She's so cool and unique that I even put her on the cover of my own book.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
P is for Patchwork
Scraps Patchwork, that is. The amazingly awesome Patchwork Girl of Oz
She's so cool and unique that I even put her on the cover of my own book.
She's so cool and unique that I even put her on the cover of my own book.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
O is for Ork
From Lord of the Rings to D&D, everybody knows what an orc is. Sometimes, they even spell it ork. But I'll bet that very few of you have seen an ork quite like this.
Monday, April 16, 2012
N is for Nome
For the record, that is not a misspelling or deliberate typo. That's the way Baum spelled it when he included them in his Oz stories. Though curiously, it is only in Baum's Oz stories that this particular spelling is used. Baum's The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus mentions a Gnome King, and when Ruth Plumly Thompson took over the Oz series, she reverted the spelling to Gnome for her story The Gnome King of Oz.
The Nomes and their ruler, the Nome King, have been one of the most persistent threats to the people of Oz. Witches come and go, but the Nomes keep on coming. First appearing in the third book in the series, Ozma of Oz, the Nomes attempted to conquer Oz in The Emerald City of Oz. The original Nome King is deposed due to his villainy in the events of Tik-Tok of Oz, and his replacement shows that he's not much better in Rinkitink in Oz. Even without his kingdom, the Nome King still manages to stir up trouble in The Magic of Oz.
These Nomes are elemental fairies of Earth. They are extraordinary craftsmen. Some say that they are capable of not only carving and sculpting gems and precious metals, but also know the secrets of creating these materials from scratch.
Gnomes in gaming hve always been spelled with a G and seem to have given up their earthy, crafting ways to the dwarves. They're generally friendly, if zany, very unlike the wicked Nomes that Baum created.
Stay tuned tomorrow for another fun crossover between Oz and the gaming world.
The Nomes and their ruler, the Nome King, have been one of the most persistent threats to the people of Oz. Witches come and go, but the Nomes keep on coming. First appearing in the third book in the series, Ozma of Oz, the Nomes attempted to conquer Oz in The Emerald City of Oz. The original Nome King is deposed due to his villainy in the events of Tik-Tok of Oz, and his replacement shows that he's not much better in Rinkitink in Oz. Even without his kingdom, the Nome King still manages to stir up trouble in The Magic of Oz.
These Nomes are elemental fairies of Earth. They are extraordinary craftsmen. Some say that they are capable of not only carving and sculpting gems and precious metals, but also know the secrets of creating these materials from scratch.
Gnomes in gaming hve always been spelled with a G and seem to have given up their earthy, crafting ways to the dwarves. They're generally friendly, if zany, very unlike the wicked Nomes that Baum created.
Stay tuned tomorrow for another fun crossover between Oz and the gaming world.
Worthy Cause Alert
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, so OneBookShelf is offering a fundraiser bundle. A $25 donation is all it takes to get a bunch of cool gaming stuff (including the Adventures in Oz Characters Pack) and support the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
M is for Munchkin
The Eastern quadrant of Oz is known as Munchkin Country. This is a rather famous section of Oz , as it's where Dorothy's house landed when she first arrived in Oz. Other than that, it's really rather boring. Munchkin Country is where many Oz adventures start, but heroes rarely stay there for long.
And now for the big question: Just how tall is a Munchkin?
In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Munchkins Dorothy meets are roughly her own height. Since Dorothy is depicted as being a little girl, most people presume that Munchkins must be very small. Especially since this is how they are depicted in the film version.
My own theory is that Munchkins are only slightly shorter than normal people. While her age is not stated in Wizard, she is noted as being tall for it. I take this to mean that she is old enough to be going through puberty and in the midst of her first growth spurt. So the Munchkins may indeed be smaller than most people, but not by too very much.
There was also a narrative reason behind the size of the Munchkins in that first story. If the Munchkins thought Dorothy was a little girl, they wouldn't have allowed her to undertake any adventures. But since they're the same size as her, they presume she's fully adult and able to take care of herself.
Amusingly, the word "Munchkin" has taken on an alternate meaning in the gaming community. I took some time a while back to talk more about that bit.
Watch out for the next few entries, where I use words that have distinct meanings for my Oz readers and for my gaming readers.
And now for the big question: Just how tall is a Munchkin?
In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Munchkins Dorothy meets are roughly her own height. Since Dorothy is depicted as being a little girl, most people presume that Munchkins must be very small. Especially since this is how they are depicted in the film version.
My own theory is that Munchkins are only slightly shorter than normal people. While her age is not stated in Wizard, she is noted as being tall for it. I take this to mean that she is old enough to be going through puberty and in the midst of her first growth spurt. So the Munchkins may indeed be smaller than most people, but not by too very much.
There was also a narrative reason behind the size of the Munchkins in that first story. If the Munchkins thought Dorothy was a little girl, they wouldn't have allowed her to undertake any adventures. But since they're the same size as her, they presume she's fully adult and able to take care of herself.
Amusingly, the word "Munchkin" has taken on an alternate meaning in the gaming community. I took some time a while back to talk more about that bit.
Watch out for the next few entries, where I use words that have distinct meanings for my Oz readers and for my gaming readers.
Friday, April 13, 2012
L is for Lurline
If you're wondering how the land of Oz came to be such a magical place, just ask Lurline.
Lurline is the queen of a fairy band that enchanted Oz into the fairyland that it is today. She also left one of her own, Princess Ozma, to rule over Oz. Although she never appears as a character in any of the stories, it could be said that her presence is felt in each one.
Lurline is the queen of a fairy band that enchanted Oz into the fairyland that it is today. She also left one of her own, Princess Ozma, to rule over Oz. Although she never appears as a character in any of the stories, it could be said that her presence is felt in each one.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
K is for Ku-Klip
Ku-Klip is the tinsmith who made the Tin Woodman the sparkling person that he is today. Because of the fairy magic that makes all the people in Oz immortal, there is no need for medicine or surgery. Instead, you call the local handyman to fix whatever ails you.
So when Nick Chopper began cutting off his own limbs (thanks to a cursed ax), he turned to his local tinsmith to replace his parts. Who did a very good job, all things considered.
So when Nick Chopper began cutting off his own limbs (thanks to a cursed ax), he turned to his local tinsmith to replace his parts. Who did a very good job, all things considered.
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