MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 912

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Samhain
	by Chrys Amy Dean <deanca-+AT+-student1.concord.wvnet.edu>
  2) Re: Newbie-fest
	by redpuppy-+AT+-ix.netcom.com (Jaysen Courmac)
  3) Re: Sheep
	by dsarik-+AT+-PO-Box.McGill.CA
  4) Re: Samhain
	by Ken Hyde <kenny-+AT+-UDel.Edu>
  5) Braid: Birthdays/Thou../handfasting/books/candlemarks
	by RIB - Richard Bertelsen <rib-+AT+-scanjour.dk>
  6) lifebound-lovebond/storm breaking spoiler
	by Sean <herewiss-+AT+-leland.stanford.edu>
  7) Re: lifebound-lovebond/storm breaking spoiler
	by tla-+AT+-teleport.com (Lady)
  8) Re: Samhain
	by tla-+AT+-teleport.com (Lady)
  9) deer/b-days/Vanyel
	by dsarik-+AT+-PO-Box.McGill.CA
 10) Re: Companion/birthday
	by Barbara G Jacob-Mcdowell <bj00+-+AT+-andrew.cmu.edu>
 11) Re: lifebound-lovebond/deer/Ma'ar
	by Wintershard <peallen-+AT+-naz.edu>
 12) Re: Ma'ar/ possible spoiler
	by Rose <prose-+AT+-ctol.net>
 13) Fluffy cheer
	by GRAYMT-+AT+-centum.utulsa.edu
 14) black/white
	by GRAYMT-+AT+-centum.utulsa.edu
 15) Misty quotes/trilogies
	by "Khenta B. Hanel" <bhanel-+AT+-aixterm1.urz.uni-heidelberg.de>
 16) mucho fluff/Firebird (the book)
	by Mat the Cat in Green <mtimme47-+AT+-magic.hofstra.edu>
 17) Re: Misty quotes/trilogies
	by khu286-+AT+-merle.acns.nwu.edu (Kay Huang Perry)
 18) lovebonds/Companions/deer
	by "Hth." <R618-+AT+-ACADEMIC.TRUMAN.EDU>
 19) Braid: Welcome!/bio-war/Thanks/Samhain
	by myktshr-+AT+-ldd.net (miyako hirao)
 20) New Misty Stuff!!!!!
	by Mat the Cat in Green <mtimme47-+AT+-magic.hofstra.edu>
 21) Content Free: Oops?/Newguy
	by Clarissa Smith/Claris Boii <ccsmith-+AT+-comp.uark.edu>
 22) Re: lovebonds/Companions/deer
	by Tensen <tensen-+AT+-crow.cybercomm.net>

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Sat, 26 Oct 1996 12:11:56 -0400 (EDT)
From: Chrys Amy Dean <deanca-+AT+-student1.concord.wvnet.edu>
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Samhain
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.93.961026121120.13157B-100000-+AT+-student1.concord.wvnet.edu>

A Blessed Samhain to everyone on the list.

-Vrondi a.k.a Chrys Amy Dean, a.k.a Free Bard Oriole.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"To light a candle is to cast a shadow..."
-"A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. LeGuin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://edweb.concord.wvnet.edu/~deanca/celtic


------------------------------

Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 11:16:49 -0400
From: redpuppy-+AT+-ix.netcom.com (Jaysen Courmac)
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Re: Newbie-fest
Message-ID: <v01540b01ae9e5e4907ee-+AT+-[205.184.21.36]>


>BIRTHDAYS
>I'm managing a birthday list.  I'll give 2-day warnings as to whose birthday
>is coming up along with how old they'll be turning (optional) and their
>private e-mail (optional).  If you see this last option, that means that if
>you were going to post a one-liner b-day message -- don't.  Send it private.
>If I don't put it up (and I won't unless it is sent to me in the body of the
>message, honor and all), then BRAID your good wishes and "gifts" into your
>post.

Birthday: Sept 7, 1972

:)

Jay

---                 __
        ''',        \/  redpuppy-+AT+-ix.netcom.com
     o_)O \)____)"      http://www.indy.net/~redcoat
      \_        )
 woof!  '',,,,,,         Loyalty of Dog be with me
          ||  ||         Spirit of Eagle lift me with your wings
         "--'"--'        Honour and power of Thunderbird lift my heart
                         And regal Lion accompany me on my life Journey.



------------------------------

Date: Thu, 31 Oct 96 11:12:45 -0500
From: dsarik-+AT+-PO-Box.McGill.CA
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Re: Sheep
Message-ID: <199610311623.LAA13843-+AT+-sirocco.CC.McGill.CA>

Richard said:
>>Can somebody please tell me what this sheep thing is all about?<<

Sheep thing?  What sheep thing? <glancing around innocently>  Has anyone else 
noticed a sheep thing?
Guess you're outta luck.

While we're on the topic, I was wondering how many people have actually 
witnessed a ritual sacrifice of an animal (be it sheep, goat, cow, etc.).  I 
won't attach any stigma to responses, and I'll start it off by saying that I 
was present for the sacrifice of a sheep when I was younger (9?).

ObMisty: Oh, boy.  I'm in trouble now.  In Velgarth, when people eat meat, do 
they just kill the animal or do they sacrifice it?  If so or not, which 
religions (not that we have much choice -- most of them have the same 
Goddess/God with different faces, but there's also the One) do you think would 
do what?  Yeah, so it's lame.  Just don't poison my sheep.

love,
deniz sarikaya, High Priestess |I was a brassbound Idealist in those days.
of Procrastination and Holy    |If you are an Idealist it does not matter
Custodian of the B-Day List.   |what you do or what goes on around you
Confused?  Write me!           |because it isn't real anyway.
                 dsarik-+AT+-PO-Box.McGill.CA    -- Robert Penn Warren

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 11:55:23 -0500 (EST)
From: Ken Hyde <kenny-+AT+-UDel.Edu>
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Re: Samhain
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.95.961031115323.9118K-100000-+AT+-copland.udel.edu>

On Thu, 31 Oct 1996, Chrys Amy Dean wrote:

> A Blessed Samhain to everyone on the list.

And also, for tomorrow and the next day: 

Felices dia de todos santos y dia de muertos!

Happy All Hallows and All Souls!

May the seas be your solace and the forests a refuge for your spirit,

Cennydd,

Kenneth Allen Hyde     |  No matter how subtle the wizard, a knife
Univ. of Delaware      |  between the shoulder blades will seriously
Dept. of Linguistics   |  cramp his style  -- Old Jhereg proverb
kenny-+AT+-Udel.Edu         |  A mind is a terrible toy to waste! -- Me

**http://www.udel.edu/kenny/ken.html or .../kenny/green.silences.html**


------------------------------

Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 18:58:27 +0100
From: RIB - Richard Bertelsen <rib-+AT+-scanjour.dk>
To: "'M.L. Postings'" <mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk>
Subject: Braid: Birthdays/Thou../handfasting/books/candlemarks
Message-ID: <c=DK%a=_%p=scanjour%l=VIMS-961031175827Z-1110-+AT+-vims.scanjour.dk>

Greetings Rainwater - it is nice finally to meet someone with the
same birthday - December 30th. I have a few more years though,
I am from '52. My email is rib-+AT+-scanjour.dk Do you have the same 
sad memories of X-mas presents that also were birthday gifts?

Thank you Cennydd for the little peice about Thee  and Thou.
We have a similar structure here in Denmark, and it was easy to
follow for anyone who has had to suffer through lessons in German
and/or latin.

About handfasting. In some rural areas in Denmark there was a tradition,
that you became engaged so yuo could find out, if the two of yuo were
fertile together. Then if a child was underway you got married, and if
not, 
you just would have to try again with somebody different. All this to
make
sure of the family, among other things because it took both adults and 
children to run a farm.

One of the good things about Denmark is that we can get both American
and British books. The bad thing about it is that we have to pay the 
equivalent of $10 - $12 for a paperback. This means that I usually wait
until the paperback as the hardbacks are even more expensive. I have
been able to buy quite a few Terry Prachett books here among all the 
other books I have collected during the years.

Candlemarks: I do remember that Keral once thought about candlemarks
and compared them to his own (something with water (me-+AT+-work, 
books-+AT+-home)). I have always thought of candlemarks as hours and
that this just was a way to make us feel that this place is different.

Richard (yet to decide what to be God of)







------------------------------

Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 09:05:55 -0800 (PST)
From: Sean <herewiss-+AT+-leland.stanford.edu>
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: lifebound-lovebond/storm breaking spoiler
Message-ID: <199610311705.JAA21434-+AT+-popserver4.Stanford.EDU>

A question just occurred to me the other night.  What would happen to
someone who was lovebonded who then lifebonded to someone else?  I find it
hard to believe that the previous love would just disappear!  Any thoughts?


S
T
O
R
M

B
R
E
A
K
I
N
G 

S
P
O
I
L
E
R

Did anyone else get the impression that the changes to magic after the final
storm were a temporary thing?  IIRC Misty states once that the storms were
something like the effect you have if you displace a lot of water.  It all
rushes out from the center of impact and then surges back to fill the gap
left (I know I saw that analogy somewhere in storm breaking me-+AT+-work
book-+AT+-home) What the after effects of the final storm sound like to me is
what happens after a flood.  Eventually the water levels decrease and start
to follow their normal patterns again (of course who is to say how long this
would take with magic but....)

Does this make sense to anyone?

Sean
P.s. For whoever is keeping the birthday list...mine is July 14

herewiss-+AT+-leland.stanford.edu
"I am the creature of the wood, forsaken in my solitude.  My song is
pleasure and is pain, my song can drive a man insane.  So come with me my
pipes I'll play and we will dance to break of day."

Creature of the Wood-Heather Alexander-Life's Flame



------------------------------

Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 09:32:08 -0800 (PST)
From: tla-+AT+-teleport.com (Lady)
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Re: lifebound-lovebond/storm breaking spoiler
Message-ID: <v01510100ae9e21b7f2b4-+AT+-[206.163.124.123]>

I dunno...has it ever happened. Some how I think that the lifebonded are
drawn to one another..remember they lifebond because they are each others
compliments.
Being also an ElfQuest fan myself *grin* I think that they can work it
out..the elves have sommat very similar called recongnition and it has
happened..some times they split..sometimes all three bond...

>A question just occurred to me the other night.  What would happen to
>someone who was lovebonded who then lifebonded to someone else?  I find it
>hard to believe that the previous love would just disappear!  Any thoughts?
>
>
>S
>T
>O
>R
>M
>
>B
>R
>E
>A
>K
>I
>N
>G
>
>S
>P
>O
>I
>L
>E
>R
>
>Did anyone else get the impression that the changes to magic after the final
>storm were a temporary thing?  IIRC Misty states once that the storms were
>something like the effect you have if you displace a lot of water.  It all
>rushes out from the center of impact and then surges back to fill the gap
>left (I know I saw that analogy somewhere in storm breaking me-+AT+-work
>book-+AT+-home) What the after effects of the final storm sound like to me is
>what happens after a flood.  Eventually the water levels decrease and start
>to follow their normal patterns again (of course who is to say how long this
>would take with magic but....)
>
>Does this make sense to anyone?
>
>Sean
>P.s. For whoever is keeping the birthday list...mine is July 14
>
>herewiss-+AT+-leland.stanford.edu
>"I am the creature of the wood, forsaken in my solitude.  My song is
>pleasure and is pain, my song can drive a man insane.  So come with me my
>pipes I'll play and we will dance to break of day."
>
>Creature of the Wood-Heather Alexander-Life's Flame

     |--------------------------------------------------------|
     |    Lee Tint     Internet address: tla-+AT+-teleport.com     |
     |--------------------------------------------------------|



------------------------------

Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 09:37:10 -0800 (PST)
From: tla-+AT+-teleport.com (Lady)
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Re: Samhain
Message-ID: <v01510102ae9e23404f12-+AT+-[206.163.124.123]>

Ah..I canna wait!! Does anyone know exactly when it starts though??? I
usually just say at midnight..seems convient enough..but it would be nice
ta know..
- Lady of Shalott or Alexandra Tint



>A Blessed Samhain to everyone on the list.
>
>-Vrondi a.k.a Chrys Amy Dean, a.k.a Free Bard Oriole.
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>"To light a candle is to cast a shadow..."
>-"A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. LeGuin
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>http://edweb.concord.wvnet.edu/~deanca/celtic

     |--------------------------------------------------------|
     |    Lee Tint     Internet address: tla-+AT+-teleport.com     |
     |--------------------------------------------------------|



------------------------------

Date: Thu, 31 Oct 96 12:44:15 -0500
From: dsarik-+AT+-PO-Box.McGill.CA
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: deer/b-days/Vanyel
Message-ID: <199610311754.MAA04544-+AT+-sirocco.CC.McGill.CA>

On another list I'm on (djembe-1), somebody mentioned how they got their skins 
from some deer that were killed by a contracted marksman, or something like 
that.  Everybody jumped on her case until it was clarified that the deer were 
*feral* and would have been killed anyway.  I've lived most of my life in 
Saudi Arabia, where we don't have problems with feral animals, (the worst are 
probably salouki), so I was wondering...  What kind of animals go feral?  What 
happens to the ones that are killed?  Are they used for meat (after testing 
for diseases)?  Are their skins, hooves used at all?  Or do they just get left 
in some out of the way place to feed the scavangers and compost?  Are their 
heads used as trophies?  What are the terms for the contract-shooters like?
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Thanks to everyone who has been sending their birthdays in.  The list is huge 
and growing.  Just one friendly reminder.  Try not to post to the list just to 
say when your birthday is.  Cennydd *will* flame you (I hope I'm not putting 
words in your mouth?).  When you hit the button for reply mail, check what 
address your server wants to send it to.  BtW, Serena, I did get the list you 
had from somebody (I don't remember who right now).
========================
Glithonial said:
>>On Oct 29, Korendil wrote:
>>aHEM? VANYEL? Vanyel the PEACOCK? Noo....Van's extroverted. Very. No-one 
introverted could have gotten their own little flock of brainless courtiers,
could they? Then again, maybe the backlash changed his meyers-briggs
letters?;P<<
It ain't necesarily so.  For example, I test as an INXJ but most of my casual
aquaintances would never believe that I'm Introverted.  Why?  Because I'm a
good faker and I come from a family of unhinged extroverts(on my mother's
side).  The few of us who are in's instead of ex's learned to play the game
from the pros.<<

Ditto.  A lot of people might think I'm an exxie as well, but I tested as in 
between the two, because with strangers I pull out the "sociable, witty, 
charming, interesting Deniz" act/mask, but with close friends and myself, I 
don't act.  I'd much rather come home, read a good bood, listen to some music, 
get some extra sleep, etc. than throw a party.  Not that I don't enjoy 
parties.  In fact, I got bullied into one tonight with some Spanish society, 
and I don't speak Spanish.
Anyway, what I mean to say is that Vanyel is an innie, it's just he learned to 
hide it by acting like an exxie to stroke his self-esteem.  But after he got 
chosen and all that, he didn't act so much (I mean, a lot of them are 
mind-speakers, after all), and you'll notice he just had a few good friends, 
and otherwise kept to himself.  When he was helping Randale out, he had to act 
exxie once again, but that was for the Court's sake.
Hah!  An ObMisty!
)))))))))))))))))))))))
May everyone have a very happy Samhain today.

love,
deniz sarikaya, High Priestess |I was a brassbound Idealist in those days.
of Procrastination and Holy    |If you are an Idealist it does not matter
Custodian of the B-Day List.   |what you do or what goes on around you
Confused?  Write me!           |because it isn't real anyway.
                 dsarik-+AT+-PO-Box.McGill.CA    -- Robert Penn Warren

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 13:07:06 -0500 (EST)
From: Barbara G Jacob-Mcdowell <bj00+-+AT+-andrew.cmu.edu>
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Re: Companion/birthday
Message-ID: <UmSCf__00iV383AWVz-+AT+-andrew.cmu.edu>


    I'm having trouble visualizing what I want to say--and I don't mean
it as a pun (read on). 
    Human eyes are set in the front of the head, looking forward, so we
have to integrate the slightly different, overlapping points we view
from each eye at the same time. (I've known people who
couldn't--essentially, they had a blind spot directly in front of them.
I also knew one girl who had no side vision to speak of. And my brother
has had a lot of trouble with diminished depth perception, which in turn
makes hand-eye coordination difficult in some regards.)
    Correct me if I'm wrong--it's been a long time since I've spent any
time at all with horses--but wouldn't it take a while for a Herald
reborn into a horse-shaped body to get used to the fact that his/her
vision is radically different? I mean, aren't a horse's eyes set more on
the sides  of its head, hence the reason for blinders on some horses in
the past, to lessen their being distracted by what they saw on the side?

    My birthday is June 29th, the same as my 6-yrs.-older brother's.

                                        --Barra


Everything will perish save love and music.--Scots Gaelic proverb
Harpers have pluck--but don't get strung out.--Barra the Bard


------------------------------

Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 13:23:42 -0500 (EST)
From: Wintershard <peallen-+AT+-naz.edu>
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Re: lifebound-lovebond/deer/Ma'ar
Message-ID: <Pine.ULT.3.95.961031124928.13999C-100000-+AT+-orion.naz.edu>

Sean wrote:
>A question just occurred to me the other night.  What would happen to
>someone who was lovebonded who then lifebonded to someone else?  I find
>it hard to believe that the previous love would just disappear!  Any
>thoughts?

Hmm.. I'm not sure about a lovebond, but for a ~life~bond, s/he can become
part of a threesome. IIRC, Talia mentioned this in AoQueen. And, CMIIR,
Eric and the others were so in KoGaS.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Erika wrote re deer:
>most humans kill them because 1. they are a nuisance, or 2. to put it's
>head on a wall.

Let me first say TINAF. You see, the problem here in Rochester is that
where the population problem is centered is in a somewhat small park. And
since we have a distance limit for shooting guns, no one can go in and
hunt them. ~Yes~, the wolves in the park were all killed long ago, but the
fear of them attacking humans is too great to reintroduce them. Now, about
why humans kill deer. Every year, my grandfather, uncle, and their friends
would go out hunting and get about 3 deer each. Then, they'd save the meat
and we would use it all through off-season. However, for all the years
that I knew my grandfather, he always had the same two deer's heads on the
wall. And they were *old*. Every person that I know of that went with them
hunting had the deepest respect for nature and it's creatures, and IMO, he
displayed them not only as something saying 'Yep, that's the one ~I~ got,'
but also to honour the deer itself. <shrug> It's just something you could
see when you looked in his (my grandfather's) eyes.
  Okay, back to the pop. problem. AFAIK, Amy, none of the deer around here
have TB. And with hunting and predators out, the two alternatives to
stopping the growth are bait-and-shoot or sterilization. I don't know what
they do with the meat afterwards, either. But IMO, it seems better to let
them live in nature and ~die~ naturally than to trick them to their
deaths.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ObMisty: We know that the gryphons made it through the storms after the
Wars, but what about those creatures that Ma'ar created? They were just as
magical as gryphons, IIRC.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Happy Samhain to one and all ! !
                              *
                             \_/

Wintershard
God (hopefully) of Subtlety, Discreetness, and Crappy Weather
PS - Julie, don't mention it ;)


------------------------------

Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 14:07:57 -0500
From: Rose <prose-+AT+-ctol.net>
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Re: Ma'ar/ possible spoiler
Message-ID: <3278F90D.5759-+AT+-ctol.net>

Wintershard wrote:

> ObMisty: We know that the gryphons made it through the storms after the
> Wars, but what about those creatures that Ma'ar created? They were just as
> magical as gryphons, IIRC.

The only reason the gryphons survived was because they stole the 
fertility spell from Urtho. I think that when Ma'ar created his 
creatures, He didn't give some of them any way to reproduce by 
themselves, the makaar(?) for instance. But others of his creations are 
still around; Wrysa and colddrakes.
-------
I don't know if this posted because it didn't come back to me so,,
Spoiler Maybe
















Another Been-Wondering-About question. If Lake Evendim was supposed to 
be Ma'ar's Stronghold, then shouldn't the magic waves have converged 
there too. If they did, where was the kaboom. I thought I remembered a 
character saying somewhere that the circles of misshapen land and 
animals occured where two sets of waves touched. This could only happen 
if the waves had emenated from two different areas.
                       Dyana

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 14:09:19 -0600 (CST)
From: GRAYMT-+AT+-centum.utulsa.edu
To: MERCEDES-LACKEY-+AT+-HERALD.CO.UK
Subject: Fluffy cheer
Message-ID: <961031140919.22b2dd09-+AT+-centum.utulsa.edu>

HTH, now surely you know that this coming birthday will be the
most wondrous you have ever had? And why?  Because you've just finished
a cycle of three bad birthdays, thus clearing your karmic (uh, don't
lightning bolt me Cenn for presuming upon your panthenon) slate.

obMisty:  Does anyone know of superstitions in Velgarth, such as
bad luck for breaking mirrors and such?

Dax the Eternal, Lady of the Unicorns

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 15:31:47 -0600 (CST)
From: GRAYMT-+AT+-centum.utulsa.edu
To: MERCEDES-LACKEY-+AT+-HERALD.CO.UK
Subject: black/white
Message-ID: <961031153147.22afbf58-+AT+-centum.utulsa.edu>

I know, I know two messages with little real content...Sorry...
Glithoniel

noted:
>No self-respecting vampire of fashion would be caught (pardon the pun) dead
>in black.  It doesn't blend well.  Any hunter knows that you've got to dress
>to fit the forest or you'll scare the prey.<G>  I can't remember any
>appropriate Kero quotes except for "oh shoot me now whites."  You could
>always say that in some cultures white is the color of mourning.  Of course
>you might just get weird looks.<G>  But then Why be Normal?  <BG>

You're right, in Japanese culture, white is the color for the dead.

Side story with no relevant content:  When Carrach was stationed in

Okinawa he liked to dress up all in white, with his name written
in red on his T-shirt (a symbol meaning you're contracted for death)
and then walk around the streets at night and scare people especially
during Obon (their celebration or the dead).  Alright, so military
people have strange senses of humor.

obMisty: Why don't other Seelie low-court creatures roam around
earth (U.S.) like the elves and elven-steeds do?  You only seem
to run into unicorns and the like Underhill.  But Nightflyers and
dragon-like creatures of the Unseelie seem to be more common Upabove.

Dax the Eternal, Lady of the Unicorns
Now I will believe that there are unicorns. - The Tempest

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 19:59:14 +0100 (CET)
From: "Khenta B. Hanel" <bhanel-+AT+-aixterm1.urz.uni-heidelberg.de>
To: Misty mail <mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk>
Subject: Misty quotes/trilogies
Message-ID: <Pine.A32.3.91.961031193409.28741B-100000-+AT+-aixterm6.urz.uni-heidelberg.de>

Nina wrote:

>Within the past week, I heard people mention something nearly verbatim
>from a Misty book.  First, my one history prof was saying how "the enemy of
>my enemy is my friend" and that "battle plans never last beyond the first
>encounter with the enemy."  Can anyone say BTS?  Then, in a movie, a
>character said that "it is better to beg forgiveness thatn beg
>permission"--one of Skan's favorite lines.  Granted, these quotes from Misty
>are (probably) not original on her part, but it's just funny to hear from
>people who most likely don't read Misty.

FYI, I saw these quotes in _Murphy's Laws of Combat_ somewhere on 
LaughWeb. Except for the permission-forgiveness thing, that I'd picked up 
somewhere else (but can't for the life of me remember where - anybody 
else?). Apropos Skan: Almost everyday, I'm passing a furniture shop 
called _Skan Form_. Wouldn't that be chic :), gryphon-style furniture or 
furniture in gryphon-form (btw, it's an abbreviation of sorts for 
_scandinavian_).
========================================================================= 
forwarding an ObMisty from Rainwood that was accidentally sent to me 
privately, she wrote:

>obMisty time.  Perhaps I am going to get flamed for this one, but has
>anyone else noticed a distressing tendency for a series to start out
>really strongly, only to sortof disintegrate by the end?  Most
>specifically, the MW series comes to mind.  Black Gryphon was one of the
>most amazing books she's ever done.  I was so jazzed by the whole thing.
>Every character was really well done, and I think Amberdrake was one of
>her finest characters to date.  Then I got White Gryphon, and I was so
>disappointed.  I mean, it was really flat.  Silver Gryphon was good, but
>still not quite like the first.  IMHO, that is.  Am I alone here, or
>does anyone else share my opinion?  Not to complain.  I mean, any Misty
>is better than NO Misty!

Haven't read SG yet, but I agree that WG was veeeeeeery disappointing. It 
contained some of the most ridiculous stuff I've read so far in a Misty 
book. I'm still thinking about saving the money I'd have spent on SG and 
get Bujold's Cetaganda instead... 

====================================================================

Have a nice All Hallow's Eve, everybody (and who -besides me with a legal 
holiday tomorrow, nyah, nyah- does have a day off tomorrow? :P ).



Walk in beauty

Khenta Blaufalk aka Skyfire & bondbird Aar
Goddess of Incomplete Vocabulary and Garbled Grammar 

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 16:37:38 -0500 (EST)
From: Mat the Cat in Green <mtimme47-+AT+-magic.hofstra.edu>
To: Mercedes Lackey mailing list <mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk>
Subject: mucho fluff/Firebird (the book)
Message-ID: <Pine.SGI.3.93.961031163231.5051A-100000-+AT+-magic.hofstra.edu>

> From: dsarik-+AT+-PO-Box.McGill.CA
I said:
> >>oh, and I have my reasons for blaming 'Mist.  You weren't part of the
> conversations where she tried to turn Mattikins into a crossdresser.
> (Matty may be shaych, but he does *not* do drag). Yeah, as if 
> I'd wear that incredibly slutty emerald dress 'Mist...... :)<<
> 
> Incredibly slutty emerald dress?  I'm interested.  Too bad you aren't.  

You don't even want to know about it. :)  A bit too risque (sp?).
Wouldn't want to hurt the Ladies.  Eyes don't belong popping out of
heads. <g>


=============================================================================
> From: gar&julie mclaughlin <jmacjm19-+AT+-vcomm.net>
> Khenta said:]
> >We will be able to publish the remaining Diana Tregarde books as soon as
> >>Mercedes Lackey writes them. FIREBIRD will be out in December; hope you
> >>enjoy it.
> >
> Are they talking about the Firebird catalog or a book called Firebird? If
> its a book, do we know what its about?

obMisty: She meant Misty's next book, _Firebird_.  It's supposedly from
Russian folklore.

==============================================================================
> From: RIB - Richard Bertelsen <rib-+AT+-scanjour.dk>

> Can somebody please tell me what this sheep thing is all about?

<weg>  Richard, you don't even want to know.  :)

Mat
Cat Person, Champion in Green,   |"Three things are no secret,
Adept, and God of Procrastination| files that somehow hit the 'Net,
Heathen #???                     | your boss's secretary, and
mtimme47-+AT+-magic.hofstra.edu       | the third thing....I forget."
http://ada.hofstra.edu/~mtimme47/|        -- "Threes rev 1.1"


------------------------------

Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 16:01:58 -0600 (CST)
From: khu286-+AT+-merle.acns.nwu.edu (Kay Huang Perry)
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Re: Misty quotes/trilogies
Message-ID: <199610312201.AA280069318-+AT+-merle.acns.nwu.edu>

> Haven't read SG yet, but I agree that WG was veeeeeeery disappointing. It 
> contained some of the most ridiculous stuff I've read so far in a Misty 
> book. I'm still thinking about saving the money I'd have spent on SG and 
> get Bujold's Cetaganda instead... 

I thought Silver Gryphon was even worse than White Gryphon.  In fact, it is
 the only Misty Book that I own, that I'm thinking of selling/donating, ie
non-keeper.  Bujold's Cetaganda, on the other hand, is pretty good, though
since it occurs earlier in Miles' life (not really a spoiler since you
can get this from the book flap), I found it rather whiny in places since
Miles is still a Barrayar military peon at this point and is womanless to
boot.  You stick Ivan in the book, and many places are just screaming for
a Miles whine, which is obligingly provided.  Other than that, the premise
of the book is fascinating and I found the society portrayed to be 
convoluted.  An interesting read in all.  So, my advice is, get Cetaganda,
don't get Silver Gryphon.  If you really want to read Silver Gryphon, borrow
it from the library, or get it used.  I've seem multiple used copies 
already available.  SG isn't worth buying new.  A waste of money, IMHO.

Spencer  

------------------------------

Date:        Thu, 31 Oct 1996 16:03:31 CST
From: "Hth." <R618-+AT+-ACADEMIC.TRUMAN.EDU>
To: <mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk>
Subject: lovebonds/Companions/deer
Message-ID:  <31OCT96.17343545.0073.MUSIC-+AT+-ACADEMIC.TRUMAN.EDU>

I would compare a situation where a lovebonded person became lifebonded
to a situation on our happy world where a person with a very deep,
intimate friendship fell in love.  No, the friendship doesn't go away,
but it is perhaps less central in one's life.  You divide your time
between them, and you're always aware that you have different feelings
for each, and sometimes you may even neglect the old relationship.  But
by and large, both relationships survive in different ways.
   And remember, fellow ElfQuest fanatics, lifebonding is *nothing* like
Recognition.  Recognition is strictly for reproductive purposes and has
absolutely nothing to do with whether or not you love or even like your
partner.  It also goes away, and you can Recognize again later.
Lifebonding is a matter of the heart, not reproduction.  Vanyel and
Tylendel could never have been Recognized in the ElfQuest world, though
they would have been lifemates.

Surely Companions aren't born remembering everything about their
previous life -- or much of anything, for that matter.  We know
Companion foals have the mentality of children -- remember the foal
eating the garlands at Talia's wedding?  It would be horribly confusing
for some poor child to have all these strange memories from someone
older and more experienced, complete with a different way of seeing and
everything.  Presumably they have years to get used to being a horse
before they have to deal with the idea that they were once something
else -- and by that time being *human* would seem odd to them, not being
equine.

Why is it so cruel to shoot some deer when the population is out of
control and some of them will starve to death over the winter anyway?
Maybe this does happen because we've eliminated a lot of natural
predators, but even in fairly unspoiled wilderness areas a long warm
season and an abundance of food will cause the deer population to grow
wildly, and there will simply be too many deer during a hard winter a
few years down the line.  And this year looks to be a hard winter.
Look, just because we screwed up by killing predators doesn't mean we
have to further screw up by refusing to take their place and allowing
deer to die slowly from starvation.

The traditional Celtic method of measuring days is to begin at sunset,
just like in the Jewish tradition.  Therefore, Samhain being on November
1st, you start celebrating at sunset, October 31.  Unless you use an
alternate method of figuring out when Samhain falls, such as the first
full moon in Scorpio (which was last weekend) or, my preference, the
exact midpoint between the fall equinox and the winter solstice (this
year I believe it's November 7), which comes out 15 degrees Scorpio for
you stargazing types.
   But Oct. 31st is nice because you have all the atmosphere, and the
generated excitement of your fellow human beings.  It's just a good
vibe.  So, don't forget to pay your respects to the dead tonight and
thank whatever powers you like that the food has been harvested and
stored so you won't starve to death over the winter.  And remember,
tonight you're as close as most of us ever get to the Otherworld in this
life.
   And while you're at it, you might try being thankful that your mate
will, in all likelihood, not throw himself off a tall building tonight.
'Cause then you'd wallow, and we don't allow any of that around here.


HTH
r618-+AT+-academic.truman.edu

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 16:46:04 +0000
From: myktshr-+AT+-ldd.net (miyako hirao)
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Braid: Welcome!/bio-war/Thanks/Samhain
Message-ID: <199610312240.QAA25208-+AT+-cdale3.midwest.net>

Foxfire/Eric wrote:
>>>As you can tell from the subject, I'm new here.  As the intro says,
I'm hoping my persona name will be OKed.  If someone has the same
persona, please notify me ASAP.  I am aspiring to become the God of
Chocolate or if the position's taken, their lakey.<<<

As far as I can tell, I don't think there are any Foxfires around here
other than yourself. And no one has to OK your persona as long as no one
else has the name. I didn't know if there was a Summersong on the list when
I picked my name... Turns out there is a Lady Wintersong, but since I'm not
a lady (hee-hee) I don't think I'm infringing on her territory.

Okay... WE HAVE A NEWBIE!!! I'd like to (un)officially welcome
Foxfire/Eric, who is a fellow chocolate lover! Darn it, I wanted that
position, but since you said it first... Lady Thess? Can I be the Goddess
of Tribbles and All Things Cute&Cuddly&Purry (is that a word?)? When are
you coming baaaack????

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Julie wrote:
>>>ObMisty, ummm, Urtho and Ma'ar created creatures to fight in their armies.
Does that qualify as a type of biological warfare? (I'm really stretching,
can ya tell?)<<<

No, actually, I thought it was very nicely put. I guess it would be
biological warfare on Ma'ar's side because the Makaar were ultimately
fighting machines, not sentient beings who happened to fly and fight. If
releasing non-sentient virus/bacteria on the enemy is biological warfare,
then that would support my above argument that Ma'ar would have been in the
biological side, but Urtho was really creating his own loyal troop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stormwind wrote:
>>>Summersong:
--Here's a gift of a cake of whatever flavour you like, if you dislkie cake,
then take fudge!<<<

Thanks! I guess I'll take the fudge... not too crazy 'bout cake. And Happy
early-Bday to anyone else whose birthdays are in November!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Blessed Samhain/All Hallow's Night/Sovven (take your pick!) to everyone on
the list! And I've always thought, for as long as I've known about Samhain,
that you started celebrating at suset no matter where you were. Oh well.
Bye!

Lots of love,
Summersong & Spiffy the Cat

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<AKIKO HIRAO>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Akiko Hirao <myktshr-+AT+-ldd.net>
 "It wouldn't do to have omnipotent beings 
running around in the universe!"  
-- Q from ST:TNG "True Q"
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<AKIKO HIRAO>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


------------------------------

Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 17:46:53 -0500 (EST)
From: Mat the Cat in Green <mtimme47-+AT+-magic.hofstra.edu>
To: Mercedes Lackey mailing list <mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk>
Subject: New Misty Stuff!!!!!
Message-ID: <Pine.SGI.3.93.961031173910.11591A-100000-+AT+-magic.hofstra.edu>

To make up for the mostly fluffy content of my last several posts,
here's a bunch of Misty stuff I got from Firebird's website.

New items:
	Herald tunics (formal and informal)
	Feather masks

Forthcomming books and music:
	Golden Bough is going to do albums for _Fire Rose_ and _Firebird_.

_Firebird_ will be out in December.

_Black Swan_ -- "retelling of the Swan Lake ballet"

_Owlflight_ -- "New Valdemar novel featuring the Hawkbrothers"

[yay, we were right!]

_Phoenix & Ashes_ -- Cinderella

_Serpent's Shadow_ -- "Snow White meets the goddess Kali in England"
[this ought to be odd, to say the least]

_Gates of Sleep_ -- Sleeping Beauty

_Four & 20 Blackbirds_ -- new Bardic Voices novel

_Tempest Fugit_ -- new SERRAted Edge novel

2 more Elven* books with Andre Norton are in the works.

LHM Concordance -- this fall sometime

Shadow Stalker songbook -- sometime this winter, most likely.

Mark Shepard is doing a sequel to _Elvendude_, called _Spiritride_.
He's also doing an album to go along with it, mostly keyboard stuff.




Mat
Cat Person, Champion in Green,   |"Three things are no secret,
Adept, and God of Procrastination| files that somehow hit the 'Net,
Heathen #???                     | your boss's secretary, and
mtimme47-+AT+-magic.hofstra.edu       | the third thing....I forget."
http://ada.hofstra.edu/~mtimme47/|        -- "Threes rev 1.1"


------------------------------

Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 16:49:43 -0600 (CST)
From: Clarissa Smith/Claris Boii <ccsmith-+AT+-comp.uark.edu>
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Content Free: Oops?/Newguy
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.95.961031164701.12757C-100000-+AT+-comp>

Heyla...good Samhain, etc. etc.

Err, someone said somebody directed a comment or question regarding
martial arts to me. Well, my account has been acting weird...it must have
eaten it. Try again?

Also, another friend of mine just joined...Can't introduce him, because I
don't know what name he's going to go by, and besides, he'll probably just
lurk. ;P Yes, that *was* a challenge...

******************************************************************************
  Claris/Clarissa Smith (ccsmith-+AT+-comp.uark.edu)  On-campus .sig file    
  Art/History Major	         *   Blow the stars home, Wind,
  Sf/fantasy/graphic artist      *   blow the stars home, 
  GM & game writer               *   Ere morning drowns them with golden foam.
			http://comp.uark.edu/~ccsmith/
******************************************************************************


------------------------------

Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 17:56:02 +0000 (GMT)
From: Tensen <tensen-+AT+-crow.cybercomm.net>
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Re: lovebonds/Companions/deer
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.91.961031175314.17674B-100000-+AT+-crow.cybercomm.net>



On Thu, 31 Oct 1996, Hth. wrote:

> 
> The traditional Celtic method of measuring days is to begin at sunset,
> just like in the Jewish tradition.  Therefore, Samhain being on November
> 1st, you start celebrating at sunset, October 31.  Unless you use an
> alternate method of figuring out when Samhain falls, such as the first
> full moon in Scorpio (which was last weekend) or, my preference, the
> exact midpoint between the fall equinox and the winter solstice (this
> year I believe it's November 7), which comes out 15 degrees Scorpio for
> you stargazing types.


Going based on the lunar method always makes more sense to those of us 
that the wolf touches upon.  But then even if you don't consider that the 
specific time, you will probbaly note that the energy level is higher for 
this entire week.  Lotsa fun to play with.


                                      Tensen


------------------------------

End of MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 912
*********************************