Everquest 2 Quick Reference: Base statistics for each race

Races in EverQuest II
Race	Strength	Agility	Stamina	Intelligence	Wisdom	Charisma
Good Races
Dwarf	30	15	30	10	15	15
Fae	15	30	15	25	25	25
Froglok	20	20	20	20	20	20
Halfling	15	30	20	20	20	25
High Elf	15	25	20	30	25	25
Vah Shir	25	25	25	15	15	15
Wood Elf	15	30	20	15	25	25
Neutral Races
Aerakyn	25	30	20	20	20	15
Barbarian	25	20	25	15	20	10
Erudite	15	25	20	30	20	20
Freeblood	25	25	20	20	20	20
Gnome	15	25	15	30	25	25
Half-Elf	20	25	20	20	20	20
Human	20	20	20	20	20	20
Kerra	25	25	20	15	25	15
Ratonga	20	25	20	20	20	15
Evil Races
Arasai	20	25	15	25	25	25
Dark Elf	20	25	20	25	20	20
Iksar	20	25	20	15	25	20
Ogre	30	10	30	10	10	5
Sarnak	25	20	20	20	20	10
Troll	20	15	30	10	15	5

Everquest 2: Choosing a tradeskill class

If you’re just starting with crafting in EverQuest II (EQ2), choosing a tradeskill class can feel overwhelming. Each class specialises in making certain items, and your choice will determine what you can craft as you progress. Here's a simplified guide to help you decide.

---

Understanding Tradeskills in EQ2

• What is a Tradeskill Class?
  Tradeskill classes let you craft items like gear, potions, and decorations. These classes are separate from your adventuring class and progress independently.
• How Do You Choose?
  At level 10, you select an archetype: Craftsman, Outfitter, or Scholar. At level 20, you specialise into one of nine final tradeskill classes.

---

Tradeskill Classes at a Glance

The table below summarises each tradeskill class, their archetypes, and what they specialise in to help you pick the one that aligns with your interests or needs.

Archetype	Class	Specialisation	Why Choose This Class?
Craftsman	Carpenter	Furniture, house items, storage boxes	Ideal for housing enthusiasts who enjoy decorating.
	Provisioner	Food and drink for stat buffs	Great for providing consumables to support adventurers.
	Woodworker	Bows, arrows, shields, totems	Perfect for utility items like speed or invisibility totems.
Outfitter	Armorer	Plate and chain armour	Essential for crafting gear for tanks and Scouts.
	Tailor	Cloth and leather armour, bags	Suitable for outfitting Mages, Druids, and inventory needs.
	Weaponsmith	Metal weapons and crafting tools	Focused on melee weapons and tools for harvesting.
Scholar	Alchemist	Potions, poisons, cures, Fighter spells	Vital for adventurers needing consumables or spell upgrades.
	Jeweler	Jewellery, Scout spell upgrades	Combines wearable gear with Scout support.
	Sage	Mage and Priest spell upgrades	Ideal for those who want to focus on magical spell crafting.

---

Tips for Choosing a Tradeskill Class

1. Think About Your Main Character:
   If you’re playing a specific class, consider a tradeskill that complements it. For example, if you’re a Mage, Sage might be useful for crafting your own spell upgrades.
2. Consider the Economy:
   Certain tradeskill classes like Provisioner, Alchemist, and Woodworker produce consumables that are always in demand, making them great for earning money.
3. Explore Housing or Utility:
   If you enjoy decorating or creating useful items, Carpenter or Woodworker may be rewarding options.
4. You Can Always Create Alts:
   Since each character can only master one tradeskill class, many players make alternate characters to cover multiple crafting needs.

---

No matter which tradeskill class you choose, crafting is a rewarding and integral part of EQ2. Pick a class that aligns with your playstyle or goals, and enjoy the journey!

Everquest 2 dictionary: Stances

In EverQuest II, stances are combat modes that significantly alter a character's playstyle by adjusting offensive, defensive, or utility capabilities. They allow players to adapt to different combat scenarios and roles effectively.

Key Features of Stances

• Purpose: Stances enhance specific attributes, such as damage output, defence, or support, based on combat needs.
• Activation: They are usually toggled abilities that remain active until switched off or replaced.
• Class-Specific: Certain classes, like Fighters and Beastlords, have access to stances to customize their performance.

Examples of Stances

Fighter Stances

• Defensive Stance: Enhances survivability by boosting mitigation and threat generation while reducing offensive capabilities. Ideal for tanking.
• Offensive Stance: Increases damage output and offensive stats at the cost of reduced defence. Suitable for solo play or damage roles.

Scout Stances

• Stealth/Combat Stances: Enhance burst damage or grant abilities while in stealth mode.
• Positional Stances: Provide bonuses for attacking enemies from specific positions, like behind or to the side.

Beastlord Stances

• Feral Stance: Focuses on maximizing damage output with offensive warder abilities and primal attacks. Ideal for solo play or DPS roles in groups.
• Spiritual Stance: Balances damage with healing and utility, enabling support abilities like group heals. Perfect for hybrid or support roles.

General Effects of Stances

Stance Type	Benefits	Drawbacks
Offensive Stance	Boosts damage, accuracy, and critical chance.	Reduces defence or threat management.
Defensive Stance	Increases survivability with higher defence and resistances.	Reduces offensive stats or abilities.

Practical Tips for Using Stances

• Match the Stance to the Role: Use an offensive stance for maximum damage and a defensive stance when tanking or facing challenging opponents.
• Adapt During Combat: Swap stances mid-fight to respond to changing situations.
• Understand the Trade-offs: Balance the benefits and drawbacks of each stance to optimize performance.

Stances add strategic depth to EverQuest II, empowering players to adapt their approach to the challenges they face. Mastery of stance usage is a key skill for many classes, enhancing their effectiveness and versatility.

The Virtues of Europa Universalis IV: A Masterpiece of Strategy and History

 "What are we going to do tonight, Brain? Same thing we do every night Pinky—try to take over the world!"
– Pinky and the Brain

If you’ve ever daydreamed about world domination, Europa Universalis IV (EU4) is the game that turns that fantasy into a strategic masterpiece. Developed by Paradox Interactive, EU4 lets you take control of any nation between 1444 and 1821, offering a richly detailed world where the stakes of diplomacy, war, and economics are as high as your ambition. Whether you’re striving to build a global empire or shaping the course of history in more subtle ways, Europa Universalis IV delivers an experience unlike any other. Here are some of the virtues that make EU4 a standout in the realm of grand strategy games.

Deep and Complex Strategic Gameplay

At its core, Europa Universalis IV offers one of the most intricate and satisfying strategy experiences. Players take control of a nation and guide it through history, navigating diplomacy, warfare, economics, religion, and exploration. The game’s mechanics encourage thoughtful planning and long-term strategy over short-term tactics. Whether expanding borders through war, forging alliances, or navigating internal politics, every decision carries weight, and the consequences are often far-reaching. The depth of the gameplay encourages players to experiment with different approaches to diplomacy, war, and development, making each playthrough uniquely challenging.

Historical Immersion with Flexibility

One of the most fascinating aspects of Europa Universalis IV is how it weaves historical events and figures into its expansive game world. The game allows players to control any nation during this time period, and while it is rooted in historical events, it offers an incredible level of flexibility. Players can create their own alternate history by taking an underdog nation and guiding it to greatness or altering the course of major empires in ways that history never imagined. This balance between historical accuracy and the freedom to forge your own path is one of EU4's most compelling features, allowing both history buffs and those interested in creating their own stories to find satisfaction.

Detailed Diplomacy System

Diplomacy is the heart of EU4, and its complexity makes it one of the most rewarding aspects of the game. The game’s diplomatic system is nuanced and multifaceted, with the potential for intricate alliances, rivalries, and betrayals. Players can engage in a variety of diplomatic actions, including marriage alliances, royal marriages, coalitions, trade agreements, and even the manipulation of other nations through espionage and covert actions. The intricacy of the diplomacy system allows for a great deal of player agency and, at times, unexpected outcomes. These relationships provide rich and engaging moments throughout the game, where an alliance can mean the difference between survival and defeat, or betrayal can change the course of an entire war.

War and Military Strategy

Though diplomacy plays a central role in EU4, war is equally significant, and the game does an excellent job of blending military strategy with broader strategic considerations. The military system in EU4 allows players to manage armies, navies, and generals, and the combat mechanics require careful attention to logistics, terrain, and tactics. The game rewards players who understand the nuances of combat, such as understanding the strengths and weaknesses of different unit types, managing supply lines, and timing battles to exploit enemy weaknesses. Whether waging wars of conquest or defending borders, military strategy is central to the gameplay and a satisfying challenge for those who enjoy tactical depth.

Economic Management and Trade

The economic systems in Europa Universalis IV are equally complex, offering a rewarding challenge for players who enjoy managing resources and growing powerful economies. Players must balance trade, taxes, production, and infrastructure development while also managing the needs of their population and maintaining a stable government. The trade system is particularly intricate, with players able to control trade routes, build merchant fleets, and use strategic positioning to dominate global trade networks. Successfully managing a nation's economy can be the key to achieving military and diplomatic success, as wealth provides the resources necessary to sustain armies, influence politics, and fund development projects.

Modding Community and Expansions

Europa Universalis IV has an incredibly dedicated and passionate modding community that continuously enhances the game’s longevity and depth. Mods can completely transform the game, adding new content, mechanics, and even historical scenarios. From alternative history mods to entire new world settings, the modding community offers a never-ending variety of content that keeps the game feeling fresh and exciting. Additionally, the game has received numerous expansions and updates, each introducing new mechanics, nations, and events that further enrich the gameplay. These expansions help to keep the game relevant and dynamic, providing new challenges and opportunities with each update.

Immense Replayability

One of the key virtues of Europa Universalis IV is its incredible replayability. Given the sheer number of nations, historical events, and strategic options, no two playthroughs are ever the same. The game’s procedural nature, combined with its dynamic world system, ensures that players can enjoy countless hours of gameplay without exhausting the content. Whether it’s trying a different nation, pursuing a different victory condition, or exploring a new strategy, Europa Universalis IV has an almost infinite number of ways to play. Every decision matters, and the dynamic world always presents new challenges and opportunities that keep players engaged.

A Living, Breathing World

Finally, Europa Universalis IV excels at creating a living, breathing world that reacts to the player’s decisions. The game's AI controls every nation and plays a significant role in the flow of events. The world feels alive, with countries changing alliances, forming coalitions, waging wars, and engaging in diplomacy in response to the player’s actions. The dynamic nature of the world creates a rich, immersive experience that feels real and organic. It’s not just about executing your own plans; it's about adapting to a constantly shifting geopolitical landscape, where no two games are alike.

Conclusion

Europa Universalis IV stands as a towering example of what a grand strategy game can be. Its depth, complexity, and historical immersion provide an unparalleled experience for strategy enthusiasts. With a detailed and evolving world, intricate diplomacy, and a rewarding blend of military, economic, and political management, EU4 offers a world of endless possibilities. For anyone with an interest in history or strategy, Europa Universalis IV is not just a game—it’s an experience that invites players to step into the shoes of a ruler and rewrite history on their terms.

---

Enhancing Your EverQuest 2 Experience: DarqUI Unified and EQ2U

Whether you're a new player or a seasoned adventurer returning to EverQuest II, improving your in-game experience can be as simple as modifying the user interface and utilising additional tools. One of the most powerful options for customising your EQ2 gameplay is DarqUI Unified, a comprehensive user interface mod that enhances functionality and streamlines the player experience.

DarqUI Unified: A Comprehensive UI Overhaul

DarqUI Unified is a versatile and feature-rich user interface modification that allows players to personalise their EverQuest II experience to suit their playstyle. Available from EQ2Interface, DarqUI is one of several user interface mods hosted on the platform, but it stands out due to its advanced features and ease of use.

You can download DarqUI Unified from this link. For guidance on installation, refer to this video tutorial.

DarqUI Unified includes a wide array of enhancements, such as customisable hotbars, streamlined inventory management, improved quest tracking, and more intuitive layouts for various game windows. These modifications make it easier for players to manage their characters, interact with the game world, and access vital information efficiently.

Integrated EQ2Maps: Navigation Made Simple

One of the standout features of DarqUI Unified is its integration of EQ2Maps, a comprehensive map mod that provides detailed, interactive maps of Norrath. With EQ2Maps included in DarqUI, players gain access to an extensive collection of maps that are continuously updated to include the latest zones, dungeons, and points of interest.

• Detailed Zone Maps: Highlighting key locations such as quest hubs, mob spawns, and resource nodes.
• Custom Markers: Allowing players to add their own points of interest for easy reference.
• Real-Time Updates: Ensuring that players always have access to the most current map data.

The seamless integration of EQ2Maps within DarqUI ensures that players can navigate the world with confidence, whether exploring new areas or revisiting familiar ones.

EQ2U: Your Centralised Profile and Stats Hub

EQ2U is an indispensable resource for tracking your character's progress, stats, and achievements in EverQuest II. It provides a comprehensive, user-friendly platform for managing your character's profile, comparing items, and exploring your character’s full progression.

EQ2U allows you to create a detailed profile for your character, showcasing key statistics, achievements, gear, spells, and more. Whether you're planning your next raid or simply tracking your progress, EQ2U helps you keep track of all the important details about your character. One of EQ2U’s standout features is its gear comparison tool. You can compare your current gear against other items, helping you identify upgrades and optimise your character’s setup.

EQ2U also offers detailed logs of quests, achievements, and other in-game progression. You can track your quest completions, achievements, and discover what you need to work towards next in your journey through Norrath. For players involved in guilds or raiding, EQ2U offers comprehensive guild and raid tracking features. You can view your guild’s roster, track raid performance, and see how your character fits within the broader guild community.

EQ2U is a powerful tool for players who want to keep a detailed record of their in-game activities and performance. With features for character tracking, gear comparison, and questing, EQ2U helps you stay on top of your progress and get the most out of your time in EverQuest II.

Bringing It All Together

By utilising DarqUI Unified for UI customisation and integrated EQ2Maps for navigation, alongside EQ2U for character and raid management, you’ll be able to optimise your gameplay, personalise your experience, and make your journey through Norrath more efficient and enjoyable. These resources work together to provide a comprehensive suite of tools for enhancing your EverQuest II experience.

Archmage: Reincarnation from Hell - Reincarnated

Recently I was trawling through everything old on my computer systems and the nostalgia of it all forced me to ask what has happened to...

Archmage: Reincarnation from Hell

Launched in 1998, Archmage was created by Korean telecommunications company MARI, which has since gone bankrupt. They ceased supporting and hosting it.

The background story to the game was that,

"After the Great Mage War, sages believe the gods used their powers to prevent man from accessing magic in order to stop further bloodshed. However, Lucifer eventually revealed the secrets once again and war began anew, the surviving souls of the arch-mages returning from Hell to once again battle for power and supremacy, even if their struggle may ultimately result in the destruction of all life on Terra."

Archmage: Reincarnation from Hell was a free-to-play massively multiplayer turn-based browser game where each player was a resurrected arch-mage attempting to lead their kingdom to supremacy, juggling economy, development, exploration, research, diplomacy and, perhaps most of all, sorcery and warfare. Various servers were available, each with different rules determining whether guilds or even allies were allowed, the speed at which turns were gained, ranging from five to 20 minutes for each, and the maximum number which could be saved until any new ones were lost. Yet other servers offered localized versions of the game.

While exploring for new lands was an option in the early game, even the most peaceful quickly found themselves engaged in bitter warfare against other arch-mages, summoning or hiring creatures and heroes, casting spells, obtaining and using items and even striving to gain, or at least to avoid losing, the favor of the gods, whether in order to expand or merely to survive until the seven seals of Armageddon were broken and an age ended. At that point, the arch-mages which had successfully cast the Armageddon spell without being stopped by others, along with the top ranked ones, had their names enshrined in the Hall of Immortality and the server reset, all players starting anew.

Unbelievably, I am obviously not the only one with fond memories as the game has been moved to a different server, may I present...

Returning to Everquest 2: Initial impressions

Back to Everquest II

One of the memories I have most enjoyed in my recent walk down memory lane has been to re-visit Everquest II.

I played when it first released and when I logged back in, I discovered a character which I obviously have not played since the release.

One of the quests which is shown as outstanding is the "Spirit Shard Recovery Quest" and the other is "Lasydia's Call". This would tend to suggest that I played the character on newbie island but that they died probably fighting the sharks that used to be found there and in all likelihood it was named shark. The named shark is still there, but that is all there is in the latest version.

The other evidence was that the character was simply a 'scout'. Back in the day a character choose increased specialisation at both level 5 and level 10 (if I recall correctly) so my main character was a scout, then a bard, then a troubadour.

After Jikaril died, I must have logged off and forgotten about him and he has sat for nigh on 25 years... several server merges later (there is now just a single European server) and there he is waiting to be re-discovered.

As I log in, I am offered the chance to select a character class, I notice beastlord. This is a class which was not available previously and it is a scout class so this will be the perfect opportunity to try something new.

The first thing I was required to do was to correct the user interface ("UI"), this was fairly simply it just required opening up extra hotbars by right-clickiing the one which was open and asking for it to open another. I settled on six in the end as the right number. Then I had no idea what any of the abilities did so it was a case of clearing all the hotbars and then going through the knowledge journal and adding buttons for each ability. I like to separate out close combat from ranged combat from permanent buffs from non-combat abilities. There is always a little trial and error until for example I discover which ability has the longest range and which abilities work with the heroic opportunity button and in which order.

Because he is only level 7 (I gained two levels on login for some reason) there is not much for me to have forgotten. With some of the other characters I have ranging up to level 90 which was the cap last time I played, I would not want to blindly blunder into a high level group and not know what I am doing so that is where the Chronomage comes in. You can lower your level to any multiple of 5 and get some practice in a non-dangerous, non-potentially friendship destroying way.

Of course i don't know what i don't know about Everquest II and what has been added in the recent past, but I will no doubt find out as I go along.

Level 20 Beastlord/Level 20 Provisioner as of 25th November 2024.

The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturlson - Iceland's greatest skald

Click image to order through Amazon UK

The Prose Edda, also known as the Younger Edda, Snorri's Edda (Icelandic: Snorra Edda) or simply Edda, is the most renowned of all works of Scandinavian literature and our most extensive source for Norse mythology.

Written in Iceland a century after the close of the Viking Age, it tells ancient stories of the Norse creation epic and recounts the battles that follow as gods, giants, dwarves and elves struggle for survival.

It also preserves the oral memory of heroes, warrior kings and queens.

In clear prose interspersed with powerful verse, the Edda provides unparalleled insight into the gods' tragic realization that the future holds one final cataclysmic battle, Ragnarok, when the world will be destroyed.

These tales have proved to be among the most influential of all myths and legends, inspiring modern works as diverse as Wagner's Ring Cycle and Tolkien's ‘The Lord of the Rings.’ Together with the Poetic Edda, the Prose Edda comprises the major store of pagan Scandinavian mythology.

The work is often assumed to have been written, or at least compiled, by the Icelandic scholar and historian Snorri Sturluson around the year 1220.

The Four Sections of the Prose Edda

1. Prologue

The prologue of the Prose Edda remains the most controversial of the four books. It was written by Snorri Sturluson, who was a Christian. The prologue of the Prose Edda reduces the Norse gods to fictional stories rather than theological accounts.

In the prologue, Norse gods are referred to as Roman Trojan warriors that fled Troy and settled in Northern Europe.

2. Gylfaginning

Of the four sections, the second section, or Gylfaginning, is ripe with Norse mythologies. If you want a rich account of Norse mythology, many read the Gylfaginning first. It depicts everything from the creation of the world to Ragnarök.

The title of this chapter comes from Gylfi, a king of Sweden, who travels to a palace in Asgard, where he encounters three men named High, Just-As-High, and Third.

During his encounter with the three men, he asks about the many Norse gods, as well as the creation and destruction of the world.

When the stories are complete, Gylfi has immediately transported away from the palace to his land, where he lives, telling the tales of what he encountered to his people.

3. Skáldskaparmál

As a text designed to teach the reader how to write skaldic poetry, the Skáldskaparmál dives deep into the poetry-writing process.

This third section is a conversation between Ægir, the divine personification of the sea, and Bragi, the god of poetry. It takes a deep dive into the Icelandic poet’s language and ways to recreate poetry in this manner properly.

While it’s a lesson in poetry writing, Ægir and Bragi sample from many quotes and passages from old Icelandic prose. It isn’t as rich in Norse theology as Gylfaginning, but essential texts are peppered through this section.

4. Háttatal

While other sections of the Prose Edda are samples of restored Norse poetry, the Háttatal is written entirely by Snorri Sturluson.

Overall, it uses the things learned through the previous section of this book to recreate Scandinavian-style prose.

The Kalevala: the Epic Finnish Poem

The Kalevala

An Epic Poem After Oral Tradition

The Kalevala is the great Finnish epic, which like the Iliad and the Odyssey, grew out of a rich oral tradition with prehistoric roots.

During the first millenium of our era, speakers of Uralic languages (those outside the Indo-European group) who had settled in the Baltic region of Karelia, that straddles the border of eastern Finland and north-west Russia, developed an oral poetry that was to last into the nineteenth century.

This poetry provided the basis of the Kalevala. It was assembled in the 1840s by the Finnish scholar Elias Lönnrot, who took `dictation' from the performance of a folk singer, in much the same way as our great collections from the past, from Homeric poems to medieval songs and epics, have probably been set down.

Published in 1849, it played a central role in the march towards Finnish independence and inspired some of Sibelius's greatest works. This new and exciting translation by poet Keith Bosley, prize-winning translator of the anthology Finnish Folk Poetry: Epic, is the first truly to combine liveliness with accuracy in a way which reflects the richness of the original.

The main characters of the Kalevala

There are quite a few figures in The Kalevala, and it’s important to know a bit about them in order to give the stories more context. Let’s introduce you to a few of them!

Väinämöinen

Often regarded as the main character in The Kalevala, Väinämöinen is a powerful and heroic demigod. More accurately, he is a hybrid of a bard, shaman, and wizard.

If you’re familiar with The Lord of the Rings series, he is frequently compared to the character ‘Gandalf’.

Väinämöinen is a very wise man and has a talent for music. In fact, he sings… magically. Yes, you read that right!

If you come across pictures or paintings of Väinämöinen, you may notice that he is often depicted holding an instrument. This instrument is the kantele, a traditional Finnish harp.

His kantele-playing skills were so breathtaking, that not only would people listen to him play, but animals and other godly beings did as well.

Ilmarinen

Another key figure in The Kalevala is Ilmarinen. Ilmarinen is the god of air and is a master metalworker and blacksmith.

Ilmarinen crafted numerous magical artifacts featured in The Kalevala. The most well-known of these artifacts is Sampo – a very powerful object that essentially creates riches out of thin air.

The Sampo has three sides: the first side would make salt, the second would make grain, and the third would make money.

Sampo makes many appearances throughout The Kalevala, as many of the deities repeatedly try to steal it. Who wouldn’t want limitless riches?

It is also said that Ilmarinen crafted the dome of the sky, which was another one of his greatest creations.

Joukahainen

To put it simply, Joukahainen is the rival of the main character, Väinämöinen. He is a young man with a lot of confidence and believes he is superior to Väinamöinen.

Don’t get the wrong idea – Joukahainen is not a villain. In Finnish mythology, there is no ‘good’ and ‘evil’. It’s more hero vs chaos.

One day, Joukahainen challenged Väinämöinen to a singing battle, which Väinämöinen accepts. Joukahainen ultimately loses to his opponent and is then cast away to a swamp.

Lemminkäinen

Lemminkäinen is known for being a young, attractive lad who is also a great fighter. He is also very close to his mother, who is named Lempi.

One of the myths involving Lemminkäinen is of him drowning in the river of Tuonela. Tuonela is the river that separated the living from the dead, and is often referred to as ‘the underworld’.

However, Lempi would eventually bring her son back to life.

Important gods and goddesses in Finnish Mythology

Ukko: God of weather and thunder. Often compared to Thor in Norse mythology.

Tapio and Mielikki: God and goddess of the forest.

Louhi: The goddess of witchcraft. She lives in the North of Finland.

Ahti and Vellamo: God and goddess of water.

Tuoni: God of the Tuonela (the underworld).

Päivätär and Kuutar: Goddesses of the sun and the moon. They are also sisters.

Creatures in Finnish Mythology

There are also many kinds of creatures featured in Finnish mythology and The Kalevala. Let’s run through them.

Otso: A bear who is the king of the forest. Treated as a divine spirit – bears are very sacred animals in Finland!

Menninkäinen: Gnomes that are nocturnal and live underground.

Näkki: Alluring but nasty water spirit. It’s said that she lives under bridges.

Haltija: An elf-like creature who likes to help people.

Will-o-wisps: Small light spirits which are usually seen hovering over bodies of water such as ponds, or swamps. They appear at night.

Iku-Turso, or Tursas: A very scary sea monster. Resembles an octopus, but can also grow wings.

Hiisi: A demon who dwells deep in the forest. You wouldn’t want to be spotted by one of these!

Keiju: Fairy-like creatures who are very small and beautiful.

What are the myths of The Kalevala?

Now that we’ve learned about the characters and spirits of the Kalevala, we’re now ready to dive into the fascinating legends of this text.

The creation of the world

Ilmitar, a virgin spirit and a goddess of air, descends to rest in calm waters for 700 years. When she awoke, a bird had landed on her lap and laid seven eggs: six made of gold, and one of iron.

The eggs fall from her lap, landing in the water. The eggs shatter beneath her, creating the Earth. The bottom of the shell forms the land, while the top of the shell forms the sky. The white of the egg forms the moon and stars, while the yolk forms the sun.

Väinmöinen eventually crawls out of Ilmitar’s womb and sets forth on his journey. For years he swims across the seas before setting foot on land.

The Sampo

Many of the stories told in The Kalevala revolve around Sampo. Almost everyone is trying to get their hands on it!

Remember the singing battle between Väinämöinen and Joukahainen mentioned earlier? After his defeat, Joukahainen shoots an arrow to Väinämöinen, causing him to fall into the sea.

After several days, Väinämöinen finally washes up on the shores of the dark and terrifying North. This land is ruled by Louhi who is basically the wicked witch of the North.

Louhi nurses the hero back to health, but demands a reward in return. There was only one thing she desired: Sampo.

Ilmarinen, as its creator, is the only one with access to Sampo. Luckily for Louhi, she has an offer for Ilmarinen that he simply couldn’t refuse: one of her daughters.

As a result, Louhi gets Sampo, Ilmarinen gets to marry one of her daughters, and Väinämöinen is free of his debt to Louhi.

Later on in The Kalevala, Väinämöinen, Ilmarinen, and Lemminkäinen all sail to the North to steal Sampo back from Louhi.

Unfortunately, once Väinämöinen acquires the object, it falls and breaks into pieces.

Bruce Heard: Calidar in Stranger Skies

The history of the Dungeons & Dragons game as those of us who indulged our curiousity into the corporate shennanigans of TSR through its lifetime will know was a victim of a disagreement between the two main creators of Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson over royalties for the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons game.

Whilst the dispute went on the Original Dungeons & Dragons game and the Tom Moldvay Purple Basic Set and Light Blue Expert Set were all players had. Eventually the dispute was resolved and Frank Mentzer proceeded to produce the Companion, Masters and Immortals rules sets.

At this time Bruce Heard was given charge of the freelance writing team at TSR and also responsibility for the less popular (although I suggest only in the United States) Dungeons & Dragons. The major innovation was the release of the Gazetteer series which fleshed out a lot of the world that latterly was coined "Mystara" but till then had simply been "the Known World".

There followed "The Hollow World" by Aaron Allston which revealed that Mystara was a hollow world and ancient empires were preserved by the Immortals on the inner side of Mystara's surface.

In the pages of Dragon Magazine Bruce wrote the column "The Voyage of the Princess Ark" about an Alphatian Airship which travelled to previously unexplored regions of Mystara.

These writings were later expaned on in the box set The Champions of Mystara, Red Steel and The Savage Baronies. Eventually with "Wrath of the Immortals" removing the continent of Alphatia from the face of Mystara and depositing it inside as part of the Hollow World setting, we lost our hero.

With the advent of AD&D 2nd edition, Mystara was moved to that rules set, its players went off got jobs, married, had children but the world never went away even once Wizards of the Coast stopped supporting it and even once Hasbro bought out Wizards of the Coast and turned D&D into something unrecognisable from its libertarian origins into something more resembling warhammer.

Bruce tried to get permission from Hasbro to revisit the world of Mystara, but Hasbro would rather leave the IP locked away from its willing audience.

In World of Calidar some of the themes are revisited in a totally new world, where airships are once more at the heart of the game and there is once again a new world to be explored.

I was delighted to support the Kickstarter project; on page 25 my step daughter Olivia Evans is immortalised as Olyffia Efanas (although I had no creative control over her behaviour in the story!), an island to the north west of the great caldera bears the name Pearcelsus Island and in a future publication the Airship the Lady Karevana will carry a crew through the skies or maybe between the planets & moons of the Soltan Ephemeris, we shalll just have to wait and see...

In the mean time Thorfinn Tait, the cartographer of Caldar takes us on a trip around the great caldera.

And through the Soltan Ephemeris to explore the other planets and moons which share a sun with Calidar.

The World of Caldar is available as a pdf or soft or hardcover book from DriveThru RPG.

DEVELOPER'S BLOGS
Bruce Heard's Blog
Thorfinn Tait, Cartographer to the Stars

CALIDAR PLAYERS
The World of Calidar Facebook Chat Group 
World of Calidar on the Piazza Forums

Seiko Watches

The world famous Seiko Watch Corporation who also make Pulsar watches, Seiko watches and Seiko and Lorus clocks. You can find the product just for you amongst all these brands across a wide price range from £15 to £2,000.

Nigel Pearce & Son, Jewellers carry two of Seiko's brands

PULSAR burst onto the world watch market with the first ever LED watch in 1972 and since then the name has been synonymous with adventurous and leading edge design. Today, PULSAR continues the tradition with new collections that are as individual, as distinctive and as desirable as any in the brands history.

PULSAR was born in an age of optimism. In the 1970’s everything seemed achievable through the rapidly growing technological expertise at the world’s fingertips. Space flight had been converted from dream to reality, computer science was developing at breakneck speed and electronics seemed to deliver new advances every day. PULSAR symbolised the age. It was new and it was bold. It was surprising and it was different. PULSAR created the world’s first electronic digital watch and it created a sensation when it was unveiled in New York, changing the world’s perception of time.

Since its re-launch by SEIKO Watch Corporation PULSAR has found that narrow path to success that unites innovative design with universal appeal. The PULSAR proposition “Tell it your way” is based on the insight that every watch buyer is an individual who seeks, overtly or subtly, to express his or her individuality through a watch. PULSAR is a brand that understands this dynamic and continues to offer watch lovers an invitation to find within the PULSAR brand the watch that fits into the narrative of their unique lives.

Pulsar watches are prices in the £50 to £200 price range

Lorus was first launched in Europe in 1982 to complement the already popular Pulsar and Seiko brands. Lorus was an instant success, offering not only affordable products, but products with high design and technology qualities. Taking advantage of the huge commitments to technology advancement made by the Seiko Watch Corporation, Lorus can now offer Kinetic watches in its product collection, alongside all the standard functions such as solar, digital, duo-display and alarm-chronographs. Lorus watches are in the £15 to £100 price range.

A.R. Wentworth, Sheffield Manufactured Pewterware

Part of our company philosophy is to use products manufactured as close to us as possible, which means we prefer UK manufacturers over European over further afield. We believe that not only is this better for our planet but is also better for our customers as the quality of the products is significantly greater where they are manufactured by skilled craftsmen.

The company was founded in 1949, by Arthur Richard Wentworth, a skilled pewter craftsman from Sheffield's pewter heritage. He initially made his own pieces at home and sold them out of a suitcase, rapidly achieving success with quality products at affordable prices.

The Wentworth name and his memory live on in the present company, which is still committed to producing products to the highest quality at prices which represent excellent value for money. We are constantly introducing new designs to ensure that the skills of the craftsmen and the beauty of the material are universally enjoyed.

Pewter is an alloy of tin, the fourth most valuable metal, and small quantities of other metals, which give strength to the final product. Around the 2nd century AD, the Romans introduced pewter to Britain. However the manufacture of pewter products was revolutionised by James Vickers in 1769 when he introduced a new alloy mix of pewter to the metal working skills found in his native Sheffield. These same traditional skills and the same lead-free alloy have been used to make our product today.

 The Wentworth mark, which appears on most Wentworth products, is your guarantee of authenticity and quality. The mark consists of five symbols, the meanings of which are as follows:

1. ARW - the initials of company
2. 92 - the minimum percentage of tin in the alloy
3. EPU - our European Pewter Union membership mark
4. ABPC - the Association of British Pewter Craftsmen mark
5. Part of the City of Sheffield's coat of arms