After getting behind (and I still haven't finished Nov. and Dec. postings), I
have the following comments to the recent discussions:
MOB's comment on garum: "Garum - The sauce seems to have been made by allowing
split fish to suppurate on racks in the sun, and collecting the resulting
run-off liquid in
trays underneath. Urrghh.".
Sandy has added more detail to that, but this (paraphrased) is about the full
entry under garum in The Roman Cookery of Apicius, Translated and Adapted for
the Modern Kitchen by John Edwards:
Garum - (liquamen) made by leaving mackerel gills, intestines and blood in a
barrel with salt, vinegar, parsley, wine and sweet herbs to ferment in the
summer - when everything was liquid, (two to three months) it was done. This
was the first class stuff, of which an even more expensive variety was made from
the livers of red mullet. This type was invented by Apicius himself, at the
height of red mullet prices in the first century AD.
Muria - inferior fish-pickles. Made by using the parts of less expensive fish
(e.g. Mediterranean tunny-fish) put in a thick brine with oregano, and cooked
over a fire until the fish parts dissolved. Boiled, reduced wine was then added
(this would sweeten it), and after cooking and straining, it could be served.
A friend of mine who is deeply interested in Roman culture has made her own
muria, but says (as does Sandy) that Worcestershire sauce is quite close to
garum in its ingredients. It is made from vinegar, water, molasses, sugar,
anchovies, salt, tamarinds, shallots, garlic and spices, in order according to
the label.
Concerning Halcyon var Enkorth and Griffin Mountain: He is much better as described in Griffin Mountain, especially when a naturally devious GM is running him (for instance, my husband). By the way, I seem to recall really annoying said GM by bargaining (was running a merchant) with the griffins to search their eyrie instead of fighting them to find the Wind Sword. They're suckers for gold, and can't use the sword, anyway.
David Dunham says, concerning Charlie Domino's plaint, "While I occasionally see complaints like this, they never say what they_do_ want." I rather like hearing the occasional campaign anecdote. I loved reading what happened to Fido and his predecessor. I also greatly enjoy the stories (e.g. Harald's Imther series). Perhaps the best things are the really wild thought-provokers, such as Argrath originally being Kallyr's Food Man, which can give you scenario ideas, and make you delight in the agility of people's minds. I do agree with Charlie that prolonged discussions of very obscure points of divine genealogy tend to get skimmed, though you can get a feeling for the depths of Glorantha. As for GMing tips, if you've got any, I'll thank you. I've only written and run three scenarios in eleven years of Runequesting, and I'd love to figure out how you perennial GM's do it!
Adrian White asks about Martin Crim's statement that the Lunars imported maize into Prax and that maize is now a staple crop for many of the native farmers. Hon-eel the Artess, one of the many goddesses in the Lunar pantheon, is the patron of maize as well as being the leading exponent of using sexual glamour to divide and conquer your enemies. Her cult has never been fully written, but we were working on one once, since my best character worships her Grain Goddess aspect.
By the way, anyone who can bid on the baboon scenario, and get it, is due for a riotous evening. Ian and I played it out in Victoria, GMed by Neil Robinson. Oh, and would someone please remind MOB at RQ-Con 2 that he promised Ian that he would try and get him a copy the next time they went on sale? Up to $12Am, anyway. I have no idea what they'll go for.
Lastly, a brief description of where I come in:
I am a 35-year-old biologist (B.A. Hon, only, got on the twelve-year plan), who
specializes in entomology. I live in Nepean, Ontario, a suburb of Ottawa.
Recently finished a four-year stint raising bumblebees commercially for
greenhouse tomato pollination. My employers moved to greener pastures
(Detroit?!!), leaving me looking for work at the moment.
My interests include mediaeval and ancient history, particularly art history and
the history of the sciences, comparative religion, gardening, dogs and curling.
I have a small business dating from student days stringing semi-precious bead
jewellery, and thus a great interest in jewellery of all types. I read
compulsively, usually with three or so books on the go.
The road to gaming started with voracious reading of SF&F, because my father had
the stuff in his bookshelves. When I was twelve, he suggested that I might like
Lord of the Rings. I started fantasy roleplaying gaming when I was sixteen. It
was D&D from the Greyhawk books first, and various local variations thereafter.
After I met Ian through the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism, a mediaeval
recreationist club) eleven years ago, I started playing Runequest. I liked it,
so we got married. Almost ten years, and doing just fine, thank you. Our
campaigns have been in Balazar, Prax (twice) and now Sartar.
I have also played Paranoia and Star Trek TRPG, but they pale in comparison.
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