20 titan 376118,11 tobiume 376712,27 topaz 377644,10 touch*stone 378223,2 tourist * tourist 378295,18 tove 379258,5 towel 379426,20 *tower *tower of darkness 380499,7 trap*door 380905,8 trapper trapper or lurker above 381361,5 tree 381664,13 tripe tripe ration 382094,10 *troll 382686,15 *tsurugi of muramasa 383509,5 ~*muramasa tsurugi 383814,6 ~*spellbook turquoise* 384123,10 twoflower guide 384628,23 tyr 385643,14 *hulk 386452,5 *unicorn unicorn horn 386722,26 ~priest of an unknown god *unknown god 388137,49 uranium imp 389634,8 uruk*hai 389957,5 uvuudaum 390185,10 valkyrie * valkyrie 390764,13 vampire vampire bat vampire lord vampire mage 391409,5 vampire killer 391681,2 venus 391781,11 victorian underwear 392391,13 violet fungus 392968,5 viper tree 393207,5 vlad* 393459,9 vorpal* 394004,14 voulge pole cleaver 394744,13 *vortex vortices 395018,6 voulge 395359,6 vrock 395735,4 wakizashi 395929,9 ~*sleep ~wand of death wand of * *wand 396475,10 ward 397052,9 warg 397512,17 ~mjollnir war*hammer 398360,13 watchman 399112,7 watch captain 399487,4 water 399658,11 water demon 399953,21 *water walking* 401123,8 weapon 401648,2 web 401753,29 weeping *angel 402663,19 whistle 403625,15 *wight 404218,13 ~gnomish wizard wizard * wizard apprentice 404885,8 rodney wizard of yendor 405346,10 wolf *wolf *wolf cub 405926,5 *wolfsbane 406179,8 wood golem 406642,19 woodchuck 407232,13 worm long worm long worm tail 407865,9 worm that walks 408354,14 worm tooth crysknife 409191,6 wraith 409523,7 *wumpus 409946,11 xan 410468,12 xorn 411093,5 ya 411358,2 yeenoghu 411469,11 yeti 411971,15 *yugake 412842,3 yumi 413027,4 *zombi* 413236,5 zruty 413480,2 zuggtmoy 413573,11 . 414118,0 For it had been long apparent to Count Landulf that nothing could be done with his seventh son Thomas, except to make him an Abbot or something of that kind. Born in 1226, he had from childhood a mysterious objection to becoming a predatory eagle, or even to taking an ordinary interest in falconry or tilting or any other gentlemanly pursuits. He was a large and heavy and quiet boy, and phenomenally silent, scarcely opening his mouth except to say suddenly to his schoolmaster in an explosive manner, "What is God?" The answer is not recorded but it is probable that the asker went on worrying out answers for himself. [ The Runaway Abbot, by G. K. Chesterton ] "The last spot on the school jousting team came down to another boy and me. He was poor, and his only armor was a blanket his mother had made him from her hair. I, on the other hand, had a brand new suit of chain mail. Just before our joust, I asked him what he'd do if he made the team. (I was hoping to be more popular with the ladies.) He said he would be able to save the town from dragons and be able to afford some water for his 20 brothers and sisters. Well, a sense of compassion came over me. I insisted we swap armor. He was forced to accept, as it would have been an insult not to do so. On the battlefield, we charged at each other and we both connected with our lances. Lying there on the mud mortally wounded, I learned what true armor class was that day." [ When Help Collides, by J. D. Berry ] In Greek mythology, the Sirens were three dangerous bird-women, portrayed as seductresses who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. [...] In some later, rationalized traditions, the literal geography of the "flowery" island of Anthemoessa, or Anthemusa, is fixed: sometimes on Cape Pelorum and at others in the islands known as the Sirenuse, near Paestum, or in Capreae. All such locations were surrounded by cliffs and rocks. Their number is variously reported as between two and five. In the Odyssey, Homer says nothing of their origin or names, but gives the number of the Sirens as two. Later writers mention both their names and number: some state that there were three, Peisinoe, Aglaope, and Thelxiepeia or Parthenope, Ligeia, and Leucosia. [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siren ] A short studded or spiked club attached to a cord allowing it to be drawn back to the wielder after having been thrown. It should not be confused with the atlatl, which is a device used to throw spears for longer distances. Translucent, cryptocrystalline variety of quartz and a subvariety of chalcedony. Agates are identical in chemical structure to jasper, flint, chert, petrified wood, and tiger's-eye, and are often found in association with opal. The colorful, banded rocks are used as a semiprecious gemstone and in the manufacture of grinding equipment. An agate's banding forms as silica from solution is slowly deposited into cavities and veins in older rock. [ The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition ] Said to be a doppelganger sent to inflict divine punishment for alignment violations. Alhoons superficially resemble their living kin; however, their skin is dry and wrinkled, free of the ubiquitous mucous that covers living mind flayers. [ The Illithidae, Bruce R Cordell ] Altars are of three types: 1. In Temples. These are for Sacrifices [...]. The stone top will have grooves for blood, and the whole will be covered with _dry brown stains of a troubling kind_ from former Sacrifices. [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] The Shinto sun goddess, Amaterasu Omikami is the central figure of Shintoism and the ancestral deity of the imperial house. One of the daughters of the primordial god Izanagi and said to be his favourite offspring, she was born from his left eye. [ Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ] "Tree sap," Wu explained, "often flows over insects and traps them. The insects are then perfectly preserved within the fossil. One finds all kinds of insects in amber - including biting insects that have sucked blood from larger animals." [ Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton ] The twelfth foundation is amethyst. Isidorus says of it: Among purple stones, the Indian amethyst holds first position; it is, indeed, purple but of mixed coloration, giving forth violet and rose-coloured lights; it is easy to engrave. For this reason the humility of the saints is signified by it; [ The Aberdeen Bestiary, translated by Colin McLaren ] Get thee hence, nor come again, Mix not memory with doubt, Pass, thou deathlike type of pain, Pass and cease to move about! 'Tis the blot upon the brain That will show itself without. ... For, Maud, so tender and true, As long as my life endures I feel I shall owe you a debt, That I never can hope to pay; And if ever I should forget That I owe this debt to you And for your sweet sake to yours; O then, what then shall I say? - If ever I should forget, May God make me more wretched Than ever I have been yet! [ Maud, And Other Poems by Alfred, Lord Tennyson ] Ammit ("devourer" or "soul-eater"; also spelled Ammut or Ahemait) was a female demon in ancient Egyptian religion with a body that was part lion, hippopotamus and crocodilethe three largest "man-eating" animals known to ancient Egyptians. A funerary deity, her titles included "Devourer of the Dead", "Eater of Hearts", and "Great of Death". "The complete Amulet can keep off all the things that make people unhappy -- jealousy, bad temper, pride, disagreeableness, greediness, selfishness, laziness. Evil spirits, people called them when the Amulet was made. Don't you think it would be nice to have it?" "Very," said the children, quite without enthusiasm. "And it can give you strength and courage." "That's better," said Cyril. "And virtue." "I suppose it's nice to have that," said Jane, but not with much interest. "And it can give you your heart's desire." "Now you're talking," said Robert. [ The Story of the Amulet, by Edith Nesbit ] This mysterious talisman is the object of your quest. It is said to possess powers which mere mortals can scarcely comprehend, let alone utilize. The gods will grant the gift of immortality to the adventurer who can deliver it from the depths of Moloch's Sanctum and offer it on the appropriate high altar on the Astral Plane. He answered and said unto them, he that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the weeds are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. [...] So shall it be at the end of the world; the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. [ The Gospel According to Matthew, 13:37-42, 49-50 ] Cold wind blows. The gods look down in anger on this poor child. Why so unforgiving? And why so cold? [ Bridge of Sighs, by Robin Trower ] An Egyptian god of war and a great hunter, few gods can match his fury. Unlike many gods of war, he is a force for good. The wrath of Anhur is slow to come, but it is inescapable once earned. Anhur is a mighty figure with four arms. He is often seen with a powerful lance that requires both of his right arms to wield and which is tipped with a fragment of the sun. He is married to Mehut, a lion-headed goddess. The twin city of Ankh-Morpork, foremost of all the cities bounding the Circle Sea, was as a matter of course the home of a large number of gangs, thieves' guilds, syndicates and similar organisations. This was one of the reasons for its wealth. Most of the humbler folk on the widdershin side of the river, in Morpork's mazy alleys, supplemented their meagre incomes by filling some small role for one or other of the competing gangs. [ The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett ] A primordial Babylonian-Akkadian deity, Anshar is mentioned in the Babylonian creation epic _Enuma Elish_ as one of a pair of offspring (with Kishar) of Lahmu and Lahamu. Anshar is linked with heaven while Kishar is identified with earth. [ Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ] This giant variety of the ordinary ant will fight just as fiercely as its small, distant cousin. Various varieties exist, and they are known and feared for their relentless persecution of their victims. According to the Roman poets Virgil and Ovid, the Sirenum scopuli were three small rocky islands where the Sirens of Greek mythology lived and lured sailors to their deaths. [...] Similarly, Anthemoessa (or Anthemusa) was the island home of the Sirens in other versions of the myth. Although the name no longer exists, varying accounts attribute Anthemoessa to either the island of Ischia or Capri. [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthemoessa ] Anu was the Babylonian god of the heavens, the monarch of the north star. He was the oldest of the Babylonian gods, the father of all gods, and the ruler of heaven and destiny. Anu features strongly in the _atiku_ festival in Babylon, Uruk and other cities. _Ardeth Bay: I am sorry if I alarmed your son. But you must understand, now that the bracelet is on his wrist, we have only seven days before the Scorpion King awakens! _Rick: We? What we? _Ardeth: If he is not killed, he will raise the Army of Anubis! _Jonathan: I take it that's not a good thing? _Rick: Oh, he'll wipe out the world. _Jonathan: Ah, the old "Wipe-Out-The-World" ploy. The Egyptian Jackal (_Canis aureus lupaster_) also known as the African Wolf or Wolf Jackal is currently listed as a subspecies of the golden jackal, but may be a subspecies of grey wolf or a unique species in its own right. It is native to Egypt, Libya, and Ethiopia, though its post Pleistocene range once encompassed the Palestine region. [ Wikipedia ] Aoa resemble huge blobs of quicksilver that float above the surface of whatever environment they may be found. Their surface is like a mirror and reflects all light. Aoa are surrounded by tiny orbs that randomly separate from the sphere and reabsorb back into it. A full-sized aoa is called a sphere. Smaller aoa called droplets split off from a sphere when it reflects a large amount of magical energy. Eventually, a droplet will grow to become a full-sized sphere. [ DnD 3.0, Fiend Folio ] The most highly evolved of all the primates, as shown by all their anatomical characters and particularly the development of the brain. Both arboreal and terrestrial, the apes have the forelimbs much better developed than the hind limbs. Tail entirely absent. Growth is slow and sexual maturity reached at quite an advanced age. [ A Field Guide to the Larger Mammals of Africa by Dorst ] Aldo the gorilla had a plan. It was a good plan. It was right. He knew it. He smacked his lips in anticipation as he thought of it. Yes. Apes should be strong. Apes should be masters. Apes should be proud. Apes should make the Earth shake when they walked. Apes should _rule_ the Earth. [ Battle for the Planet of the Apes, by David Gerrold ] Four-handed, tailless, mammal of the order of Primates, of the sub-order of _Anthropoidea_, which of all mammals most closely resembles man (both in appearance and in behaviour). [ Van Dale's Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal ] Apollyon's background and original name are known only to those steeped in infernal and heavenly lore. Apollyon was once a powerful Solar and may have even been a Seraph. He was charged with the binding of particularly powerful Fiends and other spirits of evil in remote demi-planes in the Ethereal Plane at the behest of the Virtues of Mount Celestial, ensuring that such beings would never again threaten the Bastions of Righteousness, allied good gods, and the Prime. [ Dicefreaks, The Demon Princes As They Were II: Apollyon ] NEWTONIAN, adj. Pertaining to a philosophy of the universe invented by Newton, who discovered that an apple will fall to the ground, but was unable to say why. His successors and disciples have advanced so far as to be able to say when. [ The Devil's Dictionary, by Ambrose Bierce ] Archeology is the search for fact, not truth. [...] So forget any ideas you've got about lost cities, exotic travel, and digging up the world. We do not follow maps to buried treasure, and X never, ever, marks the spot. [ Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ] "I cannot be having with archeological excavations, myself," I said. "The fellows who dig them only ever find tiny walls and a few bits of broken pottery, and then they get all excited and swear that they have just made the most important discovery of the century, the ruins of a mile-high gold-covered temple to Frogmore the God of Bike-Saddle Fixtures or some such." "I think you will find," said Mr Rune, "that they do this in order to secure further government funding for their diggings and so remain in employment." "That is a rather cynical view," I said. [ the brightonomicon, by Robert Rankin ] Arcadian avengers appear as angelic females, with angular features and bright metallic silver skin. They possess metallic razor-sharp wings, and usually wield two swords just as sharp. While they are not constructs, arcadian avengers all resemble each other. Arcadian avengers fight on the side of order, and see themselves as a pure force of law. They fight free of hesitation, doubt, or even remorse, and may even come into conflict with good creatures that have broken the law. They approach combat in a methodical, detached way, weighing each foe's strengths and weaknesses before attacking. Archons are the predominant inhabitants of the heavens. However unusual their appearance, they are not generally evil. They are beings at peace with themselves and their surroundings. To paraphrase a particularly wise prime, the rilmani are an enigma cloaked in a riddle, wrapped in a mystery. Who can question their motives or their actions? They keep their own counsel. They're sworn never to come when called, but always to be there when needed; never to answer questions put to them, but always to provide what information is necessary; to aid and abet good, evil, law, and chaos alike in order to maintain the Balance, regardless of the cost or repercussions. [ Planescape Monstrous Compendium II, by Rich Baker ] Arioch, the patron demon of Elric's ancestors; one of the most powerful of all the Dukes of Hell, who was called Knight of the Swords, Lord of the Seven Darks, Lord of the Higher Hell and many more names besides. [ Elric of Melnibone, by Michael Moorcock ] I shot an arrow into the air, It fell to earth, I knew not where; For, so swiftly it flew, the sight Could not follow it in its flight. I breathed a song into the air, It fell to earth, I knew not where; For who has sight so keen and strong That it can follow the flight of song? Long, long afterward, in an oak I found the arrow still unbroke; And the song, from beginning to end, I found again in the heart of a friend. [ The Arrow and the Song, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ] It was the Arkenstone, the Heart of the Mountain. So Bilbo guessed from Thorin's description; but indeed there could not be two such gems, even in so marvellous a hoard, even in all the world. Ever as he climbed, the same white gleam had shone before him and drawn his feet towards it. Slowly it grew to a little globe of pallid light. Now as he came near, it was tinged with a flickering sparkle of many colours at the surface, reflected and splintered from the wavering light of his torch. At last he looked down upon it, and he caught his breath. The great jewel shone before his feet of its own inner light, and yet, cut and fashioned by the dwarves, who had dug it from the heart of the mountain long ago, it took all light that fell upon it and changed it into ten thousand sparks of white radiance shot with glints of the rainbow. [ The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] Arkenstone, Heart of the Mountain, property of the King under the Mountain, is the most valued jewel that the dwarves possess. It shines white light that can guide your steps in the darkness, and holding it aloft is said to inflame the greed of all creatures. Ashikaga Takauji was a daimyo of the Minamoto clan who joined forces with the Go-Daigo to defeat the Hojo armies. Later when Go-Daigo attempted to reduce the powers of the samurai clans he rebelled against him. He defeated Go- Daigo and established the emperor Komyo on the throne. Go-Daigo eventually escaped and established another government in the town of Yoshino. This period of dual governments was known as the Nambokucho. [ Samurai - The Story of a Warrior Tradition, by Cook ] On July 8, 1336, he and his samurai entered Kyoto, forced Go-Daigo to retire, after which he seized power himself and installed a puppet prince on the throne (the current Japanese imperial family are the descendants of this puppet emperor that Ashikaga installed). Go-Daigo escaped, though, wouldn't admit to have been defeated, and opened a new "capital" in Yoshino (south of Kyoto), where he and few of his descendants claimed to be running a government, known as the "Southern Court". The period between 1337 and 1392, when Japan was ruled by two courts, is known as the Nambokucho. That "government" disappeared, naturally, after a few generations, and Ashikaga's Muromachi regime lasted for a long time. The last Ashikaga daimyo in power was the 14th descendant of Takauji. The Serpent's Throne filled the mirror, a great hooded viper of lustrous ruby that slithered about its own coils. Darkness unfathomable surrounded this throne. Yet, a deeper darkness was hidden within. Then, I saw him. Or rather, I saw Him. Seated upon the Serpent's Throne He looked at me. He looked at me as I sat in what I thought was safety! The small amount of exposed flesh was flawless, like the purest marble. His attire was like the robes and cloaks of a holy high priest, both regal yet simple in its austerity. It did not seem woven from any fabric in this or any other world, but spun from the blackness of the Cosmos itself. In the long fingers that rested in his lap He held a ruby scepter, its head an onyx pentagram. For all of this, what I remember more than anything were the eyes. They were large under the heavy brow. Completely red, like blood, those glowing eyes gazed at me. Through me. Into and beyond my soul. They devoured everything I ever was and could be. Despite the pleasant smile on His face, those eyes told me I was less than nothing, an object to be used and discarded as necessary. [ Dicefreaks: The Gates of Hell ] ------- Asmodeus is the overlord over all of hell. His appearance, unlike many other demons and devils, is human apart from his horns and tail. He can freeze flesh with a touch, or boil it, and is a master of diverse magicks besides. It is said that the ancestors of devilkind arose from his blood. ------ SO, THOU HAST PEERED BEYOND THE GATES OF HELL. His lips did not move. Or perhaps they did. To this day, I cannot tell. WAS IT WORTH IT? [ Dicefreaks: The Gates of Hell ] The consecrated ritual knife of a Wiccan initiate (one of four basic tools, together with the wand, chalice and pentacle). Traditionally, the athame is a double-edged, black-handled, cross-hilted dagger of between six and eighteen inches length. Athene was the offspring of Zeus, and without a mother. She sprang forth from his head completely armed. Her favourite bird was the owl, and the plant sacred to her is the olive. [ Bulfinch's Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch ] Athena, the Greek goddess of war and peace, the peaceful arts, and wisdom. Patron defender of many Greek cities, Athens in particular (then called Pallas Athena), she is a major goddess of the Greek pantheon and, according to Hesiod, the daughter of Metis (Wisdom) and Zeus, born fully armed from his head. A goddess of battle and allegedly a snake goddess, she is a deity who also stands for discipline against the more unruly conduct of such as Hermes and Poseidon. Her symbol is the Aegis, the skin of a sacrificial goat. She is also associated with ship-building and domestic crafts. [ after the Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ] Ancient weapon created during the War of the Magi, forged in opposition to the war beasts of the gods. Its attack power is bound to its wielder's life force. "For ev'ry silver ringing blow, Cities and palaces shall grow!" "Bite deep and wide, O Axe, the tree, Tell wider prophecies to me." "When rust hath gnaw'd me deep and red, A nation strong shall lift his head. "His crown the very Heav'ns shall smite, Aeons shall build him in his might." "Bite deep and wide, O Axe, the tree; Bright Seer, help on thy prophecy!" [ Malcolm's Katie, by Isabella Valancey Crawford ] A mundane salamander, harmless. Ancient Baalphegor, canny and inventive, here since the beginning. [ Rip Van Wormer ] Baalphegor is a dignified she-devil with cinnamon-colored skin, red eyes and hair, as well as bat wings. She appears young and carefree but when angered, her eyes glow with flames and her usually musical voice becomes very harsh. She is only five and a half feet in height. Baalphegor is said to have been around since the creation of Baator itself. She's a very skilled diplomat and tactician, and an unmatched sorceress. She has created many artifacts and techniques used throughout the Nine Hells. In addition to her status, this fact granted her a deep respect from almost everyone in Baator, even from Asmodeus, who appreciates her to the point of letting her live with her ever-scheming consort. Knowing all too well her master's position, Baalphegor keeps her goals to herself, acting with a minimal degree of loyalty to the Lord of the Eighth. Mephistopheles tolerates this due to the protection given by his consort's presence. [ GreyWiki ] "Now, this third handkerchief," Mein Herr proceeded, "has also four edges, which you can trace continuously round and round: all you need do is to join its four edges to the four edges of the opening. The Purse is then complete, and its outer surface--" "I see!" Lady Muriel eagerly interrupted. "Its outer surface will be continuous with its inner surface! But it will take time. I'll sew it up after tea." She laid aside the bag, and resumed her cup of tea. "But why do you call it Fortunatus's Purse, Mein Herr?" The dear old man beamed upon her, with a jolly smile, looking more exactly like the Professor than ever. "Don't you see, my child--I should say Miladi? Whatever is inside that Purse, is outside it; and whatever is outside it, is inside it. So you have all the wealth of the world in that leetle Purse!" [ Sylvie and Bruno Concluded, by Lewis Carroll ] Crimson scales cover this large fiend, from its bestile head to its clawed toes. From its back spread great batlike wings. Foul green venom drips from its teeth, sending up streams of smoke wherever it falls. Cinched around its waist is a belt of a dozen shrieking angel heads, their necks neatly severed by the massive flaming sword the creature holds in his clawed fist. [ Tyrants of the Nine Hells, by Robin Laws and Robert Schwalb ] Why there must be consorts, I do not know. But I understand. My love says that there must be balance in a layer between anima and animus. Even the writhing Zariel has a consort, her warrior Bel. My daughters, he told us. And my son, my Bel. You shall be my eyes, ears, and tongue among the nine. Where they plot and scheme, you shall remain loyal to me. I don't know that I believe him, for he is the Father of Lies. [ Rip Van Wormer ] Baelnorn are elves who have sought undeath to serve their families, communities, or other purposes (usually to see a wrong righted, or to achieve a certain magical discovery or deed). They are lifelike creatures that appear as tall, impressive-looking elves with shriveled skin and glowing white eyes. Most baelnorns keep to the crypts, ruins, or mage-towers they guard or work in, and they are never seen except by those who intrude into such places. [ Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition Complete Monstrous Manual ] The "lord of the flies" is a translation of the Hebrew Ba'alzevuv (Beelzebub in Greek). It has been suggested that it was a mistranslation of a mistransliterated word which gave us this pungent and suggestive name of the Devil, a devil whose name suggests that he is devoted to decay, destruction, demoralization, hysteria and panic... [ Notes on _Lord of the Flies_, by E. L. Epstein ] ... It came to the edge of the fire and the light faded as if a cloud had bent over it. Then with a rush it leaped the fissure. The flames roared up to greet it, and wreathed about it; and a black smoke swirled in the air. Its streaming mane kindled, and blazed behind it. In its right hand was a blade like a stabbing tongue of fire; in its left it held a whip of many thongs. 'Ai, ai!' wailed Legolas. 'A Balrog! A Balrog is come!' [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] Extinct rhinos include a variety of forms, the most spectacular being _Baluchitherium_ from the Oligocene of Asia, which is the largest known land mammal. Its body, 18 feet high at the shoulder and carried on massive limbs, allowed the 4-foot-long head to browse on the higher branches of trees. Though not as enormous, the titanotheres of the early Tertiary were also large perissodactyls, _Brontotherium_ of the Oligocene being 8 feet high at the shoulder. [ Prehistoric Animals, by Barry Cox ] He took another step and she cocked her right wrist in viciously. She heard the spring click. Weight slapped into her hand. "Here!" she shrieked hysterically, and brought her arm up in a hard sweep, meaning to gut him, leaving him to blunder around the room with his intestines hanging out in steaming loops. Instead he roared laughter, hands on his hips, flaming face cocked back, squeezing and contorting with great good humor. "Oh, my dear!" he cried, and went off into another gale of laughter. She looked stupidly down at her hand. It held a firm yellow banana with a blue and white Chiquita sticker on it. She dropped it, horrified, to the carpet, where it became a sickly yellow grin, miming Flagg's own. "You'll tell," he whispered. "Oh yes indeed you will." And Dayna knew he was right. [ The Stand, by Stephen King ] But while he was seeking with thimbles and care, A Bandersnatch swiftly drew nigh And grabbed at the Banker, who shrieked in despair, For he knew it was useless to fly. He offered large discounthe offered a check (Drawn "to bearer") for seven-pounds-ten: But the Bandersnatch merely extended its neck And grabbed at the Banker again. Without rest or pausewhile those frumious jaws Went savagely snapping around He skipped and he hopped, and he floundered and flopped, Till fainting he fell to the ground. The Bandersnatch fled as the others appeared Led on by that fear-stricken yell: And the Bellman remarked "It is just as I feared!" And solemnly tolled on his bell. [ The Hunting of the Snark, by Lewis Carroll ] In Irish folklore and that of the Western Highlands of Scotland, a female fairy who announces her presence by shrieking and wailing under the windows of a house when one of its occupants is awaiting death. The word is a phonetic spelling of the Irish _beansidhe_, a woman of the fairies. [ Brewer's Concise Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ] This hulking, manlike brute stands 20 feet tall. His muscular frame is covered in thick, matted black hair. His head is that of a fiendish bull, and his great horns are stained in the lifeblood of countless victims. [ Hordes of the Abyss, by Ed Stark, James Jacobs, and Erik Mona ] They dressed alike -- in buckskin boots, leathern breeks and deerskin shirts, with broad girdles that held axes and short swords; and they were all gaunt and scarred and hard-eyed; sinewy and taciturn. They were wild men, of a sort, yet there was still a wide gulf between them and the Cimmerian. They were sons of civilization, reverted to a semi-barbarism. He was a barbarian of a thousand generations of barbarians. They had acquired stealth and craft, but he had been born to these things. He excelled them even in lithe economy of motion. They were wolves, but he was a tiger. [ Conan - The Warrior, by Robert E. Howard ] Barbed devils lack any real special abilities, though they are quite difficult to kill. They are large humanoids, covered from head to toe with sharp barbs, right down to the tips of their long, meaty tails. A long axe blade on a stick. The cutting blade is typically two feet long or more, but it is mounted on one of the shortest poles for a polearm, only about five feet (1.5 meters). |\ | \ | | | | | | Z[ | H| | H| | H| | H| | Z[_- H A bat, flitting in the darkness outside, took the wrong turn as it made its nightly rounds and came in through the window which had been left healthfully open. It then proceeded to circle the room in the aimless fat-headed fashion habitual with bats, who are notoriously among the less intellectually gifted of God's creatures. Show me a bat, says the old proverb, and I will show you something that ought to be in some kind of a home. [ A Pelican at Blandings, by P. G. Wodehouse ] 'Long we live and long we weave Till we have filled this space. Then, as before, we will leave To hunt another place. Our task ends when the weak are gone. then fill new spaces with our spawn!' [ Planescape Monstrous Compendium ] A demonic arachnid that exists outside the regular order of demons. The sharp claws of the bebelith shread flesh and armor alike. While this weapon does have a blunt hammer, its main feature is the heavy crow's beak blade, designed to puncture heavy plate armor. The shaft is about eight feet long (2.4 meters). A H _ _H______ | \/ H \ |_/\_H_______\ H H Probably most commonly associated with trapping, the leghold trap is a rather simple mechanical trap. It is made up of two jaws, a spring of some sort, and a trigger in the middle. When the animal steps on the trigger the trap closes around the leg, holding the animal in place. Usually some kind of lure is used to position the animal, or the trap is set on an animal trail. Traditionally, leghold traps had tightly closing "teeth" to make sure the animal stayed in place. The teeth also made sure the animal could not move the leg in the trap and ruin their fur. However, this resulted in many animals gnawing off legs in order to escape. More modern traps have a gap called an "offset jaw" and work more like a handcuff. They grip above the paw, making sure the animal cannot pull out but does not destroy the leg. This also allows the trapper to release unwanted catches. [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] This giant variety of its useful normal cousin normally appears in small groups, looking for raw material to produce the royal jelly needed to feed their queen. On rare occasions, one may stumble upon a bee-hive, in which the queen bee is being well provided for, and guarded against intruders. [ The Creator ] has an inordinate fondness for beetles. [ attributed to biologist J.B.S. Haldane ] The common name for the insects with wings shaped like shields (_Coleoptera_), one of the ten sub-species into which the insects are divided. They are characterized by the shields (the front pair of wings) under which the back wings are folded. [ Van Dale's Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal ] "Beauty in things exists merely in the mind which contemplates them." [ Moral and Political, by David Hume ] No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. [ For Whom The Bell Tolls, by John Donne ] _Bell, book and candle._ The popular phrase for ceremonial excommunication in the Roman Catholic Church. After pronouncing sentence the officiating clergy closes his book, quenches the candle by throwing it to the ground and tolls the bell as for one who has died. The book symbolizes the book of life, the candle that the soul is removed from the sight of God as the candle from the sight of man. [ Brewer's Concise Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ] "A bell, book and candle job." The Bursar sighed. "We tried that, Archchancellor." The Archchancellor leaned towards him. "Eh?" he said. "I _said_, we tried that Archchancellor," said the Bursar loudly, directing his voice at the old man's ear. "After dinner, you remember? We used Humptemper's _Names of the Ants_ and rang Old Tom."* "Did we, indeed. Worked, did it?" "_No_, Archchancellor." * Old Tom was the single cracked bronze bell in the University bell tower. [ Eric, by Terry Pratchett ] A bladed polearm with mutliple sharpened edges and spikes, and with a hook. This weapon is about nine feet long (2.7 meters). | || ||___ | _---\ | \ ___| | -_ | | | | / || The Black Flower is the voice which abides in this broken eye Where it remained since its creation awaiting its purpose A harmless song of ruin which creates a monster that harms itself and others The Black Flower is the voice I hear always in bloodied prayers The Black Flower is the song that shall ring out the day of repentance in which all shall...disappear [ Drakengard 3 ] Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength shorter than that of the visible region, but longer than that of soft X-rays. ... Some of the UV wavelengths are colloquially called black light, as it is invisible to the human eye. [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] Not as showy or impractical as a lightsaber; a powerful weapon, for an uncivilized age. The blindfolding was performed by binding a piece of the yellowish linen whereof those of the Amahagger who condescended to wear anything in particular made their dresses tightly round the eyes. This linen I afterwards discovered was taken from the tombs, and was not, as I had first supposed, of native manufacture. The bandage was then knotted at the back of the head, and finally brought down again and the ends bound under the chin to prevent its slipping. Ustane was, by the way, also blindfolded, I do not know why, unless it was from fear that she should impart the secrets of the route to us. [ She, by H. Rider Haggard ] On this particular day Blind Io, by dint of constant vigilance the chief of the gods, sat with his chin on his hand and looked at the gaming board on the red marble table in front of him. Blind Io had got his name because, where his eye sockets should have been, there were nothing but two areas of blank skin. His eyes, of which he had an impressively large number, led a semi-independent life of their own. Several were currently hovering above the table. [ The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett ] The tissue injury resulting from frostbite is produced in two ways. The most obvious is actual freezing of the tissues. Although ice crystals form between the cells and grow by extracting water from them, the cells are physically disrupted by the ice crystals only to a limited extent. The dehydration and osmotic and chemical imbalances resulting from extraction of water from within the cell injure them, but permanent damage may be small. (...) The second mechanism of tissue injury by frostbite, which is much more significant is loss of blood supply to the tissues. Blood may flow through larger vessels but (one of the signs of adequate rewarming is a flushing of the frozen area) oxygen cannot be deliver to the tissues because the small blood vessels that would carry it have been lost. [ Hypothermia, Frostbite, and Other Cold Injuries: Prevention, Survival, Rescue and Treatment by Gordon G. Giesbrecht, James A. Wilkerson ] These giant amoeboid creatures look like nothing more than puddles of slime, but they both live and move, feeding on metal or wood as well as the occasional dungeon explorer to supplement their diet. The most distinguishing feature of Bloodbloaters which set them apart from other Oozes is their red, egg yolk-like center, which stands out starkly from their clear, circular bodies that measure about 4 inches in diameter. When in contact with prey, Bloodbloaters move into contact as a swarm and exude digestive enzymes from thin red flagellum that are attached to the brain. The digestive enzymes eat through cloth and flesh as a acid - and once in contact with the blood-stream, act as a anesthetic. Thus - it is not unheard of for a person to undertake massive damage or even death from a Bloodbloater swarm without feeling anything. Bloodbloaters are parthenogenic organisms, and reproduce constantly, wherever food is most plentiful. [ The Clock Strikes 12 ] A thin, metal dart. Learn to love and uphold the Law [ Faces of Evil, by Colin McComb ] Bone devils attack with weapons and with a great hooked tail which causes a loss of strength to those they sting. A collection of ancient Egyptian texts, both religious and magical, concerned with guidance for the safe conduct of the soul through Amenti (the Egyptian Hades). The Egyptians called it _The Book of Going Forth By Day_ and copies, or parts of it, were buried with the mummy. There is a variety of texts. [ Brewer's Concise Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ] In Fantasyland these are remarkable in that they seldom or never wear out and are suitable for riding or walking in without the need of Socks. Boots never pinch, rub, or get stones in them; nor do nails stick upwards into the feet from the soles. They are customarily mid-calf length or knee-high, slip on and off easily and never smell of feet. Unfortunately, the formula for making this splendid footwear is a closely guarded secret, possibly derived from nonhumans (see Dwarfs, Elves, and Gnomes). [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] On waking, he found himself on the green knoll whence he had first seen the old man of the glen. He rubbed his eyes-it was a bright sunny morning. The birds were hopping and twittering among the bushes, and the eagle was wheeling aloft, and breasting the pure mountain breeze. "Surely," thought Rip, "I have not slept here all night." He recalled the occurrences before he fell asleep. The strange man with a keg of liquor-the mountain ravine- the wild retreat among the rocks-the woe-begone party at ninepins- the flagon-"Oh! that flagon! that wicked flagon!" thought Rip -"what excuse shall I make to Dame Van Winkle!" [ Rip Van Winkle, a Posthumous Writing of Diedrich Knickerbocker, by Washington Irving ] I worked the lever well under, and stretched my back; the end of the stone rose up, and I kicked the fulcrum under. Then, when I was going to bear down, I remembered there was something to get out from below; when I let go of the lever, the stone would fall again. I sat down to think, on the root of the oak tree; and, seeing it stand about the ground, I saw my way. It was lucky I had brought a longer lever. It would just reach to wedge under the oak root. Bearing it down so far would have been easy for a heavy man, but was a hard fight for me. But this time I meant to do it if it killed me, because I knew it could be done. Twice I got it nearly there, and twice the weight bore it up again; but when I flung myself on it the third time, I heard in my ears the sea-sound of Poseidon. Then I knew this time I would do it; and so I did. [ The King Must Die, by Mary Renault ] "Stand to it, my hearts of gold," said the old bowman as he passed from knot to knot. "By my hilt! we are in luck this journey. Bear in mind the old saying of the Company." "What is that, Aylward?" cried several, leaning on their bows and laughing at him. "'Tis the master-bowyer's rede: 'Every bow well bent. Every shaft well sent. Every stave well nocked. Every string well locked.' There, with that jingle in his head, a bracer on his left hand, a shooting glove on his right, and a farthing's-worth of wax in his girdle, what more doth a bowman need?" "It would not be amiss," said Hordle John, "if under his girdle he had four farthings'-worth of wine." [ The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ] Brigit (Brigid, Bride, Banfile), which means the Exalted One, was the Celtic (continental European and Irish) fertility goddess. She was originally celebrated on February first in the festival of Imbolc, which coincided with the beginning of lactation in ewes and was regarded in Scotland as the date on which Brigit deposed the blue-faced hag of winter. The Christian calendar adopted the same date for the Feast of St. Brigit. There is no record that a Christian saint ever actually existed, but in Irish mythology she became the midwife to the Virgin Mary. [ Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ] Bring me my broadsword And clear understanding. Bring me my cross of gold, As a talisman. [ "Broadsword" (refrain) by Ian Anderson ] Bugbears are relatives of goblins, although they tend to be larger and more hairy. They are aggressive carnivores and sometimes kill just for the treasure their victims may be carrying. Bugbears are giant, hairy cousins of goblins who frequent the same areas as their smaller relatives. Bugbears are large and very muscular, standing 7' tall. Their hides range from light yellow to yellow brown and their thick coarse hair varies in colour from brown to brick red. Though vaguely humanoid in appearance, bugbears seem to contain the blood of some large carnivore. Their eyes recall those of some savage bestial animal, being greenish white with red pupils, while their ears are wedge shaped, rising from the top of their heads. A bugbear's mouth is full of long sharp fangs. Bugbears have two main goals in life: survival and treasure. They are superb carnivores, winnowing out the weak and careless adventurer, monster, and animal. Goblins are always on their toes when bugbears are present, for the weak or stupid quickly end up in the stewpot. [ Monstrous Manual, by TSR, Inc. ] 'I read you by your bugle horn And by your palfrey good, I read you for a Ranger sworn To keep the King's green-wood.' 'A Ranger, Lady, winds his horn, And 'tis at peep of light; His blast is heard at merry morn, And mine at dead of night.' [ Brignall Banks, by Sir Walter Scott ] "Good," he said and, unbelievably, smiled at me, a smirk like a round of rotted cheese. "What did your keeper use on you? A bullwhip?" [ Melusine, by Sarah Monette ] A creature of the stars, this bat like being can be summoned across the vast interstellar gulfs to serve magicians and dark powers. It is said that they will seize those who summon them and cannot best them and carry them off to whatever terrible fate awaits them on other worlds. A classical Mesoamerican Aztec god, also known as Mixcoatl- Camaxtli (the Cloud Serpent), Camaxtli is the god of war. He is also a deity of hunting and fire who received human sacrifice of captured prisoners. According to tradition, the sun god Tezcatlipoca transformed himself into Mixcoatl-Camaxtli to make fire by twirling the sacred fire sticks. [ Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ] The seat of Arthur's power in medieval romance. The name is of unknown origin and refers to the castle but also includes the surrounding town. [...] Camelot appears, most significantly, as a personal capital as opposed to a permanent or national one. It is Arthur's and Arthur's alone. There are no previous lords and Arthur's successor, Constantine, does not take up residence there. Camelot is actually said to have been demolished after Arthur and Lancelot were gone by Mark. Fazio degli Uberti, the Italian poet, claims to have seen the ruins in the 14th century. [ Encyclopedia Mythica, ed. M.F. Lindemans ] Faustus: Come on Mephistopheles. What shall we do? Mephistopheles: Nay, I know not. We shall be cursed with bell, book, and candle. Faustus: How? Bell, book, and candle, candle, book, and bell, Forward and backward, to curse Faustus to hell. Anon you shall hear a hog grunt, a calf bleat, and an ass bray, Because it is Saint Peter's holy day. (Enter all the Friars to sing the dirge) [ Doctor Faustus and Other Plays, by Christopher Marlowe ] My candle burns at both ends It will not last the night; But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends - It gives a lovely light. [ A Few Figs from Thistles, by Edna St. Vincent Millay ] Only once a year, on his birthday, did Charlie Bucket ever get to taste a bit of chocolate. The whole family saved up their money for that special occasion, and when the great day arrived, Charlie was always presented with one small chocolate bar to eat all by himself. And each time he received it, on those marvelous birthday mornings, he would place it carefully in a small wooden box that he owned, and treasure it as though it were a bar of solid gold; and for the next few days, he would allow himself only to look at it, but never to touch it. Then at last, when he could stand it no longer, he would peel back a tiny bit of the paper wrapping at one corner to expose a tiny bit of chocolate, and then he would take a tiny nibble - just enough to allow the lovely sweet taste to spread out slowly over his tongue. The next day, he would take another tiny nibble, and so on, and so on. And in this way, Charlie would make his ten-cent bar of birthday chocolate last him for more than a month. [ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl ] She was slender, and wonderfully graceful. Except that her movements were languidvery languidindeed, there was nothing in her appearance to indicate an invalid. Her complexion was rich and brilliant; her features were small and beautifully formed; her eyes large, dark, and lustrous; her hair was quite wonderful, I never saw hair so magnificently thick and long when it was down about her shoulders; I have often placed my hands under it, and laughed with wonder at its weight. It was exquisitely fine and soft, and in color a rich very dark brown, with something of gold. I loved to let it down, tumbling with its own weight, as, in her room, she lay back in her chair talking in her sweet low voice, I used to fold and braid it, and spread it out and play with it. Heavens! If I had but known all! [ Carmilla, by Sheridan Le Fanu ] In World War II, Britain's air ministry spread the word that a diet of these vegetables helped pilots see Nazi bombers attacking at night. That was a lie intended to cover the real matter of what was underpinning the Royal Air Force's successes: Airborne Interception Radar, also known as AI. ... British Intelligence didn't want the Germans to find out about the superior new technology helping protect the nation, so they created a rumor to afford a somewhat plausible-sounding explanation for the sudden increase in bombers being shot down. ... The disinformation was so persuasive that the English public took to eating carrots to help them find their way during the blackouts. [ Urban Legends Reference Pages ] Elder Goddess of cats, earthly knowledge of the true name and nature of this being was already becoming confused by the time of ancient Egypt. It is believed that the Cat Lord entered into some pact or covenant with the rulers of this early nation. However, the terms of this agreement, down to the correct pronunciation of the unprecidented hieroglyphs found in the being's name, have long since been lost, though the goddesses _Bastet_ and _Sekhmet_ are believed to be descended from the stories surrounding the Cat Lord and its agreement. The hieroglyphs enclosed within its cartouche are drawn with variable numbers of strokes, though no glyph requires more than seven strokes to draw. The fourth and fifth and the eight and ninth hieroglyphs are smaller than the average, but must be drawn as pairs. The completed cartouche contains nine hieroglyphs. Imagine a sealed container, so perfectly constructed that no physical influence can pass either inwards or outwards across its walls. Imagine that inside the container is a cat, and also a device that can be triggered by some quantum event. If that event takes place, then the device smashes a phial containing cyanide and the cat is killed. If the event does not take place, the cat lives on. In Schroedinger's original version, the quantum event was the decay of a radioactive atom. ... To the outside observer, the cat is indeed in a linear combination of being alive and dead, and only when the container is finally opened would the cat's state vector collapse into one or the other. On the other hand, to a (suitably protected) observer inside the container, the cat's state-vector would have collapsed much earlier, and the outside observer's linear combination has no relevance. [ The Emperor's New Mind, by Roger Penrose ] Well-known quadruped domestic animal from the family of predatory felines (_Felis ochreata domestica_), with a thick, soft pelt; often kept as a pet. Various folklores have the cat associated with magic and the gods of ancient Egypt. So Ulthar went to sleep in vain anger; and when the people awakened at dawn - behold! Every cat was back at his accustomed hearth! Large and small, black, grey, striped, yellow and white, none was missing. Very sleek and fat did the cats appear, and sonorous with purring content. [ The Cats of Ulthar, by H.P. Lovecraft ] Now it was light enough to leave. Moon-Watcher picked up the shriveled corpse and dragged it after him as he bent under the low overhang of the cave. Once outside, he threw the body over his shoulder and stood upright - the only animal in all this world able to do so. Among his kind, Moon-Watcher was almost a giant. He was nearly five feet high, and though badly undernourished weighed over a hundred pounds. His hairy, muscular body was halfway between ape and man, but his head was already much nearer to man than ape. The forehead was low, and there were ridges over the eye sockets, yet he unmistakably held in his genes the promise of humanity. [ 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke ] 'Twas in a land unkempt of life's red dawn; Where in his sanded cave he dwelt alone; Sleeping by day, or sometimes worked upon His flint-head arrows and his knives of stone; By night stole forth and slew the savage boar, So that he loomed a hunter of loud fame, And many a skin of wolf and wild-cat wore, And counted many a flint-head to his name; Wherefore he walked the envy of the band, Hated and feared, but matchless in his skill. Till lo! one night deep in that shaggy land, He tracked a yearling bear and made his kill; Then over-worn he rested by a stream, And sank into a sleep too deep for dream. [ The Dreamer, by Robert Service ] Of all the monsters put together by the Greek imagination the Centaurs (Kentauroi) constituted a class in themselves. Despite a strong streak of sensuality, in their make-up, their normal behaviour was moral, and they took a kindly thought of man's welfare. The attempted outrage of Nessos on Deianeira, and that of the whole tribe of Centaurs on the Lapith women, are more than offset by the hospitality of Pholos and by the wisdom of Cheiron, physician, prophet, lyrist, and the instructor of Achilles. Further, the Centaurs were peculiar in that their nature, which united the body of a horse with the trunk and head of a man, involved an unthinkable duplication of vital organs and important members. So grotesque a combination seems almost un-Greek. These strange creatures were said to live in the caves and clefts of the mountains, myths associating them especially with the hills of Thessaly and the range of Erymanthos. [ Mythology of all races, Vol. 1, pp. 270-271 ] Compass all the planes, and yet you will never find creation's heart [ riff on a Planescape Haiku, originally by Ecco-Mono ] I observed here, what I had often seen before, that certain districts abound in centipedes. Here they have light reddish bodies and blue legs; great myriapedes are seen crawling every where. Although they do no harm, they excite in man a feeling of loathing. Perhaps our appearance produces a similar feeling in the elephant and other large animals. Where they have been much disturbed, they certainly look upon us with great distrust, as the horrid biped that ruins their peace. [ Travels and Researches in South Africa, by Dr. David Livingstone ] Cerberus, (or Kerberos in Greek), was the three-headed dog that guarded the Gates of Hell. He allowed any dead to enter, and likewise prevented them all from ever leaving. He was bested only twice: once when Orpheus put him to sleep by playing bewitching music on his lyre, and the other time when Hercules confronted him and took him to the world of the living (as his twelfth and last labor). A small lizard perched on a brown stone. Feeling threatened by the approach of human beings along the path, it metamorphosed into a stingray beetle, then into a stench-puffer, then into a fiery salamander. Bink smiled. These conversions weren't real. It had assumed the forms of obnoxious little monsters, but not their essence. It could not sting, stink or burn. It was a chameleon, using its magic to mimic creatures of genuine threat. Yet as it shifted into the form of a basilisk it glared at him with such ferocity that Bink's mirth abated. If its malice could strike him, he would be horribly dead. [ A Spell for Chameleon, by Piers Anthony ] Garland's hatred burned for 2000 years. That hatred led the Four Powers to this world. CHAOS was created from those Four. Evil dominated the world and covered it in darkness. [ Final Fantasy ] When an ancient Greek died, his soul went to the nether world: the Hades. To reach the nether world, the souls had to cross the river Styx, the river that separated the living from the dead. The Styx could be crossed by ferry, whose shabby ferry- man, advanced in age, was called Charon. The deceased's next- of-kin would place a coin under his tongue, to pay the ferry- man. Dantes rapidly cleared away the earth around the chest. Soon the center lock appeared, then the handles at each end, all delicately wrought in the manner of that period when art made precious even the basest of metals. He took the chest by the two handles and tried to lift it, but it was impossible. He tried to open it; it was locked. He inserted the sharp end of his pickaxe between the chest and the lid and pushed down on the handle. The lid creaked, then flew open. Dantes was seized with a sort of giddy fever. He cocked his gun and placed it beside him. Then he closed his eyes like a child, opened them and stood dumbfounded. The chest was divided into three compartments. In the first were shining gold coins. In the second, unpolished gold ingots packed in orderly stacks. From the third compartment, which was half full, Dantes picked up handfuls of diamonds, pearls and rubies. As they fell through his fingers in a glittering cascade, they gave forth the sound of hail beating against the windowpanes. [ The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas ] A character in Chinese mythology noted for bringing about the end of a terrible drought which threatened the survival of the people. He achieved this by means of sprinkling the earth with water from a bowl, using the branch of a tree to do so. He became the heavenly controller of the rain, and lived with other celestial beings in their paradise on Mount Kunlun. [ The Illustrated Who's Who In Mythology, by Michael Senior ] Tiamat is said to be the mother of evil dragonkind. She is extremely vain. Avaricious, supremely vain, and profoundly Lawful Evil, Tiamat proclaims herself the creator of all evil dragonkind, and certainly many evil dragons revere her as their creator and patron deity. She infests the uppermost of the Nine Hells with her consorts, each a Great Wyrm of different colour - one red, one white, one green, one blue, and one black. Tiamat's Avatar appears as a gigantic five-headed dragon with one head of each of the chromatic (evil) dragon types. Each head's colour runs the length of the neck and into the forepart of het body as stripes, gradually blending to three stripes of grey, blue-green, and purple over her back and hind-quarters, then merging into a muddy dark brown tail. Her underbelly and legs are greenish white fading into her upper body colours. [ Monster Mythology, by TSR inc. ] Then looking further onwards, I beheld A throng upon the shore of a great stream: Whereat I thus: "Sir! grant me now to know Whom here we view, and whence impell'd they seem So eager to pass o'er, as I discern Through the blear light?" He thus to me in few: "This shalt thou know, soon as our steps arrive Beside the woful tide of Acheron." [ The Divine Comedy, by Dante Alighieri ] A circle of acheron takes just two strokes to scribe, making it the simplest of the wards. It may be reinforced up to 4 times. Clarent is the sword which Arthur drew forth from the stone, proving himself a rightful king. It represents authority and leadership. Clarent cleaves through stone easily, but only those dedicated to law can remove it from a stony grasp. Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandalled feet." [ The Phoenix on the Sword, Robert E. Howard ] Cloaks are the universal outer garb of everyone who is not a Barbarian. It is hard to see why. They are open in front and require you at most times to use one hand to hold them shut. On horseback they leave the shirt-sleeved arms and most of the torso exposed to wind and Weather. The OMTs [ Official Management Terms ] for Cloaks well express their difficulties. They are constantly _swirling and dripping_ and becoming _heavy with water_ in rainy Weather, _entangling with trees_ or _swords_, or needing to be _pulled close around her/his shivering body_. This seems to suggest they are less than practical for anyone on an arduous Tour. [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] I am not an unimaginable thing My thoughts are tangible though they're full of springs I don't have the heart to send you untruthful words My skin is cold to the touch and made from the earth [ Automatonic Electronic Harmonics, Music & Lyrics By David Michael Bennett ] I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. [ I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, by William Wordsworth ] Darzee and his wife only cowered down in the nest without answering, for from the thick grass at the foot of the bush there came a low hiss -- a horrid cold sound that made Rikki-tikki jump back two clear feet. Then inch by inch out of the grass rose up the head and spread hood of Nag, the big black cobra, and he was five feet long from tongue to tail. When he had lifted one-third of himself clear of the ground, he stayed balancing to and fro exactly as a dandelion-tuft balances in the wind, and he looked at Rikki-tikki with the wicked snake's eyes that never change their expression, whatever the snake may be thinking of. 'Who is Nag?' said he. '_I_ am Nag. The great God Brahm put his mark upon all our people, when the first cobra spread his hood to keep the sun off Brahm as he slept. Look, and be afraid!' [ Rikki-tikki-tavi, by Rudyard Kipling ] Once in a great while, when the positions of the stars are just right, a seven-year-old rooster will lay an egg. Then, along will come a snake, to coil around the egg, or a toad, to squat upon the egg, keeping it warm and helping it to hatch. When it hatches, out comes a creature called basilisk, or cockatrice, the most deadly of all creatures. A single glance from its yellow, piercing toad's eyes will kill both man and beast. Its power of destruction is said to be so great that sometimes simply to hear its hiss can prove fatal. Its breath is so venomous that it causes all vegetation to wither. There is, however, one creature which can withstand the basilisk's deadly gaze, and this is the weasel. No one knows why this is so, but although the fierce weasel can slay the basilisk, it will itself be killed in the struggle. Perhaps the weasel knows the basilisk's fatal weakness: if it ever sees its own reflection in a mirror it will perish instantly. But even a dead basilisk is dangerous, for it is said that merely touching its lifeless body can cause a person to sicken and die. [ Mythical Beasts by Deirdre Headon (The Leprechaun Library) and other sources ] Those Changed by the Far Realms of Insanity now find the Prime Material plane inimical to their existence, and must wear protective suits formed from the flesh of those still native to our dying universe. Should the suit be breached, the Changed within will slowly boil away in a cloud of noxious fumes. This beastie is the recently-hatched broodling of a cockatrice, a creature feared by adventurers great and small for its petrifying peck. [ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ] A pale yellow variety of crystalline quartz resembling topaz. A single glance from this red-feathered cockatrice can cause even the bravest adventurer to burst into flames, their flesh withering and blackening and curling beneath the creature's baleful gaze. [ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ] The coin bears the likeness of Belwit the Flat, along with the inscriptions, "One Zorkmid," and "699 GUE [ Great Underground Empire ]." On the other side, the coin depicts Egreth Castle, and says "In Frobs We Trust" in several languages. [ Zork Zero, by Infocom ] [Scene: Mr. Moon and Gilbert enter tavern and discover many corpses strewn about the place; Blind Pew is sole survivor.] Blind Pew: Evening. Sounded as though there has been a bit of a squabble. Mr. Moon: Squabble? They're all dead. Blind Pew: Oh. Must have been more of a tiff then. [ Yellowbeard, directed by Mel Damski, screenplay by Graham Chapman, Peter Cook, Bernard McKenna ] The cope is a liturgical vestment which may be worn by any rank of the clergy. Copes are made in all liturgical colours, and are like a very long mantle or cloak, fastened at the breast by a clasp. [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] He was dressed in a flowing gown with fur tippets which had the signs of the zodiac embroidered over it, with various cabalistic signs, such as triangles with eyes in them, queer crosses, leaves of trees, bones of birds and animals, and a planetarium whose stars shone like bits of looking-glass with the sun on them. He had a pointed hat like a dunce's cap, or like the headgear worn by ladies of that time, except that the ladies were accustomed to have a bit of veil floating from the top of it. [ The Once and Future King, by T.H. White ] "A wizard!" Dooley exclaimed, astounded. "At your service, sirs," said the wizard. "How perceptive of you to notice. I suppose my hat rather gives me away. Something of a beacon, I don't doubt." His hat was pretty much that, tall and cone-shaped with stars and crescent moons all over it. All in all, it couldn't have been more wizardish. [ The Elfin Ship, James P. Blaylock ] I am a part of the evil that exists in the world and in Shadow. I sometime fancy myself an evil which exists to oppose other evils, and on that Great Day of which prophets speak but in which they do not truly believe, on that day when the world is completely cleansed of evil, then I, too, will go down into darkness, swallowing curses. But whatever . . . Until that time, I shall not wash my hands nor let them hang useless. [ The Guns of Avalon, Roger Zelazny ] So rare as to be considered almost legendary, the couatl is one of the most beautiful creatures in existence. It has the body of a long serpent and feathered wings the color of the rainbow. ... This winged serpent is native to warm, jungle-like regions but can also be found flying through the ether. Their intelligence and goodness have made them objects of reverence by the natives of the regions which they inhabit. Considered to be divine, there are many legends in which the couatl is the benefactor of mankind and the bestower of such precious gifts as agriculture and medicine. There are even shrines in certain areas dedicated to the couatl, and any who attack or harm a couatl are automatically viewed as the blackest of villains. [ Monstrous Manual, by TSR inc. ] This carnivore is known for its voracious appetite and inflated view of its own intelligence. If you want to know what cram is, I can only say that I don't know the recipe; but it is biscuitish, keeps good indefinitely, is supposed to be sustaining, and is certainly not entertaining, being in fact very uninteresting except as a chewing exercise. It was made by the Lake-men for long journeys. [ The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] Gregor stared at the pastry tray, and sighed. "I suppose it would disturb the guards if I tried to shove a cream torte up your nose." "Deeply. You should have done it when we were eight and twelve, you could have gotten away with it then. The cream pie of justice flies one way," Miles snickered. [ The Vor Game, by Lois McMaster Bujold ] A big animal with the appearance of a lizard, constituting an order of the reptiles (_Loricata_ or _Crocodylia_), the crocodile is a large, dangerous predator native to tropical and subtropical climes. It spends most of its time in large bodies of water. How doth the little crocodile Improve his shining tail, And pour the waters of the Nile On every golden scale! How cheerfully he seems to grin How neatly spreads his claws, And welcomes little fishes in, With gently smiling jaws! [ How Doth The Little Crocodile, by Lewis Carroll ] Croesus (in Greek: Kroisos), the wealthy last king of Lydia; his empire was destroyed when he attacked Cyrus in 549, after the Oracle of Delphi (q.v.) had told him: "if you attack the Persians, you will destroy a mighty empire". Herodotus relates of his legendary conversation with Solon of Athens, who impressed upon him that being rich does not imply being happy and that no one should be considered fortunate before his death. Warily Conan scanned his surroundings, all of his senses alert for signs of possible danger. Off in the distance, he could see the familiar shapes of the Camp of the Duali tribe. Suddenly, the hairs on his neck stand on end as he detects the aura of evil magic in the air. Without thought, he readies his weapon, and mutters under his breath: "By Crom, there will be blood spilt today." [ Conan the Avenger by Robert E. Howard, Bjorn Nyberg, and L. Sprague de Camp ] The chief idol of Eirin. This huge object stood on the plain of Mag Sleact (the plain of adoration or prostration) in County Cavan in Ulster. Situated around him were twelve smaller idols made of stone while his was of gold. To him the early Irish sacrificed one third of their children on Samain (November 1) in return for milk and corn and the good weather that insured the fertility of cattle and crops. ... The twelve lesser idols that encircle Crom have led to the assumption that he was a solar deity; certainly a fertility god. However, he has not been identified with any of the ancient Irish gods. [ Encyclopedia Mythica, ed. M.F. Lindemans ] ... Crom was their chief, and he lived on a great mountain, whence he sent forth dooms and death. It was useless to call on Crom, because he was a gloomy, savage god, and he hated weaklings. But he gave a man courage at birth, and the will and might to kill his enemies, which, in the Cimmerian's mind, was all any god should be expected to do. [ The Tower of the Elephant, by Robert E. Howard ] "God save thee, ancient Mariner! From the fiends, that plague thee thus! - Why look'st thou so?" - With my cross-bow I shot the Albatross. [ The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge ] You look into one of these and see _vapours swirling like clouds_. These shortly clear away to show a sort of video without sound of something that is going to happen to you soon. It is seldom good news. [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] The black ORB glitters ominously.... But nothing happens. [ Final Fantasy I ] And so their journey begins---- What awaits the Four, they do not know. Each holding an ORB, that 2000 years ago shined with beauty from within. But now, only darkness. Come!! Start your journey! Return the light of peace to our world. [ Final Fantasy I ] "The Thing cannot be described -- there is no language for such abysms of shrieking and immemorial lunacy, such eldritch contradictions of all matter, force, and cosmic order. A mountain walked or stumbled. God!... the Thing of the idols, the green, sticky spawn of the stars, had awakened to claim his own. The stars were right again... great Cthulhu was loose again, and ravening for delight." [ The Call of Cthulhu, by H.P. Lovecraft ] The exact origins of Cthulhu are lost to time, but it is known that in aeons long past a race of space faring beings came to this world and Cthulhu was amongst their number as the high priest who interceded between them and the dark gods they worshipped. Whether Cthulhu is a long lived individual or a title of office, is not known, but a creature bearing this name lives on, trapped in eternal slumber in the ruins of his great city. I shall never sleep calmly again when I think of the horrors that lurk ceaselessly behind life in time and in space, and of those unhallowed blasphemies from elder stars which dream beneath the sea.... [ The Call of Cthulhu, by H.P. Lovecraft ] Curses are longstanding ill-wishings which, in Fantasyland, often manifest as semisentient. They have to be broken or dispelled. The method varies according to the type and origin of the Curse: [...] 4. Curses on Rings and Swords. You have problems. Rings have to be returned whence they came, preferably at over a thousand degrees Fahrenheit, and the Curse means you won't want to do this. Swords usually resist all attempts to raise their Curses. Your best source is to hide the Sword or give it to someone you dislike. [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] A pack of snow-white, red-eared spectral hounds which sometimes took part in the kidnappings and raids the inhabitants of the underworld sometimes make on this world (the Wild Hunt). They are associated in Wales with the sounds of migrating wild geese, and are said to be leading the souls of the damned to hell. The phantom chase is usually heard or seen in midwinter and is accompanied by a howling wind. [ Encyclopedia Mythica, ed. M.F. Lindemans ] The one-eyed giants, the cyclops, were the forgers of Zeus's thunderbolts. Zeus killed Apollo's son Asclepius (Aesculapius) with one such thunderbolt in retribution for Asclepius giving mortals the skills to evade death, thus upsetting the natural order of the world. Apollo responded by slaying the cyclops. And after he had milked his cattle swiftly, he again took hold of two of my men and had them as his supper. Then I went, with a tub of red wine, to stand before the Cyclops, saying: "A drop of wine after all this human meat, so you can taste the delicious wine that is stored in our ship, Cyclops." He took the tub and emptied it. He appreciated the priceless wine that much that he promptly asked me for a second tub. "Give it", he said, "and give me your name as well". ... Thrice I filled the tub, and after the wine had clouded his mind, I said to him, in a tone as sweet as honey: "You have asked my name, Cyclops? Well, my name is very well known. I'll give it to you, if you give me the gift you promised me as a guest. My name is Nobody. All call me thus: my father and my mother and my friends." Ruthlessly he answered to this: "Nobody, I will eat you last of all; your host of friends will completely precede you. That will be my present to you, my friend." And after these words he fell down backwards, restrained by the all-restrainer Hupnos. His monstrous neck slid into the dust; the red wine squirted from his throat; the drunk vomited lumps of human flesh. [ The Odyssey, (chapter Epsilon), by Homer ] He'll wrap you in his arms, tell you that you've been a good boy He'll rekindle all those dreams it took you a lifetime to destroy He'll reach deep into the hole, heal your shrinking soul ... They're whispering his name 'cross this disappearing land But hidden in his coat is a red right hand ... You're one microscopic cog in his catastrophic plan, designed and directed by his red right hand [ Red Right Hand, by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds ] Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible To feeling as to sight? or art thou but A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain? I see thee yet, in form as palpable As this which now I draw. [ Macbeth, by William Shakespeare ] The demon is immense, its glistening bulk heaving monstrously into the air as a writhing storm of hook-suckered tentacles unfolds from its shapless lower body. Its two largest tentacles terminate in immense five-fingered talons. Its head is that of a deep-sea fish, twisted with cruelty and leering with a primordial intelligence, its stilettolike teeth immense and translucent. [ Hordes of the Abyss, by Ed Stark, James Jacobs, and Erik Mona ] These memories were bought with the lives of good men A price that I paid without scruple So many souls suffered so I could get drunk And swagger from brothel to brothel And for what? It's been many years Yet the screams of the vanquished still ring in my ears And for what? I've blood on my hands I wait for my place in the halls of the damned And If I could go back and make my amends I'd make all those mistakes again I'd kill every last one of those bastards, my friend! [ Pirate Song, Alestorm ] ... But he ruled rather by force and fear, if they might avail; and those who perceived his shadow spreading over the world called him the Dark Lord and named him the Enemy; and he gathered again under his government all the evil things of the days of Morgoth that remained on earth or beneath it, and the Orcs were at his command and multiplied like flies. Thus the Black Years began ... [ The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] The mouths was like leaves and the whole thing was like a tree in the wind, a black tree with lots of branches trailing to the ground, and a whole lot of roots ending in hoofs. And that green slime dribbling out of the mouths and down the legs was like sap!... It came crawling up the hillside to the alter and the sacrefice, and it was the black thing of my dreams-that black ropy, slimy, jelly tree-thing out of the woods. It crawled up and it flowed up on its hoofs and mouths and snaky arms. And the men bowed and stood back and then it got to the alter where they was something squirmin on top, squirming and screaming. [ Notebook Found In a Deserted House, by Robert Bloch ] Juiblex has many slime, pudding, ooze, and jelly "servants," although none are intelligent enough to serve the demon lord willingly-except for one. Darkness Given Hunger is the largest black pudding known. It was possessed by a hezrou demon at Juiblex's command, and then an Imprison Possessor spell was cast upon the fusion, making it permanent. For centuries, the demon has dwelled within the pudding, and the two have truly become one in the foul depths of the Abyss. Now, Darkness Given Hunger is Juiblex's main servant, helping patrol the Abyssal layer upon which they both dwell, looking for food. [ The Book of Vile Darkness, by Monte Cook ] Darts are missile weapons, designed to fly such that a sharp, often weighted point will strike first. They can be distinguished from javelins by fletching (i.e., feathers on the tail) and a shaft that is shorter and/or more flexible, and from arrows by the fact that they are not of the right length to use with a normal bow. [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] Against my foe I hurled a murderous dart. He caught it in his hand--I heard him laugh-- I saw the thing that should have pierced his heart Turn to a golden staff. [ Gifts, by Mary Coleridge ] Them things told the Kanakys that ef they mixed bloods there'd be children as ud look human at fust, but later turn mone'n more like the things, till finally the'd take to the water an' jine the main lot o' things daown har. An' this is the important part, young feller - them as turned into fish things an' went into the water wouldn't never die. Them things never died excep' they was kilt violent. ... Folks as had took to the water gen'rally come back a good deal to visit, so's a man ud often be a'talkin' to his own five-times-great-grandfather who'd left the dry land a couple o' hundred years or so afore. [ The Shadow Over Innsmouth, by H.P. Lovecraft ] For eighty thousand years Pth'thya-l'yi had lived in Y'ha-nthlei, and thither she had gone back after Obed Marsh was dead. Y'ha-nthlei was not destroyed when the upper-earth men shot death into the sea. It was hurt, but not destroyed. The Deep Ones could never be destroyed, even though the palaeogean magic of the forgotten Old Ones might sometimes check them. For the present they would rest; but some day, if they remembered, they would rise again for the tribute Great Cthulhu craved. [ The Shadow Over Innsmouth, by H.P. Lovecraft ] It was the pictorial carving, however, that did most to hold me spellbound. Plainly visible across the intervening water on account of their enormous size, were an array of bas-reliefs whose subjects would have excited the envy of Doré. I think that these things were supposed to depict menat least, a certain sort of men; though the creatures were shewn disporting like fishes in waters of some marine grotto, or paying homage at some monolithic shrine which appeared to be under the waves as well. Of their faces and forms I dare not speak in detail; for the mere remembrance makes me grow faint. Curiously enough, they seemed to have been chiselled badly out of proportion with their scenic background; for one of the creatures was shewn in the act of killing a whale represented as but little larger than himself. [ Dagon, by H.P. Lovecraft ] No Deep One dies naturally. The longer it lives, the larger it grows, and it can become exceptionally large. [ S. Petersen's Field Guid to Cthulhu Monsters a Field Observer's handbook of preternatural entities ] The daughter of a nymph and a mortal hero, a deminymph retains all of her mother's charm, adding to that the martial training and near-limitless potential of her father. The demilich is not, as the name implies, a weaker form of the lich. Rather, it is the stage into which a lich will eventually evolve as the power which has sustained its physical form gradually begins to fail. In most cases, all that remains of a demilich's body are a skull, some bones, and a pile of dust. When it has learned all that it feels it can in its undead life, the lich will continue its quest for power in strange planes unknown to even the wisest of sages. Since it has no use for its physical body at this point, the lich leaves it to decay as it should have done centuries ago. [ Monstrous Manual, by TSR inc. ] A terrible deity, whose very name was capable of producing the most horrible effects. He is first mentioned by the 4th-century Christian writer, Lactantius, who in doing so broke with the superstition that the very reference to Demogorgon by name brought death and disaster. [ Brewer's Concise Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ] Demogorgon, the prince of demons, wallows in filth and can spread a quickly fatal illness to his victims while rending them. He is a mighty spellcaster, and it is said that no mortal may meet his gaze and live to tell of it. The demon towers over you, his body at once sinuous like that of a snake and powerful like that of a great ape. Two baleful baboon heads leer from atop his lumbering shoulders, attached to which are two long, bifurcated tentacles. His lower torso is saurian, like some great reptile with an immense forked tail. [ Adapted from Hordes of the Abyss, by Ed Stark, James Jacobs, and Erik Mona ] It is often very hard to discover what any given Demon looks like, apart from a general impression of large size, huge fangs, staring eyes, many limbs, and an odd color; but all accounts agree that Demons are very powerful, very Magic (in a nonhuman manner), and made of some substance that can squeeze through a keyhole yet not be pierced with a Sword. This makes them difficult to deal with, even on the rare occasions when they are friendly. [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] "From the hate-scorched sky---- With righteous anger in our hearts---- We draw forth the sword that smites Evil! Thou art the innocent blade---- Demonbane!" [ Demonbane ] "Stop moving!" Hermione ordered them. "I know what this is -- it's Devil's Snare!" "Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called, that's a great help," snarled Ron, leaning back, trying to stop the plant from curling around his neck. "Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" said Hermione. "Well, hurry up, I can't breathe!" Harry gasped, wrestling with it as it curled around his chest. "Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare . . . what did Professor Sprout say? -- it likes the dark and the damp --" "So light a fire!" Harry choked. "Yes -- of course -- but there's no wood!" Hermione cried, wringing her hands. "HAVE YOU GONE MAD?" Ron bellowed. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?" [ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, by J. K. Rowling ] The hardest known mineral (with a hardness of 10 on Mohs' scale). It is an allotropic form of pure carbon that has crystallized in the cubic system, usually as octahedra or cubes, under great pressure. [ A Concise Dictionary of Physics ] The diamond, _adamas_ or _dyamas_, is a transparent stone, like crystal, but having the colour of polished iron, but it cannot be destroyed by iron, fire or any other means, unless it is placed in the hot blood of a goat; with sharp pieces of diamond other stones are engraved and polished. It is no greater than a small nut. There are six kinds, however Adamant attracts metal; it expels venom; it produces amber (and is efficacious against empty fears and for those resisting spells). It is found in India, in Greece and in Cyprus, where magicians make use of it. It gives you courage; it averts apparitions; it removes anger and quarrels; it heals the mad; it defends you from your enemies. It should be set in gold or silver and worn on the left arm. It is likewise found in Arabia. [ The Aberdeen Bestiary, translated by Colin McLaren ] The most famous and the first to be named of the imaginary "minerals" of Star Trek is dilithium. ... Because of this mineral's central role in the storyline, a whole mythology surrounds it. It is, however, a naturally occurring substance within the mythology, as there are various episodes that make reference to the mining of dilithium deposits. ... This name itself is imaginary and gives no real information on the structure or make-up of this substance other than that this version of the name implies a lithium and iron-bearing aluminosilicate of some sort. That said, the real mineral that most closely matches the descriptive elements of this name is ferroholmquistite which is a dilithium triferrodiallosilicate. If one goes on the premise that nature follows certain general norms, then one could extrapolate that dilithium might have a similar number of silicon atoms in its structure. Keeping seven (i.e. hepto) ferrous irons and balancing the oxygens would give a theoretical formula of Li2Fe7Al2Si8O27. A mineral with this composition could theoretically exist, although it is doubtful that it would possess the more fantastic properties ascribed to dilithium. [ The Mineralogy of Star Trek, by Jeffrey de Fourestier ] A wolflike wild dog, Canis dingo, of Australia, having a reddish- or yellowish-brown coat, believed to have been introduced by the aborigines. [ Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language ] The disenchanter resembles a spindly dromedary-like animal with a long, flexible snout. It is pale blue in color and slightly translucent. It targets magical items carried or worn by an opponent. "Ask not, what your magic can do to it. Ask what it can do to your magic." The Roman ruler of the underworld and fortune, similar to the Greek Hades. Every hundred years, the Ludi Tarentini were celebrated in his honor. The Gauls regarded Dis Pater as their ancestor. The name is a contraction of the Latin Dives, "the wealthy", Dives Pater, "the wealthy father", or "Fater Wealth". It refers to the wealth of precious stone below the earth. [ Encyclopedia Mythica, ed. M.F. Lindemans ] Dispater is an arch-devil who rules the city of Dis. He is a powerful mage. This dark-haired figure stands just over seven feet tall. He could pass for human if it weren't for the small horns protruding from his brow and his glowing red eyes. Dressed in regal finery, he carries a long rod capped with a macelike head. [ Tyrants of the Nine Hells, by Robin Laws and Robert Schwalb ] The displacer beast is a magical creature that resembles a puma with two powerful black tentacles growing from its shoulders. Very rare, they stay far from human habitations. The displacer beast has the blue-black coloring of a dark panther,and a long cat-like body and head. Females range in length from 8 to 9 feet, and weigh 450 pounds; males are 10 to 12 feet long, and weigh up to 500 Lbs. They have 6 legs. Tentacles are tipped with rough horny edges that can inflict terrible wounds. Their eyes glow bright green, even after death. [ Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition Complete Monstrous Manual ] The djinn are genies from the elemental plane of Air. There, among their kind, they have their own societies. They are sometimes encountered on earth and may even be summoned here to perform some service for powerful wizards. The wizards often leave them about for later service, safely tucked away in a flask or lamp. Once in a while, such a tool is found by a lucky rogue, and some djinn are known to be so grateful when released that they might grant their rescuer a wish. A domestic animal, the _tame dog_ (_Canis familiaris_), of which numerous breeds exist. The male is called a dog, while the female is called a bitch. Because of its known loyalty to man and gentleness with children, it is the world's most popular domestic animal. It can easily be trained to perform various tasks. Through me you pass into the city of woe: Through me you pass into eternal pain: Through me among the people lost for aye. Justice the founder of my fabric mov'd: To rear me was the task of power divine, Supremest wisdom, and primeval love. Before me things create were none, save things Eternal, and eternal I endure. All hope abandon ye who enter here. [ The Inferno, from The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri, translated by H.F. Cary ] "Then we can only give thanks that this is Antarctica, where there is not one, single, solitary, living thing for it to imitate, except these animals in camp." "Us," Blair giggled. "It can imitate us. Dogs can't make four hundred miles to the sea; there's no food. There aren't any skua gulls to imitate at this season. There aren't any penguins this far inland. There's nothing that can reach the sea from this point - except us. We've got brains. We can do it. Don't you see - it's got to imitate us - it's got to be one of us - that's the only way it can fly an airplane - fly a plane for two hours, and rule - be - all Earth's inhabitants. A world for the taking - if it imitates us! [ Who Goes There?, by John W. Campbell ] Xander: Let go! I have to kill the demon bot! Xander Double (grabbing the gun): Anya, get out of the way. Buffy: Xander! Xander Double: That's all right, Buffy. I have him. Xander: No, Buffy, I'm me. Help me! Anya: My gun, he's got my gun. Riley: You own a gun? Buffy: Xander, gun holding Xander, give it to me. Anya: Buffy, which one's real? Xander: I am. Xander Double: No, _I_ am. [ Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Episode 5.03, "The Replacement" ] In the West the dragon was the natural enemy of man. Although preferring to live in bleak and desolate regions, whenever it was seen among men it left in its wake a trail of destruction and disease. Yet any attempt to slay this beast was a perilous undertaking. For the dragon's assailant had to contend not only with clouds of sulphurous fumes pouring from its fire breathing nostrils, but also with the thrashings of its tail, the most deadly part of its serpent-like body. [ Mythical Beasts by Deirdre Headon (The Leprechaun Library) ] "One whom the dragons will speak with," he said, "that is a dragonlord, or at least that is the center of the matter. It's not a trick of mastering the dragons, as most people think. Dragons have no masters. The question is always the same, with a dragon: will he talk to you or will he eat you? If you can count upon his doing the former, and not doing the latter, why then you're a dragonlord." [ The Tombs of Atuan, by Ursula K. Le Guin ] Stephen had argued, and the expert armorer had grudgingly admitted, that dragonscale shield or armor, provided it proved feasible to make at all, ought to offer some real, practical advantages over any metal breastplate or shield -- gram for gram of weight, such a defense would probably be a lot tougher and more protective than any human smiths could make of steel. [ The Last Book of Swords: Shieldbreaker's Story, by Fred Saberhagen ] An ancient weapon, forged in the Age of Dreams to be the bane of dragon kind. An individual dread blossom looks like a foot long crimson flower, speckled with gold and black pollen, that ends in a 6-inch-long hollow thorn surrounded at its base by a frill of inch-long roots. Few creatures can examine a dread blossom in such detail, as a dread blossom swarm at rest is usually firmly planted in the bodies of its latest victims. [ Monster Manual III, Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 ] Finally, Roberts decided something. He said, "All right, Westley, I've never had a valet. You can try it for tonight. I'll most likely kill you in the morning." Three years he said that. "Good night, Westley. Good work. Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you in the morning." It was a fine time for me. I was learning to fence, to fight, anything anyone would teach me. And Roberts and I eventually became friends. And then it happened. Roberts had grown so rich, he wanted to retire. He took me to his cabin and he told me his secret. 'I am not the Dread Pirate Roberts' he said. 'My name is Ryan; I inherited the ship from the previous Dread Pirate Roberts, just as you will inherit it from me. The man I inherited it from is not the real Dread Pirate Roberts either. His name was Cummerbund. The real Roberts has been retired 15 years and living like a king in Patagonia.' [ Adapted from The Princess Bride, by William Goldman ] A droven punishment form uniting the upper body of a drow with the lower body of a giant spider. This form is typically inflicted on drow matrons who fail a test set out by Lolth, or who scheme and plot against others without benifit to themselves, or who value material things above all else. Driders are cast out of droven society, driven deep into the underdark tunnels, far from the cities of the drow. As with all punishment forms, conversion into a drider also renders the victim sterile. Driders, then, have been given the _form_ of the deity Lolth, but have been deprived of the _essence_ of what it means to be drow. Myths exist for a purpose - To explain the unexplainable. Because man fears the unknown. Murdering our kin. Our children. Butchering our towns. Devouring our flesh. Enslaving our people. Whispering of incest. Desecrating our lands. These mythical black demons with red eyes, embodying all the sins of men. But what if those demons truly exist? What are they, who are they? Do they dream? Do they hate and love? Do they have their own demons that represent everything they despise and fear? [ Drowtales, by Kern, Kite, and Bandit, Drowtales.com ] Also known as dark elves, drow are a depraved and evil subterranean offshoot of the elvish species. White is the most common hair color among drow, but almost any pale shade is possible. Drow tend to be smaller and thinner than other sorts of elves, and their eyes are often a vivid red. [ DnD 3.5 SRD ] Many travelers have seen the drums of the great apes, and some have heard the sounds of their beating and the noise of the wild, weird revelry of these first lords of the jungle, but Tarzan, Lord Greystoke, is, doubtless, the only human being who ever joined in the fierce, mad, intoxicating revel of the Dum-Dum. [ Tarzan of the Apes, by Edgar Rice Burroughs ] A dunce cap, also variously known as a dunce hat, dunce's cap, or dunce's hat, is a tall conical hat. In popular culture, it is typically made of paper and often marked with a D, and given to schoolchildren to wear as punishment for being stupid or lazy. While this is now a rare practice, it is frequently depicted in popular culture such as children's cartoons. [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] At once as far as Angels kenn he views The dismal Situation waste and wilde, A Dungeon horrible, on all sides round As one great Furnace flam'd, yet from those flames No light, but rather darkness visible Serv'd only to discover sights of woe, Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace And rest can never dwell, hope never comes That comes to all; but torture without end Still urges, and a fiery Deluge, fed With ever-burning Sulphur unconsum'd: Such place Eternal Justice had prepar'd For those rebellious, here their Prison ordain'd In utter darkness, and their portion set As far remov'd from God and light of Heav'n As from the Center thrice to th' utmost Pole. [ Paradise Lost, by John Milton ] Dwarfs have faces like men (ugly men, with wrinkled, leathery skins), but are generally either flat-footed, duck-footed, or have feet pointing backwards. They are of the earth, earthy, living in the darkest of caverns and venturing forth only with the cloaks by which they can make themselves invisible, and others disguised as toads. Miners often come across them, and sometimes establish reasonably close relations with them. ... The miners of Cornwall were always delighted to hear a bucca busily mining away, for all dwarfs have an infallible nose for precious metals. Among other things, dwarfs are rightly valued for their skill as blacksmiths and jewellers: they made Odin his famous spear Gungnir, and Thor his hammer; for Freya they designed a magnificent necklace, and for Frey a golden boar. And in their spare time they are excellent bakers. Ironically, despite their odd feet, they are particularly fond of dancing. They can also see into the future, and consequently are excellent meteorologists. They can be free with presents to people they like, and a dwarvish gift is likely to turn to gold in the hand. But on the whole they are a snappish lot. [ The Immortals, by Derek and Julia Parker ] In after days, when because of the triumph of Morgoth Elves and Men became estranged, as he most wished, those of the Elven-race that lived still in Middle-earth waned and faded, and Men usurped the sunlight. Then the Quendi wandered in the lonely places of the great lands and the isles, and took to the moonlight and the starlight, and to the woods and the caves, becoming as shadows and memories, save those who ever and anon set sail into the West and vanished from Middle-earth. But in the dawn of years Elves and Men were allies and held themselves akin, and there were some among Men that learned the wisdom of the Eldar, and became great and valiant among the captains of the Noldor. And in the glory and beauty of the Elves, and in their fate, full share had the offspring of elf and mortal, Earendil, and Elwing, and Elrond their child. [ The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] Mostly Harmless. [ Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams ] ZAPHOD: It's the wild colour scheme that freaks me. I mean, when you try an' operate one of these weird black controls which are labelled in black on a black background, a small black light lights up black to tell you you've done it. What is this? Some kind of intergalactic hyper-hearse? [ The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Fit the Fifth), by Douglas Adams ] Ettercaps resemble hunched, grey-purplish humanoid aberrations with distended white underbellies, spider-like faces (fangs and eyes and such), and two sharp, black chitinous claws instead of hands and feet. They are not particularly intelligent. Ettercaps possess the capability to shoot sticky webs and have an affinity for monstrous spiders, which they keep as pets and guards. They are cowardly and vicious, and prefer to set traps to ensnare their enemies. [ Adapted from the Forgotten Realms Wiki] The edderkops found in the Dungeons of Doom are dark brown or black in color, and are known to be shadowsmiths of fearsome power. The shadow-forged blades and bolts of the edderkops pass through armor without resistance, and have claimed the lives of many an adventurer. The behaviour of eels in fresh water extends the air of mystery surrounding them. They move freely into muddy, silty bottoms of lakes, lying buried in the daylight hours in summer. [...] Eels are voracious carnivores, feeding mainly at night and consuming a wide variety of fishes and invertebrate creatures. Contrary to earlier thinking, eels seek living rather than dead creatures and are not habitual eaters of carrion. [ Freshwater Fishes of Canada, by Scott and Crossman ] But I asked why not keep it and let the hen sit on it till it hatched, and then we could see what would come out of it. "Nothing good, I'm certain of that," Mom said. "It would probably be something horrible. But just remember, if it's a crocodile or a dragon or something like that, I won't have it in my house for one minute." [ The Enormous Egg, by Oliver Butterworth ] The eladrins are the native race of Arborea, just as the devils are associated with the Nine Hells and the demons with the Abyss. They're wild and free beings who exult in their own existence and live a life of song and celebration. The eladrins aid all people of good hearts against the forces of evil, but seek to do so with individual acts of kindness or heroism. [ Monstrous Manual, Planescape Appendix 2 ] The seas and islands of Ossa, the second layer of Arborea, are the home of the noviere eladrins. Like the bralani, the novieres are a people who celebrate the beauty of the lands and emerald waters around them. They're the most straightforward and approachable of the eladrins. The shieres are blocks of ice to the typical cutter traveling in Arborea, the bralani are fickle and flighty, and trying to talk seriously to a coure can drive a sod barmy but the novieres're willing to take a basher at his word and deal with him the way he deals with them. The novieres appear to be aquatic elves or nixies. Their skins are greenish, blue, or golden in hue, and their hair ranges from deep blue-green to pale blond. They're equally at home in the water or on land. The novieres're somewhat more human in appearance than a full-blooded aquatic elf; they're stockier, and have no prominent gills or webbing in their fingers. Their eyes mirror the color of the seas around them. In addition to their demihuman form, novieres can take on the shape of golden dolphins made entirely of shimmering water. Novieres prefer to remain in the seas of Ossa, but sometimes journey to other planes or prime-material worlds to visit with ocean nymphs or merfolk. They love exploring a new coastline or listening to the sound of the surf on a strange shore. Of all eladrins, the novieres are most likely to be interested in trade or material things; they're fascinated by gemstones and jewelry. [ Monstrous Manual, Planescape Appendix 2 ] The snowy, sandy wastes of Pelion are home to the bralani eladrins. They're the wildest and most feral of their kind, existing from heartbeat to heartbeat in a glorious, never-ending passion. No eladrin can match the fury of an angry bralani, or the keening depths of her grief or sorrow, or the blissful heights of her joy. Bralani are tied to the plains of Pelion, but may occasionally be found dancing in the desert winds or arctic wastes of other realms, exulting in their freedom and the beauty of the open land. Bralani in their demihuman form resemble short, stocky elves, broad in the shoulders but graceful nonetheless. Their hair is usually a bright silvery-white, and their eyes are an everchanging rainbow of hues that flicker and shift with the vagaries of the bralani's mood. Bralani can also take the shape of a whirlwind of dust, sand, or snow, racing across their beloved plains like living zephyrs. Bralani are the most distant and fey of the eladrins, dangerous to approach and fickle in temperament. Strangers might be greeted with wild celebration or attacked in a towering rage. Although the bralani's purpose seems to be to dance and race about in the wastes, they'll drop their endless dance in a moment if they come across evil in their domain. A few rare and unusual bralani sojourning in other worlds ally themselves with the local forces of good, siding with a tribe of noble desert savages or aiding a group of northern herdsmen. [ Monstrous Manual, Planescape Appendix 2 ] It shouldn't be any surprise that there are eladrins who devote themselves to art, music, and magic. The firres (pronounced feers) are creatures who live for beauty; their lives are consumed by a fiery passion for art of any kind, and they strive to make their own existence a living image of wonder and delight. The firre eladrins live as wandering minstrels and bards in Arborea, attending the courts of more powerful eladrins or tarrying to entertain a circle of coures in a forgotten dell. Their pursuit of beauty leads them to any place where art, skill, or grace is held in high esteem. A body could run across a firre traveling the Outlands or visiting the palaces of neutral-aligned powers just as easily as he'd find one in Arborea. Firres have a deep love and appreciation of mortal art, and often embark on lengthy sojourns on the Prime Material Plane to seek out works of excellence. In their demihuman, firre eladrins resemble stocky elves with brilliant red hair and fiery red eyes. At first glance, a firre might be taken for a half-elf, but her eyes give her away; they have no iris or pupil, and glow brightly with the firre's inner flame. Firres can also transform themselves into man-size pillars or balls of fire. [ Monstrous Manual, Planescape Appendix 2 ] The warriors of Arborea are the shieres, graceful eladrin knights who fight with skill, strength, and honor. They're the defenders of the eladrin courts, a shining host that seeks out evil intruders and ensures that no darkness will trouble the Queen of Stars or her people. By night the shieres gather together in bright companies to ride the wilds of Olympus and drive away any who would do the folk of Arborea harm. The shieres appear to be exceptionally tall high elves of some kind. They're long-limbed and slender, with lanky frames and long, narrow faces and hands. A shiere's as strong as the mightiest mortal warrior despite his slender build. All shieres are very fair-skinned, with pale golden or silver hair and piercing eyes of blue, green, or violet. Unlike the other eladrins, shieres're bound more permanently into their demihuman form and can change shape only into a harmless ball of faerie-light, similar to that of a coure eladrin. [ Monstrous Manual, Planescape Appendix 2 ] The ghaeles are the knights errant of the eladrins. Wherever evil and tyranny raise their ugly heads, the ghaeles respond. Working behind the scenes, they quietly muster resistance and offer guidance to any creatures of good heart with the courage to stand against their oppressors. More than any other eladrins, the ghaeles are accustomed to working from behind the veil. Ghaeles resemble tall, athletic high elves. They might easily be taken noble elves if not for their pearly, opalescent eyes and radiant aura. Of course, a ghaele may be wearing any manner of mortal guise when encountered away from Arborea. Ghaele eladrins can also take the form of an incorporeal cloud of luminous energy. [ Monstrous Manual, Planescape Appendix 2 ] The greatest of the eladrins are the tulani, or faerie lords. Their courts are scattered throughout Olympus, never staying in the same place more than one night. The tulani are peaceful in nature and take up arms only when Arborea itself is threatened or the direst of emergencies requires their attention. Tulani're creatures of unearthly beauty and grace; their voices are living music, and their faces shine so brightly that mortals find it difficult to look at them. In form they're tall, stately elven lords dressed in shimmering robes of shifting color. A tulani is surrounded by a magical aura that evil creatures cannot bear to be near. Tulani eladrins can also take the form of an incorporeal globe of eldritch colors, 5' in diameter. Visitors to Arborea who seek out the tulani courts soon find out that the eladrins aren't easy to find when they want to avoid someone. When a cutter finally gets to meet with a tulani, he's wise to keep his bone-box shut and mind his manners. The tulani don't tolerate insolence or disrespect from mortals, but are gracious hosts when their guests behave themselves. [ Monstrous Manual, Planescape Appendix 2 ] ... Even as they stepped over the threshold a single clear voice rose in song. A Elbereth Gilthoniel, silivren penna miriel o menel aglar elenath! Na-chaered palan-diriel o galadhremmin ennorath, Fanuilos, le linnathon nef aear, si nef aearon! Frodo halted for a moment, looking back. Elrond was in his chair and the fire was on his face like summer-light upon the trees. Near him sat the Lady Arwen. [...] He stood still enchanted, while the sweet syllables of the elvish song fell like clear jewels of blended word and melody. "It is a song to Elbereth," said Bilbo. "They will sing that, and other songs of the Blessed Realm, many times tonight. Come on!" [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] The elder brain is a huge, fibrous mass of cognizant brain tissue covered with writhing feelers. A single elder brain floats within the depths of a briny pool found at the center of its illithid community. The elder brain is the center of its illithid community, serving as an advisor and, most importantly, the living repository of the community's technology, history, and psionic expertise. It is the right and obligation of every illithid to merge with the elder brain after death living in exalted mentality while guiding and shepherding its erstwhile community. While most illithids believe that their personality will survive the transition, individual egos are suborned to the gestalt consciousness suffusing the tissue mass. [ Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition Complete Monstrous Manual ] Also known as the eye of the dragon, the eye is the holy symbol of the Elder Elemental God, a mythic being that once ruled over the earthly elements and reached for the heavens beyond. The elder elemental eye can be drawn in six strokes, making it very quick to engrave, and may be reinforced up to seven times. An strange symbol that has come down to the younger races out of the forgotten past, the elder sign resembles a six-branched limb: a curved stroke with three branches above and two below. The sign is effective alone, or in groups of up to six; five forming a star around the first: three above and two below. A simple elder sign is composed of six strokes; however, due to the more complex star shape of the reinforced ward, expanding the sign requires ten strokes for the first arm, and eight thereafter. South-American fish (_Gymnotus electricus_), living in fresh water. Shaped like a serpent, it can grow up to 2 metres. This eel is known for its electrical organ which enables it to paralyse creatures up to the size of a horse. [ Van Dale's Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal ] Elementals are manifestations of the basic nature of the universe. There are four known forms of elementals: air, fire, water, and earth. Some mystics have postulated the necessity for a fifth type, the spirit elemental, but none have ever been encountered, at least on this plane of existence. The Elves sat round the fire upon the grass or upon the sawn rings of old trunks. Some went to and fro bearing cups and pouring drinks; others brought food on heaped plates and dishes. "This is poor fare," they said to the hobbits; "for we are lodging in the greenwood far from our halls. If ever you are our guests at home, we will treat you better." "It seems to me good enough for a birthday-party," said Frodo. Pippin afterwards recalled little of either food or drink, for his mind was filled with the light upon the elf-faces, and the sound of voices so various and so beautiful that he felt in a waking dream. [...] Sam could never describe in words, nor picture clearly to himself, what he felt or thought that night, though it remained in his memory as one of the chief events of his life. The nearest he ever got was to say: "Well, sir, if I could grow apples like that, I would call myself a gardener. But it was the singing that went to my heart, if you know what I mean." [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] The Elves next unwrapped and gave to each of the Company the clothes they had brought. For each they had provided a hood and cloak, made according to his size, of the light but warm silken stuff that the Galadrim wove. It was hard to say of what colour they were: grey with the hue of twilight under the trees they seemed to be; and yet if they were moved, or set in another light, they were green as shadowed leaves, or brown as fallow fields by night, dusk-silver as water under the stars. [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 'Put off that mask of burning gold With emerald eyes.' 'O no, my dear, you make so bold To find if hearts be wild and wise, And yet not cold.' 'I would but find what's there to find, Love or deceit.' 'It was the mask engaged your mind, And after set your heart to beat, Not what's behind.' 'But lest you are my enemy, I must enquire.' 'O no, my dear, let all that be; What matter, so there is but fire In you, in me?' [ The Mask, by W.B. Yeats ] Presently we reached a place where the beach narrowed; the sea almost came up to the foot of the cliffs, leaving a passage no wider than a couple of yards. Between two projecting rocks we caught sight of the entrance to a dark tunnel. There, on a slab of granite, appeared two mysterious letters, half eaten away by time - the two initials of the bold, adventurous traveller: A.S. 'A.S.,' cried my uncle. 'Arne Saknussemm! Arne Saknussemm again!' [...] at the sight of those two letters, carved there three hundred years before, I stood in utter stupefication. Not only was the signature of the learned alchemist legible on the rock, but I held in my hand the dagger which had traced it. Without showing the most appaling bad faith, I could no longer doubt the existence of the traveller and the reality of his journey. [ Journey to the Centre of the Earth, by Jules Verne, translated by Robert Baldick ] To set certain popular misconceptions to rest once and for all: 1) He was not found wandering the sewers of London as a child during the winter of 1864, unable to say anything more than "Powerful big rats, gentlemen." 2) He was never exhibited in public houses to the curious; only briefly in July, 1865, to selected gentlemen of standing from the scientific and literary community. 3) He did not have a vestigial tail. 4) He did indeed have what most people would commonly understand as "eyes." 5) He was not actually the pilot of the Zeppelin, although he did disappear for good following the explosion. 6) There is obviously no "underground kingdom beneath London, inhabited by huge, intelligent rodents." And even if there were, and suggestion of Neil's involvement in the mazy territorial negotiations between Londons Above and Below can be considered a joke, and in poor taste at that. 7) He was afraid of neither mirrors nor street conjurers. 8) There were no tooth marks on the bones. [ The Season of Mists, Neil Gaiman ] The asclepieion at Epidaurus was the most celebrated healing center of the Classical world, the place where ill people went in the hope of being cured. To find out the right cure for their ailments, they spent a night in the enkoimitiria, a big sleeping hall. In their dreams, the god himself (Asclepius) would advise them what they had to do to regain their health. There are also mineral springs in the vicinity which may have been used in healing. [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] And more he said, but I hold it not in mind because my eye had wholly attracted me toward the high tower with the ruddy summit, where in an instant were uprisen suddenly three infernal furies, stained with blood, who had the limbs of women and their action, and were girt with greenest hydras. Little serpents and cerastes they had for hair, wherewith their savage brows were bound. [ Inferno, by Dante ] These female-seeming devils named after the Furies of mythology attack hand to hand and poison their unwary victims as well. The two-headed giant, or ettin, is a vicious and unpredictable hunter that stalks by night and eats any meat it can catch. At first only its tip was visible, but then it rose, straight, proud, all that was noble and great and wondrous. The tip of the blade pointed toward the moon, as if it would cleave it in two. The blade itself gleamed like a beacon in the night. There was no light source for the sword to be reflecting from, for the moon had darted behind a cloud in fear. The sword was glowing from the intensity of its strength and power and knowledge that it was justice incarnate, and that after a slumber of uncounted years its time had again come. After the blade broke the surface, the hilt was visible, and holding the sword was a single strong, yet feminine hand, wearing several rings that bore jewels sparkling with the blue-green color of the ocean. [ Knight Life, by Peter David ] There was a time when Rincewind had quite liked the iconoscope. He believed, against all experience, that the world was fundamentally understandable, and that if he could only equip himself with the right mental toolbox he could take the back off and see how it worked. He was, of course, dead wrong. The iconoscope didn't take pictures by letting light fall onto specially treated paper, as he had surmised, but by the far simpler method of imprisoning a small demon with a good eye for colour and a speedy hand with a paintbrush. He had been very upset to find that out. [ The Light Fantastic, by Terry Pratchett ] This is a powerful amulet of ESP. In addition to its standard powers, it regenerates the energy of anyone who carries it, allowing them to cast spells more often. It also reduces any spell damage to the person who carries it by half, and protects from magic missiles. Finally, when invoked it has the power to instantly open a portal to any other area of the dungeon, allowing its invoker to travel quickly between areas. ... and finally there is "the Eyes of the Overworld". This obscure artifact pushes the wearer's view sense into the "overworld" -- another name for a segment of the Astral Plane. Usually, there is nothing to be seen. However, the wearer is also able to look back and see the area around herself, much like looking on a map. Why anyone would want to ... "Yield up enough sacrifices an' savage knick-knacks an' harbourage in the taown when they wanted it, an' they'd let well enough alone. Wudn't bother no strangers as might bear tales aoutside - that is, withaout they got pryin'. All in the band of the faithful - Order o' Dagon - an' the children shud never die, but go back to the Mother Hydra an' Father Dagon what we all come from once ... Ia! Ia! Cthulhu ..." [ The Shadow Over Innsmouth, by H.P. Lovecraft ] This weapon is a development of the scythe or sickle. Set upon a long pole, the curving blade of a fauchard can be used for both cutting and thrusting. The weapon offers little in the way of parrying or catching/holding and has no provision for dismounting opponents, though it is quite useful for crippling their mounts. ________ / ___-- / / | | | | | | | ' || || Lucifer rebelled. The angels fell. We have only the tales of mortals to guide us on this. We, the heirs of angels, must piece together our heritage from the scraps of myth. We can surmise that some divine force exiled Lucifer and his followers. We use their word, God, because it is a convenient shorthand for our unknown enemy. The demon race was bred to overthrow this enemy and take its throne and whatever else we forget, we should never forget that destiny. A full third of the Host fell, according to some accounts. For their sins for pride, for rebellion, for desiring to be like God, for unknowable and ineffable reasons they were banished and they fell. [ Infernum, Book of the Tormentor, by Gareth Hanrahan ] Some hats can only be worn if you're willing to be jaunty, to set them at an angle and to walk beneath them with a spring in your stride as if you're only a step away from dancing. They demand a lot of you. [ Anansi Boys, by Neil Gaiman ] These dreadful weeds have been driven to extinction on the surface, yet deep within the dark and damp of the dungeon they still flourish. When it detects the motion of nearby creatures, the dungeon fern releases a deadly, poisonous spore, which quickly detonates to propagate the species. Residents of the dungeon have learned how not to disturb the dungeon fern, and will attack its spores on sight to keep them from overtaking their home. More than one variety of this plant is known to exist. "Every French soldier carries in his cartridge-pouch the baton of a marshal of France." [ Napoleon ] Then it appeared in Paris at just about the time that Paris was full of Carlists who had to get out of Spain. One of them must have brought it with him, but, whoever he was, it's likely he knew nothing about its real value. It had been -- no doubt as a precaution during the Carlist trouble in Spain -- painted or enameled over to look like nothing more than a fairly interesting black statuette. And in that disguise, sir, it was, you might say, kicked around Paris for seventy years by private owners and dealers too stupid to see what it was under the skin. [ The Maltese Falcon, by Dashiell Hammett ] "Your sad excuse for a third-year Defence textbook will suggest to you that you expose the mountain troll to sunlight, which will freeze it in place. This, my young apprentices, is the sort of useless knowledge you will never find in my lessons. You do not encounter mountain trolls in open daylight! The idea that you should use sunlight to stop them is the result of foolish textbook authors trying to show off their mastery of minutia at the expense of practicality. Just because there is a ridiculously obscure way of dealing with mountain trolls does not mean you should actually try to use it! The Killing Curse is unblockable, unstoppable, and works every single time on anything with a brain." [ Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality by Eliezer Yudkowsky ] So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way of the tree of life. [ King James 2000 Bible ] One of a pair of legendary swords that possess the powers of elemental flame and ice, and will grant these to whoever is fortunate enough to wield them. 'Let him be for a while,' said Cohen. 'I reckon the fish disagreed with him.' 'Don't see why,' said Truckle. 'I pulled him out before it'd hardly chewed him. And he must've dried out nicely in that corridor. You know, the one where the flames shot up out of the floor unexpectedly.' 'I reckon our bard wasn't expecting flames to shoot out of the floor unexpectedly,' said Cohen. Truckle shrugged theatrically. '_Well_, if you're not going to expect unexpected flames, what's the point of going _anywhere_?' [ The Last Hero, by Terry Pratchett ] These two humanlike figures are tall, dark, and sensual. They have a pair of small horns jutting from their brows. Their red eyes smolder with the promise of physical pleasure, and the fine clothing that clings to their bodies completes the debaunched image. [ Tyrants of the Nine Hells, by Robin Laws and Robert Schwalb ] The flail the weapon is derived from the flail the agricultural tool. The original is made by connecting a wooden handle to a wooden club with a rope, and is used for thrashing grain. The weapon is made by connecting a handle to a club, metal bar, spiked ball, or whatever will hurt the most. It is used for thrashing advesaries. The nunchaku is a Japanese variaty of flail on which the business end and handle are identical. This allows for a fast- paced eastern style of thrashing advesaries. Floating eyes, not surprisingly, are large, floating eyeballs which drift about the dungeon. Though not dangerous in and of themselves, their power to paralyse those who gaze at their large eye in combat is widely feared. Many are the tales of those who struck a floating eye, were paralysed by its mystic powers, and then nibbled to death by some other creature that lurked around nearby. With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs. How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful!--Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips. [ Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley ] An emerald is as green as grass; A ruby red as blood; A sapphire shines as blue as heaven; A flint lies in the mud. A diamond is a brilliant stone, To catch the world's desire; An opal holds a fiery spark; But a flint holds fire. [ Precious Stones, by Christina Giorgina Rossetti ] Floating eyes, not surprisingly, are large, floating eyeballs which drift about the dungeon. Though not dangerous in and of themselves, their power to paralyse those who gaze at their large eye in combat is widely feared. Many are the tales of those who struck a floating eye, were paralysed by its mystic powers, and then nibbled to death by some other creature that lurked around nearby. With this thou canst do mighty deeds And change men's passions for thy needs: A man's despair with joy allay, Turn bachelors old to lovers gay. [ The Magic Flute, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ] The fog comes on little cat feet. It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on. [ Fog, by Carl Sandburg ] The little girl stood on tip-toe and picked one of the nicest and biggest lunch-boxes, and then she sat down upon the ground and eagerly opened it. Inside she found, nicely wrapped in white papers, a ham sandwich, a piece of sponge-cake, a pickle, a slice of new cheese and an apple. Each thing had a separate stem, and so had to be picked off the side of the box; but Dorothy found them all to be delicious, and she ate every bit of luncheon in the box before she had finished. [ Ozma of Oz, by L. Frank Baum ] Rest! This little Fountain runs Thus for aye: -- It never stays For the look of summer suns, Nor the cold of winter days. Whose'er shall wander near, When the Syrian heat is worst, Let him hither come, nor fear Lest he may not slake his thirst: He will find this little river Running still, as bright as ever. Let him drink, and onward hie, Bearing but in thought, that I, Erotas, bade the Naiad fall, And thank the great god Pan for all! [ For a Fountain, by Bryan Waller Procter ] One hot summer's day a Fox was strolling through an orchard till he came to a bunch of Grapes just ripening on a vine which had been trained over a lofty branch. "Just the thing to quench my thirst," quoth he. Drawing back a few paces, he took a run and a jump, and just missed the bunch. Turning round again with a One, Two, Three, he jumped up, but with no greater success. Again and again he tried after the tempting morsel, but at last had to give it up, and walked away with his nose in the air, saying: "I am sure they are sour." [ Aesop's Fables ] Fungi, division of simple plants that lack chlorophyll, true stems, roots, and leaves. Unlike algae, fungi cannot photosynthesize, and live as parasites or saprophytes. The division comprises the slime molds and true fungi. True fungi are multicellular (with the exception of yeasts); the body of most true fungi consists of slender cottony filaments, or hyphae. All fungi are capable of asexual reproduction by cell division, budding, fragmentation, or spores. Those that reproduce sexually alternate a sexual generation (gametophyte) with a spore-producing one. The four classes of true fungi are the algaelike fungi (e.g., black bread mold and downy mildew), sac fungi (e.g., yeasts, powdery mildews, truffles, and blue and green molds such as Penicillium), basidium fungi (e.g., mushrooms and puffballs) and imperfect fungi (e.g., species that cause athlete's foot and ringworm). Fungi help decompose organic matter (important in soil renewal); are valuable as a source of antibiotics, vitamins, and various chemicals; and for their role in fermentation, e.g., in bread and alcoholic beverage production. [ The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia ] Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I've tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would suffice. [ Fire and Ice, by Robert Frost ] One of a pair of legendary swords that possess the powers of elemental flame and ice, and will grant these to whoever is fortunate enough to wield them. I sang of leaves, of leaves of gold, and leaves of gold there grew; Of wind I sang, a wind there came and in the branches blew. Beyond the Sun, beyond the Moon, the foam was on the Sea, and by the strand of Ilmarin there grew a golden Tree. Beneath the stars of Ever-eve in Eldamar it shone, in Eldamar beside the walls of Elven Tirion. There long the golden leaves have grown upon the branching years, while here beyond the Sundering Seas now fall the Elven-tears. O Lorien! The Winter comes, the bare and leafless Day; The leaves are falling in the stream, the River flows away. O Lorien! Too long have I dwelt upon this Hither Shore and in a fading crown have twined the golden elanor. But if of ships I now should sing, what ship would come to me, what ship would bear me ever back across so wide a Sea? [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] The Garuda is a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology. Garuda is usually the mount (vahana) of the God Vishnu. Garuda is depicted as having the golden body of a strong man with a white face, red wings, and an eagle's beak and with a crown on his head. This ancient deity was said to be massive, large enough to block out the sun. [ Wikipedia ] The wings of garuda require 70 strokes to fully render, however, fragmentary drawings are effective and can be improved in increments of ten strokes. And so it came to pass that while Man ruled on Earth, the gargoyles waited, lurking, hidden from the light. Reborn every 600 years in Man's reckoning of time, the gargoyles joined battle against Man to gain dominion over the Earth. In each coming, the gargoyles were nearly destroyed by Men who flourished in greater numbers. Now it has been so many hundreds of years that it seems the ancient statues and paintings of gargoyles are just products of Man's imagination. In this year, with Man's thoughts turned toward the many ills he has brought among himself, Man has forgotten his most ancient adversary, the gargoyles. [ Excerpt from the opening narration to the movie _Gargoyles_, written by Stephen and Elinor Karpf ] You impertinent fools. I, Garland, will knock you all down!! [ Final Fantasy ] Remember me, Garland? Your puny lot thought it had defeated me. But, the four FIENDS sent me back 2000 years into the past. [ Final Fantasy ] "That is the ghost of a ninja. Its scientific name is Garo Robe. They are merely shells that are empty on the inside. They're the shells of spies from an enemy nation sent to investigate Ikana. They have been unable to forget their living days. Even now their spirits--emptiness cloaked in darkness--continue to spy." [ Pamela's Father, Majora's Mask ] Leader of the ninja that came from points unknown to spy on the Kingdom of Ikana. This master spy has uncovered secrets greater and more dangerous than those found by lesser garo. Gas spores are a vaguely intelligent fungal growth that has evolved to strongly resemble the Beholder. If they are struck with any amount of force they will explode violently. Gas spores tend to grow in groups, and legends have been written about the destruction caused by foolish adventurers who touched a single one. [ Adapted by Ben Lehman from Monstrous Manual, by TSR, Inc. ] 1 November - All day long we have travelled, and at a good speed. The horses seem to know that they are being kindly treated, for they go willingly their full stage at best speed. We have now had so many changes and find the same thing so constantly that we are encouraged to think that the journey will be an easy one. Dr. Van Helsing is laconic, he tells the farmers that he is hurrying to Bistritz, and pays them well to make the exchange of horses. We get hot soup, or coffee, or tea, and off we go. It is a lovely country. Full of beauties of all imaginable kinds, and the people are brave, and strong, and simple, and seem full of nice qualities. They are very, very superstitious. In the first house where we stopped, when the woman who served us saw the scar on my forehead, she crossed herself and put out two fingers towards me, to keep off the evil eye. I believe they went to the trouble of putting an extra amount of garlic into our food, and I can't abide garlic. Ever since then I have taken care not to take off my hat or veil, and so have escaped their suspicions. [ Dracula, by Bram Stoker ] "Place of Torment." The Valley of Hinnom, south-west of Jerusalem, where Solomon, king of Israel, built "a high place", or place of worship, for the gods Chemosh and Moloch. The valley came to be regarded as a place of abomination because some of the Israelites sacrificed their children to Moloch there. In a later period it was made a refuse dump and perpetual fires were maintained there to prevent pestilence. Thus, in the New Testament, Gehenna became synonymous with hell. [ Encyclopedia Mythica, ed. M.F. Lindemans ] Despite its popularity (or perhaps because of it), the gelatinous cube is also widely known as one of the sillier role-playing monsters. It is something of a commentary on the ubiquity of treasure-laden dungeons in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, as the cube is a creature specifically adapted to a dungeon ecosystem. 10 feet to the side, it travels through standard 10-foot by 10-foot dungeon corridors, cleaning up debris and redistributing treasure by excreting indigestible metal items. [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] The difference between false memories and true ones is the same as for jewels: it is always the false ones that look the most real, the most brilliant. [ Salvador Dali ] A word invented by Professor Raphael Lemkin of Duke University, U.S.A., and used in the drafting of the official indictment of war criminals in 1945. It is a combination of Gr. _genos_, race; and Lat. _caedere_, to kill. It is defined as acts intended to destroy, in whole or in part, national, ethnical, racial, or religious groups, and in 1948 was declared by the United Nations General Assembly to be a crime of international law. [ Brewer's Concise Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ] Geryon is an arch-devil sometimes called the Wild Beast, attacking with his claws and poison sting. His ranking in Hell is rumored to be quite low. Forthwith that image vile of fraud appear'd, His head and upper part expos'd on land, But laid not on the shore his bestial train. His face the semblance of a just man's wore, So kind and gracious was its outward cheer; The rest was serpent all: two shaggy claws Reach'd to the armpits, and the back and breast, And either side, were painted o'er with nodes And orbits. Colours variegated more Nor Turks nor Tartars e'er on cloth of state With interchangeable embroidery wove, Nor spread Arachne o'er her curious loom. As ofttimes a light skiff, moor'd to the shore, Stands part in water, part upon the land; Or, as where dwells the greedy German boor, The beaver settles watching for his prey; So on the rim, that fenc'd the sand with rock, Sat perch'd the fiend of evil. In the void Glancing, his tail upturn'd its venomous fork, With sting like scorpion's arm'd. Then thus my guide: "Now need our way must turn few steps apart, Far as to that ill beast, who couches there." [ The Inferno, from The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri, translated by H.F. Cary ] And now the souls of the dead who had gone below came swarming up from Erebus -- fresh brides, unmarried youths, old men with life's long suffering behind them, tender young girls still nursing this first anguish in their hearts, and a great throng of warriors killed in battle, their spear-wounds gaping yet and all their armour stained with blood. From this multitude of souls, as they fluttered to and fro by the trench, there came a moaning that was horrible to hear. Panic drained the blood from my cheeks. [ The Odyssey, (chapter Lambda), by Homer ] The forces of the gloom know each other, and are strangely balanced by each other. Teeth and claws fear what they cannot grasp. Blood-drinking bestiality, voracious appetites, hunger in search of prey, the armed instincts of nails and jaws which have for source and aim the belly, glare and smell out uneasily the impassive spectral forms straying beneath a shroud, erect in its vague and shuddering robe, and which seem to them to live with a dead and terrible life. These brutalities, which are only matter, entertain a confused fear of having to deal with the immense obscurity condensed into an unknown being. A black figure barring the way stops the wild beast short. That which emerges from the cemetery intimidates and disconcerts that which emerges from the cave; the ferocious fear the sinister; wolves recoil when they encounter a ghoul. [ Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo ] Ghouls are undead creatures, once human, who now feed on the flesh of corpses. Although the change from human to ghoul has deranged and destroyed their minds, ghouls have a terrible cunning which enables them to hunt their prey most effectively. [ Monstrous Manual, by TSR inc. ] That also shall come to be by the heed of Ilúvatar, and before the Children awake there shall go forth with wings like the wind the Eagles of the Lords of the West. [ The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] Giants have always walked the earth, though they are rare in these times. They range in size from little over nine feet to a towering twenty feet or more. The larger ones use huge boulders as weapons, hurling them over large distances. All types of giants share a love for men - roasted, boiled, or fried. Their table manners are legendary. 'Matilda Briggs', said Holmes, 'was... a ship which is associated with the giant rat of Sumatra, a story for which the world is not yet prepared.' [ The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire, A. Conan Doyle ] This time I will with poetic art rehearse, by means of words and wit, a poem about a kind of fish, the great sea-monster which is often unwillingly met, terrible and cruel-hearted to seafarers, yea, to every man; this swimmer of the ocean-streams is known as the asp-turtle. His appearance is like that of a rough boulder, as if there were tossing by the shore a great ocean-reedbank begirt with sand-dunes, so that seamen imagine they are gazing upon an island, and moor their high-prowed ships with cables to that false land, make fast the ocean-coursers at the sea's end, and, bold of heart, climb up. [ The Whale, Old English Poem ] Githyanki are an ancient race descended from humans. They dwell upon the Astral plane but will often leave that plane to make war on other races. They are engaged in a lengthy war with the githzerai. Githyanki are strongly humanoid in appearance. They are approximately of human height but tend to be much more gaunt and long of limb. They have rough, yellow skin and gleaming black eyes that instantly betray their inhumanness. Like many demihuman races, their ears have sharp points and are serrated at the back. Dress for the githyanki is always an elaborate affair. Their baroque armor and weapons of war are decorated with feathers, beads, and precious metals and gems. History provides some information on the githyanki their race is both ancient and reclusive. Sages believe they once were humans that were captured by mind flayers to serve as slaves and cattle. The mind flayers treated their human slaves cruelly and the people harbored a deep resentment toward the illithids. For centuries these humans increased their hatred but could not summon the strength necessary to break free. So they waited for many years, developing their power in secret, waiting for an opportunity to strike out against their masters. Finally, a woman of power came forth among them, a deliverer by the name of Gith. She convinced the people to rise up against their cruel masters. The struggle was long and vicious, but eventually the people freed themselves. They had earned their freedom and become the githyanki, (which, in their tongue, means sons of Gith). We are born and we die. No one cares, no one remembers, and it doesn't matter. This is why we laugh. [ The Gnoll Credo, by J. Stanton ] The glaive is a knife-bladed spear. It has the thrusting function of the spear, and the secondary cutting function of the convex blade of the knife. The weapon was rapidly enlarged in the blade in order to give it a greater cutting function as well as a cleaving attack. As with a spear or fauchard, however, it is not overly effective at holding opponents back, nor does it have the piercing or dismounting capabilities. Basically, a knife on a long stick. A nine foot long stick (2.7 meters). With a big knife on the end. |\ I | I | I | I | I | I_| H He traveled over high hills, and on the third day he came to a large and spacious forest through which his road lay. Scarcely had he entered the forest when he beheld a monstrous giant dragging along by the hair of their heads a handsome knight and his lady. Jack alighted from his horse, and tying him to an oak tree, put on his invisible coat, under which he carried his sword of sharpness. When he came up to the giant he made several strokes at him, but could not reach his body, but wounded his thighs in several places; and at length, putting both hands to his sword and aiming with all his might, he cut off both his legs. Then Jack, setting his foot upon his neck, plunged his sword into the giant's body, when the monster gave a groan and expired. [ The History of Jack the Giant-Killer, from The Blue Fairy Book, ed. Andrew Lang ] Adorned in priceless jewelry, silks, and other finery, this humanlike creature is the vision of beauty -- though her copper skin, batlike wings, forked tail, and pointed horns betray her true nature. [ Tyrants of the Nine Hells, by Robin Laws and Robert Schwalb ] ... And then a gnome came by, carrying a bundle, an old fellow three times as large as an imp and wearing clothes of a sort, especially a hat. And he was clearly just as frightened as the imps though he could not go so fast. Ramon Alonzo saw that there must be some great trouble that was vexing magical things; and, since gnomes speak the language of men, and will answer if spoken to gently, he raised his hat, and asked of the gnome his name. The gnome did not stop his hasty shuffle a moment as he answered 'Alaraba' and grabbed the rim of his hat but forgot to doff it. 'What is the trouble, Alaraba?' said Ramon Alonzo. 'White magic. Run!' said the gnome .. [ The Charwoman's Shadow, by Lord Dunsany ] "Muggles have garden gnomes, too, you know," Harry told Ron as they crossed the lawn. "Yeah, I've seen those things they think are gnomes," said Ron, bent double with his head in a peony bush, "like fat little Santa Clauses with fishing rods..." There was a violent scuffling noise, the peony bush shuddered, and Ron straightened up. "This is a gnome," he said grimly. "Geroff me! Gerroff me!" squealed the gnome. It was certainly nothing like Santa Claus. It was small and leathery looking, with a large, knobby, bald head exactly like a potato. Ron held it at arm's length as it kicked out at him with its horny little feet; he grasped it around the ankles and turned it upside down. [ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J. K. Rowling ] Now goblins are cruel, wicked, and bad-hearted. They make no beautiful things, but they make many clever ones. They can tunnel and mine as well as any but the most skilled dwarves, when they take the trouble, though they are usually untidy and dirty. Hammers, axes, swords, daggers, pickaxes, tongs, and also instruments of torture, they make very well, or get other people to make to their design, prisoners and slaves that have to work till they die for want of air and light. [ The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] Goddesses and Gods operate in ones, threesomes, or whole pantheons of nine or more (see Religion). Most of them claim to have made the world, and this is indeed a likely claim in the case of threesomes or pantheons: Fantasyland does have the air of having been made by a committee. But all Goddesses and Gods, whether they say they made the world or not, have very detailed short-term plans for it which they are determined to carry out. Consequently they tend to push people into the required actions by the use of coincidence or Prophecy, or just by narrowing down your available choices of what to do next: if a deity is pushing you, things will go miserably badly until there is only one choice left to you. [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] A metal of characteristic yellow colour, the most precious metal used as a common commercial medium of exchange. Symbol, Au; at. no. 79; at. wt. 197.2. It is the most malleable and ductile of all metals, and very heavy (sp. gr., 19.3). It is quite unalterable by heat, moisture, and most corrosive agents, and therefore well suited for its use in coin and jewelry. [ Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language, Second Edition ] The bellows he set away from the fire, and gathered all the tools wherewith he wrought into a silver chest; and with a sponge wiped he his face and his two hands withal, and his mighty neck and shaggy breast, and put upon him a tunic, and grasped a stout staff, and went forth halting; but there moved swiftly to support their lord handmaidens wrought of gold in the semblance of living maids. In them is understanding in their hearts, and in them speech and strength, and they know cunning handiwork by gift of the immortal gods. [ The Iliad, by Homer ] "The original story harks back, so they say, to the sixteenth century. Using long-lost formulas from the Kabbala, a rabbi is said to have made an artificial man -- the so-called Golem -- to help ring the bells in the Synagogue and for all kinds of other menial work. "But he hadn't made a full man, and it was animated by some sort of vegetable half-life. What life it had, too, so the story runs, was only derived from the magic charm placed behind its teeth each day, that drew down to itself what was known as the `free sidereal strength of the universe.' "One evening, before evening prayers, the rabbi forgot to take the charm out of the Golem's mouth, and it fell into a frenzy. It raged through the dark streets, smashing everything in its path, until the rabbi caught up with it, removed the charm, and destroyed it. Then the Golem collapsed, lifeless. All that was left of it was a small clay image, which you can still see in the Old Synagogue." ... [ The Golem, by Gustav Meyrink ] Among the Ancient Greeks the most widely-used image intended to avert evil was that of the Gorgon, the head of which now may be called the Gorgoneion, which features wild eyes, fangs, and protruding tongue. The full figure of the Gorgon holds the apex of the oldest remaining Greek temple where she is flanked by two lionesses. The Gorgon head was mounted on the aegis and shield of Athena. [ Wikipedia ] One of the most versitile wards, this 60 line emblem must typically be prepared in advance. "Who'd care to dig 'em," said the old, old man, "Those six feet marked in chalk? Much I talk, more I walk; Time I were buried," said the old, old man. [ Three Songs to the Same Tune, by W.B. Yeats ] She touched Grayswandir "What a beautiful blade! I've never seen one like it." "There isn't another," I said, and each time that I shifted a little, the light fell differently upon it, so that one moment it seemed filmed over with unhuman blood of an orange tint and the next it lay there cold and white as snow or a woman's breast, quivering in my hand each time a little chill took me. [ The Guns of Avalon, by Roger Zelazny ] The figure standing before the throne is darkly handsome, an ebon-skinned man nearly 9 feet tall. His slightly pointed ears, yellow fangs, and six-fingered hands mark him for the demon he is. [ Hordes of the Abyss, by Ed Stark, James Jacobs, and Erik Mona ] ANOINT, v.t. To grease a king or other great functionary already sufficiently slippery. [ The Devil's Dictionary, by Ambrose Bierce ] The gremlin is a highly intelligent and completely evil creature. It lives to torment other creatures and will go to great lengths to inflict pain or cause injury. Suddenly, Wilson thought about war, about the newspaper stories which recounted the alleged existence of creatures in the sky who plagued the Allied pilots in their duties. They called them gremlins, he remembered. Were there, actually, such beings? Did they, truly, exist up here, never falling, riding on the wind, apparently of bulk and weight, yet impervious to gravity? He was thinking that when the man appeared again. [ Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, by Richard Matheson ] Look Mister, there are some rules that you've got to follow. Yeah, what kind of rules? First of all, keep him out of the light, he hates bright light, especially sunlight, it'll kill him. Second, don't give him any water, not even to drink. But the most important rule, the rule you can never forget, no matter how much he cries, no matter how much he begs, never feed him after midnight. [ Gremlins ] Grey elves have either silver hair and amber eyes, or pale golden hair and violet eyes (the violet-eyed ones are known as faerie elves). They favor bright garments of white, gold, silver, or yellow, and wear cloaks of deep blue or purple. Grey elves are the rarest of elves, and they have little to do with the world outside their forests. They value intelligence very highly, and, unlike other elves, devote much time to study and contemplation. Their treatises on nature are astounding. [ Monstrous Manual, by TSR inc. ] These electronically based creatures are not native to this universe. They appear to come from a world whose laws of motion are radically different from ours. Tron looked to his mate and pilot. "I'm going to check on the beam connection, Yori. You two can keep a watch out for grid bugs." Tron paced forward along the slender catwalk that still seemed awfully insubstantial to Flynn, though he knew it to be amazingly sturdy. He gazed after Tron, asking himself what in the world a grid bug was, and hoping that the beam connection -- to which he'd given no thought whatsoever until this moment -- was healthy and sound." [ Tron, novel by Brian Daley, story by Steven Lisberger ] Grimlocks have thick, scaly, grey skin and long, black, filthy hair. Their teeth are white and extremely sharp. Their eyes are blank white orbs. Grimlocks are totally blind, but have highly developed senses of smell and hearing. Their sensitive ears and noses combine to allow them to distinguish objects and creatures just as well as if they were able to see. Those same ears render them extremely vulnerable to loud noises, however. [ Adapted from Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition Complete Monstrous Manual ] It was a paw, fully two feet and a half across, and equipped with formidable talons. Alter it came another paw, and after that a great black-furred arm to which both of the paws were attached by short forearms. Then two pink eyes shone, and the head of the awakened Gug sentry, large as a barrel, wabbled into view. The eyes jutted two inches from each side, shaded by bony protuberances overgrown with coarse hairs. But the head was chiefly terrible because of the mouth. That mouth had great yellow fangs and ran from the top to the bottom of the head, opening vertically instead of horizontally. [ The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath, by HP Lovecraft ] Medieval peasants discovered that their pruning hooks made reasonably effective pole arms. The result: the guisarme. It is furnished with a sharp cutting edge along its convex side, with a reverse spike to hook. The spike can be used to penetrate armor when the weapon is swung, and the curved hook provides an ample means of pulling horsemen to the ground. The samurai's last meal before battle. It was usually made up of cooked chestnuts, dried seaweed, and sake. Hachi was a dog that went with his master, a professor, to the Shibuya train station every morning. In the afternoon, when his master was to return from work Hachi would be there waiting. One day his master died at the office, and did not return. For over ten years Hachi returned to the station every afternoon to wait for his master. When Hachi died a statue was erected on the station platform in his honor. It is said to bring you luck if you touch his statue. Basically an axe on a pole, this weapon has been a mainstay weapon in many armies for a long time. The axe blade angles downward, and there is usually a spear tip at the end and a spike protruding from the back. Due to its popularity it comes in a wide variety of styles, many reaching ten feet (3 meters). | I H >\ H_--~~ > _H / _- H / ----H__ / H \/ H Depicting the open right hand, an image recognized and used as a sign of protection in many societies throughout history, the hamsa is believed to provide defense against the evil eye. The symbol predates Christianity and Islam. In Islam, is also known as the hand of Fatima, so named to commemorate Muhammad's daughter Fatima Zahra. Levantine Christians call it the hand of Mary, for the mother of Jesus. [ Wikipedia ] A hamsa mark may be drawn in 10 strokes, making it fairly quick to engrave; however, additional pairs after the first must be drawn togther. Up to six hamsas may be drawn in one square. A triangular stringed instrument, often Magic. Even when not Magic, a Harp is surprisingly portable and tough and can be carried everywhere on the back of the Bard or Harper in all weathers. A Harp seldom goes out of tune and never warps. Its strings break only in very rare instances, usually because the Harper is sulking or crossed in love. This is just as well as no one seems to make or sell spare strings. [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] After breakfast was over, the ogre called out: "Wife, wife, bring me my golden harp." So she brought it and put it on the table before him. Then he said: "Sing!" and the golden harp sang most beautifully. And it went on singing till the ogre fell asleep, and commenced to snore like thunder. Then Jack lifted up the copper-lid very quietly and got down like a mouse and crept on hands and knees till he came to the table, when up he crawled, caught hold of the golden harp and dashed with it towards the door. But the harp called out quite loud: "Master! Master!" and the ogre woke up just in time to see Jack running off with his harp. [ Jack and the Beanstalk, from English Fairy Tales, by Joseph Jacobs ] This form of a pole axe is seen as a convex-headed broad axe in early examples, but the head is set at a convenient angle, considering the point where the blade is most likely to impact upon an enemy. This alone makes it quite distinct from an ordinary long-hafted axe. The whole weapon reaches 8 feet in length, and is nearly always topped with a long spear point and backed by a spike, which was often angled or hooked slightly downward. The spear point is, of course, designed to keep opponents at bay and deliver a thrusting attack (this proves quite useless when opposing mounted knights armed with lances). The opposing spike was for penetration of heavy plate armor, with a secondary function as a hook for dismounting opponents. 'One of the things he can't do, he can't ride a horse,' he said. Then he stiffened as if sandbagged by a sudden recollection, gave a small yelp of terror and dashed into the gloom. When he returned, the being called Twoflower was hanging limply over his shoulder. It was small and skinny, and dressed very oddly in a pair of knee-length britches and a shirt in such a violent and vivid conflict of colours that the Weasel's fastidious eye was offended even in the half-light. [ The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett ] I swear by Apollo the physician, and Aesculapius, and Health, and All-heal, and all the gods and goddesses, that, according to my ability and judgment, I will keep this Oath and this stipulation -- to reckon him who taught me this Art equally dear to me as my parents, to share my substance with him, and relieve his necessities if required; to look upon his offspring in the same footing as my own brothers, and to teach them this art, if they shall wish to learn it, without fee or stipulation; and that by precept, lecture, and every other mode of instruction, I will impart a knowledge of the Art to my own sons, and those of my teachers, and to disciples bound by a stipulation and oath according to the law of medicine, but to none others. I will follow that system of regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patients, and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous. [...] [ Hippocrates' Oath, translated by Francis Adams ] PHYSICIAN, n. One upon whom we set our hopes when ill and our dogs when well. [ The Devil's Dictionary, by Ambrose Bierce ] The other three drew in their breath sharply, and the dark, powerful man who stood at the head of the sarcophagus whispered: "The Heart of Ahriman!" The other lifted a quick hand for silence. Somewhere a dog began howling dolefully, and a stealthy step padded outside the barred and bolted door. ... But none looked aside from the mummy case over which the man in the ermine-trimmed robe was now moving the great flaming jewel, while he muttered an incantation that was old when Atlantis sank. The glare of the gem dazzled their eyes, so that they could not be sure what they saw; but with a splintering crash, the carven lid of the sarcophagus burst outward as if from some irresistible pressure applied from within and the four men, bending eagerly forward, saw the occupant -- a huddled, withered, wizened shape, with dried brown limbs like dead wood showing through moldering bandages. "Bring that thing back?" muttered the small dark man who stood on the right, with a short, sardonic laugh. "It is ready to crumble at a touch. We are fools ---" [ Conan The Conqueror, by Robert E. Howard ] Hell hounds are fire-breathing canines from another plane of existence brought here in the service of evil beings. A hell hound resembles a large hound with rust-red or red-brown fur, and red, glowing eyes. The markings, teeth, and tongue are soot black. It stands two to three feet high at the shoulder and has a distinct odour of smoke and sulphur. The baying sounds it makes have an eerie, hollow tone that sends a shiver through any who hear them. But suddenly they started forward in a rigid, fixed stare, and his lips parted in amazement. At the same instant Lestrade gave a yell of terror and threw himself face downward upon the ground. I sprang to my feet, my inert hand grasping my pistol, my mind paralyzed by the dreadful shape which had sprung out upon us from the shadows of the fog. A hound it was, an enormous coal-black hound, but not such a hound as mortal eyes have ever seen. Fire burst from its open mouth, its eyes glowed with a smouldering glare, its muzzle and hackles and dewlap were outlined in flickering flame. Never in the delirious dream of a disordered brain could anything more savage, more appalling, more hellish be conceived than that dark form and savage face which broke upon us out of the wall of fog. [ The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. ] The heptagram, a sevenpointed star, is an obvious development of the pentagram, once it was discovered. The number seven is well known in symbolism. The traditional seven planets (the wandering celestial bodies as opposed to the fixed stars) were associated with seven celestial spheres, thus the old expression "to be in seventh heaven". The names of the seven days of the week may have been derived from the ordering of planets based on orbital period according to the paths of the heptagram. [ Adapted from symbols.com, the online encyclopedia of Western signs and ideograms ] The heptagram ward requires 21 strokes to draw, and is one of the most broadly effective wards. It may be reinforced up to seven times. The hexagram is based on the triangle gestalt. The earliest examples found are dated back to around 800-600 B.C. If the structure had been designed by a process of random experimentation with the basic gestalt, the hexagram as graphically simpler than the pentagram would have been created long before it. Present archeological and historical facts, however, indicate that it first appeared at least 3,000 years later than the pentgram. It is sometimes reffered to as Solomon's seal, though the sign on Solomon's seal is believed to have been a pentagram, and it is frequently used in the magic formulas in the old book of witchcraft, The Key of Solomon. The alchemists of the Middle Ages used the hexagram first and foremost as a general symbol representing the art of alchemy and secondly as a sign for combinations of water and fire. Combined these two triangles formed the symbol for fire water, the essence or spiritus of wine: alcohol. It was also used as a sign for quintessence, the fifth element. [ Adapted from symbols.com, the online encyclopedia of Western signs and ideograms ] Composed of just twelve strokes, the hexagram can be drawn fairly quickly. It may be reinforced up to seven times. Messenger and herald of the Olympians. Being required to do a great deal of travelling and speaking in public, he became the god of eloquence, travellers, merchants, and thieves. He was one of the most energetic of the Greek gods, a Machiavellian character full of trickery and sexual vigour. Like other Greek gods, he is endowed with not-inconsiderable sexual prowess which he directs towards countryside nymphs. He is a god of boundaries, guardian of graves and patron deity of shepherds. He is usually depicted as a handsome young man wearing winged golden sandals and holding a magical herald's staff consisting of intertwined serpents, the kerykeion. He is reputedly the only being able to find his way to the underworld ferry of Charon and back again. He is said to have invented, among other things, the lyre, Pan's Pipes, numbers, the alphabet, weights and measures, and sacrificing. "Hezrou" is the common name for the type II demon. It is among the weaker of demons, but still quite formidable. Greek physician, recognized as the father of medicine. He is believed to have been born on the island of Cos, to have studied under his father, a physician, to have traveled for some time, perhaps studying in Athens, and to have then returned to practice, teach, and write at Cos. The Hippocratic or Coan school that formed around him was of enormous importance in separating medicine from superstition and philosophic speculation, placing it on a strictly scientific plane based on objective observation and critical deductive reasoning. [ The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition ] In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. [ The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] Hobbits are an unobtrusive but very ancient people, more numerous formerly than they are today; for they love peace and quiet and good tilled earth: a well-ordered and well- farmed countryside was their favourite haunt. They do not and did not understand or like machines more complicated than a forge-bellows, a water-mill, or a handloom, although they were skillful with tools. Even in ancient days they were, as a rule, shy of "the Big Folk", as they call us, and now they avoid us with dismay and are becoming hard to find. [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] Hobgoblin. Used by the Puritans and in later times for wicked goblin spirits, as in Bunyan's "Hobgoblin nor foul friend", but its more correct use is for the friendly spirits of the brownie type. In "A midsummer night's dream" a fairy says to Shakespeare's Puck: Those that Hobgoblin call you, and sweet Puck, You do their work, and they shall have good luck: Are you not he? and obviously Puck would not wish to be called a hobgoblin if that was an ill-omened word. Hobgoblins are on the whole, good-humoured and ready to be helpful, but fond of practical joking, and like most of the fairies rather nasty people to annoy. Boggarts hover on the verge of hobgoblindom. Bogles are just over the edge. One Hob mentioned by Henderson, was Hob Headless who haunted the road between Hurworth and Neasham, but could not cross the little river Kent, which flowed into the Tess. He was exorcised and laid under a large stone by the roadside for ninety-nine years and a day. If anyone was so unwary as to sit on that stone, he would be unable to quit it for ever. The ninety-nine years is nearly up, so trouble may soon be heard of on the road between Hurworth and Neasham. [ A Dictionary of Fairies, by Katharine Briggs ] "We want a word with you," said Ligur (in a tone of voice intended to imply that "word" was synonymous with "horrifically painful eternity"), and the squat demon pushed open the office door. The bucket teetered, then fell neatly on Ligur's head. Drop a lump of sodium in water. Watch it flame and burn and spin around crazily, flaring and sputtering. This was like that, just nastier. The demon peeled and flared and flickered. Oily brown smoke oozed from it, and it screamed and it screamed and it screamed. Then it crumpled, folded in on itself, and what was left lay glistening on the burnt and blackened circle of carpet, looking like a handful of mashed slugs. "Hi," said Crowley to Hastur, who had been walking behind Ligur, and had unfortunately not been so much as splashed. There are some things that are unthinkable; there are some depths that not even demons would believe other demons would stoop to. ". . . Holy water. You bastard," said Hastur. "You complete _bastard_. He hadn't never done nothing to _you_." "Yet," corrected Crowley. [ Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett ] A homunculus is a creature summoned by a mage to perform some particular task. They are particularly good at spying. They are smallish creatures, but very agile. They can put their victims to sleep with a venomous bite, but due to their size, the effect does not last long on humans. "Tothapis cut him off. 'Be still and hearken. You will travel aboard the sacred wingboat. Of it you may not have heard; but it will bear you thither in a night and a day and a night. With you will go a homunculus that can relay your words to me, and mine to you, across the leagues between at the speed of thought.'" [ Conan the Rebel, by Poul Anderson ] But as for Queequeg -- why, Queequeg sat there among them -- at the head of the table, too, it so chanced; as cool as an icicle. To be sure I cannot say much for his breeding. His greatest admirer could not have cordially justified his bringing his harpoon into breakfast with him, and using it there without ceremony; reaching over the table with it, to the imminent jeopardy of many heads, and grappling the beefsteaks towards him. [ Moby Dick, by Herman Melville ] Roland hath set the Olifant to his mouth, He grasps it well, and with great virtue sounds. High are those peaks, afar it rings and loud, Thirty great leagues they hear its echoes mount. So Charles heard, and all his comrades round; Then said that King: "Battle they do, our counts!" And Guenelun answered, contrarious: "That were a lie, in any other mouth." [ The Song of Roland ] The infant Zeus was fed with goat's milk by Amalthea, daughter of Melisseus, King of Crete. Zeus, in gratitude, broke off one of the goat's horns, and gave it to Amalthea, promising that the possessor should always have in abundance everything desired. [ Brewer's Concise Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ] When Amalthea's horn O'er hill and dale the rose-crowned flora pours, And scatters corn and wine, and fruits and flowers. [ Os Lusiadas, by Luis Vaz de Camoes ] Savage determination drives one quite efficiently [ Faces of Evil, by Colin McComb ] Horned devils lack any real special abilities, though they are quite difficult to kill. Despite its eldritch appearance, the shambling horror is among the most harmless inhabitants of the Dungeons of Doom. Many adventurers who have returned from the depths can attest to the varied yet innocuous aspects of this creature. It is speculated by some that the shambling horror may occasionally possess abilities that are quite lethal, but if this is true, no one has yet observed them and survived to document it. King Richard III: A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse! Catesby: Withdraw, my lord; I'll help you to a horse. King Richard III: Slave, I have set my life upon a cast, And I will stand the hazard of the die: I think there be six Richmonds in the field; Five have I slain to-day instead of him. A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse! [ King Richard III, by William Shakespeare ] [Pestilence:] And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. [War:] And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. [Famine:] And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. [Death:] And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. [ Revelations of John, 6:1-8 ] The first of five mythical Chinese emperors, Huan Ti is known as the yellow emperor. He rules the _moving_ heavens, as opposed to the _dark_ heavens. He is an inventor, said to have given mankind among other things, the wheel, armour, and the compass. He is the god of fortune telling and war. Huehuetotl, or Huhetotl, which means Old God, was the Aztec (classical Mesoamerican) god of fire. He is generally associated with paternalism and one of the group classed as the Xiuhtecuhtli complex. He is known to send his minions to wreak havoc upon ordinary humans. [ after the Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ] Humanoids are all approximately the size of a human, and may be mistaken for one at a distance. They are usually of a tribal nature, and will fiercely defend their lairs. Usually hostile, they may even band together to raid and pillage human settlements. These strange creatures live mostly on the surface of the earth, gathering together in societies of various forms, but occasionally a stray will descend into the depths and commit mayhem among the dungeon residents who, naturally, often resent the intrusion of such beasts. They are capable of using weapons and magic, and it is even rumored that the Wizard of Yendor is a member of this species. What of the hunting, hunter bold? Brother, the watch was long and cold. What of the quarry ye went to kill? Brother, he crops in the jungle still. Where is the power that made your pride? Brother, it ebbs from my flank and side. Where is the haste that ye hurry by? Brother, I go to my lair to die. [ The Jungle Book, by Rudyard Kipling ] And in the air about him were great viperine creatures, which had curiously distorted heads, and grotesquely great clawed appendages, supporting themselves with ease by the aid of black rubbery wings of singularly monstrous dimensions. [ The Lurker At the Threshold, HP Lovecraft & August Derleth ] A thing coveted is worth the wait. [ Faces of Evil, by Colin McComb ] Ice devils are large semi-insectoid creatures, who are equally at home in the fires of Hell and the cold of Limbo, and who can cause the traveller to feel the latter with just a touch of their tail. Another clever translation [of the _Asterix_ character names] is that of Idefix. An _idee fixe_ is a "fixed idea", i.e. an obsession, a dogma. The translation, Dogmatix, manages to conserve the "fixed idea" meaning and also include the syllable dog -- perfect, given that the character is a dog who has very strong views on the environment (he howls whenever he sees an uprooted tree). [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] We do know that Vlad later married Ilona Szilagy, who was related to Matthias Corvinus, the king of Hungary who had placed Vlad under arrest following his escape from Wallachia in 1462. It appears that Corvinus made an arrangement with Vlad to restore him to his throne. To strengthen the bond, Vlad was offered a royal bride. [ Dracula's Homepage, by Dr. Elizabeth Miller ] A strange woman composed of tears and raindrops, Illurien of the Myriad Glimpses is a collector of information and a keeper of secrets. She appears as a dancing array of countless swirling droplets. This storm of stolen moments surrounds and creates a slender, but extremely tall, feminine form clad in gray robes. She has no facial features other than her vivid blue eyes. [ Adapted from Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 Edition Monster Manual V ] ... imps ... little creatures of two feet high that could gambol and jump prodigiously; ... [ The Charwoman's Shadow, by Lord Dunsany ] An 'imp' is an off-shoot or cutting. Thus an 'ymp tree' was a grafted tree, or one grown from a cutting, not from seed. 'Imp' properly means a small devil, an off-shoot of Satan, but the distinction between goblins or bogles and imps from hell is hard to make, and many in the Celtic countries as well as the English Puritans regarded all fairies as devils. The fairies of tradition often hover uneasily between the ghostly and the diabolic state. [ A Dictionary of Fairies, by Katharine Briggs ] Several centuries ago, there existed a faction, now almost entirely extinct, called nowadays 'The Incantifers', then simply as The Magicians or The Wanters. They believed that magic, specifically arcane magic, was the key to power, indeed the only power that mattered in the multiverse. Gain enough knowledge of magic and skill in it and you could do anything. Even challenge The Lady.... According to legend, at least two members of the Wanters tried just that. They died, horribly and spectacularly. Legend also says that one of them almost succeeded. Then one day, they vanished. Cutters looked up one morning and the Tower Sorcerous, the faction headquarters of the Wanters was simply gone. Nearly all of their members vanished with it, though a scant few remain to wander the planes. [ Shemeska's Story Hour, by Todd Stewart ] "They all ate magic. They ate other people's magic. Spells, items, anything they could buy, steal, or otherwise get a hold of. This place is sealed off from everything. There's no way out and you've got an entire faction of magic eating wizard suddenly bottled up with each other and no food source... except each other." [ Shemeska's Story Hour, by Todd Stewart ] "Yet it may be said that these devils assume a body not in order that they may bestow life upon it, but that they may by the means of this body preserve human semen, and pass the semen on to another body." [ Malleus Maleficarum, by Heinrich Kramer ] The incubus and succubus are male and female versions of the same demon, one who lies with a human for its own purposes, usually to the detriment of the mortals who are unwise in their dealings with them. People who can use the power of song to wield vast attacking force. Six of them, all female, have been recorded throughout history. The Intoners freed each land from the despotic rulers that once terrorized their people, and are now worshipped as saviors. [ Drakengard III ] The primary purpose of the DATA statement is to give names to constants; instead of referring to pi as 3.141592653589793 at every appearance, the variable PI can be given that value with a DATA statement and used instead of the longer form of the constant. This also simplifies modifying the program, should the value of pi change. [ FORTRAN manual for Xerox Computers ] A minute invertebrate animal; one of the class _Insecta_. The true insects or hexapods have the body divided into a head, a thorax of 3 segments, each of which bears a pair of legs, and an abdomen of 7 to 11 segments, and in development usually pass through a metamorphosis. There are usually 2 pairs of wings, sometimes one pair or none. [ Webster's Comprehensive International Dictionary of the English Language ] Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast: And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field: And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh. [ Exodus, 10:4-6 ] "You are fettered, " said Scrooge, trembling. "Tell me why?" "I wear the chain I forged in life," replied the Ghost. "I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it. Is its pattern strange to you?" Scrooge trembled more and more. "Or would you know," pursued the Ghost, "the weight and length of the strong coil you bear yourself? It was full as heavy and as long as this, seven Christmas Eves ago. You have laboured on it, since. It is a ponderous chain!" [ A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens ] Stone walls do not a prison make, Nor iron bars a cage; Minds innocent and quiet take That for an hermitage; If I have freedom in my love, And in my soul am free, Angels alone that soar above Enjoy such liberty. [ To Althea from Prison, by Richard Lovelace ] Ishtar (the star of heaven) is the Mesopotamian goddess of fertility and war. She is usually depicted with wings and weapon cases at her shoulders, carrying a ceremonial double- headed mace-scimitar embellished with lion heads, frequently being accompanied by a lion. She is symbolized by an eight- pointed star. [ Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ] Now Issek of the Jug, whom Fafhrd chose to serve, was once of the most lowly and unsuccessful of the gods, godlets rather, in Lankhmar. He had dwelt there for about thirteen years, during which time he had traveled only two squares up the Street of the Gods and was now back again, ready for oblivion. He is not to be confused with Issek the Armless, Issek of the Burnt Legs, Flayed Issek, or any other of the numerous and colorfully mutilated divinities of that name. Indeed, his unpopularity may have been due in part to the fact that the manner of his death -- racking -- was not deemed particularly spectacular. ... However, after Fafhrd became his acolyte, things somehow began to change. [ Swords In The Mist, by Fritz Leiber ] Tezcatlipoca (Fiery Mirror) was undoubtedly the Jupiter of the Nahua pantheon. He carried a mirror or shield [ Itlachiayaque ], from which he took his name, and in which he was supposed to see reflected the actions and deeds of mankind. The evolution of this god from the status of a spirit of wind or air to that of the supreme deity of the Aztec people presents many points of deep interest to students of mythology. [ The Myths of Mexico and Peru, by Lewis Spence ] The shopkeeper of the lighting shop in the town level of the gnomish mines is a tribute to Izchak Miller, a founding member of the NetHack development team and a personal friend of a large number of us. Izchak contributed greatly to the game, coding a large amount of the shopkeep logic (hence the nature of the tribute) as well as a good part of the alignment system, the prayer code and the rewrite of "hell" in the 3.1 release. Izchak was a professor of Philosophy, who taught at many respected institutions, including MIT and Stanford, and who also worked, for a period of time, at Xerox PARC. Izchak was the first "librarian" of the NetHack project, and was a founding member of the DevTeam, joining in 1986 while he was working at the University of Pennsylvania (hence our former mailing list address). Until the 3.1.3 release, Izchak carefully kept all of the code synchronized and arbitrated disputes between members of the development teams. Izchak Miller passed away at the age of 58, in the early morning hours of April 1, 1994 from complications due to cancer. We then dedicated NetHack 3.2 in his memory. [ Mike Stephenson, for the NetHack DevTeam ] "Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!" He took his vorpal sword in hand; Long time the manxome foe he sought -- So rested he by the Tumtum tree, And stood awhile in thought. And, as in uffish thought he stood, The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, And burbled as it came! One, two! One, two! And through and through The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! He left it dead, and with its head He went galumphing back. [ Jabberwocky, by Lewis Carroll ] Sweet in the rough weather The voice of the turtle-dove 'Beautiful altogether Is my Love. His Hands are open spread for love And full of jacinth stones As the apple-tree among trees of the grove Is He among the sons.' [ The Beloved, by May Probyn ] In Asiatic folktale, jackal provides for the lion; he scares up game, which the lion kills and eats, and receives what is left as reward. In stories from northern India he is sometimes termed "minister to the king," i.e. to the lion. From the legend that he does not kill his own food has arisen the legend of his cowardice. Jackal's heart must never be eaten, for instance, in the belief of peoples indigenous to the regions where the jackal abounds. ... In Hausa Negro folktale Jackal plays the role of sagacious judge and is called "O Learned One of the Forest." The Bushmen say that Jackal goes around behaving the way he does "because he is Jackal". [ Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore ] A large boot extending over the knee, acting as protective armour for the leg, worn by troopers in the 17th and 18th centuries and later. It is still the type of boot worn by the Household Cavalry and was adopted by fishermen and others before the advent of gum boots. Figuratively, _to be under the jack-boot_ is to be controlled by a brutal military regime. [ Brewer's Concise Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ] Nothing grew among the ruins of the city. The streets were broken and the walls of the houses had fallen, but there were no weeds flowering in the cracks and it seemed that the city had but recently been brought down by an earthquake. Only one thing still stood intact, towering over the ruins. It was a gigantic statue of white, gray and green jade - the statue of a naked youth with a face of almost feminine beauty that turned sightless eyes toward the north. "The eyes!" Duke Avan Astran said. "They're gone!" [ The Jade Man's Eyes, by Michael Moorcock ] Large, flesh-eating animal of the cat family, of Central and South America. This feline predator (_Panthera onca_) is sometimes incorrectly called a panther. [ Van Dale's Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal ] I do not care to share the seas With jellyfishes such as these; Particularly Portuguese. [ Lines on Meeting a Portuguese Man-o'-war while Bathing, by Michael Flanders ] A shuddering, glistening cone of jelly and slime striated with veins of black and green rears up from the pit. Baleful red eyes swim in the things gelatinous body, and dripping pseudopods of tremulous ooze writhe with latent hunger in every direction at once. [ Hordes of the Abyss, by Ed Stark, James Jacobs, and Erik Mona ] Little is known about the Faceless Lord, even the correct spelling of his name. He does not have a physical form as we know it, and those who have peered into his realm claim he is a slime-like creature who swallows other creatures alive, spits acidic secretions, and causes disease in his victims which can be almost instantly fatal. But the valley grew narrow and narrower still, And the evening got darker and colder, Till (merely from nervousness, not from goodwill) They marched along shoulder to shoulder. Then a scream, shrill and high, rent the shuddering sky, And they knew that some danger was near: The Beaver turned pale to the tip of its tail, And even the Butcher felt queer. [...] Such friends, as the Beaver and Butcher became, Have seldom if ever been known; In winter or summer, 'twas always the same You could never meet either alone. And when quarrels aroseas one frequently finds Quarrels will, spite of every endeavour The song of the Jubjub recurred to their minds, And cemented their friendship for ever! [ The Hunting of the Snark, by Lewis Carroll ] The K ration was the [ Quartermaster Subsistence Research and Development Laboratory's ] answer to the demand for an individual, easy-to-carry ration that could be used in assault and combat operations. It was noted for compactness and superior packaging and was acknowledged as the ration that provided the greatest variety of nutritionally balanced components within the smallest space. [ Special Rations for the Armed Forces, 1946-53, by Franz A. Koehler ] The kabuto is the helmet worn by the samurai. It was characterized by a prominent beaked front which jutted out over the brow to protect the wearer's face; a feature that gives rise to their modern Japanese name of 'shokaku tsuki kabuto' (battering-ram helmet). Their main constructional element was an oval plate, the shokaku bo, slightly domed for the head with a narrow prolongation in front that curved forwards and downwards where it developed a pronounced central fold. Two horizontal strips encircling the head were riveted to this frontal strip: the lower one, the koshimaki (hip wrap), formed the lower edge of the helmet bowl; the other, the do maki (body wrap), was set at about the level of the temples. Filling the gaps between these strips and the shokaku bo were small plates, sometimes triangular but more commonly rectangular in shape. Because the front projected so far from the head, the triangular gap beneath was filled by a small plate, the shoshaku tei ita, whose rear edge bent downwards into a flange that rested against the forehead. [ Arms & Armour of the Samurai, by Bottomley & Hopson ] The katana is a long, single-edged samurai sword with a slightly curved blade. Its long handle is designed to allow it to be wielded with either one or two hands. I noticed that all the plants were attached to the soil by an almost imperceptible bond. Devoid of roots, they seemed not to require any nourishment from sand, soil, or pebble. All they required was a point of support -- nothing else. These plants are self-propagated, and their existence depends entirely on the water that supports and nourishes them. Most of them do not sprout leaves, but sprout blades of various whimsical shapes, and their colors are limited to pink, carmine, green, olive, fawn, and brown. I had the opportunity to observe once more -- not the dried specimens I had studied on the _Nautilus_ -- but the fresh, living specimens in their native setting. [ 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne ] Strange spiritual machines, the Crown Enumerations enforce the inevitability of certain Laws on the inhabitants of this world. A delicate-seeming statue of mythril and adamantine, Justice herself come down off her pedestal to bring ruin to those who deny the inevitability of Law. Clad in sapphire armor, her left hand bears a balance scale and her right wields a black blade. A blindfold is tied around her neck; her onyx eyes never leave her target. Within her body spins an infinity of miniscule clockwork mechanisms. "The Crown's Law shall come to pass. Inevitability shall not be denied." An angular, abstract scupture of unyielding iron and floating hexagonal gears. The narrow pyramid of its body tapers to a razor point, and its arms are swordblades about which dance arcs of black light. "Agency is not given to you, to challenge the inevitablilty of your Maker." An Onyx statue in golden armor. Its right fist crackles with lightning and its left fist rings with peals of thunder. It bears a leaden omega crest on its chestplate, and its face is carved into the shape of a great skull. With each step it takes, there is the whirring of golden gears. "Whether by age, plague, war, or the hangman's noose, the inevitability of death waits for none." [ The Inevitable, by Todd Stewart ] "Whether in fire or in dust, all things end inevitably in ruin." A humanoid figure, clad in mirrored armor over wrappings of some black cloth that drinks the light. The oval mirror that is its head bears the reflection of your face. A pair of mismatched wings spread from its back, one angelic and the other demonic. Beneath its cloth skin, the turning of metal gears can be faintly heard. "The one time a man inevitably tells the truth is when he makes a vow in his own heart." [ Adapted from Code Geass ] A humanoid sculpture of black metal and mechanical muscles, clad in golden armor and a crimson cloak. It bears a silver scroll on its breastplate. "Whether by blood, or by gold, or by sweat, the contract will inevitably be repaid." A clockwork centaur, marble facades over a universe of brass gears and struts. A pair of hooked chains extend from its wrists and a coil of rope wraps around its waist. "Whether in this life or the next, you shall face inevitable judgement." The thirteen swordsmiths of the Fukuoka School traditionally inscribed only the character "Ichi" (one) on the tang of their swords as their signature. They further received permission to append the Imperial chrysanthemum crest (kiku) on the tang, thus their swords are known collectively as "Kiku-ichimonji" (Chrysanthemum and Ichi character). The ki-rin is a strange-looking flying creature. It has scales, a mane like a lion, a tail, hooves, and a horn. It is brightly colored, and can usually be found flying in the sky looking for good deeds to reward. Ector took both his sons to the church before which the anvil had been placed. There, standing before the anvil, he commanded Kay: "Put the sword back into the steel if you really think the throne is yours!" But the sword glanced off the steel. "Now it is your turn", Ector said facing Arthur. The young man lifted the sword and thrust with both arms; the blade whizzed through the air with a flash and drilled the metal as if it were mere butter. Ector and Kay dropped to their knees before Arthur. "Why, father and brother, do you bow before me?", Arthur asked with wonder in his voice. "Because now I know for sure that you are the king, not only by birth but also by law", Ector said. "You are no son of mine nor are you Kay's brother. Immediately after your birth, Merlin the Wise brought you to me to be raised safely. And though it was me that named you Arthur when you were baptized, you are really the son of brave king Uther Pendragon and queen Igraine..." And after these words, the lord rose and went to see the arch- bishop to impart to him what had passed. [ Van Gouden Tijden Zingen de Harpen, by Vladimir Hulpach, Emanuel Frynta, and Vackav Cibula ] "I think it passing odd that I am loved by one for a kindness I never did, and reviled by so many for my finest act." [ A Clash of Kings, George R.R. Martin ] Possibly perceiving an expression of dubiosity on their faces, the globetrotter went on adhering to his adventures. -- And I seen a man killed in Trieste by an Italian chap. Knife in his back. Knife like that. Whilst speaking he produced a dangerous looking clasp knife, quite in keeping with his character, and held it in the striking position. -- In a knockingshop it was count of a tryon between two smugglers. Fellow hid behind a door, come up behind him. Like that. Prepare to meet your God, says he. Chuck! It went into his back up to the butt. [ Ulysses, by James Joyce ] Here lies the noble fearless knight, Whose valour rose to such a height; When Death at last had struck him down, His was the victory and renown. He reck'd the world of little prize, And was a bugbear in men's eyes; But had the fortune in his age To live a fool and die a sage. [ Don Quixote of La Mancha by Miquel de Cervantes Saavedra ] The race of kobolds are reputed to be an artificial creation of a master wizard (demi-god?). They are about 3' tall with a vaguely dog-like face. They bear a violent dislike of the Elven race, and will go out of their way to cause trouble for Elves at any time. The Kops are a brilliant concept. To take a gaggle of inept policemen and display them over and over again in a series of riotously funny physical punishments plays equally well to the peanut gallery and the expensive box seats. People hate cops. Even people who have never had anything to do with cops hate them. Of course, we count on them to keep order and to protect us when we need protecting, and we love them on television shows in which they have nerves of steel and hearts of gold, but in the abstract, as a nation, collectively we hate them. They are too much like high school principals. We're very happy to see their pants fall down, and they look good to us with pie on their faces. The Keystone Kops turn up--and they get punished for it, as they crash into each other, fall down, and suffer indignity after indignity. Here is pure movie satisfaction. The Kops are very skillfully presented. The comic originality and timing in one of their chase scenes requires imagination to think up, talent to execute, understanding of the medium, and, of course, raw courage to perform. The Kops are madmen presented as incompetents, and they're madmen rushing around in modern machines. What's more, the machines they were operating in their routines were newly invented and not yet experienced by the average moviegoer. (In the early days of automobiles, it was reported that there were only two cars registered in all of Kansas City, and they ran into each other. There is both poetry and philosophy in this fact, but most of all, there is humor. Sennett got the humor.) [ Silent Stars, by Jeanine Basinger ] "I am not a coward!" he cried. "I'll dare Thieves' House and fetch you Krovas' head and toss it with blood a-drip at Vlana's feet. I swear that, witness me, Kos the god of dooms, by the brown bones of Nalgron my father and by his sword Graywand here at my side!" [ Swords and Deviltry, by Fritz Leiber ] A Japanese harp. Out from the water a long sinuous tentacle had crawled; it was pale-green and luminous and wet. Its fingered end had hold of Frodo's foot, and was dragging him into the water. Sam on his knees was now slashing at it with a knife. The arm let go of Frodo, and Sam pulled him away, crying out for help. Twenty other arms came rippling out. The dark water boiled, and there was a hideous stench. [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] "Below the thunders of the upper deep; Far, far beneath in the abysmal sea, His ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep The Kraken sleepeth: faintest sunlights flee About his shadowy sides: above him swell Huge sponges of millennial growth and height; And far away into the sickly light, From many a wondrous grot and secret cell Unnumber'd and enormous polypi Winnow with giant arms the slumbering green. There hath he lain for ages and will lie Battening upon huge seaworms in his sleep, Until the latter fire shall heat the deep; Then once by man and angels to be seen, In roaring he shall rise and on the surface die." [ The Kraken, by Alfred, Lord Tennyson ] Blind Io took up the dice-box, which was a skull whose various orifices had been stoppered with rubies, and with several of his eyes on the Lady he rolled three fives. She smiled. This was the nature of the Lady's eyes: they were bright green, lacking iris or pupil, and they glowed from within. The room was silent as she scrabbled in her box of pieces and, from the very bottom, produced a couple that she set down on the board with two decisive clicks. The rest of the players, as one God, craned forward to peer at them. "A wenegade wiffard and fome fort of clerk," said Offler the Crocodile God, hindered as usual by his tusks. "Well, weally!" With one claw he pushed a pile of bone-white tokens into the centre of the table. The Lady nodded slightly. She picked up the dice-cup and held it as steady as a rock, yet all the Gods could hear the three cubes rattling about inside. And then she sent them bouncing across the table. A six. A three. A five. Something was happening to the five, however. Battered by the chance collision of several billion molecules, the die flipped onto a point, spun gently and came down a seven. Blind Io picked up the cube and counted the sides. "Come _on_," he said wearily, "Play fair." [ The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett ] When he came to himself he told his mother what had passed, and showed her the lamp and the fruits he had gathered in the garden, which were in reality precious stones. He then asked for some food. "Alas! child," she said, "I have nothing in the house, but I have spun a little cotton and will go and sell it." Aladdin bade her keep her cotton, for he would sell the lamp instead. As it was very dirty she began to rub it, that it might fetch a higher price. Instantly a hideous genie appeared, and asked what she would have. She fainted away, but Aladdin, snatching the lamp, said boldly: "Fetch me something to eat!" [ Aladdin, from The Arabian Nights, by Andrew Lang ] With this the wind increased, and the mill sails began to turn about; which Don Quixote espying, said, 'Although thou movest more arms than the giant Briareus thou shalt stoop to me.' And, after saying this, and commending himself most devoutly to his Lady Dulcinea, desiring her to succor him in that trance, covering himself well with his buckler, and setting his lance on his rest, he spurred on Rozinante, and encountered with the first mill that was before him, and, striking his lance into the sail, the wind swung it about with such fury, that it broke his lance into shivers, carrying him and his horse after it, and finally tumbled him a good way off from it on the field in evil plight. [ Don Quixote of La Mancha by Miquel de Cervantes Saavedra ] Your heart is intact, your brain is not badly damaged, but the rest of your injuries are comparable to stepping on a land mine. You'd never walk again, and you'd be in great pain. You would come to wish you had not survived. [ Steel Beach, by John Varley ] While pretending to be a fancy safety lamp, it is in fact battery powered. A discreet little switch is marked "on/off" in elaborate lettering. [ Adventure 770, by Mike Arnautov ] When for the third time he awakened with those flights still undescended and those hushed sunset streets still untraversed, he prayed long and earnestly to the hidden gods of dream that brood capricious above the clouds on unknown Kadath, in the cold waste where no man treads. [ The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath, H. P. Lovecraft ] You are on the edge of a breath-taking view. Far below you is an active volcano, from which great gouts of molten lava come surging out, cascading back down into the depths. The glowing rock fills the farthest reaches of the cavern with a blood-red glare, giving everything an eerie, macabre appearance. The air is filled with flickering sparks of ash and a heavy smell of brimstone. The walls are hot to the touch, and the thundering of the volcano drowns out all other sounds. Embedded in the jagged roof far overhead are myriad twisted formations composed of pure white alabaster, which scatter the murky light into sinister apparitions upon the walls. To one side is a deep gorge, filled with a bizarre chaos of tortured rock which seems to have been crafted by the devil himself. An immense river of fire crashes out from the depths of the volcano, burns its way through the gorge, and plummets into a bottomless pit far off to your left. To the right, an immense geyser of blistering steam erupts continuously from a barren island in the center of a sulfurous lake, which bubbles ominously. The far right wall is aflame with an incandescence of its own, which lends an additional infernal splendor to the already hellish scene. A dark, forboding passage exits to the south. [ Adventure, by Will Crowther and Doug Woods. ] Then a lawyer said, But what of our Laws, master? And he answered: You delight in laying down laws. Yet you delight more in breaking them. Like children playing by the ocean who build sand-towers with constancy and then destroy them with laughter. But while you build your sand-towers the ocean brings more sand to the shore, And when you destroy them the ocean laughs with you. Verily the ocean laughs with the innocent. [ The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran ] They had splendid heads, fine shoulders, strong legs, and straight tails. The spots on their bodies were jet-black and mostly the size of a two-shilling piece; they had smaller spots on their heads, legs, and tails. Their noses and eye- rims were black. Missis had a most winning expression. Pongo, though a dog born to command, had a twinkle in his eye. They walked side by side with great dignity, only putting the Dearlys on the leash to lead them over crossings. [ The Hundred and One Dalmatians, by Dodie Smith ] An ancient nexus of elemental forces and foul slime, fused to the tortured flesh of a thousand fallen mortals. It is this entity to whom Moloch trusts the command of his armies, when he does not wish to exercise it himself. This creature is humanoid in shape, with deep red skin. It wears studded leather armor, a chain coif, and a vicious snarl. [ Tyrants of the Nine Hells, by Robin Laws and Robert Schwalb ] A soldier of the Legions of Hell. More powerful individuals can be distinguished by their increasingly large horns. In the morning, as they were beginning to pack their slender goods, Elves that could speak their tongue came to them and brought them many gifts of food and clothing for their journey. The food was mostly in the form of very thin cakes, made of a meal that was baked a light brown on the outside, and inside was the colour of cream. Gimli took up one of the cakes and looked at it with a doubtful eye. 'Cram,' he said under his breath, as he broke off a crisp corner and nibbled at it. His expression quickly changed, and he ate all the rest of the cake with relish. 'No more, no more!' cried the Elves laughing. 'You have eaten enough already for a long day's march.' 'I thought it was only a kind of cram, such as the Dalemen make for journeys in the wild,' said the Dwarf. 'So it is,' they answered. 'But we call it lembas or waybread, and it is more strengthening than any foods made by Men, and it is more pleasant than cram, by all accounts.' [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] The Larvae (Lemures) are Roman spirits of deceased family members. These malignant spirits dwell throughout the house and frighten the inhabitants. People tried to reconcile or avert the Larvae with strange ceremonies which took place on May 9, 11, and 13; this was called the "Feast of the Lemures". The master of the house usually performed these ceremonies, either by offering black beans to the spirits or chasing them away by making a lot of noise. Their counterparts are the Lares, friendly and beneficent house spirits. [ Encyclopedia Mythica, ed. M.F. Lindemans ] The lowliest of the inhabitants of hell. The lemures fester at the very bottom of the scale of baatezu politics. Again, many scholars seem reluctant to classify them as true baatezu, leaving them officially unranked and definitely unamed. The lemures are the mindless armies of the Blood War, the rank-and-file, incapable of making decisions on their own. They're driven into battle by threats of pain and destruction. However, as pathetic as they are, lemures are also the steppingstone to greater things. [ Faces of Evil, Colin McComb ] ... the leucrocotta, a wild beast of extraordinary swiftness, the size of the wild ass, with the legs of a Stag, the neck, tail, and breast of a lion, the head of a badger, a cloven hoof, the mouth slit up as far as the ears, and one continuous bone instead of teeth; it is said, too, that this animal can imitate the human voice. [ Curious Creatures in Zoology, by John Ashton ] "My next perplexity was to draw the shaggy hide from the dead beast's limbs: a very taxing labour, for to attempt it I had neither knife of iron nor stone nor other means. Then a god put into my head to slit the lion's skin with the lion's own claws; with these I soon had it off and wrapped it around my frame to serve as a shield against the cut and thrust of the battle-rout. And there, my friend, you have that tale of the fate that befell the lion of Nemea, that was once the cause of many a sorrow to flocks and to men." [ Theocritus, Idylls 25. 132 ff (trans. Rist) ] The Irish Leprechaun is the Faeries' shoemaker and is known under various names in different parts of Ireland: Cluricaune in Cork, Lurican in Kerry, Lurikeen in Kildare and Lurigadaun in Tipperary. Although he works for the Faeries, the Leprechaun is not of the same species. He is small, has dark skin and wears strange clothes. His nature has something of the manic-depressive about it: first he is quite happy, whistling merrily as he nails a sole on to a shoe; a few minutes later, he is sullen and morose, drunk on his home-made heather ale. The Leprechaun's two great loves are tobacco and whiskey, and he is a first-rate con-man, impossible to out-fox. No one, no matter how clever, has ever managed to cheat him out of his hidden pot of gold or his magic shilling. At the last minute he always thinks of some way to divert his captor's attention and vanishes in the twinkling of an eye. [ A Field Guide to the Little People by Nancy Arrowsmith & George Moorse ] Of gold I am, and by gold I'm plied, still as the tears in dead men's eyes. Drink of silver, find no peace, but drink of me and find release. [ Adapted from Shemeska's Story Hour by Todd Stewart ] The Lethe is a river, slow, dark and deep, which flows from the mortal world to the forbidden lands of N'Kai. It is said that a single sip of its sparkling waters is enough to wash a man's memories away, never to return. Phaeton felt a rushing then, as if he were being pulled quickly through many waters. After a time he realized that he did indeed feel wet soaking wet but the blackness here was absolute, and the pressure on him immense. Something swam by him, and the elf recognized the creature again, grown somehow into immensity, and glowing eerily. It peered at him and spoke in his mind; the foundations of his sanity trembled. Somehow Phaeton could perceive that this was just an image, a shadow of something far greater; he saw in his mind's eye a creature encased in ice, frozen and unable to touch the world. Here you will forget. The creature seemed to swim lazily about him. But there is something you must yet do. What? Phaeton thought back. Don't you remember? A strange sensation burned in the elf's lungs, and recognition dawned. Oh, yes, he thought. I must breathe. [ Dicefreaks: The Gates of Hell ] Once in a great while, an evil master wizard or priest will manage through use of great magics to extend his or her life far beyond the normal span of a human. The usual effect of this is to transform the human, over time, into an undead of great magical power. A Lich hates life in any form; even a touch from one of these creatures will cause a numbing cold in the victim. They all possess the capability to use magic. But on its heels ere the sunset faded, there came a second apparition, striding with incredible strides and halting when it loomed almost upon me in the red twilight-the monstrous mummy of some ancient king still crowned with untarnished gold but turning to my gaze a visage that more than time or the worm had wasted. Broken swathings flapped about the skeleton legs, and above the crown that was set with sapphires and orange rubies, a black something swayed and nodded horribly; but, for an instant, I did not dream what it was. Then, in its middle, two oblique and scarlet eyes opened and glowed like hellish coals, and two ophidian fangs glittered in an ape-like mouth. A squat, furless, shapeless head on a neck of disproportionate extent leaned unspeakably down and whispered in the mummy's ear. Then, with one stride, the titanic lich took half the distance between us, and from out the folds of the tattered sere-cloth a gaunt arm arose, and fleshless, taloned fingers laden with glowering gems, reached out and fumbled for my throat . . . [ The Abominations of Yondo, by Clark Ashton Smith ] The chamber was of unhewn rock, round, as near as might be, eighteen or twenty feet across, and gay with rich variety of fern and moss and lichen. The fern was in its winter still, or coiling for the spring-tide; but moss was in abundant life, some feathering, and some gobleted, and some with fringe of red to it. [ Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore ] Strange creatures formed from energy rather than matter, lights are given to self-destructive behavior when battling foes. "Not as clumsy or random as a blaster; an elegant weapon, for a more civilized age." [ Star Wars ] A lillend has the torso, arms, and head of a comely man or woman, but also has broad, powerful, feathered wings and a stout serpentine body from the waist downwards. Though the humanlike portions of a lillend are of unremarkable hue, the feathered and scaled parts of its anatomy are brightly colored and strikingly patterned. Each individual has its own unique color combination and is quite proud of it. A lillend wears no clothing but sometimes wears jewelry. It always carries weapons and musical instruments. Lillendi social status depends on a simple system of initiations into mysteries and the ownership of certain totem masks. The mysteries are akin to secret societies, and each mystery is a specific kernel of wisdom passed on from one generation to the next. The more societies a lillend is a member of, the greater her status. Each society is devoted to particular musical forms, songs, instruments, and weapons, so a group of lillendi usually uses the same instruments, weaponry, and spells. The masks are tangentially related to the societies, since each mask design belongs to a specific family, and long ago each family lived in a single lodge and wore a single type of mask. Things have gotten a little more complicated since then, but the masks still roughly indicate status and family affiliations. [ Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition Complete Monstrous Manual ] It seems as if Euryale has always dwelt in the Hells. Beelzebub named his present city (Malegard) after her in ancient times, when she was the mistress of discipline there. She customarily takes the form of an old arthritic-looking hag with the strength of a titan and serpentine hair. In various forms she visits the copper citidels of her plane; if the inhabitants do not respond appropriately the burg is destroyed in a vast inferno and servants are dispatched to build another. Euryale is the third ruler of Malebolge. Euryale replaced Moloch, who in turn replaced Count Beherit, who was destroyed by the Dark Lord for disobeying restrictions on the elevation of devils. Lilith and Tartach convinced her to stage a coup during the mad cycles of the last Reckoning, and as a result she is no longer considered a subordinate of Baalzebul. [ Rip Van Wormer ] Lilith was crafted by the Lords of Baator to haunt Prime Material deserts, stealing children, corrupting men, and recruiting witches to their cause. Thought to be older than humanity, Lilith fulfilled her role across the ages until it was feared she might become a goddess. To prevent this from happening, she was bound to Count Moloch, who became the Horned King to her Great Goddess. She viewed him with hatred, and thought fondly of the kiss of the desert wind and her throngs of adoring consorts and covens. During the last Great Upheaval, while Beelzebub and his camp were busy with the war, she made her move. She whispered to her lover that his greatest opportunities lay with supporting the Lord of the Flies. Asmodeus cast him down, and made his consort ruler in his place. Moloch was sent away in disgrace, but Lilith was still unsatisfied. She knew Asmodeus was watching her progress and feared that he had allowed her to retain the sixth layer of Baator only because she was being groomed to be his bride. Knowing well what had happened to Bensozia, Asmodeus' previous choice, she maneuvered to prevent this from happening. Secretly, she corrupted certain officials in Malsheem and managed to smuggle out a small quantity of the essence of Asmodeus and Benzozia to the yugoloths, with Glasya the result. She hoped that a daughter would satisfy whatever schemes Asmodus had in mind, and as a result he considers Lilith to be the princess' honorary mother. [ Rip Van Wormer ] Even in the light, the girl was difficult to see. Her long, glossy black hair concealed most of her pale face, and her dark clothing seemed to draw on shadows. Her amber eyes, somehow serpentine, reflected in the light. Yet there was something familiar about her... Somehow, he knew her to be cause of this madness. [ Dicefreaks: The Gates of Hell ] Lizards, snakes and the burrowing amphisbaenids make up the order Squamata, meaning the scaly ones. The elongate, slim, long-tailed bodies of lizards have become modified to enable them to live in a wide range of habitats. Lizards can be expert burrowers, runners, swimmers and climbers, and a few can manage crude, short-distance gliding on rib-supported "wings". Most are carnivores, feeding on invertebrate and small vertebrate prey, but others feed on vegetation. [ Macmillan Illustrated Animal Encyclopedia ] Loki, or Lopt, is described in Snorri's _Edda_ as being "pleasing and handsome in appearance, evil in character, and very capricious in behaviour". He is the son of the giant Farbauti and of Laufey. Loki is the Norse god of cunning, evil, thieves, and fire. He hated the other gods and wanted to ruin them and overthrow the universe. He committed many murders. As a thief, he stole Freyja's necklace, Thor's belt and gauntlets of power, and the apples of youth. Able to shapechange at will, he is said to have impersonated at various times a mare, flea, fly, falcon, seal, and an old crone. As a mare he gave birth to Odin's horse Sleipnir. He also allegedly sired the serpent Midgard, the mistress of the netherworld, Hel, and the wolf Fenrir, who will devour the sun at Ragnarok. This legendary bow grants ESP when carried and can reflect magical attacks when wielded. When invoked it provides a supply of arrows. But as Snow White grew, she became more and more beautiful, and by the time she was seven years old she was as beautiful as the day and more beautiful than the queen herself. One day when the queen said to her mirror: "Mirror, Mirror, here I stand. Who is the fairest in the land?" - the mirror replied: "You, O Queen, are the fairest here, But Snow White is a thousand times more fair." [ Snow White, by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm ] Lord Carnarvon was a personality who could have been produced nowhere but in England, a mixture of sportsman and collector, gentleman and world traveler, a realist in action and a romantic in feeling. ... In 1903 he went for the first time to Egypt in search of a mild climate and while there visited the excavation sites of several archaeological expeditions. ... In 1906 he began his own excavations. [ Gods, Graves, and Scholars, by C. W. Ceram ] Lord Sato was the family head of the Taro Clan, and a mighty daimyo. He is a loyal servant of the Emperor, and will do everything in his power to further the imperial cause. Yet first was the world in the southern region, which was named Muspell; it is light and hot; that region is glowing and burning, and impassable to such as are outlanders and have not their holdings there. He who sits there at the land's-end, to defend the land, is called Surtr; he brandishes a flaming sword, and at the end of the world he shall go forth and harry, and overcome all the gods, and burn all the world with fire. [ The Prose Edda, by Snorri Sturluson ] Like many polearms, this weapon has several spikes. But while many others have a blade or axe, this one has a three-pronged hammer at the end of a seven foot (2 meter) pole. I H H H______ __-H [_ -----H____[_ H H I have haunted the tombs of the ages, I have flown on the pinions of fear, Where the smoke-belching Erebus rages; Where the jokulls loom snow-clad and drear: And in realms where the sun of the desert consumes what it never can cheer. I was old when the pharaohs first mounted The jewel-decked throne by the Nile; I was old in those epochs uncounted When I, and I only, was vile; And Man, yet untainted and happy, dwelt in bliss on the far Arctic isle. Oh, great was the sin of my spirit, And great is the reach of its doom; Not the pity of Heaven can cheer it, Nor can respite be found in the tomb: Down the infinite aeons come beating the wings of unmerciful gloom. [ Nemesis, HP Lovecraft ] "[...] We'll succeed and you'll get all the fortune you came seeking." Jack shook his head dismally. "You'll be better off without me," he said. "I'm nothing but bad luck. It's because I'm cursed. A farmer I met on the way to the city cursed me. He said, 'I curse you Jack. May you never know wealth. May all that you wish for be denied you.'" "What a horrid man," said Eddie. "Why did he curse you like that?" Jack shrugged [...]. "Bad grace, I suppose. Just because I shot off his ear and made him jump into a pit full of spikes." [ the hollow chocolate bunnies of the apocalypse, by Robert Rankin ] Lugh, or Lug, was the sun god of the Irish Celts. One of his weapons was a rod-sling which worshippers sometimes saw in the sky as a rainbow. As a tribal god, he was particularly skilled in the use of his massive, invincible spear, which fought on its own accord. One of his epithets is _lamfhada_ (of the long arm). He was a young and apparently more attractive deity than Dagda, the father of the gods. Being able to shapeshift, his name translates as lynx. The lurker is a carnivorous scavenger found only in subterranean settings. It resembles a large manta ray; its grayish belly is textured like stone. The lurker typically attaches itself to a ceiling, where it is very difficult to detect (only 10% chance) unless actually prodded. ... Lurkers are opportunistic feeders that make do with whatever wanders by. The lurker flies by means of gases generated in sacs. [ Monstrous Manual, by TSR inc. ] In 1573, the Parliament of Dole published a decree, permitting the inhabitants of the Franche-Comte to pursue and kill a were-wolf or loup-garou, which infested that province, "notwithstanding the existing laws concerning the chase." The people were empowered to "assemble with javelins, halberds, pikes, arquebuses and clubs, to hunt and pursue the said were-wolf in all places where they could find it, and to take, burn, and kill it, without incurring any fine or other penalty." The hunt seems to have been successful, if we may judge from the fact that the same tribunal in the following year condemned to be burned a man named Giles Garnier, who ran on all fours in the forest and fields and devoured little children, "even on Friday." The poor lycanthrope, it appears, had as slight respect for ecclesiastical feasts as the French pig, which was not restrained by any feeling of piety from eating infants on a fast day. [ The History of Vampires, by Dudley Wright ] The animal proverbial for its piercing eyesight is a fabulous beast, half dog and half panther, but not like either in character. The cat-like animal now called a lynx is not remarkable for keen-sightedness. The word is probably related to Greek _lussein_, to see. [ Brewer's Concise Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ] To dream of seeing a lynx, enemies are undermining your business and disrupting your home affairs. For a woman, this dream indicates that she has a wary woman rivaling her in the affections of her lover. If she kills the lynx, she will overcome her rival. [ 10,000 Dreams Interpreted, by Gustavus Hindman Miller ] The lyre is a stringed musical instrument well known for its use in classical antiquity and later. [...] According to ancient Greek mythology, the young god Hermes created the lyre from a slaughtered cow from Apollo's sacred herd, using the intestines for the strings - eventually Apollo discovered who had stolen his herd, but Hermes was forgiven after he gave Apollo the instrument. [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyre ] Originally a club armed with iron, and used in war; now a staff of office pertaining to certain dignitaries, as the Speaker of the House of Commons, Lord Mayors, Mayors etc. Both sword and mace are symbols of dignity, suited to the times when men went about in armour, and sovereigns needed champions to vindicate their rights. [ Brewer's Concise Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ] A highly enchanted athame said to hold the power to channel and direct magical energy. It is said by some that this artifact is less useful when imbued with other magics, an assertation that is fiercely debated among the most wise and learned of those familiar with its lore. The pen is mightier than the sword. [ Richelieu, by Edward Bulwer-Lytton ] This powerful mirror was created by Merlin, the druid, in ages past, when trees sang and rocks danced. It protects all who carry it from magic missiles, and gives them ESP. [...] In Dehenbarth (that now South Wales is hight, What time King Ryence reigned, and dealed right) The great magician Merlin had devised, By his deep science, and hell-dreaded might, A looking-glass, right wondrously aguised, Whose virtues through the wide world soon were solemnized. It virtue had to show in perfect sight Whatever thing was in the world contained, Betwixt the lowest earth and heaven's height, So that it to the looker appertained; Whatever foe had wrought, or friend had fained, Therein discovered was, nor aught might pass, Nor aught in secret from the same remained; For-thy it round and hollow shaped was, Like the world itself, and seemed a world of glass. [ The Faerie Queene, by Edmund Spencer ] It is rumoured that these strange creatures can be harmed by domesticated canines only. This statuesque beauty wears a sardonic smile on her ruby lips. Curved horns jut from her brow and hold back her long dark hair -and her eyes smolder with dangerous red sensuality. Large leathery wings stretch from her back, the joints of which are laced with razorlike claws, and a sinuous tail ending in a thin curved spike completes the image of demonic beauty. She wears a revealing gown of diaphanous silk and razor studded leather straps. [ Hordes of the Abyss, by Ed Stark, James Jacobs, and Erik Mona ] The Viscount bowed low again as he accepted the silver piece. He beamed another huge smile at the Lord Minister and turned to leave. Almost as an afterthought, he turned back. "Tell me truly, Lord Minister. Will this gold you have gathered go to the one you serve?" The old man glared at the impertinence of the question, then seemed to think the better of it. "Yes, Viscount. It will go to His work. The aspects of His work which I see fit to place it towards." The Viscount beamed and bowed yet again. "One more indulgence, Gracious Father of Salvation. Could you read to me a page from your Holy Writ? I have always had a passion for hearing it spoken aloud. Any passage will do " Almost snarling, the Lord Minister yanked the book from its chain and angrily opened it, tearing several pages in the process. "No man can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be enslaved to one and betray the other. One cannot serve both God and Mammon." As the Lord Minister concluded the passage, the sound of a thousand golden coins falling to the ground resounded throughout the temple. The Viscount's smile, now framed by a red moustache and forked beard, became ugly as his teeth lengthened into golden fangs. [ Dicefreaks: The Gates of Hell ] This massive fiend has the lower body of a brown-spotted serpent and the upper body of a muscular humanoid with two large arms. The creature's bestial head is terrifically monstrous, with a black-lipped maw filled with pointed teeth and a pair of serpent's fangs. His eyes are pale white, without irises or pupils, yet he seems to see perfectly. [ Tyrants of the Nine Hells, by Robin Laws and Robert Schwalb ] Normally called Manannan, Ler's son was the patron of merchants and sailors. Manannan had a sword which never failed to slay, a boat which propelled itself wherever its owner wished, a horse which was swifter than the wind, and magic armour which no sword could pierce. He later became god of the sea, beneath which he lived in Tir na nOc, the underworld. The gnats of the dungeon, these swarming monsters are rarely seen alone. Manes or Di Manes ("good ones") is the euphemistic description of the souls of the deceased, worshipped as divinities. The formula D.M. ( = Dis Manibus; "dedicated to the Manes-gods") can often be found on tombstones. Manes also means metaphorically 'underworld' or 'realm of death'. Festivals in honor of the dead were the Parentalia and the Feralia, celebrated in February. [ Encyclopedia Mythica, ed. M.F. Lindemans ] The manticore is a true monster, with a leonine torso and legs, batlike wings, a man's head, a tail tipped with iron spikes, and an appetite for human flesh. The manticore stands 6 feet tall at the shoulder and measures 15 feet in length. It has a 25-foot wingspan. Each section of the manticore closely resembles the creature it imitates. The leonine torso has a tawny hide, the mane is a lion's brown-black color, and the batlike wings are a dark brown with sparse hair. All manticores have heads that resemble human males; the mane resembles a heavy beard and long hair. In combat, the manticore fires volleys of 1-6 tail spikes. The spikes are coated in a paralyzing venom. [ Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition Complete Monstrous Manual ] First insisting on recognition as supreme commander, Marduk defeated the Dragon, cut her body in two, and from it created heaven and earth, peopling the world with human beings who not unnaturally showed intense gratitude for their lives. The gods were also properly grateful, invested him with many titles, and eventually permitted themselves to be embodied in him, so that he became supreme god, plotting the whole course of known life from the paths of the planets to the daily events in the lives of men. [ The Immortals, by Derek and Julia Parker ] "Why did the half-breed _agree_ to this dealing? Does he not _realize_ he seeks to impress one without a _shred_ of humanity, without the barest conception of _love_?" [ hellBound: the Bargain, by Jeff Grubb ] The marilith has a torso shaped like that of a human female, and the lower body of a great snake. It has multiple arms, and can freely attack with all of them. Since it is intelligent enough to use weapons, this means it can cause great damage. The god of war, and one of the most prominent and worshipped gods. In early Roman history he was a god of spring, growth in nature, and fertility, and the protector of cattle. Mars is also mentioned as a chthonic god (earth-god) and this could explain why he became a god of death and finally a god of war. He is the son of Jupiter and Juno. [ Encyclopedia Mythica, ed. M.F. Lindemans ] He hides who he really is and pretends to be someone else forever. So in time he becomes that person, so his lie becomes the truth, see? He transcends the mask. Well, don't you get it? That's how he finds happiness. That's pretty good, right? [ FLCL ] He strolled down the stairs, followed by a number of assassins. When he was directly in front of Ymor he said: "I've come for the tourist." ... "One step more and you'll leave here with fewer eyeballs than you came with," said the thiefmaster. "So sit down and have a drink, Zlorf, and let's talk about this sensibly. _I_ thought we had an agreement. You don't rob -- I don't kill. Not for payment, that is," he added after a pause. Zlorf took the proffered beer. "So?" he said. "I'll kill him. Then you rob him. Is he that funny looking one over there?" "Yes." Zlorf stared at Twoflower, who grinned at him. He shrugged. He seldom wasted time wondering why people wanted other people dead. It was just a living. "Who is your client, may I ask?" said Ymor. Zlorf held up a hand. "Please!" he protested. "Professional etiquette." [ The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett ] This skeleton key was fashioned in ages past and imbued with a powerful magic which allows it to open any lock. When carried, it grants its owner warning, teleport control, and reduces all physical damage by half. Finally, when invoked, it has the ability to disarm any trap. There was a flutter of wings at the window. Ymor shifted his bulk out of the chair and crossed the room, coming back with a large raven. After he'd unfastened the message capsule from its leg it flew up to join its fellows lurking among the rafters. Withel regarded it without love. Ymor's ravens were notoriously loyal to their master, to the extent that Withel's one attempt to promote himself to the rank of greatest thief in Ankh-Morpork had cost their master's right hand man his left eye. But not his life, however. Ymor never grudged a man his ambitions. [ The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett ] Any large, elephantlike mammal of the genera Mammut, Mastodon, etc., from the Oligocene and Pleistocene epochs, having conical projections on the molar teeth. [ Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language ] Yakwawi, the Mastodon, was placed on the world to be useful to man; but the great monstrous beast was fierce, powerful and invincible. Its hide was so strong and so thick that the sharpest spears and arrows could hardly penetrate it. This terrible creature made war against all the other animals that lived in the woods and on the plains; other animals that the Creator put here to be used as meat for the Lenapé people.) [ From Legends of the Lenape Native Americans ] A mattock is an agricultural tool similar to a mining pick. It is distinguished by the head terminating in a broader blade rather than a narrow spike, which makes it particularly suitably for breaking up moderately hard ground. ... During the Middle Ages of Europe, the mattock served as an improvised shafted weapon for the poorer classes. [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] Mine was a name that struck fear into men And regret into plenty of lasses Oh, how I wish I could take back those days As I stare at these empty beer-glasses I think of the times past when I had it all I toyed with men's wives and their daughters And in my pursuit of this ill-gotten wealth I stabbed and I slashed and I slaughtered. And for what? The men that I've fought Are matched by the number of women I've bought And for what? I've killed and I've shot And reddened the cold tears of children with blood And If I could go back and make my amends I'd make all those mistakes again I'd kill every last one of those bastards, my friend [ Pirate Song, Alestorm ] Some hae meat and canna eat, And some would eat that want it; But we hae meat, and we can eat, Sae let the Lord be thankit. [ Grace Before Meat, by Robert Burns ] Medusa, one of the three Gorgons or Graeae, is the only one of her sisters to have assumed mortal form and inhabited the dungeon world. When Perseus was grown up Polydectes sent him to attempt the conquest of Medusa, a terrible monster who had laid waste the country. She was once a beautiful maiden whose hair was her chief glory, but as she dared to vie in beauty with Minerva, the goddess deprived her of her charms and changed her beautiful ringlets into hissing serpents. She became a cruel monster of so frightful an aspect that no living thing could behold her without being turned into stone. All around the cavern where she dwelt might be seen the stony figures of men and animals which had chanced to catch a glimpse of her and had been petrified with the sight. Perseus, favoured by Minerva and Mercury, the former of whom lent him her shield and the latter his winged shoes, approached Medusa while she slept and taking care not to look directly at her, but guided by her image reflected in the bright shield which he bore, he cut off her head and gave it to Minerva, who fixed it in the middle of her Aegis. [ Bulfinch's Mythology, by Thomas Bulfinch ] "What is it, Umbopa, son of a fool?" I shouted in Zulu. "It is food and water, Macumazahn," and again he waved the green thing. Then I saw what he had got. It was a melon. We had hit upon a patch of wild melons, thousands of them, and dead ripe. "Melons!" I yelled to Good, who was next me; and in another second he had his false teeth fixed in one. I think we ate about six each before we had done, and, poor fruit as they were, I doubt if I ever thought anything nicer. [ King Solomon's Mines, by H. Rider Haggard ] This diabolical fiend has crimson skin, massive red leathery wings, curling horns, white eyes, and long, straight black hair. Swathed in a flowing black cape, he is the vision of evil. [ Tyrants of the Nine Hells, by Robin Laws and Robert Schwalb ] Roman god of commerce, trade and travellers. He is commonly depicted carrying a caduceus (a staff with two snakes intertwining around it) and a purse. Metroids appear to be able to sense the life energy of their prey as they have no visible sensory organs. In their natural life cycle, Metroids gradually metamorphose to take a somewhat reptilian form, growing a hard organic shell, a head, and limbs, eventually shedding their gelatinous membrane completely. The shell removes their weakness to cold temperatures. The egg-laying Metroid Queen appears to be the only form in which Metroids can normally reproduce, although many Metroid bioforms can divide almost instantaneously when exposed to certain kinds of high-energy radiation. Also known as the Fungi from Yuggoth, the Mi-go are parasitic fungoid entities which inhabit pinkish, crustacean-like creatures. These creatures are the size of a man, and their bodies are composed of pyramided, fleshy rings. Where a head would normally be sits a convoluted ellipsoid, which in turn sprouts innumerable antennae: the true body of the parasite pushing through the cracked shell of its host. The hosts are about 5 feet (1.5 m) long, and their crustacean- like bodies bear numerous sets of paired appendages. They also possess a pair of membranous wings which are used to fly through the thin aether of outer space. The Mi-go hail from trans-Neptunian space, but come to Earth to mine various rare substances not found in the environs of far Yuggoth. Mi-go workers bore through the dark, stealing the riches of the Earth from beneath the feet of its native sons and daughters. The Mi-go ruthlessly defend their outposts against human intrusion. Mi-go soldiers are armed with mist projectors and bio-armor, and many also carry earthly weapons taken from past victims. Additionally, one in four Mi-go soldiers are equiped with the dreaded Mi-go Electric Gun. Mi-go Philosophers are masters of many branches of science and magic. Mi-go Philosophers are mainly interested in the inhabitants of earth as experimental subjects. In particular, humanoid brains are held in high regard when it comes to experimental fodder. Under normal circumstances a Philosopher will take its time while removing a brain -ensuring that the brain remains fully functional- but if it believes that it's in danger of losing the subject completely it can perform a partial deceribration in seconds. In addition to their surgical tools and magical texts, Philosophers carry improved mist projectors. Mi-go Queens are powerful Philosophers who direct the efforts of the Mi-go. In addition, they are the reproductive units of the Mi-go race. They wear through host bodies at an increadible rate, consuming the flesh and organs of their host to support their numerous sporangia. The ancestors of the modern day chameleon, these creatures can assume the form of anything in their surroundings. They may assume the shape of objects or dungeon features. Unlike the chameleon though, which assumes the shape of another creature and goes in hunt of food, the mimic waits patiently for its meals to come in search of it. I thought that I was asleep, and waiting for Jonathan to come back. I was very anxious about him, and I was powerless to act, my feet, and my hands, and my brain were weighted, so that nothing could proceed at the usual pace. And so I slept uneasily and thought. Then it began to dawn upon me that the air was heavy, and dank, and cold. I put back the clothes from my face, and found, to my surprise, that all was dim around. The gaslight which I had left lit for Jonathan, but turned down, came only like a tiny red spark through the fog, which had evidently grown thicker and poured into the room. Then it occurred to me that I had shut the window before I had come to bed. I would have got out to make certain on the point, but some leaden lethargy seemed to chain my limbs and even my will. I lay still and endured, that was all. I closed my eyes, but could still see through my eyelids. (It is wonderful what tricks our dreams play us, and how conveniently we can imagine.) The mist grew thicker and thicker and I could see now how it came in, for I could see it like smoke, or with the white energy of boiling water, pouring in, not through the window, but through the joinings of the door. It got thicker and thicker, till it seemed as if it became concentrated into a sort of pillar of cloud in the room, through the top of which I could see the light of the gas shining like a red eye. [...] The last conscious effort which imagination made was to show me a livid white face bending over me out of the mist. [ Dracula, by Bram Stoker ] The emotions of the flesh were strong. The greed and hates, the pains and joys, the jealousies and doubts, all of these served as a guiding stone to enemies. In becoming flesh, the First People became enslaved to those who *knew* flesh only as tools for their will. *Know* these beasts were the *illithids.* The *illithids* were a race that had come not to *know* themselves. They had learned how to make other races not *know* themselves. They were the tentacled ones. They lived in flesh and saw flesh as tools for their will. Their blood was as water and they shaped minds with their thoughts. When the *illithids* came upon the People, the People were a people no more. The People became slaves. [ The Unbroken Circle of Zerthimon, Planescape Torment ] This creature has a humanoid body, tentacles around its covered mouth, and three long fingers on each hand. Mind flayers are telepathic, and love to devour intelligent beings, especially humans. If they hit their victim with a tentacle, the mind flayer will slowly drain it of all intelligence, eventually killing its victim. Made by Dwarfs. The Rule here is that the Mine is either long deserted or at most is inhabited by a few survivors who will make confused claims to have been driven out/decimated by humans/ other Dwarfs/Minions of the Dark Lord. Inhabited or not, this Mine will be very complex, with many levels of galleries, beautifully carved and engineered. What was being mined here is not always evident, but at least some of the time it will appear to have been Jewels, since it is customary to find unwanted emeralds, etc., still embedded in the rock of the walls. Metal will also be present, but only when made up into armor and weapons (_wondrous_). [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] The Minotaur was a monster, half bull, half human, the offspring of Minos' wife Pasiphae and a wonderfully beautiful bull. ... When the Minotaur was born Minos did not kill him. He had Daedalus, a great architect and inventor, construct a place of confinement for him from which escape was impossible. Daedalus built the Labyrinth, famous throughout the world. Once inside, one would go endlessly along its twisting paths without ever finding the exit. [ Mythology, by Edith Hamilton ] Old fat spider spinning in a tree! Old fat spider cant see me! Attercop! Attercop! Won't you stop, Stop your spinning and look for me! Old Tomnoddy, all big body, Old Tomnoddy cant spy me! Attercop! Attercop! Down you drop! You'll never catch me up your tree! Lazy Lob and crazy Cob are weaving webs to wind me. I am far more sweet than other meat, but still they cannot find me! Here am I, naughty little fly; you are fat and lazy. You cannot trap me, though you try, in your cobwebs crazy. [ The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] What does it mean to fight for the Balance? How is one a part of it, how does it make its way through all things? Balance is the quest for equilibrium, the movement of all things to the center. If the center cannot hold...that is the fear, that the Spire is the foundation that all others foolishly seek to crack and topple in their careless pursuit of malice and charity, freedom and constraint. Yes. But more -- what is the identity of Balance? Its face? Who is that face, and what is its identity? The identity of Balance is its citizens and its guardians. Its citizens are those who are neither too cruel nor too kind. Its guardians however must kill and save innocents, must be selfish and charitable in equal quantities. The face of Balance is the rilmani, the guardians. They are forever walking the line, ever seeking to keep themselves in equilibrium. Who they are is this walking, this act of treading upon the thinnest of strands. [ Blade of Innocence, by Sciborg ] "Copper gilt, and burnished bright, bright as sun where there is no night, wise men chained and wise men seek, bubbling visions not for the weak." [ Shemeska's Story Hour, by Todd Stewart ] Originating in India (Mitra), Mithra is a god of light who was translated into the attendant of the god Ahura Mazda in the light religion of Persia; from this he was adopted as the Roman deity Mithras. He is not generally regarded as a sky god but a personification of the fertilizing power of warm, light air. According to the _Avesta_, he possesses 10,000 eyes and ears and rides in a chariot drawn by white horses. Mithra, according to Zarathustra, is concerned with the endless battle between light and dark forces: he represents truth. He is responsible for the keeping of oaths and contracts. He is attributed with the creation of both plants and animals. His chief adversary is Ahriman, the power of darkness. [ The Encyclopaedia of Myths and Legends of All Nations, by Herbert Spencer Robinson and Knox Wilson ] _Mithril_! All folk desired it. It could be beaten like copper, and polished like glass; and the Dwarves could make of it a metal, light and yet harder than tempered steel. Its beauty was like to that of common silver, but the beauty of _mithril_ did not tarnish or grow dim. [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] This helm of brilliance performs all of the normal functions of a helm of brilliance, but also has the ability to protect anyone who carries it from fire. When invoked, it boosts the energy of the invoker, allowing them to cast more spells. Forged by the dwarves Eitri and Brokk, in response to Loki's challenge, Mjollnir is an indestructible war hammer. It has two magical properties: when thrown it always returned to Thor's hand; and it could be made to shrink in size until it could fit inside Thor's shirt. Its only flaw is that it has a short handle. The other gods judged Mjollnir the winner of the contest because, of all the treasures created, it alone had the power to protect them from the giants. As the legends surrounding Mjollnir grew, it began to take on the quality of "vigja", or consecration. Thor used it to consecrate births, weddings, and even to raise his goats from the dead. In the Norse mythologies Mjollnir is considered to represent Thor's governance over the entire cycle of life - fertility, birth, destruction, and resurrection. Mog is known as the Spider God. Mog resembles a four-limbed spider with a handsome, if not entirely human, face. Mold, multicellular organism of the division Fungi, typified by plant bodies composed of a network of cottony filaments. The colors of molds are due to spores borne on the filaments. Most molds are saprophytes. Some species (e.g., penicillium) are used in making cheese and antibiotics. [ The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia ] And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones. And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name. And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him not: Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people. [ Leviticus 20:1-5 ] One day, an army general invited the Buddhist monk I-Hsiu (literally, "One Rest") to his military head office for a dinner. I-Hsiu was not accustomed to wearing luxurious clothings and so he just put on an old ordinary casual robe to go to the military base. To him, "form is void". As he approached the base, two soldiers appeared before him and shouted, "Where does this beggar came from? Identify yourself! You do not have permission to be around here!" "My name is I-Hsiu Dharma Master. I am invited by your general for a supper." The two soldiers examined the monk closely and said, "You liar. How come my general invites such a shabby monk to dinner? He invites the very solemn venerable I-Hsiu to our base for a great ceremony today, not you. Now, get out!" I-Hsiu was unable to convince the soldiers that he was indeed the invited guest, so he returned to the temple and changed to a very formal solemn ceremonial robe for the dinner. And as he returned to the military base, the soldiers observed that he was such a great Buddhist monk, let him in with honour. At the dinner, I-Hsiu sat in front of the table full of food but, instead of putting the food into his mouth, he picked up the food with his chopsticks and put it into his sleeves. The general was curious, and whispered to him, "This is very embarrassing. Do you want to take some food back to the temple? I will order the cook to prepare some take out orders for you." "No" replied the monk. "When I came here, I was not allowed into the base by your soldiers until I wear this ceremonial robe. You do not invite me for a dinner. You invite my robe. Therefore, my robe is eating the food, not me." [ Dining with a General - a Zen Buddhism Koan, translation by Yiu-man Chan ] Single function laborers, they can carry out only one command at a time, passed down to them by their duton superiors. Bi-functional laborers, they may interpret and carrying out two commands at once. If given only one task at a time, it shows a limited ability to react to unexpected stimuli. Low level overseers, typically, they receive a general order, which they then divide into smaller tasks that can be completed by the lower castes. They are capable of reporting actions and observations, as well as actually planning limited objectives on the battlefield. Upper level managers, quatons report actions and observations, make plans, react to unexpected occurrences, and act to remedy them. They are thus the first of the auton castes that can be truly described as sapient. Auditors of the lower castes, quinons monitor the quatons as they carry out their duties, seeing that the will of the One is reflected in all matters. Ruling over the castes is Primus, the One and the Prime. It and the plane are one in thought and deed; as Primus turns, so do the wheels of Mechanus. [ Planescape Monstrous Suplement, by David Cook ] The most omnipresent of the beings living on Mechanus (bar none) are the modrons. There's not much known about the geometrical and mathematical constructs, including their goals, their functions, and their minds. The short of it is that modrons are largely unknowable by humans. [ Planes of Law, by Colin McComb ] Modrons are strictly divided into fourteen castes, five common castes and nine ruling castes. Castes are hardly unique, but the modron approach to them is. Not only does each rank have its own functions, but each also has its own body shape, so the rank of any modron can be readily identified by the creature's appearance. [ Planescape Monstrous Suplement, by David Cook ] "Listen, man-cub," said the Bear, and his voice rumbled like thunder on a hot night. "I have taught thee all the Law of the Jungle for all the peoples of the jungle--except the Monkey-Folk who live in the trees. They have no law. They are outcasts. They have no speech of their own, but use the stolen words which they overhear when they listen, and peep, and wait up above in the branches. Their way is not our way. They are without leaders. They have no remembrance. They boast and chatter and pretend that they are a great people about to do great affairs in the jungle, but the falling of a nut turns their minds to laughter and all is forgotten. We of the jungle have no dealings with them. We do not drink where the monkeys drink; we do not go where the monkeys go; we do not hunt where they hunt; we do not die where they die...." [ The Jungle Book, by Rudyard Kipling ] The morning star was a medieval weapon resembling a mace, but with a large spike on the end and smaller spikes around the circumference. It was also known as the goedendag (from the Dutch word for "good day") and the holy water sprinkler (from its resemblance to the aspergillum sometimes used in the Catholic Mass). It was used by both cavalry and infantry; the horseman's weapon typically had a shorter haft than the footman's, which might be up to six feet long. It came into use in the beginning of the 14th century. The name "morning star" is often erroneously applied to the military flail (also known as the therscol), a similar weapon, but with the head attached by a short chain. [ Dictionary of Medieval Knighthood and Chivalry, by Bradford Broughton ] ... the Mumak of Harad was indeed a beast of vast bulk, and the like of him does not walk now in Middle-Earth; his kin that live still in latter days are but memories of his girth and majesty. On he came, ... his great legs like trees, enormous sail-like ears spread out, long snout upraised like a huge serpent about to strike, his small red eyes raging. His upturned hornlike tusks ... dripped with blood. [ The Two Towers, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] But for an account of the manner in which the body was bandaged, and a list of the unguents and other materials employed in the process, and the words of power which were spoken as each bandage was laid in its place, we must have recourse to a very interesting papyrus which has been edited and translated by M. Maspero under the title of Le Rituel de l'Embaumement. ... Everything that could be done to preserve the body was now done, and every member of it was, by means of the words of power which changed perishable substances into imperishable, protected to all eternity; when the final covering of purple or white linen had been fastened upon it, the body was ready for the tomb. [ Egyptian Magic, by E.A. Wallis Budge ] He held a white cloth -- it was a serviette he had brought with him -- over the lower part of his face, so that his mouth and jaws were completely hidden, and that was the reason for his muffled voice. But it was not that which startled Mrs. Hall. It was the fact that all his forehead above his blue glasses was covered by a white bandage, and that another covered his ears, leaving not a scrap of his face exposed excepting only his pink, peaked nose. It was bright, pink, and shiny just as it had been at first. He wore a dark-brown velvet jacket with a high, black, linen- lined collar turned up about his neck. The thick black hair, escaping as it could below and between the cross bandages, project in curious tails and horns, giving him the strangest appearance conceivable. [ The Invisible Man, by H.G. Wells ] Movanic devas have milky white skin and silvery hair and eyes, and are slender and exceedingly agile. Although they can carry a variety of weapons, they most often employ a two-handed sword. Any weapon wielded by a movanic deva is further enhanced by the deva's fiery aura. Movanic devas are the most privileged of all the devas, for they are sent to many other planes to aid prominent mortal followers of good deities in moments of dire need. They are able to pass into the Prime Material at will. [ Adapted from Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition Complete Monstrous Manual ] Monadic devas have dark brown skin, jet hair, and piercing green eyes, and are of strong, bulky build and rely more upon strength than on speed and agility. On rare occasions, a power from the Upper Planes needs a servant to go to one of the Elemental or Paraelemental Planes. When this need arises, monadic devas are used. Monadics can pass into any Elemental Plane at will and survive there without ill effect. [ Adapted from Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition Complete Monstrous Manual ] Astral devas have golden skin, amber eyes, and fair hair, and are extremely supple and move with inhuman quickness. They carry a macelike weapon. Any creature struck twice in the same round by the weapon may be stunned by the force behind the blows. Astral devas attend to matters in the Lower Planes for the powers of good. These powerful, pure warriors can pass into the Lower Planes at will, bringing their justice to the heart of evil. If directly commanded by the power they serve, they can enter any layer of any lower plane without passing through intermediate layers. Astral devas also commonly travel to the Astral Plane to rescue good-aligned mortals who have become lost or stranded. [ Adapted from Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition Complete Monstrous Manual ] Shiva (Sanskrit: Siva, meaning "The Auspicious One"; Tamil: Sivan, meaning "The Red One"), also known as Mahadeva ("Great God"), is one of the three deities of Hinduism. Shiva is distinct from Vishnu and Brahman yet one with them. He is "Anant" [Who is neither found born nor found dead]. At the highest level, Shiva is regarded as limitless, transcendent, unchanging and formless. Shiva also has many benevolent and fearsome forms. In benevolent aspects, he is depicted as an omniscient Yogi who lives an ascetic life on Mount Kailash, as well as a householder with wife Parvati and his two children, Ganesha and Kartikeya, and in fierce aspects, he is often depicted slaying demons. [ Wikipedia ] This fearsome emanation of the divine fights with weapons and the magic of blades. In melee combat it is capable of forming additional arms as desired, and can strike a poorly-defended target dozens of times in a single instant. The naga is a mystical creature with the body of a snake and the head of a man or woman. They will fiercely protect the territory they consider their own. Some nagas can be forced to serve as guardians by a spellcaster of great power. A Japanese pole-arm, fitted with a curved single-edged blade. The blades ranged in length from two to four feet, mounted on shafts about four to five feet long. The naginata were cut with a series of short grooves near to the tang, above which the back edge was thinned, but not sharpened, so that the greater part of the blade was a flattened diamond shape in section. Seen in profile, the curve is slight or non- existent near the tang, becoming more pronounced towards the point. "With his naginata he killed five, but with the sixth it snapped asunder in the midst and, flinging it away, he drew his sword, wielding it in the zigzag style, the interlacing, cross, reversed dragonfly, waterwheel, and eight-sides-at- once styles of fencing and cutting down eight men; but as he brought down the ninth with a mighty blow on the helmet, the blade snapped at the hilt." [ Story of Tsutsui no Jomio Meishu from Tales of Heike ] Not only do these demons do physical damage with their claws and bite, but they are capable of using magic as well. Nalzok is Moloch's cunning and unfailingly loyal battle lieutenant, to whom he trusts the command of warfare when he does not wish to exercise it himself. Nalzok is a major demon, known to command the undead. He is hungry for power, and secretly covets Moloch's position. Moloch doesn't trust him, but, trusting his own power enough, chooses to allow Nalzok his position because he is useful. Immediately, though everything else remained as before, dim and dark, the shapes became terribly clear. He was able to see beneath their black wrappings. There were five tall figures: two standing on the lip of the dell, three advancing. In their white faces burned keen and merciless eyes; under their mantles were long grey robes; upon their grey hairs were helms of silver; in their haggard hands were swords of steel. Their eyes fell on him and pierced him, as they rushed towards him. Desperate, he drew his own sword, and it seemed to him that it flickered red, as if it was a firebrand. Two of the figures halted. The third was taller than the others: his hair was long and gleaming and on his helm was a crown. In one hand he held a long sword, and in the other a knife; both the knife and the hand that held it glowed with a pale light. He sprang forward and bore down on Frodo. [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 1. Valley between Duesseldorf and Elberfeld in Germany, where an ancient skull of a prehistoric ancestor to modern man was found. 2. Human(oid) of the race mentioned above. Non-Euclidean calculus and quantum physics are enough to stretch any brain; and when one mixes them with folklore, and tries to trace a strange background of multi-dimensional reality behind the ghoulish hints of the Gothic tales and the wild whispers of the chimney-corner, one can hardly expect to be wholly free from mental tension. [...] The professors at Miskatonic had urged him to slacken up, and had voluntarily cut down his course at several points. Moreover, they had stopped him from consulting the dubious old books on forbidden secrets that were kept under lock and key in a vault at the university library. But all these precautions came late in the day, so that Gilman had some terrible hints from the dreaded Necronomicon of Abdul Alhazred, the fragmentary Book of Eibon, and the suppressed Unaussprechlichen Kulten of von Junzt to correlate with his abstract formulae on the properties of space and the linkage of dimensions known and unknown. [ "The Dreams in the Witch House," HP Lovecraft ] Neferet the Green holds office in her hidden tower, only reachable by magical means, where she teaches her apprentices the enigmatic skills of occultism. Despite her many years, she continues to investigate new spells, especially those involving translocation. It is further rumored that when she was an apprentice herself, she accidentally turned her skin green, and has kept it that way ever since. The great horns, bat-like wings, serpentine tail, and cloven-hoofed feet are identical to the terror of the pit. Yet, this creature towers 20 feet in height. Accompanying the flames that lick its translucent flesh is a darkness that ripples the surrounding air. The blood red form is covered in muscles and the burning, white eyes glare from a shadowy face. [ Dicefreaks: The Gates of Hell ] You weren't there. In the final days of the war. You never saw what was born. But if the time lock's broken then everything is coming through. Not just the Daleks, but the Star of Degradations. The Horde of Travesties. The Nightmare Child. The Could-Have-Been King with his army of Meanwhiles and Neverweres. The war turned into hell! And that's what you've opened. Right above the Earth. Hell is descending. [ Dr. Who, The End of Time (Part Two) ] (kinds of) small animal, like a lizard, which spends most of its time in the water. [ Oxford's Student's Dictionary of Current English ] "Fillet of a fenny snake, In the cauldron boil and bake; Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog, Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting, Lizard's leg and howlet's wing, For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble." [ Macbeth, by William Shakespeare ] Ninja are the spy-assassins of Japan. They are quick and stealthy, though not as strong as fighters. Their characteristic weapon is the deadly shuriken or throwing-star. A Japanese broadsword. A vast, endless, eternally dark gulf said to lie at the bottom of the world. Even daemons fear to tread there. The basen of the Lethe river is said to be within the great gulf. What few tales exist of its outer reaches speak of hordes of hideous gugs that scavenge and devour the bodies of all who enter. Here the COUNTRY is organized into peasants and lords and usually ruled by a bad KING or REGENT. The peasants will live in HOVELS and do all the work. The lords will have all the MONEY and oppress the peasants by taxing, beating, and imprisoning them, and exercising unlimited droit du seigneur. [...] Usually the arrival of the Tour is the signal for the peasants to revolt. [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] The Norns were the three Norse Fates, or the goddesses of fate. Female giants, they brought the wonderful Golden Age to an end. They cast lots over the cradle of every child that was born, and placed gifts in the cradle. Their names were Urda, Verdandi, and Skuld, representing the past, the present, and the future. Urda and Verdandi were kindly disposed, but Skuld was cruel and savage. Their tasks were to sew the web of fate, to water the sacred ash, Yggdrasil, and to keep it in good condition by placing fresh earth around it daily. In her fury, Skuld often spoiled the work of her sisters by tearing the web to shreds. [ The Encyclopedia of Myths and Legends of All Nations by Herbert Spencer Robinson and Knox Wilson ] Suddenly, without a warning sound in the dark, Carter felt his curved scimitar drawn stealthily out of his belt by some unseen hand. Then he heard it clatter down over the rocks below. And between him and the Milky Way he thought he saw a very terrible outline of something noxiously thin and horned and tailed and bat-winged. Then a sort of cold rubbery arm seized his neck and something else seized his feet, and he was lifted inconsiderately up and swung about in space. Another minute and the stars were gone, and Carter knew that the night-gaunts had got him. [They] were indeed shocking and uncouth black things with smooth, oily, whale-like surfaces, unpleasant horns that curved inward toward each other, bat wings whose beating made no sound, ugly prehensile paws, and barbed tails that lashed needlessly and disquietingly. And worst of all, they never spoke or laughed, and never smiled because they had no faces at all to smile with, but only a suggestive blankness where a face ought to be. All they ever did was clutch and fly and tickle; that was the way of night-gaunts. [ The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath by HP Lovecraft ] A nunchaku is two sections of wood (or metal in modern incarnations) connected by a cord or chain. There is much controversy over its origins; some say it was originally a Chinese weapon, others say it evolved from a threshing flail; one theory purports that it was developed from a horse's bit. Chinese nunchaku tend to be rounded, whereas Japanese are octagonal, and they were originally linked by horse hair. There are many variations on the nunchaku, ranging from the three sectional staff (san-setsu-kon nunchaku), to smaller multi-section nunchaku. The nunchaku was popularized by Bruce Lee in a number of films, made in both Hollywood and Hong Kong. [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] A female creature from Roman and Greek mythology, the nymph occupied rivers, forests, ponds, etc. A nymph's beauty is beyond words: an ever-young woman with sleek figure and long, thick hair, radiant skin and perfect teeth, full lips and gentle eyes. A nymph's scent is delightful, and her long robe glows, hemmed with golden threads and embroidered with rainbow hues of unearthly magnificence. A nymph's demeanour is graceful and charming, her mind quick and witty. "Theseus felt her voice pulling him down into fathoms of sleep. The song was the skeleton of his dream, and the dream was full of terror. Demon girls were after him, and a bull- man was goring him. Everywhere there was blood. There was pain. There was fear. But his head was in the nymph's lap and her musk was about him, her voice weaving the dream. He knew then that she had been sent to tell him of something dreadful that was to happen to him later. Her song was a warning. But she had brought him a new kind of joy, one that made him see everything differently. The boy, who was to become a hero, suddenly knew then what most heroes learn later -- and some too late -- that joy blots suffering and that the road to nymphs is beset by monsters." [ The Minotaur by Bernard Evslin ] A volcanic glass, homogeneous in texture and having a low water content, with a vitreous luster and a conchoidal fracture. The color is commonly black, but may be some shade of red or brown, and cut sections sometimes appear to be green. Like other volcanic glasses, obsidian is a lava that has cooled too quickly for the contained minerals to crystallize. In chemical composition it is rich in silica and similar to granite. It is favored by primitive peoples for knives, arrowheads, spearheads, and other weapons and tools. [ The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition ] This monster resembles a giant amoeba, seeping through darkened corridors, through cracks and under doors, searching for flesh or cellulose to devour. ... Voraciously dissolving all types of carrion and trash, this monster is sometimes tolerated in inhabited subterranean areas for its janitorial services, but this activity is difficult to organize and is usually not appreciated by the inhabitants because of its danger. [ Monstrous Manual, by TSR inc. ] Also called Sigtyr (god of Victory), Val-father (father of the slain), One-Eyed, Hanga-god (god of the hanged), Farma- god (god of cargoes), Hapta-god (god of prisoners), and Othin. He is the prime god of the Norsemen: god of war and victory, wisdom and prophecy, poetry, the dead, air and wind, hospitality, and magic. As the god of war and victory, Odin is ruler of the Valkyries, warrior-maidens who lived in the halls of Valhalla in Asgard, the hall of dead heroes where he held his court. These chosen ones will defend the realm of the gods against the Frost Giants on the final day of reckoning, Ragnarok. As god of the wind, Odin rides through the air on his eight- footed horse, Sleipnir, wielding Gungner, his spear, normally accompanied by his ravens, Hugin and Munin, who he would also use as his spies. As a god of hospitality, he enjoys visiting the earth in disguise to see how people were behaving and to see how they would treat him, not knowing who he was. Odin is usually represented as a one-eyed wise old man with a long white beard and a wide-brimmed hat (he gave one of his eyes to Mimir, the guardian of the well of wisdom in Hel, in exchange for a draught of knowledge). Offler hesitated. He was a very old god, who had arisen from steaming swamps in hot, dark lands. He had survived the rise and fall of more modern and certainly more beautiful gods by developing, for a god, a certain amount of wisdom. Besides, Nuggan was one of the newer gods, all full of hellfire and self-importance and _ambition_. Offler was not bright, but he had some vague inkling that for long-term survival gods needed to offer their worshippers something more than a mere lack of thunderbolts. And he felt an ungodlike pang of sympathy for any human whose god banned chocolate _and_ garlic. [ The Last Hero, by Terry Pratchett ] 'It's _you_, isn't it?' he growled. 'You're Nuggan, aren't you?' 'You utter, utter...fifteen years! Fifteen damn years before I ever tasted garlic! And the priests used to get up early in the countryside round us to jump on all the mushrooms! And do you know how _much_ a small slab of chocolate cost in our town, and what they did to people who were caught with one?' The minstrel shouldered the Horde aside and advanced on the retreating god, his lyre raised like a club. 'Broccoli,' murmured Offler to Sweevo, God of Cut Timbur, 'You can't go wrong with broccoli.' [ The Last Hero, by Terry Pratchett ] Anyone who has met a gluttonous, nude, angry ogre, will not easily forget this encounter -- if he survives it at all. Both male and female ogres can easily grow as tall as three metres. Build and facial expressions would remind one of a Neanderthal. Its small, pointy, keen teeth are striking. Since ogres avoid direct sunlight, their ragged, unfurry skin is as white as a sheet. They enjoy coating their body with lard and usually wear nothing but a loin-cloth. An elf would smell its rancid stench at ten metres distance. Ogres are solitary creatures: very rarely one may encounter a female with two or three young. They are the only real carnivores among the humanoids, and its favourite meal is -- not surprisingly -- human flesh. They sometimes ally with orcs or goblins, but only when they anticipate a good meaty meal. [ het Boek van de Regels; Het Oog des Meesters ] During our watches below we overhauled our clothes, and made and mended everything for bad weather. Each of us had made for himself a suit of oil-cloth or tarpaulin, and these we got out, and gave thorough coatings of oil or tar, and hung upon the stays to dry. Our stout boots, too, we covered over with a thick mixture of melted grease and tar. Thus we took advantage of the warm sun and fine weather of the Pacific to prepare for its other face. [ Two Years Before the Mast, by Richard Henry Dana ] Summer passed all too quickly. On the last day of camp, Mr. Brickle called his counselors together and paid them what he owed them. Louis received one hundred dollars - the first money he had ever earned. He had no wallet and no pockets, so Mr. Brickle placed the money in a waterproof bag that had a drawstring. He hung this moneybag around Louis' neck, along with the trumpet, the slate, the chalk pencil, and the lifesaving medal. [ The Trumpet of the Swan, by E.B. White ] But at the end of the Third Age a troll-race not before seen appeared in southern Mirkwood and in the mountain borders of Mordor. Olog-hai they were called in the Black Speech. That Sauron bred them none doubted, though from what stock was not known. Some held that they were not Trolls but giant Orcs; but the Olog-hai were in fashion of body and mind quite unlike even the largest of Orc-kind, whom they far surpassed in size and power. Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race, strong, agile, fierce and cunning, but harder than stone. Unlike the older race of the Twilight they could endure the Sun.... They spoke little, and the only tongue they knew was the Black Speech of Barad-dur. [ The Return of the King, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] The Morwel is the queen of the Eladrin. The Morwel has always been queen. The Eladrin took no side in the war of Law and Chaos. Delphi under towering Parnassus, where Apollo's oracle was, plays an important part in mythology. Castalia was its sacred spring; Cephissus its river. It was held to be the center of the world, so many pilgrims came to it, from foreign countries as well as Greece. No other shrine rivaled it. The answers to the questions asked by the anxious seekers for Truth were delivered by a priestess who went into a trance before she spoke. [ Mythology, by Edith Hamilton ] What was the fruit like? Unfortunately, no one can describe a taste. All I can say is that, compared with those fruits, the freshest grapefruit you've ever eaten was dull, and the juiciest orange was dry, and the most melting pear was hard and woody, and the sweetest wild strawberry was sour. And there were no seeds or stones, and no wasps. If you had once eaten that fruit, all the nicest things in this world would taste like medicines after it. But I can't describe it. You can't find out what it is like unless you can get to that country and taste it for yourself. [ The Last Battle, by C.S. Lewis ] A phantom fungus is a tripedal carnivorous plant that roams the vast and deep underground caverns of the world. It wanders in search of food, using its rootlike feet to detect movement along the cavern floors and the sensitive tendrils surrounding its mouth to pinpoint prey. The maw with which a phantom fungus attacks prey is lined with row upon row of sharp, jagged teeth that resemble pointed rocks more than actual fangs. This "mouth" is not used to feed, however, and does not attach to a digestive tractit is nothing more than a gaping natural weapon. When a phantom fungus feeds, it does so by squatting down on its prey and infesting the corpse with thousands of feeding filaments that burrow through dead flesh to siphon away nutrients. [ Pathfinder RPG ] Sometimes confused with neogi or driders and called planar spiders on some worlds of the Prime, phase spiders are intelligent web-spinners with a raised thorax and a humanlike head. What really makes phase spiders stand out is their enviable ability to phase back and forth between a plane and the plane's Border. Unknown to most creatures, phase spiders possess large web habitats on the Ethereal (both in the Deep and on the Border) and only appear on other planes while hunting for food. Some phase spiders do live mostly on material planes, but these spiders are the exception, not the rule. Like many more familiar cultures, Ethereally-based phase spiders are not a cohesive race, but instead exist in separate clutches (tribes), each of which claims various Prime territories as its sole hunting ground. Sometimes disparate phase spider clutches cooperate, but sometimes they come into conflict over temtorial disputes. [ A Guide to the Ethereal Plane, by Bruce R. Cordell ] One morning, as Gregor Samsa was waking up from anxious dreams, he discovered that in bed he had been changed into a monstrous verminous bug. He lay on his armour-hard back and saw, as he lifted his head up a little, his brown, arched abdomen divided up into rigid bow-like sections. From this height the blanket, just about ready to slide off completely, could hardly stay in place. His numerous legs, pitifully thin in comparison to the rest of his circumference, flickered helplessly before his eyes. [ The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka, translated by Ian Johnston ] At first glance around the corner, I thought it was another cockatrice. I had encountered the wretched creatures two or three times since leaving the open area. I quickly ducked my head back and considered what to do next. My heart had begun to thump audibly as I patted my pack to make sure I still had the dead lizards at close reach. A check of my attire showed no obvious holes or damage. I had to keep moving. One deep breath, and a count of three, two, one, and around the corner I bolted. But it was no cockatrice! I felt a sudden intense searing of the skin around my face, and flames began to leap from my pack. I tossed it to the ground, and quickly retreated back, around that corner, desperately striving to get out of its sight. Some say that Odin himself created this ancient crystal ball, although others argue that Loki created it and forged Odin's signature on the bottom. In any case, it is a powerful artifact. Anyone who carries it is granted the gift of warning, and damage, both spell and physical, is partially absorbed by the orb itself. When invoked it has the power to teleport the invoker between levels. The Great Goblin gave a truly awful howl of rage when he looked at it, and all his soldiers gnashed their teeth, clashed their shields, and stamped. They knew the sword at once. It had killed hundreds of goblins in its time, when the fair elves of Gondolin hunted them in the hills or did battle before their walls. They had called it Orcrist, Goblin-cleaver, but the goblins called it simply Biter. They hated it and hated worse any one that carried it. [ The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] The massive, boated demon stands 15 feet tall, his immense frame a hideous combination of muscle and bloated flesh. His head is that of a ram with a great maw filled with tusks, and his thick-furred legs end in cloven hooves. Leathery wings and a barb-tipped tail complete the picture of the archetypal demon. [ Hordes of the Abyss, by Ed Stark, James Jacobs, and Erik Mona ] Orcus, Prince of the Undead, has a ram's head and a poison stinger. He is most feared, though, for his powerful magic abilities. His wand causes death to those he chooses. Orcs, bipeds with a humanoid appearance, are related to the goblins, but much bigger and more dangerous. The average orc is only moderately intelligent, has broad, muscled shoulders, a short neck, a sloping forehead and a thick, dark fur. Their lower eye-teeth are pointing forward, like a boar's. Female orcs are more lightly built and bare-chested. Not needing any clothing, they do like to dress in variegated apparels. Suspicious by nature, orcs live in tribes or hordes. They tend to live underground as well as above ground (but they dislike sunlight). Orcs can use all weapons, tools and armours that are used by men. Since they don't have the talent to fashion these themselves, they are constantly hunting for them. There is nothing a horde of orcs cannot use. [ het Boek van de Regels; Het Oog des Meesters ] An ochre jelly resembles a giant amoeba, consisting of a thick, porous, golden sludge. It lurks in dungeons, slowly sludging its way along floors, walls and ceilings alike, under doors and through cracks, looking for victims. When it finds them, it extends, latches onto them, and then proceeds to engulf and constrict them. The ochre jelly reproduces asexually, and can sometimes be found with several of its divided offspring. [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] "I'm sick of fighting mages on this job. First I get frizzed by the Shak'nai's boyfriend. Then a ditzy brunette knocks me about with wards half a day. She didn't even have the book anymore! "This time I'm prepared! These orihalcyon bracers will absorb any spell you throw at me!" [ Bookwyrms, by Charles Crawford ] Orion was the son of Neptune. He was a handsome giant and a mighty hunter. His father gave him the power of wading through the depths of the sea, or, as others say, of walking on its surface. He dwelt as a hunter with Diana (Artemis), with whom he was a favourite, and it is even said she was about to marry him. Her brother was highly displeased and often chid her, but to no purpose. One day, observing Orion wading through the sea with his head just above the water, Apollo pointed it out to his sister and maintained that she could not hit that black thing on the sea. The archer-goddess discharged a shaft with fatal aim. The waves rolled the dead body of Orion to the land, and bewailing her fatal error with many tears, Diana placed him among the stars, where he appears as a giant, with a girdle, sword, lion's skin, and club. Sirius, his dog, follows him, and the Pleiads fly before him. [ Bulfinch's Mythology, by Thomas Bulfinch ] Orpheus is a legendary figure, described by most ancient sources as Thracian, and venerated throughout the ancient Hellenised world as a heroic, civilising benefactor to mankind. [...] Pindar calls Orpheus "the father of songs" and asserts him as a son of the Thracian king Oeagrus and the Muse Calliope. [...] The most famous story in which Orpheus figures is that of his wife Eurydice (also known as Agriope). [...] Eurydice fell into a nest of vipers and she suffered a fatal bite on her heel. Her body was discovered by Orpheus who, overcome with grief, played such sad and mournful songs that all the nymphs and gods wept. On their advice, Orpheus traveled to the underworld and by his music softened the hearts of Hades and Persephone (he was the only person ever to do so), who agreed to allow Eurydice to return with him to earth on one condition: he should walk in front of her and not look back until they both had reached the upper world. He set off with Eurydice following, and, in his anxiety, as soon as he reached the upper world, he turned to look at her, forgetting that both needed to be in the upper world, and she vanished for the second time, but now forever. [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orpheus ] The osaku is a small tool for picking locks. Owlbears are probably the crossbreed creation of a demented wizard; given the lethal nature of this creation, it is quite likely the wizard who created them is no longer alive. As the name might already suggest, owlbears are a cross between a giant owl and a bear. They are covered with fur and feathers. A male servant or attendant; specifically, in chivalry, a lad or young man in training for knighthood, or a youth of gentle parentage attending a royal or princely personage. [ Webster's Comprehensive International Dictionary of the English Language ] A strange shimmering in the air announces the arrival of a shape, little more than a billowing white diaphanous sheet. Closer inspection reveals a writhing, seductive form beneath the sheet, indistinct and hazy. Now and then the edges of the sheet rise a little too high on the netherwind, yet never enough to reveal the details that lie beyond. [ Adapted from Hordes of the Abyss, by Ed Stark, James Jacobs, and Erik Mona ] _Pallium._ The Roman name for a square woollen cloak worn by men in ancient Greece, especially by philosophers and courtesans, corresponding to the Roman toga. Hence the Greeks called themselves _gens palliata,_ and the Romans called themselves _gens togata._ [ Brewer's Concise Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ] And lo! almost where the ascent began, A panther light and swift exceedingly, Which with a spotted skin was covered o'er! And never moved she from before my face, Nay, rather did impede so much my way, That many times I to return had turned. [ Dante's Inferno, as translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ] Some players, who unconsciously perceive Paper as weak or a sign of surrender, will shy away from using it entirely or drop it from their game when they are falling behind. On the other hand, Paper also connects with a player's perceptions about writing. There is a quiet power in the printed word. It has the ability to lay off thousands of employees, declare war against nations, spread scandal or confess love. Paper, in short, has power over masses. The fate of the entire world is determined by print. As such, some players perceive Paper as a subtle attack, the victory of modern culture over barbarism. Such players may use Paper to assert their superiority and dignity. [ The Official Rock Paper Scissors Strategy Guide ] Originally this weapon was a spear with small double axe blades added below it. While the main blade retains the same shape as a wide spearhead, the side blades bare only a passing similarity to the axe blaes they were in ages past. Frequently merely ceremonial now, these weapons are from nine to ten feet long (2.7 to 3 meters). ,^. | | | | | | . | | . < ~ ~ > \ / \_ _/ H When someone wins, the fighting will end. [ Code Geass ] Conan cried out sharply and recoiled, thrusting his companion back. Before them rose the great shimmering white form of Satha, an ageless hate in its eyes. Conan tensed himself for one mad berserker onslaught -- to thrust the glowing faggot into that fiendish countenance and throw his life into the ripping sword- stroke. But the snake was not looking at him. It was glaring over his shoulder at the man called Pelias, who stood with his arms folded, smiling. And in the great, cold, yellow eyes slowly the hate died out in a glitter of pure fear -- the only time Conan ever saw such an expression in a reptile's eyes. With a swirling rush like the sweep of a strong wind, the great snake was gone. "What did he see to frighten him?" asked Conan, eyeing his companion uneasily. "The scaled people see what escapes the mortal eye," answered Pelias cryptically. "You see my fleshy guise, he saw my naked soul." [ Conan the Usurper, by Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp ] The pentagram was probably discovered as a result of astronomical research in the Euphrates-Tigris region about 6,000 years ago. Isolated pentagrams have been found on broken fragments of burned clay in Palestine, in layers dating from around 4000 B.C. It was a common sign among the Sumerians around 2700 B.C. Some of those who have conducted research of symbols believe the pentagram was used by the Sumerians as a cosmic symbol representing the four corners of the earth and the vault of the heavens. This, however, seems a bit far-fetched. After the Sumerian time there is no clear evidence as to what the pentagram might have meant until the sign appears in Pythagorean mysticism, where it represents Hugieia ("health") and the five hidden cavities. The pentagram also symbolizes the five elements, and authority over the same. King Solomon was given a ring with a pentagram seal that gave him authority over demons and djinn. [ Adapted from symbols.com, the online encyclopedia of Western signs and ideograms; and from Wikipedia ] The pentagram is drawn with 10 strokes, and can be drawn fairly quickly. It may be reinforced up to seven times. The first thing Tak did, he wrote himself. The second thing Tak did, he wrote the Laws. The third thing Tak did, he wrote the World. The fourth thing Tak did, he wrote a cave. The fifth thing Tak did, he wrote a geode, an egg of stone. [ Gd Tak `Gar (The Things Tak Wrote), translated by Sir T. D. J. Pratchett, available from Unseen University Press for AM$8 ] The mine is full of holes; With the wound of pickaxes. But look at the goldsmith's store. There, there is gold everywhere. [ Divan-i Kebir Meter 2, by Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi ] Ye Piercer doth look like unto a stalactyte, and hangeth from the roofs of caves and caverns. Unto the height of a man, and thicker than a man's thigh do they grow, and in groups do they hang. If a creature doth pass beneath them, they will by its heat and noise perceive it, and fall upon it to kill and devour it, though in any other way they move but exceeding slow. [ the Bestiary of Xygag ] Pindar (ca. 522443 BC), was an Ancient Greek lyric poet. They live in "schools." Many times they will wait for prey to come to the shallow water of the river. Then the large group of piranhas will attack. These large groups are able to kill large animals... Their lower teeth fit perfectly into the spaces of their upper teeth, creating a tremendous vice-like bite... Piranhas are attracted to any disturbance in the water. [ http://www.animalsoftherainforest.com ] Amid the thought of the fiery destruction that impended, the idea of the coolness of the well came over my soul like balm. I rushed to its deadly brink. I threw my straining vision below. The glare from the enkindled roof illumined its inmost recesses. Yet, for a wild moment, did my spirit refuse to comprehend the meaning of what I saw. At length it forced -- it wrestled its way into my soul -- it burned itself in upon my shuddering reason. Oh! for a voice to speak! -- oh! horror! -- oh! any horror but this! [ The Pit and the Pendulum, by Edgar Allan Poe ] Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me. We pillage plunder, we rifle and loot. Drink up me 'earties, yo ho. We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot. Drink up me 'earties, yo ho. Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me. We extort and pilfer, we filch and sack. Drink up me 'earties, yo ho. Maraud and embezzle and even highjack. Drink up me 'earties, yo ho. Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me. We kindle and char and inflame and ignite. Drink up me 'earties, yo ho. We burn up the city, we're really a fright. Drink up me 'earties, yo ho. We're rascals and scoundrels, we're villians and knaves. Drink up me 'earties, yo ho. We're devils and black sheep, we're really bad eggs. Drink up me 'earties, yo ho. We're beggars and blighters and ne'er do-well cads, Drink up me 'earties, yo ho. Aye, but we're loved by our mommies and dads, Drink up me 'earties, yo ho. Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me. [ Pirates of the Caribbean, Disneyland ] The Brethren or Brethren of the Coast were a loose coalition of pirates and privateers commonly known as buccaneers and active in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Based primarily on the island of Tortuga off the coast of Haiti and in the city of Port Royal on the island of Jamaica, the original Brethren were mostly French Huguenot and British Protestants, but their ranks were joined by other adventurers of various nationalities including Spaniards, and even African sailors, as well as escaped slaves and outlaws of various sovereigns. In keeping with their Protestant and mostly Common Law heritage the Brethren were governed by codes of conduct that favored legislative decision-making, hierarchical command authority, individual rights, and equitable division of revenues. [ Brethren of the Coast, Wikipedia ] Oh, better far to live and die Under the brave black flag I fly, Than play a sanctimonious part, With a pirate head and a pirate heart. Away to the cheating world go you, Where pirates all are well-to-do; But I'll be true to the song I sing, And live and die a Pirate King. For I am a Pirate King! And it is, it is a glorious thing To be a Pirate King! When I sally forth to seek my prey I help myself in a royal way. I sink a few more ships, it's true, Than a well-bred monarch ought to do; But many a king on a first-class throne, If he wants to call his crown his own, Must manage somehow to get through More dirty work than ever I do, For I am a Pirate King! And it is, it is a glorious thing To be a Pirate King! [ Pirates of the Penzance, Gilbert & Sullivan ] Finally, we come to the pit fiends. These creatures are the overlords of the race, the most terrifying of all baatezu. Raised from the shrieking agonies of the Pit of Flame, they understand pain and suffering like no others. Wherever they travel, they travel with the might of all Baator behind them. [ Faces of Evil, by Colin McComb ] Pit fiends are among the more powerful of devils, capable of attacking twice with weapons as well as grabbing and crushing the life out of those unwary enough to enter their domains. This is an ancient artifact made of an unknown material. It is rectangular in shape, very thin, and inscribed with unreadable ancient runes. When carried, it grants the one who carries it ESP, and reduces all spell induced damage done to the carrier by half. It also protects from magic missile attacks. Finally, its power is such that when invoked, it can charge other objects. Be bold, be bold, but not too bold. Or else your life's blood, shall run cold. [ The White Road, by Neil Gaiman ] People think I'm crazy to worry all the time; If you paid attention, you'd be worried too. You better pay attention, or this world we love so much Might just kill you. [ It's a Jungle Out There, by Randy Newman ] Hey! now! Come hoy now! Whither do you wander? Up, down, near or far, here, there or yonder? Sharp-ears, Wise-nose, Swish-tail and Bumpkin, White-socks my little lad, and old Fatty Lumpkin! [...] Tom called them one by one and they climbed over the brow and stood in a line. Then Tom bowed to the hobbits. "Here are your ponies, now!" he said. "They've more sense (in some ways) than you wandering hobbits have -- more sense in their noses. For they sniff danger ahead which you walk right into; and if they run to save themselves, then they run the right way." [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] Portals can be Mirrors, Pictures, Standing Stones, Stone Circles, Windows, and special gates set up for the purpose. You will travel through them both to distant parts of the continent and to and from our own world. The precise manner of their working is a Management secret. [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] Poseido(o)n, lord of the seas and father of rivers and fountains, was the son of Chronos and Rhea, brother of Zeus, Hades, Hera, Hestia and Demeter. His rank of ruler of the waves he received by lot at the Council Meeting of the Gods, at which Zeus took the upper world for himself and gave dominion over the lower world to Hades. Poseidon is associated in many ways with horses and thus is the god of horses. He taught men how to ride and manage the animal he invented and is looked upon as the originator and guardian deity of horse races. His symbol is the familiar trident or three-pronged spear with which he can split rocks, cause or quell storms, and shake the earth, a power which makes him the god of earthquakes as well. Physically, he is shown as a strong and powerful ruler, every inch a king. [ The Encyclopedia of Myths and Legends of All Nations, by Herbert Robinson and Knox Wilson ] POTABLE, n. Suitable for drinking. Water is said to be potable; indeed, some declare it our natural beverage, although even they find it palatable only when suffering from the recurrent disorder known as thirst, for which it is a medicine. Upon nothing has so great and diligent ingenuity been brought to bear in all ages and in all countries, except the most uncivilized, as upon the invention of substitutes for water. To hold that this general aversion to that liquid has no basis in the preservative instinct of the race is to be unscientific -- and without science we are as the snakes and toads. [ The Devil's Dictionary, by Ambrose Bierce ] Jack Burton: What's in the flask, Egg? Magic potion? Egg Shen: Yeah. Jack: I thought so, good. What do we do? Drink it? Egg: Yeah. Jack: Good, I thought so. [later] Jack: This does what again, exactly? Egg: Huge buzz! [drinks] Oh good! See things no one else can see, do things no one else can do. [ Big in Trouble in Little China, directed by John Carpenter, written by Gary Goldman & David Z. Weinstein, adaptation by W. D. Richter ] Whatever a man prays for, he prays for a miracle. Every prayer reduces itself to this: Great God, grant that twice two be not four. [ Ivan Sergeyevich Urgenev ] [...] For the two priests were talking exactly like priests, piously, with learning and leisure, about the most aerial enigmas of theology. The little Essex priest spoke the more simply, with his round face turned to the strengthening stars; the other talked with his head bowed, as if he were not even worthy to look at them. But no more innocently clerical conversation could have been heard in any white Italian cloister or black Spanish cathedral. The first he heard was the tail of one of Father Brown's sentences, which ended: "... what they really meant in the Middle Ages by the heavens being incorruptible." The taller priest nodded his bowed head and said: "Ah, yes, these modern infidels appeal to their reason; but who can look at those millions of worlds and not feel that there may well be wonderful universes above us where reason is utterly unreasonable?" [ The Innocence of Father Brown, by G.K. Chesterton ] From Leng, where rocky peaks climb bleak and bare Under cold stars obscure to human sight, There shoots at dusk a single beam of light Whose far blue rays make shepherds whine in prayer. They say (though none has been there) that it comes Out of a pharos in a tower of stone, Where the last Elder One lives on alone, Talking to Chaos with the beat of drums. The Thing, they whisper, wears a silken mask Of yellow, whose queer folds appear to hide A face not of this earth, though none dares ask Just what those features are, which bulge inside. Many, in man's first youth, sought out that glow, But what they found, no one will ever know. [ H. P. Lovecraft, Fungi from Yuggoth XXVII. ] "To the Gods of Asia and Europe and Africa, to the unknown and strange gods." [ Inscription found on an altar at Athens, ~60AD ] Ghaunadaur, god of fallen stars, slime, outcasts, and the discarded, is best known as a peripheral member of the drow pantheon. However, he is also an ancient, pre-humanoid entity, thought to have emerged from the primordial ooze, or even to have born that ancient life with him to this world from some forgotten home. Most slimes and oozes are mindless and unable to worship Ghaunadaur, but the deity is known and revered by shoggoths, from which it's most powerful priests are drawn. Ghaunadaur, god of fallen stars, slime, outcasts, and the discarded, is a peripheral member of the drow pantheon. He is worshiped mainly by disaffected drow, especially those warped into punishment forms and exiled by Lolth. The most powerful droven followers of Ghaunadaur are often former priestesses of Lolth, warped into drider form after failing one of their goddess's many tests. Where am I? In the Village. What do you want? Information. Whose side are you on? That would be telling. We want information ... information ... You won't get it. By hook or by crook, we will. Who are you? The new Number 2. Who is Number 1? You are Number 6. I am not a number! I am a free man! [ The Prisoner, by Patrick McGoohan ] Known under various names (Nu, Neph, Cenubis, Amen-Kneph, Khery-Bakef), Ptah is the creator god and god of craftsmen. He is usually depicted as wearing a closely fitting robe with only his hands free. His most distinctive features are the invariable skull-cap exposing only his face and ears, and the _was_ or rod of domination which he holds, consisting of a staff surmounted by the _ankh_ symbol of life. He is otherwise symbolized by his sacred animal, the bull. " It's all very fine," said the Puddin' gloomily, " singing about the joys of being penguins and pirates, but how'd you like to be a Puddin' and be eaten all day long? " And in a very gruff voice he sang as follows :-- " O, who would be a puddin', A puddin' in a pot, A puddin' which is stood on A fire which is hot ? O sad indeed the lot Of puddin's in a pot. ... " But as I am a puddin', A puddin' in a pot, I hope you get the stomachache For eatin' me a lot. I hope you get it hot, You puddin'-eatin' lot ! " " Very well sung, Albert," said Bill encouragingly, " though you're a trifle husky in your undertones, which is no doubt due to the gravy in your innards. However, as a reward for bein' a bright little feller we shall have a slice of you all round before turnin' in for the night." [ The Magic Pudding: The Adventures of Bunyip Bluegum. Norman Lindsay ] A gargantuan version of the harmless rain-worm, the purple worm poses a huge threat to the ordinary adventurer. It is known to swallow whole and digest its victims within only a few minutes. These worms are always on guard, sensitive to the most minute vibrations in the earth, but may also be awakened by a remote shriek. "With a single, savage thrust of her spear, the warrior-woman impaled the fungus, silencing it. However, it was too late: the alarm had been raised[...] Suddenly, a large, dark shape rose from the abyss before them, its fetid bulk looming overhead...The monster was some kind of great dark worm, but that was about all they were sure of." [ The Adventurers, Epic IV, by Thomas A. Miller ] At first glance around the corner, I thought it was another cockatrice. I had encountered the wretched creatures two or three times since leaving the open area. I quickly ducked my head back and considered what to do next. My heart had begun to thump audibly as I patted my pack to make sure I still had the dead lizards at close reach. A check of my attire showed no obvious holes or damage. I had to keep moving. One deep breath, and a count of three, two, one, and around the corner I bolted. But it was no cockatrice! I felt a sudden intense searing of the skin around my face, and flames began to leap from my pack. I tossed it to the ground, and quickly retreated back, around that corner, desperately striving to get out of its sight. A monstrous serpent in Greek mythology, and the child of Gaia, the goddess earth. It was produced from the slime and mud that was left on the earth by the great flood of Deucalion. It lived in a cave and guarded the oracle of Delphi on mount Parnassus. No man dared to approach the beast and the people asked Apollo for help. He came down from Mount Olympus with his silver bow and golden arrows. With using only one arrow he killed the serpent and claimed the oracle for himself. ... The old name of Delphi, Pytho, refers to the serpent. [ Encyclopedia Mythica, ed. M.F. Lindemans ] "Attack on ground where your enemy believes you will not, from an unexpected direction at an unexpected time. Defend where your enemy believes you are not, and when he believes you will run. Surprise is the key to victory, and speed is the key to surprise. For the soldier, speed is life." [ Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan ] The woodlands and other regions are inhabited by multitudes of four-legged creatures which cannot be simply classified. They might not have fiery breath or deadly stings, but adventurers have nevertheless met their end numerous times due to the claws, hooves, or bites of such animals. These creatures are not native to this universe; they seem to have strangely derived powers, and unknown motives. _Uncertainty Principle_ The principle that it is not possible to know with unlimited accuracy both the position and momentum of a particle. ... An explanation of the uncertainty is that in order to locate a particle exactly, an observer must be able to bounce off it a photon of radiation; this act of location itself alters the position of the particle in an unpredictable way. To locate the position accurately, photons of short wavelength would have to be used. The high momentum of such photons would cause a large effect on the position. On the other hand, using photons of lower momenta would have less effect on the particle's position, but would be less accurate because of the lower wavelength. [ A Concise Dictionary of Physics ] Quasits are small, evil creatures, related to imps. Their talons release a very toxic poison when used in an attack. The term queen bee is typically used to refer to an adult, mated female that lives in a honey bee colony or hive; she is usually the mother of most, if not all, the bees in the hive. The queens are developed from larvae selected by worker bees and specially fed in order to become sexually mature. There is normally only one adult, mated queen in a hive. [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] Many, possibly most, Tours are organized as a Quest. This is like a large-scale treasure hunt, with clues scattered all over the continent, a few false leads, Mystical Masters as game-show hosts, and the Dark Lord and the Terrain to make the Quest interestingly difficult. [...] In order to be assured of your future custom, the Management has a further Rule: Tourists, far from being rewarded for achieving their Quest Object, must then go on to conquer the Dark Lord or set about Saving the World, or both. And why not? By then you will have had a lot of practice in that sort of thing and, besides, the Quest Object is usually designed to help you do it. [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] One of the principal Aztec-Toltec gods was the great and wise Quetzalcoatl, who was called Kukumatz in Guatemala, and Kukulcan in Yucatan. His image, the plumed serpent, is found on both the oldest and the most recent Indian edifices. ... The legend tells how the Indian deity Quetzalcoatl came from the "Land of the Rising Sun". He wore a long white robe and had a beard; he taught the people crafts and customs and laid down wise laws. He created an empire in which the ears of corn were as long as men are tall, and caused bolls of colored cotton to grow on cotton plants. But for some reason or other he had to leave his empire. ... But all the legends of Quetzalcoatl unanimously agree that he promised to come again. [ Gods, Graves, and Scholars, by C. W. Ceram ] A blur of color and a hint of movement are the only clues most people have of the existence of the quickling. Great speed and small size make it difficult to find and focus on these swift beings. [ ADOM, by Thomas Biskup ] Maltar: [...] I remembered a little saying I learned my first day at the academy. Natalie: Yeah, yeah, I know. Winners never quit and quitters never win. Maltar: What? No! Winners never quit and quitters should be cast into the Flaming Pit of Death. [ Snow Day, directed by Chris Koch, written by Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi ] The Japanese god of thunder (rai) and lightning (den). He prevented the Mongols from invading Japan in 1274. Sitting on a cloud he sent forth a shower of lightning arrows upon the invading fleet. Only three men escaped. Raiden is portrayed as a red demon with sharp claws, carrying a large drum. He is fond of eating human navels. The only protection against him is to hide under a mosquito net. [ Encyclopedia Mythica, ed. M.F. Lindemans ] I AM THE THUNDER OF GOD. ANGEL OF LIGHTNING. I AM RAMIEL. I HAVE COME. [ NGE, Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman ] This wepaon is essentially a spear with a hilt, designed to block and possibly disarm the opponent. The hilt can be curved backwards or stick straight out from the thin spear head. It is from nine to eleven feet long (2.7 to 3.3 meters). A H H H T -=ZZZ=- H "Lonely men are we, Rangers of the wild, hunters -- but hunters ever of the servants of the Enemy; for they are found in many places, not in Mordor only. If Gondor, Boromir, has been a stalwart tower, we have played another part. Many evil things there are that your strong walls and bright swords do not stay. You know little of the lands beyond your bounds. Peace and freedom, do you say? The North would have known them little but for us. Fear would have destroyed them. But when dark things come from the houseless hills, or creep from sunless woods, they fly from us. What roads would any dare to tread, what safety would there be in quiet lands, or in the homes of simple men at night, if the Dunedain were asleep, or were all gone into the grave?" [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] A variant of the pike, the ranseur has a thin, double-edged primary blade. Secondary blades are backward-hooking projections set well below the large central blade, forming a crown-shape. The spearing function of the weapon is apparent, and the deflection includes the trapping of opponent weapons in the space below the main blade, where a twist of the shaft would apply pressure from it or the secondary projections to either break the caught weapon or disarm its wielder. Additionally, the side projections provide both a means of holding an opponent at long range or of pulling mounted opponents off their steed. Rats are long-tailed rodents. They are aggressive, omnivorous, and adaptable, often carrying diseases. "The rat," said O'Brien, still addressing his invisible audience, "although a rodent, is carnivorous. You are aware of that. You will have heard of the things that happen in the poor quarters of this town. In some streets a woman dare not leave her baby alone in the house, even for five minutes. The rats are certain to attack it. Within quite a small time they will strip it to the bones. They also attack sick or dying people. They show astonishing intelligence in knowing when a human being is helpless." [ 1984, by George Orwell ] But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour. Nothing further then he uttered -- not a feather then he fluttered-- Till I scarcely more than muttered, 'other friends have flown before-- On the morrow *he* will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.' Then the bird said, 'Nevermore.' [ The Raven - Edgar Allan Poe ] Razorvine's a fact of life in Sigil and on some of the Lower Planes. It's a black-leaved creeper or ivy with an exceptionally sharp-edged stem hidden under the lush foliage. The plant's capable of surviving almost any conditions, and flourishes in most environments - regardless of the quality of the soil, atmos- phere, rainfall, or light. Razorvine can grow several feet in a single day, and can cover a small building or untended wall in a week. There are few creatures as can stomach razorvine, so its growth is often unimpeded by natural means. Merchants and other cutters interested in extra security have been bringing razorvine cuttings with them to the Outlands, planting the vines on whatever they wanted kept safe, and then learning just how virulent ravorvine growth really is. Chant is they recently had a sod drawn and quartered in Ribcage for trying to smuggle cuttings in after they'd just finished clearing the town of the stuff. [ Planescape Monstrous Compendium II, by Rich Baker ] Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne, In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] [...] "When time came for the shepherds to hold their customary assembly in order to prepare their monthly report to the king about the state of the flocks, he came too, wearing this ring. While he was sitting with the others, it chanced that he moved the collet of the ring around toward himself into the inside of his hand; having done this, he disappeared from the sight of those who were sitting beside him, and they discussed of him as of someone who had left. And he wondered and once again feeling for the ring, he turned the collet outwards and, by turning it, reappeared. Reflecting upon this, he put the ring to the test to see if it indeed had such power, and he came to this conclusion that, by turning the collet inwards, he became invisible, outwards, visible. Having perceived this, he at once managed for himself to become one of the envoys to the king; upon arrival, having seduced his wife, with her help, he laid a hand on the king, murdered him and took hold of the leadership." [ The Republic, by Plato, translated by James Adam ] Robes are the only garments, apart from Shirts, ever to have sleeves. They have three uses: 1. As the official uniform of Priests, Priestesses, Monks, Nuns (see Nunnery), and Wizards. The OMT [ Official Management Term ] prescribed for the Robes of Priests and Nuns is that they _fall in severe folds_; of Priestesses that they _float_; and of Wizards that they _swirl_. You can thus see who you are dealing with. 2. For Kings. The OMT here is _falling in stately folds_. 3. As the garb of Desert Nomads. [...] [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] Bilbo saw that the moment had come when he must do something. He could not get up at the brutes and he had nothing to shoot with; but looking about he saw that in this place there were many stones lying in what appeared to be a now dry little watercourse. Bilbo was a pretty fair shot with a stone, and it did not take him long to find a nice smooth egg-shaped one that fitted his hand cosily. As a boy he used to practise throwing stones at things, until rabbits and squirrels, and even birds, got out of his way as quick as lightning if they saw him stoop; and even grownup he had still spent a deal of his time at quoits, dart-throwing, shooting at the wand, bowls, ninepins and other quiet games of the aiming and throwing sort - indeed he could do lots of things, besides blowing smoke-rings, asking riddles and cooking, that I haven't time to tell you about. There is no time now. While he was picking up stones, the spider had reached Bombur, and soon he would have been dead. At that moment Bilbo threw. The stone struck the spider plunk on the head, and it dropped senseless off the tree, flop to the ground, with all its legs curled up. [ The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] A rock mole is a member of the rodent family. They get their name from their ability to tunnel through rock in the same fashion that a mole tunnels through earth. They are known to eat anything they come across in their diggings, although it is still unknown how they convert some of these things into something of nutritional value. A gnawing mammal (order _Rodentia_) having in each jaw two (rarely four) incisors, growing continually from persistent pulps, and no canine teeth, as a squirrel, beaver, or rat. [ Webster's Comprehensive International Dictionary of the English Language ] "Rodents Of Unusual Size? I don't think they exist." [The Princess Bride, by William Goldman ] A canvas's colors of blood and ichor soak the ground upon the fields of Pesh, mountains of corpses surrounding a creature whose body wavers between forms arachnid and lupine. Miska the Wolf-Spyder. The wind dukes and their servants (slaves?) are falling, the former comets being doused and the latter as if a wind put darkens a field of candles. One duke is a pillar for the the forces of Law and its allies, shining in its gorgeous androgyne nudity despite the vastness of Miska's shadow which flows through forms like quicksilver. In his hand is a simple black rod, elegant in its minimalism as befitting the nature of its orderly creators. The duke moves toward Miska, attendants falling around him as sacrificial fodder for the historical moment. A mountainous black wolf with golden pupiless orbs has eight bebillith legs that slash through the surrounding enemy. Then it is a silver haired spider with eight lupine eyes and slavering jaws between fangs should be, biting through stone giants and lawful titans whose race ends here. What happens next is unclear - those who might have recalled these moments better are lost even to the great powers shining their light on this ancient past. One of the wind dukes that was there before the tide of the demonic horde fell upon them is dead, his body torn by gaping but perfectly circular holes. One of the Vaati has speared the body of the Miska the Wolf-Spyder, who is in his drider like form, his eye-holes pouring out light that strangely resembles rotted gold. [ Blade of Innocence, by Sciborg ] I understand the business, I hear it: to have an open ear, a quick eye, and a nimble hand, is necessary for a cut-purse; a good nose is requisite also, to smell out work for the other senses. I see this is the time that the unjust man doth thrive. <...> The prince himself is about a piece of iniquity, stealing away from his father with his clog at his heels: if I thought it were a piece of honesty to acquaint the king withal, I would not do't: I hold it the more knavery to conceal it; and therein am I constant to my profession. [ Autolycus the Rogue, from The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare ] Roshi is a Japanese word, common in Zen Buddhism, meaning "old" (ro) and "teacher" (shi). Roshi can be used as a term of respect, as in the Rinzai school; as a simple reference to actual age, as in the Soto school; or it can mean a teacher who has transmitted knowledge to, and thus "given birth" to, a new teacher. [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] The rothe (pronounced roth-AY) is a musk ox-like creature with an aversion to light. It prefers to live underground near lichen and moss. "'Royal Jelly,'" he read aloud, "'must be a substance of tremendous nourishing power, for on this diet alone, the honey-bee larva increases in weight fifteen hundred times in five days!'" "How much?" "Fifteen hundred times, Mabel. And you know what that means if you put it in terms of a human being? It means," he said, lowering his voice, leaning forward, fixing her with those small pale eyes, "it means that in five days a baby weighing seven and a half pounds to start off with would increase in weight to five tons!" [ Royal Jelly, by Roald Dahl ] _Corundum._ Mineral, aluminum oxide, Al2O3. The clear varieties are used as gems and the opaque as abrasive materials. Corundum occurs in crystals of the hexagonal system and in masses. It is transparent to opaque and has a vitreous to adamantine luster. [...] The chief corundum gems are the ruby (red) and the sapphire (blue). [ The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition ] Runes are an intensely magical form of writing. Anything written in Runes is going to be a Spell. [...] 6. Written on Rings and Swords. These Runes always make words and nearly always mean trouble. Avoid any artifact with Runes on it, even if the Runes prove only to spell the maker's name. [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] Rust monsters are subterranean creatures with an appetite for all sorts of metals. These unique creatures, though generally inoffensive, are the bane of fighters everywhere. The average rust monster measures 5 feet long and 3 feet high at the shoulder. It has a strange tail that appears armor plated and ends in an odd-looking bony projection that resembles a double-ended paddle. Two prehensile antennae are located under the thing's two eyes. The hide of the rust monster is rough, covered with lumpy projections. Coloration varies from a yellowish tan on the underside and legs, to a rust red upper back. Rust monsters smell like wet, oxidized metal. [ Monstrous Manual, by TSR inc. ] Then, driven ahead by curiosity in their captured yacht under Johansen's command, the men sight a great stone pillar sticking out of the sea, and come upon a coastline of mingled mud, ooze, and weedy Cyclopean masonry which can be nothing less than the tangible substance of earth's supreme terror - the nightmare corpse-city of R'lyeh, that was built in measureless aeons behind history by the vast, loathsome shapes that seeped down from the dark stars. [...] I suppose that only a single mountain-top, the hideous motolith-crowned citadel whereon great Cthulhu was buried, actually emerged from the waters. When I think of the extent of all that may be brooding down there I almost wish to kill myself forthwith. [ The Call of Cthulhu, H. P. Lovecraft ] When the stars were right, They could plunge from world to world through the sky; but when the stars were wrong, They could not live. But although They no longer lived, They would never really die. They all lay in stone houses in Their great city of R'lyeh, preserved by the spells of mighty Cthulhu for a glorious surrection when the stars and the earth might once more be ready for Them. [ The Call of Cthulhu, by H. P. Lovecraft ] In the elder time chosen men had talked with the entombed Old Ones in dreams, but then something happened. The great stone city R'lyeh, with its monoliths and sepulchres, had sunk beneath the waves; and the deep waters, full of the one primal mystery through which not even thought can pass, had cut off the spectral intercourse. [ The Call of Cthulhu, by H. P. Lovecraft ] Long, long ago, before your ancestors had discovered flint or fire or songs, my people already climbed the great heights of civilization. Settling on an island in the midst of the lonely seas, we raised a great city to the stars. ...But Time washes away all things, and that shining city has long since drowned beneath the uncaring ocean. Flashed all their sabres bare, Flashed as they turned in air, Sab'ring the gunners there, Charging an army, while All the world wondered: Plunged in the battery smoke, Right through the line they broke; Cossack and Russian Reeled from the sabre-stroke Shattered and sundered. Then they rode back, but not-- Not the six hundred. [ The Charge of the Light Brigade, by Alfred, Lord Tennyson ] The horseman serves the horse, The neat-herd serves the neat, The merchant serves the purse, The eater serves his meat; 'Tis the day of the chattel, Web to weave, and corn to grind, Things are in the saddle, And ride mankind. [ Ode, by Ralph Waldo Emerson ] Japanese rice wine. For hundreds of years, many people believed that salamanders were magical. In England in the Middle Ages, people thought that fire created salamanders. When they set fire to damp logs, dozens of the slimy creatures scurried out. The word salamander, in fact, comes from a Greek word meaning "fire animal". [ Salamanders, by Cherie Winner ] By that time, Narahara had already slipped his arm from the sleeve of his outer robe, drew out his two-and-a-half-foot Fujiwara Tadahiro sword, and, brandishing it over his head, began barreling toward the foreigners. In less than a minute, he had charged upon them and cut one of them through the torso. The man fled, clutching his bulging guts, finally to fall from his horse at the foot of a pine tree about a thousand yards away. Kaeda Takeji finished him off. The other two Englishmen were severely wounded as they tried to flee. Only the woman managed to escape virtually unscathed. [ The Fox-horse, from Drunk as a Lord, by Ryotaro Shiba ] Ildefonse left the terrace and almost immediately sounds of contention came from the direction of the work-room. Ildefonse presently returned to the terrace, followed by Osherl and a second sandestin using the guise of a gaunt blue bird-like creature, some six feet in height. Ildefonse spoke in scathing tones: "Behold these two creatures! They can roam the chronoplex as easily as you or I can walk around the table; yet neither has the wit to announce his presence upon arrival. I found Osherl asleep in his fulgurite and Sarsem perched in the rafters." [...] "No matter," said Rhialto. "He has brought Sarsem, and this was his requirement. In the main, Osherl, you have done well!" "And my indenture point?" "Much depends upon Sarsem's testimony. Sarsem, will you sit?" "In this guise, I find it more convenient to stand." "Then why not alter to human form and join us in comfort at the table?" "That is a good idea." Sarsem became a naked young epicene in an integument of lavender scales with puffs of purple hair like pom-poms growing down his back. He seated himself at the table but declined refreshment. "This human semblance, though typical, is after all, only a guise. If I were to put such things inside myself, I might well become uneasy." [ Rhialto the Marvellous, by Jack Vance ] The name _Sasquatch_ doesn't really become important in Canada until the 1930s, when it appeared in the works of J. W. Burns, a British Columbian writer who used a great deal of Indian lore in his stories. Burn's Sasquatch was a giant Indian who lived in the wilderness. He was hairy only in the sense that he had long hair on his head, and while this Sasquatch lived a wild and primitive life, he was fully human. Burns's character proved to be quite popular. There was a Sasquatch Inn near the town of Harrison, British Columbia, and Harrison even had a local celebration called "Sasquatch Days." The celebration which had been dormant for years was revived as part of British Columbia's centennial, and one of the events was to be a Sasquatch hunt. The hunt never took place, perhaps it was never supposed to, but the publicity about it did bring out a number of people who said they had encountered a Sasquatch -- not Burns's giant Indian, but the hairy apelike creature that we have all come to know. [ The Encyclopedia of Monsters, by Daniel Cohen ] A scalpel is a very sharp knife used for surgery ... Merely touching a medical scalpel with bare hands to test it will cut through the skin. ... Medical scalpel blades are gradually curved for greater precision when cutting through tissue. [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] This mace was created aeons ago in some unknown cave, and has been passed down from generation to generation of cave dwellers. It is a very mighty mace indeed, and in addition will protect anyone who carries it from magic missile attacks. When invoked, it causes conflict in the area around it. Oh, how handsome, how noble was the Vizier Ali Tebelin, my father, as he stood there in the midst of the shot, his scimitar in his hand, his face black with powder! How his enemies fled before him! [ The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas ] The scion queen mother rules over all the social insects, and many other creatures besides. Her sign is a stylized insect head composed of eight strokes, and may be reinforced up to seven times. A sub-species of the spider (_Scorpionidae_), the scorpion distinguishes itself from them by having a lower body that ends in a long, jointed tail tapering to a poisonous stinger. They have eight legs and pincers. [ Van Dale's Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal ] Since early times, the Scorpion has represented death, darkness, and evil. Scorpius is the reputed slayer of Orion the Hunter. [...] The gods put both scorpion and hunter among the stars, but on opposite sides of the sky so they would never fight again. As Scorpius rises in the east, Orion sets in the west. [ 365 Starry Nights, by Chet Raymo ] And I was gazing on the surges prone, With many a scalding tear and many a groan, When at my feet emerg'd an old man's hand, Grasping this scroll, and this same slender wand. I knelt with pain--reached out my hand--had grasp'd Those treasures--touch'd the knuckles--they unclasp'd-- I caught a finger: but the downward weight O'erpowered me--it sank. Then 'gan abate The storm, and through chill aguish gloom outburst The comfortable sun. I was athirst To search the book, and in the warming air Parted its dripping leaves with eager care. Strange matters did it treat of, and drew on My soul page after page, till well-nigh won Into forgetfulness; when, stupefied, I read these words, and read again, and tried My eyes against the heavens, and read again. [ Endymion, by John Keats ] A scythe consists of a wooden shaft about 170 centimetres (67 in) long called a snaith, snath, snathe or sned. The snaith may be straight, or with an "S" curve, but the more sophisticated versions are curved in three dimensions, allowing the mower to stand more upright. The snaith has either one or two short handles at right angles to it usually one near the upper end and always another roughly in the middle. A long, curved blade about 60 to 90 centimetres (24 to 35 in)) long is mounted at the lower end, perpendicular to the snaith. [ Wikipedia ] The oceans of the surface world are populated by numerous sea creatures, both vast and deadly, and by way of magic or underwater tunnels many of these have found their way into the dungeon environment. Out from the water a long sinuous tentacle had crawled; it was pale-green and luminous and wet. Its fingered end had hold of Frodo's foot, and was dragging him into the water. Sam on his knees was now slashing at it with a knife. The arm let go of Frodo, and Sam pulled him away, crying out for help. Twenty other arms came rippling out. The dark water boiled, and there was a hideous stench. [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] The image generally is classified as a feline, and with close inspection resembles an unusually long-necked lioness. It bears the characteristic tuft of the species at the end of the tail, there are no spots, the round-eared head most closely resembles the lioness rather than a serpent, because serpents do not have ears, and there are no typical serpent features such as scales, tongue, or head shape. It has been suggested that in Ancient Egyptian art the serpent-necked lioness represents "a symbol of the chaos that reigned beyond Egypt's borders", which the king must tame. They are normally shown conquered or restrained, as in the Narmer Palette, or attacking other animals. But in Mesopotamian art they are shown in pairs, with intertwined necks. There is no known name for the creature in any ancient texts. [ Wikipedia ] The ancient Egyptian god of chaos (Set), the embodiment of hostility and even of outright evil. He is also a god of war, deserts, storms, and foreign lands. ... In the Book of the Dead, Seth is called "Lord of the Northern Sky" and is held responsible for storms and cloudy weather. ... Seth was portrayed as a man with the head of undeterminable origin, although some see in it the head of an aardvark. He had a curved snout, erect square-tipped ears and a long forked tail. He was sometimes entirely in animal form with the body similar to that of a greyhound. Animals sacred to this god were the dog, the jackal, the gazelle, the donkey, the crocodile, the hippopotamus, and the pig. [ Encyclopedia Mythica, ed. M.F. Lindemans ] Shades are undead creatures. They differ from zombies in that a zombie is an undead animation of a corpse, while a shade is an undead creature magically created by the use of black magic. Making his quarters in the Caves of the Ancestors, Shaman Karnov unceasingly tries to shield his neanderthal people from the Chromatic Dragon's minions' harassments. The Chinese god of Mountains and Seas, also the name of an old book (also Shan Hai Tjing), the book of mountains and seas - which deals with the monster Kung Kung trying to seize power from Yao, the fourth emperor. [ Spectrum Atlas van de Mythologie ] As the shark moved, its dark top reflected virtually no light. The denticles on its skin muted the whoosh of its movements as the shark rose, driven by the power of the great tail sweeping from side to side, like a scythe. The fish exploded upward. Charles Bruder felt a slight vacuum tug in the motion of the sea, noted it as a passing current, the pull of a wave, the tickle of undertow. He could not have heard the faint sucking rush of water not far beneath him. He couldn't have seen or heard what was hurtling from the murk at astonishing speed, jaws unhinging, widening, for the enormous first bite. It was the classic attack that no other creature in nature could make -- a bomb from the depths. [ Close to Shore, by Michael Capuzzo ] The wind is in the sky, and the stars are in the heavens, and a resolute heart beats within my chest! A Japanese stabbing knife. "... in the place of utter blasphemy, the unholy pit where the black realm begins and the watcher guards the gate - I saw a shoggoth - it changed shape ..." [ The Thing on the Doorstep, by H.P. Lovecraft ] It was a terrible, indescribable thing vaster than any subway train -- a shapeless congeries of protoplasmic bubbles, faintly self-luminous, and with myriads of temporary eyes forming and un-forming as pustules of greenish light all over the tunnel- filling front that bore down upon us, crushing the frantic penguins and slithering over the glistening floor that it and its kind had swept so evilly free of all litter. Still came that eldritch, mocking cry -- "Tekeli-li! Tekeli-li!" and at last we remembered that the demoniac Shoggoths - given life, thought, and plastic organ patterns solely by the Old Ones ... [ At the Mountains of Madness, by H.P. Lovecraft ] There have been three general theories put forward to explain the phenomenon of the wandering shops or, as they are generically known, _tabernae vagantes._ The first postulates that many thousands of years ago there evolved somewhere in the multiverse a race whose single talent was to buy cheap and sell dear. Soon they controlled a vast galactic empire or, as they put it, Emporium, and the more advanced members of the species found a way to equip their very shops with unique propulsion units that could break the dark walls of space itself and open up vast new markets. And long after the worlds of the Emporium perished in the heat death of their particular universe, after one last defiant fire sale, the wandering starshops still ply their trade, eating their way through the pages of spacetime like a worm through a three-volume novel. The second is that they are the creation of a sympathetic Fate, charged with the role of supplying exactly the right thing at the right time. The third is that they are simply a very clever way of getting around the various Sunday Closing acts. All these theories, diverse as they are, have two things in common. They explain the observed facts, and they are completely and utterly wrong. [ The Light Fantastic, by Terry Pratchett ] With a single, savage thrust of her spear, the warrior-woman impaled the fungus, silencing it. However, it was too late: the alarm had been raised[...] Suddenly, a large, dark shape rose from the abyss before them, its fetid bulk looming overhead...The monster was some kind of great dark worm, but that was about all they were sure of. [ The Adventurers, Epic IV, by Thomas A. Miller ] You know, that's what I hate most about fighting against magic: you never know what they're trying to do to you until it hits. The sorceress knew what hit her, however. Two of the shuriken got past whatever defenses she had. One caught her just below the throat, the other in the middle of her chest. It wouldn't kill her, but she wouldn't be fighting anyone for a while. [ Jhereg, by Steven Brust ] A sickle is a hand-held agricultural tool with a variously curved blade typically used for harvesting grain crops or cutting succulent forage chiefly for feeding livestock (either freshly cut or dried as hay). The inside of the blade's curve is sharp, so that the user can either draw or swing it against the base of the crop, catching the stems in the curve and slicing them at the same time. The material to be cut may be held in a bunch in the other hand (for example when reaping), held in place by a wooden stick, or left free. [ Wikipedia ] Grey as a mouse Big as a house Nose like a snake I make the earth shake As I tramp through the grass Trees crack as I pass With horns in my mouth I walk in the South Flapping big ears Beyond count of years I stump round and round Never lie on the ground Not even to die Oliphaunt am I Biggest of all Huge, old, and tall If ever you'd met me You wouldn't forget me If you never do You won't think I'm true But old Oliphaunt am I And I never lie [ Oliphaunt, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] A white, precious, metallic chemical element that is extremely ductile and malleable, capable of high polish, and an excellent conductor of heat and electricity: symbol, Ag; atomic weight, 107.880; atomic number, 47. [ Webster's New Twentieth Century Dictionary Unabridged, Second Edition ] The toxicity of certain heavy metals is a well-known effect, with lead, mercury, and cadmium best known examples. Other metals have a reduced or negligible effect on humans, but negativly effect smaller organisms such as bacteria. Silver is perhaps the best known example of this latter class, being used since ancient times to treat external infections. Its well known efficacy in this regard led to the idea that it was effective against many other forms of evil, both seen and unseen. But the keyCarter sent me a photograph of that. Its curious arabesques were not letters, but seem to have belonged to the same culture-tradition as the hieroglyphs on the parchment. Carter always spoke of being on the point of solving the mystery, though he never gave details. Once he grew almost poetic about the whole business. That antique Silver Key, he said, would unlock the successive doors that bar our free march down the mighty corridors of space and time to the very Border which no man has crossed since Shaddad with his terrific genius built and concealed in the sands of Arabia Petraea the prodigious domes and uncounted minarets of thousand-pillared Irem. [ Through the Gates of the Silver Key, HP Lovecraft ] A skeleton is a magically animated undead creature. Unlike shades, only a humanoid creature can be used to create a skeleton. No one knows why this is true, but it has become an accepted fact amongst the practitioners of the black arts. "That dog belonged to a settler who tried to build his cabin on the bank of the river a few miles south of the fort," grunted Conan. ... "We took him to the fort and dressed his wounds, but after he recovered he took to the woods and turned wild. -- What now, Slasher, are you hunting the men who killed your master?" ... "Let him come," muttered Conan. "He can smell the devils before we can see them." ... Slasher cleared the timbers with a bound and leaped into the bushes. They were violently shaken and then the dog slunk back to Balthus' side, his jaws crimson. ... "He was a man," said Conan. "I drink to his shade, and to the shade of the dog, who knew no fear." He quaffed part of the wine, then emptied the rest upon the floor, with a curious heathen gesture, and smashed the goblet. "The heads of ten Picts shall pay for this, and seven heads for the dog, who was a better warrior than many a man." [ Conan The Warrior, by Robert E Howard ] Losing is fun Sleep is a death; oh, make me try By sleeping, what it is to die, And as gently lay my head On my grave, as now my bed. [ Religio Medici, by Sir Thomas Browne ] A hideous growth, green slime is bright green, sticky, and wet. It grows in dark subterranean places on walls, ceilings and floors. ... Green slime attaches itself to living flesh and in 1-4 melee rounds turns the creature into green slime ... Green slime is an infestation that all creatures avoid; it is burned out of caverns or mines if found. Once it has infected an area, it has a tendency to grow back, even after being frozen or burned away, because dormant spores can germinate years later. [ Monstrous Manual, by TSR inc. ] Slime mold or slime fungus, organism usually classified with the fungi, but showing equal affinity to the protozoa. Slime molds have complex life cycles with an animal-like motile phase, in which feeding and growth occur, and a plant-like immotile reproductive phase. The motile phase, commonly found under rotting logs and damp leaves, consists of either solitary amoebalike cells or a brightly colored multinucleate mass of protoplasm called a plasmodium, which creeps about and feeds by amoeboid movement. [ The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia ] And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. [ 1 Samuel 17:48-50 ] Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. [ Genesis 3:1-6,13-15 ] Ah, never shall I forget the cry, or the shriek that shrieked he, As I gnashed my teeth, and from my sheath I drew my Snickersnee! --Koko, Lord high executioner of Titipu [ The Mikado, by Sir W.S. Gilbert ] Then at the very least, you would do well to learn the name of my Zanpakutou. Dance, Sode no Shirayuki! [ Bleach, Tite Kubo ] Said to be the most beautiful of the soul-cutting swords, Sode no Shirayuki (Sleaves of White Snow) demands a graceful, dance-like fighting style of its wielder. It's most powerful techniques are activated by moving the blade in a specific way while calling out the name of the technique. The first dance, White Moon, invokes a freezing circle that embraces both heaven and earth. The next dance, White Ripple, fires a beam of snow and ice. The last dance, White Sword, repairs any damage the blade has suffered, and temporarily boosts its attack power. Sokoban (Japanese for "warehouse person") is a puzzle-type game where the player must push around treasure to a goal area. It apparently won first prize in a Japanese programming contest. [ Xsokoban web site ] Sokoban (Japanese for "warehouse keeper") is a transport puzzle in which the player pushes boxes around a maze, viewed from above, and tries to put them in designated locations. Only one box may be pushed at a time, not two, and boxes cannot be pulled. As the puzzle would be extremely difficult to create physically, it is usually implemented as a video game. Sokoban was created in 1982 by Hiroyuki Imabayashi, and was published by Thinking Rabbit, a software house based in Takarazuka, Japan. Thinking Rabbit also released three sequels: Boxxle, Sokoban Perfect and Sokoban Revenge. [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] The soldiers of Yendor are well-trained in the art of war, many trained by the Wizard himself. Some say the soldiers are explorers who were unfortunate enough to be captured, and put under the Wizard's spell. Those who have survived encounters with soldiers say they travel together in platoons, and are fierce fighters. Because of the load of their combat gear, however, one can usually run away from them, and doing so is considered a wise thing. First [Herakles] was assigned to fetch the skin of the Nemeian lion, an invulnerable animal sired by Typhon . . . He then went to Nemea, found the lion, and shot it first with arrows. But when he knew for sure it was invulnerable, he picked up his club and started after it. It escaped into a double-mouthed cave, but Herakles blocked up one of the mouths, and ran in after the creature through the other. He encircled its neck with his arm, and by squeezing choked it to death. [ Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 2. 74 - 76 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) ] - they come together with great random, and a spear is brast, and one party brake his shield and the other one goes down, horse and man, over his horse-tail and brake his neck, and then the next candidate comes randoming in, and brast his spear, and the other man brast his shield, and down he goes, horse and man, over his horse-tail, and brake his neck, and then there's another elected, and another and another and still another, till the material is all used up; and when you come to figure up results, you can't tell one fight from another, nor who whipped; and as a picture of living, raging, roaring battle, sho! why it's pale and noiseless - just ghosts scuffling in a fog. Dear me, what would this barren vocabulary get out of the mightiest spectacle? - the burning of Rome in Nero's time, for instance? Why, it would merely say 'Town burned down; no insurance; boy brast a window, fireman brake his neck!' Why, that ain't a picture! [ A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, by Mark Twain ] The Book of Three lay closed on the table. Taran had never been allowed to read the volume for himself; now he was sure it held more than Dallben chose to tell him. In the sun- filled room, with Dallben still meditating and showing no sign of stopping, Taran rose and moved through the shimmering beams. From the forest came the monotonous tick of a beetle. His hands reached for the cover. Taran gasped in pain and snatched them away. They smarted as if each of his fingers had been stung by hornets. He jumped back, stumbled against the bench, and dropped to the floor, where he put his fingers woefully into his mouth. Dallben's eyes blinked open. He peered at Taran and yawned slowly. "You had better see Coll about a lotion for those hands," he advised. "Otherwise, I shouldn't be surprised if they blistered." [ The Book of Three, by Lloyd Alexander ] This polearm has a thin spearhead with two angled dagger- type blades at about 45 degrees. They can be used to attack, block, or hold an oppenent at bay. Unfortunately, they can't do any of those tasks excedingly well. This weapon is nine to ten feet long (2.7 to 3 meters). A H H H \ H / \\H// \H/ H Eight legged creature capable of spinning webs to trap prey. "You mean you eat flies?" gasped Wilbur. "Certainly. Flies, bugs, grasshoppers, choice beetles, moths, butterflies, tasty cockroaches, gnats, midges, daddy longlegs, centipedes, mosquitoes, crickets - anything that is careless enough to get caught in my web. I have to live, don't I?" "Why, yes, of course," said Wilbur. [ Charlotte's Web, by E.B. White ] A spell is a consciously directed act of magic which may take almost any form, depending on the laws of magic in operation. Commonly there will be a spoken element, ranging from a simple phrase or name to elaborately complex ritual incantations. [...] Hand-gestures or passes may be required -- called the "somatic element" by the scientific magic investigators in L. Sprague de Camp's and Fletcher Pratt's _Incomplete Enchanter_ series. Many spells exhaust the caster, like Gorice's arduous conjuration in _The Worm Ouroboros_ (1922) by E. R. Eddison. Jack Vance's _The Dying Earth_ (1950) has spells which must be painstakingly impressed on the mind (whose capacity is finite), and when cast are gone until re-learned. [ The Encyclopedia of Fantasy by David Langford ] The attack by those who want to die -- this is the attack against which you cannot prepare a perfect defense. --Human aphorism [ The Dosadi Experiment, by Frank Herbert ] "Long ago a silver queen emerged from the Hinterlands below, having followed the path of the great pillar, Axis Mundi, that extended deep into the earth. She had come to see the top of this edifice, and perhaps learn who had built the foundation of her underground realm. Yet when she emerged with her eight children--four sons and four daughters--she saw that the Spire extended far into the sky. Eight great roads extended out from the monument to Mystery, veering and branching into sixteen paths that crossed and diverted, shifting like living streams. While her children stared off into the distance, the queen herself looked up into the sky. In the distance she saw that infinity might have an end, a height that might be ascended to. Her children felt the same way about the roads that ran to embrace the horizon. Together they realized they might walk and climb and thereby measure the Wheel, squaring the circle at last. To each son and each daughter was given a blade, to keep them safe on their journeys. And so the children each picked a road and began walking, choosing different forks and turns, getting lost but always finding themselves once more. Meanwhile, the silver queen began to climb. She was determined to reach the top of the Spire, for it was there that she might watch for her children as she waited for their return." [ Blade of Innocence, by Sciborg ] A droven punishment form combining the worst aspects of humanoids and spiders. Sprow combine the head and torso of a drow with the limbs of a spider. This form is typically inflicted on drow novices who see spiders as holy creatures worthy of worship, rather than as allegories and useful tools. It may also be inflicted on young drow who boast about their cunning to others. Unlike driders, sprow are too weak to survive alone and are not driven out of the droven cities, instead being used as slave-laborers or beasts of burden. A floorboard creaked. Galder had spent many hours tuning them, always a wise precaution with an ambitious assistant who walked like a cat. D flat. That meant he was just to the right of the door. "Ah, Trymon," he said, without turning, and noted with some satisfaction the faint indrawing of breath behind him. "Good of you to come. Shut the door, will you?" [ The Light Fantastic, by Terry Pratchett ] So they stood, each in his place, neither moving a finger's breadth back, for one good hour, and many blows were given and received by each in that time, till here and there were sore bones and bumps, yet neither thought of crying "Enough," or seemed likely to fall from off the bridge. Now and then they stopped to rest, and each thought that he never had seen in all his life before such a hand at quarterstaff. At last Robin gave the stranger a blow upon the ribs that made his jacket smoke like a damp straw thatch in the sun. So shrewd was the stroke that the stranger came within a hair's breadth of falling off the bridge; but he regained himself right quickly, and, by a dexterous blow, gave Robin a crack on the crown that caused the blood to flow. Then Robin grew mad with anger, and smote with all his might at the other; but the stranger warded the blow, and once again thwacked Robin, and this time so fairly that he fell heels over head into the water, as the queen pin falls in a game of bowls. [ The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, by Howard Pyle ] This staff is considered sacred to all healers, as it truly holds the powers of life and death. When wielded, it protects its user from all life draining attacks, and additionally gives the wielder the power of regeneration. When invoked it performs healing magic. While dreaming, you or I might notice a huge staircase leading enticingly down, out of ordinary dream, down the seventy stairs of light slumber, down into the Cavern of Flame. In this flickering chamber dwell Nasht and Kaman-Thah, hoary priests who have the power to accept the most worthy as initiate dreamers and to send them on, down seven hundred steps more to the Gates of Deeper Slumber... [ S. Petersen's Field Guide to Creatures of the Dreamlands ] Dr. Ray Stantz: Hey, where do those stairs go? Dr. Peter Venkman: They go up. [ Ghostbusters, directed by Ivan Reitman, written by Dan Ackroyd and Harold Ramis ] Up he went -- very quickly at first -- then more slowly -- then in a little while even more slowly than that -- and finally, after many minutes of climbing up the endless stairway, one weary foot was barely able to follow the other. Milo suddenly realized that with all his effort he was no closer to the top than when he began, and not a great deal further from the bottom. But he struggled on for a while longer, until at last, completely exhausted, he collapsed onto one of the steps. "I should have known it," he mumbled, resting his tired legs and filling his lungs with air. "This is just like the line that goes on forever, and I'll never get there." "You wouldn't like it much anyway," someone replied gently. "Infinity is a dreadfully poor place. They can never manage to make ends meet." [ The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster ] The invisible stalker is a creature from the elemental plane of Air. Those encountered on the Prime Material plane have almost always been summoned by wizards to fulfill a specific task. The true form of the invisible stalker is unknown. On the Material, Astral, or Ethereal planes, the invisible stalker can only be perceived as a shimmering air mass which looks much like the refraction effect caused by hot air passing in front of cold. [ Monstrous Manual, by TSR inc. ] Then at last he began to wonder why the lion was standing so still - for it hadn't moved one inch since he first set eyes on it. Edmund now ventured a little nearer, still keeping in the shadow of the arch as much as he could. He now saw from the way the lion was standing that it couldn't have been looking at him at all. ("But supposing it turns its head?" thought Edmund.) In fact it was staring at something else - namely a little dwarf who stood with his back to it about four feet away. "Aha!" thought Edmund. "When it springs at the dwarf then will be my chance to escape." But still the lion never moved, nor did the dwarf. And now at last Edmund remembered what the others had said about the White Witch turning people into stone. Perhaps this was only a stone lion. And as soon as he had thought of that he noticed that the lion's back and the top of its head were covered with snow. Of course it must be only a statue! [ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis ] There was the usual dim grey light of the forest-day about him when he came to his senses. The spider lay dead beside him, and his sword-blade was stained black. Somehow the killing of the giant spider, all alone and by himself in the dark without the help of the wizard or the dwarves or of anyone else, made a great difference to Mr. Baggins. He felt a different person, and much fiercer and bolder in spite of an empty stomach, as he wiped his sword on the grass and put it back into its sheath. "I will give you a name," he said to it, "and I shall call you Sting." [ The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] There were sounds in the distance, incongruent with the sounds of even this nameless, timeless sea: thin sounds, agonized and terrible, for all that they remained remote - yet the ship followed them, as if drawn by them; they grew louder - pain and despair were there, but terror was predominant. Elric had heard such sounds echoing from his cousin Yyrkoon's sardonically named 'Pleasure Chambers' in the days before he had fled the responsibilities of ruling all that remained of the old Melnibonean Empire. These were the voices of men whose very souls were under siege; men to whom death meant not mere extinction, but a continuation of existence, forever in thrall to some cruel and supernatural master. He had heard men cry so when his salvation and his nemesis, his great black battle-blade Stormbringer, drank their souls. [ The Lands Beyond the World, by Michael Moorcock ] He walked for some time through a long narrow corridor without finding any one and was just going to call out, when suddenly in a dark corner between an old cupboard and the door he caught sight of a strange object which seemed to be alive. [ Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky ] Dorothy leaned her chin upon her hand and gazed thoughtfully at the Scarecrow. Its head was a small sack stuffed with straw, with eyes, nose, and mouth painted on it to represent a face. An old, pointed blue hat, that had belonged to some Munchkin, was perched on his head, and the rest of the figure was a blue suit of clothes, worn and faded, which had also been stuffed with straw. On the feet were some old boots with blue tops, such as every man wore in this country, and the figure was raised above the stalks of corn by means of the pole stuck up its back. [ The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum ] A single species of plant evenly dispersed across the land, from here to the infinity-horizon. Each plant had a single blossom, and each blossom turned to follow Louis Wu as he dropped. A tremendous audience, silent and attentive. He landed and dismounted beside one of the plants. The plant stood a foot high on a knobbly green stalk. Its single blossom was as big as a large man's face. The back of that blossom was stringy, as if laced with veins or tendons; and the inner surface was a smooth concave mirror. From its center protruded a short stalk ending in a dark green bulb. All the flowers in sight watched him. He was bathed in the glare. Louis knew they were trying to kill him, and he looked up somewhat uneasily; but the cloud cover held. "You were right," he said, speaking into the intercom. "They're Slaver sunflowers. If the cloud cover hadn't come up, we'd have been dead the instant we rose over the mountains." What you seek is a blade of light, a weapon for vengance. [ Expedition to Castle Ravenloft, Cordell and Wyatt ] The Shinto chthonic and weather god and brother of the sun goddess Amaterasu, he was born from the nose of the primordial creator god Izanagi and represents the physical, material world. He has been expelled from heaven and taken up residence on earth. [ Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ] As a forest pathogen, a fungus can be very destructive. Its high destructiveness comes from the fact that, unlike most parasites, it doesn't need to moderate its growth in order to avoid killing its host, since it will continue to thrive on the dead material. [ Adapted from Wikipedia ] Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. [ Matthew, 26:52 ] Samurai plate armor of the Yamato period (AD 300 - 710). To every man upon this earth Death cometh soon or late; And how can man die better Than facing fearful odds For the ashes of his fathers And the temples of his gods? [ Lays of Ancient Rome, by Thomas B. Macaulay ] The tengu was the most troublesome creature of Japanese legend. Part bird and part man, with red beak for a nose and flashing eyes, the tengu was notorious for stirring up feuds and prolonging enmity between families. Indeed, the belligerent tengu were supposed to have been man's first instructors in the use of arms. [ Mythical Beasts, by Deirdre Headon (The Leprechaun Library) ] Cast off your fear. Look forward. Move forward. Never stand still. Retreat and you will age. Hesitate and you will die. Shout. My name is: ZANGETSU! [ Bleach, Kubo Tite ] A soul-cutting sword that is advanced to Bankai (Final Release) typically gains the ability to project some large, flashy effect, or to manifest a massive creature to do battle for its master. Not so Zangetsu. Instead, its final form, Tensa Zangetsu (Heaven-chain Slaying Moon), focuses all its power into the form of a normal daito sword. The shear intensity of the energies within this sword make the blade almost impervious to damage, allowing it to parry a wide variety of effects. The blade can additionally create a protective field around its wielder in the form of a cloak or long coat. Tensa Zangetsu may also be invoked to fire a powerful energy blast known as a Getsuga Tenso (Heaven- Piercing Moon-Fang) which can cleave through enemies and obstructing terain alike. Finally, the compressed forces at play in Tensa Zangetsu greatly affect the wielder's sense of time, allowing them to move and attack much faster than they otherwise could. The immense pressures acting on the blade, however, are far beyond what a mortal can endure. Any living creature that wields this sword will find their body and bones gradually ground into dust. Known as 'Thorin Oakenshield' because in the Battle of Azanulbizar he used an oak-branch as a shield and club. He is the King of Durin's folk in exile, and wears a golden necklace and a belt. The Egyptian god of the moon and wisdom, Thoth is the patron deity of scribes and of knowledge, including scientific, medical and mathematical writing, and is said to have given mankind the art of hieroglyphic writing. He is important as a mediator and counsellor amongst the gods and is the scribe of the Heliopolis Ennead pantheon. According to mythology, he was born from the head of the god Seth. He may be depicted in human form with the head of an ibis, wholly as an ibis, or as a seated baboon sometimes with its torso covered in feathers. His attributes include a crown which consists of a crescent moon surmounted by a moon disc. Thoth is generally regarded as a benign deity. He is also scrupulously fair and is responsible not only for entering in the record the souls who pass to afterlife, but of adjudicating in the Hall of the Two Truths. The Pyramid Texts reveal a violent side of his nature by which he decapitates the adversaries of truth and wrenches out their hearts. [ Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ] Men say that he [Thutothmes] has opposed Thoth-Amon, who is master of all priests of Set, and dwells in Luxor, and that Thutothmes seeks hidden power [The Heart of Ahriman] to overthrow the Great One. [ Conan the Conqueror, by Robert E. Howard ] A worshipper of Kali, who practised _thuggee_, the strangling of human victims in the name of the religion. Robbery of the victim provided the means of livelihood. They were also called _Phansigars_ (Noose operators) from the method employed. Vigorous suppression was begun by Lord William Bentinck in 1828, but the fraternity did not become completely extinct for another 50 years or so. In common parlance the word is used for any violent "tough". [ Brewer's Concise Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ] Methought I saw the footsteps of a throne Which mists and vapours from mine eyes did shroud-- Nor view of who might sit thereon allowed; But all the steps and ground about were strown With sights the ruefullest that flesh and bone Ever put on; a miserable crowd, Sick, hale, old, young, who cried before that cloud, "Thou art our king, O Death! to thee we groan." Those steps I clomb; the mists before me gave Smooth way; and I beheld the face of one Sleeping alone within a mossy cave, With her face up to heaven; that seemed to have Pleasing remembrance of a thought foregone; A lovely Beauty in a summer grave! [ Sonnet, by William Wordsworth ] A worshipper of Kali, who practised _thuggee_, the strangling of human victims in the name of the religion. Robbery of the victim provided the means of livelihood. They were also called _Phansigars_ (Noose operators) from the method employed. Vigorous suppression was begun by Lord William Bentinck in 1828, but the fraternity did not become completely extinct for another 50 years or so. In common parlance the word is used for any violent "tough". [ Brewer's Concise Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ] So, you have come this far---- I, TIAMAT the FIEND of the Wind will now put an end to your adventure!! [ Final Fantasy ] 1. A well-known tropical predator (_Felis tigris_): a feline. It has a yellowish skin with darker spots or stripes. 2. Figurative: _a paper tiger_, something that is meant to scare, but has no really scaring effect whatsoever, (after a statement by Mao Ze Dong, August 1946). [ Van Dale's Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal ] Tyger! Tyger! burning bright In the forests of the night, What immortal hand or eye Could frame thy fearful symmetry? [ The Tyger, by William Blake ] "You know salmon, Sarge," said Nobby. "It is a fish of which I am aware, yes." "You know they sell kind of slices of it in tins..." "So I am given to understand, yes." "Weell...how come all the tins are the same size? Salmon gets thinner at both ends." "Interesting point, Nobby. I think-" [ Soul Music, by Terry Pratchett ] Less than thirty Cat tribes now survived, roaming the cargo decks on their hind legs in a desperate search for food. But the food had gone. The supplies were finished. Weak and ailing, they prayed at the supply hold's silver mountains: huge towering acres of metal rocks which, in their pagan way, the mutant Cats believed watched over them. Amid the wailing and the screeching one Cat stood up and held aloft the sacred icon. The icon which had been passed down as holy, and one day would make its use known. It was a piece of V-shaped metal with a revolving handle on its head. He took down a silver rock from the silver mountain, while the other Cats cowered and screamed at the blasphemy. He placed the icon on the rim of the rock, and turned the handle. And the handle turned. And the rock opened. And inside the rock was Alphabetti spaghetti in tomato sauce. [ Red Dwarf, by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor ] Gaea, mother earth, arose from the Chaos and gave birth to Uranus, heaven, who became her consort. Uranus hated all their children, because he feared they might challenge his own authority. Those children, the Titans, the Gigantes, and the Cyclops, were banished to the nether world. Their enraged mother eventually released the youngest titan, Chronos (time), and encouraged him to castrate his father and rule in his place. Later, he too was challenged by his own son, Zeus, and he and his fellow titans were ousted from Mount Olympus. [ Greek Mythology, by Richard Patrick ] Kochifukaba nioiokoseyo umenohana. Arujinashitote harunawasureso [ a waka by Michizane Sugawara ] A powerful fire-type soul-cutting sword, Tobiume (Flying Plum Tree) launches searing fireballs from behind a stiff defense. Tobiume takes the form of a three-branched-sword, it's two side branches making it strong defensively but awkward on the offense. Tobiume is a mage's sword, able to draw on the mystical energies of its wielder to launch fireballs without pause. Should the wielder be forced into close combat, the branches can be used to disarm weapon-wielding opponents. Should the wielder succeed in overcoming an opponent in melee, Tobiume will launch their bodies backwards much like one of its fireballs. When East Winds blow send me your sweet scent my blooming plum! Though your master's gone Do not forget the Spring! [ translation of same; from The 5th Season, by Robin Gill ] Aluminum silicate mineral with either hydroxyl radicals or fluorine, Al2SiO4(F,OH)2, used as a gem. It is commonly colorless or some shade of pale yellow to wine-yellow; [...] The stone is transparent with a vitreous luster. It has perfect cleavage on the basal pinacoid, but it is nevertheless hard and durable. The brilliant cut is commonly used. Topaz crystals, which are of the orthorhombic system, occur in highly acid igneous rocks, e.g., granites and rhyolites, and in metamorphic rocks, e.g., gneisses and schists. [ The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition ] "Gold is tried by a touchstone, men by gold." [ Chilon (c. 560 BC) ] The road from Ankh-Morpork to Chrim is high, white and winding, a thirty-league stretch of potholes and half-buried rocks that spirals around mountains and dips into cool green valleys of citrus trees, crosses liana-webbed gorges on creaking rope bridges and is generally more picturesque than useful. Picturesque. That was a new word to Rincewind the wizard (BMgc, Unseen University [failed]). It was one of a number he had picked up since leaving the charred ruins of Ankh-Morpork. Quaint was another one. Picturesque meant -- he decided after careful observation of the scenery that inspired Twoflower to use the word -- that the landscape was horribly precipitous. Quaint, when used to describe the occasional village through which they passed, meant fever- ridden and tumbledown. Twoflower was a tourist, the first ever seen on the discworld. Tourist, Rincewind had decided, meant "idiot". [ The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett ] 'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. [ Jabberwocky, by Lewis Carroll ] The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has a few things to say on the subject of towels. A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value. You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapors; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a miniraft down the slow heavy River Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (a mind-bogglingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can't see it, it can't see you - daft as a brush, but very very ravenous); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough. [ The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams ] Towers (_brooding_, _dark_) stand alone in Waste Areas and almost always belong to Wizards. All are several stories high, round, doorless, virtually windowless, and composed of smooth blocks of masonry that make them very hard to climb. [...] You will have to go to a Tower and then break into it at some point towards the end of your Tour. [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] I knew my Erik too well to feel at all comfortable on jumping into his house. I knew what he had made of a certain palace at Mazenderan. From being the most honest building conceivable, he soon turned it into a house of the very devil, where you could not utter a word but it was overheard or repeated by an echo. With his trap-doors the monster was responsible for endless tragedies of all kinds. [ The Phantom of the Opera, by Gaston Leroux ] The trapper is a creature which has evolved a chameleon-like ability to blend into the dungeon surroundings. It captures its prey by remaining very still and blending into the surrounding dungeon features, until an unsuspecting creature passes by. It wraps itself around its prey and digests it. I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth's sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; A tree that may in Summer wear A nest of robins in her hair; Upon whose bosom snow has lain; Who intimately lives with rain. Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree. [ Trees, by Joyce Kilmer ] If you start from scratch, cooking tripe is a long-drawn-out affair. Fresh whole tripe calls for a minimum of 12 hours of cooking, some time-honored recipes demanding as much as 24. To prepare fresh tripe, trim if necessary. Wash it thoroughly, soaking overnight, and blanch, for 1/2 hour in salted water. Wash well again, drain and cut for cooking. When cooked, the texture of tripe should be like that of soft gristle. More often, alas, because the heat has not been kept low enough, it has the consistency of wet shoe leather. [ Joy of Cooking, by I Rombauer and M Becker ] The troll shambled closer. He was perhaps eight feet tall, perhaps more. His forward stoop, with arms dangling past thick claw-footed legs to the ground, made it hard to tell. The hairless green skin moved upon his body. His head was a gash of a mouth, a yard-long nose, and two eyes which drank the feeble torchlight and never gave back a gleam. [...] Like a huge green spider, the troll's severed hand ran on its fingers. Across the mounded floor, up onto a log with one taloned forefinger to hook it over the bark, down again it scrambled, until it found the cut wrist. And there it grew fast. The troll's smashed head seethed and knit together. He clambered back on his feet and grinned at them. The waning faggot cast red light over his fangs. [ Three Hearts and Three Lions, by Poul Anderson ] This most ancient of swords has been passed down through the leadership of the Samurai legions for hundreds of years. It is said to grant luck to its wielder, but its main power is terrible to behold. It has the capability to cut in half any creature it is wielded against, instantly killing them. The tsurugi, also known as the long samurai sword, is an extremely sharp, two-handed blade favored by the samurai. It is made of hardened steel, and is manufactured using a special process, causing it to never rust. The tsurugi is rumored to be so sharp that it can occasionally cut opponents in half! TUBAL: There came divers of Antonio's creditors in my company to Venice that swear he cannot choose but break. SHYLOCK: I am very glad of it; I'll plague him, I'll torture him; I am glad of it. TUBAL: One of them showed me a ring that he had of your daughter for a monkey. SHYLOCK: Out upon her! Thou torturest me, Tubal. It was my turquoise; I had it of Leah when I was a bachelor; I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys. [ The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare ] "Rincewind!" Twoflower sprang off the bed. The wizard jumped back, wrenching his features into a smile. "My dear chap, right on time! We'll just have lunch, and then I'm sure you've got a wonderful programme lined up for this afternoon!" "Er --" "That's great!" Rincewind took a deep breath. "Look," he said desperately, "let's eat somewhere else. There's been a bit of a fight down below." "A tavern brawl? Why didn't you wake me up?" "Well, you see, I - _what_?" "I thought I made myself clear this morning, Rincewind. I want to see genuine Morporkian life - the slave market, the Whore Pits, the Temple of Small Gods, the Beggar's Guild... and a genuine tavern brawl." A faint note of suspicion entered Twoflower's voice. "You _do_ have them, don't you? You know, people swinging on chandeliers, swordfights over the table, the sort of thing Hrun the Barbarian and the Weasel are always getting involved in. You know -- _excitement_." [ The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett ] Yet remains that one of the Aesir who is called Tyr: he is most daring, and best in stoutness of heart, and he has much authority over victory in battle; it is good for men of valor to invoke him. It is a proverb, that he is Tyr-valiant, who surpasses other men and does not waver. He is wise, so that it is also said, that he that is wisest is Tyr-prudent. This is one token of his daring: when the Aesir enticed Fenris-Wolf to take upon him the fetter Gleipnir, the wolf did not believe them, that they would loose him, until they laid Tyr's hand into his mouth as a pledge. But when the Aesir would not loose him, then he bit off the hand at the place now called 'the wolf's joint;' and Tyr is one- handed, and is not called a reconciler of men. [ The Prose Edda, by Snorri Sturluson ] Umber hulks are powerful subterranean predators whose iron-like claws allow them to burrow through solid stone in search of prey. They are tremendously strong; muscles bulge beneath their thick, scaly hides and their powerful arms and legs all end in great claws. Men have always sought the elusive unicorn, for the single twisted horn which projected from its forehead was thought to be a powerful talisman. It was said that the unicorn had simply to dip the tip of its horn in a muddy pool for the water to become pure. Men also believed that to drink from this horn was a protection against all sickness, and that if the horn was ground to a powder it would act as an antidote to all poisons. Less than 200 years ago in France, the horn of a unicorn was used in a ceremony to test the royal food for poison. Although only the size of a small horse, the unicorn is a very fierce beast, capable of killing an elephant with a single thrust from its horn. Its fleetness of foot also makes this solitary creature difficult to capture. However, it can be tamed and captured by a maiden. Made gentle by the sight of a virgin, the unicorn can be lured to lay its head in her lap, and in this docile mood, the maiden may secure it with a golden rope. [ Mythical Beasts, by Deirdre Headon (The Leprechaun Library) ] Martin took a small sip of beer. "Almost ready," he said. "You hold your beer awfully well." Tlingel laughed. "A unicorn's horn is a detoxicant. Its possession is a universal remedy. I wait until I reach the warm glow stage, then I use my horn to burn off any excess and keep me right there." [ Unicorn Variations, by Roger Zelazny ] "You sing of the young gods easily In the days when you are young; But I go smelling yew and sods, And I know there are gods behind the gods, Gods that are best unsung. "And a man grows ugly for women, And a man grows dull with ale, Well if he find in his soul at last Fury, that does not fail. "The wrath of the gods behind the gods Who would rend all gods and men, Well if the old man's heart hath still Wheels sped of rage and roaring will, Like cataracts to break down and kill, Well for the old man then-- "While there is one tall shrine to shake, Or one live man to rend; For the wrath of the gods behind the gods Who are weary to make an end. "There lives one moment for a man When the door at his shoulder shakes, When the taut rope parts under the pull, And the barest branch is beautiful One moment, while it breaks. "So rides my soul upon the sea That drinks the howling ships, Though in black jest it bows and nods Under the moons with silver rods, I know it is roaring at the gods, Waiting the last eclipse. "And in the last eclipse the sea Shall stand up like a tower, Above all moons made dark and riven, Hold up its foaming head in heaven, And laugh, knowing its hour. "And the high ones in the happy town Propped of the planets seven, Shall know a new light in the mind, A noise about them and behind, Shall hear an awful voice, and find Foam in the courts of heaven. [ The Ballad of the White Horse, by G. K. Chesterton ] Despite being imbued with reality-warping powers, these trouble- making servants of darkness seem unaware of their true power, and probably would run away if yelled at. GG: those stupid things are impossible to kill :( TG: no you can kill them TG: youll get better dont worry [ Homestuck Act 5, by Andrew Hussie ] "What of the dawn?" they jeered. "We are the Uruk-hai: we do not stop the fight for night or day, for fair weather or for storm. We come to kill, by sun or moon. What of the dawn?" [ The Two Towers, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] Strange creatures with long, claw-tipped tentacles in place of heads, Uvuudaums hail from a far realm beyond the known planes. It is said that they are the lords of those realms, although evidence for this is thin at best. As with all supposed facts about that place, that claim is more likely a gross anthropomorphism, if not an outright falsehood. The merest glipse of their form drives men mad, and they are capable of crushing a man's head with a single flick of their headspikes. Even if the victim escapes this fate, their long spikes run with strange venoms. The Valkyries were the thirteen choosers of the slain, the beautiful warrior-maids of Odin who rode through the air and over the sea. They watched the progress of the battle and selected the heroes who were to fall fighting. After they were dead, the maidens rewarded the heroes by kissing them and then led their souls to Valhalla, where the warriors lived happily in an ideal existence, drinking and eating without restraint and fighting over again the battles in which they died and in which they had won their deathless fame. [ The Encyclopaedia of Myths and Legends of All Nations, by Herbert Robinson and Knox Wilson ] The Oxford English Dictionary is quite unequivocal: _vampire_ - "a preternatural being of a malignant nature (in the original and usual form of the belief, a reanimated corpse), supposed to seek nourishment, or do harm, by sucking the blood of sleeping persons. ..." "I am the morning sun, come to vanquish this horrible night!" [ Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia ] Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, was the daughter of Jupiter and Dione. Others say that Venus sprang from the foam of the sea. The zephyr wafted her along the waves to the Isle of Cyprus, where she was received and attired by the Seasons, and then led to the assembly of the gods. All were charmed with her beauty, and each one demanded her for his wife. Jupiter gave her to Vulcan, in gratitude for the service he had rendered in forging thunderbolts. So the most beautiful of the goddesses became the wife of the most ill-favoured of gods. [ Bulfinch's Mythology, by Thomas Bulfinch ] The Victorian woman wore an extraordinary amount of underwear. The basic items consisted of chemise, drawers, corset and several petticoats. In general, these main garments remained throughout the period, but new ones were added (and taken away, too), including crinolines, bustles, corset covers and combinations. [ An Overview of Underwear, Ladies Treasury 2003 ] -Elizabeth, how's it coming? -It's difficult *gasps* to say. -I'm told it's the latest fashion in London. -Well, women in London must have learnt to not breathe. [ Pirates of the Caribbean ] Violet fungus growths resemble shriekers, and are usually encountered with them. The latter are immune to the touch of violet fungi, and the two types of creatures complement each other's existence. [ Monstrous Manual, by TSR inc. ] This creature might be mistaken for a white beech tree at a distance. A closer look, however, reveals reptilian skin and branches tipped with fanged viper heads. [ Expedition to the Demonweb Pits, by Wolfgang Baur and Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel ] Vlad Dracula the Impaler was a 15th-Century monarch of the Birgau region of the Carpathian Mountains, in what is now Romania. In Romanian history he is best known for two things. One was his skilled handling of the Ottoman Turks, which kept them from making further inroads into Christian Europe. The other was the ruthless manner in which he ran his fiefdom. He dealt with perceived challengers to his rule by impaling them upright on wooden stakes. Visiting dignitaries who failed to doff their hats had them nailed to their head. The Cat materialized at the far end of the bar, downed the Hatter's drink, and said, "I hear the burbling, and eyes of flame are drifting to the left." I glanced at the mural, and I, too, saw the fiery eyes and heard a peculiar sound. "It could be any number of things," Luke remarked. The Cat moved to a rack behind the bar and reached high up on the wall to where a strange weapon hung, shimmering and shifting in shadow. He lowered the thing and slid it along the bar; it came to rest before Luke. "Better have the Vorpal Sword in hand, that's all I can say." Luke laughed, but I stared fascinated at the device which looked as if it were made of moth wings and folded moonlight. [ Sign of Chaos, by Roger Zelazny ] Place a cleaver at the end of a seven to nine foot shaft (2 to 2.7 meters) and you end up with this weapon. Its short braod blade is ideal for slicing through armor. /\ / \ | \ Z[ | H| | H| | H| | Z[__-' H Swirling clouds of pure elemental energies, the vortices are thought to be related to the larger elementals. Though the vortices do no damage when touched, they are noted for being able to envelop unwary travellers. The hapless fool thus swallowed by a vortex will soon perish from exposure to the element the vortex is composed of. Place a hefty cleaver at the end of a long, stout shaft, and the leverage which the pole gives the wielder will enable him to cleave through armor. The voulge has no provision to keep the enemy at a distance in its basic model, but with the top front or back edge is ground down so as to provide a pointed, dagger-like tip, the weapon assumes a more complete form. The vrock is one of the weaker forms of demon. It resembles a cross between a human being and a vulture and does physical damage by biting and by using the claws on both its arms and feet. A wakizashi was used as a samurai's weapon when the katana was unavailable. When entering a building, a samurai would leave his katana on a rack near the entrance. However, the wakizashi would be worn at all times, and therefore, it made a sidearm for the samurai (similar to a soldier's use of a pistol). The samurai would have worn it from the time they awoke to the time they went to sleep. In earlier periods, and especially during times of civil wars, a tanto was worn in place of a wakizashi. [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] 'Saruman!' he cried, and his voice grew in power and authority. 'Behold, I am not Gandalf the Grey, whom you betrayed. I am Gandalf the White, who has returned from death. You have no colour now, and I cast you from the order and from the Council.' He raised his hand, and spoke slowly in a clear cold voice. 'Saruman, your staff is broken.' There was a crack, and the staff split asunder in Saruman's hand, and the head of it fell down at Gandalf's feet. 'Go!' said Gandalf. With a cry Saruman fell back and crawled away. [ The Two Towers, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] Apotropaic magic (from Greek apotrepein, to ward off : apo-, away + trepein, to turn) is a type of magic intended to "turn away" harm or evil influences, as in deflecting misfortune or averting the evil eye. "Apotropaic" observances may also be practiced out of vague superstition or out of tradition, as in good luck charm (perhaps some token on a charm bracelet), amulets, or gestures like fingers crossed or knocking on wood. [ Wikipedia ] Suddenly Aragorn leapt to his feet. "How the wind howls!" he cried. "It is howling with wolf-voices. The Wargs have come west of the Mountains!" "Need we wait until morning then?" said Gandalf. "It is as I said. The hunt is up! Even if we live to see the dawn, who now will wish to journey south by night with the wild wolves on his trail?" "How far is Moria?" asked Boromir. "There was a door south-west of Caradhras, some fifteen miles as the crow flies, and maybe twenty as the wolf runs," answered Gandalf grimly. "Then let us start as soon as it is light tomorrow, if we can," said Boromir. "The wolf that one hears is worse than the orc that one fears." "True!" said Aragorn, loosening his sword in its sheath. "But where the warg howls, there also the orc prowls." [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] They had come together at the ford of the Trident while the battle crashed around them, Robert with his warhammer and his great antlered helm, the Targaryen prince armored all in black. On his breastplate was the three-headed dragon of his House, wrought all in rubies that flashed like fire in the sunlight. The waters of the Trident ran red around the hooves of their destriers as they circled and clashed, again and again, until at last a crushing blow from Robert's hammer stove in the dragon and the chest behind it. When Ned had finally come on the scene, Rhaegar lay dead in the stream, while men of both armies scrambled in the swirling waters for rubies knocked free of his armor. [ A Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin ] They may be called the Palace Guard, the City Guard, or the Patrol. Whatever their name, their purpoes in any work of heroic fantasy is identical: it is, round about Chapter Three (or ten minutes into the film) to rush into the room, attack the hero one at a time, and be slaughtered. No-one ever asks them if they wanted to. [ Guards, Guards by Terry Pratchett ] "In all, I've had seventeen demands for your badge. Some want parts of your body attached. Why did you have to upset everybody?" [ Feet of Clay, by Terry Pratchett ] Day after day, day after day, We stuck, nor breath nor motion; As idle as a painted ship Upon a painted ocean. Water, water, everywhere, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, everywhere Nor any drop to drink. [ The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge ] [ The monkey king ] walked along the bank, around the pond. He examined the footprints of the animals that had gone into the water, and saw that none came out again! So he realized this pond must be possessed by a water demon. He said to the 80,000 monkeys, "This pond is possessed by a water demon. Do not let anybody go into it." After a little while, the water demon saw that none of the monkeys went into the water to drink. So he rose out of the middle of the pond, taking the shape of a frightening monster. He had a big blue belly, a white face with bulging green eyes, and red claws and feet. He said, "Why are you just sitting around? Come into the pond and drink at once!" The monkey king said to the horrible monster, "Are you the water demon who owns this pond?" "Yes, I am," said he. "Do you eat whoever goes into the water?" asked the king. "Yes, I do," he answered, "including even birds. I eat them all. And when you are forced by your thirst to come into the pond and drink, I will enjoy eating you, the biggest monkey, most of all!" He grinned, and saliva dripped down his hairy chin. [ Buddhist Tales for Young and Old, Vol. 1 ] And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. [ Matthew, 14:28-32 ] A weapon is a device for making your enemy change his mind. [ The Vor Game, by Lois McMaster Bujold ] I watch her in the corner there, As, restless, bold, and unafraid, She slips and floats along the air Till all her subtile house is made Her home, her bed, her daily food All from that hidden store she draws; She fashions it and knows it good, By instinct's strong and sacred laws. No tenuous threads to weave her nest, She seeks and gathers there or here; But spins it from her faithful breast, Renewing still, till leaves are sere. Then, worn with toil, and tired of life, In vain her shining traps are set. Her frost hath hushed the insect strife And gilded flies her charm forget. But swinging in the snares she spun, She sways to every winter wind: Her joy, her toil, her errand done, Her corse the sport of storms unkind. [ Arachne, by Rose Terry Cooke ] Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practise to deceive! [ Marmion, by Sir Walter Scott ] Lonely assassins they used to be called. No one quite knows where they came from, but they're as old as the universe. Or very nearly, and they have survived this long because they have the most perfect defense system ever evolved. They're quantum locked. They don't exist when they're being observed, in the moment they are seen by any other living creature they freeze into rock. No choice, it's a fact that their biology, in the sight of any other living thing they literally turn to stone. And you can't kill a stone. 'Course a stone can't kill you either, but then you turn your head away. Then you blink. And oh yes it can. [ Doctor Who, "Blink" ] "This whole book, it's a warning about the weeping angels, so why no pictures? Why not show us what to look out for?" "There was a bit about images. What was that?" "Yes. Hang on.... 'That which holds the image of an angel becomes itself an angel.'" [ Doctor Who, "The Time of Angels" ] There were legends both on the front and on the back of the whistle. The one read thus: FLA FUR BIS FLE The other: QUIS EST ISTE QUI VENIT 'I ought to be able to make it out,' he thought; 'but I suppose I am a little rusty in my Latin. When I come to think of it, I don't believe I even know the word for a whistle. The long one does seem simple enough. It ought to mean, "Who is this who is coming?" Well, the best way to find out is evidently to whistle for him.' [Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, by Montague Rhodes James 'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You My Lad'] A wight is a fearsome undead spirit inhabiting the remains of a deceased humanoid. Due to their corporeal nature, wights are able to make use of both weapons and magic. When he came to himself again, for a moment he could recall nothing except a sense of dread. Then suddenly he knew that he was imprisoned, caught hopelessly; he was in a barrow. A Barrow-wight had taken him, and he was probably already under the dreadful spells of the Barrow-wights about which whispered tales spoke. He dared not move, but lay as he found himself: flat on his back upon a cold stone with his hands on his breast. [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] Ebenezum walked before me along the closest thing we could find to a path in these overgrown woods. Every few paces he would pause, so that I, burdened with a pack stuffed with arcane and heavy paraphernalia, could catch up with his wizardly strides. He, as usual, carried nothing, preferring, as he often said, to keep his hands free for quick conjuring and his mind free for the thoughts of a mage. [ A Dealing with Demons, by Craig Shaw Gardner ] No one knows how old this mighty wizard is, or from whence he came. It is known that, having lived a span far greater than any normal man's, he grew weary of lesser mortals; and so, spurning all human company, he forsook the dwellings of men and went to live in the depths of the Earth. He took with him a dreadful artifact, the Book of the Dead, which is said to hold great power indeed. Many have sought to find the wizard and his treasure, but none have found him and lived to tell the tale. Woe be to the incautious adventurer who disturbs this mighty sorcerer! The ancestors of the modern day domestic dog, wolves are powerful muscular animals with bushy tails. Intelligent, social animals, wolves live in family groups or packs made up of multiple family units. These packs cooperate in hunting down prey. 1. Any of various, usually poisonous perennial herbs of the genus Aconitum, having tuberous roots, palmately lobed leaves, blue or white flowers with large hoodlike upper sepals, and an aggregate of follicles. 2. The dried leaves and roots of some of these plants, which yield a poisonous alkaloid that was formerly used medicinally. In both senses also called monkshood. [ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. ] Come, old broomstick, you are needed, Take these rags and wrap them round you! Long my orders you have heeded, By my wishes now I've bound you. Have two legs and stand, And a head for you. Run, and in your hand Hold a bucket too. ... See him, toward the shore he's racing There, he's at the stream already, Back like lightning he is chasing, Pouring water fast and steady. Once again he hastens! How the water spills, How the water basins Brimming full he fills! [ The Sorcerer's Apprentice, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, translation by Edwin Zeydel ] The Usenet Oracle requires an answer to this question! > How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could > chuck wood? "Oh, heck! I'll handle *this* one!" The Oracle spun the terminal back toward himself, unlocked the ZOT-guard lock, and slid the glass guard away from the ZOT key. "Ummmm....could you turn around for a minute? ZOTs are too graphic for the uninitiated. Even *I* get a little squeamish sometimes..." The neophyte turned around, and heard the Oracle slam his finger on a computer key, followed by a loud ZZZZOTTTTT and the smell of ozone. [ Excerpted from Internet Oracularity 576.6 ] Where the dunes began, perhaps fifty metres away at the foot of a rock beach, a silver-gray curve broached from the desert, sending rivers of sand and dust cascading all around. It lifted higher, resolved into a giant, questing mouth. It was a round, black hole with edges glistening in the moonlight. The mouth snaked toward the narrow crack where Paul and Jessica huddled. Cinnamon yelled in their nostrils. Moonlight flashed from crystal teeth. [ Dune, by Frank Herbert ] "The nethermost caverns," wrote the mad Arab, "are not for the fathoming of eyes that see; for their marvels are strange and terrific. Cursed the ground where dead thoughts live new and oddly bodied, and evil the mind that is held by no head. Wisely did Ibn Schacabao say, that happy is the tomb where no wizard hath lain, and happy the town at night whose wizards are all ashes. For it is of old rumour that the soul of the devil-bought hastes not from his charnel clay, but fats and instructs the very worm that gnaws; till out of corruption horrid life springs, and the dull scavengers of earth wax crafty to vex it and swell monstrous to plague it. Great holes secretly are digged where earth's pores ought to suffice, and things have learnt to walk that ought to crawl." [ The Festival, by HP Lovecraft ] [The crysknife] is manufactured in two forms from teeth taken from dead sandworms. The two forms are "fixed" and "unfixed". An unfixed knife requires proximity to a human body's electrical field to prevent disintegration. Fixed knives are treated for storage. All are about 20 centimeters long. [ Dune, by Frank Herbert ] The wraith is an evil undead spirit of a powerful human that seeks to absorb human life energy. These horrible creatures are usually seen as black, vaguely man-shaped clouds. They have no true substance, but tend to shape themselves with two upper limbs, a torso, and a head with two glowing red eyes. This shape is a convenience born from the habit of once having a human body. [ Monstrous Manual, by TSR inc. ] The Wumpus, by the way, is not bothered by the hazards since he has sucker feet and is too big for a bat to lift. If you try to shoot him and miss, there's also a chance that he'll up and move himself into another cave, though by nature the Wumpus is a sedentary creature. [ wump (6) -- "Hunt the Wumpus" ] _Wumpus yobgregorii_, in the flesh... Later, all you will be able to remember are its eyes. They are rich mud-brown, and they hold your own without effort. [ Hunter, In Darkness, by Andrew Plotkin ] They sent their friend the mosquito [xan] ahead of them to find out what lay ahead. "Since you are the one who sucks the blood of men walking along paths," they told the mosquito, "go and sting the men of Xibalba." The mosquito flew down the dark road to the Underworld. Entering the house of the Lords of Death, he stung the first person that he saw... The mosquito stung this man as well, and when he yelled, the man next to him asked, "Gathered Blood, what's wrong?" So he flew along the row stinging all the seated men until he knew the names of all twelve. [ Popul Vuh, as translated by Ralph Nelson ] A distant cousin of the earth elemental, the xorn has the ability to shift the cells of its body around in such a way that it becomes porous to inert material. This gives it the ability to pass through any obstacle that might be between it and its next meal. The arrow of choice of the samurai, ya are made of very straight bamboo, and are tipped with hardened steel. This gaunt, 12-foot tall humanoid demon is covered with mangy patches of yellow fur and has pale grey flesh showing where the fur is absent. His face is that of a leering, amber-eyed hyena, and he wields a massive flail with three spiked heads. [ Hordes of the Abyss, by Ed Stark, James Jacobs, and Erik Mona ] Yeenoghu, demon lord of gnolls. He casts magic projectiles at those close to him, and a mere glance into his piercing eyes may hopelessly confuse the battle-weary adventurer. The Abominable Snowman, or yeti, is one of the truly great unknown animals of the twentieth century. It is a large hairy biped that lives in the Himalayan region of Asia ... The story of the Abominable Snowman is filled with mysteries great and small, and one of the most difficult of all is how it got that awful name. The creature is neither particularly abominable, nor does it necessarily live in the snows. _Yeti_ is a Tibetan word which may apply either to a real, but unknown animal of the Himalayas, or to a mountain spirit or demon -- no one is quite sure which. And after nearly half a century in which Westerners have trampled around looking for the yeti, and asking all sorts of questions, the original native traditions concerning the creature have become even more muddled and confused. [ The Encyclopedia of Monsters, by Daniel Cohen ] Japanese leather archery gloves. Gloves made for use while practicing had thumbs reinforced with horn. Those worn into battle had thumbs reinforced with a double layer of leather. The samurai is highly trained with a special type of bow, the yumi. Like the ya, the yumi is made of bamboo. With the yumi-ya, the bow and arrow, the samurai is an extremely accurate and deadly warrior. The zombi... is a soulless human corpse, still dead, but taken from the grave and endowed by sorcery with a mechanical semblance of life, -- it is a dead body which is made to walk and act and move as if it were alive. [ W. B. Seabrook ] The zruty are wild and gigantic beings, living in the wildernesses of the Tatra mountains. This foul demoness resembles a human only from the torso up. This portion of her body is composed of thick rancid sheets and coils of fungus that just happens to have grown into the shape of what would otherwise be an attractive woman. Four fibrous antlers grow from her brow, and her hands bear cruel talons. Her lower torso is a coiling pillar of lashing ropy tendrals and other fungus growths. Her skin is a nauseating swirl of grays, blues, purples, and blacks. [ Hordes of the Abyss, by Ed Stark, James Jacobs, and Erik Mona ] > Å$Â 0á The Dungeons of Doom D rogue d ˙˙˙˙ R oracle d ˙˙˙˙ O qstlb d bigrm K ˙˙˙˙ B bgrmb 2 ˙˙˙˙ G stor Z ˙˙˙˙ S medusa û˙ d ˙˙˙˙ castle ˙˙ d ˙˙˙˙ lawlev d ˙˙˙˙@ neulev d ˙˙˙˙ chalev d ˙˙˙˙ The Gnomish Mines ˙˙˙˙ Sokoban The Quest Fort Ludios ˙˙˙˙ The Lost Tomb ˙˙˙˙ The Sunless Sea ˙˙˙˙ The Temple of Moloch ˙˙˙˙ Gehennom Law Quest Neutral Quest Chaos Quest The Elemental Planes ˙˙˙˙ Gehennom G valley d ˙˙˙˙ V stair1 d ˙˙˙˙ H stair2 d ˙˙˙˙ I stair3 d ˙˙˙˙ J stair4 d ˙˙˙˙ K stair5 d ˙˙˙˙ L sanctum ˙˙ d ˙˙˙˙ wizard1 d ˙˙˙˙ wizard2 d X wizard3 d Z hell3 ũ˙ d ˙˙˙˙@ hell2 ú˙ d ˙˙˙˙@ A hell ÷˙ d ˙˙˙˙@ B abys2 ô˙ d ˙˙˙˙ C abyss ô˙ d ˙˙˙˙ D brine ô˙ d ˙˙˙˙ fakewiz1 ô˙ d ˙˙˙˙ E fakewiz2 ô˙ d ˙˙˙˙ F fakewiz3 ô˙ d ˙˙˙˙ G The Gnomish Mines D M minetn d ˙˙˙˙ T minend ˙˙ d ˙˙˙˙ E Vlad's Tower ˙˙˙˙ Law Quest D ˙˙˙˙L towrtop d ˙˙˙˙ atower3 d ˙˙˙˙ J atower2 d ˙˙˙˙ I atower1 d ˙˙˙˙ H arcfort d ˙˙˙˙ arcward d ˙˙˙˙ G arcadia3 d ˙˙˙˙ F arcadia2 d ˙˙˙˙ E arcadia1 d ˙˙˙˙ D illregrd d ˙˙˙˙ path3 d ˙˙˙˙ C path2 d ˙˙˙˙ B path1 d ˙˙˙˙ A Neutral Quest $ N gatetwn d ˙˙˙˙ out1 d ˙˙˙˙ A out2 d ˙˙˙˙ B out3 d ˙˙˙˙ C out4 d ˙˙˙˙ D spire d ˙˙˙˙ E sumall d ˙˙˙˙ The Dispensary ˙˙˙˙ The Lost Cities ˙˙ ˙˙˙˙ The Lost Cities $ R leth-a d ˙˙˙˙ F lethe-b d ˙˙˙˙ G leth-c d ˙˙˙˙ H leth-d d ˙˙˙˙ I lethe-e d ˙˙˙˙ J lethe-f d ˙˙˙˙ K lethe-g d ˙˙˙˙ L lethe-z d ˙˙˙˙ M nkai-a d ˙˙˙˙ N nkai-b d ˙˙˙˙ O nkai-c d ˙˙˙˙ P nkai-z d ˙˙˙˙ Q rlyeh d ˙˙˙˙ Chaos Quest C chaosf d ˙˙˙˙ chaoss d ˙˙˙˙ A chaost d ˙˙˙˙ B chaosm d ˙˙˙˙ M chaosfrh d ˙˙˙˙ chaosffh d ˙˙˙˙ C chaossth d ˙˙˙˙ D chaosvth d ˙˙˙˙ E chaose d ˙˙˙˙ The Quest Q x-strt d ˙˙˙˙ x-loca d ˙˙˙˙ L x-goal ˙˙ d ˙˙˙˙ Sokoban $ ˙˙˙˙ soko1 d ˙˙˙˙ soko2 d ˙˙˙˙ soko3 d ˙˙˙˙ soko4 d ˙˙˙˙ Fort Ludios K knox ˙˙ d ˙˙˙˙ K The Lost Tomb L tomb d ˙˙˙˙ L The Sunless Sea sea d ˙˙˙˙ The Temple of Moloch mtemple d ˙˙˙˙ The Dispensary $ lbyrnth d ˙˙˙˙ Vlad's Tower tower ˙˙˙˙T tower1 d ˙˙˙˙ The Elemental Planes ū˙˙˙E astral d ˙˙˙˙ water d ˙˙˙˙ fire d ˙˙˙˙ air d ˙˙˙˙ earth d ˙˙˙˙ dummy d ˙˙˙˙ Welcome to NetHack! ( description of version 3.4 ) NetHack is a Dungeons and Dragons like game where you (the adventurer) descend into the depths of the dungeon in search of the Amulet of Yendor, reputed to be hidden somewhere below the twentieth level. You begin your adventure with a pet that can help you in many ways, and can be trained to do all sorts of things. On the way you will find useful (or useless) items, quite possibly with magic properties, and assorted monsters. You can attack a monster by trying to move onto the space a monster is on (but often it is much wiser to leave it alone). Unlike most adventure games, which give you a verbal description of your location, NetHack gives you a visual image of the dungeon level you are on. NetHack uses the following symbols: - and | The walls of a room, possibly also open doors or a grave. . The floor of a room or a doorway. # A corridor, or iron bars, or a tree, or possibly a kitchen sink (if your dungeon has sinks), or a drawbridge. > Stairs down: a way to the next level. < Stairs up: a way to the previous level. @ You (usually), or another human. ) A weapon of some sort. [ A suit or piece of armor. % Something edible (not necessarily healthy). / A wand. = A ring. ? A scroll. ! A potion. ( Some other useful object (pick-axe, key, lamp...) $ A pile of gold. * A gem or rock (possibly valuable, possibly worthless). + A closed door, or a spellbook containing a spell you can learn. ^ A trap (once you detect it). " An amulet, or a spider web. 0 An iron ball. _ An altar, or an iron chain. { A fountain. } A pool of water or moat or a pool of lava. \ An opulent throne. ` A boulder or statue. A to Z, a to z, and several others: Monsters. I Invisible or unseen monster's last known location You can find out what a symbol represents by typing '/' and following the directions to move the cursor to the symbol in question. For instance, a 'd' may turn out to be a dog. y k u 7 8 9 Move commands: \|/ \|/ yuhjklbn: go one step in specified direction h-.-l 4-.-6 YUHJKLBN: go in specified direction until you /|\ /|\ hit a wall or run into something b j n 1 2 3 g