Layout changes

[Vain]

As you may have noticed, I have made a few layout changes.

I'm wrapping up one or two final changes so wait before you vote

If it messes up your display, let me know what browser you are using.

Thanks

Peter

[danlo]

I'll b patient---I really like TC and LA but somehow the castle, by itself, doesn't do it 4 me--I'm very Revelstone anal so 4give me--I think another question is needed in the polls like--should we try something else? I didn't vote--but if the horses were Raynhyn and Revelstone was dif....I'd b a cappy hamper!

[Vain]

I figured it wasn't totally correct. Exactly how would you guys picture Revelstone and what would a Raynhyn look like?

A few alternatives (comment as required):









I was trying for the TC and LA effect - thought I would be off the mark there as well though

[Guest]

I could live with any of the one's you have shown. The current castle with riders is probably more European than "Land", but I thought it was still very evokative, and and the other options as well.

And of course, I especially liked the sea/ship themed picture.

To me they definitely say, "We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto!"

Since finding just the right image is unlikely, what about rotating them occasionally? That way, the different aspects of the Land could all get a "nod" every now and then.

[Hearthcoal]

Well, this is interesting...I was the anonymous poster just above, although I had definitely logged in. Let's see what happens now. I think it has something to do with the fact that I tend to open a reply and take a while composing my answer. Somewhere along the way one of the computers (mine, our server, or whoever's must "forget" that I have logged in).

I was going to edit my previous post to be a little more specific:

SRD mentions two kinds of horses in TCTC: mustangs, Ranyhyn.

In our world, mustangs are smallish, wild horses that descended from the horses brought over to the New World by the Spanish. I believe the orginal breed was known as Spanish Barb (it's still around). Mustangs ranged all over the great plains of the Western United States. These were the horse that the plains Indians would capture and tame for domesticated use. Until the introduction of horses by the Spanish, there were no wild horses in the United States.

Ranyhyn, of course, are mythical horses. I picture them as more like the Lipizzan of Spain. They are larger than the Mustangs (although Lipizzans are not considered big horses - they are shorter than most thoroughbreds). They are considered highly intelligent (although every breeder probably considers his favorite highly intelligent) and have had a very close association with humans for several centuries. The Ranyhyn might also look something like draft horses. But they have the ability to run faster and longer than most draft horses, which are bred for strength rather than speed.

I found SRD's first (?) description of Ranyhyn.

"...thunder of mighty hooves [draft horses have "mighty hooves"]...wild and challenging animals...great craggy beasts, deep chested, proud necked, with some of the delicacy of pure-blooded stock [like the Lipizzan] and some of the rough angularity of mustangs...long flying manes and tails, gaits as straight as plumb lines, eyes full of restless intellegence. Chestnut, bays, roans...they shared one trait, a white star on each forhead."

[Vain]

Thanks Hearthcoal

I'll work on something to have the main graphic rotate (preferably not an animated gif though)

Great that we have a detailled description of the Ranyhyn - now if someone could provide a visual description of Revelstone that would be cool

Or, on second thoughts, maybe Bannor can get his obviously gifted daughter to design a purpose made version. I'm no good at drawing with a mouse Or maybe someone out there (member/guest) has the abilities to do so. Or we all could design our own and have a competition vote thing Where was I again?

[Hearthcoal]

Here is a description of Revelstone from Lord Foul's Bane.

This is the scene where Foamfollower and TC arrive via the river. They come first to the lake at the foot of Revelstone.

"And a short time later, the riders...drew the boat into a lake at the foot of Furl Falls. The lake was round and rough in shape, wide along its whole western side by Gilden and pine. It stood [can lakes stand? I thought they lay] at the base of the cliff--more than two thousand feet of sheer precipice--and the blue water came thundering down into it from the plateau like the loud heart's-blood of the mountains."

From the lake they walk to Revelstone.

"They passed around one foothill on the south side, and joined the road from the bridge below the lake. Eastward, the road worked almost straight up the side of a traverse ridge."

"Ahead over a few lower hills was Lord's Keep. The sight caught Covenant by surpirse, almost took his breath away. Revelstone was a masterwork. It stood in granite permanence like an enactment of eternity, a timeless achievement formed of mere lasting rock by some pure, supreme Giantish participation in skill."

"The eastern end of the plateau was finished by a broad shaft of rock, half as high as the plateau and separate from it except at the base, the first several hundred feet. This shaft had been hollowed into a tower which guarded the sole entrance to the Keep and circles of window rose up past the abutments to the fortified crown. But most of the Lord's Keep was carved into the mountain gut-rock under the plateau."

"A surprising distance from the tower, the entire cliff face had been worked by the old Giants--sheered and crafted into a vertical outer wall for the city, which, Covenant later learned, filled this whole, wedge-shaped prmontory of the plateau. The wall was intricately labored--lined and coigned and serried with regular and irregular groups of windows, balconies, butresses--orieled and parapeted--rought in a prolific and seemingly spontaneous multitude of details which appeard to be on the verge of crystallizing into a pattern. But light flashed and danced on the polished cliff face, and the wealth of variation in the work overwhelmed Covenant's senses, so that he could not grasp whever pattern might be there."

"But with his new eyes he could see the thick, bustling, communal life of the city. It shone from behind the wall as if the rock were almost translucent, almost lit from within like a chiaroscuro by the life-force of its inhabitants."

"The road ran parallel to the cliff to its eastern edge, then turned uptoward the tall doors in the southeast base of the tower. The gates--a might slab of rock on either side--were open in the free welcome of peace; but they were notched an beveled and balanced so that they could swing shut and interlock, closing like teeth."

I read this and I sort of get a combination of the castle currently gracing our page and Petra (but done in white and polished) with a big tower off to the viewer's right perched over the only gates of the city.

Here are a couple of Petra-related sites, if you want to see what it looks like.

[url=www.mit.edu:8001/activities/jordanians/ ... petra.html]Petra The Drama of History[/url]

Petra

[firelion]

Looks great Vain!Keep up the good work.

[Creator]

looks cool ... but a bit dark. perhaps it could be lighter... and go all the way across the screen. [at my resolution it only covers a little more than half from left to right.]

Of course waaaaaayyyy better than I could do!!

[Waddley]

This thread is a few years old guys... there's nothing to see here. Move along, move along.

(Layout change sucks, Vain!! )

[lucimay]

As you may have noticed, I have made a few layout changes.

I'm wrapping up one or two final changes so wait before you vote

If it messes up your display, let me know what browser you are using.

Thanks

Peter

uh....WAIT!!

thanks, Peter?????
who is this Peter dude and why is he using Vain's avatar????

[The Laughing Man]

every guy is Vain about his Peter.

[Waddley]

Maybe he is thanking someone named Peter??

[lucimay]

every guy is Vain about his Peter.

*snort*

i can't believe you said that!


(dangit wadds, ya made me have to edit)

[The Laughing Man]

heehee

Maybe he is thanking someone named Peter??

said the dude who has no Peter!

[Waddley]

Then why'd you call me a dude, dude?!

I'll show you a thing or two about peters....

[Elfgirl]

Oh sure, you guys may have peters, but do you have the pauls to carry it through?

[The Laughing Man]

grroooaannn.....thats just baaaad.....

Then why'd you call me a dude, dude?!

I'll show you a thing or two about peters....

oh, sorry, didn't realize how out of it you were, scene-wise....Lucimay called, she wants her legwarmers back....

[Creator]

I'm a PETER!!

Hmmmm.... now I don't think that came out exactly right!!

[lucimay]

yeah but it LOOKS like you're not the ONLY peter!


(sorry but you set that one up there pj!!)