I mentioned an upcoming event on a webpage for an Australian convention, and I’ve had some questions in the various fora I participate in, so: Yes, Linda and I are expecting our first child soonish, and so I have not volunteered to run anything at AusCon in May. If it turns out that fatherhood is substantially…
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Ars Magica Note: There are No Nosferatu
Interesting note: the term “nosferatu”, which is widely believed to be Romanian for vampire, comes into English through a book called “The Land Beyond the Forest”, which Bram Stoker used as a source for his research for “Dracula”. The Romanian term for vampire is, however, vampir. The word nosferatu does not exist before it appears…
Read MoreStuffed crocodilles in the laboratory, a pre-Pratchettian source
While writing Covenants, and describing the laboratories of magicians, some of us wanted to include a bonus for having a stuffed crocodille hanging from the ceiling. That didn’t come through, but now I can prove it comes from a public domain source, which means you can use it in your games, and if told you…
Read MoreHi! Are you sure you have the right site?
I noticed a group of people started following Games From Folktales today. Hi! If you came here mostly because of my recent discussions about the Australian Women Writers Challenge, then perhaps you’d prefer to follow book coasters (gcbooks.wordpress.com), which is my work blog, where I review books. This site’s mostly about my own writing, so its…
Read MoreThirty Objects of Desire : Epilogue
Brothers and Sisters of the Path of the Dawn, the day and hour are come, as predicted by Clement. Our decades of preparation are complete! Using the watch chain I have kept my thoughts hidden from our sodales. Using the pen I write to you. Using the hidden box I have moved the body of…
Read MoreThe Thirtieth Object
The Thirtieth Object was found as originally reported by Nestor of Merinita. For members of the Inquiry who are not familiar with the initial report, I will summarize. Nestor was led by faerie allies to a cavern where vis could be found. He harvested it for several years. On his most recent expedition, he discovered that the…
Read MoreThe Twenty-Ninth Object
The Twenty-Ninth Object is a metal sculpture, made up of hexagonal cells. It is just over three feet tall, and just over two feet wide. It contains 45 cells. When placed in the Eos Lands, the Object’s cells fill with clear crystals over the course of a year. Each of these hexagonal prisms contains one pawn of vis, for…
Read MoreThe Twenty-Eighth Object
The Twenty Eighth Object is a book with pages made of linen paper, bound in a saffron-coloured fabric over cerulean boards. On the front cover is the image of an angel, presumably stamped in place with a xylographic matrix. This Object does not, insofar as we are aware, have any powers beyond those found in all…
Read MoreThe Twenty Seventh Object
The Twenty-Seventh Object is a globe in a wooden case. It is made of marble, and is covered in painted illustration. It shows an Earth of correct size, but with many additional features which cannot possibly be verified with Hermetic magic. These include at least four, arguably more, additional continents. The Object has a disturbing property: it…
Read MoreThe Twenty Sixth Object
The Twenty-Sixth Object is a candelabra of silver, which holds five slim tapers. Each of the branches, which form a circle seen from above, is marked with the Hermetic symbol for a Magical Technique. The Object was, when first discovered, mistaken for a relic, as demons cannot manifest physical forms, or use their powers, within slightly…
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