This is the multi-year Q&A sessions held by D&D co-creator Gary Gygax here at EN World, beginning in 2002 and running up until his sad pasing in 2008. Gary's username in the thread below is Col_Pladoh, and his first post in this long thread is Post #39.
TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax
This is the multi-year Q&A sessions held by D&D co-creator Gary Gygax here at EN World, beginning in 2002 and running up until his sad pasing in 2008. Gary's username in the thread below is Col_Pladoh, and his first post in this long thread is Post #39.
Mighty Veil
First Post
Col_Pladoh said:
What exactly is Theosophy all about? I'm reading it on Wiki but that's not helping. I'm curious to know because when my grandmother died years ago. In her book collection I found a very old bible like book with the emblem of the Theosophical Society symbol on it. The symbol has the Nazi symbol in it, so I always wondered if there was some connection (not that grandma *ever* seemed like the type).
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
Look up Sprirtism and Theosophy online, also try Madam Blavatsky (sp?). It was a popular belief back in the late 1800s and lasted into the early 1900s, a spritualist sort of belief. As a matter of fact it was very active in Wisconsin...and look up Wisconsin Death Trip sometime.Mighty Veil said:
The swastika is a gammadon, IIRR, used in ancinet India and by the American indians as a good luck symbol.
Cheers,
Gary
Mighty Veil
First Post
Col_Pladoh said:
Looking at Solar Symbols at Wiki. The Canadian flag looks similar to the 8 pointed star. Makes me wonder if that's what it's suppose to be.
8 pointed star
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_symbols
Maple leaf flag
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple_leaf_flag
Thulcondar
First Post
Dear Gary,
(And thanks for the permission to use the familiar; I'm something of a formalist when it comes to addressing those I consider my betters.)
A minor question regarding something I recently uncovered while researching an article on how to get the most out of DMing the D1-3 series. In D1, on p. 6, you say that "Shadow groups are spies for the Drow, for they are the major creations of the Drow deity." (Shadows referring of course to the AD&D monster.)
I was just wondering if you could elaborate on the connection between Lolth and the creation of Shadows. I realize that Driders are now considered the "major creations" of Lolth, thanks to "Queen of the Demonweb Pits" (*sigh*), but the though occurred to me that perhaps you were being somewhat sly in referring to "the Drow deity", and might perhaps have meant the Elder Elemental God, rather than Lolth. Or that might just be reading too much into it.
I know Q1 was not your work for the most part, of course; had you perhaps originally intended some connection with Lolth and the demiplane of shadow, or something else?
Thulcondar
PS: That aforementioned keyboard is packed and ready to be shipped out. Apologies for the delay; it's been an "interesting time" around here, in the Chinese sense of the term.
(And thanks for the permission to use the familiar; I'm something of a formalist when it comes to addressing those I consider my betters.)
A minor question regarding something I recently uncovered while researching an article on how to get the most out of DMing the D1-3 series. In D1, on p. 6, you say that "Shadow groups are spies for the Drow, for they are the major creations of the Drow deity." (Shadows referring of course to the AD&D monster.)
I was just wondering if you could elaborate on the connection between Lolth and the creation of Shadows. I realize that Driders are now considered the "major creations" of Lolth, thanks to "Queen of the Demonweb Pits" (*sigh*), but the though occurred to me that perhaps you were being somewhat sly in referring to "the Drow deity", and might perhaps have meant the Elder Elemental God, rather than Lolth. Or that might just be reading too much into it.
I know Q1 was not your work for the most part, of course; had you perhaps originally intended some connection with Lolth and the demiplane of shadow, or something else?
Thulcondar
PS: That aforementioned keyboard is packed and ready to be shipped out. Apologies for the delay; it's been an "interesting time" around here, in the Chinese sense of the term.
Thulcondar
First Post
Col_Pladoh said:Hi Mouser,
Devas were drawn mainly from mytholology.
Planetar and Solar were inspired by Theosophy. There were no grades of either IIRR--too lazy to dig up MMII and check for sure.
The lot were surely meant to counter, and then some, the minions of the Lower Planes
Cheerio,
Gary
I find that particularly fascinating (and yet another indicator of just how far you were willing to go to find source material). Although it also points out how far Mme. Blavatsky was willing to go for source material, inasmuch as the Deva is a Hindu figure.
I have been toying with the idea of putting together some sort of Angelic heirarchy to counter the Diabolic and Demonic heirarchies. Since we have arch-devils, why not arch-angels? Major Devils and Seraphim. Demon Princes and Saints... The details are unimportant, but you get the idea... And of course the "named" Infernal figures would have their own counterparts.
The only thing that has stumped me thusfar is in individualizing them sufficiently. Perhaps I am a creature of the mythologies to which I am accustomed, but the angelic hosts always seemed so... homogenous. Valkyries could work for one of the other alignments (NG, mayhap, although for those who know their true nature according to the Norse lore they are far from beneficient beings!), but I find myself at something of a stumbling block. And for the non-good/evil minions... I would ache for something more rooted in mythology than Modrons.
Any thoughts as to a possible expansion of the demon/devil/daemon idea into the realms of Good, beyond the (to my mind, rather limited) Deva/Plantar/Solar?
As always, my thanks in advance.
The Lost Muse
First Post
Mighty Veil said:
The leaf is meant to look like a maple leaf - and although it is commonly held that there is a point for each province, and one for the territories, this is not the case.
Imperialus
Explorer
Col_Pladoh said:
I think Conan was actually the last character that Howard devoted any real time to before his untimely death. Phoenix and the Sword was actually written and rejected as a Kull story called "By This Axe I Rule!" before he rewrote it as the first Conan story. Solomon Kane and Bran Moc Mon and Kull were all written before Conan. It's interesting to read them all and see where some of the inspiration for Conan came from.
Imperialus
Explorer
Mighty Veil said:
Like Timmundo said it's a maple leaf, which just so happens to have 11 points. It definatly doesn't match up anymore though, we're up to 10 provinces and 3 territories... The maple leaf first showed up in WWI on the cap badges of Canadian troops. To the best of my knowlage, no occult connections.
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
Howdy,Mighty Veil said:
I don't believe that solar symbols are connected to the supposed Theophysical Solar spirit creatire. a sort of thing similar to a Seraph, just as the Planatar is rougly equivalent to a Cherub.
Cheers,
Gary
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