Nilmerg, Nilberg, Nilbog.

From: Nick Hollingsworth <NickH_at_compans.com>
Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1998 19:01:25 -0000


Lots of folk's pointed out that the creatures are actually called Nilmergs, including Nick 'Babbling' Brooke who added
> Maybe a previous poster called one "Nilberg" by mistake,
> hence our Bjorn's search-engine hit?

Unfortunately that previous poster was me, because I had their name wrong from the start. I was probably thinking of those old Nilbogs myself.

> We now know that the Gremlins are "broken" Nilmergs.

While the dwarves patiently try to mend the World Machine there are gremlins out there who are throwing sand in the works. Its normally a lot easier to break something than mend it, so a few Gremlins could undo centuries of work in moments.

Nilmergs are simple minded creatures who only perform one task. Perhaps this implies Gremlins are as simple and focused too - only having one glitch to inflict and constantly searching for the thing they know how to break. If this is the case it might be the only reason the Dwarves make any headway. (Not that I think that they actually ever get any closer to fixing the world).

Can a Nilmerg go bad? I would like to think that a Gremlin _is_ a Nilberg.
One day it is dedicated to adjusting the gears on an earth-tremor-machine one way, then the next day its become convinced they have to be adjusted a different way, resulting in the wrong sort of earthquake in the wrong places. I dont think that the gremlin is distinct
from the Nilberg and I dont think they are easy to tell apart. Its just another Gremlin, standing in line with the others, doing his task again and again and again, but doing it wrong. But there is no easy way to tell them apart. And its nice and subjective, it depends on which way you think the gears on that particular machine _should_ be adjusted.

Can a broken Nilmerg be reprogrammed? Do the dwarves maintain deprogramming camps where politically incorrect Nilmergs are sent to be reprogrammed and brain washed? After all what could be more politically incorrect for a Mostali than holding the wrong opinion about the right way to mend something.

Nick H

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Nick Hollingsworth
Tricksters - occasional UK based Live Combat Glorantha Least worst pic http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Cavern/9495/2_broo.jpg
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