tigers, dogs, narwhals

From: Carlson, Pam <carlsonp_at_wdni.com>
Date: Tue, 13 Dec 94 14:21:00 PST


TIGERS  Nils Weinander writes:

>Some time ago I posted a Kralorelan story about how the tiger got
>its stripes. It is all new from the start to the end. No RW story
>behind to provide a 'resonance of truth' I'm afraid.

Nice story. As I read it, I looked for similarities to Kipling's tale of how the tiger got his stripes, but I didn't see too many. Kipling's story was that the tiger was the first to kill and eat another animal, and the whole jungle bent down to scourge his back to brand him a murderer. This story is found in the Second Jungle Book, chapter title "How Fear Came", if I recall correctly. Haithi the Elephant told it on a sweltery day when everyone was hanging out at the water hole.



DOGS
>And of course the fact that dogs seem to worship us humans and to be
>our friends is what should make us wary. In fact, dogs are evil spawn
>of the devil using faked friendliness to get close to us for the
>final assault [ignore two page mutt-hating rant].

As the list's lonely dog advocate, I feel I must point out how useful a dog allied spirit or familiar would be. They could spy for you in towns, (who would notice yet another flea-bitten mutt dozing in the sun?), guard your mounts while you're away, keep watch at night (even while asleep), and easily keep pace all day with a human or a horse. They are happy to eat your leftovers, and they might even fetch a rabbit or two for the stewpot.

   (Note I am assuming a medium sized dog - 35 to 80 pounds.)

I am still working on a list of Gloranthan dog breeds and stats. I'll try to have it ready sometime before the Second Coming.



NARWHALS Harald Smith said he liked the narwhal idea, and asked about the horn:

In male narwhals, the left front tooth grows into a long (4-8 feet) spiral "horn". Being an enamel tooth, it's actually an ivory tusk, like on an elephant or a walrus. I would imagine they would have great value in Glorantha. Earthly narwhals live in arctic and sub-arctic seas, and eat  squid, molluscs, and fish. Their cousins, the belugas, produce a huge repetoire of chirps, whistles, and clicks, which can be heard even through the hulls of ships.
These animals occasionally beach themselves, sometimes in large numbers. A beached whale would be a good sceanrio beginning for a coastal campaign.  (The party could try to nurse it back to health, or unbeach and follow it,  or slaughter it and find something inside, or protect it from others who want to kill it...)

Pam


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