From: James Frusetta (gerakkag@wam.umd.edu)
Date: Mon 03 Feb 1997 - 05:16:36 EET
Well, if you hate trolls, start a-scrollin' now. :)
What with the current Darksense thread, this might be of some interest.
Had a weird Troll Art schtick in a campaign, which gave rise to a player
handout entitled:
Greblor Silvertongue's Guide to Uz Art for You Human Types
(Get knowledge from number one uz art merchant in all Pavis!)
[As recorded on dark/harmony/clay, 1606, Pavis Knowledge Temple]
You wanna know about Uz art?
Too many times, Humans come to me and yak-yak-yak, they want to
buy Uz art. I say, listen, you aren't going to like this, and they say,
yes, we will. I say, listen, you can't understand it. They say,
yak-yak-yak, shared cultural experience. So I sell 'em art. They not
understand. They get mad, they want money back, I have to smack them in
head to calm them down. Big trouble all around.
So, I give quick introduction to uz art for you. Then, maybe, you
buy. But maybe not.
Sculpture
Almost all uz art is stone or metal sculpture. First off, it look
nice. Second, it last. With thieving hungry trollkin around, fragile
stuff don't last long unless you really careful. Sometimes make sculpture
out of food for feast, too, but those not last long. (urp) Uz tradition
to chew sculpture with teeth, but some artists use tools, too.
You got to remember, though, that uz look at things with inner eye
Kyger Litor gave us, what you call dark-seeing. So our sculpture look
very differently to you. Take famous statue by Gooba Gon, number one uz
artist, that sit in my shop (you come see, if you want. Maybe buy
something). This really big with all smart trolls, you bet, and everyone
want Gooba to make them one just like it. But humans never understand all
the fuss. Hey, they say, that just big block of stone. Ah, that because
you can't understand, without the sight Kyger Litor gave us uz. When we
look, we not see just a block; we see textures, see pleasing interplay of
different densities of stone she use, we see cunningly hollowed-out bits.
It all flow together to make unique shape to our inner eye. When I sense
it, it make me think about ironies of life. Good stuff. I sell you copy,
but Humans can't understand, I think.
Touch Sculpture
Now this, you maybe understand. Gooba Gon -- she number one uz
artist in Pavis, maybe better than jokers in Dakori Inkarth, too -- she do
what we call touch sculpture, too. Here you run hand over the sculpture
to see it. Big advantage is that you do this with small sheet of lead,
say, or carve on wall, and it not take up space. Cheap, too. If you read
Darktongue, you know what I mean -- Humans read darktongue by running hand
over it, feeling how letters shaped, because you not have inner eye.
Sometimes, good artist make sculpture that look different to inner
eye and to touch.
Because it thin, you not use as many materials or put in hollow
parts, so artists can't do as much, though. This good for trolls who not
have a lot of money. I sell many of these to trolls; most popular item is
good copy of frieze from Redstone Caverns of Kyger Litor.
Statuary
We make statues, sometimes, but not as much as some of you humans.
I on caravan, once, go to Raibanth. Got statues everywhere. If Lunar guy
eat his breakfast right, moon emperor make statue for him. Yelm guys just
as bad. Not know how they got room for people up there, so many statues.
Those guys crazy.
Uz more like people of Pavis. We build statues for important
leaders we honor, or for gods. Sometimes rich uz have statutes made of
them so their great-grandchildren can see what they look like. Or make
special statues to commemorate honored foe. More common to make little
statues, maybe size of my hand. This good to keep in house, when you pray
to gods. Sometimes uz heroes get statues made, too. Many young trolls
want statues of famous trollball athletes. I collect when I young, too.
Apprentice artists carve in wood. Good money, you bet, make many of them.
Problem with statues is that it hard to show what the person
really like. Easy to show face, body, hands, but hard to show what really
inside that person, which is what is important. Sometimes really good
artist manage that -- Gooba Gon make good statue of Death Lord Zakadar
Elfkicker last year, it so much like him the trollkin hide, and I start
to do Johnny's Song without thinking, you bet!
Gorakiki Artists
The bug guys, you know, they like to use their bugs for everything.
I mean, sure, you use them to carry, and to eat, but I think the Gorakiki
guys have bugs on the brain. Anyway, some of them like to use their bugs
to make statues, even stone ones. What they do is they put a special
paste on the stone block or the log. Then they let their bugs in, usually
rock-mouth beetles or maybe gobble-worms. Now, the bugs like the paste
very much. So they mostly only eat the parts that are covered in paste.
When they eat what you want them to, you shoo them away and put on next
layer of paste. Nearly all statues to buggy gods made this way, I think.
Hear that spider folk do the same thing, with their spiders.
Not look bad, but not my cuppa leadbrick.
Emotive
You see lots of this in uz temple. When you see story about god,
good artist make use of textures to make you feel what god was feeling.
When you see on frieze that komosha [Painbringer], you call him Yelm, come
to Wonderhome, good artist make you feel the fear all uz have at that
time. I mean, FEAR. Even though komosha just carved there, no can hurt
you, he still make you fear, because of god-magic. This hard, and even
number one good artist need help of gods and special rituals to make it
right. You become lay members, I take you to Argan Argar temple and show
you carvings like this in our temple, tell story of how Argan Argar
taught ancient uz. Wish I could tell you more, but if I knew how to do
this I be big-name artist, you bet, not merchant!
Pottery
Some artists make special pottery. Have several different kinds.
First, stuff to use. This is stuff for all trolls, you know, like
mugs and plates. Artists maybe bake nice texture on it, or decorate it
with bas relief. This sometimes nice. I have set of drinking mugs, feel
good to hold when you drink. Second, stuff for show. This for rich trolls.
Lead plates that look nice but not for using, like that. All for show, for
rich trolls who brag. Third, have magical pots, sometimes. I hear shamans
sometimes like to trap spirits in pots, so artists make special magical
pots to do this. Or make special pots to hold sacrifice to Kyger Litor,
maybe, or to other gods. Arists in Rubble make many nice pots. I do good
business helping to get them clay from river, or bring special clay from
other places. If you want pots, I get them for you.
Painting
We not so big on painting. Issaries guy to explain to me this
thing about all these colors, once, but I not understand it. I admit it
- -- uz got weak eyes. Not need them. We use inner eye Kyger Litor gave us
to see, so our art mostly use that. I think we learn painting from
humans, maybe. Sometimes put special paintings in temple, or make picture
of uz. But this stuff not really move, so I not keep any myself. Not
recommend it, anyway.
Issaries guy say this also he not see uz with tattoos so much, but
with made-scars. We not use face-paint so much as humans, either.
Architecture
Sometimes uz build special buildings, mostly for gods. Sometimes
for very powerful rulers. One thing to do is to make the outside look
nice for the sight Kyger Litor gave us; put on pleasing textures, or maybe
show runes for god in different texture. Sometimes build special temple
statues or scupltures, and put outside.
Mostly it inside of building that matter more. Like to make
inside of rooms a pleasing texture for our dark sight. Keep out light
with nice curtains, maybe. You come to my shop, I show you what I do.
Looks very nice.
I hear Zorak Zoran temple in Pavis looks very nice, but not think
you wanna see inside it. Ha!
So, anyway, now you know something about uz art, and why I tell you to be
careful what you buy. If you wanna know something about uz cooking or
music, you come and talk to me, I steer you right.
[Comments for her Second Edition are more then welcome, :)]
------------------------------
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