[Greyhawk] Wastri

[Ubiquitous]

Subj: Re:Wastri
Date: 8/10/96 1:59:17 PM
From: PillowWaif
Posted on: America Online

Wastri has followers in the Vast Swamp, but from references in other materials such
as the novel Quag Keep, he probably originated somewhere near Blackmoor (which was a
separate campaign at first that included Wastri) in the Cold Marshes.

Subj: Re:Wastri
Date: 8/10/96 3:12:29 PM
From: BRaines000
Posted on: America Online

>To be specific I'd like to know where there are some worshippers of Wastri.
>I wanted an obscure god, but this is a little to far. If I'm forced to guess who
>worships Wastri I'd say the Suloise since they tend to be bigots and they
>tend to live near water.

Subj: Re:Wastri
Date: 8/10/96 3:38:53 PM
From: BRaines000
Posted on: America Online

Amaldis, I found some notes I have written up for Wastri.
Maybe they'll help.

SPH: Animal, Charm, Elemental (restricted to air/water?), Weather

Powers: (1) Speak w/ amphibians
(4) Jump (W1)

Special spells: Croak, Warts (as per his description)


Subj: Re:Wastri
Date: 8/12/96 6:58:43 PM
From: NiteScreed
Posted on: America Online

I have always associated Wastri with bullywugs. I would think Wastri would be
worshipped where ever you find Bullywugs. Those in Dwellers of the Forbidden City
(Hepmonaland), however, rever a "god-egg" that is actually that of an oriental
dragon.

NS


Subj: Wastri & the Frogs
Date: 8/12/96 7:47:19 PM
From: TSR Roger
Posted on: America Online

Here's what I would like to see: a good reason why the god of bigotry is also the
god of amphibians. What is the connection? Lots of odd game connections like this
can be explained in one fashion or another (for example, a possible reason for the
connection between "orbs" and "dragons," resulting in lots of different kinds of
Orbs of Dragonkind/Dragons, was given in the Dragon article on the Orbs of
Dragonkind). Here are my thoughts:
Does Wastri really see himself as the god of bigotry? Those who are evil will
rarely call themselves this; I'm sure that Eichmann did not see himself as evil, and
the Bosnians who happily gun unarmed civilians and prisoners down do not think they
are evil, either. They probably feel they are getting a dirty job done that is
making the world a better place to live in for their own, favorite people--and
themselves, of course.
Getting rid of demihumans (who are the source of true evil in the world) is a
dirty job, but Wastri and his followers are just the ones to do that job. This
requires them to be cold-blooded (dedicated) to some degree--which is interesting,
since amphibians are also cold-blooded. Amphibians seem to be emotionless. Perhaps
Wastri's followers are, too. Perhaps there are other connections that the priests of
Wastri point to the frog as an inspiration to others.
Anyone else care to give this a try? Figuring out what Wastri and his followers
like about toads, frogs, salamanders, and such helps also figure out what powers
they might be able to gain. Roger


Subj: Re:Wastri
Date: 8/13/96 1:29:05 PM
From: BRaines000
Posted on: America Online

>I have always associated Wastri with bullywugs. I would think Wastri would be
worshipped
>where ever you find Bullywugs. Those in Dwellers of the Forbidden City
(Hepmonaland),
>however, rever a "god-egg" that is actually that of an oriental dragon.

Do you all think Wastri would count as an "Animal General"?

Finding spells that fit under his "bigotry" portfolio is tough! (In fact, I think
I used the Aninmal Cult stats from the FR hardcover book to determine them.

Subj: Re:Wastri & the Frogs
Date: 8/13/96 1:30:36 PM
From: BRaines000
Posted on: America Online

>Here's what I would like to see: a good reason why the god of bigotry is also the
>god of amphibians. What is the connection?

Could it be that he's French? *rim shot*




Subj: Re:Wastri & the Frogs
Date: 8/13/96 1:35:45 PM
From: Magnus55
Posted on: America Online

>Could it be that he's French? *rim shot*
Good one! :->
Of course, Frogs don't like the French. They're afraid the Frenchies are gonna give
'em warts.
Erik


Subj: Re:Wastri & the Frogs
Date: 8/13/96 2:06:19 PM
From: Iquander
Posted on: America Online

Roger,

I've always looked at it this way:

Long ago, before even the Dwarves and Elves came to power, much of what would one
day be Oerik was dominated by a race of amphibious humanoids. Their names have been
lost to history, but their descendants are well known: The Kuo-Toa, Bullywugs,
Shauagin, and any number of other similar creatures (the Grung from the 2nd edition
MC comes to mind) may have had their ancestral roots in this first peoples.

With the coming of the dwarves (or perhaps, when they frst left the security of the
mountains), these creatures were forced underground or into the seas. Thus was a
great enmity born. Eventually, the amphibians (now called Toad-Kind for lack of a
better term) died out, but they left a sacred relic in the pits of the Cold Marshes,
far to the north. They erected, upon leaving the land of Oerth, The Pinnacle of the
Toad. It is said that this mysterious edifice held all of the secret knowledge of
the Toad-Kind.

Eventually, the human who would one day be called Wastri happened upon this site,
and, ascending the broken stair in the interior of the structure, he was imbued with
all of the knowledge and stored power of an entire race of humaniods. These
humanoids saw themselves as advanced far beyond humanity, and harbored still a great
hatred for the elder races that had thrown them from the shores of their land.

Wastri thus hunts demi-humans because he seeks to purge them from the Oerth, to
perhaps prepare Oerik for the return of the amphibious humaniods. For some reason,
his antipathy does not extend to humanity. The reasons for this are many and
varied, of course, but not a few have suggested that perhaps humanity is the closest
of current land-dwelling inhabitants of Oerth to the genetic make-up of the
Toad-Kind. After all, Wastri does confer his gift to his highest ranking
attendents, perhaps "de-evolving" them one step closer to perfection.

By the way, the Pinnacle of the Toad was sundered with Wastri's ascension, and was,
circa 475, explored by Adept Wogan, a great crafter of the magical arts. What
secrets he lerned there are doubtless locked away in some aging book in Greyhawk's
great library.


That's about it, really. I've set up Wastri's "bigotry" as an age-old conflict, and
done a little to develop Oerth's pre-pre-history and tie in the Pinnacle of the Toad
from Norton's Quag Keep. It makes a nice little bundle, if I do say so myself. :)

Iquander'



Subj: Re:Wastri & the Frogs
Date: 8/13/96 8:53:40 PM
From: Aria13
Posted on: America Online

I'll start catching up here. Do you folks forget that we have a semi-regular poster
(sorry but I forget the screen name) who is French? Yeah, French jokes are pretty
easy to make as the French, deservedly or not have something of a reputation in
their own and other countries, and I've probably made them in my time, but I
wouldn't make them to their face. Maybe, I'm being too PC.

Aria13


Subj: Re:Wastri & The Frogs
Date: 8/14/96 3:05:01 PM
From: TSR Roger
Posted on: America Online

I like Iquander's assessment of the connection between frogs and bigotry. The idea
of a displaced Elder Race never goes out of style, and it fits perfectly here. (It
happened on our Earth, when amphibians were displaced by reptiles, dinosaurs, and
mammals.) This does imply that at one time, the Flanaess was hotter and wetter than
it is now, surely interesting news to time-travelers. I like the idea of the
frog-races being related; there was an RPGA tournament once (later a TSR module)
about a war between bullywugs (CE) and grippli (LG). Plus, there was that "Temple of
the Frog" module from the ancient D&D Supplement 2, Blackmoor.... Roger


Subj: Re:Wastri & the Frogs - Nell
Date: 8/14/96 10:17:21 PM
From: Diar Oisin
Posted on: America Online

I'm not in the mood to switch accounts around at the moment, so Diar Oisin =
Nellisir -- as some already know... :)

Re Wastri, Iquander writes:
<<With the coming of the dwarves (or perhaps, when they frst left the security of
the mountains), these creatures were forced underground or into the seas. Thus was
a great enmity born. Eventually, the amphibians (now called Toad-Kind for lack of a
better term) died out, but they left a sacred relic in the pits of the Cold Marshes,
far to the north. They erected, upon leaving the land of Oerth, The Pinnacle of the
Toad. It is said that this mysterious edifice held all of the secret knowledge of
the Toad-Kind.>>

Ok so far.

<<Eventually, the human who would one day be called Wastri happened upon this site,
and, ascending the broken stair in the interior of the structure, he was imbued with
all of the knowledge and stored power of an entire race of humaniods. These
humanoids saw themselves as advanced far beyond humanity, and harbored still a great
hatred for the elder races that had thrown them from the shores of their land.>>

From an unknown source:
It is writ in the Book of Fetid Darkness that the Prophet of the Swamps was a great
and powerful warrior during his life as a mortal man, and that he ruled over a small
yet significant and powerful kingdom as its High King, who ruled with peace and
justice over his beloved subjects.

Yet, it was a evil time, and this good kingdom was surrounded on all sides by the
forces of tyranny and anarchy - the oppressive ranks of demi-humans who sought to
eliminate the Prophet's fair realm, and slay the High King as their worst enemy.
These savage beings made continual war upon the innocent land, until the Prophet's
armies were depleted and his borders shrunken to a fraction of their normal size.

The Prophet then turned control of his realm over to his most capable general, the
wizard Acererak, and set forth to find a way to defeat the hordes of demi-humans.
Over all the lands of the Flannaess he travelled, from the southern port of Lo Ienc
in Hepmonaland to the far north and the Burning Cliffs.

Finally, in the vast reaches of the cold north, the great Prophet came across a
ancient temple, still erect and shining after ten thousand years on the oerth. With
great calm he made his way inside, and answered the seven riddles of the seven
races, defeating the guardian of the temple and proving himself worthy of the mantle
of Lord of the Swamps. He ascended the central stair, and the lore of ages poured
into his mind, filling him with wisdom and power beyond what he had even dared hope
for. The glory of the seven drowned races was made clear in his thoughts, as was
the promise of mankind to join them as the true rulers of Oerth. Only the
demi-humans opposed this glory.

The Prophet made his way swiftly to his desperate kingdom, and easily drove the
demi-humans back, on the very eve of their expected conquest. In his wisdom, he
then sunk his peaceful kingdom, and made it a place of still water and tall trees,
where the demi-humans dared not come, and the seven drowned races could regain their
power, while the humans of his kingdom rested from their near annihilation.
* * * * * * * * *
Notes in the margin of this text indicate a great deal of disbelief -- that Wastri
ever ruled a kingdom, for one. The addition of Acererak is notable, however, for
such a creature -- a demi-lich now -- is said to rest in the depths of the Vast
Swamp, and to have once ruled a kingdom that encompassed the swamp and some land
north of it.
* * * * * * * * *
The Book of Fetid Darkness is obviously written from Wastri's point of view, with
himself as the "hero". In all likelyhood, the sudden accumulation of power from
"Toad Tower" cooked part of his brain, and the hoped-for result on the part of the
tower builders, a diety dedicated to their return, was confused with Wastri's
natural bigotry -- so he simultaneously pushes both amphibians and humans to the
position of supreme race.

<<That's about it, really. I've set up Wastri's "bigotry" as an age-old conflict,
and done a little to develop Oerth's pre-pre-history and tie in the Pinnacle of the
Toad from Norton's Quag Keep. It makes a nice little bundle, if I do say so myself.
:)>>

Very nice bundle, Iq -- just wanted a bit of filling out, I think... :)

So, does it work?

Nellisir, aka Diar Oisin

PS - Amaldis -- take it away!


Subj: Re: Wastri & the Frogs 2 - N
Date: 8/15/96 12:01:56 AM
From: Iquander
Posted on: America Online

Wowzers. I think this works quite well. Though I have criticised Planescape for
similar tactics, I do like the air of uncertainty attatched to your legend. I, for
one, would probably not go with the beseiged kingdom approach, but that's for my DM
brain. As far as players are concerned, I think it works admirably well.

Iq

PS: "Book of Fetid Darkness". Yes!

--
"Re-electing Obama is like backing The Titanic up and hitting the
iceberg a second time."

[Stan]

:-)

this scripture sample is appropriate
14 knowing that the putting off of my
tabernacle cometh swiftly, even as our Lord Jesus Christ signified unto me.

3 seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain
unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his
own glory and virtue;
7 and in your godliness brotherly kindness; and in
your brotherly kindness love.
whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as
unto a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star
arise in your hearts:
3 seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us
all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him
that called us by his own glory and virtue;
14 knowing that the putting
off of my tabernacle cometh swiftly, even as our Lord Jesus Christ signified
unto me.
whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp shining in
a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts:
3
seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain
unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his
own glory and virtue;
14 knowing that the putting off of my tabernacle
cometh swiftly, even as our Lord Jesus Christ signified unto me.
13 And I
think it right, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting
you in remembrance;
20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture
is of private interpretation.
4 whereby he hath granted unto us his
precious and exceeding great promises;
13 And I think it right, as long as
I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;
;
We may also consider that you may look at this site http://www.heartlight.org when studying God;
would you mind showing how to increase the god penance and its links with the temple holly spirit?

Jesus saves