> Mikko wrote
>
> > Howcome we are seeing pit vipers in Dragon Pass these days anyway. Isn't
> > it supposed to be celtic/scandinavian landscape. What's with the
> > americanisms?
I'm not aware of any published claim that DP is a European landscape. Because of the focus on big-hit point monsters, the everyday flora and fauna of the Pass (and most of the rest of Glorantha for that matter) often suffers from Generic Fantasy Syndrome. I find it fun in scenarios and short stories to watch the background critters and trees change according to the continent of the author. Perhaps its more conscious for me because both the American and European extremes of the Euro-Siberian ecology are alien to my everyday experience: apart from Bloody Jeff and a few brooish mates, and the mighty lost Wombat Tribe of Prax, Australian ecology doesn't really mention.
While there's a lot of mix and match at work, the default grounding for Dragon Pass does seem to be American and Canadian Woodland and Mountain. Several years ago I attempted a systematic survey of everyday flora and fauna for the Far Place, and compiled an essay that included lists of wild and domestic animals, birds, fish, trees and plants. You can inspect the result at
http://home.primus.com.au/pipnjim/nysalor/ff1.htm
and subsequent pages. NOTE HOWEVER: don't try links to other pages apart from the flow of the essay: the site is under (non) construction. If you'd like the essay in PDF format, email me.
David:
> (They must be warm-blooded dinosaurs, given the bitterly cold winters
> in Dragon Pass :-)
Given the relatively small wilderness areas, ecological ranges, climate variations, population density and sophisticated weaponry of the human and non-human tribes, the survival of *any* megafauna in Dragon Pass is a bit of a stretch once you go beyond genre requirements and into "rationality". No matter!
(In the real world, the majority of remaining megafauna was hunted to extinction between 30K and 6K BP - 'bout same time war was invented as an alternative. :))
Given dinosaurs tendency to appear only "when the scenario dictates", in my campaign I've always hinted that - * they're quite rare, and usually sacred/taboo, * they enjoy some inexplicable relationship with dragonewts that may involve protection and a form of herding (mind you, my players believe that dragonewts "herd" human tribes), and * they spend at least some of their time on the Other Side.
I think that only one of the above is true. Until one of my Odaylans chooses an earthshaker totem, I'm probably safe in my vaguries and continuing ignorance.
John
nysalor_at_... John Hughesjohnp.hughes_at_...
The Journey will not be difficult,
If you follow my instructions.
A wild boar will bear your luggage,
The son of a dragon will carry you on his back.
A water monster will lead the way.
A very old stone monkey has no cause to be angry.
Ask those friends of yours -
They know the way to the West.
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