Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

I think it's been a bit over a year since I was here last.

First of all, no. I won't be returning to the server. That's not negotiable.

I'm here because I'd like to know how you're all doing and to say g'day to the new folks around here.

I've spent most of the last year returning to post-graduate studies which are now indefinitely postponed. I spent half a semester researching global dragon mythology, a truly fascinating subject. I have since become firmly convinced by catastrophist/auroral theories of global dragonology: dragons were once visible (but not biological) phenomenon eyewitnessed by ancient peoples and represent cultural and linguistic explication of auroral, electrical and/or cometary events during extremely catastrophic epochs in the recent past (especially the period of 2300-700 BCE). Or in other words, ancient people saw radical things on earth, sea and sky, some of which took various serpentine forms, from feathered Aztec Queztlcoatl to the orb-chasing Chinese Tian-Long or the multi-headed near-eastern Leviathan. These events were remembered for their brilliant, glowing majesty as much as their catastrophic flaming terror, and the myths underwent a process of change over time as cultures forgot or modified the original referents, as is most noticeable in the RPG gaming culture.

Anyway, hope you're all warm and filled in these tumultuous times.

Hey, good to read from you and best wishes. Awesome signature

best wishes too! thanks for your spell list guide!

Tsidkenu wrote: ↑Sat Aug 14, 2021 8:34 am I've spent most of the last year returning to post-graduate studies which are now indefinitely postponed. I spent half a semester researching global dragon mythology, a truly fascinating subject. I have since become firmly convinced by catastrophist/auroral theories of global dragonology: dragons were once visible (but not biological) phenomenon eyewitnessed by ancient peoples and represent cultural and linguistic explication of auroral, electrical and/or cometary events during extremely catastrophic epochs in the recent past (especially the period of 2300-700 BCE). Or in other words, ancient people saw radical things on earth, sea and sky, some of which took various serpentine forms, from feathered Aztec Queztlcoatl to the orb-chasing Chinese Tian-Long or the multi-headed near-eastern Leviathan. These events were remembered for their brilliant, glowing majesty as much as their catastrophic flaming terror, and the myths underwent a process of change over time as cultures forgot or modified the original referents, as is most noticeable in the RPG gaming culture.

This sounds like such a fun topic to research! Also g'day!

Good to see you stopping by, Tsidkenu!

we have a new mine on the server and you can get gems

So, you're a Dragon Disciple now?

Lockonnow wrote: ↑Sat Aug 14, 2021 2:48 pm we have a new mine on the server and you can get gems

Did they end up adding any of my proposed new gems, Locke?

TheKai wrote: ↑Sat Aug 14, 2021 9:08 pm So, you're a Dragon Disciple now?

You could say that

It's been super exciting to look at global dragon traditions. The only place you won't find them (or a serpentine derivative, including the cosmic-scale, heaven-supporting eels of Micronesia/Polynesia) is Antartica!

Good day!




Which one is your favorite dragon from all mythos around?

yyj wrote: ↑Sun Aug 15, 2021 1:58 am Which one is your favorite dragon from all mythos around?

I thought this question might come up! Where to begin?

There are two primary sources of dragon material: narrative and iconographic. Narratives may be written or oral (numerically, the latter are far more abundant than the former but oral myths have not been thoroughly compiled, a process which is being undertaken by Dutch linguist and polyglot Marinus A. van der Sluijs). My favourite has to be the old Babylonian Enuma Elish, Marduk versus Tiamat - hero vs monster, an ancient classic! A close narrative second is Job 41 - firebreathing Leviathan stirring up the sea and making gods afraid (41:25 in English text; 41:17 in Hebrew text, a verse usually mistranslated due to its unashamedly polytheistic connotations). Third would be the Queztal Serpent creator deity Q'ukumatz, as recorded in the Mayan Popol Vuh (Allen J. Christiansen's 2007 translation is a must for those, such as yours truly, lacking linguistic ability in Quiche). A runner up 4th is the Japanese 8-Headed Sea Serpent as recorded in the notoriously difficult to translate Kojiki.

Iconographically there is much more to choose from due to the fact that some cultures which left no narratives (written or oral) left remnant art. There are also a greater variety of periods and cultures to choose from. I'm quite fancy to the 3rd millenium BCE bone carving of a god fighting a 7-headed dragon (see James B. Pritchard's Ancient Near Eastern Pictures, #671) very much akin to the wounded dragon of the much later Apocalypse of John. A similar cylinder seal found in Iraq dated towards the end of the 3rd millenium BCE (Pritchard, ANEP, #691) - both images available in poor resolution here.

Asian dragons, however, are my all-time favourite. They exemplify everything which is present in global dragon culture: they can be horrendous monsters causing rampaging destruction and death (e.g. Gonggong the Destroyer), or they can be benevolent, majestic omens of blessing and bounty, or anything in between those two extremes. Other than modern RPGs and their communities, I don't think there is any culture where dragon myth is so revered and systematised as the far East (although the Aztecs and Mayans get really close).

Hiya, Tsid!!!

I won't try to drag you back here, but what I will do is sift through all of your sources since I need more k n o w l e d g e. Thank you for popping your head back in and finally checking out your birthday cake! It's a little moldy by now but that's okay.

G'day mate. Hope you and yours are well over there. God bless.

Darradarljod wrote: ↑Sun Aug 15, 2021 5:38 pm G'day mate. Hope you and yours are well over there. God bless.

G'day Darra! Why'd ya stop answering my discord chats, ey? Haha.

I haven't worked for more than 7 weeks and that is unlikely to change. Otherwise we are in good health (and that also hasn't changed in the last 20 months).