Stonegate

[jkhristian]

Im playing the game through again. Havent played all the way through since it first came out. Is it just me or has Stonegate mysteriously vanished in Ultima 7?

[alagner]

Stonegate, or rather its ruins, are hidden among the swamps near Cove or Minoc, I don't remember. You can see it while flying on the carpet, and get there by stepping on the pieces of wood lying in the swamp here and there.
The containg some potions, Magebane and some skeletons to fight with

[jkhristian]

Ah. Lol always wondered what that was. Flew by it on the carpet. So thats where the magebane is. Hmm guess it got refurbished by Ultima 9.

[Guru Dragon]

I especially love how the crucified bodies are referred to as "reeds".

[alagner]

>I especially love how the crucified bodies are referred to as "reeds".

Regarding to this, I have a question. What does "reeds" mean? I.e. my dictionary says nothing about this word, that could be connected with crucifix, death, remains or anything like that, so what is it in such context?

[marzo]

so what is it in such context?

I think it is the reuse of a shape without a corresponding frame name (actual reeds and the crucifixes are all shape 321, and that shape has no associated frame names).

[Johann Amin]

Alagner: Reeds is the plural of reed which is a type of tall grass.

[SepiaAndDust]

Marzo's certainly correct, but I prefer to believe that it's an inside joke for linguists. Reed == Rood (cross/crucifixion image). Related to Latin "retae" ("tree growing near water"), from whence we get our word "rod". All linguists play Ultima, y'know.

[alagner]

>>Alagner: Reeds is the plural of reed which is a type of tall grass.

Yeah, I know that. But still I don't get the logic of associating it with crucifixition.Why? Just because of the height?

>>I think it is the reuse of a shape without a corresponding frame name (actual reeds and the crucifixes are all shape 321, and that shape has no associated frame names).

So it can be purely technical issue, right?


>>Marzo's certainly correct, but I prefer to believe that it's an inside joke for linguists. Reed == Rood (cross/crucifixion image). Related to Latin "retae" ("tree growing near water"), from whence we get our word "rod".

Ok, I used to study English, I know the poem Dream of the Rood and am aware that the origins of the word "rod". But Reed being the same as Rood sounds completely new to me. And Marzo's probably right:

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?sea ... hmode=none
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?sea ... hmode=none

I can't see any connection between those two. But I've emailed my question to someone more competent in the field of Old English and I'll post the answer as I receive it.

>>All linguists play Ultima, y'know.
I learned basics of English by playing Black Gate with mouse in one and the dictionary in the other hand when I was sth like ten or eleven.
But I was the only none of my friends from my linguistic studies knew Ultima... Maybe that's why I dropped this course

[SepiaAndDust]

"Reed" and "rood" come from the same Proto-Indo-European root, "reed" through the Latin branch and "rood" through the Proto-Germanic branch. The words were cognates in those two now-dead languages. That's their only connection, but I just thought it was cool that the technical limitation caused these two words to be re-united again.

That's a great story about learning English with The Black Gate!

[alagner]

I never was into language history that much. In fact, I never was into any kind of history. But good to know it, you never know what can be found useful.


>>That's a great story about learning English with The Black Gate!

But the truth is, that playing with the dictionary and not knowing English, even though is sufficent to complete the game, will always be limiting and it won't let you completely catch the game's atmosphere. That's what I discovered sth like seven years later, after a few years of quite intensive learning, when some small catches and hoaxes in the game's script became clear to me.

[SepiaAndDust]

Well, I certainly can't tell that English is a second language for you. Your posts read like a native speaker's would.

Things are good--now you have the understanding, The Black Gate to re-explore, Exult to run it on, and (hopefully) whole new adventures awaiting!

[Guru Dragon]

I always thought that the crucifixions were called "reeds" due to censorship; which I thought was odd in a game with such adult themes. I'm pleased to learn that Origin didn't censor themselves (ahh the good old days before the ESRB). Somebody should label them properly.

[alagner]

>>I always thought that the crucifixions were called "reeds" due to censorship

Take a look at the identical cross in Vasculio's house in Serpent Isle. It's called "crucifix" there - that should remove all the understatements and doubts in that field I think.

>>Well, I certainly can't tell that English is a second language for you. Your posts read like a native speaker's would.

You're tickling my ego now. But I suppose there's still a lot of things I should learn. Or maybe not suppose, I'm sure of it.

>>Things are good--now you have the understanding, The Black Gate to re-explore, Exult to run it on, and (hopefully) whole new adventures awaiting!

You're right, but "thou hast forgotten something": really great guys posting on the board here