1# NetHack 3.6 data.base 2# $NHDT-Date: 1545359287 2018/12/21 02:28:07 $ $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6.2-beta01 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.87 $ 3# Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 by the NetHack Development Team 4# Copyright (c) 1994 by Boudewijn Wayers 5# NetHack may be freely redistributed. See license for details. 6# 7# This is the source file for the "data" file generated by `makedefs -d'. 8# A line starting with a # is a comment and is ignored by makedefs. 9# Any other line not starting with whitespace is a creature or an item. 10# 11# Each entry should be comprised of: 12# the thing/person being described on a line by itself, in lowercase; 13# on each succeeding line a <TAB> description. 14# 15# If the first character of a key field is "~", then anything which matches 16# the rest of that key will be treated as if it did not match any of the 17# following keys for that entry. For instance, `~orc ??m*' preceding `orc*' 18# prevents "orc mummy" and "orc zombie" from matching. 19# 20abbot 21 For it had been long apparent to Count Landulf that nothing 22 could be done with his seventh son Thomas, except to make him 23 an Abbot or something of that kind. Born in 1226, he had from 24 childhood a mysterious objection to becoming a predatory eagle, 25 or even to taking an ordinary interest in falconry or tilting 26 or any other gentlemanly pursuits. He was a large and heavy and 27 quiet boy, and phenomenally silent, scarcely opening his mouth 28 except to say suddenly to his schoolmaster in an explosive 29 manner, "What is God?" The answer is not recorded but it is 30 probable that the asker went on worrying out answers for himself. 31 [ The Runaway Abbot, by G. K. Chesterton ] 32# takes "suit or piece of armor" when specifying '[' 33ac 34armor* 35armour* 36suit or piece of armor 37 "The last spot on the school jousting team came down to another 38 boy and me. He was poor, and his only armor was a blanket his 39 mother had made him from her hair. I, on the other hand, had 40 a brand new suit of chain mail. Just before our joust, I asked 41 him what he'd do if he made the team. (I was hoping to be more 42 popular with the ladies.) He said he would be able to save the 43 town from dragons and be able to afford some water for his 20 44 brothers and sisters. 45 46 Well, a sense of compassion came over me. I insisted we swap 47 armor. He was forced to accept, as it would have been an 48 insult not to do so. 49 50 On the battlefield, we charged at each other and we both connected 51 with our lances. 52 53 Lying there on the mud mortally wounded, I learned what true armor 54 class was that day." 55 [ When Help Collides, by J. D. Berry ] 56aclys 57aklys 58thonged club 59 A short studded or spiked club attached to a cord allowing 60 it to be drawn back to the wielder after having been thrown. 61 It should not be confused with the atlatl, which is a device 62 used to throw spears for longer distances. 63~agate ring 64agate* 65 Translucent, cryptocrystalline variety of quartz and a subvariety 66 of chalcedony. Agates are identical in chemical structure to 67 jasper, flint, chert, petrified wood, and tiger's-eye, and are 68 often found in association with opal. The colorful, banded rocks 69 are used as a semiprecious gemstone and in the manufacture of 70 grinding equipment. An agate's banding forms as silica from 71 solution is slowly deposited into cavities and veins in older 72 rock. 73 [ The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition ] 74aleax 75 Said to be a doppelganger sent to inflict divine punishment 76 for alignment violations. 77*altar 78offer* 79sacrific* 80 Altars are of three types: 81 1. In Temples. These are for Sacrifices [...]. The stone 82 top will have grooves for blood, and the whole will be covered 83 with _dry brown stains of a troubling kind_ from former 84 Sacrifices. 85 [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] 86 87 To every man upon this earth 88 Death cometh soon or late; 89 And how can man die better 90 Than facing fearful odds 91 For the ashes of his fathers 92 And the temples of his gods? 93 [ Lays of Ancient Rome, by Thomas B. Macaulay ] 94amaterasu omikami 95 The Shinto sun goddess, Amaterasu Omikami is the central 96 figure of Shintoism and the ancestral deity of the imperial 97 house. One of the daughters of the primordial god Izanagi 98 and said to be his favourite offspring, she was born from 99 his left eye. 100 [ Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ] 101amber* 102 "Tree sap," Wu explained, "often flows over insects and traps 103 them. The insects are then perfectly preserved within the 104 fossil. One finds all kinds of insects in amber - including 105 biting insects that have sucked blood from larger animals." 106 [ Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton ] 107*amnesia 108maud 109 Get thee hence, nor come again, 110 Mix not memory with doubt, 111 Pass, thou deathlike type of pain, 112 Pass and cease to move about! 113 'Tis the blot upon the brain 114 That will show itself without. 115 ... 116 For, Maud, so tender and true, 117 As long as my life endures 118 I feel I shall owe you a debt, 119 That I never can hope to pay; 120 And if ever I should forget 121 That I owe this debt to you 122 And for your sweet sake to yours; 123 O then, what then shall I say? - 124 If ever I should forget, 125 May God make me more wretched 126 Than ever I have been yet! 127 [ Maud, And Other Poems by Alfred, Lord Tennyson ] 128~amulet of yendor 129~amulet of restful sleep 130*amulet 131amulet of * 132amulet versus * 133 "The complete Amulet can keep off all the things that make 134 people unhappy -- jealousy, bad temper, pride, disagreeableness, 135 greediness, selfishness, laziness. Evil spirits, people called 136 them when the Amulet was made. Don't you think it would be nice 137 to have it?" 138 "Very," said the children, quite without enthusiasm. 139 "And it can give you strength and courage." 140 "That's better," said Cyril. 141 "And virtue." 142 "I suppose it's nice to have that," said Jane, but not with much 143 interest. 144 "And it can give you your heart's desire." 145 "Now you're talking," said Robert. 146 [ The Story of the Amulet, by Edith Nesbit ] 147amulet of yendor 148 This mysterious talisman is the object of your quest. It is 149 said to possess powers which mere mortals can scarcely 150 comprehend, let alone utilize. The gods will grant the gift of 151 immortality to the adventurer who can deliver it from the 152 depths of Moloch's Sanctum and offer it on the appropriate high 153 altar on the Astral Plane. 154angel* 155 He answered and said unto them, he that soweth the good seed 156 is the Son of man; the field is the world, and the good seed 157 are the children of the kingdom; but the weeds are the 158 children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the 159 devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers 160 are the angels. As therefore the weeds are gathered and 161 burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 162 [...] So shall it be at the end of the world; the angels 163 shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 164 and shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be 165 wailing and gnashing of teeth. 166 [ The Gospel According to Matthew, 13:37-42, 49-50 ] 167angry god* 168 Cold wind blows. 169 The gods look down in anger on this poor child. 170 171 Why so unforgiving? 172 And why so cold? 173 [ Bridge of Sighs, by Robin Trower ] 174anhur 175 An Egyptian god of war and a great hunter, few gods can match 176 his fury. Unlike many gods of war, he is a force for good. 177 The wrath of Anhur is slow to come, but it is inescapable 178 once earned. Anhur is a mighty figure with four arms. He 179 is often seen with a powerful lance that requires both of 180 his right arms to wield and which is tipped with a fragment 181 of the sun. He is married to Mehut, a lion-headed goddess. 182ankh-morpork 183 The twin city of Ankh-Morpork, foremost of all the cities 184 bounding the Circle Sea, was as a matter of course the home 185 of a large number of gangs, thieves' guilds, syndicates and 186 similar organisations. This was one of the reasons for its 187 wealth. Most of the humbler folk on the widdershin side of 188 the river, in Morpork's mazy alleys, supplemented their 189 meagre incomes by filling some small role for one or other 190 of the competing gangs. 191 [ The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett ] 192anshar 193 A primordial Babylonian-Akkadian deity, Anshar is mentioned 194 in the Babylonian creation epic _Enuma Elish_ as one of a 195 pair of offspring (with Kishar) of Lahmu and Lahamu. Anshar 196 is linked with heaven while Kishar is identified with earth. 197 [ Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ] 198ant 199* ant 200 This giant variety of the ordinary ant will fight just as 201 fiercely as its small, distant cousin. Various varieties 202 exist, and they are known and feared for their relentless 203 persecution of their victims. 204anu 205 Anu was the Babylonian god of the heavens, the monarch of 206 the north star. He was the oldest of the Babylonian gods, 207 the father of all gods, and the ruler of heaven and destiny. 208 Anu features strongly in the _atiku_ festival in 209 Babylon, Uruk and other cities. 210# takes "apelike creature" when specifying 'Y' 211ape 212apelike creature 213* ape 214 The most highly evolved of all the primates, as shown by 215 all their anatomical characters and particularly the 216 development of the brain. Both arboreal and terrestrial, 217 the apes have the forelimbs much better developed than 218 the hind limbs. Tail entirely absent. Growth is slow 219 and sexual maturity reached at quite an advanced age. 220 [ A Field Guide to the Larger Mammals of Africa by Dorst ] 221 222 Aldo the gorilla had a plan. It was a good plan. It was 223 right. He knew it. He smacked his lips in anticipation as 224 he thought of it. Yes. Apes should be strong. Apes should 225 be masters. Apes should be proud. Apes should make the 226 Earth shake when they walked. Apes should _rule_ the Earth. 227 [ Battle for the Planet of the Apes, by David Gerrold ] 228apple 229 NEWTONIAN, adj. Pertaining to a philosophy of the universe 230 invented by Newton, who discovered that an apple will fall 231 to the ground, but was unable to say why. His successors 232 and disciples have advanced so far as to be able to say 233 when. 234 [ The Devil's Dictionary, by Ambrose Bierce ] 235archeolog* 236* archeologist 237 Archeology is the search for fact, not truth. [...] 238 So forget any ideas you've got about lost cities, exotic travel, 239 and digging up the world. We do not follow maps to buried 240 treasure, and X never, ever, marks the spot. 241 [ Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ] 242 243 "I cannot be having with archeological excavations, myself," 244 I said. "The fellows who dig them only ever find tiny walls 245 and a few bits of broken pottery, and then they get all 246 excited and swear that they have just made the most 247 important discovery of the century, the ruins of a mile-high 248 gold-covered temple to Frogmore the God of Bike-Saddle 249 Fixtures or some such." 250 "I think you will find," said Mr Rune, "that they do this 251 in order to secure further government funding for their 252 diggings and so remain in employment." 253 "That is a rather cynical view," I said. 254 [ the brightonomicon, by Robert Rankin ] 255# [title & author: same situation as with "bad luck" entry] 256archon 257 Archons are the predominant inhabitants of the heavens. 258 However unusual their appearance, they are not generally 259 evil. They are beings at peace with themselves and their 260 surroundings. 261arioch 262 Arioch, the patron demon of Elric's ancestors; one of the most 263 powerful of all the Dukes of Hell, who was called Knight of 264 the Swords, Lord of the Seven Darks, Lord of the Higher Hell 265 and many more names besides. 266 [ Elric of Melnibone, by Michael Moorcock ] 267*arrow 268 I shot an arrow into the air, 269 It fell to earth, I knew not where; 270 For, so swiftly it flew, the sight 271 Could not follow it in its flight. 272 273 I breathed a song into the air, 274 It fell to earth, I knew not where; 275 For who has sight so keen and strong 276 That it can follow the flight of song? 277 278 Long, long afterward, in an oak 279 I found the arrow still unbroke; 280 And the song, from beginning to end, 281 I found again in the heart of a friend. 282 [ The Arrow and the Song, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ] 283ashikaga takauji 284 Ashikaga Takauji was a daimyo of the Minamoto clan who 285 joined forces with the Go-Daigo to defeat the Hojo armies. 286 Later when Go-Daigo attempted to reduce the powers of the 287 samurai clans he rebelled against him. He defeated Go- 288 Daigo and established the emperor Komyo on the throne. 289 Go-Daigo eventually escaped and established another 290 government in the town of Yoshino. This period of dual 291 governments was known as the Nambokucho. 292 [ Samurai - The Story of a Warrior Tradition, by Cook ] 293asmodeus 294 It is said that Asmodeus is the overlord over all of hell. 295 His appearance, unlike many other demons and devils, is 296 human apart from his horns and tail. He can freeze flesh 297 with a touch. 298 [] 299 300 The evil demon who appears in the Apocryphal book of _Tobit_ 301 and is derived from the Persian _Aeshma_. In _Tobit_ Asmodeus 302 falls in love with Sara, daughter of Raguel, and causes the 303 death of seven husbands in succession, each on his bridal night. 304 He was finally driven from Egypt through a charm made by Tobias 305 of the heart and liver of a fish burned on perfumed ashes, as 306 described by Milton in _Paradise Lost_ (IV, 167-71). Hence 307 Asmodeus often figures as the spirit of matrimonial jealousy 308 or unhappiness. 309 [ Brewer's Concise Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ] 310athame 311 The consecrated ritual knife of a Wiccan initiate (one of 312 four basic tools, together with the wand, chalice and 313 pentacle). Traditionally, the athame is a double-edged, 314 black-handled, cross-hilted dagger of between six and 315 eighteen inches length. 316athen* 317 Athene was the offspring of Zeus, and without a mother. She 318 sprang forth from his head completely armed. Her favourite 319 bird was the owl, and the plant sacred to her is the olive. 320 [ Bulfinch's Mythology, by Thomas Bulfinch ] 321axe 322 "For ev'ry silver ringing blow, 323 Cities and palaces shall grow!" 324 325 "Bite deep and wide, O Axe, the tree, 326 Tell wider prophecies to me." 327 328 "When rust hath gnaw'd me deep and red, 329 A nation strong shall lift his head. 330 331 "His crown the very Heav'ns shall smite, 332 Aeons shall build him in his might." 333 334 "Bite deep and wide, O Axe, the tree; 335 Bright Seer, help on thy prophecy!" 336 [ Malcolm's Katie, by Isabella Valancey Crawford ] 337axolotl 338 A mundane salamander, harmless. 339bag 340bag of * 341sack 342 "Now, this third handkerchief," Mein Herr proceeded, "has also 343 four edges, which you can trace continuously round and round: 344 all you need do is to join its four edges to the four edges of 345 the opening. The Purse is then complete, and its outer 346 surface--" 347 "I see!" Lady Muriel eagerly interrupted. "Its outer surface 348 will be continuous with its inner surface! But it will take 349 time. I'll sew it up after tea." She laid aside the bag, and 350 resumed her cup of tea. "But why do you call it Fortunatus's 351 Purse, Mein Herr?" 352 The dear old man beamed upon her, with a jolly smile, looking 353 more exactly like the Professor than ever. "Don't you see, 354 my child--I should say Miladi? Whatever is inside that Purse, 355 is outside it; and whatever is outside it, is inside it. So 356 you have all the wealth of the world in that leetle Purse!" 357 [ Sylvie and Bruno Concluded, by Lewis Carroll ] 358b*lzebub 359 The "lord of the flies" is a translation of the Hebrew 360 Ba'alzevuv (Beelzebub in Greek). It has been suggested that 361 it was a mistranslation of a mistransliterated word which 362 gave us this pungent and suggestive name of the Devil, a 363 devil whose name suggests that he is devoted to decay, 364 destruction, demoralization, hysteria and panic... 365 [ Notes on _Lord of the Flies_, by E. L. Epstein ] 366balrog 367 ... It came to the edge of the fire and the light faded as 368 if a cloud had bent over it. Then with a rush it leaped 369 the fissure. The flames roared up to greet it, and wreathed 370 about it; and a black smoke swirled in the air. Its streaming 371 mane kindled, and blazed behind it. In its right hand 372 was a blade like a stabbing tongue of fire; in its left it 373 held a whip of many thongs. 374 'Ai, ai!' wailed Legolas. 'A Balrog! A Balrog is come!' 375 [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 376baluchitherium 377titanothere 378 Extinct rhinos include a variety of forms, the most 379 spectacular being _Baluchitherium_ from the Oligocene of 380 Asia, which is the largest known land mammal. Its body, 18 381 feet high at the shoulder and carried on massive limbs, 382 allowed the 4-foot-long head to browse on the higher branches 383 of trees. Though not as enormous, the titanotheres of the 384 early Tertiary were also large perissodactyls, _Brontotherium_ 385 of the Oligocene being 8 feet high at the shoulder. 386 [ Prehistoric Animals, by Barry Cox ] 387banana 388 He took another step and she cocked her right wrist in 389 viciously. She heard the spring click. Weight slapped into 390 her hand. 391 "Here!" she shrieked hysterically, and brought her arm up in 392 a hard sweep, meaning to gut him, leaving him to blunder 393 around the room with his intestines hanging out in steaming 394 loops. Instead he roared laughter, hands on his hips, 395 flaming face cocked back, squeezing and contorting with great 396 good humor. 397 "Oh, my dear!" he cried, and went off into another gale of 398 laughter. 399 She looked stupidly down at her hand. It held a firm yellow 400 banana with a blue and white Chiquita sticker on it. She 401 dropped it, horrified, to the carpet, where it became a 402 sickly yellow grin, miming Flagg's own. 403 "You'll tell," he whispered. "Oh yes indeed you will." 404 And Dayna knew he was right. 405 [ The Stand, by Stephen King ] 406banshee 407 In Irish folklore and that of the Western Highlands of Scotland, 408 a female fairy who announces her presence by shrieking and 409 wailing under the windows of a house when one of its occupants 410 is awaiting death. The word is a phonetic spelling of the 411 Irish _beansidhe_, a woman of the fairies. 412 [ Brewer's Concise Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ] 413barbarian 414* barbarian 415 They dressed alike -- in buckskin boots, leathern breeks and 416 deerskin shirts, with broad girdles that held axes and short 417 swords; and they were all gaunt and scarred and hard-eyed; 418 sinewy and taciturn. 419 They were wild men, of a sort, yet there was still a wide 420 gulf between them and the Cimmerian. They were sons of 421 civilization, reverted to a semi-barbarism. He was a 422 barbarian of a thousand generations of barbarians. They had 423 acquired stealth and craft, but he had been born to these 424 things. He excelled them even in lithe economy of motion. 425 They were wolves, but he was a tiger. 426 [ Conan - The Warrior, by Robert E. Howard ] 427# takes "bat or bird" when specifying 'B' 428~*combat 429~*wombat 430*bat 431bat or bird 432 A bat, flitting in the darkness outside, took the wrong turn 433 as it made its nightly rounds and came in through the window 434 which had been left healthfully open. It then proceeded to 435 circle the room in the aimless fat-headed fashion habitual 436 with bats, who are notoriously among the less intellectually 437 gifted of God's creatures. Show me a bat, says the old 438 proverb, and I will show you something that ought to be in 439 some kind of a home. 440 [ A Pelican at Blandings, by P. G. Wodehouse ] 441bear*trap 442 Probably most commonly associated with trapping, the leghold 443 trap is a rather simple mechanical trap. It is made up of two 444 jaws, a spring of some sort, and a trigger in the middle. When 445 the animal steps on the trigger the trap closes around the leg, 446 holding the animal in place. Usually some kind of lure is used 447 to position the animal, or the trap is set on an animal trail. 448 Traditionally, leghold traps had tightly closing "teeth" to make 449 sure the animal stayed in place. The teeth also made sure the 450 animal could not move the leg in the trap and ruin their fur. 451 However, this resulted in many animals gnawing off legs in order 452 to escape. More modern traps have a gap called an "offset jaw" 453 and work more like a handcuff. They grip above the paw, making 454 sure the animal cannot pull out but does not destroy the leg. 455 This also allows the trapper to release unwanted catches. 456 [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] 457*bee 458 This giant variety of its useful normal cousin normally 459 appears in small groups, looking for raw material to produce 460 the royal jelly needed to feed their queen. On rare 461 occasions, one may stumble upon a bee-hive, in which the 462 queen bee is being well provided for, and guarded against 463 intruders. 464*beetle 465 [ The Creator ] has an inordinate fondness for beetles. 466 [ attributed to biologist J.B.S. Haldane ] 467 468 The common name for the insects with wings shaped like 469 shields (_Coleoptera_), one of the ten sub-species into 470 which the insects are divided. They are characterized by 471 the shields (the front pair of wings) under which the back 472 wings are folded. 473 [ Van Dale's Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal ] 474bell of opening 475 "A bell, book and candle job." 476 The Bursar sighed. "We tried that, Archchancellor." 477 The Archchancellor leaned towards him. 478 "Eh?" he said. 479 "I _said_, we tried that Archchancellor," said the Bursar loudly, 480 directing his voice at the old man's ear. "After dinner, you 481 remember? We used Humptemper's _Names of the Ants_ and rang Old 482 Tom."* 483 "Did we, indeed. Worked, did it?" 484 "_No_, Archchancellor." 485 486 * Old Tom was the single cracked bronze bell in the University 487 bell tower. 488 [ Eric, by Terry Pratchett ] 489blindfold 490 The blindfolding was performed by binding a piece of the 491 yellowish linen whereof those of the Amahagger who condescended 492 to wear anything in particular made their dresses tightly round 493 the eyes. This linen I afterwards discovered was taken from the 494 tombs, and was not, as I had first supposed, of native 495 manufacture. The bandage was then knotted at the back of the 496 head, and finally brought down again and the ends bound under 497 the chin to prevent its slipping. Ustane was, by the way, also 498 blindfolded, I do not know why, unless it was from fear that she 499 should impart the secrets of the route to us. 500 [ She, by H. Rider Haggard ] 501blind io 502 On this particular day Blind Io, by dint of constant vigilance 503 the chief of the gods, sat with his chin on his hand 504 and looked at the gaming board on the red marble table in 505 front of him. Blind Io had got his name because, where his 506 eye sockets should have been, there were nothing but two 507 areas of blank skin. His eyes, of which he had an impressively 508 large number, led a semi-independent life of their 509 own. Several were currently hovering above the table. 510 [ The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett ] 511* blob 512ooze 513* ooze 514*pudding 515* slime 516 These giant amoeboid creatures look like nothing more than 517 puddles of slime, but they both live and move, feeding on 518 metal or wood as well as the occasional dungeon explorer to 519 supplement their diet. 520 521 But we were not on a station platform. We were on the track ahead 522 as the nightmare, plastic column of fetid black iridescence oozed 523 tightly onward through its fifteen-foot sinus, gathering unholy 524 speed and driving before it a spiral, re-thickening cloud of the 525 pallid abyss vapor. It was a terrible, indescribable thing vaster 526 than any subway train -- a shapeless congeries of protoplasmic 527 bubbles, faintly self-luminous, and with myriads of temporary eyes 528 forming and unforming as pustules of greenish light all over the 529 tunnel-filling front that bore down upon us, crushing the frantic 530 penguins and slithering over the glistening floor that it and its 531 kind had swept so evilly free of all litter. 532 [ At the Mountains of Madness, by H.P. Lovecraft ] 533blue jelly 534spotted jelly 535 I'd planned how to prevent the lock from sealing behind me; it 536 required a temporary sacrifice, not cleverness. I used the door 537 itself to help me cut off a portion of my body, after shunting all 538 memory from the piece to be abandoned. The piece, looking 539 inexpressibly dear and forlorn for a bit of blue jelly, would 540 force open the outer door until I returned and rejoined it. 541 [ Beholder's Eye, by Julie E. Czerneda ] 542bone devil 543 Bone devils attack with weapons and with a great hooked tail 544 which causes a loss of strength to those they sting. 545book of the dead 546candelabrum* 547*candle 548 Faustus: Come on Mephistopheles. What shall we do? 549 Mephistopheles: Nay, I know not. We shall be cursed with bell, 550 book, and candle. 551 Faustus: How? Bell, book, and candle, candle, book, and bell, 552 Forward and backward, to curse Faustus to hell. 553 Anon you shall hear a hog grunt, a calf bleat, and an ass bray, 554 Because it is Saint Peter's holy day. 555 (Enter all the Friars to sing the dirge) 556 [ Doctor Faustus and Other Plays, by Christopher Marlowe ] 557boomerang 558#: this one is commented out because two from the same source feels a 559#: bit excessive; if uncommented, it should be first since the punchline 560#: is about coming back while the other one is disdainful about that, so 561#: if this one came second, its joke would be weakened 562# "It's a boomerang," said Vimes. "You find something like this 563# all over the world. You have to wave it carefully and suddenly 564# your opponent gets it in the back. I've heard that there's a lad 565# in Fourecks who can throw a boomerang with such precision that it 566# can get the morning paper and come back with it." 567# [ Raising Steam, by Terry Pratchett ] 568# 569 Rincewind pulled himself up and thought about reaching for his 570 stick. And then he thought again. The man had a couple of spears 571 stuck in the ground, and people here were good at spears, because 572 if you didn't get efficient at hitting the things that moved fast 573 you had to eat the things that moved slowly. He was also holding 574 a boomerang, and it wasn't one of those toy ones that came back. 575 This was one of the big, heavy, gently curved sort that didn't 576 come back because it was sticking in something's ribcage. You 577 could laugh at the idea of wooden weapons until you saw the kind 578 of wood that grew here. 579 [ The Last Continent, by Terry Pratchett ] 580~*jack*boot* 581*boot* 582 In Fantasyland these are remarkable in that they seldom or 583 never wear out and are suitable for riding or walking in 584 without the need of Socks. Boots never pinch, rub, or get 585 stones in them; nor do nails stick upwards into the feet from 586 the soles. They are customarily mid-calf length or knee-high, 587 slip on and off easily and never smell of feet. Unfortunately, 588 the formula for making this splendid footwear is a closely 589 guarded secret, possibly derived from nonhumans (see Dwarfs, 590 Elves, and Gnomes). 591 [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] 592*booze 593potion of sleeping 594 On waking, he found himself on the green knoll whence he had 595 first seen the old man of the glen. He rubbed his eyes -- it 596 was a bright sunny morning. The birds were hopping and 597 twittering among the bushes, and the eagle was wheeling aloft, 598 and breasting the pure mountain breeze. "Surely," thought Rip, 599 "I have not slept here all night." He recalled the occurrences 600 before he fell asleep. The strange man with a keg of liquor -- 601 the mountain ravine -- the wild retreat among the rocks -- the 602 woe-begone party at ninepins -- the flagon -- "Oh! that flagon! 603 that wicked flagon!" thought Rip -- "what excuse shall I make 604 to Dame Van Winkle!" 605 [ Rip Van Winkle, a Posthumous Writing 606 of Diedrich Knickerbocker, by Washington Irving ] 607boulder 608 I worked the lever well under, and stretched my back; the end 609 of the stone rose up, and I kicked the fulcrum under. Then, 610 when I was going to bear down, I remembered there was 611 something to get out from below; when I let go of the lever, 612 the stone would fall again. I sat down to think, on the root 613 of the oak tree; and, seeing it stand about the ground, I saw 614 my way. It was lucky I had brought a longer lever. It would 615 just reach to wedge under the oak root. 616 Bearing it down so far would have been easy for a heavy man, 617 but was a hard fight for me. But this time I meant to do it 618 if it killed me, because I knew it could be done. Twice I 619 got it nearly there, and twice the weight bore it up again; 620 but when I flung myself on it the third time, I heard in my 621 ears the sea-sound of Poseidon. Then I knew this time I 622 would do it; and so I did. 623 [ The King Must Die, by Mary Renault ] 624~*longbow of diana 625bow 626* bow 627 "Stand to it, my hearts of gold," said the old bowman as he 628 passed from knot to knot. "By my hilt! we are in luck this 629 journey. Bear in mind the old saying of the Company." 630 "What is that, Aylward?" cried several, leaning on their bows 631 and laughing at him. 632 "'Tis the master-bowyer's rede: 'Every bow well bent. Every 633 shaft well sent. Every stave well nocked. Every string well 634 locked.' There, with that jingle in his head, a bracer on 635 his left hand, a shooting glove on his right, and a 636 farthing's-worth of wax in his girdle, what more doth a 637 bowman need?" 638 "It would not be amiss," said Hordle John, "if under his 639 girdle he had four farthings'-worth of wine." 640 [ The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ] 641brigit 642 Brigit (Brigid, Bride, Banfile), which means the Exalted One, 643 was the Celtic (continental European and Irish) fertility 644 goddess. She was originally celebrated on February first in 645 the festival of Imbolc, which coincided with the beginning 646 of lactation in ewes and was regarded in Scotland as the date 647 on which Brigit deposed the blue-faced hag of winter. The 648 Christian calendar adopted the same date for the Feast of St. 649 Brigit. There is no record that a Christian saint ever 650 actually existed, but in Irish mythology she became the 651 midwife to the Virgin Mary. 652 [ Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ] 653~stormbringer 654*broadsword 655 Bring me my broadsword 656 And clear understanding. 657 Bring me my cross of gold, 658 As a talisman. 659 [ "Broadsword" (refrain) by Ian Anderson ] 660bugbear 661 Bugbears are relatives of goblins, although they tend to be 662 larger and more hairy. They are aggressive carnivores and 663 sometimes kill just for the treasure their victims may be 664 carrying. 665bugle 666 'I read you by your bugle horn 667 And by your palfrey good, 668 I read you for a Ranger sworn 669 To keep the King's green-wood.' 670 'A Ranger, Lady, winds his horn, 671 And 'tis at peep of light; 672 His blast is heard at merry morn, 673 And mine at dead of night.' 674 [ Brignall Banks, by Sir Walter Scott ] 675bullwhip 676 "Good," he said and, unbelievably, smiled at me, a smirk like 677 a round of rotted cheese. "What did your keeper use on you? 678 A bullwhip?" 679 [ Melusine, by Sarah Monette ] 680*camaxtli 681 A classical Mesoamerican Aztec god, also known as Mixcoatl- 682 Camaxtli (the Cloud Serpent), Camaxtli is the god of war. He 683 is also a deity of hunting and fire who received human 684 sacrifice of captured prisoners. According to tradition, the 685 sun god Tezcatlipoca transformed himself into Mixcoatl-Camaxtli 686 to make fire by twirling the sacred fire sticks. 687 [ Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ] 688camelot* 689 The seat of Arthur's power in medieval romance. The name is 690 of unknown origin and refers to the castle but also includes 691 the surrounding town. ... Camelot appears, most significantly, 692 as a personal capital as opposed to a permanent or national 693 one. It is Arthur's and Arthur's alone. There are no previous 694 lords and Arthur's successor, Constantine, does not take up 695 residence there. Camelot is actually said to have been 696 demolished after Arthur and Lancelot were gone by Mark. Fazio 697 degli Uberti, the Italian poet, claims to have seen the ruins 698 in the 14th century. 699 [ Encyclopedia Mythica, ed. M.F. Lindemans ] 700candy bar 701 Only once a year, on his birthday, did Charlie Bucket ever 702 get to taste a bit of chocolate. The whole family saved up 703 their money for that special occasion, and when the great 704 day arrived, Charlie was always presented with one small 705 chocolate bar to eat all by himself. And each time he 706 received it, on those marvelous birthday mornings, he would 707 place it carefully in a small wooden box that he owned, and 708 treasure it as though it were a bar of solid gold; and for 709 the next few days, he would allow himself only to look at it, 710 but never to touch it. Then at last, when he could stand it 711 no longer, he would peel back a tiny bit of the paper 712 wrapping at one corner to expose a tiny bit of chocolate, and 713 then he would take a tiny nibble - just enough to allow the 714 lovely sweet taste to spread out slowly over his tongue. The 715 next day, he would take another tiny nibble, and so on, and 716 so on. And in this way, Charlie would make his ten-cent bar 717 of birthday chocolate last him for more than a month. 718 [ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl ] 719carrot 720 In World War II, Britain's air ministry spread the word that 721 a diet of these vegetables helped pilots see Nazi bombers 722 attacking at night. That was a lie intended to cover the real 723 matter of what was underpinning the Royal Air Force's successes: 724 Airborne Interception Radar, also known as AI. ... British 725 Intelligence didn't want the Germans to find out about the 726 superior new technology helping protect the nation, so they 727 created a rumor to afford a somewhat plausible-sounding 728 explanation for the sudden increase in bombers being shot down. 729 ... The disinformation was so persuasive that the English public 730 took to eating carrots to help them find their way during the 731 blackouts. 732 [ Urban Legends Reference Pages ] 733s*d*g*r* cat 734 Imagine a sealed container, so perfectly constructed that no 735 physical influence can pass either inwards or outwards across its 736 walls. Imagine that inside the container is a cat, and also a 737 device that can be triggered by some quantum event. If that event 738 takes place, then the device smashes a phial containing cyanide and 739 the cat is killed. If the event does not take place, the cat lives 740 on. In Schroedinger's original version, the quantum event was the 741 decay of a radioactive atom. ... To the outside observer, the cat 742 is indeed in a linear combination of being alive and dead, and only 743 when the container is finally opened would the cat's state vector 744 collapse into one or the other. On the other hand, to a (suitably 745 protected) observer inside the container, the cat's state-vector 746 would have collapsed much earlier, and the outside observer's 747 linear combination has no relevance. 748 [ The Emperor's New Mind, by Roger Penrose ] 749# takes "cat or other feline" when specifying 'f' 750*cat 751*feline 752kitten 753 Well-known quadruped domestic animal from the family of 754 predatory felines (_Felis ochreata domestica_), with a thick, 755 soft pelt; often kept as a pet. Various folklores have the 756 cat associated with magic and the gods of ancient Egypt. 757 758 So Ulthar went to sleep in vain anger; and when the people 759 awakened at dawn - behold! Every cat was back at his 760 accustomed hearth! Large and small, black, grey, striped, 761 yellow and white, none was missing. Very sleek and fat did 762 the cats appear, and sonorous with purring content. 763 [ The Cats of Ulthar, by H.P. Lovecraft ] 764# this one doesn't work very well for dwarven and gnomish cavemen 765cave*man 766human cave*man 767 Now it was light enough to leave. Moon-Watcher picked up 768 the shriveled corpse and dragged it after him as he bent 769 under the low overhang of the cave. Once outside, he 770 threw the body over his shoulder and stood upright - the 771 only animal in all this world able to do so. 772 Among his kind, Moon-Watcher was almost a giant. He was 773 nearly five feet high, and though badly undernourished 774 weighed over a hundred pounds. His hairy, muscular body 775 was halfway between ape and man, but his head was already 776 much nearer to man than ape. The forehead was low, and 777 there were ridges over the eye sockets, yet he unmistakably 778 held in his genes the promise of humanity. 779 [ 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke ] 780dwar* cave*man 781gnom* cave*man 782 'Twas in a land unkempt of life's red dawn; 783 Where in his sanded cave he dwelt alone; 784 Sleeping by day, or sometimes worked upon 785 His flint-head arrows and his knives of stone; 786 By night stole forth and slew the savage boar, 787 So that he loomed a hunter of loud fame, 788 And many a skin of wolf and wild-cat wore, 789 And counted many a flint-head to his name; 790 Wherefore he walked the envy of the band, 791 Hated and feared, but matchless in his skill. 792 Till lo! one night deep in that shaggy land, 793 He tracked a yearling bear and made his kill; 794 Then over-worn he rested by a stream, 795 And sank into a sleep too deep for dream. 796 [ The Dreamer, by Robert Service ] 797*centaur 798 Of all the monsters put together by the Greek imagination 799 the Centaurs (Kentauroi) constituted a class in themselves. 800 Despite a strong streak of sensuality, in their make-up, 801 their normal behaviour was moral, and they took a kindly 802 thought of man's welfare. The attempted outrage of Nessos on 803 Deianeira, and that of the whole tribe of Centaurs on the 804 Lapith women, are more than offset by the hospitality of 805 Pholos and by the wisdom of Cheiron, physician, prophet, 806 lyrist, and the instructor of Achilles. Further, the 807 Centaurs were peculiar in that their nature, which united the 808 body of a horse with the trunk and head of a man, involved 809 an unthinkable duplication of vital organs and important 810 members. So grotesque a combination seems almost un-Greek. 811 These strange creatures were said to live in the caves and 812 clefts of the mountains, myths associating them especially 813 with the hills of Thessaly and the range of Erymanthos. 814 [ Mythology of all races, Vol. 1, pp. 270-271 ] 815centipede 816 I observed here, what I had often seen before, that certain 817 districts abound in centipedes. Here they have light 818 reddish bodies and blue legs; great myriapedes are seen 819 crawling every where. Although they do no harm, they excite 820 in man a feeling of loathing. Perhaps our appearance 821 produces a similar feeling in the elephant and other large 822 animals. Where they have been much disturbed, they 823 certainly look upon us with great distrust, as the horrid 824 biped that ruins their peace. 825 [ Travels and Researches in South Africa, 826 by Dr. David Livingstone ] 827cerberus 828kerberos 829 Cerberus, (or Kerberos in Greek), was the three-headed dog 830 that guarded the Gates of Hell. He allowed any dead to enter, 831 and likewise prevented them all from ever leaving. He was 832 bested only twice: once when Orpheus put him to sleep by 833 playing bewitching music on his lyre, and the other time when 834 Hercules confronted him and took him to the world of the 835 living (as his twelfth and last labor). 836chameleon 837 A small lizard perched on a brown stone. Feeling threatened by 838 the approach of human beings along the path, it metamorphosed 839 into a stingray beetle, then into a stench-puffer, then into a 840 fiery salamander. 841 Bink smiled. These conversions weren't real. It had assumed 842 the forms of obnoxious little monsters, but not their essence. 843 It could not sting, stink or burn. It was a chameleon, using 844 its magic to mimic creatures of genuine threat. 845 Yet as it shifted into the form of a basilisk it glared at him 846 with such ferocity that Bink's mirth abated. If its malice 847 could strike him, he would be horribly dead. 848 [ A Spell for Chameleon, by Piers Anthony ] 849charo*n 850 When an ancient Greek died, his soul went to the nether world: 851 the Hades. To reach the nether world, the souls had to cross 852 the river Styx, the river that separated the living from the 853 dead. The Styx could be crossed by ferry, whose shabby ferry- 854 man, advanced in age, was called Charon. The deceased's next- 855 of-kin would place a coin under his tongue, to pay the ferry- 856 man. 857chest 858large box 859 Dantes rapidly cleared away the earth around the chest. Soon 860 the center lock appeared, then the handles at each end, all 861 delicately wrought in the manner of that period when art made 862 precious even the basest of metals. He took the chest by the 863 two handles and tried to lift it, but it was impossible. He 864 tried to open it; it was locked. He inserted the sharp end 865 of his pickaxe between the chest and the lid and pushed down 866 on the handle. The lid creaked, then flew open. 867 Dantes was seized with a sort of giddy fever. He cocked his 868 gun and placed it beside him. Then he closed his eyes like 869 a child, opened them and stood dumbfounded. 870 The chest was divided into three compartments. In the first 871 were shining gold coins. In the second, unpolished gold 872 ingots packed in orderly stacks. From the third compartment, 873 which was half full, Dantes picked up handfuls of diamonds, 874 pearls and rubies. As they fell through his fingers in a 875 glittering cascade, they gave forth the sound of hail beating 876 against the windowpanes. 877 [ The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas ] 878chih*sung*tzu 879 A character in Chinese mythology noted for bringing about the 880 end of a terrible drought which threatened the survival of 881 the people. He achieved this by means of sprinkling the 882 earth with water from a bowl, using the branch of a tree to 883 do so. He became the heavenly controller of the rain, and 884 lived with other celestial beings in their paradise on Mount 885 Kunlun. 886 [ The Illustrated Who's Who In Mythology, by Michael Senior ] 887chromatic dragon 888tiamat 889 Tiamat is said to be the mother of evil dragonkind. She is 890 extremely vain. 891citrine* 892 A pale yellow variety of crystalline quartz resembling topaz. 893clay golem 894 It was a warm spring night when a fist knocked at the door so 895 hard that the hinges bent. 896 A man opened it and peered out into the street. There was 897 mist coming off the river and it was a cloudy night. He might 898 as well have tried to see through white velvet. 899 But he thought afterwards that there had been shapes out 900 there, just beyond the light spilling out into the road. A 901 lot of shapes, watching him carefully. He thought maybe 902 there'd been very faint points of light... 903 There was no mistaking the shape right in front of him, 904 though. It was big and dark red and looked like a child's 905 clay model of a man. Its eyes were two embers. 906 [ Feet of Clay, by Terry Pratchett ] 907cleaver 908 Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, 909 sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic 910 melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled 911 thrones of the Earth under his sandalled feet. 912 [ The Phoenix on the Sword, by Robert E. Howard ] 913~elven cloak 914~oilskin cloak 915*cloak* 916 Cloaks are the universal outer garb of everyone who is not a 917 Barbarian. It is hard to see why. They are open in front 918 and require you at most times to use one hand to hold them 919 shut. On horseback they leave the shirt-sleeved arms and 920 most of the torso exposed to wind and Weather. The OMTs 921 [ Official Management Terms ] for Cloaks well express their 922 difficulties. They are constantly _swirling and dripping_ 923 and becoming _heavy with water_ in rainy Weather, _entangling 924 with trees_ or _swords_, or needing to be _pulled close 925 around her/his shivering body_. This seems to suggest they 926 are less than practical for anyone on an arduous Tour. 927 [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] 928cloud* 929 I wandered lonely as a cloud 930 That floats on high o'er vales and hills, 931 When all at once I saw a crowd, 932 A host, of golden daffodils; 933 Beside the lake, beneath the trees, 934 Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. 935 [ I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, by William Wordsworth ] 936cobra 937 Darzee and his wife only cowered down in the nest without 938 answering, for from the thick grass at the foot of the bush 939 there came a low hiss -- a horrid cold sound that made 940 Rikki-tikki jump back two clear feet. Then inch by inch out of 941 the grass rose up the head and spread hood of Nag, the big 942 black cobra, and he was five feet long from tongue to tail. 943 When he had lifted one-third of himself clear of the ground, 944 he stayed balancing to and fro exactly as a dandelion-tuft 945 balances in the wind, and he looked at Rikki-tikki with the 946 wicked snake's eyes that never change their expression, 947 whatever the snake may be thinking of. 948 'Who is Nag?' said he. '_I_ am Nag. The great God Brahm put 949 his mark upon all our people, when the first cobra spread his 950 hood to keep the sun off Brahm as he slept. Look, and be 951 afraid!' 952 [ Rikki-tikki-tavi, by Rudyard Kipling ] 953c*ckatrice 954 Once in a great while, when the positions of the stars are 955 just right, a seven-year-old rooster will lay an egg. Then, 956 along will come a snake, to coil around the egg, or a toad, 957 to squat upon the egg, keeping it warm and helping it to 958 hatch. When it hatches, out comes a creature called basilisk, 959 or cockatrice, the most deadly of all creatures. A single 960 glance from its yellow, piercing toad's eyes will kill both 961 man and beast. Its power of destruction is said to be so 962 great that sometimes simply to hear its hiss can prove fatal. 963 Its breath is so venomous that it causes all vegetation 964 to wither. 965 966 There is, however, one creature which can withstand the 967 basilisk's deadly gaze, and this is the weasel. No one knows 968 why this is so, but although the fierce weasel can slay the 969 basilisk, it will itself be killed in the struggle. Perhaps 970 the weasel knows the basilisk's fatal weakness: if it ever 971 sees its own reflection in a mirror it will perish instantly. 972 But even a dead basilisk is dangerous, for it is said that 973 merely touching its lifeless body can cause a person to 974 sicken and die. 975 [ Mythical Beasts by Deirdre Headon (The Leprechaun Library) 976 and other sources ] 977*coin 978~creeping coins 979*coins 980zorkmid* 981 The coin bears the likeness of Belwit the Flat, along with the 982 inscriptions, "One Zorkmid," and "699 GUE [ Great Underground 983 Empire ]." On the other side, the coin depicts Egreth Castle, 984 and says "In Frobs We Trust" in several languages. 985 [ Zork Zero, by Infocom ] 986# not "stethoscope" 987combat 988fight 989fracas 990melee 991spat 992squabble 993tiff 994 [Scene: Mr. Moon and Gilbert enter tavern and discover many 995 corpses strewn about the place; Blind Pew is sole survivor.] 996 Blind Pew: Evening. Sounded as though there has been a bit 997 of a squabble. 998 Mr. Moon: Squabble? They're all dead. 999 Blind Pew: Oh. Must have been more of a tiff then. 1000 [ Yellowbeard, directed by Mel Damski, screenplay 1001 by Graham Chapman, Peter Cook, Bernard McKenna ] 1002cope 1003* cope 1004 The cope is a liturgical vestment which may be worn by any 1005 rank of the clergy. Copes are made in all liturgical colours, 1006 and are like a very long mantle or cloak, fastened at the breast 1007 by a clasp. 1008 [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] 1009cornuthaum 1010 He was dressed in a flowing gown with fur tippets which had 1011 the signs of the zodiac embroidered over it, with various 1012 cabalistic signs, such as triangles with eyes in them, queer 1013 crosses, leaves of trees, bones of birds and animals, and a 1014 planetarium whose stars shone like bits of looking-glass with 1015 the sun on them. He had a pointed hat like a dunce's cap, or 1016 like the headgear worn by ladies of that time, except that 1017 the ladies were accustomed to have a bit of veil floating 1018 from the top of it. 1019 [ The Once and Future King, by T.H. White ] 1020 1021 "A wizard!" Dooley exclaimed, astounded. 1022 "At your service, sirs," said the wizard. "How 1023 perceptive of you to notice. I suppose my hat rather gives me 1024 away. Something of a beacon, I don't doubt." His hat was 1025 pretty much that, tall and cone-shaped with stars and crescent 1026 moons all over it. All in all, it couldn't have been more 1027 wizardish. 1028 [ The Elfin Ship, James P. Blaylock ] 1029couatl 1030 A mythical feathered serpent. The couatl are very rare. 1031coyote 1032 This carnivore is known for its voracious appetite and 1033 inflated view of its own intelligence. 1034cram* 1035 If you want to know what cram is, I can only say that I don't 1036 know the recipe; but it is biscuitish, keeps good indefinitely, 1037 is supposed to be sustaining, and is certainly not entertaining, 1038 being in fact very uninteresting except as a chewing 1039 exercise. It was made by the Lake-men for long journeys. 1040 [ The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 1041cream pie 1042 Gregor stared at the pastry tray, and sighed. "I suppose 1043 it would disturb the guards if I tried to shove a cream torte up 1044 your nose." 1045 "Deeply. You should have done it when we were eight and 1046 twelve, you could have gotten away with it then. The cream pie 1047 of justice flies one way," Miles snickered. 1048 [ The Vor Game, by Lois McMaster Bujold ] 1049*crocodile 1050 A big animal with the appearance of a lizard, constituting 1051 an order of the reptiles (_Loricata_ or _Crocodylia_), the 1052 crocodile is a large, dangerous predator native to tropical 1053 and subtropical climes. It spends most of its time in large 1054 bodies of water. 1055 [] 1056 1057 How doth the little crocodile 1058 Improve his shining tail, 1059 And pour the waters of the Nile 1060 On every golden scale! 1061 1062 How cheerfully he seems to grin 1063 How neatly spreads his claws, 1064 And welcomes little fishes in, 1065 With gently smiling jaws! 1066 [ How Doth The Little Crocodile, by Lewis Carroll ] 1067croesus 1068kroisos 1069creosote 1070 Croesus (in Greek: Kroisos), the wealthy last king of Lydia; 1071 his empire was destroyed when he attacked Cyrus in 549, after 1072 the Oracle of Delphi (q.v.) had told him: "if you attack the 1073 Persians, you will destroy a mighty empire". Herodotus 1074 relates of his legendary conversation with Solon of Athens, 1075 who impressed upon him that being rich does not imply being 1076 happy and that no one should be considered fortunate before 1077 his death. 1078crom 1079 Warily Conan scanned his surroundings, all of his senses alert 1080 for signs of possible danger. Off in the distance, he could 1081 see the familiar shapes of the Camp of the Duali tribe. 1082 Suddenly, the hairs on his neck stand on end as he detects the 1083 aura of evil magic in the air. Without thought, he readies 1084 his weapon, and mutters under his breath: 1085 "By Crom, there will be blood spilt today." 1086 1087 [ Conan the Avenger by Robert E. Howard, Bjorn Nyberg, 1088 and L. Sprague de Camp ] 1089crossbow* 1090 "God save thee, ancient Mariner! 1091 From the fiends, that plague thee thus! - 1092 Why look'st thou so?" - With my cross-bow 1093 I shot the Albatross. 1094 [ The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge ] 1095crystal ball 1096 You look into one of these and see _vapours swirling like 1097 clouds_. These shortly clear away to show a sort of video 1098 without sound of something that is going to happen to you 1099 soon. It is seldom good news. 1100 [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] 1101curse* 1102 Curses are longstanding ill-wishings which, in Fantasyland, 1103 often manifest as semisentient. They have to be broken or 1104 dispelled. The method varies according to the type and 1105 origin of the Curse: 1106 [...] 1107 4. Curses on Rings and Swords. You have problems. Rings 1108 have to be returned whence they came, preferably at over a 1109 thousand degrees Fahrenheit, and the Curse means you won't 1110 want to do this. Swords usually resist all attempts to 1111 raise their Curses. Your best source is to hide the Sword 1112 or give it to someone you dislike. 1113 [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] 1114cwn*n 1115 A pack of snow-white, red-eared spectral hounds which 1116 sometimes took part in the kidnappings and raids the 1117 inhabitants of the underworld sometimes make on this world 1118 (the Wild Hunt). They are associated in Wales with the sounds 1119 of migrating wild geese, and are said to be leading the souls 1120 of the damned to hell. The phantom chase is usually heard or 1121 seen in midwinter and is accompanied by a howling wind. 1122 [ Encyclopedia Mythica, ed. M.F. Lindemans ] 1123cyclops 1124 And after he had milked his cattle swiftly, 1125 he again took hold of two of my men 1126 and had them as his supper. 1127 Then I went, with a tub of red wine, 1128 to stand before the Cyclops, saying: 1129 "A drop of wine after all this human meat, 1130 so you can taste the delicious wine 1131 that is stored in our ship, Cyclops." 1132 He took the tub and emptied it. 1133 He appreciated the priceless wine that much 1134 that he promptly asked me for a second tub. 1135 "Give it", he said, "and give me your name as well". 1136 ... 1137 Thrice I filled the tub, 1138 and after the wine had clouded his mind, 1139 I said to him, in a tone as sweet as honey: 1140 "You have asked my name, Cyclops? Well, 1141 my name is very well known. I'll give it to you, 1142 if you give me the gift you promised me as a guest. 1143 My name is Nobody. All call me thus: 1144 my father and my mother and my friends." 1145 Ruthlessly he answered to this: 1146 "Nobody, I will eat you last of all; 1147 your host of friends will completely precede you. 1148 That will be my present to you, my friend." 1149 And after these words he fell down backwards, 1150 restrained by the all-restrainer Hupnos. 1151 His monstrous neck slid into the dust; 1152 the red wine squirted from his throat; 1153 the drunk vomited lumps of human flesh. 1154 [ The Odyssey, (chapter Epsilon), by Homer ] 1155~sting 1156*dagger 1157 Is this a dagger which I see before me, 1158 The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. 1159 I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. 1160 Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible 1161 To feeling as to sight? or art thou but 1162 A dagger of the mind, a false creation, 1163 Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain? 1164 I see thee yet, in form as palpable 1165 As this which now I draw. 1166 [ Macbeth, by William Shakespeare ] 1167dark one 1168 ... But he ruled rather by force and fear, if they might 1169 avail; and those who perceived his shadow spreading over the 1170 world called him the Dark Lord and named him the Enemy; and 1171 he gathered again under his government all the evil things of 1172 the days of Morgoth that remained on earth or beneath it, 1173 and the Orcs were at his command and multiplied like flies. 1174 Thus the Black Years began ... 1175 [ The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 1176# includes "dart trap" 1177dart* 1178 Darts are missile weapons, designed to fly such that a sharp, 1179 often weighted point will strike first. They can be 1180 distinguished from javelins by fletching (i.e., feathers on 1181 the tail) and a shaft that is shorter and/or more flexible, 1182 and from arrows by the fact that they are not of the right 1183 length to use with a normal bow. 1184 [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] 1185 1186 Against my foe I hurled a murderous dart. 1187 He caught it in his hand -- I heard him laugh -- 1188 I saw the thing that should have pierced his heart 1189 Turn to a golden staff. 1190 [ Gifts, by Mary Coleridge ] 1191demogorgon 1192 A terrible deity, whose very name was capable of producing the 1193 most horrible effects. He is first mentioned by the 4th-century 1194 Christian writer, Lactantius, who in doing so broke with the 1195 superstition that the very reference to Demogorgon by name 1196 brought death and disaster. 1197 [ Brewer's Concise Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ] 1198 1199 Demogorgon, the prince of demons, wallows in filth and can 1200 spread a quickly fatal illness to his victims while rending 1201 them. He is a mighty spellcaster, and he can drain the life 1202 of mortals with a touch of his tail. 1203# takes "major demon" when specifying '&' 1204demon 1205major demon 1206 It is often very hard to discover what any given Demon looks 1207 like, apart from a general impression of large size, huge 1208 fangs, staring eyes, many limbs, and an odd color; but all 1209 accounts agree that Demons are very powerful, very Magic (in 1210 a nonhuman manner), and made of some substance that can squeeze 1211 through a keyhole yet not be pierced with a Sword. This makes 1212 them difficult to deal with, even on the rare occasions when 1213 they are friendly. 1214 [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] 1215diamond 1216 The hardest known mineral (with a hardness of 10 on Mohs' scale). 1217 It is an allotropic form of pure carbon that has crystallized in 1218 the cubic system, usually as octahedra or cubes, under great 1219 pressure. 1220 [ A Concise Dictionary of Physics ] 1221 1222 The diamond, _adamas_ or _dyamas_, is a transparent stone, like 1223 crystal, but having the colour of polished iron, but it cannot 1224 be destroyed by iron, fire or any other means, unless it is 1225 placed in the hot blood of a goat; with sharp pieces of diamond 1226 other stones are engraved and polished. It is no greater than 1227 a small nut. There are six kinds, however Adamant attracts 1228 metal; it expels venom; it produces amber (and is efficacious 1229 against empty fears and for those resisting spells). It is 1230 found in India, in Greece and in Cyprus, where magicians make 1231 use of it. It gives you courage; it averts apparitions; it 1232 removes anger and quarrels; it heals the mad; it defends you 1233 from your enemies. It should be set in gold or silver and worn 1234 on the left arm. It is likewise found in Arabia. 1235 [ The Aberdeen Bestiary, translated by Colin McLaren ] 1236dilithium* 1237 The most famous and the first to be named of the imaginary 1238 "minerals" of Star Trek is dilithium. ... Because of this 1239 mineral's central role in the storyline, a whole mythology 1240 surrounds it. It is, however, a naturally occurring substance 1241 within the mythology, as there are various episodes that 1242 make reference to the mining of dilithium deposits. ... 1243 This name itself is imaginary and gives no real information on 1244 the structure or make-up of this substance other than that this 1245 version of the name implies a lithium and iron-bearing 1246 aluminosilicate of some sort. That said, the real mineral that 1247 most closely matches the descriptive elements of this name is 1248 ferroholmquistite which is a dilithium triferrodiallosilicate. 1249 If one goes on the premise that nature follows certain general 1250 norms, then one could extrapolate that dilithium might have a 1251 similar number of silicon atoms in its structure. 1252 Keeping seven (i.e. hepto) ferrous irons and balancing the 1253 oxygens would give a theoretical formula of Li2Fe7Al2Si8O27. 1254 A mineral with this composition could theoretically exist, 1255 although it is doubtful that it would possess the more fantastic 1256 properties ascribed to dilithium. 1257 [ The Mineralogy of Star Trek, by Jeffrey de Fourestier ] 1258dingo 1259 A wolflike wild dog, Canis dingo, of Australia, having a 1260 reddish- or yellowish-brown coat, believed to have been 1261 introduced by the aborigines. 1262 [ Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary 1263 of the English Language ] 1264disenchanter 1265 Ask not, what your magic can do to it. Ask what it can do 1266 to your magic. 1267dispater 1268 The Roman ruler of the underworld and fortune, similar to the 1269 Greek Hades. Every hundred years, the Ludi Tarentini were 1270 celebrated in his honor. The Gauls regarded Dis Pater as 1271 their ancestor. The name is a contraction of the Latin Dives, 1272 "the wealthy", Dives Pater, "the wealthy father", or "Fater 1273 Wealth". It refers to the wealth of precious stone below the 1274 earth. 1275 [ Encyclopedia Mythica, ed. M.F. Lindemans ] 1276djinn* 1277 The djinn are genies from the elemental plane of Air. There, 1278 among their kind, they have their own societies. They are 1279 sometimes encountered on earth and may even be summoned here 1280 to perform some service for powerful wizards. The wizards 1281 often leave them about for later service, safely tucked away 1282 in a flask or lamp. Once in a while, such a tool is found by 1283 a lucky rogue, and some djinn are known to be so grateful 1284 when released that they might grant their rescuer a wish. 1285# takes "dog or other canine" when specifying 'd' 1286~hachi 1287~slasher 1288~sirius 1289*dog 1290pup* 1291*canine 1292 A domestic animal, the _tame dog_ (_Canis familiaris_), of 1293 which numerous breeds exist. The male is called a dog, 1294 while the female is called a bitch. Because of its known 1295 loyalty to man and gentleness with children, it is the 1296 world's most popular domestic animal. It can easily be 1297 trained to perform various tasks. 1298# typing "spellbook or a closed door" shouldn't yield this entry 1299~trap*door 1300~*spellbook* 1301*door 1302doorway 1303 Through me you pass into the city of woe: 1304 Through me you pass into eternal pain: 1305 Through me among the people lost for aye. 1306 Justice the founder of my fabric mov'd: 1307 To rear me was the task of power divine, 1308 Supremest wisdom, and primeval love. 1309 Before me things create were none, save things 1310 Eternal, and eternal I endure. 1311 All hope abandon ye who enter here. 1312 [ The Inferno, from The Divine Comedy of Dante 1313 Alighieri, translated by H.F. Cary ] 1314doppelganger 1315 "Then we can only give thanks that this is Antarctica, where 1316 there is not one, single, solitary, living thing for it to 1317 imitate, except these animals in camp." 1318 1319 "Us," Blair giggled. "It can imitate us. Dogs can't make four 1320 hundred miles to the sea; there's no food. There aren't any 1321 skua gulls to imitate at this season. There aren't any 1322 penguins this far inland. There's nothing that can reach the 1323 sea from this point - except us. We've got brains. We can do 1324 it. Don't you see - it's got to imitate us - it's got to be one 1325 of us - that's the only way it can fly an airplane - fly a plane 1326 for two hours, and rule - be - all Earth's inhabitants. A world 1327 for the taking - if it imitates us! 1328 [ Who Goes There?, by John W. Campbell ] 1329 1330 Xander: Let go! I have to kill the demon bot! 1331 Xander Double (grabbing the gun): Anya, get out of the way. 1332 Buffy: Xander! 1333 Xander Double: That's all right, Buffy. I have him. 1334 Xander: No, Buffy, I'm me. Help me! 1335 Anya: My gun, he's got my gun. 1336 Riley: You own a gun? 1337 Buffy: Xander, gun holding Xander, give it to me. 1338 Anya: Buffy, which one's real? 1339 Xander: I am. 1340 Xander Double: No, _I_ am. 1341 [ Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Episode 5.03, "The Replacement" ] 1342*dragon 1343*xoth 1344 In the West the dragon was the natural enemy of man. Although 1345 preferring to live in bleak and desolate regions, whenever it 1346 was seen among men it left in its wake a trail of destruction 1347 and disease. Yet any attempt to slay this beast was a perilous 1348 undertaking. For the dragon's assailant had to contend 1349 not only with clouds of sulphurous fumes pouring from its fire 1350 breathing nostrils, but also with the thrashings of its tail, 1351 the most deadly part of its serpent-like body. 1352 [ Mythical Beasts by Deirdre Headon (The Leprechaun Library) ] 1353 1354 "One whom the dragons will speak with," he said, "that is a 1355 dragonlord, or at least that is the center of the matter. It's 1356 not a trick of mastering the dragons, as most people think. 1357 Dragons have no masters. The question is always the same, with 1358 a dragon: will he talk to you or will he eat you? If you can 1359 count upon his doing the former, and not doing the latter, why 1360 then you're a dragonlord." 1361 [ The Tombs of Atuan, by Ursula K. Le Guin ] 1362*dragon*scale* 1363 Stephen had argued, and the expert armorer had grudgingly 1364 admitted, that dragonscale shield or armor, provided it proved 1365 feasible to make at all, ought to offer some real, practical 1366 advantages over any metal breastplate or shield -- gram for 1367 gram of weight, such a defense would probably be a lot 1368 tougher and more protective than any human smiths could 1369 make of steel. 1370 [ The Last Book of Swords: Shieldbreaker's Story, 1371 by Fred Saberhagen ] 1372*drum* 1373 Many travelers have seen the drums of the great apes, and 1374 some have heard the sounds of their beating and the noise of 1375 the wild, weird revelry of these first lords of the jungle, 1376 but Tarzan, Lord Greystoke, is, doubtless, the only human 1377 being who ever joined in the fierce, mad, intoxicating revel 1378 of the Dum-Dum. 1379 [ Tarzan of the Apes, by Edgar Rice Burroughs ] 1380dunce* 1381 A dunce cap, also variously known as a dunce hat, dunce's 1382 cap, or dunce's hat, is a tall conical hat. In popular 1383 culture, it is typically made of paper and often marked with 1384 a D, and given to schoolchildren to wear as punishment for 1385 being stupid or lazy. While this is now a rare practice, 1386 it is frequently depicted in popular culture such as 1387 children's cartoons. 1388 [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] 1389dungeon* 1390 At once as far as Angels kenn he views 1391 The dismal Situation waste and wilde, 1392 A Dungeon horrible, on all sides round 1393 As one great Furnace flam'd, yet from those flames 1394 No light, but rather darkness visible 1395 Serv'd only to discover sights of woe, 1396 Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace 1397 And rest can never dwell, hope never comes 1398 That comes to all; but torture without end 1399 Still urges, and a fiery Deluge, fed 1400 With ever-burning Sulphur unconsum'd: 1401 Such place Eternal Justice had prepar'd 1402 For those rebellious, here their Prison ordain'd 1403 In utter darkness, and their portion set 1404 As far remov'd from God and light of Heav'n 1405 As from the Center thrice to th' utmost Pole. 1406 [ Paradise Lost, by John Milton ] 1407~dwarf ??m* 1408#~dwar* cave*man 1409dwarf* 1410 Dwarfs have faces like men (ugly men, with wrinkled, leathery 1411 skins), but are generally either flat-footed, duck-footed, or 1412 have feet pointing backwards. They are of the earth, earthy, 1413 living in the darkest of caverns and venturing forth only 1414 with the cloaks by which they can make themselves invisible, 1415 and others disguised as toads. Miners often come across them, 1416 and sometimes establish reasonably close relations with them. 1417 ... The miners of Cornwall were always delighted to hear a 1418 bucca busily mining away, for all dwarfs have an infallible 1419 nose for precious metals. 1420 Among other things, dwarfs are rightly valued for their skill 1421 as blacksmiths and jewellers: they made Odin his famous spear 1422 Gungnir, and Thor his hammer; for Freya they designed a 1423 magnificent necklace, and for Frey a golden boar. And in their 1424 spare time they are excellent bakers. Ironically, despite 1425 their odd feet, they are particularly fond of dancing. They 1426 can also see into the future, and consequently are excellent 1427 meteorologists. They can be free with presents to people 1428 they like, and a dwarvish gift is likely to turn to gold in 1429 the hand. But on the whole they are a snappish lot. 1430 [ The Immortals, by Derek and Julia Parker ] 1431earendil 1432elwing 1433 In after days, when because of the triumph of Morgoth Elves and 1434 Men became estranged, as he most wished, those of the Elven-race 1435 that lived still in Middle-earth waned and faded, and Men usurped 1436 the sunlight. Then the Quendi wandered in the lonely places of the 1437 great lands and the isles, and took to the moonlight and the 1438 starlight, and to the woods and the caves, becoming as shadows 1439 and memories, save those who ever and anon set sail into the West 1440 and vanished from Middle-earth. But in the dawn of years Elves 1441 and Men were allies and held themselves akin, and there were some 1442 among Men that learned the wisdom of the Eldar, and became great 1443 and valiant among the captains of the Noldor. And in the glory 1444 and beauty of the Elves, and in their fate, full share had the 1445 offspring of elf and mortal, Earendil, and Elwing, and Elrond 1446 their child. 1447 [ The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 1448eel 1449giant eel 1450 The behaviour of eels in fresh water extends the air of 1451 mystery surrounding them. They move freely into muddy, silty 1452 bottoms of lakes, lying buried in the daylight hours in summer. 1453 [...] Eels are voracious carnivores, feeding mainly at 1454 night and consuming a wide variety of fishes and invertebrate 1455 creatures. Contrary to earlier thinking, eels seek living 1456 rather than dead creatures and are not habitual eaters of 1457 carrion. 1458 [ Freshwater Fishes of Canada, by Scott and Crossman ] 1459egg 1460 But I asked why not keep it and let the hen sit on it till it 1461 hatched, and then we could see what would come out of it. 1462 "Nothing good, I'm certain of that," Mom said. "It would 1463 probably be something horrible. But just remember, if it's a 1464 crocodile or a dragon or something like that, I won't have it 1465 in my house for one minute." 1466 [ The Enormous Egg, by Oliver Butterworth ] 1467elbereth 1468 ... Even as they stepped over the threshold a single clear 1469 voice rose in song. 1470 1471 A Elbereth Gilthoniel, 1472 silivren penna miriel 1473 o menel aglar elenath! 1474 Na-chaered palan-diriel 1475 o galadhremmin ennorath, 1476 Fanuilos, le linnathon 1477 nef aear, si nef aearon! 1478 1479 Frodo halted for a moment, looking back. Elrond was in his 1480 chair and the fire was on his face like summer-light upon the 1481 trees. Near him sat the Lady Arwen. [...] 1482 He stood still enchanted, while the sweet syllables of the 1483 elvish song fell like clear jewels of blended word and melody. 1484 "It is a song to Elbereth," said Bilbo. "They will sing that, 1485 and other songs of the Blessed Realm, many times tonight. 1486 Come on!" 1487 [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 1488electric eel 1489 South-American fish (_Gymnotus electricus_), living in fresh 1490 water. Shaped like a serpent, it can grow up to 2 metres. 1491 This eel is known for its electrical organ which enables it 1492 to paralyse creatures up to the size of a horse. 1493 [ Van Dale's Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal ] 1494*elemental 1495 Elementals are manifestations of the basic nature of the 1496 universe. There are four known forms of elementals: air, fire, 1497 water, and earth. Some mystics have postulated the necessity 1498 for a fifth type, the spirit elemental, but none have ever 1499 been encountered, at least on this plane of existence. 1500~human or elf* 1501~elf ??m* 1502*elf* 1503elvenking 1504 The Elves sat round the fire upon the grass or upon the sawn 1505 rings of old trunks. Some went to and fro bearing cups and 1506 pouring drinks; others brought food on heaped plates and 1507 dishes. 1508 "This is poor fare," they said to the hobbits; "for we are 1509 lodging in the greenwood far from our halls. If ever you are 1510 our guests at home, we will treat you better." 1511 "It seems to me good enough for a birthday-party," said Frodo. 1512 Pippin afterwards recalled little of either food or drink, for 1513 his mind was filled with the light upon the elf-faces, and the 1514 sound of voices so various and so beautiful that he felt in a 1515 waking dream. [...] 1516 Sam could never describe in words, nor picture clearly to 1517 himself, what he felt or thought that night, though it remained 1518 in his memory as one of the chief events of his life. The 1519 nearest he ever got was to say: "Well, sir, if I could grow 1520 apples like that, I would call myself a gardener. But it was 1521 the singing that went to my heart, if you know what I mean." 1522 [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 1523elven cloak 1524 The Elves next unwrapped and gave to each of the Company the 1525 clothes they had brought. For each they had provided a hood 1526 and cloak, made according to his size, of the light but warm 1527 silken stuff that the Galadrim wove. It was hard to say of 1528 what colour they were: grey with the hue of twilight under 1529 the trees they seemed to be; and yet if they were moved, or 1530 set in another light, they were green as shadowed leaves, or 1531 brown as fallow fields by night, dusk-silver as water under 1532 the stars. 1533 [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 1534emerald 1535 'Put off that mask of burning gold 1536 With emerald eyes.' 1537 'O no, my dear, you make so bold 1538 To find if hearts be wild and wise, 1539 And yet not cold.' 1540 1541 'I would but find what's there to find, 1542 Love or deceit.' 1543 'It was the mask engaged your mind, 1544 And after set your heart to beat, 1545 Not what's behind.' 1546 1547 'But lest you are my enemy, 1548 I must enquire.' 1549 'O no, my dear, let all that be; 1550 What matter, so there is but fire 1551 In you, in me?' 1552 [ The Mask, by W.B. Yeats ] 1553engrav* 1554A.S* 1555 Presently we reached a place where the beach narrowed; the sea 1556 almost came up to the foot of the cliffs, leaving a passage no 1557 wider than a couple of yards. Between two projecting rocks we 1558 caught sight of the entrance to a dark tunnel. 1559 There, on a slab of granite, appeared two mysterious letters, 1560 half eaten away by time -- the two initials of the bold, 1561 adventurous traveller: 1562 1563 A.S. 1564 1565 'A.S.,' cried my uncle. 'Arne Saknussemm! Arne Saknussemm again!' 1566 1567 [...] at the sight of those two letters, carved there three 1568 hundred years before, I stood in utter stupefaction. Not 1569 only was the signature of the learned alchemist legible on 1570 the rock, but I held in my hand the dagger which had traced it. 1571 Without showing the most appalling bad faith, I could no longer 1572 doubt the existence of the traveller and the reality of his 1573 journey. 1574 [ Journey to the Centre of the Earth, by Jules Verne, 1575 translated by Robert Baldick ] 1576*epidaurus 1577 The asclepieion at Epidaurus was the most celebrated healing 1578 center of the Classical world, the place where ill people went 1579 in the hope of being cured. To find out the right cure for 1580 their ailments, they spent a night in the enkoimitiria, a big 1581 sleeping hall. In their dreams, the god himself (Asclepius) 1582 would advise them what they had to do to regain their health. 1583 There are also mineral springs in the vicinity which may have 1584 been used in healing. 1585 [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] 1586erinys 1587erinyes 1588 These female-seeming devils named after the Furies of mythology 1589 attack hand to hand and poison their unwary victims as well. 1590ettin 1591 The two-headed giant, or ettin, is a vicious and unpredictable 1592 hunter that stalks by night and eats any meat it can catch. 1593excalibur 1594 At first only its tip was visible, but then it rose, straight, 1595 proud, all that was noble and great and wondrous. The tip of 1596 the blade pointed toward the moon, as if it would cleave it 1597 in two. The blade itself gleamed like a beacon in the night. 1598 There was no light source for the sword to be reflecting 1599 from, for the moon had darted behind a cloud in fear. The 1600 sword was glowing from the intensity of its strength and 1601 power and knowledge that it was justice incarnate, and that 1602 after a slumber of uncounted years its time had again come. 1603 After the blade broke the surface, the hilt was visible, and 1604 holding the sword was a single strong, yet feminine hand, 1605 wearing several rings that bore jewels sparkling with the 1606 blue-green color of the ocean. 1607 [ Knight Life, by Peter David ] 1608expensive camera 1609 There was a time when Rincewind had quite liked the iconoscope. 1610 He believed, against all experience, that the world was 1611 fundamentally understandable, and that if he could only equip 1612 himself with the right mental toolbox he could take the back off 1613 and see how it worked. He was, of course, dead wrong. The 1614 iconoscope didn't take pictures by letting light fall onto 1615 specially treated paper, as he had surmised, but by the far 1616 simpler method of imprisoning a small demon with a good eye for 1617 colour and a speedy hand with a paintbrush. He had been very 1618 upset to find that out. 1619 [ The Light Fantastic, by Terry Pratchett ] 1620eye of the aethiopica 1621 This is a powerful amulet of ESP. In addition to its standard 1622 powers, it regenerates the energy of anyone who carries 1623 it, allowing them to cast spells more often. It also reduces 1624 any spell damage to the person who carries it by half, and 1625 protects from magic missiles. Finally, when invoked it has 1626 the power to instantly open a portal to any other area of the 1627 dungeon, allowing its invoker to travel quickly between 1628 areas. 1629# note: The Eyes of the Overworld is the title of Jack Vance's sequel 1630# to The Dying Earth and in it the 'Eyes' were separate "cusps" that 1631# needed to be worn like contact lenses, one on each eyeball. Wearing 1632# just one and attempting to look with both eyes caused instant stun. 1633# And when wearing two you couldn't see normal world, only a projection 1634# of it that had similar topology but where everything was "better". 1635# NetHack simplifies things: a pair of lenses is a single item like 1636# spectacles (eyeglasses), and the effect of wearing these lenses has 1637# been changed to be useful to game play (Xray vision). [The quote is 1638# not derived from the book.] 1639eyes of the overworld 1640 The Eyes of the Overworld is a rather obscure artifact. 1641 These magical lenses push the wearer's view sense into the 1642 "overworld" -- another name for a segment of the Astral Plane. 1643 Usually, there is nothing to be seen. However, the wearer 1644 is also able to look back and see the area around herself, 1645 much like looking on a map. Why anyone would want to ... 1646fedora 1647 Some hats can only be worn if you're willing to be jaunty, to set 1648 them at an angle and to walk beneath them with a spring in your 1649 stride as if you're only a step away from dancing. They demand a 1650 lot of you. 1651 [ Anansi Boys, by Neil Gaiman ] 1652figurine* 1653 Then it appeared in Paris at just about the time that Paris 1654 was full of Carlists who had to get out of Spain. One of 1655 them must have brought it with him, but, whoever he was, it's 1656 likely he knew nothing about its real value. It had been -- 1657 no doubt as a precaution during the Carlist trouble in Spain 1658 -- painted or enameled over to look like nothing more than a 1659 fairly interesting black statuette. And in that disguise, 1660 sir, it was, you might say, kicked around Paris for seventy 1661 years by private owners and dealers too stupid to see what 1662 it was under the skin. 1663 [ The Maltese Falcon, by Dashiell Hammett ] 1664fire trap 1665 'Let him be for a while,' said Cohen. 'I reckon the fish 1666 disagreed with him.' 1667 'Don't see why,' said Truckle. 'I pulled him out before it'd 1668 hardly chewed him. And he must've dried out nicely in that 1669 corridor. You know, the one where the flames shot up out of 1670 the floor unexpectedly.' 1671 'I reckon our bard wasn't expecting flames to shoot out of 1672 the floor unexpectedly,' said Cohen. 1673 Truckle shrugged theatrically. '_Well_, if you're not going 1674 to expect unexpected flames, what's the point of going 1675 _anywhere_?' 1676 [ The Last Hero, by Terry Pratchett ] 1677f* brand 1678 Some say the world will end in fire, 1679 Some say in ice. 1680 From what I've tasted of desire 1681 I hold with those who favor fire. 1682 But if it had to perish twice, 1683 I think I know enough of hate 1684 To say that for destruction ice 1685 Is also great 1686 And would suffice. 1687 [ Fire and Ice, by Robert Frost ] 1688flesh golem 1689 With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected 1690 the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark 1691 of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It was 1692 already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against 1693 the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the 1694 glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow 1695 eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive 1696 motion agitated its limbs. 1697 1698 How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how 1699 delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I 1700 had endeavoured to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I 1701 had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful!--Great God! 1702 His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and 1703 arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and 1704 flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances 1705 only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that 1706 seemed almost of the same colour as the dun white sockets in 1707 which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight 1708 black lips. 1709 [ Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley ] 1710flint* 1711 An emerald is as green as grass; 1712 A ruby red as blood; 1713 A sapphire shines as blue as heaven; 1714 A flint lies in the mud. 1715 1716 A diamond is a brilliant stone, 1717 To catch the world's desire; 1718 An opal holds a fiery spark; 1719 But a flint holds fire. 1720 [ Precious Stones, by Christina Giorgina Rossetti ] 1721floating eye 1722 Floating eyes, not surprisingly, are large, floating eyeballs 1723 which drift about the dungeon. Though not dangerous in and 1724 of themselves, their power to paralyse those who gaze at 1725 their large eye in combat is widely feared. Many are the 1726 tales of those who struck a floating eye, were paralysed by 1727 its mystic powers, and then nibbled to death by some other 1728 creature that lurked around nearby. 1729*flute 1730 With this thou canst do mighty deeds 1731 And change men's passions for thy needs: 1732 A man's despair with joy allay, 1733 Turn bachelors old to lovers gay. 1734 [ The Magic Flute, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ] 1735# also takes fog/vapor cloud 1736fog* cloud 1737 The fog comes 1738 on little cat feet. 1739 1740 It sits looking 1741 over harbor and city 1742 on silent haunches 1743 and then moves on. 1744 [ Fog, by Carl Sandburg ] 1745# includes "food detection" and "detect food", which might not be the best 1746*food* 1747 The little girl stood on tip-toe and picked one of the nicest 1748 and biggest lunch-boxes, and then she sat down upon the ground 1749 and eagerly opened it. Inside she found, nicely wrapped in 1750 white papers, a ham sandwich, a piece of sponge-cake, a pickle, 1751 a slice of new cheese and an apple. Each thing had a separate 1752 stem, and so had to be picked off the side of the box; but 1753 Dorothy found them all to be delicious, and she ate every bit 1754 of luncheon in the box before she had finished. 1755 [ Ozma of Oz, by L. Frank Baum ] 1756fountain 1757 Rest! This little Fountain runs 1758 Thus for aye: -- It never stays 1759 For the look of summer suns, 1760 Nor the cold of winter days. 1761 Whose'er shall wander near, 1762 When the Syrian heat is worst, 1763 Let him hither come, nor fear 1764 Lest he may not slake his thirst: 1765 He will find this little river 1766 Running still, as bright as ever. 1767 Let him drink, and onward hie, 1768 Bearing but in thought, that I, 1769 Erotas, bade the Naiad fall, 1770 And thank the great god Pan for all! 1771 [ For a Fountain, by Bryan Waller Procter ] 1772fox 1773 One hot summer's day a Fox was strolling through an orchard 1774 till he came to a bunch of Grapes just ripening on a vine 1775 which had been trained over a lofty branch. "Just the thing 1776 to quench my thirst," quoth he. Drawing back a few paces, he 1777 took a run and a jump, and just missed the bunch. Turning 1778 round again with a One, Two, Three, he jumped up, but with 1779 no greater success. Again and again he tried after the 1780 tempting morsel, but at last had to give it up, and walked 1781 away with his nose in the air, saying: "I am sure they are 1782 sour." 1783 [ Aesop's Fables ] 1784*fung* 1785 Fungi, division of simple plants that lack chlorophyll, true 1786 stems, roots, and leaves. Unlike algae, fungi cannot 1787 photosynthesize, and live as parasites or saprophytes. The 1788 division comprises the slime molds and true fungi. True 1789 fungi are multicellular (with the exception of yeasts); the 1790 body of most true fungi consists of slender cottony 1791 filaments, or hyphae. All fungi are capable of asexual 1792 reproduction by cell division, budding, fragmentation, or 1793 spores. Those that reproduce sexually alternate a sexual 1794 generation (gametophyte) with a spore-producing one. The 1795 four classes of true fungi are the algaelike fungi (e.g., 1796 black bread mold and downy mildew), sac fungi (e.g., yeasts, 1797 powdery mildews, truffles, and blue and green molds such as 1798 Penicillium), basidium fungi (e.g., mushrooms and puffballs) 1799 and imperfect fungi (e.g., species that cause athlete's foot 1800 and ringworm). Fungi help decompose organic matter (important 1801 in soil renewal); are valuable as a source of antibiotics, 1802 vitamins, and various chemicals; and for their role in 1803 fermentation, e.g., in bread and alcoholic beverage 1804 production. 1805 [ The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia ] 1806*gargoyle 1807 And so it came to pass that while Man ruled on Earth, the 1808 gargoyles waited, lurking, hidden from the light. Reborn 1809 every 600 years in Man's reckoning of time, the gargoyles 1810 joined battle against Man to gain dominion over the Earth. 1811 1812 In each coming, the gargoyles were nearly destroyed by Men 1813 who flourished in greater numbers. Now it has been so many 1814 hundreds of years that it seems the ancient statues and 1815 paintings of gargoyles are just products of Man's 1816 imagination. In this year, with Man's thoughts turned toward 1817 the many ills he has brought among himself, Man has forgotten 1818 his most ancient adversary, the gargoyles. 1819 [ Excerpt from the opening narration to the movie 1820 _Gargoyles_, written by Stephen and Elinor Karpf ] 1821*garlic 1822 1 November - All day long we have travelled, and at a good 1823 speed. The horses seem to know that they are being kindly 1824 treated, for they go willingly their full stage at best 1825 speed. We have now had so many changes and find the same 1826 thing so constantly that we are encouraged to think that the 1827 journey will be an easy one. Dr. Van Helsing is laconic, he 1828 tells the farmers that he is hurrying to Bistritz, and pays 1829 them well to make the exchange of horses. We get hot soup, 1830 or coffee, or tea, and off we go. It is a lovely country. 1831 Full of beauties of all imaginable kinds, and the people are 1832 brave, and strong, and simple, and seem full of nice 1833 qualities. They are very, very superstitious. In the first 1834 house where we stopped, when the woman who served us saw the 1835 scar on my forehead, she crossed herself and put out two 1836 fingers towards me, to keep off the evil eye. I believe they 1837 went to the trouble of putting an extra amount of garlic into 1838 our food, and I can't abide garlic. Ever since then I have 1839 taken care not to take off my hat or veil, and so have 1840 escaped their suspicions. 1841 [ Dracula, by Bram Stoker ] 1842# gas spore -- see *spore 1843gehenn* 1844*h?nnom 1845hell 1846 "Place of Torment." The Valley of Hinnom, south-west of 1847 Jerusalem, where Solomon, king of Israel, built "a high place", 1848 or place of worship, for the gods Chemosh and Moloch. The 1849 valley came to be regarded as a place of abomination because 1850 some of the Israelites sacrificed their children to Moloch 1851 there. In a later period it was made a refuse dump and 1852 perpetual fires were maintained there to prevent pestilence. 1853 Thus, in the New Testament, Gehenna became synonymous with hell. 1854 [ Encyclopedia Mythica, ed. M.F. Lindemans ] 1855gelatinous cube 1856 Despite its popularity (or perhaps because of it), the 1857 gelatinous cube is also widely known as one of the sillier 1858 role-playing monsters. It is something of a commentary on the 1859 ubiquity of treasure-laden dungeons in the Dungeons & Dragons 1860 universe, as the cube is a creature specifically adapted to a 1861 dungeon ecosystem. 10 feet to the side, it travels through 1862 standard 10-foot by 10-foot dungeon corridors, cleaning up 1863 debris and redistributing treasure by excreting indigestible 1864 metal items. 1865 [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] 1866*gem 1867gem or rock 1868 The difference between false memories and true ones is the 1869 same as for jewels: it is always the false ones that look the 1870 most real, the most brilliant. 1871 [ Salvador Dali ] 1872geryon 1873 Forthwith that image vile of fraud appear'd, 1874 His head and upper part expos'd on land, 1875 But laid not on the shore his bestial train. 1876 His face the semblance of a just man's wore, 1877 So kind and gracious was its outward cheer; 1878 The rest was serpent all: two shaggy claws 1879 Reach'd to the armpits, and the back and breast, 1880 And either side, were painted o'er with nodes 1881 And orbits. Colours variegated more 1882 Nor Turks nor Tartars e'er on cloth of state 1883 With interchangeable embroidery wove, 1884 Nor spread Arachne o'er her curious loom. 1885 As ofttimes a light skiff, moor'd to the shore, 1886 Stands part in water, part upon the land; 1887 Or, as where dwells the greedy German boor, 1888 The beaver settles watching for his prey; 1889 So on the rim, that fenc'd the sand with rock, 1890 Sat perch'd the fiend of evil. In the void 1891 Glancing, his tail upturn'd its venomous fork, 1892 With sting like scorpion's arm'd. Then thus my guide: 1893 "Now need our way must turn few steps apart, 1894 Far as to that ill beast, who couches there." 1895 [ The Inferno, from The Divine Comedy of Dante 1896 Alighieri, translated by H.F. Cary ] 1897*ghost 1898valley of *dea* 1899 And now the souls of the dead who had gone below came swarming 1900 up from Erebus -- fresh brides, unmarried youths, old men 1901 with life's long suffering behind them, tender young girls 1902 still nursing this first anguish in their hearts, and a great 1903 throng of warriors killed in battle, their spear-wounds gaping 1904 yet and all their armour stained with blood. From this 1905 multitude of souls, as they fluttered to and fro by the 1906 trench, there came a moaning that was horrible to hear. 1907 Panic drained the blood from my cheeks. 1908 [ The Odyssey, (chapter Lambda), by Homer ] 1909ghoul 1910 The forces of the gloom know each other, and are strangely 1911 balanced by each other. Teeth and claws fear what they cannot 1912 grasp. Blood-drinking bestiality, voracious appetites, hunger 1913 in search of prey, the armed instincts of nails and jaws which 1914 have for source and aim the belly, glare and smell out 1915 uneasily the impassive spectral forms straying beneath a 1916 shroud, erect in its vague and shuddering robe, and which seem 1917 to them to live with a dead and terrible life. These 1918 brutalities, which are only matter, entertain a confused fear 1919 of having to deal with the immense obscurity condensed into an 1920 unknown being. A black figure barring the way stops the wild 1921 beast short. That which emerges from the cemetery intimidates 1922 and disconcerts that which emerges from the cave; the 1923 ferocious fear the sinister; wolves recoil when they encounter 1924 a ghoul. 1925 [ Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo ] 1926*giant 1927giant humanoid 1928 Giants have always walked the earth, though they are rare in 1929 these times. They range in size from little over nine feet 1930 to a towering twenty feet or more. The larger ones use huge 1931 boulders as weapons, hurling them over large distances. All 1932 types of giants share a love for men - roasted, boiled, or 1933 fried. Their table manners are legendary. 1934# note: "gnomish wizard" is a monster 1935~gnome ??m* 1936#~gnom* cave*man 1937gnome* 1938gnomish wizard 1939 ... And then a gnome came by, carrying a bundle, an old 1940 fellow three times as large as an imp and wearing clothes of 1941 a sort, especially a hat. And he was clearly just as frightened 1942 as the imps though he could not go so fast. Ramon Alonzo 1943 saw that there must be some great trouble that was vexing 1944 magical things; and, since gnomes speak the language of men, and 1945 will answer if spoken to gently, he raised his hat, and asked 1946 of the gnome his name. The gnome did not stop his hasty 1947 shuffle a moment as he answered 'Alaraba' and grabbed the rim 1948 of his hat but forgot to doff it. 1949 'What is the trouble, Alaraba?' said Ramon Alonzo. 1950 'White magic. Run!' said the gnome .. 1951 [ The Charwoman's Shadow, by Lord Dunsany ] 1952 1953 "Muggles have garden gnomes, too, you know," Harry told Ron as 1954 they crossed the lawn. 1955 "Yeah, I've seen those things they think are gnomes," said Ron, 1956 bent double with his head in a peony bush, "like fat little 1957 Santa Clauses with fishing rods..." 1958 There was a violent scuffling noise, the peony bush shuddered, 1959 and Ron straightened up. "This is a gnome," he said grimly. 1960 "Geroff me! Gerroff me!" squealed the gnome. 1961 It was certainly nothing like Santa Claus. It was small and 1962 leathery looking, with a large, knobby, bald head exactly like 1963 a potato. Ron held it at arm's length as it kicked out at him 1964 with its horny little feet; he grasped it around the ankles 1965 and turned it upside down. 1966 [ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J. K. Rowling ] 1967goblin 1968 Now goblins are cruel, wicked, and bad-hearted. They make 1969 no beautiful things, but they make many clever ones. They 1970 can tunnel and mine as well as any but the most skilled 1971 dwarves, when they take the trouble, though they are usually 1972 untidy and dirty. Hammers, axes, swords, daggers, pickaxes, 1973 tongs, and also instruments of torture, they make very well, 1974 or get other people to make to their design, prisoners and 1975 slaves that have to work till they die for want of air and 1976 light. 1977 [ The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 1978god 1979goddess 1980 Goddesses and Gods operate in ones, threesomes, or whole 1981 pantheons of nine or more (see Religion). Most of them claim 1982 to have made the world, and this is indeed a likely claim in 1983 the case of threesomes or pantheons: Fantasyland does have 1984 the air of having been made by a committee. But all Goddesses 1985 and Gods, whether they say they made the world or not, have 1986 very detailed short-term plans for it which they are determined 1987 to carry out. Consequently they tend to push people into the 1988 required actions by the use of coincidence or Prophecy, or just 1989 by narrowing down your available choices of what to do next: 1990 if a deity is pushing you, things will go miserably badly until 1991 there is only one choice left to you. 1992 [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] 1993gold 1994gold piece 1995 A metal of characteristic yellow colour, the most precious 1996 metal used as a common commercial medium of exchange. Symbol, 1997 Au; at. no. 79; at. wt. 197.2. It is the most malleable 1998 and ductile of all metals, and very heavy (sp. gr., 19.3). 1999 It is quite unalterable by heat, moisture, and most 2000 corrosive agents, and therefore well suited for its use in 2001 coin and jewelry. 2002 [ Webster's New International Dictionary 2003 of the English Language, Second Edition ] 2004gold golem 2005 The bellows he set away from the fire, and gathered all the tools 2006 wherewith he wrought into a silver chest; and with a sponge wiped 2007 he his face and his two hands withal, and his mighty neck and 2008 shaggy breast, and put upon him a tunic, and grasped a stout staff, 2009 and went forth halting; but there moved swiftly to support their 2010 lord handmaidens wrought of gold in the semblance of living maids. 2011 In them is understanding in their hearts, and in them speech and 2012 strength, and they know cunning handiwork by gift of the immortal 2013 gods. 2014 [ The Iliad, by Homer ] 2015~flesh golem 2016~gold golem 2017~straw golem 2018~wood golem 2019~clay golem 2020*golem 2021 "The original story harks back, so they say, to the sixteenth 2022 century. Using long-lost formulas from the Kabbala, a rabbi is 2023 said to have made an artificial man -- the so-called Golem -- to 2024 help ring the bells in the Synagogue and for all kinds of other 2025 menial work. 2026 "But he hadn't made a full man, and it was animated by some sort 2027 of vegetable half-life. What life it had, too, so the story 2028 runs, was only derived from the magic charm placed behind its 2029 teeth each day, that drew down to itself what was known as the 2030 `free sidereal strength of the universe.' 2031 "One evening, before evening prayers, the rabbi forgot to take 2032 the charm out of the Golem's mouth, and it fell into a frenzy. 2033 It raged through the dark streets, smashing everything in its 2034 path, until the rabbi caught up with it, removed the charm, and 2035 destroyed it. Then the Golem collapsed, lifeless. All that was 2036 left of it was a small clay image, which you can still see in 2037 the Old Synagogue." ... 2038 [ The Golem, by Gustav Meyrink ] 2039grave 2040 "Who'd care to dig 'em," said the old, old man, 2041 "Those six feet marked in chalk? 2042 Much I talk, more I walk; 2043 Time I were buried," said the old, old man. 2044 [ Three Songs to the Same Tune, by W.B. Yeats ] 2045grayswandir 2046 Why had I been wearing Grayswandir? Would another weapon have 2047 affected a Logrus-ghost as strongly? Had it really been my 2048 father, then, who had brought me here? And had he felt I might 2049 need the extra edge his weapon could provide? I wanted to 2050 think so, to believe that he had been more than a Pattern-ghost. 2051 [ Knight of Shadows, by Roger Zelazny ] 2052*grease 2053 ANOINT, v.t. To grease a king or other great functionary 2054 already sufficiently slippery. 2055 [ The Devil's Dictionary, by Ambrose Bierce ] 2056gremlin 2057 The gremlin is a highly intelligent and completely evil 2058 creature. It lives to torment other creatures and will go 2059 to great lengths to inflict pain or cause injury. 2060 [] 2061 2062 Suddenly, Wilson thought about war, about the newspaper 2063 stories which recounted the alleged existence of creatures in 2064 the sky who plagued the Allied pilots in their duties. They 2065 called them gremlins, he remembered. Were there, actually, 2066 such beings? Did they, truly, exist up here, never falling, 2067 riding on the wind, apparently of bulk and weight, yet 2068 impervious to gravity? 2069 He was thinking that when the man appeared again. 2070 [ Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, by Richard Matheson ] 2071grid bug 2072 These electronically based creatures are not native to this 2073 universe. They appear to come from a world whose laws of 2074 motion are radically different from ours. 2075 [] 2076 2077 Tron looked to his mate and pilot. "I'm going to check on 2078 the beam connection, Yori. You two can keep a watch out for 2079 grid bugs." Tron paced forward along the slender catwalk 2080 that still seemed awfully insubstantial to Flynn, though he 2081 knew it to be amazingly sturdy. He gazed after Tron, asking 2082 himself what in the world a grid bug was, and hoping that the 2083 beam connection -- to which he'd given no thought whatsoever 2084 until this moment -- was healthy and sound." 2085 [ Tron, novel by Brian Daley, story by Steven Lisberger ] 2086gunyoki 2087 The samurai's last meal before battle. It was usually made 2088 up of cooked chestnuts, dried seaweed, and sake. 2089hachi 2090 Hachi was a dog that went with his master, a professor, to 2091 the Shibuya train station every morning. In the afternoon, 2092 when his master was to return from work Hachi would be there 2093 waiting. One day his master died at the office, and did not 2094 return. For over ten years Hachi returned to the station 2095 every afternoon to wait for his master. When Hachi died a 2096 statue was erected on the station platform in his honor. It 2097 is said to bring you luck if you touch his statue. 2098*harp 2099 A triangular stringed instrument, often Magic. Even when not 2100 Magic, a Harp is surprisingly portable and tough and can be 2101 carried everywhere on the back of the Bard or Harper in all 2102 weathers. A Harp seldom goes out of tune and never warps. 2103 Its strings break only in very rare instances, usually 2104 because the Harper is sulking or crossed in love. This is 2105 just as well as no one seems to make or sell spare strings. 2106 [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] 2107 2108 After breakfast was over, the ogre called out: "Wife, wife, 2109 bring me my golden harp." So she brought it and put it on 2110 the table before him. Then he said: "Sing!" and the golden 2111 harp sang most beautifully. And it went on singing till the 2112 ogre fell asleep, and commenced to snore like thunder. 2113 Then Jack lifted up the copper-lid very quietly and got down 2114 like a mouse and crept on hands and knees till he came to the 2115 table, when up he crawled, caught hold of the golden harp and 2116 dashed with it towards the door. But the harp called out 2117 quite loud: "Master! Master!" and the ogre woke up just in 2118 time to see Jack running off with his harp. 2119 [ Jack and the Beanstalk, from English Fairy Tales, 2120 by Joseph Jacobs ] 2121hawaiian*shirt 2122 'One of the things he can't do, he can't ride a horse,' he 2123 said. Then he stiffened as if sandbagged by a sudden 2124 recollection, gave a small yelp of terror and dashed into 2125 the gloom. When he returned, the being called Twoflower was 2126 hanging limply over his shoulder. It was small and skinny, 2127 and dressed very oddly in a pair of knee-length britches and 2128 a shirt in such a violent and vivid conflict of colours that 2129 the Weasel's fastidious eye was offended even in the half-light. 2130 [ The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett ] 2131healer 2132* healer 2133attendant 2134doctor 2135physician 2136 I swear by Apollo the physician, and Aesculapius, and Health, 2137 and All-heal, and all the gods and goddesses, that, according 2138 to my ability and judgment, I will keep this Oath and this 2139 stipulation -- to reckon him who taught me this Art equally dear 2140 to me as my parents, to share my substance with him, and relieve 2141 his necessities if required; to look upon his offspring in the 2142 same footing as my own brothers, and to teach them this art, if 2143 they shall wish to learn it, without fee or stipulation; and 2144 that by precept, lecture, and every other mode of instruction, 2145 I will impart a knowledge of the Art to my own sons, and those 2146 of my teachers, and to disciples bound by a stipulation and oath 2147 according to the law of medicine, but to none others. I will 2148 follow that system of regimen which, according to my ability and 2149 judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patients, and abstain 2150 from whatever is deleterious and mischievous. [...] 2151 [ Hippocrates' Oath, translated by Francis Adams ] 2152 2153 PHYSICIAN, n. One upon whom we set our hopes when ill and our 2154 dogs when well. 2155 [ The Devil's Dictionary, by Ambrose Bierce ] 2156heart of ahriman 2157 The other three drew in their breath sharply, and the dark, 2158 powerful man who stood at the head of the sarcophagus whispered: 2159 "The Heart of Ahriman!" The other lifted a quick hand 2160 for silence. Somewhere a dog began howling dolefully, and a 2161 stealthy step padded outside the barred and bolted door. ... 2162 But none looked aside from the mummy case over which the man 2163 in the ermine-trimmed robe was now moving the great flaming 2164 jewel, while he muttered an incantation that was old when 2165 Atlantis sank. The glare of the gem dazzled their eyes, so 2166 that they could not be sure what they saw; but with a 2167 splintering crash, the carven lid of the sarcophagus burst 2168 outward as if from some irresistible pressure applied from 2169 within and the four men, bending eagerly forward, saw the 2170 occupant -- a huddled, withered, wizened shape, with dried 2171 brown limbs like dead wood showing through moldering bandages. 2172 "Bring that thing back?" muttered the small dark man who 2173 stood on the right, with a short, sardonic laugh. "It is 2174 ready to crumble at a touch. We are fools ---" 2175 [ Conan The Conqueror, by Robert E. Howard ] 2176hell hound* 2177 But suddenly they started forward in a rigid, fixed stare, 2178 and his lips parted in amazement. At the same instant Lestrade 2179 gave a yell of terror and threw himself face downward upon the 2180 ground. I sprang to my feet, my inert hand grasping my pistol, 2181 my mind paralyzed by the dreadful shape which had sprung out 2182 upon us from the shadows of the fog. A hound it was, an 2183 enormous coal-black hound, but not such a hound as mortal eyes 2184 have ever seen. Fire burst from its open mouth, its eyes 2185 glowed with a smouldering glare, its muzzle and hackles and 2186 dewlap were outlined in flickering flame. Never in the 2187 delirious dream of a disordered brain could anything more 2188 savage, more appalling, more hellish be conceived than that 2189 dark form and savage face which broke upon us out of the wall 2190 of fog. 2191 [ The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. ] 2192hermes 2193 Messenger and herald of the Olympians. Being required to do 2194 a great deal of travelling and speaking in public, he became 2195 the god of eloquence, travellers, merchants, and thieves. He 2196 was one of the most energetic of the Greek gods, a 2197 Machiavellian character full of trickery and sexual vigour. 2198 Like other Greek gods, he is endowed with not-inconsiderable 2199 sexual prowess which he directs towards countryside nymphs. 2200 He is a god of boundaries, guardian of graves and patron deity 2201 of shepherds. He is usually depicted as a handsome young 2202 man wearing winged golden sandals and holding a magical 2203 herald's staff consisting of intertwined serpents, the 2204 kerykeion. He is reputedly the only being able to find his way 2205 to the underworld ferry of Charon and back again. He is said 2206 to have invented, among other things, the lyre, Pan's Pipes, 2207 numbers, the alphabet, weights and measures, and sacrificing. 2208hezrou 2209 "Hezrou" is the common name for the type II demon. It is 2210 among the weaker of demons, but still quite formidable. 2211hippocrates 2212 Greek physician, recognized as the father of medicine. He 2213 is believed to have been born on the island of Cos, to have 2214 studied under his father, a physician, to have traveled for 2215 some time, perhaps studying in Athens, and to have then 2216 returned to practice, teach, and write at Cos. The 2217 Hippocratic or Coan school that formed around him was of 2218 enormous importance in separating medicine from superstition 2219 and philosophic speculation, placing it on a strictly 2220 scientific plane based on objective observation and critical 2221 deductive reasoning. 2222 [ The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition ] 2223hobbit 2224 Hobbits are an unobtrusive but very ancient people, more 2225 numerous formerly than they are today; for they love peace 2226 and quiet and good tilled earth: a well-ordered and well- 2227 farmed countryside was their favourite haunt. They do not 2228 and did not understand or like machines more complicated 2229 than a forge-bellows, a water-mill, or a handloom, although 2230 they were skillful with tools. Even in ancient days they 2231 were, as a rule, shy of "the Big Folk", as they call us, and 2232 now they avoid us with dismay and are becoming hard to find. 2233 [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 2234hobgoblin 2235 Hobgoblin. Used by the Puritans and in later times for 2236 wicked goblin spirits, as in Bunyan's "Hobgoblin nor foul 2237 friend", but its more correct use is for the friendly spirits 2238 of the brownie type. In "A midsummer night's dream" a 2239 fairy says to Shakespeare's Puck: 2240 Those that Hobgoblin call you, and sweet Puck, 2241 You do their work, and they shall have good luck: 2242 Are you not he? 2243 and obviously Puck would not wish to be called a hobgoblin 2244 if that was an ill-omened word. 2245 Hobgoblins are on the whole, good-humoured and ready to be 2246 helpful, but fond of practical joking, and like most of the 2247 fairies rather nasty people to annoy. Boggarts hover on the 2248 verge of hobgoblindom. Bogles are just over the edge. 2249 One Hob mentioned by Henderson, was Hob Headless who haunted 2250 the road between Hurworth and Neasham, but could not cross 2251 the little river Kent, which flowed into the Tess. He was 2252 exorcised and laid under a large stone by the roadside for 2253 ninety-nine years and a day. If anyone was so unwary as to 2254 sit on that stone, he would be unable to quit it for ever. 2255 The ninety-nine years is nearly up, so trouble may soon be 2256 heard of on the road between Hurworth and Neasham. 2257 [ A Dictionary of Fairies, by Katharine Briggs ] 2258holy water 2259 "We want a word with you," said Ligur (in a tone of voice 2260 intended to imply that "word" was synonymous with "horrifically 2261 painful eternity"), and the squat demon pushed open the office 2262 door. 2263 The bucket teetered, then fell neatly on Ligur's head. 2264 Drop a lump of sodium in water. Watch it flame and burn and 2265 spin around crazily, flaring and sputtering. This was like 2266 that, just nastier. 2267 The demon peeled and flared and flickered. Oily brown smoke 2268 oozed from it, and it screamed and it screamed and it screamed. 2269 Then it crumpled, folded in on itself, and what was left lay 2270 glistening on the burnt and blackened circle of carpet, looking 2271 like a handful of mashed slugs. 2272 "Hi," said Crowley to Hastur, who had been walking behind Ligur, 2273 and had unfortunately not been so much as splashed. 2274 There are some things that are unthinkable; there are some 2275 depths that not even demons would believe other demons would 2276 stoop to. 2277 ". . . Holy water. You bastard," said Hastur. "You complete 2278 _bastard_. He hadn't never done nothing to _you_." 2279 "Yet," corrected Crowley. 2280 [ Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett ] 2281hom*nculus 2282 A homunculus is a creature summoned by a mage to perform some 2283 particular task. They are particularly good at spying. They 2284 are smallish creatures, but very agile. They can put their 2285 victims to sleep with a venomous bite, but due to their size, 2286 the effect does not last long on humans. 2287 2288 "Tothapis cut him off. 'Be still and hearken. You will travel 2289 aboard the sacred wingboat. Of it you may not have heard; but 2290 it will bear you thither in a night and a day and a night. 2291 With you will go a homunculus that can relay your words to me, 2292 and mine to you, across the leagues between at the speed of 2293 thought.'" 2294 [ Conan the Rebel, by Poul Anderson ] 2295# also gets 'pruning hook' aka guisarme 2296*hook 2297 But as for Queequeg -- why, Queequeg sat there among them -- 2298 at the head of the table, too, it so chanced; as cool as an 2299 icicle. To be sure I cannot say much for his breeding. His 2300 greatest admirer could not have cordially justified his 2301 bringing his harpoon into breakfast with him, and using it 2302 there without ceremony; reaching over the table with it, to 2303 the imminent jeopardy of many heads, and grappling the 2304 beefsteaks towards him. 2305 [ Moby Dick, by Herman Melville ] 2306~unicorn horn 2307*horn 2308 Roland hath set the Olifant to his mouth, 2309 He grasps it well, and with great virtue sounds. 2310 High are those peaks, afar it rings and loud, 2311 Thirty great leagues they hear its echoes mount. 2312 So Charles heard, and all his comrades round; 2313 Then said that King: "Battle they do, our counts!" 2314 And Guenelun answered, contrarious: 2315 "That were a lie, in any other mouth." 2316 [ The Song of Roland ] 2317horn of plenty 2318cornucopia 2319 The infant Zeus was fed with goat's milk by Amalthea, 2320 daughter of Melisseus, King of Crete. Zeus, in gratitude, 2321 broke off one of the goat's horns, and gave it to Amalthea, 2322 promising that the possessor should always have in abundance 2323 everything desired. 2324 [ Brewer's Concise Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ] 2325 2326 When Amalthea's horn 2327 O'er hill and dale the rose-crowned flora pours, 2328 And scatters corn and wine, and fruits and flowers. 2329 [ Os Lusiadas, by Luis Vaz de Camoes ] 2330horned devil 2331barbed devil 2332 These devils lack any real special abilities, though they 2333 are quite difficult to kill. 2334~horsem* 2335*horse 2336 King Richard III: A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse! 2337 Catesby: Withdraw, my lord; I'll help you to a horse. 2338 King Richard III: Slave, I have set my life upon a cast, 2339 And I will stand the hazard of the die: 2340 I think there be six Richmonds in the field; 2341 Five have I slain to-day instead of him. 2342 A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse! 2343 [ King Richard III, by William Shakespeare ] 2344*horsem* 2345rider* 2346death 2347famine 2348pestilence 2349war 2350hunger 2351 [Pestilence:] And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, 2352 and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four 2353 beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white 2354 horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given 2355 unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. 2356 2357 [War:] And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the 2358 second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another 2359 horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon 2360 to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one 2361 another: and there was given unto him a great sword. 2362 2363 [Famine:] And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the 2364 third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black 2365 horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his 2366 hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, 2367 A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley 2368 for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. 2369 2370 [Death:] And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the 2371 voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and 2372 behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, 2373 and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over 2374 the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with 2375 hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. 2376 [ Revelations of John, 6:1-8 ] 2377huan*ti 2378 The first of five mythical Chinese emperors, Huan Ti is known 2379 as the yellow emperor. He rules the _moving_ heavens, as 2380 opposed to the _dark_ heavens. He is an inventor, said to 2381 have given mankind among other things, the wheel, armour, and 2382 the compass. He is the god of fortune telling and war. 2383hu*h*eto*l 2384minion of huhetotl 2385 Huehuetotl, or Huhetotl, which means Old God, was the Aztec 2386 (classical Mesoamerican) god of fire. He is generally 2387 associated with paternalism and one of the group classed 2388 as the Xiuhtecuhtli complex. He is known to send his 2389 minions to wreak havoc upon ordinary humans. 2390 [ after the Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ] 2391humanoid 2392 Humanoids are all approximately the size of a human, and may 2393 be mistaken for one at a distance. They are usually of a 2394 tribal nature, and will fiercely defend their lairs. Usually 2395 hostile, they may even band together to raid and pillage 2396 human settlements. 2397# takes "human or elf or you" when specifying '@' as a dwarf, gnome, or orc 2398human 2399chieftain 2400guard 2401ninja 2402nurse 2403ronin 2404student 2405warrior 2406*watch* 2407human or elf* 2408 These strange creatures live mostly on the surface of the 2409 earth, gathering together in societies of various forms, but 2410 occasionally a stray will descend into the depths and commit 2411 mayhem among the dungeon residents who, naturally, often 2412 resent the intrusion of such beasts. They are capable of 2413 using weapons and magic, and it is even rumored that the 2414 Wizard of Yendor is a member of this species. 2415hunter 2416 What of the hunting, hunter bold? 2417 Brother, the watch was long and cold. 2418 What of the quarry ye went to kill? 2419 Brother, he crops in the jungle still. 2420 Where is the power that made your pride? 2421 Brother, it ebbs from my flank and side. 2422 Where is the haste that ye hurry by? 2423 Brother, I go to my lair to die. 2424 [ The Jungle Book, by Rudyard Kipling ] 2425ice devil 2426 Ice devils are large semi-insectoid creatures, who are 2427 equally at home in the fires of Hell and the cold of Limbo, 2428 and who can cause the traveller to feel the latter with just 2429 a touch of their tail. 2430idefix 2431 Another clever translation [of the _Asterix_ character names] 2432 is that of Idefix. An _idee fixe_ is a "fixed idea", i.e. 2433 an obsession, a dogma. The translation, Dogmatix, manages to 2434 conserve the "fixed idea" meaning and also include the syllable 2435 dog -- perfect, given that the character is a dog who has very 2436 strong views on the environment (he howls whenever he sees an 2437 uprooted tree). 2438 [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] 2439# takes "imp or minor demon" when specifying 'i' 2440imp 2441imp or minor demon 2442 ... imps ... little creatures of two feet high that could 2443 gambol and jump prodigiously; ... 2444 [ The Charwoman's Shadow, by Lord Dunsany ] 2445 2446 An 'imp' is an off-shoot or cutting. Thus an 'ymp tree' was 2447 a grafted tree, or one grown from a cutting, not from seed. 2448 'Imp' properly means a small devil, an off-shoot of Satan, 2449 but the distinction between goblins or bogles and imps from 2450 hell is hard to make, and many in the Celtic countries as 2451 well as the English Puritans regarded all fairies as devils. 2452 The fairies of tradition often hover uneasily between the 2453 ghostly and the diabolic state. 2454 [ A Dictionary of Fairies, by Katharine Briggs ] 2455incubus 2456succubus 2457 The incubus and succubus are male and female versions of the 2458 same demon, one who lies with a human for its own purposes, 2459 usually to the detriment of the mortals who are unwise in 2460 their dealings with them. 2461*insect 2462*insects 2463 A minute invertebrate animal; one of the class _Insecta_. 2464 The true insects or hexapods have the body divided into a 2465 head, a thorax of 3 segments, each of which bears a pair of 2466 legs, and an abdomen of 7 to 11 segments, and in development 2467 usually pass through a metamorphosis. There are usually 2 2468 pairs of wings, sometimes one pair or none. 2469 [ Webster's Comprehensive International Dictionary 2470 of the English Language ] 2471 2472 Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow 2473 will I bring the locusts into thy coast: 2474 And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot 2475 be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of 2476 that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, 2477 and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field: 2478 And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy 2479 servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither 2480 thy fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day 2481 that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned 2482 himself, and went out from Pharaoh. 2483 [ Exodus, 10:4-6 ] 2484*iron ball 2485*iron chain 2486 "You are fettered, " said Scrooge, trembling. "Tell me why?" 2487 "I wear the chain I forged in life," replied the Ghost. "I 2488 made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my 2489 own free will, and of my own free will I wore it. Is its 2490 pattern strange to you?" 2491 Scrooge trembled more and more. 2492 "Or would you know," pursued the Ghost, "the weight and 2493 length of the strong coil you bear yourself? It was full as 2494 heavy and as long as this, seven Christmas Eves ago. You 2495 have laboured on it, since. It is a ponderous chain!" 2496 [ A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens ] 2497iron bars 2498 Stone walls do not a prison make, 2499 Nor iron bars a cage; 2500 Minds innocent and quiet take 2501 That for an hermitage; 2502 If I have freedom in my love, 2503 And in my soul am free, 2504 Angels alone that soar above 2505 Enjoy such liberty. 2506 [ To Althea from Prison, by Richard Lovelace ] 2507ishtar 2508 Ishtar (the star of heaven) is the Mesopotamian goddess of 2509 fertility and war. She is usually depicted with wings and 2510 weapon cases at her shoulders, carrying a ceremonial double- 2511 headed mace-scimitar embellished with lion heads, frequently 2512 being accompanied by a lion. She is symbolized by an eight- 2513 pointed star. 2514 [ Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ] 2515issek 2516 Now Issek of the Jug, whom Fafhrd chose to serve, was once 2517 of the most lowly and unsuccessful of the gods, godlets 2518 rather, in Lankhmar. He had dwelt there for about thirteen 2519 years, during which time he had traveled only two squares up 2520 the Street of the Gods and was now back again, ready for 2521 oblivion. He is not to be confused with Issek the Armless, 2522 Issek of the Burnt Legs, Flayed Issek, or any other of the 2523 numerous and colorfully mutilated divinities of that name. 2524 Indeed, his unpopularity may have been due in part to the 2525 fact that the manner of his death -- racking -- was not 2526 deemed particularly spectacular. ... However, after Fafhrd 2527 became his acolyte, things somehow began to change. 2528 [ Swords In The Mist, by Fritz Leiber ] 2529izchak 2530 The shopkeeper of the lighting shop in the town level of the 2531 gnomish mines is a tribute to Izchak Miller, a founding member 2532 of the NetHack development team and a personal friend of a large 2533 number of us. Izchak contributed greatly to the game, coding a 2534 large amount of the shopkeep logic (hence the nature of the tribute) 2535 as well as a good part of the alignment system, the prayer code and 2536 the rewrite of "hell" in the 3.1 release. Izchak was a professor 2537 of Philosophy, who taught at many respected institutions, including 2538 MIT and Stanford, and who also worked, for a period of time, at 2539 Xerox PARC. Izchak was the first "librarian" of the NetHack project, 2540 and was a founding member of the DevTeam, joining in 1986 while he 2541 was working at the University of Pennsylvania (hence our former 2542 mailing list address). Until the 3.1.3 release, Izchak carefully 2543 kept all of the code synchronized and arbitrated disputes between 2544 members of the development teams. Izchak Miller passed away at the 2545 age of 58, in the early morning hours of April 1, 1994 from 2546 complications due to cancer. We then dedicated NetHack 3.2 in his 2547 memory. 2548 [ Mike Stephenson, for the NetHack DevTeam ] 2549jabberwock 2550vorpal* 2551 "Beware the Jabberwock, my son! 2552 The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! 2553 Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun 2554 The frumious Bandersnatch!" 2555 2556 He took his vorpal sword in hand; 2557 Long time the manxome foe he sought -- 2558 So rested he by the Tumtum tree, 2559 And stood awhile in thought. 2560 2561 And, as in uffish thought he stood, 2562 The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, 2563 Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, 2564 And burbled as it came! 2565 2566 One, two! One, two! And through and through 2567 The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! 2568 He left it dead, and with its head 2569 He went galumphing back. 2570 [ Jabberwocky, by Lewis Carroll ] 2571jacinth* 2572 Sweet in the rough weather 2573 The voice of the turtle-dove 2574 'Beautiful altogether 2575 Is my Love. 2576 His Hands are open spread for love 2577 And full of jacinth stones 2578 As the apple-tree among trees of the grove 2579 Is He among the sons.' 2580 [ The Beloved, by May Probyn ] 2581jackal 2582 In Asiatic folktale, jackal provides for the lion; he scares 2583 up game, which the lion kills and eats, and receives what is 2584 left as reward. In stories from northern India he is 2585 sometimes termed "minister to the king," i.e. to the lion. 2586 From the legend that he does not kill his own food has arisen 2587 the legend of his cowardice. Jackal's heart must never be 2588 eaten, for instance, in the belief of peoples indigenous to 2589 the regions where the jackal abounds. ... In Hausa Negro 2590 folktale Jackal plays the role of sagacious judge and is 2591 called "O Learned One of the Forest." The Bushmen say that 2592 Jackal goes around behaving the way he does "because he is 2593 Jackal". 2594 [ Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore ] 2595*jack*boot* 2596 A large boot extending over the knee, acting as protective 2597 armour for the leg, worn by troopers in the 17th and 18th 2598 centuries and later. It is still the type of boot worn by 2599 the Household Cavalry and was adopted by fishermen and others 2600 before the advent of gum boots. Figuratively, _to be under the 2601 jack-boot_ is to be controlled by a brutal military regime. 2602 [ Brewer's Concise Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ] 2603jade* 2604 Nothing grew among the ruins of the city. The streets were 2605 broken and the walls of the houses had fallen, but there were 2606 no weeds flowering in the cracks and it seemed that the city 2607 had but recently been brought down by an earthquake. Only 2608 one thing still stood intact, towering over the ruins. It 2609 was a gigantic statue of white, gray and green jade - the 2610 statue of a naked youth with a face of almost feminine beauty 2611 that turned sightless eyes toward the north. 2612 "The eyes!" Duke Avan Astran said. "They're gone!" 2613 [ The Jade Man's Eyes, by Michael Moorcock ] 2614jaguar 2615 Large, flesh-eating animal of the cat family, of Central and 2616 South America. This feline predator (_Panthera onca_) is 2617 sometimes incorrectly called a panther. 2618 [ Van Dale's Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal ] 2619jellyfish 2620 I do not care to share the seas 2621 With jellyfishes such as these; 2622 Particularly Portuguese. 2623 [ Lines on Meeting a Portuguese Man-o'-war while Bathing, 2624 by Michael Flanders ] 2625juiblex 2626jubilex 2627 Little is known about the Faceless Lord, even the correct 2628 spelling of his name. He does not have a physical form as 2629 we know it, and those who have peered into his realm claim 2630 he is a slime-like creature who swallows other creatures 2631 alive, spits acidic secretions, and causes disease in his 2632 victims which can be almost instantly fatal. 2633k?ration 2634 The K ration was the [ Quartermaster Subsistence Research 2635 and Development Laboratory's ] answer to the demand for an 2636 individual, easy-to-carry ration that could be used in 2637 assault and combat operations. It was noted for compactness 2638 and superior packaging and was acknowledged as the ration 2639 that provided the greatest variety of nutritionally balanced 2640 components within the smallest space. 2641 [ Special Rations for the Armed Forces, 1946-53, 2642 by Franz A. Koehler ] 2643kabuto 2644 The kabuto is the helmet worn by the samurai. It was 2645 characterized by a prominent beaked front which jutted out over 2646 the brow to protect the wearer's face; a feature that gives 2647 rise to their modern Japanese name of 'shokaku tsuki kabuto' 2648 (battering-ram helmet). Their main constructional element 2649 was an oval plate, the shokaku bo, slightly domed for the 2650 head with a narrow prolongation in front that curved forwards 2651 and downwards where it developed a pronounced central 2652 fold. Two horizontal strips encircling the head were riveted 2653 to this frontal strip: the lower one, the koshimaki (hip 2654 wrap), formed the lower edge of the helmet bowl; the other, 2655 the do maki (body wrap), was set at about the level of the 2656 temples. Filling the gaps between these strips and the shokaku 2657 bo were small plates, sometimes triangular but more commonly 2658 rectangular in shape. Because the front projected so 2659 far from the head, the triangular gap beneath was filled by 2660 a small plate, the shoshaku tei ita, whose rear edge bent 2661 downwards into a flange that rested against the forehead. 2662 [ Arms & Armour of the Samurai, by Bottomley & Hopson ] 2663katana 2664 The katana is a long, single-edged samurai sword with a 2665 slightly curved blade. Its long handle is designed to allow 2666 it to be wielded with either one or two hands. 2667kelp* 2668*frond 2669 I noticed that all the plants were attached to the soil by 2670 an almost imperceptible bond. Devoid of roots, they seemed 2671 not to require any nourishment from sand, soil, or pebble. 2672 All they required was a point of support -- nothing else. 2673 These plants are self-propagated, and their existence depends 2674 entirely on the water that supports and nourishes them. 2675 Most of them do not sprout leaves, but sprout blades of 2676 various whimsical shapes, and their colors are limited to 2677 pink, carmine, green, olive, fawn, and brown. I had the 2678 opportunity to observe once more -- not the dried specimens 2679 I had studied on the _Nautilus_ -- but the fresh, living 2680 specimens in their native setting. 2681 [ 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne ] 2682ki-rin 2683 The ki-rin is a strange-looking flying creature. It has 2684 scales, a mane like a lion, a tail, hooves, and a horn. It 2685 is brightly colored, and can usually be found flying in the 2686 sky looking for good deeds to reward. 2687king arthur 2688*arthur 2689 Ector took both his sons to the church before which the 2690 anvil had been placed. There, standing before the anvil, he 2691 commanded Kay: "Put the sword back into the steel if you 2692 really think the throne is yours!" But the sword glanced 2693 off the steel. "Now it is your turn", Ector said facing 2694 Arthur. 2695 The young man lifted the sword and thrust with both arms; the 2696 blade whizzed through the air with a flash and drilled the 2697 metal as if it were mere butter. Ector and Kay dropped to 2698 their knees before Arthur. 2699 "Why, father and brother, do you bow before me?", Arthur asked 2700 with wonder in his voice. 2701 "Because now I know for sure that you are the king, not only 2702 by birth but also by law", Ector said. "You are no son of 2703 mine nor are you Kay's brother. Immediately after your birth, 2704 Merlin the Wise brought you to me to be raised safely. And 2705 though it was me that named you Arthur when you were baptized, 2706 you are really the son of brave king Uther Pendragon and queen 2707 Igraine..." 2708 And after these words, the lord rose and went to see the arch- 2709 bishop to impart to him what had passed. 2710 [ Van Gouden Tijden Zingen de Harpen, by Vladimir Hulpach, 2711 Emanuel Frynta, and Vackav Cibula ] 2712knife 2713stiletto 2714 Possibly perceiving an expression of dubiosity on their 2715 faces, the globetrotter went on adhering to his adventures. 2716 2717 -- And I seen a man killed in Trieste by an Italian chap. 2718 Knife in his back. Knife like that. 2719 2720 Whilst speaking he produced a dangerous looking clasp knife, 2721 quite in keeping with his character, and held it in the 2722 striking position. 2723 2724 -- In a knockingshop it was count of a tryon between two 2725 smugglers. Fellow hid behind a door, come up behind him. 2726 Like that. Prepare to meet your God, says he. Chuck! It 2727 went into his back up to the butt. 2728 [ Ulysses, by James Joyce ] 2729knight 2730* knight 2731 Here lies the noble fearless knight, 2732 Whose valour rose to such a height; 2733 When Death at last had struck him down, 2734 His was the victory and renown. 2735 He reck'd the world of little prize, 2736 And was a bugbear in men's eyes; 2737 But had the fortune in his age 2738 To live a fool and die a sage. 2739 [ Don Quixote of La Mancha, by Miquel de Cervantes Saavedra ] 2740~kobold ??m* 2741*kobold* 2742 The race of kobolds are reputed to be an artificial creation 2743 of a master wizard (demi-god?). They are about 3' tall with 2744 a vaguely dog-like face. They bear a violent dislike of the 2745 Elven race, and will go out of their way to cause trouble 2746 for Elves at any time. 2747*kop* 2748 The Kops are a brilliant concept. To take a gaggle of inept 2749 policemen and display them over and over again in a series of 2750 riotously funny physical punishments plays equally well to the 2751 peanut gallery and the expensive box seats. People hate cops. 2752 Even people who have never had anything to do with cops hate 2753 them. Of course, we count on them to keep order and to protect 2754 us when we need protecting, and we love them on television shows 2755 in which they have nerves of steel and hearts of gold, but in 2756 the abstract, as a nation, collectively we hate them. They are 2757 too much like high school principals. We're very happy to see 2758 their pants fall down, and they look good to us with pie on 2759 their faces. The Keystone Kops turn up--and they get punished 2760 for it, as they crash into each other, fall down, and suffer 2761 indignity after indignity. Here is pure movie satisfaction. 2762 2763 The Kops are very skillfully presented. The comic originality 2764 and timing in one of their chase scenes requires imagination 2765 to think up, talent to execute, understanding of the medium, 2766 and, of course, raw courage to perform. The Kops are madmen 2767 presented as incompetents, and they're madmen rushing around 2768 in modern machines. What's more, the machines they were operating 2769 in their routines were newly invented and not yet experienced 2770 by the average moviegoer. (In the early days of automobiles, 2771 it was reported that there were only two cars registered in all 2772 of Kansas City, and they ran into each other. There is both 2773 poetry and philosophy in this fact, but most of all, there is 2774 humor. Sennett got the humor.) 2775 [ Silent Stars, by Jeanine Basinger ] 2776kos 2777 "I am not a coward!" he cried. "I'll dare Thieves' House 2778 and fetch you Krovas' head and toss it with blood a-drip at 2779 Vlana's feet. I swear that, witness me, Kos the god of 2780 dooms, by the brown bones of Nalgron my father and by his 2781 sword Graywand here at my side!" 2782 [ Swords and Deviltry, by Fritz Leiber ] 2783koto 2784 A Japanese harp. 2785kraken 2786 Out from the water a long sinuous tentacle had crawled; it 2787 was pale-green and luminous and wet. Its fingered end had 2788 hold of Frodo's foot, and was dragging him into the water. 2789 Sam on his knees was now slashing at it with a knife. The 2790 arm let go of Frodo, and Sam pulled him away, crying out 2791 for help. Twenty other arms came rippling out. The dark 2792 water boiled, and there was a hideous stench. 2793 [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 2794*lady 2795offler 2796 Blind Io took up the dice-box, which was a skull whose various 2797 orifices had been stoppered with rubies, and with several of 2798 his eyes on the Lady he rolled three fives. She smiled. This 2799 was the nature of the Lady's eyes: they were bright green, 2800 lacking iris or pupil, and they glowed from within. 2801 2802 The room was silent as she scrabbled in her box of pieces and, 2803 from the very bottom, produced a couple that she set down on 2804 the board with two decisive clicks. The rest of the players, 2805 as one God, craned forward to peer at them. 2806 2807 "A wenegade wiffard and fome fort of clerk," said Offler the 2808 Crocodile God, hindered as usual by his tusks. "Well, 2809 weally!" With one claw he pushed a pile of bone-white tokens 2810 into the centre of the table. 2811 2812 The Lady nodded slightly. She picked up the dice-cup and held 2813 it as steady as a rock, yet all the Gods could hear the three 2814 cubes rattling about inside. And then she sent them bouncing 2815 across the table. 2816 2817 A six. A three. A five. 2818 2819 Something was happening to the five, however. Battered by the 2820 chance collision of several billion molecules, the die flipped 2821 onto a point, spun gently and came down a seven. Blind Io 2822 picked up the cube and counted the sides. 2823 2824 "Come _on_," he said wearily, "Play fair." 2825 [ The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett ] 2826*lamp 2827 When he came to himself he told his mother what had passed, 2828 and showed her the lamp and the fruits he had gathered in the 2829 garden, which were in reality precious stones. He then asked 2830 for some food. 2831 2832 "Alas! child," she said, "I have nothing in the house, but I 2833 have spun a little cotton and will go and sell it." 2834 2835 Aladdin bade her keep her cotton, for he would sell the lamp 2836 instead. As it was very dirty she began to rub it, that it 2837 might fetch a higher price. Instantly a hideous genie 2838 appeared, and asked what she would have. She fainted away, 2839 but Aladdin, snatching the lamp, said boldly: 2840 "Fetch me something to eat!" 2841 [ Aladdin, from The Arabian Nights, by Andrew Lang ] 2842lance 2843 With this the wind increased, and the mill sails began to turn 2844 about; which Don Quixote espying, said, 'Although thou movest 2845 more arms than the giant Briareus thou shalt stoop to me.' 2846 And, after saying this, and commending himself most devoutly 2847 to his Lady Dulcinea, desiring her to succor him in that trance, 2848 covering himself well with his buckler, and setting his lance 2849 on his rest, he spurred on Rozinante, and encountered with the 2850 first mill that was before him, and, striking his lance into 2851 the sail, the wind swung it about with such fury, that it broke 2852 his lance into shivers, carrying him and his horse after it, 2853 and finally tumbled him a good way off from it on the field in 2854 evil plight. 2855 [ Don Quixote of La Mancha, by Miquel de Cervantes Saavedra ] 2856land mine 2857 Your heart is intact, your brain is not badly damaged, but the rest 2858 of your injuries are comparable to stepping on a land mine. You'd 2859 never walk again, and you'd be in great pain. You would come to 2860 wish you had not survived. 2861 [ Steel Beach, by John Varley ] 2862*lantern 2863 While pretending to be a fancy safety lamp, it is in fact 2864 battery powered. A discreet little switch is marked "on/off" 2865 in elaborate lettering. 2866 [ Adventure 770, by Mike Arnautov ] 2867lava 2868* lava 2869 You are on the edge of a breath-taking view. Far below you 2870 is an active volcano, from which great gouts of molten lava 2871 come surging out, cascading back down into the depths. The 2872 glowing rock fills the farthest reaches of the cavern with a 2873 blood-red glare, giving everything an eerie, macabre appearance. 2874 The air is filled with flickering sparks of ash and a heavy 2875 smell of brimstone. The walls are hot to the touch, and the 2876 thundering of the volcano drowns out all other sounds. 2877 Embedded in the jagged roof far overhead are myriad twisted 2878 formations composed of pure white alabaster, which scatter the 2879 murky light into sinister apparitions upon the walls. To one 2880 side is a deep gorge, filled with a bizarre chaos of tortured 2881 rock which seems to have been crafted by the devil himself. 2882 An immense river of fire crashes out from the depths of the 2883 volcano, burns its way through the gorge, and plummets into a 2884 bottomless pit far off to your left. To the right, an immense 2885 geyser of blistering steam erupts continuously from a barren 2886 island in the center of a sulfurous lake, which bubbles 2887 ominously. The far right wall is aflame with an incandescence 2888 of its own, which lends an additional infernal splendor to the 2889 already hellish scene. A dark, forboding passage exits to the 2890 south. 2891 [ Adventure, by Will Crowther and Don Woods. ] 2892leash 2893 They had splendid heads, fine shoulders, strong legs, and 2894 straight tails. The spots on their bodies were jet-black and 2895 mostly the size of a two-shilling piece; they had smaller 2896 spots on their heads, legs, and tails. Their noses and eye- 2897 rims were black. Missis had a most winning expression. 2898 Pongo, though a dog born to command, had a twinkle in his 2899 eye. They walked side by side with great dignity, only 2900 putting the Dearlys on the leash to lead them over crossings. 2901 [ The Hundred and One Dalmatians, by Dodie Smith ] 2902lembas* 2903 In the morning, as they were beginning to pack their slender 2904 goods, Elves that could speak their tongue came to them and 2905 brought them many gifts of food and clothing for their 2906 journey. The food was mostly in the form of very thin cakes, 2907 made of a meal that was baked a light brown on the outside, 2908 and inside was the colour of cream. Gimli took up one of the 2909 cakes and looked at it with a doubtful eye. 2910 'Cram,' he said under his breath, as he broke off a crisp 2911 corner and nibbled at it. His expression quickly changed, 2912 and he ate all the rest of the cake with relish. 2913 'No more, no more!' cried the Elves laughing. 'You have 2914 eaten enough already for a long day's march.' 2915 'I thought it was only a kind of cram, such as the Dalemen 2916 make for journeys in the wild,' said the Dwarf. 2917 'So it is,' they answered. 'But we call it lembas or 2918 waybread, and it is more strengthening than any foods made by 2919 Men, and it is more pleasant than cram, by all accounts.' 2920 [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 2921lemure 2922larvae 2923 The Larvae (Lemures) are Roman spirits of deceased family 2924 members. These malignant spirits dwell throughout the house 2925 and frighten the inhabitants. People tried to reconcile or 2926 avert the Larvae with strange ceremonies which took place on 2927 May 9, 11, and 13; this was called the "Feast of the Lemures". 2928 The master of the house usually performed these ceremonies, 2929 either by offering black beans to the spirits or chasing them 2930 away by making a lot of noise. Their counterparts are the 2931 Lares, friendly and beneficent house spirits. 2932 [ Encyclopedia Mythica, ed. M.F. Lindemans ] 2933leocrotta 2934leu*otta 2935 ... the leucrocotta, a wild beast of extraordinary swiftness, 2936 the size of the wild ass, with the legs of a Stag, the neck, 2937 tail, and breast of a lion, the head of a badger, a cloven 2938 hoof, the mouth slit up as far as the ears, and one continuous 2939 bone instead of teeth; it is said, too, that this animal can 2940 imitate the human voice. 2941 [ Curious Creatures in Zoology, by John Ashton ] 2942leprechaun 2943 The Irish Leprechaun is the Faeries' shoemaker and is known 2944 under various names in different parts of Ireland: 2945 Cluricaune in Cork, Lurican in Kerry, Lurikeen in Kildare 2946 and Lurigadaun in Tipperary. Although he works for the 2947 Faeries, the Leprechaun is not of the same species. He is 2948 small, has dark skin and wears strange clothes. His nature 2949 has something of the manic-depressive about it: first he 2950 is quite happy, whistling merrily as he nails a sole on to a 2951 shoe; a few minutes later, he is sullen and morose, drunk 2952 on his home-made heather ale. The Leprechaun's two great 2953 loves are tobacco and whiskey, and he is a first-rate con-man, 2954 impossible to out-fox. No one, no matter how clever, has ever 2955 managed to cheat him out of his hidden pot of gold or his 2956 magic shilling. At the last minute he always thinks of some 2957 way to divert his captor's attention and vanishes in the 2958 twinkling of an eye. 2959 [ A Field Guide to the Little People 2960 by Nancy Arrowsmith & George Moorse ] 2961*lich 2962 But on its heels ere the sunset faded, there came a second 2963 apparition, striding with incredible strides and halting when 2964 it loomed almost upon me in the red twilight-the monstrous mummy 2965 of some ancient king still crowned with untarnished gold but 2966 turning to my gaze a visage that more than time or the worm had 2967 wasted. Broken swathings flapped about the skeleton legs, and 2968 above the crown that was set with sapphires and orange rubies, a 2969 black something swayed and nodded horribly; but, for an instant, 2970 I did not dream what it was. Then, in its middle, two oblique 2971 and scarlet eyes opened and glowed like hellish coals, and two 2972 ophidian fangs glittered in an ape-like mouth. A squat, furless, 2973 shapeless head on a neck of disproportionate extent leaned 2974 unspeakably down and whispered in the mummy's ear. Then, with 2975 one stride, the titanic lich took half the distance between us, 2976 and from out the folds of the tattered sere-cloth a gaunt arm 2977 arose, and fleshless, taloned fingers laden with glowering gems, 2978 reached out and fumbled for my throat . . . 2979 [ The Abominations of Yondo, by Clark Ashton Smith ] 2980lichen 2981 The chamber was of unhewn rock, round, as near as might 2982 be, eighteen or twenty feet across, and gay with rich 2983 variety of fern and moss and lichen. The fern was in 2984 its winter still, or coiling for the spring-tide; but 2985 moss was in abundant life, some feathering, and some 2986 gobleted, and some with fringe of red to it. 2987 [ Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore ] 2988# takes "light" when specifying 'y' 2989~* of light 2990* light 2991light 2992 Strange creatures formed from energy rather than matter, 2993 lights are given to self-destructive behavior when battling 2994 foes. 2995gecko 2996iguana 2997lizard 2998 Lizards, snakes and the burrowing amphisbaenids make up the 2999 order Squamata, meaning the scaly ones. The elongate, slim, 3000 long-tailed bodies of lizards have become modified to enable 3001 them to live in a wide range of habitats. Lizards can be 3002 expert burrowers, runners, swimmers and climbers, and a few 3003 can manage crude, short-distance gliding on rib-supported 3004 "wings". Most are carnivores, feeding on invertebrate and 3005 small vertebrate prey, but others feed on vegetation. 3006 [ Macmillan Illustrated Animal Encyclopedia ] 3007loki 3008 Loki, or Lopt, is described in Snorri's _Edda_ as being 3009 "pleasing and handsome in appearance, evil in character, and 3010 very capricious in behaviour". He is the son of the giant 3011 Farbauti and of Laufey. 3012 Loki is the Norse god of cunning, evil, thieves, and fire. 3013 He hated the other gods and wanted to ruin them and overthrow 3014 the universe. He committed many murders. As a thief, he 3015 stole Freyja's necklace, Thor's belt and gauntlets of power, 3016 and the apples of youth. Able to shapechange at will, he is 3017 said to have impersonated at various times a mare, flea, fly, 3018 falcon, seal, and an old crone. As a mare he gave birth to 3019 Odin's horse Sleipnir. He also allegedly sired the serpent 3020 Midgard, the mistress of the netherworld, Hel, and the wolf 3021 Fenrir, who will devour the sun at Ragnarok. 3022*longbow of diana 3023 This legendary bow grants ESP when carried and can reflect magical 3024 attacks when wielded. When invoked it provides a supply of arrows. 3025# long worm -- see "worm" 3026looking glass 3027mirror 3028 But as Snow White grew, she became more and more beautiful, 3029 and by the time she was seven years old she was as beautiful 3030 as the day and more beautiful than the queen herself. One 3031 day when the queen said to her mirror: 3032 3033 "Mirror, Mirror, here I stand. 3034 Who is the fairest in the land?" - 3035 3036 the mirror replied: 3037 3038 "You, O Queen, are the fairest here, 3039 But Snow White is a thousand times more fair." 3040 [ Snow White, by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm ] 3041lord carnarvon 3042 Lord Carnarvon was a personality who could have been produced 3043 nowhere but in England, a mixture of sportsman and collector, 3044 gentleman and world traveler, a realist in action and a 3045 romantic in feeling. ... In 1903 he went for the first time 3046 to Egypt in search of a mild climate and while there visited 3047 the excavation sites of several archaeological expeditions. 3048 ... In 1906 he began his own excavations. 3049 [ Gods, Graves, and Scholars, by C. W. Ceram ] 3050lord sato 3051 Lord Sato was the family head of the Taro Clan, and a mighty 3052 daimyo. He is a loyal servant of the Emperor, and will do 3053 everything in his power to further the imperial cause. 3054lord surt* 3055 Yet first was the world in the southern region, which was 3056 named Muspell; it is light and hot; that region is glowing 3057 and burning, and impassable to such as are outlanders and 3058 have not their holdings there. He who sits there at the 3059 land's-end, to defend the land, is called Surtr; he brandishes 3060 a flaming sword, and at the end of the world he shall go forth 3061 and harry, and overcome all the gods, and burn all the 3062 world with fire. 3063 [ The Prose Edda, by Snorri Sturluson ] 3064# if a quote for good luck gets added, make this one exclusively bad luck 3065luck 3066bad luck 3067 "[...] We'll succeed and you'll get all the fortune you came 3068 seeking." 3069 Jack shook his head dismally. "You'll be better off without 3070 me," he said. "I'm nothing but bad luck. It's because I'm 3071 cursed. A farmer I met on the way to the city cursed me. He 3072 said, 'I curse you Jack. May you never know wealth. May all 3073 that you wish for be denied you.'" 3074 "What a horrid man," said Eddie. "Why did he curse you like 3075 that?" 3076 Jack shrugged [...]. "Bad grace, I suppose. Just because I 3077 shot off his ear and made him jump into a pit full of spikes." 3078 [ the hollow chocolate bunnies of the apocalypse, 3079 by Robert Rankin ] 3080# [no relation... both cover and title page list this 3081# book's title in all lower case; however, its sequel, 3082# "the toyminator", refers to it using conventional 3083# capitalization in a couple of early footnotes] 3084lug* 3085 Lugh, or Lug, was the sun god of the Irish Celts. One of his 3086 weapons was a rod-sling which worshippers sometimes saw in 3087 the sky as a rainbow. As a tribal god, he was particularly 3088 skilled in the use of his massive, invincible spear, which 3089 fought on its own accord. One of his epithets is _lamfhada_ 3090 (of the long arm). He was a young and apparently more 3091 attractive deity than Dagda, the father of the gods. Being 3092 able to shapeshift, his name translates as lynx. 3093lurker* 3094 These dungeon scavengers are very adept at blending into the 3095 surrounding walls and ceilings of the dungeon due to the 3096 stone-like coloring of their skin. 3097lycanthrope 3098were* 3099human were* 3100*were 3101 In 1573, the Parliament of Dole published a decree, permitting 3102 the inhabitants of the Franche-Comte to pursue and kill a 3103 were-wolf or loup-garou, which infested that province, 3104 "notwithstanding the existing laws concerning the chase." 3105 The people were empowered to "assemble with javelins, 3106 halberds, pikes, arquebuses and clubs, to hunt and pursue the 3107 said were-wolf in all places where they could find it, and to 3108 take, burn, and kill it, without incurring any fine or other 3109 penalty." The hunt seems to have been successful, if we may 3110 judge from the fact that the same tribunal in the following 3111 year condemned to be burned a man named Giles Garnier, who 3112 ran on all fours in the forest and fields and devoured little 3113 children, "even on Friday." The poor lycanthrope, it appears, 3114 had as slight respect for ecclesiastical feasts as the French 3115 pig, which was not restrained by any feeling of piety from 3116 eating infants on a fast day. 3117 [ The History of Vampires, by Dudley Wright ] 3118lynx 3119 To dream of seeing a lynx, enemies are undermining your 3120 business and disrupting your home affairs. For a woman, 3121 this dream indicates that she has a wary woman rivaling her 3122 in the affections of her lover. If she kills the lynx, she 3123 will overcome her rival. 3124 [ 10,000 Dreams Interpreted, by Gustavus Hindman Miller ] 3125~*sceptre of might 3126mace 3127sceptre 3128 Originally a club armed with iron, and used in war; now a staff 3129 of office pertaining to certain dignitaries, as the Speaker of 3130 the House of Commons, Lord Mayors, Mayors etc. Both sword and 3131 mace are symbols of dignity, suited to the times when men went 3132 about in armour, and sovereigns needed champions to vindicate 3133 their rights. 3134 [ Brewer's Concise Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ] 3135magic marker 3136 The pen is mightier than the sword. 3137 [ Richelieu, by Edward Bulwer-Lytton ] 3138magic mirror of merlin 3139 [...] In Dehenbarth (that now South Wales is hight, 3140 What time King Ryence reigned, and dealed right) 3141 The great magician Merlin had devised, 3142 By his deep science, and hell-dreaded might, 3143 A looking-glass, right wondrously aguised, 3144 Whose virtues through the wide world soon were solemnized. 3145 3146 It virtue had to show in perfect sight 3147 Whatever thing was in the world contained, 3148 Betwixt the lowest earth and heaven's height, 3149 So that it to the looker appertained; 3150 Whatever foe had wrought, or friend had fained, 3151 Therein discovered was, nor aught might pass, 3152 Nor aught in secret from the same remained; 3153# we'll leave out the part about it being a crystal ball... 3154# For-thy it round and hollow shaped was, 3155# Like the world itself, and seemed a world of glass. 3156 [ The Faerie Queene, by Edmund Spencer ] 3157magicbane 3158 A highly enchanted athame said to hold the power to channel 3159 and direct magical energy. 3160mail d*emon 3161 It is rumoured that these strange creatures can be harmed by 3162 domesticated canines only. 3163ma*annan* 3164 Normally called Manannan, Ler's son was the patron of 3165 merchants and sailors. Manannan had a sword which never 3166 failed to slay, a boat which propelled itself wherever its 3167 owner wished, a horse which was swifter than the wind, and 3168 magic armour which no sword could pierce. He later became 3169 god of the sea, beneath which he lived in Tir na nOc, the 3170 underworld. 3171manes 3172 Manes or Di Manes ("good ones") is the euphemistic description 3173 of the souls of the deceased, worshipped as divinities. The 3174 formula D.M. (= Dis Manibus; "dedicated to the Manes-gods") 3175 can often be found on tombstones. Manes also means 3176 metaphorically 'underworld' or 'realm of death'. Festivals 3177 in honor of the dead were the Parentalia and the Feralia, 3178 celebrated in February. 3179 [ Encyclopedia Mythica, ed. M.F. Lindemans ] 3180 3181 The gnats of the dungeon, these swarming monsters are rarely 3182 seen alone. 3183marduk 3184 First insisting on recognition as supreme commander, Marduk 3185 defeated the Dragon, cut her body in two, and from it created 3186 heaven and earth, peopling the world with human beings who not 3187 unnaturally showed intense gratitude for their lives. The 3188 gods were also properly grateful, invested him with many 3189 titles, and eventually permitted themselves to be embodied in 3190 him, so that he became supreme god, plotting the whole course 3191 of known life from the paths of the planets to the daily 3192 events in the lives of men. 3193 [ The Immortals, by Derek and Julia Parker ] 3194marilith 3195 The marilith has a torso shaped like that of a human female, 3196 and the lower body of a great snake. It has multiple arms, 3197 and can freely attack with all of them. Since it is 3198 intelligent enough to use weapons, this means it can cause 3199 great damage. 3200mars 3201 The god of war, and one of the most prominent and worshipped 3202 gods. In early Roman history he was a god of spring, growth in 3203 nature, and fertility, and the protector of cattle. Mars is 3204 also mentioned as a chthonic god (earth-god) and this could 3205 explain why he became a god of death and finally a god of war. 3206 He is the son of Jupiter and Juno. 3207 [ Encyclopedia Mythica, ed. M.F. Lindemans ] 3208martial arts 3209unarmed combat 3210bare*handed combat 3211 "What else can we do? None of this is fast enough." "It will have 3212 to be." He stood up, a tall, broad wall of a man. "Why don't you 3213 ask around, see if anyone in the neighborhoods knows anything 3214 about martial arts. You need more than a book or two to learn 3215 good dependable unarmed combat." 3216 [ Parable of the Sower, by Octavia Butler ] 3217master assassin 3218 He strolled down the stairs, followed by a number of assassins. 3219 When he was directly in front of Ymor he said: "I've come for 3220 the tourist." ... 3221 "One step more and you'll leave here with fewer eyeballs than 3222 you came with," said the thiefmaster. "So sit down and have 3223 a drink, Zlorf, and let's talk about this sensibly. _I_ 3224 thought we had an agreement. You don't rob -- I don't kill. 3225 Not for payment, that is," he added after a pause. 3226 Zlorf took the proffered beer. 3227 "So?" he said. "I'll kill him. Then you rob him. Is he that 3228 funny looking one over there?" 3229 "Yes." 3230 Zlorf stared at Twoflower, who grinned at him. He shrugged. 3231 He seldom wasted time wondering why people wanted other people 3232 dead. It was just a living. 3233 "Who is your client, may I ask?" said Ymor. 3234 Zlorf held up a hand. "Please!" he protested. "Professional 3235 etiquette." 3236 [ The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett ] 3237master key of thievery 3238 This skeleton key was fashioned in ages past and imbued with 3239 a powerful magic which allows it to open any lock. When 3240 carried, it grants its owner warning, teleport control, and 3241 reduces all physical damage by half. Finally, when invoked, 3242 it has the ability to disarm any trapped lock. 3243master of thieves 3244 There was a flutter of wings at the window. Ymor shifted his 3245 bulk out of the chair and crossed the room, coming back with 3246 a large raven. After he'd unfastened the message capsule from 3247 its leg it flew up to join its fellows lurking among the 3248 rafters. Withel regarded it without love. Ymor's ravens were 3249 notoriously loyal to their master, to the extent that Withel's 3250 one attempt to promote himself to the rank of greatest thief 3251 in Ankh-Morpork had cost their master's right hand man his 3252 left eye. But not his life, however. Ymor never grudged a 3253 man his ambitions. 3254 [ The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett ] 3255mastodon 3256 Any large, elephantlike mammal of the genera Mammut, Mastodon, 3257 etc., from the Oligocene and Pleistocene epochs, having 3258 conical projections on the molar teeth. 3259 [ Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary 3260 of the English Language ] 3261*mattock 3262 A mattock is an agricultural tool similar to a mining pick. 3263 It is distinguished by the head terminating in a broader blade 3264 rather than a narrow spike, which makes it particularly suitable 3265 for breaking up moderately hard ground. ... During the Middle 3266 Ages of Europe, the mattock served as an improvised shafted 3267 weapon for the poorer classes. 3268 [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] 3269meat* 3270huge chunk of meat 3271 Some hae meat and canna eat, 3272 And some would eat that want it; 3273 But we hae meat, and we can eat, 3274 Sae let the Lord be thankit. 3275 [ Grace Before Meat, by Robert Burns ] 3276medusa 3277perseus 3278 Medusa, one of the three Gorgons or Graeae, is the only one 3279 of her sisters to have assumed mortal form and inhabited the 3280 dungeon world. 3281 3282 When Perseus was grown up Polydectes sent him to attempt the 3283 conquest of Medusa, a terrible monster who had laid waste the 3284 country. She was once a beautiful maiden whose hair was her 3285 chief glory, but as she dared to vie in beauty with Minerva, 3286 the goddess deprived her of her charms and changed her 3287 beautiful ringlets into hissing serpents. She became a cruel 3288 monster of so frightful an aspect that no living thing could 3289 behold her without being turned into stone. All around the 3290 cavern where she dwelt might be seen the stony figures of men 3291 and animals which had chanced to catch a glimpse of her and 3292 had been petrified with the sight. Perseus, favoured by 3293 Minerva and Mercury, the former of whom lent him her shield 3294 and the latter his winged shoes, approached Medusa while she 3295 slept and taking care not to look directly at her, but guided 3296 by her image reflected in the bright shield which he bore, he 3297 cut off her head and gave it to Minerva, who fixed it in the 3298 middle of her Aegis. 3299 [ Bulfinch's Mythology, by Thomas Bulfinch ] 3300melon 3301 "What is it, Umbopa, son of a fool?" I shouted in Zulu. 3302 "It is food and water, Macumazahn," and again he waved the 3303 green thing. 3304 Then I saw what he had got. It was a melon. We had hit upon 3305 a patch of wild melons, thousands of them, and dead ripe. 3306 "Melons!" I yelled to Good, who was next me; and in another 3307 second he had his false teeth fixed in one. 3308 I think we ate about six each before we had done, and, poor 3309 fruit as they were, I doubt if I ever thought anything nicer. 3310 [ King Solomon's Mines, by H. Rider Haggard ] 3311mercury 3312 Roman god of commerce, trade and travellers. He is commonly 3313 depicted carrying a caduceus (a staff with two snakes 3314 intertwining around it) and a purse. 3315*mimic 3316 The ancestors of the modern day chameleon, these creatures can 3317 assume the form of anything in their surroundings. They may 3318 assume the shape of objects or dungeon features. Unlike the 3319 chameleon though, which assumes the shape of another creature 3320 and goes in hunt of food, the mimic waits patiently for its 3321 meals to come in search of it. 3322*mind flayer 3323 This creature has a humanoid body, tentacles around its 3324 covered mouth, and three long fingers on each hand. Mind 3325 flayers are telepathic, and love to devour intelligent beings, 3326 especially humans. If they hit their victim with a tentacle, 3327 the mind flayer will slowly drain it of all intelligence, 3328 eventually killing its victim. 3329mine* 3330gnomish mines 3331 Made by Dwarfs. The Rule here is that the Mine is either long 3332 deserted or at most is inhabited by a few survivors who will 3333 make confused claims to have been driven out/decimated by humans/ 3334 other Dwarfs/Minions of the Dark Lord. Inhabited or not, this 3335 Mine will be very complex, with many levels of galleries, 3336 beautifully carved and engineered. What was being mined here 3337 is not always evident, but at least some of the time it will 3338 appear to have been Jewels, since it is customary to find 3339 unwanted emeralds, etc., still embedded in the rock of the 3340 walls. Metal will also be present, but only when made up into 3341 armor and weapons (_wondrous_). 3342 [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] 3343minotaur 3344 The Minotaur was a monster, half bull, half human, the 3345 offspring of Minos' wife Pasiphae and a wonderfully beautiful 3346 bull. ... When the Minotaur was born Minos did not kill him. 3347 He had Daedalus, a great architect and inventor, construct a 3348 place of confinement for him from which escape was impossible. 3349 Daedalus built the Labyrinth, famous throughout the world. 3350 Once inside, one would go endlessly along its twisting paths 3351 without ever finding the exit. 3352 [ Mythology, by Edith Hamilton ] 3353mit*ra* 3354 Originating in India (Mitra), Mithra is a god of light who 3355 was translated into the attendant of the god Ahura Mazda in 3356 the light religion of Persia; from this he was adopted as 3357 the Roman deity Mithras. He is not generally regarded as a 3358 sky god but a personification of the fertilizing power of 3359 warm, light air. According to the _Avesta_, he possesses 3360 10,000 eyes and ears and rides in a chariot drawn by white 3361 horses. Mithra, according to Zarathustra, is concerned with 3362 the endless battle between light and dark forces: he 3363 represents truth. He is responsible for the keeping of oaths 3364 and contracts. He is attributed with the creation of both 3365 plants and animals. His chief adversary is Ahriman, the 3366 power of darkness. 3367 [ The Encyclopaedia of Myths and Legends of All Nations, 3368 by Herbert Spencer Robinson and Knox Wilson ] 3369*mithril* 3370 _Mithril_! All folk desired it. It could be beaten like 3371 copper, and polished like glass; and the Dwarves could make 3372 of it a metal, light and yet harder than tempered steel. 3373 Its beauty was like to that of common silver, but the beauty 3374 of _mithril_ did not tarnish or grow dim. 3375 [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 3376*mitre of holiness 3377 This helm of brilliance performs all of the normal functions 3378 of a helm of brilliance, but also has the ability to protect 3379 anyone who carries it from fire. When invoked, it boosts 3380 the energy of the invoker, allowing them to cast more spells. 3381mjollnir 3382 Forged by the dwarves Eitri and Brokk, in response to Loki's 3383 challenge, Mjollnir is an indestructible war hammer. It has 3384 two magical properties: when thrown it always returned to 3385 Thor's hand; and it could be made to shrink in size until it 3386 could fit inside Thor's shirt. Its only flaw is that it has 3387 a short handle. The other gods judged Mjollnir the winner of 3388 the contest because, of all the treasures created, it alone had 3389 the power to protect them from the giants. As the legends 3390 surrounding Mjollnir grew, it began to take on the quality of 3391 "vigja", or consecration. Thor used it to consecrate births, 3392 weddings, and even to raise his goats from the dead. In the 3393 Norse mythologies Mjollnir is considered to represent Thor's 3394 governance over the entire cycle of life - fertility, birth, 3395 destruction, and resurrection. 3396mog 3397 Mog is known as the Spider God. Mog resembles a four-limbed 3398 spider with a handsome, if not entirely human, face. 3399~slime mold 3400*mold 3401 Mold, multicellular organism of the division Fungi, typified 3402 by plant bodies composed of a network of cottony filaments. 3403 The colors of molds are due to spores borne on the filaments. 3404 Most molds are saprophytes. Some species (e.g., penicillium) 3405 are used in making cheese and antibiotics. 3406 [ The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia ] 3407mol?ch 3408 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 3409 Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever 3410 he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that 3411 sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; 3412 he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall 3413 stone him with stones. 3414 And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off 3415 from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto 3416 Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name. 3417 And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes 3418 from the man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill 3419 him not: 3420 Then I will set my face against that man, and against his 3421 family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after 3422 him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people. 3423 [ Leviticus 20:1-5 ] 3424monk 3425* monk 3426grand master 3427master kaen 3428 One day, an army general invited the Buddhist monk I-Hsiu 3429 (literally, "One Rest") to his military head office for a 3430 dinner. I-Hsiu was not accustomed to wearing luxurious 3431 clothings and so he just put on an old ordinary casual 3432 robe to go to the military base. To him, "form is void". 3433 3434 As he approached the base, two soldiers appeared before him 3435 and shouted, "Where does this beggar came from? Identify 3436 yourself! You do not have permission to be around here!" 3437 3438 "My name is I-Hsiu Dharma Master. I am invited by your 3439 general for a supper." 3440 3441 The two soldiers examined the monk closely and said, "You 3442 liar. How come my general invites such a shabby monk to 3443 dinner? He invites the very solemn venerable I-Hsiu to our 3444 base for a great ceremony today, not you. Now, get out!" 3445 3446 I-Hsiu was unable to convince the soldiers that he was 3447 indeed the invited guest, so he returned to the temple 3448 and changed to a very formal solemn ceremonial robe for 3449 the dinner. And as he returned to the military base, the 3450 soldiers observed that he was such a great Buddhist monk, 3451 let him in with honour. 3452 3453 At the dinner, I-Hsiu sat in front of the table full of 3454 food but, instead of putting the food into his mouth, he 3455 picked up the food with his chopsticks and put it into 3456 his sleeves. The general was curious, and whispered to 3457 him, "This is very embarrassing. Do you want to take 3458 some food back to the temple? I will order the cook to 3459 prepare some take out orders for you." "No" replied the 3460 monk. "When I came here, I was not allowed into the 3461 base by your soldiers until I wear this ceremonial robe. 3462 You do not invite me for a dinner. You invite my robe. 3463 Therefore, my robe is eating the food, not me." 3464 [ Dining with a General - a Zen Buddhism Koan, 3465 translation by Yiu-man Chan ] 3466monkey 3467 "Listen, man-cub," said the Bear, and his voice rumbled like 3468 thunder on a hot night. "I have taught thee all the Law of 3469 the Jungle for all the peoples of the jungle--except the 3470 Monkey-Folk who live in the trees. They have no law. They 3471 are outcasts. They have no speech of their own, but use the 3472 stolen words which they overhear when they listen, and peep, 3473 and wait up above in the branches. Their way is not our way. 3474 They are without leaders. They have no remembrance. They 3475 boast and chatter and pretend that they are a great people 3476 about to do great affairs in the jungle, but the falling of 3477 a nut turns their minds to laughter and all is forgotten. 3478 We of the jungle have no dealings with them. We do not drink 3479 where the monkeys drink; we do not go where the monkeys go; 3480 we do not hunt where they hunt; we do not die where they die...." 3481 [ The Jungle Book, by Rudyard Kipling ] 3482morning star 3483 The morning star was a medieval weapon resembling a mace, but 3484 with a large spike on the end and smaller spikes around the 3485 circumference. It was also known as the goedendag (from the 3486 Dutch word for "good day") and the holy water sprinkler (from 3487 its resemblance to the aspergillum sometimes used in the 3488 Catholic Mass). It was used by both cavalry and infantry; 3489 the horseman's weapon typically had a shorter haft than the 3490 footman's, which might be up to six feet long. It came into 3491 use in the beginning of the 14th century. 3492 The name "morning star" is often erroneously applied to the 3493 military flail (also known as the therscol), a similar weapon, 3494 but with the head attached by a short chain. 3495 [ Dictionary of Medieval Knighthood and Chivalry, 3496 by Bradford Broughton ] 3497mumak* 3498 ... the Mumak of Harad was indeed a beast of vast bulk, and 3499 the like of him does not walk now in Middle-Earth; his kin 3500 that live still in latter days are but memories of his girth 3501 and majesty. On he came, ... his great legs like trees, 3502 enormous sail-like ears spread out, long snout upraised like 3503 a huge serpent about to strike, his small red eyes raging. 3504 His upturned hornlike tusks ... dripped with blood. 3505 [ The Two Towers, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 3506*mummy 3507 But for an account of the manner in which the body was 3508 bandaged, and a list of the unguents and other materials 3509 employed in the process, and the words of power which were 3510 spoken as each bandage was laid in its place, we must have 3511 recourse to a very interesting papyrus which has been edited 3512 and translated by M. Maspero under the title of Le Rituel de 3513 l'Embaumement. ... 3514 Everything that could be done to preserve the body was now 3515 done, and every member of it was, by means of the words of 3516 power which changed perishable substances into imperishable, 3517 protected to all eternity; when the final covering of purple 3518 or white linen had been fastened upon it, the body was ready 3519 for the tomb. 3520 [ Egyptian Magic, by E.A. Wallis Budge ] 3521mummy wrapping 3522 He held a white cloth -- it was a serviette he had brought 3523 with him -- over the lower part of his face, so that his 3524 mouth and jaws were completely hidden, and that was the 3525 reason for his muffled voice. But it was not that which 3526 startled Mrs. Hall. It was the fact that all his forehead 3527 above his blue glasses was covered by a white bandage, and 3528 that another covered his ears, leaving not a scrap of his 3529 face exposed excepting only his pink, peaked nose. It was 3530 bright, pink, and shiny just as it had been at first. He 3531 wore a dark-brown velvet jacket with a high, black, linen- 3532 lined collar turned up about his neck. The thick black 3533 hair, escaping as it could below and between the cross 3534 bandages, project in curious tails and horns, giving him 3535 the strangest appearance conceivable. 3536 [ The Invisible Man, by H.G. Wells ] 3537*naga* 3538*naja* 3539 The naga is a mystical creature with the body of a snake and 3540 the head of a man or woman. They will fiercely protect the 3541 territory they consider their own. Some nagas can be forced 3542 to serve as guardians by a spellcaster of great power. 3543naginata 3544 A Japanese pole-arm, fitted with a curved single-edged blade. 3545 The blades ranged in length from two to four feet, mounted on 3546 shafts about four to five feet long. The naginata were cut 3547 with a series of short grooves near to the tang, above which 3548 the back edge was thinned, but not sharpened, so that the 3549 greater part of the blade was a flattened diamond shape in 3550 section. Seen in profile, the curve is slight or non- 3551 existent near the tang, becoming more pronounced towards the 3552 point. 3553 [] 3554 3555 "With his naginata he killed five, but with the sixth it 3556 snapped asunder in the midst and, flinging it away, he drew 3557 his sword, wielding it in the zigzag style, the interlacing, 3558 cross, reversed dragonfly, waterwheel, and eight-sides-at- 3559 once styles of fencing and cutting down eight men; but as he 3560 brought down the ninth with a mighty blow on the helmet, the 3561 blade snapped at the hilt." 3562 [ Story of Tsutsui no Jomio Meishu from Tales of Heike ] 3563nalfeshnee 3564 Not only do these demons do physical damage with their claws 3565 and bite, but they are capable of using magic as well. 3566nalzok 3567 Nalzok is Moloch's cunning and unfailingly loyal battle 3568 lieutenant, to whom he trusts the command of warfare when he 3569 does not wish to exercise it himself. Nalzok is a major 3570 demon, known to command the undead. He is hungry for power, 3571 and secretly covets Moloch's position. Moloch doesn't trust 3572 him, but, trusting his own power enough, chooses to allow 3573 Nalzok his position because he is useful. 3574neanderthal* 3575 1. Valley between Duesseldorf and Elberfeld in Germany, 3576 where an ancient skull of a prehistoric ancestor to modern 3577 man was found. 2. Human(oid) of the race mentioned above. 3578neferet 3579neferet the green 3580 Neferet the Green holds office in her hidden tower, only 3581 reachable by magical means, where she teaches her apprentices 3582 the enigmatic skills of occultism. Despite her many years, she 3583 continues to investigate new spells, especially those involving 3584 translocation. It is further rumored that when she was an 3585 apprentice herself, she accidentally turned her skin green, and 3586 has kept it that way ever since. 3587newt 3588 (kinds of) small animal, like a lizard, which spends most of 3589 its time in the water. 3590 [ Oxford's Student's Dictionary of Current English ] 3591 3592 "Fillet of a fenny snake, 3593 In the cauldron boil and bake; 3594 Eye of newt and toe of frog, 3595 Wool of bat and tongue of dog, 3596 Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting, 3597 Lizard's leg and howlet's wing, 3598 For a charm of powerful trouble, 3599 Like a hell-broth boil and bubble." 3600 [ Macbeth, by William Shakespeare ] 3601ninja-to 3602 A Japanese broadsword. 3603*norn 3604 The Norns were the three Norse Fates, or the goddesses of fate. 3605 Female giants, they brought the wonderful Golden Age to an end. 3606 They cast lots over the cradle of every child that was born, 3607 and placed gifts in the cradle. Their names were Urda, 3608 Verdandi, and Skuld, representing the past, the present, and 3609 the future. Urda and Verdandi were kindly disposed, but Skuld 3610 was cruel and savage. Their tasks were to sew the web of 3611 fate, to water the sacred ash, Yggdrasil, and to keep it in 3612 good condition by placing fresh earth around it daily. In her 3613 fury, Skuld often spoiled the work of her sisters by tearing 3614 the web to shreds. 3615 [ The Encyclopedia of Myths and Legends of All Nations 3616 by Herbert Spencer Robinson and Knox Wilson ] 3617nunchaku 3618 A nunchaku is two sections of wood (or metal in modern 3619 incarnations) connected by a cord or chain. There is much 3620 controversy over its origins; some say it was originally a 3621 Chinese weapon, others say it evolved from a threshing flail; 3622 one theory purports that it was developed from a horse's bit. 3623 Chinese nunchaku tend to be rounded, whereas Japanese are 3624 octagonal, and they were originally linked by horse hair. 3625 There are many variations on the nunchaku, ranging from the 3626 three sectional staff (san-setsu-kon nunchaku), to smaller 3627 multi-section nunchaku. The nunchaku was popularized by 3628 Bruce Lee in a number of films, made in both Hollywood and 3629 Hong Kong. 3630 [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] 3631*nymph 3632naiad 3633 A female creature from Roman and Greek mythology, the nymph 3634 occupied rivers, forests, ponds, etc. A nymph's beauty is 3635 beyond words: an ever-young woman with sleek figure and 3636 long, thick hair, radiant skin and perfect teeth, full lips 3637 and gentle eyes. A nymph's scent is delightful, and her 3638 long robe glows, hemmed with golden threads and embroidered 3639 with rainbow hues of unearthly magnificence. A nymph's 3640 demeanour is graceful and charming, her mind quick and witty. 3641 [] 3642 3643 Theseus felt her voice pulling him down into fathoms of 3644 sleep. The song was the skeleton of his dream, and the dream 3645 was full of terror. Demon girls were after him, and a bull- 3646 man was goring him. Everywhere there was blood. There was 3647 pain. There was fear. But his head was in the nymph's lap 3648 and her musk was about him, her voice weaving the dream. He 3649 knew then that she had been sent to tell him of something 3650 dreadful that was to happen to him later. Her song was a 3651 warning. But she had brought him a new kind of joy, one that 3652 made him see everything differently. The boy, who was to 3653 become a hero, suddenly knew then what most heroes learn 3654 later -- and some too late -- that joy blots suffering and 3655 that the road to nymphs is beset by monsters. 3656 [ The Minotaur, by Bernard Evslin ] 3657obsidian* 3658 A volcanic glass, homogeneous in texture and having a low water 3659 content, with a vitreous luster and a conchoidal fracture. The 3660 color is commonly black, but may be some shade of red or brown, 3661 and cut sections sometimes appear to be green. Like other 3662 volcanic glasses, obsidian is a lava that has cooled too quickly 3663 for the contained minerals to crystallize. In chemical 3664 composition it is rich in silica and similar to granite. It is 3665 favored by primitive peoples for knives, arrowheads, spearheads, 3666 and other weapons and tools. 3667 [ The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition ] 3668odin 3669 Also called Sigtyr (god of Victory), Val-father (father of 3670 the slain), One-Eyed, Hanga-god (god of the hanged), Farma- 3671 god (god of cargoes), Hapta-god (god of prisoners), and 3672 Othin. He is the prime god of the Norsemen: god of war and 3673 victory, wisdom and prophecy, poetry, the dead, air and wind, 3674 hospitality, and magic. 3675 As the god of war and victory, Odin is ruler of the Valkyries, 3676 warrior-maidens who lived in the halls of Valhalla in Asgard, 3677 the hall of dead heroes where he held his court. 3678 These chosen ones will defend the realm of the gods against 3679 the Frost Giants on the final day of reckoning, Ragnarok. 3680 As god of the wind, Odin rides through the air on his eight- 3681 footed horse, Sleipnir, wielding Gungner, his spear, normally 3682 accompanied by his ravens, Hugin and Munin, who he would also 3683 use as his spies. 3684 As a god of hospitality, he enjoys visiting the earth in 3685 disguise to see how people were behaving and to see how they 3686 would treat him, not knowing who he was. 3687 Odin is usually represented as a one-eyed wise old man with a 3688 long white beard and a wide-brimmed hat (he gave one of his 3689 eyes to Mimir, the guardian of the well of wisdom in Hel, in 3690 exchange for a draught of knowledge). 3691ogre* 3692 Anyone who has met a gluttonous, nude, angry ogre, will not 3693 easily forget this encounter -- if he survives it at all. 3694 Both male and female ogres can easily grow as tall as three 3695 metres. Build and facial expressions would remind one of a 3696 Neanderthal. Its small, pointy, keen teeth are striking. 3697 Since ogres avoid direct sunlight, their ragged, unfurry 3698 skin is as white as a sheet. They enjoy coating their body 3699 with lard and usually wear nothing but a loin-cloth. An elf 3700 would smell its rancid stench at ten metres distance. 3701 Ogres are solitary creatures: very rarely one may encounter 3702 a female with two or three young. They are the only real 3703 carnivores among the humanoids, and its favourite meal is -- 3704 not surprisingly -- human flesh. They sometimes ally with 3705 orcs or goblins, but only when they anticipate a good meaty 3706 meal. 3707 [ het Boek van de Regels; Het Oog des Meesters ] 3708oilskin cloak 3709 During our watches below we overhauled our clothes, and made 3710 and mended everything for bad weather. Each of us had made 3711 for himself a suit of oil-cloth or tarpaulin, and these we 3712 got out, and gave thorough coatings of oil or tar, and hung 3713 upon the stays to dry. Our stout boots, too, we covered 3714 over with a thick mixture of melted grease and tar. Thus we 3715 took advantage of the warm sun and fine weather of the 3716 Pacific to prepare for its other face. 3717 [ Two Years Before the Mast, by Richard Henry Dana ] 3718oilskin sack 3719 Summer passed all too quickly. On the last day of camp, Mr. 3720 Brickle called his counselors together and paid them what he 3721 owed them. Louis received one hundred dollars - the first 3722 money he had ever earned. He had no wallet and no pockets, 3723 so Mr. Brickle placed the money in a waterproof bag that had 3724 a drawstring. He hung this moneybag around Louis' neck, 3725 along with the trumpet, the slate, the chalk pencil, and the 3726 lifesaving medal. 3727 [ The Trumpet of the Swan, by E.B. White ] 3728olog-hai 3729 But at the end of the Third Age a troll-race not before seen 3730 appeared in southern Mirkwood and in the mountain borders of 3731 Mordor. Olog-hai they were called in the Black Speech. That 3732 Sauron bred them none doubted, though from what stock was not 3733 known. Some held that they were not Trolls but giant Orcs; 3734 but the Olog-hai were in fashion of body and mind quite unlike 3735 even the largest of Orc-kind, whom they far surpassed in size 3736 and power. Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will 3737 of their master: a fell race, strong, agile, fierce and 3738 cunning, but harder than stone. Unlike the older race of the 3739 Twilight they could endure the Sun.... They spoke little, 3740 and the only tongue they knew was the Black Speech of Barad-dur. 3741 [ The Return of the King, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 3742oracle 3743delphi 3744p*thia 3745 Delphi under towering Parnassus, where Apollo's oracle was, 3746 plays an important part in mythology. Castalia was its 3747 sacred spring; Cephissus its river. It was held to be the 3748 center of the world, so many pilgrims came to it, from 3749 foreign countries as well as Greece. No other shrine rivaled 3750 it. The answers to the questions asked by the anxious 3751 seekers for Truth were delivered by a priestess who went into 3752 a trance before she spoke. 3753 [ Mythology, by Edith Hamilton ] 3754orange 3755pear 3756 What was the fruit like? Unfortunately, no one can describe 3757 a taste. All I can say is that, compared with those fruits, 3758 the freshest grapefruit you've ever eaten was dull, and the 3759 juiciest orange was dry, and the most melting pear was hard 3760 and woody, and the sweetest wild strawberry was sour. And 3761 there were no seeds or stones, and no wasps. If you had once 3762 eaten that fruit, all the nicest things in this world would 3763 taste like medicines after it. But I can't describe it. You 3764 can't find out what it is like unless you can get to that 3765 country and taste it for yourself. 3766 [ The Last Battle, by C.S. Lewis ] 3767*orb of detection 3768 This Orb is a crystal ball of exceptional powers. When 3769 carried, it grants ESP, limits damage done by spells, and 3770 protects the carrier from magic missiles. When invoked it 3771 allows the carrier to become invisible. 3772*orb of fate 3773 Some say that Odin himself created this ancient crystal ball, 3774 although others argue that Loki created it and forged Odin's 3775 signature on the bottom. In any case, it is a powerful 3776 artifact. Anyone who carries it is granted the gift of 3777 warning, and damage, both spell and physical, is partially 3778 absorbed by the orb itself. When invoked it has the power 3779 to teleport the invoker between levels. 3780goblin king 3781orcrist 3782 The Great Goblin gave a truly awful howl of rage when he 3783 looked at it, and all his soldiers gnashed their teeth, 3784 clashed their shields, and stamped. They knew the sword at 3785 once. It had killed hundreds of goblins in its time, when 3786 the fair elves of Gondolin hunted them in the hills or did 3787 battle before their walls. They had called it Orcrist, 3788 Goblin-cleaver, but the goblins called it simply Biter. 3789 They hated it and hated worse any one that carried it. 3790 [ The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 3791orcus 3792 Orcus, Prince of the Undead, has a ram's head and a poison 3793 stinger. He is most feared, though, for his powerful magic 3794 abilities. His wand causes death to those he chooses. 3795~orc ??m* 3796~orcish barbarian 3797~orcish ranger 3798~orcish rogue 3799~orcish wizard 3800orc* 3801* orc 3802uruk*hai 3803 Orcs, bipeds with a humanoid appearance, are related to the 3804 goblins, but much bigger and more dangerous. The average orc 3805 is only moderately intelligent, has broad, muscled shoulders, 3806 a short neck, a sloping forehead and a thick, dark fur. 3807 Their lower eye-teeth are pointing forward, like a boar's. 3808 Female orcs are more lightly built and bare-chested. Not 3809 needing any clothing, they do like to dress in variegated 3810 apparels. Suspicious by nature, orcs live in tribes or 3811 hordes. They tend to live underground as well as above 3812 ground (but they dislike sunlight). Orcs can use all weapons, 3813 tools and armours that are used by men. Since they don't have 3814 the talent to fashion these themselves, they are constantly 3815 hunting for them. There is nothing a horde of orcs cannot 3816 use. 3817 [ het Boek van de Regels; Het Oog des Meesters ] 3818orion 3819sirius 3820 Orion was the son of Neptune. He was a handsome giant and a 3821 mighty hunter. His father gave him the power of wading 3822 through the depths of the sea, or, as others say, of 3823 walking on its surface. 3824 3825 He dwelt as a hunter with Diana (Artemis), with whom he 3826 was a favourite, and it is even said she was about to marry 3827 him. Her brother was highly displeased and often chid her, 3828 but to no purpose. One day, observing Orion wading through 3829 the sea with his head just above the water, Apollo pointed 3830 it out to his sister and maintained that she could not hit 3831 that black thing on the sea. The archer-goddess discharged 3832 a shaft with fatal aim. The waves rolled the dead body of 3833 Orion to the land, and bewailing her fatal error with many 3834 tears, Diana placed him among the stars, where he appears 3835 as a giant, with a girdle, sword, lion's skin, and 3836 club. Sirius, his dog, follows him, and the Pleiads fly 3837 before him. 3838 [ Bulfinch's Mythology, by Thomas Bulfinch ] 3839osaku 3840 The osaku is a small tool for picking locks. 3841owlbear 3842 Owlbears are probably the crossbreed creation of a demented 3843 wizard; given the lethal nature of this creation, it is quite 3844 likely the wizard who created them is no longer alive. As 3845 the name might already suggest, owlbears are a cross between 3846 a giant owl and a bear. They are covered with fur and 3847 feathers. 3848page 3849 A male servant or attendant; specifically, in chivalry, 3850 a lad or young man in training for knighthood, or a youth 3851 of gentle parentage attending a royal or princely personage. 3852 [ Webster's Comprehensive International Dictionary 3853 of the English Language ] 3854*pall 3855 _Pallium._ The Roman name for a square woollen cloak worn 3856 by men in ancient Greece, especially by philosophers and 3857 courtesans, corresponding to the Roman toga. Hence the 3858 Greeks called themselves _gens palliata,_ and the Romans 3859 called themselves _gens togata._ 3860 [ Brewer's Concise Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ] 3861panther 3862 And lo! almost where the ascent began, 3863 A panther light and swift exceedingly, 3864 Which with a spotted skin was covered o'er! 3865 3866 And never moved she from before my face, 3867 Nay, rather did impede so much my way, 3868 That many times I to return had turned. 3869 [ Dante's Inferno, as translated 3870 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ] 3871*paper 3872 Some players, who unconsciously perceive Paper as weak or a 3873 sign of surrender, will shy away from using it entirely or 3874 drop it from their game when they are falling behind. On the 3875 other hand, Paper also connects with a player's perceptions 3876 about writing. There is a quiet power in the printed word. 3877 It has the ability to lay off thousands of employees, declare 3878 war against nations, spread scandal or confess love. Paper, 3879 in short, has power over masses. The fate of the entire world 3880 is determined by print. As such, some players perceive Paper 3881 as a subtle attack, the victory of modern culture over barbarism. 3882 Such players may use Paper to assert their superiority and dignity. 3883 [ The Official Rock Paper Scissors Strategy Guide, 3884 by Douglas and Graham Walker ] 3885pelias 3886 Conan cried out sharply and recoiled, thrusting his companion 3887 back. Before them rose the great shimmering white form of Satha, 3888 an ageless hate in its eyes. Conan tensed himself for one mad 3889 berserker onslaught -- to thrust the glowing faggot into that 3890 fiendish countenance and throw his life into the ripping sword- 3891 stroke. But the snake was not looking at him. It was glaring 3892 over his shoulder at the man called Pelias, who stood with his 3893 arms folded, smiling. And in the great, cold, yellow eyes 3894 slowly the hate died out in a glitter of pure fear -- the only 3895 time Conan ever saw such an expression in a reptile's eyes. 3896 With a swirling rush like the sweep of a strong wind, the great 3897 snake was gone. 3898 "What did he see to frighten him?" asked Conan, eyeing his 3899 companion uneasily. 3900 "The scaled people see what escapes the mortal eye," answered 3901 Pelias cryptically. "You see my fleshy guise, he saw my naked 3902 soul." 3903 [ Conan the Usurper, by Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp ] 3904pick*ax* 3905broad pick 3906 The mine is full of holes; 3907 With the wound of pickaxes. 3908 But look at the goldsmith's store. 3909 There, there is gold everywhere. 3910 [ Divan-i Kebir Meter 2, by Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi ] 3911*piercer 3912 Ye Piercer doth look like unto a stalactyte, and hangeth 3913 from the roofs of caves and caverns. Unto the height of a 3914 man, and thicker than a man's thigh do they grow, and in 3915 groups do they hang. If a creature doth pass beneath them, 3916 they will by its heat and noise perceive it, and fall upon 3917 it to kill and devour it, though in any other way they move 3918 but exceeding slow. 3919 [ the Bestiary of Xygag ] 3920piranha 3921 They live in "schools." Many times they will wait for prey 3922 to come to the shallow water of the river. Then the large 3923 group of piranhas will attack. These large groups are able 3924 to kill large animals... Their lower teeth fit perfectly 3925 into the spaces of their upper teeth, creating a tremendous 3926 vice-like bite... Piranhas are attracted to any disturbance 3927 in the water. 3928 [ http://www.animalsoftherainforest.com ] 3929pit 3930spiked pit 3931 Amid the thought of the fiery destruction that impended, the 3932 idea of the coolness of the well came over my soul like balm. 3933 I rushed to its deadly brink. I threw my straining vision 3934 below. The glare from the enkindled roof illumined its inmost 3935 recesses. Yet, for a wild moment, did my spirit refuse to 3936 comprehend the meaning of what I saw. At length it forced -- 3937 it wrestled its way into my soul -- it burned itself in upon my 3938 shuddering reason. Oh! for a voice to speak! -- oh! horror! -- 3939 oh! any horror but this! 3940 [ The Pit and the Pendulum, by Edgar Allan Poe ] 3941pit fiend 3942 Pit fiends are among the more powerful of devils, capable of 3943 attacking twice with weapons as well as grabbing and crushing 3944 the life out of those unwary enough to enter their 3945 domains. 3946platinum yendorian express card 3947 This is an ancient artifact made of an unknown material. It 3948 is rectangular in shape, very thin, and inscribed with 3949 unreadable ancient runes. When carried, it grants the one 3950 who carries it ESP, and reduces all spell induced damage done to 3951 the carrier by half. It also protects from magic missile 3952 attacks. Finally, its power is such that when invoked, it 3953 can charge other objects. 3954# playing style, rather vague topic but these quotes are too apt to pass up 3955player 3956play* style 3957user 3958 Be bold, 3959 be bold, 3960 but not too bold. 3961 Or else your life's blood, 3962 shall run cold. 3963 [ The White Road, by Neil Gaiman ] 3964 3965 People think I'm crazy to worry all the time; 3966 If you paid attention, you'd be worried too. 3967 You better pay attention, or this world we love so much 3968 Might just kill you. 3969 [ It's a Jungle Out There, by Randy Newman ] 3970# [ theme song from "Monk" ] 3971polearm 3972* polearm 3973partisan 3974ranseur 3975spetum 3976glaive 3977halberd 3978bardiche 3979angled poleaxe 3980long poleaxe 3981voulge 3982pole cleaver 3983fauchard 3984pole sickle 3985guisarme 3986bill-guisarme 3987lucern hammer 3988bec de corbin 3989 Many of the weapons of the Middle Ages were poled or long-shafted 3990 arms. Unlike the ancient spear or javelin, however, they were not 3991 intended to be thrown. Some were devices with simple single- or 3992 double-edged blades and nothing more, while others combined 3993 the pick, spear, and hammer or axe all in one weapon. 3994 [ Heraldry and Armor of the Middle Ages, by Marvin H. Pakula ] 3995polymorph trap 3996 One morning, as Gregor Samsa was waking up from anxious dreams, 3997 he discovered that in bed he had been changed into a monstrous 3998 verminous bug. He lay on his armour-hard back and saw, as he 3999 lifted his head up a little, his brown, arched abdomen divided 4000 up into rigid bow-like sections. From this height the blanket, 4001 just about ready to slide off completely, could hardly stay in 4002 place. His numerous legs, pitifully thin in comparison to the 4003 rest of his circumference, flickered helplessly before his eyes. 4004 [ The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka, 4005 translated by Ian Johnston ] 4006pony 4007 Hey! now! Come hoy now! Whither do you wander? 4008 Up, down, near or far, here, there or yonder? 4009 Sharp-ears, Wise-nose, Swish-tail and Bumpkin, 4010 White-socks my little lad, and old Fatty Lumpkin! 4011 4012 [...] 4013 Tom called them one by one and they climbed over the brow and 4014 stood in a line. Then Tom bowed to the hobbits. 4015 4016 "Here are your ponies, now!" he said. "They've more sense (in some 4017 ways) than you wandering hobbits have -- more sense in their noses. 4018 For they sniff danger ahead which you walk right into; and if they 4019 run to save themselves, then they run the right way." 4020 [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 4021*portal 4022 Portals can be Mirrors, Pictures, Standing Stones, Stone 4023 Circles, Windows, and special gates set up for the purpose. 4024 You will travel through them both to distant parts of the 4025 continent and to and from our own world. The precise manner 4026 of their working is a Management secret. 4027 [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] 4028trident 4029poseido*n 4030 Poseido(o)n, lord of the seas and father of rivers and 4031 fountains, was the son of Chronos and Rhea, brother of Zeus, 4032 Hades, Hera, Hestia and Demeter. His rank of ruler of the 4033 waves he received by lot at the Council Meeting of the Gods, 4034 at which Zeus took the upper world for himself and gave 4035 dominion over the lower world to Hades. 4036 Poseidon is associated in many ways with horses and thus is 4037 the god of horses. He taught men how to ride and manage the 4038 animal he invented and is looked upon as the originator and 4039 guardian deity of horse races. 4040 His symbol is the familiar trident or three-pronged spear 4041 with which he can split rocks, cause or quell storms, and 4042 shake the earth, a power which makes him the god of 4043 earthquakes as well. Physically, he is shown as a strong and 4044 powerful ruler, every inch a king. 4045 [ The Encyclopedia of Myths and Legends of All Nations, 4046 by Herbert Robinson and Knox Wilson ] 4047~*sleeping 4048~*booze 4049*potion* 4050 POTABLE, n. Suitable for drinking. Water is said to be 4051 potable; indeed, some declare it our natural beverage, 4052 although even they find it palatable only when suffering 4053 from the recurrent disorder known as thirst, for which it 4054 is a medicine. Upon nothing has so great and diligent 4055 ingenuity been brought to bear in all ages and in all 4056 countries, except the most uncivilized, as upon the 4057 invention of substitutes for water. To hold that this 4058 general aversion to that liquid has no basis in the 4059 preservative instinct of the race is to be unscientific -- 4060 and without science we are as the snakes and toads. 4061 [ The Devil's Dictionary, by Ambrose Bierce ] 4062 4063 Jack Burton: What's in the flask, Egg? Magic potion? 4064 Egg Shen: Yeah. 4065 Jack: I thought so, good. What do we do? Drink it? 4066 Egg: Yeah. 4067 Jack: Good, I thought so. 4068 [later] 4069 Jack: This does what again, exactly? 4070 Egg: Huge buzz! [drinks] Oh good! See things no 4071 one else can see, do things no one else can do. 4072 [ Big Trouble in Little China, directed by 4073 John Carpenter, written by Gary Goldman & 4074 David Z. Weinstein, adaptation by W. D. Richter ] 4075pray* 4076 Whatever a man prays for, he prays for a miracle. Every 4077 prayer reduces itself to this: Great God, grant that twice 4078 two be not four. 4079 [ Fathers and Sons, by Ivan Turgenev ] 4080priest* 4081* priest* 4082acolyte 4083 [...] For the two priests were talking exactly like priests, 4084 piously, with learning and leisure, about the most aerial 4085 enigmas of theology. The little Essex priest spoke the more 4086 simply, with his round face turned to the strengthening stars; 4087 the other talked with his head bowed, as if he were not even 4088 worthy to look at them. But no more innocently clerical 4089 conversation could have been heard in any white Italian cloister 4090 or black Spanish cathedral. The first he heard was the tail of 4091 one of Father Brown's sentences, which ended: "... what they 4092 really meant in the Middle Ages by the heavens being 4093 incorruptible." The taller priest nodded his bowed head and 4094 said: "Ah, yes, these modern infidels appeal to their reason; 4095 but who can look at those millions of worlds and not feel that 4096 there may well be wonderful universes above us where reason is 4097 utterly unreasonable?" 4098 [ The Innocence of Father Brown, by G.K. Chesterton ] 4099paddle cactus 4100 Opuntia, commonly called prickly pear, is a genus in the cactus 4101 family, Cactaceae. Prickly pears are also known as tuna (fruit), 4102 sabra, nopal (paddle, plural nopales) from the Nahuatl word 4103 nopalli for the pads, or nostle, from the Nahuatl word nochtli 4104 for the fruit; or paddle cactus. 4105 [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] 4106prisoner 4107 Where am I? 4108 In the Village. 4109 What do you want? 4110 Information. 4111 Whose side are you on? 4112 That would be telling. We want information ... 4113 information ... 4114 You won't get it. 4115 By hook or by crook, we will. 4116 Who are you? 4117 The new Number 2. 4118 Who is Number 1? 4119 You are Number 6. 4120 I am not a number! I am a free man! 4121 [ The Prisoner, by Patrick McGoohan ] 4122ptah 4123 Known under various names (Nu, Neph, Cenubis, Amen-Kneph, 4124 Khery-Bakef), Ptah is the creator god and god of craftsmen. 4125 He is usually depicted as wearing a closely fitting robe 4126 with only his hands free. His most distinctive features are 4127 the invariable skull-cap exposing only his face and ears, 4128 and the _was_ or rod of domination which he holds, 4129 consisting of a staff surmounted by the _ankh_ symbol of 4130 life. He is otherwise symbolized by his sacred animal, the 4131 bull. 4132*purple worm 4133 A gargantuan version of the harmless rain-worm, the purple 4134 worm poses a huge threat to the ordinary adventurer. It is 4135 known to swallow whole and digest its victims within only a 4136 few minutes. These worms are always on guard, sensitive 4137 to the most minute vibrations in the earth, but may also 4138 be awakened by a remote shriek. 4139pyrolisk 4140 At first glance around the corner, I thought it was another 4141 cockatrice. I had encountered the wretched creatures two or 4142 three times since leaving the open area. I quickly ducked my 4143 head back and considered what to do next. My heart had begun 4144 to thump audibly as I patted my pack to make sure I still had 4145 the dead lizards at close reach. A check of my attire showed 4146 no obvious holes or damage. I had to keep moving. One deep 4147 breath, and a count of three, two, one, and around the corner 4148 I bolted. But it was no cockatrice! I felt a sudden intense 4149 searing of the skin around my face, and flames began to leap 4150 from my pack. I tossed it to the ground, and quickly retreated 4151 back, around that corner, desperately striving to get out of 4152 its sight. 4153python 4154 A monstrous serpent in Greek mythology, and the child of Gaia, 4155 the goddess earth. It was produced from the slime and mud 4156 that was left on the earth by the great flood of Deucalion. 4157 It lived in a cave and guarded the oracle of Delphi on mount 4158 Parnassus. 4159 4160 No man dared to approach the beast and the people asked Apollo 4161 for help. He came down from Mount Olympus with his silver bow 4162 and golden arrows. With using only one arrow he killed the 4163 serpent and claimed the oracle for himself. ... The old name of 4164 Delphi, Pytho, refers to the serpent. 4165 [ Encyclopedia Mythica, ed. M.F. Lindemans ] 4166quadruped 4167 The woodlands and other regions are inhabited by multitudes 4168 of four-legged creatures which cannot be simply classified. 4169 They might not have fiery breath or deadly stings, but 4170 adventurers have nevertheless met their end numerous times 4171 due to the claws, hooves, or bites of such animals. 4172quantum mechanic 4173 These creatures are not native to this universe; they seem 4174 to have strangely derived powers, and unknown motives. 4175 [] 4176 4177 _Uncertainty Principle_ The principle that it is not possible 4178 to know with unlimited accuracy both the position and momentum 4179 of a particle. ... An explanation of the uncertainty is that 4180 in order to locate a particle exactly, an observer must be 4181 able to bounce off it a photon of radiation; this act of 4182 location itself alters the position of the particle 4183 in an unpredictable way. To locate the position accurately, 4184 photons of short wavelength would have to be used. The high 4185 momentum of such photons would cause a large effect on the 4186 position. On the other hand, using photons of lower momenta 4187 would have less effect on the particle's position, but would 4188 be less accurate because of the lower wavelength. 4189 [ A Concise Dictionary of Physics ] 4190quasit 4191 Quasits are small, evil creatures, related to imps. Their 4192 talons release a very toxic poison when used in an attack. 4193*quest 4194 Many, possibly most, Tours are organized as a Quest. This 4195 is like a large-scale treasure hunt, with clues scattered 4196 all over the continent, a few false leads, Mystical Masters 4197 as game-show hosts, and the Dark Lord and the Terrain to 4198 make the Quest interestingly difficult. [...] 4199 In order to be assured of your future custom, the Management 4200 has a further Rule: Tourists, far from being rewarded for 4201 achieving their Quest Object, must then go on to conquer 4202 the Dark Lord or set about Saving the World, or both. And 4203 why not? By then you will have had a lot of practice in 4204 that sort of thing and, besides, the Quest Object is usually 4205 designed to help you do it. 4206 [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] 4207quetzalcoatl 4208 One of the principal Aztec-Toltec gods was the great and wise 4209 Quetzalcoatl, who was called Kukumatz in Guatemala, and 4210 Kukulcan in Yucatan. His image, the plumed serpent, is found 4211 on both the oldest and the most recent Indian edifices. ... 4212 The legend tells how the Indian deity Quetzalcoatl came from 4213 the "Land of the Rising Sun". He wore a long white robe and 4214 had a beard; he taught the people crafts and customs and laid 4215 down wise laws. He created an empire in which the ears of 4216 corn were as long as men are tall, and caused bolls of colored 4217 cotton to grow on cotton plants. But for some reason or other 4218 he had to leave his empire. ... But all the legends of 4219 Quetzalcoatl unanimously agree that he promised to come again. 4220 [ Gods, Graves, and Scholars, by C. W. Ceram ] 4221quit* 4222 Maltar: [...] I remembered a little saying I learned my 4223 first day at the academy. 4224 Natalie: Yeah, yeah, I know. Winners never quit and quitters 4225 never win. 4226 Maltar: What? No! Winners never quit and quitters should 4227 be cast into the Flaming Pit of Death. 4228 [ Snow Day, directed by Chris Koch, 4229 written by Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi ] 4230raijin 4231raiden 4232 The Japanese god of thunder (rai) and lightning (den). He 4233 prevented the Mongols from invading Japan in 1274. Sitting on 4234 a cloud he sent forth a shower of lightning arrows upon the 4235 invading fleet. Only three men escaped. Raiden is portrayed 4236 as a red demon with sharp claws, carrying a large drum. He is 4237 fond of eating human navels. The only protection against him 4238 is to hide under a mosquito net. 4239 [ Encyclopedia Mythica, ed. M.F. Lindemans ] 4240ranger 4241* ranger 4242 "Lonely men are we, Rangers of the wild, hunters -- but hunters 4243 ever of the servants of the Enemy; for they are found in many 4244 places, not in Mordor only. 4245 If Gondor, Boromir, has been a stalwart tower, we have played 4246 another part. Many evil things there are that your strong walls 4247 and bright swords do not stay. You know little of the lands 4248 beyond your bounds. Peace and freedom, do you say? The North 4249 would have known them little but for us. Fear would have 4250 destroyed them. But when dark things come from the houseless 4251 hills, or creep from sunless woods, they fly from us. What 4252 roads would any dare to tread, what safety would there be in 4253 quiet lands, or in the homes of simple men at night, if the 4254 Dunedain were asleep, or were all gone into the grave?" 4255 [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 4256rat 4257* rat 4258 Rats are long-tailed rodents. They are aggressive, 4259 omnivorous, and adaptable, often carrying diseases. 4260 [] 4261 4262 "The rat," said O'Brien, still addressing his invisible 4263 audience, "although a rodent, is carnivorous. You are aware 4264 of that. You will have heard of the things that happen in 4265 the poor quarters of this town. In some streets a woman dare 4266 not leave her baby alone in the house, even for five minutes. 4267 The rats are certain to attack it. Within quite a small time 4268 they will strip it to the bones. They also attack sick or 4269 dying people. They show astonishing intelligence in knowing 4270 when a human being is helpless." 4271 [ 1984, by George Orwell ] 4272raven 4273 But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only 4274 That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour. 4275 Nothing further then he uttered -- not a feather then he fluttered-- 4276 Till I scarcely more than muttered, 'other friends have flown before-- 4277 On the morrow *he* will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.' 4278 Then the bird said, 'Nevermore.' 4279 [ The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe ] 4280~*invisibility 4281ring 4282* ring 4283ring of * 4284 Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, 4285 Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, 4286 Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, 4287 One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne, 4288 In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. 4289 One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, 4290 One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them 4291 In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. 4292 [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 4293ring of invisibility 4294 "When time came for the shepherds to hold their customary 4295 assembly in order to prepare their monthly report to the king 4296 about the state of the flocks, he came too, wearing this ring. 4297 While he was sitting with the others, it chanced that he moved 4298 the collet of the ring around toward himself into the inside of 4299 his hand; having done this, he disappeared from the sight of 4300 those who were sitting beside him, and they discussed of him as 4301 of someone who had left. And he wondered and once again feeling 4302 for the ring, he turned the collet outwards and, by turning it, 4303 reappeared. Reflecting upon this, he put the ring to the test 4304 to see if it indeed had such power, and he came to this 4305 conclusion that, by turning the collet inwards, he became 4306 invisible, outwards, visible. Having perceived this, he at 4307 once managed for himself to become one of the envoys to the 4308 king; upon arrival, having seduced his wife, with her help, 4309 he laid a hand on the king, murdered him and took hold of the 4310 leadership." 4311 [ The Republic, by Plato, translated by James Adam ] 4312robe 4313 Robes are the only garments, apart from Shirts, ever to have 4314 sleeves. They have three uses: 4315 1. As the official uniform of Priests, Priestesses, Monks, 4316 Nuns (see Nunnery), and Wizards. The OMT [ Official Management 4317 Term ] prescribed for the Robes of Priests and Nuns is that 4318 they _fall in severe folds_; of Priestesses that they _float_; 4319 and of Wizards that they _swirl_. You can thus see who you 4320 are dealing with. 4321 2. For Kings. The OMT here is _falling in stately folds_. 4322 3. As the garb of Desert Nomads. [...] 4323 [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] 4324rock 4325 Bilbo saw that the moment had come when he must do something. 4326 He could not get up at the brutes and he had nothing to shoot 4327 with; but looking about he saw that in this place there were 4328 many stones lying in what appeared to be a now dry little 4329 watercourse. Bilbo was a pretty fair shot with a stone, and 4330 it did not take him long to find a nice smooth egg-shaped one 4331 that fitted his hand cosily. As a boy he used to practise 4332 throwing stones at things, until rabbits and squirrels, and 4333 even birds, got out of his way as quick as lightning if they 4334 saw him stoop; and even grownup he had still spent a deal of 4335 his time at quoits, dart-throwing, shooting at the wand, 4336 bowls, ninepins and other quiet games of the aiming and 4337 throwing sort - indeed he could do lots of things, besides 4338 blowing smoke-rings, asking riddles and cooking, that I 4339 haven't time to tell you about. There is no time now. While 4340 he was picking up stones, the spider had reached Bombur, and 4341 soon he would have been dead. At that moment Bilbo threw. 4342 The stone struck the spider plunk on the head, and it dropped 4343 senseless off the tree, flop to the ground, with all its legs 4344 curled up. 4345 [ The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 4346rock mole 4347 A rock mole is a member of the rodent family. They get their 4348 name from their ability to tunnel through rock in the same 4349 fashion that a mole tunnels through earth. They are known to 4350 eat anything they come across in their diggings, although it 4351 is still unknown how they convert some of these things into 4352 something of nutritional value. 4353rodent* 4354 A gnawing mammal (order _Rodentia_) having in each jaw two 4355 (rarely four) incisors, growing continually from persistent 4356 pulps, and no canine teeth, as a squirrel, beaver, or rat. 4357 [ Webster's Comprehensive International Dictionary 4358 of the English Language ] 4359rogue 4360* rogue 4361 I understand the business, I hear it: to have an open ear, a 4362 quick eye, and a nimble hand, is necessary for a cut-purse; a 4363 good nose is requisite also, to smell out work for the other 4364 senses. I see this is the time that the unjust man doth 4365 thrive. ... The prince himself is about a piece of iniquity, 4366 stealing away from his father with his clog at his heels: if 4367 I thought it were a piece of honesty to acquaint the king 4368 withal, I would not do't: I hold it the more knavery to 4369 conceal it; and therein am I constant to my profession. 4370 [ Autolycus the Rogue, from The Winter's Tale by 4371 William Shakespeare ] 4372root 4373dwarven root 4374 But when they were cooked these roots proved good to eat, 4375 somewhat like bread; and the outlaws were glad of them, for 4376 they had long lacked bread save when they could steal it. 4377 "Wild Elves know them not; Grey-elves have not found them; 4378 the proud ones from over the Sea are too proud to delve," 4379 said Mim. 4380 4381 "What is their name?" said Turin. Mim looked at him sidelong. 4382 "They have no name, save in the Dwarf-tongue, which we do not 4383 teach," he said. "And we not teach Men to find them, for Men 4384 are greedy and thriftless, and would not spare till all the 4385 plants had perished; whereas now they pass them by as they go 4386 blundering in the wild. No more will you learn of me; but you 4387 may have enough of my bounty, as long as you speak fair and 4388 do not spy or steal." Then again he laughed in his throat. 4389 4390 "They are of great worth." he said. "More than gold in the 4391 hungry winter, for they may be hoarded like the nuts of a 4392 squirrel, and already we were building our store from the 4393 first that are ripe." 4394 [ Unfinished Tales, Part 1, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 4395roshi 4396 Roshi is a Japanese word, common in Zen Buddhism, meaning "old" 4397 (ro) and "teacher" (shi). Roshi can be used as a term of 4398 respect, as in the Rinzai school; as a simple reference to 4399 actual age, as in the Soto school; or it can mean a teacher who 4400 has transmitted knowledge to, and thus "given birth" to, a new 4401 teacher. 4402 [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] 4403rothe 4404 The rothe (pronounced roth-AY) is a musk ox-like creature with 4405 an aversion to light. It prefers to live underground near 4406 lichen and moss. 4407*royal jelly 4408 "'Royal Jelly,'" he read aloud, "'must be a substance of 4409 tremendous nourishing power, for on this diet alone, the 4410 honey-bee larva increases in weight fifteen hundred times in 4411 five days!'" 4412 4413 "How much?" 4414 4415 "Fifteen hundred times, Mabel. And you know what that means 4416 if you put it in terms of a human being? It means," he said, 4417 lowering his voice, leaning forward, fixing her with those 4418 small pale eyes, "it means that in five days a baby weighing 4419 seven and a half pounds to start off with would increase in 4420 weight to five tons!" 4421 [ Royal Jelly, by Roald Dahl ] 4422ruby 4423sapphire 4424 _Corundum._ Mineral, aluminum oxide, Al2O3. The clear 4425 varieties are used as gems and the opaque as abrasive materials. 4426 Corundum occurs in crystals of the hexagonal system and in 4427 masses. It is transparent to opaque and has a vitreous to 4428 adamantine luster. ... The chief corundum gems are the ruby 4429 (red) and the sapphire (blue). 4430 [ The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition ] 4431rust monster 4432 These strange creatures live on a diet of metals. They can 4433 turn a suit of armour into so much useless rusted scrap in no 4434 time at all. 4435# takes "rust monster or disenchanter" when specifying 'R' 4436rust monster or disenchanter 4437 These ground-dwelling monsters are known to make short 4438 work out of degrading adventurers' combat equipment. 4439*saber 4440*sabre 4441 Flashed all their sabres bare, 4442 Flashed as they turned in air, 4443 Sab'ring the gunners there, 4444 Charging an army, while 4445 All the world wondered: 4446 Plunged in the battery smoke, 4447 Right through the line they broke; 4448 Cossack and Russian 4449 Reeled from the sabre-stroke 4450 Shattered and sundered. 4451 Then they rode back, but not-- 4452 Not the six hundred. 4453 [ The Charge of the Light Brigade, 4454 by Alfred, Lord Tennyson ] 4455saddle 4456 The horseman serves the horse, 4457 The neat-herd serves the neat, 4458 The merchant serves the purse, 4459 The eater serves his meat; 4460 'Tis the day of the chattel, 4461 Web to weave, and corn to grind, 4462 Things are in the saddle, 4463 And ride mankind. 4464 [ Ode, by Ralph Waldo Emerson ] 4465sake 4466 Japanese rice wine. 4467salamander 4468 For hundreds of years, many people believed that salamanders 4469 were magical. In England in the Middle Ages, people thought 4470 that fire created salamanders. When they set fire to damp 4471 logs, dozens of the slimy creatures scurried out. The word 4472 salamander, in fact, comes from a Greek word meaning "fire 4473 animal". 4474 [ Salamanders, by Cherie Winner ] 4475samurai 4476* samurai 4477 By that time, Narahara had already slipped his arm from the 4478 sleeve of his outer robe, drew out his two-and-a-half-foot 4479 Fujiwara Tadahiro sword, and, brandishing it over his head, 4480 began barreling toward the foreigners. In less than a minute, 4481 he had charged upon them and cut one of them through the torso. 4482 The man fled, clutching his bulging guts, finally to fall from 4483 his horse at the foot of a pine tree about a thousand yards 4484 away. Kaeda Takeji finished him off. The other two Englishmen 4485 were severely wounded as they tried to flee. Only the woman 4486 managed to escape virtually unscathed. 4487 [ The Fox-horse, from Drunk as a Lord, by Ryotaro Shiba ] 4488sandestin 4489 Ildefonse left the terrace and almost immediately sounds 4490 of contention came from the direction of the work-room. 4491 Ildefonse presently returned to the terrace, followed by 4492 Osherl and a second sandestin using the guise of a gaunt blue 4493 bird-like creature, some six feet in height. 4494 4495 Ildefonse spoke in scathing tones: "Behold these two 4496 creatures! They can roam the chronoplex as easily as you 4497 or I can walk around the table; yet neither has the wit to 4498 announce his presence upon arrival. I found Osherl asleep 4499 in his fulgurite and Sarsem perched in the rafters." 4500 [...] 4501 "No matter," said Rhialto. "He has brought Sarsem, and this 4502 was his requirement. In the main, Osherl, you have done well!" 4503 4504 "And my indenture point?" 4505 4506 "Much depends upon Sarsem's testimony. Sarsem, will you sit?" 4507 4508 "In this guise, I find it more convenient to stand." 4509 4510 "Then why not alter to human form and join us in comfort at 4511 the table?" 4512 4513 "That is a good idea." Sarsem became a naked young epicene 4514 in an integument of lavender scales with puffs of purple hair 4515 like pom-poms growing down his back. He seated himself at 4516 the table but declined refreshment. "This human semblance, 4517 though typical, is after all, only a guise. If I were to put 4518 such things inside myself, I might well become uneasy." 4519 [ Rhialto the Marvellous, by Jack Vance ] 4520sasquatch 4521 The name _Sasquatch_ doesn't really become important in Canada 4522 until the 1930s, when it appeared in the works of J. W. Burns, 4523 a British Columbian writer who used a great deal of Indian 4524 lore in his stories. Burn's Sasquatch was a giant Indian who 4525 lived in the wilderness. He was hairy only in the sense that 4526 he had long hair on his head, and while this Sasquatch lived a 4527 wild and primitive life, he was fully human. 4528 Burns's character proved to be quite popular. There was a 4529 Sasquatch Inn near the town of Harrison, British Columbia, and 4530 Harrison even had a local celebration called "Sasquatch Days." 4531 The celebration which had been dormant for years was revived 4532 as part of British Columbia's centennial, and one of the 4533 events was to be a Sasquatch hunt. The hunt never took place, 4534 perhaps it was never supposed to, but the publicity about it 4535 did bring out a number of people who said they had encountered 4536 a Sasquatch -- not Burns's giant Indian, but the hairy apelike 4537 creature that we have all come to know. 4538 [ The Encyclopedia of Monsters, by Daniel Cohen ] 4539scalpel 4540 A scalpel is a very sharp knife used for surgery ... Merely 4541 touching a medical scalpel with bare hands to test it will 4542 cut through the skin. ... Medical scalpel blades are gradually 4543 curved for greater precision when cutting through tissue. 4544 [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] 4545*sceptre of might 4546 This mace was created aeons ago in some unknown cave, 4547 and has been passed down from generation to generation of 4548 cave dwellers. It is a very mighty mace indeed, and in 4549 addition will protect anyone who wields it from magic 4550 missile attacks. When invoked, it causes conflict in the 4551 area around it. 4552scimitar 4553 Oh, how handsome, how noble was the Vizier Ali Tebelin, 4554 my father, as he stood there in the midst of the shot, his 4555 scimitar in his hand, his face black with powder! How his 4556 enemies fled before him! 4557 [ The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas ] 4558scorpio* 4559 A sub-species of the spider (_Scorpionidae_), the scorpion 4560 distinguishes itself from them by having a lower body that 4561 ends in a long, jointed tail tapering to a poisonous stinger. 4562 They have eight legs and pincers. 4563 [ Van Dale's Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal ] 4564scorpius 4565 Since early times, the Scorpion has represented death, darkness, 4566 and evil. Scorpius is the reputed slayer of Orion the Hunter. 4567 [...] The gods put both scorpion and hunter among the stars, but 4568 on opposite sides of the sky so they would never fight again. 4569 As Scorpius rises in the east, Orion sets in the west. 4570 [ 365 Starry Nights, by Chet Raymo ] 4571*scroll 4572scroll * 4573 And I was gazing on the surges prone, 4574 With many a scalding tear and many a groan, 4575 When at my feet emerg'd an old man's hand, 4576 Grasping this scroll, and this same slender wand. 4577 I knelt with pain--reached out my hand--had grasp'd 4578 Those treasures--touch'd the knuckles--they unclasp'd-- 4579 I caught a finger: but the downward weight 4580 O'erpowered me--it sank. Then 'gan abate 4581 The storm, and through chill aguish gloom outburst 4582 The comfortable sun. I was athirst 4583 To search the book, and in the warming air 4584 Parted its dripping leaves with eager care. 4585 Strange matters did it treat of, and drew on 4586 My soul page after page, till well-nigh won 4587 Into forgetfulness; when, stupefied, 4588 I read these words, and read again, and tried 4589 My eyes against the heavens, and read again. 4590 [ Endymion, by John Keats ] 4591set 4592seth 4593 The ancient Egyptian god of chaos (Set), the embodiment of 4594 hostility and even of outright evil. He is also a god of war, 4595 deserts, storms, and foreign lands. ... In the Book of the 4596 Dead, Seth is called "Lord of the Northern Sky" and is held 4597 responsible for storms and cloudy weather. ... Seth was 4598 portrayed as a man with the head of undeterminable origin, 4599 although some see in it the head of an aardvark. He had a 4600 curved snout, erect square-tipped ears and a long forked tail. 4601 He was sometimes entirely in animal form with the body similar 4602 to that of a greyhound. Animals sacred to this god were the 4603 dog, the jackal, the gazelle, the donkey, the crocodile, the 4604 hippopotamus, and the pig. 4605 [ Encyclopedia Mythica, ed. M.F. Lindemans ] 4606shad* 4607 Shades are undead creatures. They differ from zombies in 4608 that a zombie is an undead animation of a corpse, while a 4609 shade is an undead creature magically created by the use 4610 of black magic. 4611shaman karnov 4612 Making his quarters in the Caves of the Ancestors, Shaman 4613 Karnov unceasingly tries to shield his neanderthal people 4614 from Tiamat's minions' harassments. 4615shan*lai*ching 4616 The Chinese god of Mountains and Seas, also the name of an 4617 old book (also Shan Hai Tjing), the book of mountains and 4618 seas - which deals with the monster Kung Kung trying to 4619 seize power from Yao, the fourth emperor. 4620 [ Spectrum Atlas van de Mythologie ] 4621shark 4622 As the shark moved, its dark top reflected virtually no 4623 light. The denticles on its skin muted the whoosh of its 4624 movements as the shark rose, driven by the power of the 4625 great tail sweeping from side to side, like a scythe. 4626 The fish exploded upward. 4627 Charles Bruder felt a slight vacuum tug in the motion of 4628 the sea, noted it as a passing current, the pull of a wave, 4629 the tickle of undertow. He could not have heard the faint 4630 sucking rush of water not far beneath him. He couldn't 4631 have seen or heard what was hurtling from the murk at 4632 astonishing speed, jaws unhinging, widening, for the 4633 enormous first bite. It was the classic attack 4634 that no other creature in nature could make -- a bomb from 4635 the depths. 4636 [ Close to Shore, by Michael Capuzzo ] 4637shito 4638 A Japanese stabbing knife. 4639shopkeeper 4640 There have been three general theories put forward to explain 4641 the phenomenon of the wandering shops or, as they are 4642 generically known, _tabernae vagantes._ 4643 The first postulates that many thousands of years ago there 4644 evolved somewhere in the multiverse a race whose single talent 4645 was to buy cheap and sell dear. Soon they controlled a vast 4646 galactic empire or, as they put it, Emporium, and the more 4647 advanced members of the species found a way to equip their very 4648 shops with unique propulsion units that could break the dark 4649 walls of space itself and open up vast new markets. And long 4650 after the worlds of the Emporium perished in the heat death of 4651 their particular universe, after one last defiant fire sale, 4652 the wandering starshops still ply their trade, eating their way 4653 through the pages of spacetime like a worm through a three- 4654 volume novel. 4655 The second is that they are the creation of a sympathetic Fate, 4656 charged with the role of supplying exactly the right thing 4657 at the right time. 4658 The third is that they are simply a very clever way of getting 4659 around the various Sunday Closing acts. 4660 All these theories, diverse as they are, have two things in 4661 common. They explain the observed facts, and they are 4662 completely and utterly wrong. 4663 [ The Light Fantastic, by Terry Pratchett ] 4664shrieker 4665 With a single, savage thrust of her spear, the warrior-woman 4666 impaled the fungus, silencing it. However, it was too late: 4667 the alarm had been raised[...] 4668 Suddenly, a large, dark shape rose from the abyss before them, 4669 its fetid bulk looming overhead... The monster was some kind of 4670 great dark worm, but that was about all they were sure of. 4671 [ The Adventurers, Epic IV, by Thomas A. Miller ] 4672throwing star 4673shuriken 4674 You know, that's what I hate most about fighting against magic: 4675 you never know what they're trying to do to you until it hits. 4676 The sorceress knew what hit her, however. Two of the shuriken 4677 got past whatever defenses she had. One caught her just below 4678 the throat, the other in the middle of her chest. It wouldn't 4679 kill her, but she wouldn't be fighting anyone for a while. 4680 [ Jhereg, by Steven Brust ] 4681skeleton 4682 A skeleton is a magically animated undead creature. Unlike 4683 shades, only a humanoid creature can be used to create a 4684 skeleton. No one knows why this is true, but it has become 4685 an accepted fact amongst the practitioners of the black arts. 4686slasher 4687 "That dog belonged to a settler who tried to build his cabin 4688 on the bank of the river a few miles south of the fort," 4689 grunted Conan. ... "We took him to the fort and dressed his 4690 wounds, but after he recovered he took to the woods and turned 4691 wild. -- What now, Slasher, are you hunting the men who 4692 killed your master?" ... "Let him come," muttered Conan. 4693 "He can smell the devils before we can see them." ... 4694 Slasher cleared the timbers with a bound and leaped into the 4695 bushes. They were violently shaken and then the dog slunk 4696 back to Balthus' side, his jaws crimson. ... "He was a man," 4697 said Conan. "I drink to his shade, and to the shade of the 4698 dog, who knew no fear." He quaffed part of the wine, then 4699 emptied the rest upon the floor, with a curious heathen 4700 gesture, and smashed the goblet. "The heads of ten Picts 4701 shall pay for this, and seven heads for the dog, who was a 4702 better warrior than many a man." 4703 [ Conan The Warrior, by Robert E Howard ] 4704*sleep 4705 Sleep is a death; oh, make me try 4706 By sleeping, what it is to die, 4707 And as gently lay my head 4708 On my grave, as now my bed. 4709 [ Religio Medici, by Sir Thomas Browne ] 4710slime mold 4711 Science fiction did not invent the slime molds, but it has 4712 borrowed from them in using the idea of sheets of liquid, flowing 4713 cytoplasm engulfing and dissolving every living thing they touch. 4714 What fiction can only imagine, nature has produced, and only their 4715 small size and dependence on coolness, moisture, and darkness has 4716 kept the slime molds from ordinary observation, for they are common 4717 enough. 4718 [ Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1977 ] 4719sling 4720 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and 4721 drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward 4722 the army to meet the Philistine. 4723 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, 4724 and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that 4725 the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face 4726 to the earth. 4727 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with 4728 a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there 4729 was no sword in the hand of David. 4730 [ 1 Samuel 17:48-50 ] 4731*snake 4732serpent 4733water moccasin 4734pit viper 4735 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field 4736 which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, 4737 hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 4738 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of 4739 the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is 4740 in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of 4741 it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent 4742 said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth 4743 know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be 4744 opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And 4745 when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it 4746 was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one 4747 wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also 4748 unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 4749 4750 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou 4751 hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I 4752 did eat. And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou 4753 hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above 4754 every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and 4755 dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put 4756 enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her 4757 seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. 4758 [ Genesis 3:1-6,13-15 ] 4759snickersnee 4760 Ah, never shall I forget the cry, 4761 or the shriek that shrieked he, 4762 As I gnashed my teeth, and from my sheath 4763 I drew my Snickersnee! 4764 --Koko, Lord high executioner of Titipu 4765 [ The Mikado, by Sir W.S. Gilbert ] 4766sokoban 4767 Sokoban (Japanese for "warehouse keeper") is a transport puzzle 4768 in which the player pushes boxes around a maze, viewed from 4769 above, and tries to put them in designated locations. Only one 4770 box may be pushed at a time, not two, and boxes cannot be pulled. 4771 As the puzzle would be extremely difficult to create physically, 4772 it is usually implemented as a video game. 4773 4774 Sokoban was created in 1982 by Hiroyuki Imabayashi, and was 4775 published by Thinking Rabbit, a software house based in 4776 Takarazuka, Japan. Thinking Rabbit also released three sequels: 4777 Boxxle, Sokoban Perfect and Sokoban Revenge. 4778 [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] 4779*soldier 4780sergeant 4781lieutenant 4782captain 4783 The soldiers of Yendor are well-trained in the art of war, 4784 many trained by the Wizard himself. Some say the soldiers 4785 are explorers who were unfortunate enough to be captured, 4786 and put under the Wizard's spell. Those who have survived 4787 encounters with soldiers say they travel together in platoons, 4788 and are fierce fighters. Because of the load of their combat 4789 gear, however, one can usually run away from them, and doing 4790 so is considered a wise thing. 4791*spear 4792javelin 4793 - they come together with great random, and a spear is brast, 4794 and one party brake his shield and the other one goes down, 4795 horse and man, over his horse-tail and brake his neck, and 4796 then the next candidate comes randoming in, and brast his 4797 spear, and the other man brast his shield, and down he goes, 4798 horse and man, over his horse-tail, and brake his neck, and 4799 then there's another elected, and another and another and 4800 still another, till the material is all used up; and when you 4801 come to figure up results, you can't tell one fight from 4802 another, nor who whipped; and as a picture of living, raging, 4803 roaring battle, sho! why it's pale and noiseless - just 4804 ghosts scuffling in a fog. Dear me, what would this barren 4805 vocabulary get out of the mightiest spectacle? - the burning 4806 of Rome in Nero's time, for instance? Why, it would merely 4807 say 'Town burned down; no insurance; boy brast a window, 4808 fireman brake his neck!' Why, that ain't a picture! 4809 [ A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, 4810 by Mark Twain ] 4811*spellbook* 4812 The Book of Three lay closed on the table. Taran had never 4813 been allowed to read the volume for himself; now he was sure 4814 it held more than Dallben chose to tell him. In the sun- 4815 filled room, with Dallben still meditating and showing no 4816 sign of stopping, Taran rose and moved through the shimmering 4817 beams. From the forest came the monotonous tick of a beetle. 4818 His hands reached for the cover. Taran gasped in pain and 4819 snatched them away. They smarted as if each of his fingers 4820 had been stung by hornets. He jumped back, stumbled against 4821 the bench, and dropped to the floor, where he put his fingers 4822 woefully into his mouth. 4823 Dallben's eyes blinked open. He peered at Taran and yawned 4824 slowly. "You had better see Coll about a lotion for those 4825 hands," he advised. "Otherwise, I shouldn't be surprised if 4826 they blistered." 4827 [ The Book of Three, by Lloyd Alexander ] 4828*spider 4829 Eight legged creature capable of spinning webs to trap prey. 4830 [] 4831 4832 "You mean you eat flies?" gasped Wilbur. 4833 "Certainly. Flies, bugs, grasshoppers, choice beetles, 4834 moths, butterflies, tasty cockroaches, gnats, midges, daddy 4835 longlegs, centipedes, mosquitoes, crickets - anything that is 4836 careless enough to get caught in my web. I have to live, 4837 don't I?" 4838 "Why, yes, of course," said Wilbur. 4839 [ Charlotte's Web, by E.B. White ] 4840*spore 4841*sphere 4842 The attack by those who want to die -- this is the attack 4843 against which you cannot prepare a perfect defense. 4844 --Human aphorism 4845 [ The Dosadi Experiment, by Frank Herbert ] 4846squeaky board 4847 A floorboard creaked. Galder had spent many hours tuning them, 4848 always a wise precaution with an ambitious assistant who walked 4849 like a cat. 4850 D flat. That meant he was just to the right of the door. 4851 "Ah, Trymon," he said, without turning, and noted with some 4852 satisfaction the faint indrawing of breath behind him. "Good 4853 of you to come. Shut the door, will you?" 4854 [ The Light Fantastic, by Terry Pratchett ] 4855~*aesculapius 4856*staff 4857 So they stood, each in his place, neither moving a finger's 4858 breadth back, for one good hour, and many blows were given 4859 and received by each in that time, till here and there were 4860 sore bones and bumps, yet neither thought of crying "Enough," 4861 or seemed likely to fall from off the bridge. Now and then 4862 they stopped to rest, and each thought that he never had seen 4863 in all his life before such a hand at quarterstaff. At last 4864 Robin gave the stranger a blow upon the ribs that made his 4865 jacket smoke like a damp straw thatch in the sun. So shrewd 4866 was the stroke that the stranger came within a hair's breadth 4867 of falling off the bridge; but he regained himself right 4868 quickly, and, by a dexterous blow, gave Robin a crack on the 4869 crown that caused the blood to flow. Then Robin grew mad 4870 with anger, and smote with all his might at the other; but 4871 the stranger warded the blow, and once again thwacked Robin, 4872 and this time so fairly that he fell heels over head into the 4873 water, as the queen pin falls in a game of bowls. 4874 [ The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, by Howard Pyle ] 4875*staff of aesculapius 4876 This staff is considered sacred to all healers, as it truly 4877 holds the powers of life and death. When wielded, it 4878 protects its user from all life draining attacks, and 4879 additionally gives the wielder the power of regeneration. 4880 When invoked it performs healing magic. 4881stair* 4882 Up he went -- very quickly at first -- then more slowly -- then 4883 in a little while even more slowly than that -- and finally, 4884 after many minutes of climbing up the endless stairway, one 4885 weary foot was barely able to follow the other. Milo suddenly 4886 realized that with all his effort he was no closer to the top 4887 than when he began, and not a great deal further from the 4888 bottom. But he struggled on for a while longer, until at last, 4889 completely exhausted, he collapsed onto one of the steps. 4890 "I should have known it," he mumbled, resting his tired legs 4891 and filling his lungs with air. "This is just like the line 4892 that goes on forever, and I'll never get there." 4893 "You wouldn't like it much anyway," someone replied gently. 4894 "Infinity is a dreadfully poor place. They can never manage to 4895 make ends meet." 4896 [ The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster ] 4897 4898 Dr. Ray Stantz: Hey, where do those stairs go? 4899 Dr. Peter Venkman: They go up. 4900 [ Ghostbusters, directed by Ivan Reitman, 4901 written by Dan Ackroyd and Harold Ramis ] 4902~statue trap 4903statue* 4904 Then at last he began to wonder why the lion was standing so 4905 still - for it hadn't moved one inch since he first set eyes 4906 on it. Edmund now ventured a little nearer, still keeping in 4907 the shadow of the arch as much as he could. He now saw from 4908 the way the lion was standing that it couldn't have been 4909 looking at him at all. ("But supposing it turns its head?" 4910 thought Edmund.) In fact it was staring at something else - 4911 namely a little dwarf who stood with his back to it about 4912 four feet away. "Aha!" thought Edmund. "When it springs at 4913 the dwarf then will be my chance to escape." But still the 4914 lion never moved, nor did the dwarf. And now at last Edmund 4915 remembered what the others had said about the White Witch 4916 turning people into stone. Perhaps this was only a stone 4917 lion. And as soon as he had thought of that he noticed that 4918 the lion's back and the top of its head were covered with 4919 snow. Of course it must be only a statue! 4920 [ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis ] 4921sting 4922 There was the usual dim grey light of the forest-day about 4923 him when he came to his senses. The spider lay dead beside 4924 him, and his sword-blade was stained black. Somehow the 4925 killing of the giant spider, all alone and by himself in the 4926 dark without the help of the wizard or the dwarves or of 4927 anyone else, made a great difference to Mr. Baggins. He felt 4928 a different person, and much fiercer and bolder in spite of 4929 an empty stomach, as he wiped his sword on the grass and put 4930 it back into its sheath. 4931 "I will give you a name," he said to it, "and I shall call 4932 you Sting." 4933 [ The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 4934stormbringer 4935 There were sounds in the distance, incongruent with the 4936 sounds of even this nameless, timeless sea: thin sounds, 4937 agonized and terrible, for all that they remained remote - 4938 yet the ship followed them, as if drawn by them; they grew 4939 louder - pain and despair were there, but terror was 4940 predominant. 4941 Elric had heard such sounds echoing from his cousin Yyrkoon's 4942 sardonically named 'Pleasure Chambers' in the days before he 4943 had fled the responsibilities of ruling all that remained of 4944 the old Melnibonean Empire. These were the voices of men 4945 whose very souls were under siege; men to whom death meant 4946 not mere extinction, but a continuation of existence, forever 4947 in thrall to some cruel and supernatural master. He had 4948 heard men cry so when his salvation and his nemesis, his 4949 great black battle-blade Stormbringer, drank their souls. 4950 [ The Lands Beyond the World, by Michael Moorcock ] 4951*strange object 4952 He walked for some time through a long narrow corridor 4953 without finding any one and was just going to call out, 4954 when suddenly in a dark corner between an old cupboard 4955 and the door he caught sight of a strange object which 4956 seemed to be alive. 4957 [ Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky ] 4958straw golem 4959 Dorothy leaned her chin upon her hand and gazed thoughtfully 4960 at the Scarecrow. Its head was a small sack stuffed with 4961 straw, with eyes, nose, and mouth painted on it to represent 4962 a face. An old, pointed blue hat, that had belonged to some 4963 Munchkin, was perched on his head, and the rest of the figure 4964 was a blue suit of clothes, worn and faded, which had also 4965 been stuffed with straw. On the feet were some old boots with 4966 blue tops, such as every man wore in this country, and the 4967 figure was raised above the stalks of corn by means of the 4968 pole stuck up its back. 4969 [ The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum ] 4970sunsword 4971 What you seek is a blade of light, 4972 a weapon for vengeance. 4973 [ Expedition to Castle Ravenloft, 4974 by Bruce Cordell and James Wyatt ] 4975susano*o 4976 The Shinto chthonic and weather god and brother of the sun 4977 goddess Amaterasu, he was born from the nose of the 4978 primordial creator god Izanagi and represents the physical, 4979 material world. He has been expelled from heaven and taken 4980 up residence on earth. 4981 [ Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ] 4982tanko 4983 Samurai plate armor of the Yamato period (AD 300 - 710). 4984tengu 4985 The tengu was the most troublesome creature of Japanese 4986 legend. Part bird and part man, with red beak for a nose 4987 and flashing eyes, the tengu was notorious for stirring up 4988 feuds and prolonging enmity between families. Indeed, the 4989 belligerent tengu were supposed to have been man's first 4990 instructors in the use of arms. 4991 [ Mythical Beasts, by Deirdre Headon (The Leprechaun Library) ] 4992thoth 4993 The Egyptian god of the moon and wisdom, Thoth is the patron 4994 deity of scribes and of knowledge, including scientific, 4995 medical and mathematical writing, and is said to have given 4996 mankind the art of hieroglyphic writing. He is important as 4997 a mediator and counsellor amongst the gods and is the scribe 4998 of the Heliopolis Ennead pantheon. According to mythology, 4999 he was born from the head of the god Seth. He may be 5000 depicted in human form with the head of an ibis, wholly as an 5001 ibis, or as a seated baboon sometimes with its torso covered 5002 in feathers. His attributes include a crown which consists 5003 of a crescent moon surmounted by a moon disc. 5004 Thoth is generally regarded as a benign deity. He is also 5005 scrupulously fair and is responsible not only for entering 5006 in the record the souls who pass to afterlife, but of 5007 adjudicating in the Hall of the Two Truths. The Pyramid 5008 Texts reveal a violent side of his nature by which he 5009 decapitates the adversaries of truth and wrenches out their 5010 hearts. 5011 [ Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ] 5012thoth*amon 5013 Men say that he [Thutothmes] has opposed Thoth-Amon, who is 5014 master of all priests of Set, and dwells in Luxor, and that 5015 Thutothmes seeks hidden power [The Heart of Ahriman] to 5016 overthrow the Great One. 5017 [ Conan the Conqueror, by Robert E. Howard ] 5018*throne 5019 Methought I saw the footsteps of a throne 5020 Which mists and vapours from mine eyes did shroud-- 5021 Nor view of who might sit thereon allowed; 5022 But all the steps and ground about were strown 5023 With sights the ruefullest that flesh and bone 5024 Ever put on; a miserable crowd, 5025 Sick, hale, old, young, who cried before that cloud, 5026 "Thou art our king, 5027 O Death! to thee we groan." 5028 Those steps I clomb; the mists before me gave 5029 Smooth way; and I beheld the face of one 5030 Sleeping alone within a mossy cave, 5031 With her face up to heaven; that seemed to have 5032 Pleasing remembrance of a thought foregone; 5033 A lovely Beauty in a summer grave! 5034 [ Sonnet, by William Wordsworth ] 5035thug 5036 A worshipper of Kali, who practised _thuggee_, the strangling 5037 of human victims in the name of the religion. Robbery of the 5038 victim provided the means of livelihood. They were also 5039 called _Phansigars_ (Noose operators) from the method employed. 5040 Vigorous suppression was begun by Lord William Bentinck in 5041 1828, but the fraternity did not become completely extinct 5042 for another 50 years or so. 5043 In common parlance the word is used for any violent "tough". 5044 [ Brewer's Concise Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ] 5045tiger 5046 1. A well-known tropical predator (_Felis tigris_): a 5047 feline. It has a yellowish skin with darker spots or 5048 stripes. 2. Figurative: _a paper tiger_, something that is 5049 meant to scare, but has no really scaring effect whatsoever, 5050 (after a statement by Mao Ze Dong, August 1946). 5051 [ Van Dale's Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal ] 5052 5053 Tyger! Tyger! burning bright 5054 In the forests of the night, 5055 What immortal hand or eye 5056 Could frame thy fearful symmetry? 5057 [ The Tyger, by William Blake ] 5058tin 5059tin of * 5060tinning kit 5061 "You know salmon, Sarge," said Nobby. 5062 "It is a fish of which I am aware, yes." 5063 "You know they sell kind of slices of it in tins..." 5064 "So I am given to understand, yes." 5065 "Weell...how come all the tins are the same size? Salmon 5066 gets thinner at both ends." 5067 "Interesting point, Nobby. I think-" 5068 [ Soul Music, by Terry Pratchett ] 5069tin opener 5070 Less than thirty Cat tribes now survived, roaming the cargo 5071 decks on their hind legs in a desperate search for food. 5072 But the food had gone. 5073 The supplies were finished. 5074 Weak and ailing, they prayed at the supply hold's silver 5075 mountains: huge towering acres of metal rocks which, in their 5076 pagan way, the mutant Cats believed watched over them. 5077 Amid the wailing and the screeching one Cat stood up and held 5078 aloft the sacred icon. The icon which had been passed down 5079 as holy, and one day would make its use known. 5080 It was a piece of V-shaped metal with a revolving handle on 5081 its head. 5082 He took down a silver rock from the silver mountain, while 5083 the other Cats cowered and screamed at the blasphemy. 5084 He placed the icon on the rim of the rock, and turned the 5085 handle. 5086 And the handle turned. 5087 And the rock opened. 5088 And inside the rock was Alphabetti spaghetti in tomato sauce. 5089 [ Red Dwarf, by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor ] 5090titan 5091 Gaea, mother earth, arose from the Chaos and gave birth to 5092 Uranus, heaven, who became her consort. Uranus hated all 5093 their children, because he feared they might challenge his 5094 own authority. Those children, the Titans, the Gigantes, 5095 and the Cyclops, were banished to the nether world. Their 5096 enraged mother eventually released the youngest titan, 5097 Chronos (time), and encouraged him to castrate his father and 5098 rule in his place. Later, he too was challenged by his own 5099 son, Zeus, and he and his fellow titans were ousted from 5100 Mount Olympus. 5101 [ Greek Mythology, by Richard Patrick ] 5102topaz 5103 Aluminum silicate mineral with either hydroxyl radicals or 5104 fluorine, Al2SiO4(F,OH)2, used as a gem. It is commonly 5105 colorless or some shade of pale yellow to wine-yellow; 5106 ... The stone is transparent with a vitreous luster. It has 5107 perfect cleavage on the basal pinacoid, but it is nevertheless 5108 hard and durable. The brilliant cut is commonly used. Topaz 5109 crystals, which are of the orthorhombic system, occur in highly 5110 acid igneous rocks, e.g., granites and rhyolites, and in 5111 metamorphic rocks, e.g., gneisses and schists. 5112 [ The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition ] 5113touch*stone 5114 "Gold is tried by a touchstone, men by gold." 5115 [ Chilon (c. 560 BC) ] 5116tourist 5117* tourist 5118 The road from Ankh-Morpork to Chrim is high, white and 5119 winding, a thirty-league stretch of potholes and half-buried 5120 rocks that spirals around mountains and dips into cool green 5121 valleys of citrus trees, crosses liana-webbed gorges on 5122 creaking rope bridges and is generally more picturesque than 5123 useful. 5124 Picturesque. That was a new word to Rincewind the wizard 5125 (BMgc, Unseen University [failed]). It was one of a number 5126 he had picked up since leaving the charred ruins of 5127 Ankh-Morpork. Quaint was another one. Picturesque meant -- 5128 he decided after careful observation of the scenery that 5129 inspired Twoflower to use the word -- that the landscape was 5130 horribly precipitous. Quaint, when used to describe the 5131 occasional village through which they passed, meant fever- 5132 ridden and tumbledown. 5133 Twoflower was a tourist, the first ever seen on the discworld. 5134 Tourist, Rincewind had decided, meant "idiot". 5135 [ The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett ] 5136towel 5137wet towel 5138moist towel 5139 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has a few things to say 5140 on the subject of towels. 5141 A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing 5142 an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great 5143 practical value. You can wrap it around you for warmth as 5144 you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie 5145 on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus 5146 V, inhaling the heady sea vapors; you can sleep under it 5147 beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world 5148 of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a miniraft down the slow heavy 5149 River Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand combat; wrap it 5150 round your head to ward off noxious fumes or avoid the gaze 5151 of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (a mind-bogglingly 5152 stupid animal, it assumes that if you can't see it, it can't 5153 see you - daft as a brush, but very very ravenous); you can 5154 wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of 5155 course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean 5156 enough. 5157 [ The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams ] 5158*tower 5159*tower of darkness 5160 Towers (_brooding_, _dark_) stand alone in Waste Areas and 5161 almost always belong to Wizards. All are several stories high, 5162 round, doorless, virtually windowless, and composed of smooth 5163 blocks of masonry that make them very hard to climb. [...] 5164 You will have to go to a Tower and then break into it at some 5165 point towards the end of your Tour. 5166 [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] 5167trap*door 5168 I knew my Erik too well to feel at all comfortable on jumping 5169 into his house. I knew what he had made of a certain palace at 5170 Mazenderan. From being the most honest building conceivable, he 5171 soon turned it into a house of the very devil, where you could 5172 not utter a word but it was overheard or repeated by an echo. 5173 With his trap-doors the monster was responsible for endless 5174 tragedies of all kinds. 5175 [ The Phantom of the Opera, by Gaston Leroux ] 5176# takes "trapper or lurker above" when specifying 't' 5177trapper 5178trapper or lurker above 5179 The trapper is a creature which has evolved a chameleon-like 5180 ability to blend into the dungeon surroundings. It captures 5181 its prey by remaining very still and blending into the 5182 surrounding dungeon features, until an unsuspecting creature 5183 passes by. It wraps itself around its prey and digests it. 5184tree 5185 I think that I shall never see 5186 A poem lovely as a tree. 5187 A tree whose hungry mouth is prest 5188 Against the earth's sweet flowing breast; 5189 A tree that looks at God all day, 5190 And lifts her leafy arms to pray; 5191 A tree that may in Summer wear 5192 A nest of robins in her hair; 5193 Upon whose bosom snow has lain; 5194 Who intimately lives with rain. 5195 Poems are made by fools like me, 5196 But only God can make a tree. 5197 [ Trees, by Joyce Kilmer ] 5198tripe 5199tripe ration 5200 If you start from scratch, cooking tripe is a long-drawn-out 5201 affair. Fresh whole tripe calls for a minimum of 12 hours of 5202 cooking, some time-honored recipes demanding as much as 24. 5203 To prepare fresh tripe, trim if necessary. Wash it thoroughly, 5204 soaking overnight, and blanch, for 1/2 hour in salted water. 5205 Wash well again, drain and cut for cooking. When cooked, the 5206 texture of tripe should be like that of soft gristle. More 5207 often, alas, because the heat has not been kept low enough, 5208 it has the consistency of wet shoe leather. 5209 [ Joy of Cooking, by I Rombauer and M Becker ] 5210~water troll 5211*troll 5212 The troll shambled closer. He was perhaps eight feet tall, 5213 perhaps more. His forward stoop, with arms dangling past 5214 thick claw-footed legs to the ground, made it hard to tell. 5215 The hairless green skin moved upon his body. His head was a 5216 gash of a mouth, a yard-long nose, and two eyes which drank 5217 the feeble torchlight and never gave back a gleam. 5218 [...] 5219 Like a huge green spider, the troll's severed hand ran on its 5220 fingers. Across the mounded floor, up onto a log with one 5221 taloned forefinger to hook it over the bark, down again it 5222 scrambled, until it found the cut wrist. And there it grew 5223 fast. The troll's smashed head seethed and knit together. 5224 He clambered back on his feet and grinned at them. The 5225 waning faggot cast red light over his fangs. 5226 [ Three Hearts and Three Lions, by Poul Anderson ] 5227*tsurugi of muramasa 5228 This most ancient of swords has been passed down through the 5229 leadership of the Samurai legions for hundreds of years. It 5230 is said to grant luck to its wielder, but its main power is 5231 terrible to behold. It has the capability to cut in half any 5232 creature it is wielded against, instantly killing them. 5233~*muramasa 5234tsurugi 5235 The tsurugi, also known as the long samurai sword, is an 5236 extremely sharp, two-handed blade favored by the samurai. 5237 It is made of hardened steel, and is manufactured using a 5238 special process, causing it to never rust. The tsurugi is 5239 rumored to be so sharp that it can occasionally cut 5240 opponents in half! 5241~*spellbook 5242turquoise* 5243 TUBAL: There came divers of Antonio's creditors in my company 5244 to Venice that swear he cannot choose but break. 5245 SHYLOCK: I am very glad of it; I'll plague him, I'll torture 5246 him; I am glad of it. 5247 TUBAL: One of them showed me a ring that he had of your 5248 daughter for a monkey. 5249 SHYLOCK: Out upon her! Thou torturest me, Tubal. It was my 5250 turquoise; I had it of Leah when I was a bachelor; I would 5251 not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys. 5252 [ The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare ] 5253twoflower 5254guide 5255 "Rincewind!" 5256 Twoflower sprang off the bed. The wizard jumped back, 5257 wrenching his features into a smile. 5258 "My dear chap, right on time! We'll just have lunch, and 5259 then I'm sure you've got a wonderful programme lined up for 5260 this afternoon!" 5261 "Er --" 5262 "That's great!" 5263 Rincewind took a deep breath. "Look," he said desperately, 5264 "let's eat somewhere else. There's been a bit of a fight 5265 down below." 5266 "A tavern brawl? Why didn't you wake me up?" 5267 "Well, you see, I - _what_?" 5268 "I thought I made myself clear this morning, Rincewind. I 5269 want to see genuine Morporkian life - the slave market, the 5270 Whore Pits, the Temple of Small Gods, the Beggar's Guild... 5271 and a genuine tavern brawl." A faint note of suspicion 5272 entered Twoflower's voice. "You _do_ have them, don't you? 5273 You know, people swinging on chandeliers, swordfights over 5274 the table, the sort of thing Hrun the Barbarian and the 5275 Weasel are always getting involved in. You know -- 5276 _excitement_." 5277 [ The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett ] 5278tyr 5279 Yet remains that one of the Aesir who is called Tyr: 5280 he is most daring, and best in stoutness of heart, and he 5281 has much authority over victory in battle; it is good for 5282 men of valor to invoke him. It is a proverb, that he is 5283 Tyr-valiant, who surpasses other men and does not waver. 5284 He is wise, so that it is also said, that he that is wisest 5285 is Tyr-prudent. This is one token of his daring: when the 5286 Aesir enticed Fenris-Wolf to take upon him the fetter Gleipnir, 5287 the wolf did not believe them, that they would loose him, 5288 until they laid Tyr's hand into his mouth as a pledge. But 5289 when the Aesir would not loose him, then he bit off the hand 5290 at the place now called 'the wolf's joint;' and Tyr is one- 5291 handed, and is not called a reconciler of men. 5292 [ The Prose Edda, by Snorri Sturluson ] 5293*hulk 5294 Umber hulks are powerful subterranean predators whose 5295 iron-like claws allow them to burrow through solid stone in 5296 search of prey. They are tremendously strong; muscles bulge 5297 beneath their thick, scaly hides and their powerful arms and 5298 legs all end in great claws. 5299*unicorn 5300unicorn horn 5301 Men have always sought the elusive unicorn, for the single 5302 twisted horn which projected from its forehead was thought to 5303 be a powerful talisman. It was said that the unicorn had 5304 simply to dip the tip of its horn in a muddy pool for the water 5305 to become pure. Men also believed that to drink from this horn 5306 was a protection against all sickness, and that if the horn was 5307 ground to a powder it would act as an antidote to all poisons. 5308 Less than 200 years ago in France, the horn of a unicorn was 5309 used in a ceremony to test the royal food for poison. 5310 5311 Although only the size of a small horse, the unicorn is a very 5312 fierce beast, capable of killing an elephant with a single 5313 thrust from its horn. Its fleetness of foot also makes this 5314 solitary creature difficult to capture. However, it can be 5315 tamed and captured by a maiden. Made gentle by the sight of a 5316 virgin, the unicorn can be lured to lay its head in her lap, and 5317 in this docile mood, the maiden may secure it with a golden rope. 5318 [ Mythical Beasts, by Deirdre Headon (The Leprechaun Library) ] 5319 5320 Martin took a small sip of beer. "Almost ready," he said. 5321 "You hold your beer awfully well." 5322 Tlingel laughed. "A unicorn's horn is a detoxicant. Its 5323 possession is a universal remedy. I wait until I reach the 5324 warm glow stage, then I use my horn to burn off any excess and 5325 keep me right there." 5326 [ Unicorn Variations, by Roger Zelazny ] 5327unreconnoitered 5328 Area of map which is beyond limited perception range when 5329 underwater or engulfed by a monster. 5330valkyrie 5331* valkyrie 5332 The Valkyries were the thirteen choosers of the slain, the 5333 beautiful warrior-maids of Odin who rode through the air and 5334 over the sea. They watched the progress of the battle and 5335 selected the heroes who were to fall fighting. After they 5336 were dead, the maidens rewarded the heroes by kissing them 5337 and then led their souls to Valhalla, where the warriors 5338 lived happily in an ideal existence, drinking and eating 5339 without restraint and fighting over again the battles in 5340 which they died and in which they had won their deathless 5341 fame. 5342 [ The Encyclopaedia of Myths and Legends of All Nations, 5343 by Herbert Robinson and Knox Wilson ] 5344vampire 5345~vampire bat 5346vampire lord 5347 He can transform himself to wolf, as we gather from the ship 5348 arrival in Whitby, when he tear open the dog; he can be as 5349 bat, as Madam Mina saw him on the window at Whitby, and as 5350 friend John saw him fly from this so near house, and as my 5351 friend Quincey saw him at the window of Miss Lucy. He can come 5352 in mist which he create--that noble ship's captain proved him 5353 of this; but, from what we know, the distance he can make this 5354 mist is limited, and it can only be round himself. He come on 5355 moonlight rays as elemental dust--as again Jonathan saw those 5356 sisters in the castle of Dracula. He become so small--we 5357 ourselves saw Miss Lucy, ere she was at peace, slip through a 5358 hairbreadth space at the tomb door. 5359 [ Dracula, by Bram Stoker ] 5360 5361 The Oxford English Dictionary is quite unequivocal: 5362 _vampire_ - "a preternatural being of a malignant nature (in 5363 the original and usual form of the belief, a reanimated 5364 corpse), supposed to seek nourishment, or do harm, by sucking 5365 the blood of sleeping persons. ..." 5366 [] 5367venus 5368 Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, was the daughter of 5369 Jupiter and Dione. Others say that Venus sprang from the 5370 foam of the sea. The zephyr wafted her along the waves to 5371 the Isle of Cyprus, where she was received and attired by 5372 the Seasons, and then led to the assembly of the gods. All 5373 were charmed with her beauty, and each one demanded her 5374 for his wife. Jupiter gave her to Vulcan, in gratitude for 5375 the service he had rendered in forging thunderbolts. So 5376 the most beautiful of the goddesses became the wife of the 5377 most ill-favoured of gods. 5378 [ Bulfinch's Mythology, by Thomas Bulfinch ] 5379vlad* 5380 Vlad Dracula the Impaler was a 15th-Century monarch of the 5381 Birgau region of the Carpathian Mountains, in what is now 5382 Romania. In Romanian history he is best known for two things. 5383 One was his skilled handling of the Ottoman Turks, which kept 5384 them from making further inroads into Christian Europe. The 5385 other was the ruthless manner in which he ran his fiefdom. 5386 He dealt with perceived challengers to his rule by impaling 5387 them upright on wooden stakes. Visiting dignitaries who 5388 failed to doff their hats had them nailed to their head. 5389*vortex 5390vortices 5391 Swirling clouds of pure elemental energies, the vortices are 5392 thought to be related to the larger elementals. They are 5393 noted for being able to envelop unwary travellers. The 5394 hapless fool thus swallowed by a vortex will soon perish from 5395 exposure to the element the vortex is composed of. 5396vrock 5397 The vrock is one of the weaker forms of demon. It resembles 5398 a cross between a human being and a vulture and does physical 5399 damage by biting and by using the claws on both its arms and 5400 feet. 5401wakizashi 5402 A wakizashi was used as a samurai's weapon when the katana 5403 was unavailable. When entering a building, a samurai would 5404 leave his katana on a rack near the entrance. However, the 5405 wakizashi would be worn at all times, and therefore, it made 5406 a sidearm for the samurai (similar to a soldier's use of a 5407 pistol). The samurai would have worn it from the time they 5408 awoke to the time they went to sleep. In earlier periods, 5409 and especially during times of civil wars, a tanto was worn 5410 in place of a wakizashi. 5411 [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] 5412# takes "wand or a wall" when specifying '/' 5413~*sleep 5414wand * 5415*wand 5416 'Saruman!' he cried, and his voice grew in power and authority. 5417 'Behold, I am not Gandalf the Grey, whom you betrayed. I am 5418 Gandalf the White, who has returned from death. You have no 5419 colour now, and I cast you from the order and from the Council.' 5420 He raised his hand, and spoke slowly in a clear cold voice. 5421 'Saruman, your staff is broken.' There was a crack, and the 5422 staff split asunder in Saruman's hand, and the head of it 5423 fell down at Gandalf's feet. 'Go!' said Gandalf. With a cry 5424 Saruman fell back and crawled away. 5425 [ The Two Towers, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 5426warg 5427 Suddenly Aragorn leapt to his feet. "How the wind howls!" 5428 he cried. "It is howling with wolf-voices. The Wargs have 5429 come west of the Mountains!" 5430 "Need we wait until morning then?" said Gandalf. "It is as I 5431 said. The hunt is up! Even if we live to see the dawn, who 5432 now will wish to journey south by night with the wild wolves 5433 on his trail?" 5434 "How far is Moria?" asked Boromir. 5435 "There was a door south-west of Caradhras, some fifteen miles 5436 as the crow flies, and maybe twenty as the wolf runs," 5437 answered Gandalf grimly. 5438 "Then let us start as soon as it is light tomorrow, if we can," 5439 said Boromir. "The wolf that one hears is worse than the orc 5440 that one fears." 5441 "True!" said Aragorn, loosening his sword in its sheath. "But 5442 where the warg howls, there also the orc prowls." 5443 [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 5444~mjollnir 5445war*hammer 5446 They had come together at the ford of the Trident while the 5447 battle crashed around them, Robert with his warhammer and his 5448 great antlered helm, the Targaryen prince armored all in 5449 black. On his breastplate was the three-headed dragon of his 5450 House, wrought all in rubies that flashed like fire in the 5451 sunlight. The waters of the Trident ran red around the 5452 hooves of their destriers as they circled and clashed, again 5453 and again, until at last a crushing blow from Robert's hammer 5454 stove in the dragon and the chest behind it. When Ned had 5455 finally come on the scene, Rhaegar lay dead in the stream, 5456 while men of both armies scrambled in the swirling waters for 5457 rubies knocked free of his armor. 5458 [ A Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin ] 5459water 5460 Day after day, day after day, 5461 We stuck, nor breath nor motion; 5462 As idle as a painted ship 5463 Upon a painted ocean. 5464 5465 Water, water, everywhere, 5466 And all the boards did shrink; 5467 Water, water, everywhere 5468 Nor any drop to drink. 5469 [ The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge ] 5470water demon 5471 [ The monkey king ] walked along the bank, around the pond. 5472 He examined the footprints of the animals that had gone into 5473 the water, and saw that none came out again! So he realized 5474 this pond must be possessed by a water demon. He said to the 5475 80,000 monkeys, "This pond is possessed by a water demon. Do 5476 not let anybody go into it." 5477 5478 After a little while, the water demon saw that none of the 5479 monkeys went into the water to drink. So he rose out of the 5480 middle of the pond, taking the shape of a frightening monster. 5481 He had a big blue belly, a white face with bulging green eyes, 5482 and red claws and feet. He said, "Why are you just sitting 5483 around? Come into the pond and drink at once!" 5484 5485 The monkey king said to the horrible monster, "Are you the 5486 water demon who owns this pond?" "Yes, I am," said he. "Do 5487 you eat whoever goes into the water?" asked the king. "Yes, 5488 I do," he answered, "including even birds. I eat them all. 5489 And when you are forced by your thirst to come into the pond 5490 and drink, I will enjoy eating you, the biggest monkey, most 5491 of all!" He grinned, and saliva dripped down his hairy chin. 5492 [ Buddhist Tales for Young and Old, Vol. 1 ] 5493water troll 5494 It wasn't that the troll was _horrifying_. Instead of the 5495 rotting, betentacled monstrosity he had been expecting 5496 Rincewind found himself looking at a rather squat but not 5497 particularly ugly old man who would quite easily have passed 5498 for normal on any city street, always provided that other 5499 people on the street were used to seeing old men who were 5500 apparently composed of water and very little else. It was as 5501 if the ocean had decided to create life without going through 5502 all that tedious business of evolution, and had simply formed 5503 a part of itself into a biped and sent it walking squishily up 5504 the beach. The troll was a pleasant translucent blue color. 5505 As Rincewind stared a small shoal of silver fish flashed 5506 across its chest. 5507 [ The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett ] 5508weapon 5509 A weapon is a device for making your enemy change his mind. 5510 [ The Vor Game, by Lois McMaster Bujold ] 5511web 5512 Oh what a tangled web we weave, 5513 When first we practise to deceive! 5514 [ Marmion, by Sir Walter Scott ] 5515whistle 5516 There were legends both on the front and on the back of the 5517 whistle. The one read thus: 5518 5519 FLA FUR BIS FLE The other: QUIS EST ISTE QUI VENIT 5520 'I ought to be able to make it out,' he thought; 5521 'but I suppose I am a little rusty in my Latin. 5522 When I come to think of it, I don't believe I even 5523 know the word for a whistle. The long one does seem 5524 simple enough. It ought to mean, "Who is this who is coming?" 5525 5526 Well, the best way to find out is evidently to whistle 5527 for him.' 5528 5529 [Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, by Montague Rhodes James 5530 'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You My Lad'] 5531# werecritter -- see "lycanthrope" 5532*wight 5533 When he came to himself again, for a moment he could recall 5534 nothing except a sense of dread. Then suddenly he knew that 5535 he was imprisoned, caught hopelessly; he was in a barrow. A 5536 Barrow-wight had taken him, and he was probably already under 5537 the dreadful spells of the Barrow-wights about which whispered 5538 tales spoke. He dared not move, but lay as he found himself: 5539 flat on his back upon a cold stone with his hands on his 5540 breast. 5541 [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 5542# note: need to convert player character "gnomish wizard" into just "wizard" 5543# in the lookup code to avoid conflict with the monster of that same name 5544~gnomish wizard 5545wizard 5546* wizard 5547apprentice 5548 Ebenezum walked before me along the closest thing we could 5549 find to a path in these overgrown woods. Every few paces he 5550 would pause, so that I, burdened with a pack stuffed with 5551 arcane and heavy paraphernalia, could catch up with his 5552 wizardly strides. He, as usual, carried nothing, preferring, 5553 as he often said, to keep his hands free for quick conjuring 5554 and his mind free for the thoughts of a mage. 5555 [ A Dealing with Demons, by Craig Shaw Gardner ] 5556wizard of yendor 5557 No one knows how old this mighty wizard is, or from whence he 5558 came. It is known that, having lived a span far greater than 5559 any normal man's, he grew weary of lesser mortals; and so, 5560 spurning all human company, he forsook the dwellings of men 5561 and went to live in the depths of the Earth. He took with 5562 him a dreadful artifact, the Book of the Dead, which is said 5563 to hold great power indeed. Many have sought to find the 5564 wizard and his treasure, but none have found him and lived to 5565 tell the tale. Woe be to the incautious adventurer who 5566 disturbs this mighty sorcerer! 5567wolf 5568*wolf 5569*wolf cub 5570 The ancestors of the modern day domestic dog, wolves are 5571 powerful muscular animals with bushy tails. Intelligent, 5572 social animals, wolves live in family groups or packs made 5573 up of multiple family units. These packs cooperate in hunting 5574 down prey. 5575*wolfsbane 5576 1. Any of various, usually poisonous perennial herbs of the 5577 genus Aconitum, having tuberous roots, palmately lobed leaves, 5578 blue or white flowers with large hoodlike upper sepals, and an 5579 aggregate of follicles. 2. The dried leaves and roots of 5580 some of these plants, which yield a poisonous alkaloid that 5581 was formerly used medicinally. In both senses also called 5582 monkshood. 5583 [ The American Heritage Dictionary of 5584 the English Language, Fourth Edition. ] 5585wood golem 5586 Come, old broomstick, you are needed, 5587 Take these rags and wrap them round you! 5588 Long my orders you have heeded, 5589 By my wishes now I've bound you. 5590 Have two legs and stand, 5591 And a head for you. 5592 Run, and in your hand 5593 Hold a bucket too. 5594 ... 5595 See him, toward the shore he's racing 5596 There, he's at the stream already, 5597 Back like lightning he is chasing, 5598 Pouring water fast and steady. 5599 Once again he hastens! 5600 How the water spills, 5601 How the water basins 5602 Brimming full he fills! 5603 [ The Sorcerer's Apprentice, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 5604 translation by Edwin Zeydel ] 5605woodchuck 5606 The Usenet Oracle requires an answer to this question! 5607 5608 > How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could 5609 > chuck wood? 5610 5611 "Oh, heck! I'll handle *this* one!" The Oracle spun the terminal 5612 back toward himself, unlocked the ZOT-guard lock, and slid the 5613 glass guard away from the ZOT key. "Ummmm....could you turn around 5614 for a minute? ZOTs are too graphic for the uninitiated. Even *I* 5615 get a little squeamish sometimes..." The neophyte turned around, 5616 and heard the Oracle slam his finger on a computer key, followed 5617 by a loud ZZZZOTTTTT and the smell of ozone. 5618 [ Excerpted from Internet Oracularity 576.6 ] 5619*worm 5620long worm tail 5621worm tooth 5622crysknife 5623 [The crysknife] is manufactured in two forms from teeth taken 5624 from dead sandworms. The two forms are "fixed" and "unfixed". 5625 An unfixed knife requires proximity to a human body's 5626 electrical field to prevent disintegration. Fixed knives 5627 are treated for storage. All are about 20 centimeters long. 5628 [ Dune, by Frank Herbert ] 5629wraith 5630nazgul 5631 Immediately, though everything else remained as before, dim 5632 and dark, the shapes became terribly clear. He was able to 5633 see beneath their black wrappings. There were five tall 5634 figures: two standing on the lip of the dell, three advancing. 5635 In their white faces burned keen and merciless eyes; under 5636 their mantles were long grey robes; upon their grey hairs 5637 were helms of silver; in their haggard hands were swords of 5638 steel. Their eyes fell on him and pierced him, as they 5639 rushed towards him. Desperate, he drew his own sword, and 5640 it seemed to him that it flickered red, as if it was a 5641 firebrand. Two of the figures halted. The third was taller 5642 than the others: his hair was long and gleaming and on his 5643 helm was a crown. In one hand he held a long sword, and in 5644 the other a knife; both the knife and the hand that held it 5645 glowed with a pale light. He sprang forward and bore down 5646 on Frodo. 5647 [ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ] 5648*wumpus 5649 The Wumpus, by the way, is not bothered by the hazards since 5650 he has sucker feet and is too big for a bat to lift. If you 5651 try to shoot him and miss, there's also a chance that he'll 5652 up and move himself into another cave, though by nature the 5653 Wumpus is a sedentary creature. 5654 [ wump (6) -- "Hunt the Wumpus" ] 5655 5656 _Wumpus yobgregorii_, in the flesh... 5657 Later, all you will be able to remember are its eyes. They 5658 are rich mud-brown, and they hold your own without effort. 5659 [ Hunter, In Darkness, by Andrew Plotkin ] 5660xan 5661 They sent their friend the mosquito [xan] ahead of them to 5662 find out what lay ahead. "Since you are the one who sucks 5663 the blood of men walking along paths," they told the mosquito, 5664 "go and sting the men of Xibalba." The mosquito flew 5665 down the dark road to the Underworld. Entering the house of 5666 the Lords of Death, he stung the first person that he saw... 5667 5668 The mosquito stung this man as well, and when he yelled, the 5669 man next to him asked, "Gathered Blood, what's wrong?" So 5670 he flew along the row stinging all the seated men until he 5671 knew the names of all twelve. 5672 [ Popul Vuh, as translated by Ralph Nelson ] 5673xorn 5674 A distant cousin of the earth elemental, the xorn has the 5675 ability to shift the cells of its body around in such a way 5676 that it becomes porous to inert material. This gives it the 5677 ability to pass through any obstacle that might be between it 5678 and its next meal. 5679ya 5680 The arrow of choice of the samurai, ya are made of very 5681 straight bamboo, and are tipped with hardened steel. 5682yeenoghu 5683 Yeenoghu, the demon lord of gnolls, still exists although 5684 all his followers have been wiped off the face of the earth. 5685 He casts magic projectiles at those close to him, and a mere 5686 gaze into his piercing eyes may hopelessly confuse the 5687 battle-weary adventurer. 5688yeti 5689 The Abominable Snowman, or yeti, is one of the truly great 5690 unknown animals of the twentieth century. It is a large hairy 5691 biped that lives in the Himalayan region of Asia ... The story 5692 of the Abominable Snowman is filled with mysteries great and 5693 small, and one of the most difficult of all is how it got that 5694 awful name. The creature is neither particularly abominable, 5695 nor does it necessarily live in the snows. _Yeti_ is a Tibetan 5696 word which may apply either to a real, but unknown animal of 5697 the Himalayas, or to a mountain spirit or demon -- no one is 5698 quite sure which. And after nearly half a century in which 5699 Westerners have trampled around looking for the yeti, and 5700 asking all sorts of questions, the original native traditions 5701 concerning the creature have become even more muddled and 5702 confused. 5703 [ The Encyclopedia of Monsters, by Daniel Cohen ] 5704*yugake 5705 Japanese leather archery gloves. Gloves made for use while 5706 practicing had thumbs reinforced with horn. Those worn into 5707 battle had thumbs reinforced with a double layer of leather. 5708yumi 5709 The samurai is highly trained with a special type of bow, 5710 the yumi. Like the ya, the yumi is made of bamboo. With 5711 the yumi-ya, the bow and arrow, the samurai is an extremely 5712 accurate and deadly warrior. 5713*zombi* 5714 The zombi... is a soulless human corpse, still dead, but 5715 taken from the grave and endowed by sorcery with a 5716 mechanical semblance of life, -- it is a dead body which is 5717 made to walk and act and move as if it were alive. 5718 [ W. B. Seabrook ] 5719zruty 5720 The zruty are wild and gigantic beings, living in the 5721 wildernesses of the Tatra mountains. 5722