#and the shield with the warrior and devotee languages

[cactusthedragon]

I just completed the bard section and I love it

More in tags

Guess who just got interested in Chants of Sennaar

HELL YEAHHH

please tell me what you think of it!!!!!

thank you for asking!!

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Hi again, i am in need of you help. How do you write a loyal knight character? A true devotee of their charge, but not so much it turns dog-like.

Writing Notes: Loyal Knight Characters

Hi, you can consider using some character tropes as a guide. Found a few examples for you:

"Knight in Shining Armor" Trope: The medieval knight who fights baddies, whether villains, knights, or dragons, and in The Tourney, charms ladies without deliberately seducing them, behaves honorably, and saves the day with his sword; but also, any hero who behaves similarly.

The "shining" originally referred to the way his armor and weapons were kept in good condition, as opposed to the rust that accumulated for less competent knights. Most knights will be depicted wearing plate armor, despite it appearing relatively late in the era of knights. Them using a Knightly Sword and Shield is also pretty likely, though the usage of plate armor with Knightly Sword and Shield is actually historically inaccurate since shields were considered redundant while wearing plate armor.

"Lady and Knight" Trope: The brave, chivalrous knight defends and falls in love with the fair lady.

"The Paladin" Trope: Paladins are warriors dedicated to furthering the cause of all that is good. Holy crusaders, they combat the forces of evil wherever they are found, and defend the helpless as much as possible. Above all else, paladins are good.

"Knight in Shining" Tropes

This is the set of tropes that cluster around Knight Templar: the forces of light in hardcore mode, excessively or otherwise.

This mentality is all the way over on the Idealistic side of the Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism.

The Trope Codifiers are the Chivalric Romances of the medieval Matters of Britain (Arthurian Legend) and of France (Charlemagne) — especially the innumberable fantasy novels and verse epics of the 15th through 17th centuries which were based on, set in, or vaguely inspired by the older Carolingian myths.

The Arthurian myths have a less militantly idealistic style than the Carolingian ones; the Arthurian work most completely of this style is Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

This pattern is rarer outside of Europe (and before the Middle Ages) than within it.

The closest analogue to European chivalry was bushido, the code of the Japanese samurai, but the Japanese code emphasized loyalty to one's lord, even to the point of doing evil,

while the European one emphasized loyalty to one's conscience, even to the point of treachery.

Of course, that doesn't mean that non-European heroes can't act like this—and it doesn't mean that European heroes always do, either.

The Roman-derived tradition of "My Country, Right or Wrong" was always present in Europe.

Originally, the word knight was a job description with no connotation of high birth or status: it merely meant a warrior who was skilled and wealthy enough to fight on horseback, and owed their service to someone powerful.

The English word knight is derived from an Anglo-Saxon word for "servant", while most other European languages use a word meaning "horseman" (e.g. German Ritternote or French chevalier).

The word began to take on new meaning in response to social changes at the dawn of The High Middle Ages: the flourishing of merchants and cities gave them new wealth and power to compete with the nobility, while the increasingly independent Catholic Church became more assertive in trying to curb the misbehavior of the warrior class.

In order to maintain their distinction from the class of people who worked, and to reconcile the violent nature of war with the ideals of courtesy and piety, the nobility and gentry absorbed the military role of knighthood while turning it into a more exclusive and regulated order.

A noble child would usually start as a page in order to learn discipline and manners, spend their teenage years as an arming squire taking care of a master's horse and equipment, and when they had grown into a fine warrior, they would be recognized as having earned their spurs. Not everyone became a knight through such careful grooming, though.

Commoners could be rewarded with knighthood for exceptional service, and rulers facing a shortfall of heavy cavalry would sometimes make laws requiring anyone who possessed a certain amount of property to present themselves to be knighted whether they liked it or not.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References

Hope this helps with your writing! More research might be needed for literary/historical accuracy.

[kelawar-ungu]

Bat Week 2020: A Celebration of Bats in Asia-Pacific Cultures Art by Reimena Yee.

(Bigger image from here for more readable text. The background colouring is a little too bright though)

Text on the map under the cut.

You may have heard the soft flutter of bat wings at dusk, noticed them flitting around at night, or even seen them sleeping under roof eaves, in trees and caves during the day. But apart from these brief encounters, have you ever wondered how bats may have traditionally held deeper symbolic meaning in various cultures?

This visual map guide celebrates the many positive bat symbols and folklore found across the Asia-Pacific region. Our ancestors recognised the importance and wonder of bats!

Look out for our full write-up and get updates by following rimba.ngo!

Project Pteropus, a project under RIMBA.

India

In India, Hindu devotees of the goddess Kali worship and protect flying foxes which roost in sacred groves. Bats also feature as symbols of love in Tamil Sangam poetry, dating back more than 2000 years!

China / Taiwan / Chinese culture

A tale from ancient China: The gods took pity on Zhong Kui when he committed suicide. They named him King of Ghosts and tasked him to discipline demons, with bats acting as his helpers who scout out demons for him to vanquish.

In Chinese opera, the Zhong Kui character wears a bat motif on his mask.

The Five Blessings (五福 wŭfú) in Chinese culture are health, wealth, longevity, love of virtue and peaceful death. They are represented symbolically by five bats (五蝠 wŭfú).

In traditional Chinese culture, bats are lucky symbols because the word for bat (蝠 fú) sounds like the word for blessing (福 fú).

Lucky bat motifs can be found on traditional ceramics, jewellery and textiles in Chinese, Peranakan and other Chinese-influenced communities across East and Southeast Asia.

Vietnam

Locals believe that flying foxes roosting in the Wat Mahatup temple grounds in Vietnam are calling forth blessings from Buddha when they circle the temple during their fly-out every evening.

Malaysia / Indonesia

The indigenous Mah Meri in Peninsular Malaysia perform a traditional dance called 'kuang kuwait', mimicking the graceful movements of flying foxes.

The 'siku keluang' a choreography step in the traditional Malay Zapin dance represents humility and restraint - inspired by the flying fox wrapping up its mighty wings' strength when not in flight.

The 'siku keluang', meaning flying fox elbow in the Malay language, is a zigzag, chevron or herringbone motif used in Malay and Javanese traditional textiles and pottery.

According to a traditional Iban belief from Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, bats act as shamanic messengers to the upper-world during the Gawai harvest festival.

The indigenous Iban in Sarawak traditionally featured the flying fox, locally known as 'semawa', as a tattoo motif.

Papua New Guinea / Western New Guinea

In Bowi folklore of Papua New Guinea, Kinjinmbunduo was a mythical giant flying fox female spirit who left thunderstorms and strong winds in her wake, striking terror and awe but also replenishing the river basin with fruit trees by dispersing seeds during her nocturnal visits.

In New Guinea and Papua New Guinea, the indigenous Asmat and Trobriand carved out flying fox motifs on their war shields to represent triumphant head-hunters.

Samoa

Flying foxes are perceived as protectors and saviours in Samoan folklore. According to legend, Samoan Princess Leutogi befriended and warned flying foxes about the king's hunting plans. In return, the bats rescued her from being burned alive and also brought her food when she was stranded on an inhospitable island. She later bestowed the name "Tonumaipe'a" on her son, meaning "rescued by flying foxes".

For Samoan men, the pe'a—the local name for flying fox is a coming-of-age tattoo that extends From the waist to the knee, symbolising protection over a warrior.

The Samoan war god Sepo took the form of a flying fox to guide his people in battle. If they saw a flying fox ahead, it meant victory would be theirs; if it flew back towards them it was a warning to retreat.

Australia

Flying foxes were important animals to the Aboriginal people of Cape York, Australia, and a common feature in their prehistoric rock art.

Folklore of the Aboriginal Wik in Australia tells of two brothers who broke taboo by spearing and cooking flying foxes. The bats escaped and carried the boys up into the sky as punishment, leaving them there to serve as a grim reminder now immortalised in the Gemini constellation!

Link to open access article of the research:

[thecreaturecodex]

Ishkarim

Image © Adam Langford.

[From the Fighting Fantasy book Battleblade Warrior. Beyond the Pit is a little ambiguous about what exactly the ishkarim are supposed to be. They’re called demons in the stat block (what little stat block Advanced Fighting Fantasy has), but the flavor text refers to them as undead. I added the bite attack so they have some offensive ability when unarmed.]

Ishkarim CR 8 CE Undead This creature has a desiccated humanoid upper body, with sharp teeth and skin pulled tight over its bones. Below the waist, it has six bony legs, each ending in a hook rather than a foot. It wears armor and carries a sword and shield.

Ishkarim are undead created by demons to act as guardians or semi-disposable soldiers. They are formed from devotees of demon cults who failed their masters one too many times, but remained loyal up to their death. Thus, their bodies retain some loyalty in death, and their souls remain tethered long enough to form some sort of more impressive demon once they finally are consigned directly to the Abyss. Some ishkarim work alongside demon worshipers, acting as both a symbol of both punishment and reward for the cult’s depraved believers.

Ishkarim are almost always found in groups of at least two. They fight primarily with manufactured weapons, although their teeth are sharp and can sap the flexibility from muscles and joints. Ishkarim use their spell-like abilities to target enemies that keep their distance, or to enhance their weapons before going into melee. Different ishkarim may fight with different armaments, but the ishkarim working together usually carry similar gear (often wielding the favored weapon of their demon lord). Most ishkarim can climb, but those that are created by aquatic demon lords like Dagon and Gogunta may have a swim speed instead.

Ishkarim                           CR 8 XP 4,800 CE Medium undead (extraplanar) Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., detect good, Perception +18, see invisibility Defense AC 23, touch 12, flat-footed 21 (+2 Dex, +4 natural, +4 armor, +3 shield) hp 97 (13d8+39) Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +11; channel resistance +2 DR 5/-; Immune electricity, undead traits; Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10 Defensive Abilities scuttle Offense Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft Melee masterwork scimitar +15/+10 (1d6+5/15-20), bite +9 (1d4+2 plus ability drain) or bite +14 (1d4+5 plus ability drain) Ranged masterwork light crossbow +12 (1d8/19-20) Spell-like Abilities CL 8th, concentration +11 Constant—detect good, see invisibility 3/day—align weapon, dread bolt (DC 15), versatile weapon 1/day—greater magic weapon, unholy smite (DC 17) Statistics Str 20, Dex 15, Con -, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 16 Base Atk +9; CMB +14; CMD 26 (34 vs. trip) Feats Cleave, Critical Focus, Improved Critical (scimitar), Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Shield Focus (heavy steel shield) Skills Climb +19, Intimidate +18, Knowledge (planes) +13, Perception +18, Sense Motive +18, Stealth +15 Languages Abyssal, Common SQ martial training Ecology Environment any land or underground (Abyss) Organization solitary, pair, patrol (3-6) or band (7-12) Treasure standard (masterwork leather lamellar armor, masterwork heavy steel shield, masterwork scimitar, masterwork light crossbow with 20 bolts, other treasure) Special Abilities Ability Drain (Ex) A creature bitten by an ishkarim must succeed a DC 19 Fortitude save or take 1d3 points of Dexterity drain. The save DC is Charisma based. Martial Training (Ex) An ishkarim is proficient in simple and martial weapons, light, medium and heavy armor, and shields. Scuttle (Ex) An ishkarim can move half its speed as a move action without provoking attacks of opportunity.

[cat-shouty-13]

Oooo babey I'm going to theorise about these for a bit !!!!

(This might get long and will have spoilers !)

DEVOTEE GLYPHS

These two I'm going to assume went unused as they didn't fit the vision of the language/would cause confusion later down the line, specifically with the library in the alchemist section for the 'shop' glyph. I'd treat these as unused and not canonical parts of the language.

These I would say are canonical but just unused because of conciseness and game progression. The 'question' glyph is a bit more tenuous on whether it's the concept of a question, as it's part of the 'seek/want' glyph or acting as punctuation/an indicator of a question like the 'question' glyph in Bard. Either way these do not contradict canon or cause confusion in possible links to other languages so Approved ! By me <3

THIS ONE !!!!! Personally this seems too large/complex to be something that could be reused for making other glyphs. Personally I think it could be for a concept like 'free' or 'up/great' or possibly even 'goodbye' based on it's location next to 'greetings'. If it was indented to mean 'goodbye' then it being unused makes sense for conciseness and how the game is played. We're not going around and holding conversations with people so a need for a separate glyph for farewells isn't truly needed and the 'greetings' glyph pulling double duty for both greetings and goodbyes is a nice touch I think. Regardless of it's intended meaning this is a glyph that could be repurposed

In short: This could be used for a concept glyph that isn't used or isn't commonly used to form other glyphs

WARRIOR GLYPHS

These two are most likely a duo based off of their similar shapes, however they are not a pair of verbs or a pair of people. There is a very very slim chance that they are locations however I do not believe they are. A possibility is that they're for weapon types or something similar/related for example 'sword' and 'shield' or 'sword' and 'spear'. They could also be attributes/descriptors like 'big' and 'small'

In short: They are a pair do not separate

This is a verb ! Warrior doesn't have a clear verb indicator like other languages but all the verbs share a wide v shaped bottom part. The funny thing with this one is that it's quite similar to my fanmade glyph for 'play' so personally I might adopt this as an official warrior 'play' glyph.

This might be a verb as well, however the v is far too thin in comparison to the rest of the verbs. (There is some variation in the formation of the v in the glyphs but it's not immediately noticeable unless you directly compare them, and this is far too different from the others to match) Honestly I have no idea what this could be but it's not a verb, a person or place (going entirely off of the 'fortress' glyph)

This could be a person, however it's missing the v at the top of the stick the other people glyphs have, as well as the base being far smaller than the other ones, really the only similarities are the vertical stick. It could be a person adjacent glyph like 'death/dead' but really I'm not too sure.

This is loss.jpeg.

Being more serious this is a definite unknown so most likely a concept. The symmetry is something to note, however I'm not sure what exactly it could imply. Possibly it's another glyph taken from constellations (seen as 'balance' also is has symmetry) but, again, I'm not sure what exactly it could be as a constellation.

And that's everything ! Thanks for reading my ramblings :)

Unused glyphs in Chants of Sennaar

Chants of Sennaar has some unused glyphs in the game data.

(Spoilers below.)

Unused Devotee glyphs

There's an unused glyph for "question" which is similar to the Bards' "question" glyph. In practice the Devotee language doesn't use a word for "question".

There's an unused glyph for "many" which might have been a plural. In practice the Devotee langauge marks plurals with reduplication.

There's an unused glyph for "war", which is the right component of the glyph for "warrior". There's also an unused glyph for "weapon", which is "tool" + "war". (There's also a glyph for "fortress", which is not in this image but which can be seen on a broken inscription in the Garden. The "fortress" glyph is "war" + "building".)

There's an unused glyph for "shop", which is the top component of "find" + "building".

There's an unused glyph for "house", which is "person" + "building".

There's an unused glyph for "optician" (?!), which is "person" + the top component of "see".

There's one unused glyph which has no definition and isn't made out of existing glyphs.

Unused Warrior glyphs

There are six unused glyphs for the Warriors' language. No definitions are given for these.

[loverandservantoftheahlulbayt]

🥀🕯🥀 Lady Fatima al-Zahra (sa) the Mother of her Father 🥀🕯🥀

Sheikh Mansour Leghaei

🥀🕯🥀 Introduction 🥀🕯🥀

In the Name of God; the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

Lady Fatima, the lady of light has an elevated status in the eyes of Allah due to her childhood sacrifices and support towards the religion of Islam. She is ‘the mother of her father and is an axis to great qualities. The mutual affection between Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.W) and her is unique and holds a very prominent position in father-daughter relationship.

Abu-Faraj al-Isfahani in his Isnad narrated from Imam Sadiq (A.S) from his father: “Verily, Fatima (S.A) was surnamed ‘Omme Abiha’.”

[Beharul-Anwaar, vol43 p.19 from Maqatelu-Talebin]

‘Omme Abiha’ or ‘The Mother of her Father’ is one of the best-known titles of Lady Fatima (peace be upon her). This title sounds quite peculiar for many people especially those who are less familiar with the Arabic language. This lecture is a humble interpretation of the abovementioned Hadith. I shall by the Will of Allah suggest 10 reasons because of which she enjoyed this unique title.

Fatima was the daughter of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.W), the wife of Imam Ali (A.S), the mother of the only two Masters of the Youth of Paradise- Imam Hasan and Imam Husain- and the mother of the 11 infallible Imams (peace be upon them all). She is the elite of the elite women of the past, present and future. She was an infallible martyr and a human huri. She was the crystallization of piety, chastity and real devotee of the Almighty Allah. Her virtues are so numerous that the Messenger of Allah said about her: “If beauty were a person it would be Fatima, Nay! She is greater. Indeed, Fatima is my daughter and the best of the people of the earth in her origin, dignity and honour.” [Fara`edoh-Samtayn vol.2 p.68]

Fatima had a short life in this world and as her husband Imam Ali (A.S) has described, “She joined her father very soon.” Yet, her life was so rich with abundant blessings so much so that she became al-Kauthar and the fountain of the Prophetic blessings.

🕯 Childhood 🕯

Fatima was born during the Prophetic mission and when the Prophet of Islam had reached his perfection. She was the only child of the house of Prophet Muhammad and Sayyeda Khadija (S.A). Her conception was heavenly blessed with the paradisiacal fruit gifted to her father at the time of his ascension. She was brought up in a house wherein revelation and the words of God were constant. She witnessed the descending and ascending of the angels. Her physical growth accomplished with her mental and spiritual growth and hence she became an infallible lady who enjoyed the sublime virtues of her father, the holy Prophet of Islam.

🕯 After the demise of her mother 🕯

Lady Khadija died 10 years after the Prophet of Islam declared his mission and left her five-year-old daughter an orphan. The richest lady of Quraiysh at the time of her death could not even afford a simple shroud for her burial and hence she requested her daughter to ask her father to shroud her with his own cloak after her death. Fatima was since the only memory of Khadija for the Prophet of Islam. After the painful death of her mother the young Fatima dedicated herself to her father, the Messenger of God. During the hardship of Makka she was not only a supportive daughter but a comrade. After her marriage with Imam Ali in Medina, initially her house was quite a distance from the mosque which would make traveling to the Prophet quite difficult. Thus, the Prophet arranged that the young couple live in the house of Haritha bin No’man whose house was near the house of the Prophet. [ibn Sa’ad, al Tabaqaat vol 8 p14]

🕯 The Female Comrade of the Holy Prophet (S) 🕯

Fatima was not the type of girl who sat at home weaving or sewing with no social responsibility. Her exalted spirit had made her from the very early stages of her life, endeavor for the spread of Islam with her father.

Once, the Prophet of Islam was inviting people to Islam inside the Masjidul Haraam. Abu Jahl made some of his puppets pour rubbish onto the Prophet. Fatima; the female comrade of the Prophet immediately ran towards her father and with her small hands cleaned the head and the shoulders of the Prophet of Islam.

Many a time the infidels of Quraiysh stoned the Messenger of God and the young Fatima was sometimes shielding her father with her own body. Her care and compassion towards the Messenger of God was so motherly and passionate. Every time the Messenger of God came home Fatima was dusting the hair and face of the Prophet. It was due to all this compassionate conduct of Fatima that the Messenger of God had such tremendous love for her.

The role of Fatima in her support and the spread of Islam was so vital that according to Imam Ali (A.S) she was considered the second pillar of Islam. After the martyrdom of Fatima Zahra (S.A) Imam Ali stated, “The messenger of God was the first column of Islam and Fatima was the second and the Islamic Ommah today has lost its second column too.

Fatima During the Islamic Battles

Fatima was a woman and as such jihad was not obligatory on her. Nonetheless, she was an active participant and a supporter of the Muslim warriors along with her father and husband. During battles, Fatima had the responsibility of nursing the wounded soldiers and repairing their artillery. When the rumor about the martyrdom of the Messenger of God was spread in Medina during the battle of Ohud, Fatima mobilized some of the ladies of Medina to the battlefield.

When she saw her father’s, teeth broken and bleeding she was in tears and hugged the Messenger of God. Shia and Sunni historians have narrated that during the severe time of the battle of Ohud whereat blood was flowing from the head and the face of the Prophet, the companions had tried to stop the bleeding of the wounds, to no avail. It was Fatima who then immediately burnt a straw mat and poured its ashes onto the wounds and stopped the blood from flowing. [Safinatul Behar vol.1 p140, Sahihul Bukhari vol.4 p.72]

🕯 Addressing Her Father 🕯

After the battle of Ohud, an Ayah was revealed to the Messenger of God to discipline his companions. It was customary for Arabs to call each other with their names without any title and as such they would only call the Prophet of Islam with his first name, Muhammad, the Messenger of God was also too humble to request them to address him otherwise. It was under these circumstances that the Almighty God revealed,

“Make not the calling of the Messenger among you as you are calling one of another.” 24:63

Upon the revelation of the Ayah, Muslims were commanded to address the Prophet with the title of Messenger of God.

Lady Fatima narrated, “After the revelation of the Ayah, I wondered whether I could still address my father as ‘father’ and thus I called him ‘O Messenger of God’. Upon hearing that my father immediately replied, “My dear Fatima, that rule was not for you, you call me O father for indeed this is more reviving for my heart and more pleasing your Lord.” [Ibn al-Maghazeli, al Manaqeb p367]

Thus, Fatima was the only exception of the above Ayah of which she gained part of her everlasting title ‘The Mother of Her Father`.

Fatima; the Mother of her Father

In the year 5 AH, after the Battle of al-Ahzab a new rule with regards to the wives of the Prophet was revealed.

“The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves and his wives are their mothers.” [33:6]

This revelation taught Muslims to respect the wives of the Prophet like their own mothers and that they were forbidden to ever marry them. Thus, none of the wives of the Prophet were ever able to remarry after the demise of the Messenger of God. To this end, every wife of the Prophet was referred to as ‘the mother of the believers’ which means as the believers could not ever marry their mother they could not possibly ever marry any of the wives of the Prophet. After the revelation of the above law, the Messenger of God said to his beloved daughter, “O Fatima. If my wives are the (spiritual) mother of the believers, then you are my (spiritual) mother.”

🕯 Etymology of the term ‘al-Omm' 🕯

The term mother is referred to in Arabic as ‘Omm` whether a direct biological mother or indirect and hence, Eve is also referred to as our ‘mother`. Linguistically, the term ‘mother` is quite similar in all different languages. Omm in Arabic, mum or mother in English, mahdar in Farsi, ma in Urdu and mama in Italian.

The term al-Omm in Arabic is defined by the renowned Arabic linguist al-Raghib “Everything and everyone who is the source of the existence of something or its rearing or reforming.” Therefore, anything that is the origin of the source of something or has a fundamental role in its existence is called al-Omm in Arabic. For instance, in Surah 43 Ayah 4 the Holy Quran is introduced to be in the Mother of the Book,

“And verily, it (this Quran) is in the Mother of the Book with Us, indeed exalted, full of wisdom.” (43:4)

The term ‘the mother of the book` in the above Ayah is meant for al-Lauh al-Mahfuz which is the source of all the divine knowledge and its producer.

The first Surah of the Quran is also called ‘Ommul Kitab’ the mother of the book for its seven Ayaat contain the summary of the entire teachings of the holy Quran and hence is the root and the origin of the rest of the Quran.

Ommah in Arabic is a community which has a common religious and spiritual goal.

In short, Omm is either a biological mother which is not gained but physically or a spiritual mother which is a title given due to some spiritual privileges and characteristics and carries similar parental rights. It is to this meaning that the Messenger of God introduced himself along with Imam Ali as the two fathers of the Muslim Ommah (community).

🕯 Fatima; the Axis 🕯

In the following I shall share with you ten reasons because of which Lady Fatima enjoyed the divine medal of ‘The Mother of Her Father’ by the Messenger of God.

We will learn that she is the symmetrical axis between Prophet-hood and Imamat.

🕯 1. The Axis of Creation

Numerous prophetic traditions state that the Messenger of God is the final cause of the creation. The Almighty God in a holy hadith says, “Had it not been because of you I would have not created the creation.” This is a well-established principle in Islamic philosophy and mysticism since the Messenger of God is the most perfect creation of God and the creation is aimed at the peak of its perfection. It is due to this fact that Fatima is the axis of creation for without her the generation of the most perfect human i.e. the Messenger of God would cease to continue. Similarly, spiritually the existence of Fatima was the cause of the continuation of Islam until the day of Judgment as I shall explain.

🕯 2. The Axis of Imamat

Fatima was the symmetrical axis joining Prophet-hood to Imamat. It was through Fatima that the blessed light of Prophet-hood was transmitted to eleven infallible Imams. I’m in awe! She is the mother of 11 infallible Imams! If the holy Mary begot one Jesus, and hence she became a truthful female, the holy Fatima begot 11 pure Imams, behind the last of whom Prophet Jesus shall pray.

🕯 3. The Axis of Ahlul-Bayt

The story of the Hadith of the Cloak is narrated by numerous Shia and Sunni narrators. Jabbir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari narrated that the Messenger of God went to the house of Fatima while he was not feeling well. Fatima received him and covered him with his Yemenese cloak for warmth and comfort. Then the Prophet of Islam brings Hasan, Husain and then Imam Ali and Fatima under his cloak with him. It was then that the angel Gibreel brought Ayah 33 of Surah 33,

“Verily, Allah willed but to purify you Ahlul-bayt….”33:33

Lady Fatima is the symmetrical axis in this story so much so that when the archangel Gibreel aims at introducing those who are under the cloak to the heavenly creatures, he states, “They are Fatima and her father and her husband and her children.”

🕯 4. The Axis of Infallibility

Since Fatima is the axis of Ahlul-Bayt she is also the axis of infallibility as indicated in Ayah 33 of Surah 33. She was the mother and the spiritual coach of all the Imams of Ahlul-bait. The infallibility, bravery and guidance of all the Imams of Ahlul-bait were inherited from their mother, holy Lady Fatima. When Khadija (S.A) was pregnant with Fatima she used to speak with her. One day when the Prophet of Islam heard his wife talking to her baby he said to her, “Gibreel has given me the glad tiding that she is going to be a baby girl and her generation will be blessed and pure and indeed the Almighty God will continue my generation from her offspring and will make them the Imams and the vicegerents of God on earth after revelation has ceased to continue.” [Rodhatul Wa’ezin vol.1 p.143]

🕯 5. The Axis of Al Mubahilah

In the last year of the life of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.W) a deputation of 60 high ranked Christians of Najran headed by Abdul Masih their chief monk-priest came and discussed with the Holy Prophet about the personality of Prophet ‘Isa (Jesus). When they refused to accept the logical reasoning of the Prophet of Islam, the Messenger of Allah by revelation invited them to a cursing challenge called ‘al-Mubahila`.

“Then whoever disputes with you concerning him (Jesus) after all this knowledge that has come to you, say: Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then we pray and invoke the Curse of Allah upon those who lie.” [3:61]

The only people the Prophet of Islam (S.A.W.W) chose to take to this vital challenge were: Imam Ali, Fatima al-Zahra, (Imam) Hasan and (Imam) Husain peace be upon them. In this challenge Fatima was the example of the child of the Prophet in ‘our sons`, the woman in ‘our women’. She was also the example of the soul of the Prophet in ‘ourselves` for the Messenger of God had said about her: “She is part of me as she is my soul in my heart.”

Of the significance of this selection the renowned Sunni scholar al-Qandoozi narrated from the holy Prophet (S.A.W.W): “Had the Almighty Allah knew more honourable people on earth than Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain he would have commanded me to challenge the Christians with them. But He ordered me to enter the Mubahila with them (Ahlul-Bayt) for they are the best creatures.” [Yanabi’ul-Mawaddah, p.131]

🕯 6. The Axis of Imams of Ahlulbayt (as)

The Almighty God gave the glad tidings to Fatima (S.A) that 11 infallible Imams will emerge from her offspring. Thus, she was called ‘the Mother of the Imams’ and ‘the Mother of the Blossoms of Islam’ and ‘the Mother of the Light of the Imams’. It is therefore narrated from the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.W): “I am the tree and Fatima is its fruit-bearing and Ali is its pollen and Hasan and Husain are its fruits.” [Ihqaqul-Haq, vol.9 p.157]

Similarly, when Lady Fatima (S.A) delivered her eloquent sermon in the Masjidul-Nabi, Imam Ali (A.S) addressed her with the title of: “O the remaining of the Prophet-hood.” [Beharul-Anwar, vol.43 p.148]

Most importantly, the holy Fatima was the bearer and the depository of the divine secret, i.e. Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance).

🕯 7. The Axis of Faith

The Lady Fatima (S.A) is the axis of faith. It is narrated from the Imams of Ahlul-bayt (A.S) that on the Day of Judgment “she will be the scale of measuring the deeds of our lovers and our enemies.” [ al-Kharazmi, Maqtalul-Husain, p.107] Thus, she is the scale of measuring the lovers and the enemies of Ahlul-Bayt.

🕯 8. The Axis of the Sayyyeds

The holy Fatima was ‘al-Kouthar’ meaning abundant blessings. The generation of the last Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.W) has spread world-wide through his daughter Fatima. She is the mother of Millions of offspring of the Prophet from the linage of Imam Ali, Imam Hasan, Imam Husain, Imam Redha, and Imam Kadhem (peace be upon them). They are related to the Prophet of Islam (S.A.W.W) through Fatima.

🕯 9. The Axis of Intercession

The holy Fatima is the axis of intercession on the Day of Judgment to rescue the sinners from the Hell-fire. Indeed, she is called Fatima for Allah has safeguarded her and her followers from the Hell-fire. Numerous Prophetic saying indicated that she is called Fatima for Allah has prevented her and her lovers and followers from the Hell-fire. [See Beharul-Anwar, vol.43 pp.4 -18]

Jabir; the distinguished companion of the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.W) who lived long enough to visit Imam Baqir (A.S) asked the Imam to inform him of the status of his grandmother; the lady Fatima (S.A). Part of the Hadith reads:

“On the Day of Judgment people will be ordered: Bend your heads down and lower your gaze for indeed this is Fatima proceeding to Paradise. She then will ask the Almighty: O my Lord! I would like my status to be known in this Day. Thus, the Almighty Allah addresses her: O daughter of My beloved! Look back and find whoever there is a love in their heart for you or for any of your offspring to take their hands and enter them into Paradise. It is on that Day the she will be as selective as a chicken selects the good seeds over the spoiled ones. Then the Almighty Allah will address those who loved the holy Fatima (S.A): Look back and find whoever loved you for the love of Fatima, whoever fed you for the love of Fatima, whoever clothed you for the love of Fatima, whoever offered you a drink for the love of Fatima… then take their hands and enter them into Paradise. Imam Baqir (A.S) then added: On that Day none will be left, save the one who has been doubtful (about the status of Fatima), or the one who has been Kafir or hypocrite.” [Beharul-Anwar, vol.8 p.51]

🕯 10. The Axis of Granting Wishes

Although all the fourteen infallibles are the gates through whom the Almighty God grants our invocations, the Lady Fatima has a pivotal role in the granting of our wishes. Even the Imams of Ahlul-bayt when they invoked to the Almighty, they asked Allah in the virtuous name of their mother Fatima. Thus, the name of Fatima is again the central core in the recommended supplication for our needs.

“Allahuma inni asaloka be haqe fatimata wa abiha wa ba’leha wa baniha wa sirril musta’da’efi ha an to salle’a ala muhammadin wa ale muhammad. Wa an tafalla be ma anta ahlo wa an taqthia hawa`iji”

“O Allah verily I ask You by the right of Fatima and her father and her husband and her sons and the hidden secret entrusted in her (Imam Mahdi A.J) that You may Mohammad and his family and that You may do for me what You are anticipated to do and that You grant my requests.”

🕯 Mutual Affection 🕯

The affection between Fatima and her father was mutual. That means, as much as the holy Prophet of Islam loved his daughter Fatima, she also loved her father the Prophet. Thus, the demise of the Prophet of God did not have but an enormous effect on Fatima. During her short time after the demise of her father, she cried so much that according to the words of Imam Sadiq (A.S) she became one of the five most weeping people in history of mankind. Prophet Adam (A.S) after his fall wept so much that stains marks appeared on his cheeks.

Prophet Yaqoub (A.S) wept so much in the absence of his son Yusuf that he lost his eye sight. Prophet Yusuf in return also cried so much in missing his father that his fellow prisoners requested that he should cry either at night or day. Imam Sajjad (A.S) wept for the last thirty-five years of his life for the tragedy of Karbala and finally the holy Fatima wept her life away in the absence of her father the holy Messenger of God. She wept so much that Imam Ali (A.S) had to build an isolated hut for her worshipping and weeping called ‘the House of Grieves'.

The weeping of Fatima however, was not only for the physical departure of the Messenger of God from this world, she wept also for the catastrophic deviation that occurred after the Prophet passed. Her weeping was in fact a cry opposition to awaken the Islamic Ummah of the evil consequences of their wrongdoing. Fatima was fully aware that the deviation that occurred in Saqifeh would lead to the massacre of Karbala.

“As salamu alayk O you oppressed lady whose right has been usurped and her rib was broken, the one who was beaten, the lady who was truthful and martyred.”

The enemies of Islam and Ahlul-bait could not stand her opposition. According to al-Mas’oodi; the renowned historian, she witnessed that the party of Abu Bakr forced Imam Ali to pay allegiance to Abu Bakr whilst Imam Ali was refusing. [Ithbatul-Wasiya p262]

Eventually, the enemies threatened to set the house of Fatima on fire should Ali continue to refuse allegiance. Omar ibn Kattab along with his men approached the house of Ahlul-bait. He threatened that should Ali still refuse he would burn the house down and the household. Omar was reminded that Fatima was also in that house, his only reply was, “Even so…”

I would like to end my speech by narrating the tragic event of the martyrdom of the holy Lady Fatima (s.a); the part of the heart of the Prophet and the beloved mother of her father with her own heartbreaking description of the scene,

“they placed firewood at the gate of my house and then they brought fire and torched it to burn us all. I was standing behind the front door. I pleaded with them by the name of Allah and my father the Messenger of Allah to leave us alone or help us. But Omar grabbed the whip of Qunfuz; the slave of Abu Bakr and whipped my arm so hard that it bruised and marked like a bracelet. He then kicked the door against me while I was pregnant, and I fell to the floor all the while the fire was blazing in front of me and its heat was burning my face. He then slapped me so hard on my face that my earring tore my ear then I felt the pain of labor and lost my innocent baby.

‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿

🕯 sources 🕯

Baitul ahzan (p. 97)

al-Ehtejaj (vol 1 from p. 203)

Sharh ibn Abil Haddid (vol 2, p. 21)

The History of Tabari (vol 2, p. 234)

Al Imamah & Al Siyasah (vol 1, p. 12)

Morujo Thahab (vol 2, p. 302)

Al Kafi (vol 8, p. 343)

al-islam.org

‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿

[your-dungeon-is-problematic]

Kuo-Toa (AD&D)

More fish people. These ones in particular are subterranean fish people, which, in my opinion, means that they shouldn’t have eyes, but they do, so, eh. I’ve heard the Kuo-Toa are tinged with a lot of the flavor of H.P. Lovecraft’s Deep Ones from The Shadow Over Innsmouth, but perhaps that’s something more from later editions than this one. But, we’ll see!

General: “Kuo-toa are an ancient race of fish-men that dwells underground and harbors a deep hatred of surface dwellers and sunlight. A kuo-toan presents a cold and horrible appearance. A typical specimen looks much like a human body, albeit a paunchy one, covered in scales and topped with a fish’s head. The huge fish eyes tend to swivel in different directions when observing an area or creature. The hands and feet are very long, with three fingers and an opposing digit, partially webbed. The legs and arms are short for its body size. Its coloration is pale grey, with undertones of tan or yellow in males only. The skin has a sheen from its slimy covering. The color darkens when the kuo-toan is angry and pales when it is badly frightened. A strong odor of dead fish follows it around.” Ah, right, “cold and horrible”. Already presenting a fair and balanced idea of what kuo-toans are, aren’t we? Honestly, maybe it would be creepier to see a more photorealistic portrayal, but as they’re represented by the little guy at the top of the page they look almost cute in a “weird fish-man” sort of way. The wide eyes and the fishy frown make him look rather hapless, but that might just be me. Also the detail about their skin coloration darkening with rage and paling with fear reminds me of how such emotional extremes tend to effect anime characters, which in and of itself also kind of detracts from their supposed “cold and horrible appearance”. And I suppose what is another strike against the “cold and horrible appearance” claim is that I’m not exactly being sold on the size of these guys. They’re listed as Medium creatures (with higher level ones being Large, as one does with enemy progression) but they have the rotundity and awkward limb sizes of halflings. Like take the picture given to us and label it “aquatic halfling” and I’d totally buy it. If they’re supposed to be Medium creatures I’m just going to be forced to sit here and wonder how they’re supposed to be a threat, between the stubby legs, and the skinny arms, and the soft, unprotected belly which evidently is 80% of their mass, and the heads which seem to preclude binocular vision... At least the Locathahs had the general proportions of something that stands at a man’s height. Here, the supposed menace of subterranean aquatic society is a bunch of naked flabby fish guys with stubby legs and skinny arms. “It wears no clothing, only leather harnesses for its weapons and gear. Typically, a kuo-toan warrior carries daggers, spears, shields, harpoons, and weighted throwing nets.” Again, unless I find something that says otherwise, their skin doesn’t look especially thick or protective, and while one might argue the leather harnesses in lieu of armor are to make sure they’re unhindered underwater, they’re already being loaded down by their four different kinds of weapons, plus the shield. At that point, and considering how awkward their body plan is for underwater locomotion already, they’d be better served with committing to armor, anyways. “Flabby naked fish people” don’t register as a major threat, certainly not one on the level of, say, the drow, or the mind flayers.  “Kuo-toa speak the strange subterranean trade language common to most intelligent underworld dwellers.”  Well! Then I fully expect them to be open to reasoned talks and negotiation, if they bothered to learn the lingua franca of the underground. The Underdark? Whatever we’re calling it, these days.  “Additionally, they speak their own arcane tongue and have empathic contact with most fish.” Like Aquaman? ...The empathic contact to fish, not the arcane tongue, that is. “Their religious speech is a corruption of the language used on the elemental plane of Water; if a kuo-toan priest is in a group of kuo-toa, it is 75% unlikely that a creature from the elemental plane of Water will attack, for the priest will request mercy in the name of the Sea Mother, Blibdoolpoolp.” That’s...actually a legitimately interesting concept. Kind of a poor name for a sea goddess, “Blibdoolpoolp”, but it almost suggests like some kind of primordial creation myth that might be more true than surface-dwellers would like to think, or something... I mean, if it has a tangible effect on peeps from the Elemental Plane of Water, you would think, eh?

Combat: “These creatures normally travel in well-armed bands. If more than 20 kuo-toa are encountered, it is 50% likely that they are within 1d6 miles of their lair.” ...I mean, I would assume so. Otherwise it’s a warband on the march, and that’s almost worse, really. “If more than 20 normal fighters are encountered, the group is a war [sic] consisting of the following: One 10th-level fighter as Captain Two 8th-level fighters as Lieutenants Four 3rd/3rd-level fighter/thief Whips One Monitor (see below) One slave per four kuo-toa” That’s really not something to sneeze at, depending on the level of your party. Hell, a party of 5 at 5th level or lower would probably really struggle with these guys. Damn. Almost a “End boss of a lower level adventure” threat, honestly. “The whips are fanatical devotees of the Sea Mother goddess of the kuo-toa. They inspire the troops to stand firm and fight without quarter for the glory of their ruler and their deity.” So the resident commissar/political officer, then, eh? “It is 50% probable that any kuo-toan priest above 6th level is armed with a pincer staff. This is a 5-foot-long pole topped by a three-foot-long claw. If the user scores a hit, the claw has closed upon the opponent, making escape impossible. The weapon can be used only on enemies with a girth range between an elf and a gnoll. It is 10% probable that both arms are pinned by the claw and 40% probable that one arm is trapped. If the victim is right handed, the claw traps the left hand 75% of the time. Trapped opponents lose shield and Dexterity bonuses. If the weapon arm is trapped, the victim cannot attack and the Dexterity bonus is lost, but the shield bonus remains.” ...That’s...silly. A little claw-grabber arm. That’s their big signature weapon. “OOOOH I’MMA GETCHA! GONNA GETCHA WITH MY GRABBY-POLE!” isn’t exactly...threatening. Now, being trapped and beset upon by all sides by remorseless fish people is a lot scarier, but it would be scarier if the distinct mental image in my head of this thing was not of a grabby-hand sort of child’s toy or reaching tool that old people sometimes have to use. It undercuts the menace, just a tad. “When two or more kuo-toan priests or priest/thieves operate together, they can generate a lightning stroke by joining hands. The bolt is two feet wide and hits only one target unless by mischance a second victim gets in the way. the bolt inflicts 6 points of damage perpriest, half that if a saving throw vs. spell is successful. The chances of such a stroke occurring is 10% cumulative per caster per round.” Uhhhh, guys, I don’t know if you know this, but you’re aquatic. Which means generally you’ll be found in/very near water. Which means you will conduct electricity super well, and as fish, will fry up deliciously, I’m afraid.  Now whether or not a divine magical bolt of lightning follows the rules of conductivity normal lightning does is up in the air, but that’s how I’d rule it. Zapping themselves in their bid to zap their enemies, brought low by their own hubris, the poor things... “Despite their eyes being set on the sides of their heads, they have excellent independent monocular vision, with a 180-degree field of vision and the ability to spot movement even though the subject is invisible, astral, or ethereal. Thus, by maintaining complete motionlessness, a subject can avoid detection. Kuo-toa also have 60-foot infravision and have the ability to sense vibrations up to 10 yards away. They are surprised only on a 1 on the 1d10 surprise roll.” ...Excuse me? How the bloody hell could you possibly see the movement of somebody who’s invisible, astral, or ethereal?? How would lacking binocular vision help you in that regard?? Even if I was to assume that invisibility in D&D is like the cloak from the Predator movies and it’s a shimmery sort of invisibility that you can spot if you’re aware and looking hard enough for it, but first of all, I do not think that’s how that’s supposed to work, and secondly, that’s the sort of vision that would be a whole hell of a lot harder to see if you did not have any sort of depth perception, which monocular vision by definition precludes. That’s such a non-sequitur that if you sprung that upon your players as a DM, they’d eviscerate you. Like, “I turn invisible and sneak up on the kuo-toa guarding the door.” “He can see you perfectly.” “...How?? I’m invisible! Is he wearing a magical item, or something?” “No, uh, he just...has eyes...on the sides of his head...” “...Are his eyes magical?” “...No?” “THEN THAT DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE” Seriously. It’s just a transparent attempt to make them seem like more of a threat than squat-looking fishy folk should be. “Kuo-toa are totally immune to poison and are not affected by paralysis. Spells that generally affect only humanoid types have no effect on them. Electrical attacks cause half damage, or none if the saving throw is successful; magic missiles cause only 1 point of damage; illusions are useless against them.” Okay, but again: why?? Poisons I could at least see them having some sort of natural biological immunity towards, but how are an aquatic species immune to electricity? Are they like the famed electric eel? I mean I know they were tossing some divine thunderbolts earlier, but I was willing to write that off as a fluke because it was magically summoned from their god, but if it’s any electrical attack, period, that is seriously weird, to me. And then just...no explanation as to why they only take a single point of damage from magic missiles, or why illusions don’t work (aside from the “side-mounted eyes” bullshit excuse from earlier), so I’m just left here scratching my head. “They suffer full damage from fire attacks and save with a -2 penalty against them.” Which makes sense, but if you’re fighting them in water, I wonder how any of that is affected... “Sometimes kuo-toa are encountered in small bands journeying in the upper world to kidnap humans for slaves and sacrifices. Such parties are sometimes also found in dungeon labyrinths that connect to the extensive system of underworld passages and caverns that honeycomb the crust of the earth. Only far below the surface of the earth can the intrepid explorer find the caverns in which the kuo-toa build their underground communities.” You know, it’s funny that so much is made of their apparently superhumanly acute vision when, as cave fish, you’d think they’d be blind, even totally eyeless. Also I’m not sure human slaves will survive for long in waterlogged caverns, but then I suppose that’s why raiding parties are seen at least somewhat regularly, based on their wording. ...And hold on, are “dungeon labyrinths” a common underground occurrence? How extensive is this system of underworld passages and cavers that honeycomb the crust of the earth? Is the surface world going to eventually fall victim to a giant-ass sinkhole once the underground civilizations bite off more than their infrastructure can chew? Is this how the kuo-toa will die, literally crushed by the surface world falling on top of them, the surface world they sought so desperately to annihilate?

Habitat/Society: “Kuo-toa spawn as do fish, and hatchlings, or fingerlings as they call their young, are raised in pools until their amphibian qualities develop, about one year after hatching. The young, now a foot or so high, are then able to breathe air and they are raised in pens according to their sex and fitness. There are no families, as we know them, in kuo-toan society.” I suppose it would be a little anthrocentric to presume they would have families exactly similar to those of human societies...but then, why does their method of child-rearing resemble human aquaculture, instead??  “Especially fit fingerlings, usually of noble spawning, are trained for the priesthood as priests, priest/thieves, or special celibate monks.” ...If there are no families, and you just dump your young into communal spawning pools to be born, how do you determine who is or is not “noble”? It’s hard to be of noble blood when there’s no noble familial system. “The latter are called ‘monitors’ whose role is to control the community members who become violent or go insane. The monitor is capable of attacking to subdue or kill.” ...I...does...does this happen often, for members of the community to just “become” violent or go insane, apropos of nothing? Because if it’s truly so common that you have a dedicated niche of this society specifically to control these segments of the population, perhaps a better mental health care system is in order. “A monitor has 56 hit points, attacks as a 7th-level fighter and has the following additional abilities: twice the normal movement rate, AC 1, and receives four attacks per round--two barehanded for 2d4 points of damage (double if trying to subdue) and two attacks with teeth for 1d4+1 points of damage. One hand/bite attack occurs according to the initiative roll, the other occurs at the end of the round.” ...I don’t know how well modern D&D stats translate back to ye olden ones, but that sounds like a pretty big threat for a low-level party. And even a middling party sounds like they might be liable to be swamped by these shoosh-slapping little grunts. “Subdued creatures cannot be larger than eight feet tall and 500 pounds. Subduing attacks cause only half real damage, but when the points of damage inflicted equal the victim’s total, the creature is rendered unconscious for 3d4 rounds.” And there it is. These are the guys who if you don’t take them out first they’ll slap you into unconsciousness for their fellows to murder at their leisure. Great. “Kuo-toan communities do not generally cooperate, though they have special places of worship in common. These places are usually for intergroup trade, councils, and worship of the Sea Mother, so they are open to all kuo-toa. These religious communities, as well as other settlements, are open to drow and their servants, for the dark elves provide useful goods and services, though the drow are both feared and hated by the kuo-toa. This leads to many minor skirmishes and frequent kidnappings between the peoples.” ...Okay, you can’t just leave it at “useful goods and services”. If the xenophobic hate and fear on both sides is so strong as to erupt into kidnappings and warfare, what is it that the dark elves are bringing to the table that make it worth it to the paranoid-and-hateful-as-hell kuo-toa allow them into their trading spaces? ...Is it spices? Spices are always popular. “The illithids (mind flayers) are greatly hated by the kuo-toa and they and their allies are attacked on sight.” ...Wait, so they hate and fear the drow, and yet still trade with them anyway, but since they hate the illithids, they attack them on sight? Well that’s bizarrely arbitrary. I mean, I know illithids eat brains for sustenance, so maybe they’re a little higher on the threat radar by default, but...? “The ancient kuo-toa once inhabited the shores and islands of the upper world, but as the race of mankind grew more numerous and powerful, these men-fish were slowly driven to remote regions. Continual warfare upon these evil, human-sacrificing creatures threatened to exterminate the species, for a number of powerful beings were aiding mankind, their sworn enemies.” ...So humanity had divine mandate to displace the kuo-toa? That’s...frankly a little bizarre? Like, okay, human sacrifice is bad, alright, but it seems to imply that humans were once unknown or at least a rarity insofar as the surface-dwelling kuo-toa knew, so I’m wondering what the hell they sacrificed before humans came around. Other kuo-toa? Like what aside from “inexplicable inherent bias towards humanity” was the justification of these deities to support them over the kuo-toa? Was the impetus just “all kuo-toa are inescapably, irredeemably evil, to a man?” Or, to paraphrase a joke from one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, these fish people, by dint of being fish people, are inherently less civilized than non-fish people? “Some kuo-toa sought refuge in sea caverns and secret subterranean waters, and while their fellows were being slghtered, these few prospered and developed new powers to adapt to their lightless habitat." Bio-luminescence? Like, angler fish-esque lures? That sounds interesting! And prosperous, too, you say? “The seas contained other fierce and evil creatures, however, and the deep-dwelling kuo-toa were eventually wiped out, leaving only those in the underworld to carry on, unnoticed and eventually forgotten by mankind.” Oh. ...Well that sucks. “But the remaining kuo-toa have not forgotten mankind, and woe to any who fall into their slimy clutches.” Okay, humanity ruined your surface abodes, to be sure, but at the very least, for equity’s sake, you got to at least put whatever deep-dwelling sea bastards wiped out your angler-cousins right below mankind. Hell, considering how dominant mankind is in 99% of D&D settings, you might even consider taking out whoever nailed your sea brethren first, since they’re almost certainly easier to wipe out than humans. ...Not that I would condone wiping anybody out, though. I’m just saying, as long as you’re jotting down species-wide vendettas. “Now the kuo-toa are haters of sunlight and are almost never encountered on the earth’s surface. This, and their inborn hatred of discipline, prevent the resurgence of these creatures, for they have become numerous once again and acquired new powers.” ...Wait, I was making a joke by quoting Pirates of the Carribbean, what the hell. “Inborn hatred of discipline”, seriousy?! “However, they have also become somewhat unstable, possibly as a result of inbreeding, and insanity is common among the species.” ...Wait, wait, so now you’re saying that any player characters would not be fighting the battered but resolute remnants of an ancient evil empire, but would instead be fighting their cripplingly inbred descendants, most of whom suffer from mental illness? Aside from their nobles, who are listed as having “priest/thief” as their class, and ranging from 10th-14th level depending on where on the aristocratic totem pole they sit, other kuo-toa you’ll find in a given lair include, but are not limited to: “Eight Eyes of the priest leader--6th- to 8th-level priest/thieves One Chief Whip--6th/6th-level fighter/thief Two Whips of 4th/4th or 5th/5th level (see whip description) One Monitor per 20 2nd-level kuo-toa Females equal to 20% of the male population Young (noncombatant) equal to 20% of the total kuo-toa Slaves equal to 50% of the total male population”. So if you’re going into a lair, and assuming you’re tough enough to kill the kuo-toa warriors and free the slaves, because you’re the good guys...what are you going to do with the women and children? I mean, the adult women are obviously still indoctrinated into this culture of hatred, but the children...most of them are presumably at a tender enough age to prevent them from becoming evil slavers, right? Especially considering they might also be suffering from mental illness? Is the party not obliged to ensure these kids have some manner of sustainable, happy life? Do you just leave the children to die? Do you give them to the escaping slaves and tell them to raise them as their own, despite the fact that most of these slaves probably would do nothing but vent their rage against their oppressors upon these miniaturized versions of them? ...I don’t really have an answer, but seriously, if you’re playing them as written here, you’re going to have to deal with the “Oh God, what do I do with all these freshly orphaned fish children” question. “Though kuo-toa prefer a diet of flesh, they also raise fields of kelp and fungi to supplement their food supply. These fields, lit by strange phosphorescent fungi, are tended by slaves, who are also used for food and sacrifices.” So here’s a thought that comes to me yet again: if these slaves are, implicitly, human or at least close (elven, dwarf, halfling, gnome, the usual suspects), why use them as sacrifice material in their religious rituals to their Sea Mother? Like I know we’re not exactly given some comprehensive look at the deepest lore of their religion, at least, not here, like, I get it, but I just don’t understand why the Sea Mother would prefer things that do not come from the sea as her sacrifice of choice. It seems like a little bit of a stretch, to me.

Ecology: Yeah, I know, “How is this article still going?” Like, for using nearly two full pages of this book they seem to say surprisingly little about how their society theoretically operates. Like, if they hate the surface so much, how do they get the slaves who apparently are integral to the regular functions of their society, their religion, even? Do they buy them off drow raiding parties? Despite hating and fearing the drow? Though evidently trust them more than the illithids, whom they hate and fear to the point of not trading with them? It don’t make a lick of sense, if’n you ask me. Anyway. “Not much is known to surface-dwelling sages about this enigmatic, violent, subterranean race, but some of the more astute scholars speculate that the kuo-toa are but one-third of the three-way rivalry that includes mind flayers and drow. It is partially because of this continuing warfare that none of the three races has been able to achieve dominance of the surface world.” ...Yeah, I suppose that hits the nail right on the head, there, doesn’t it.

Overall: I... I don’t know about this one, guys. They give us a lot of vagaries without really saying a whole awful lot about what they’re really like, aside from “Evil, slave-holding, human-sacrificers; worship a Sea Mother named ‘Blibdoolpoolp”. The locathah had half the information imparted, are not Chaotic Evil, and yet I still think they’re way more interesting as presented than the kuo-toa are.  I mean, the backstory has some value, I think? But it still needs some more fleshing out, more definition, more nuance.  I suppose the intent is that your Dungeon Master does that, but that seems kind of like a cop-out to me.