Fellow Explorer 2013-01-31

[Dave]

What do you gals and guys think? Should I change the ending of the "name" to the female? Άτσαλη would be Atsali. That seems cuter.

Definitely cuter... it's a name which goes really well with her bright, freckled face and eager expression.

... and I just realized that it also reveals her true identity. You've just introduced us to Sister Birdrille, the Flying Norn (played by Atsali Fields, of course).

I expect great things from her, Paul!

[DilyV]

I'm determined to figure out what book that could be, but Google is being surprisingly stubborn.

She might also be a Griffon in intermediate form - or possibly as humanoid as they can get; she also seems to have cat marks on her face (amongst all the cute freckles). And fangs.

Hmm...maybe, but griffons are typically feline from the waist down, aren't they?

Griffons typically exhibit the features of a Lion's forebody, an eagle's head and forefeet, the rear feet are typically similar to a goat's, and has the tail of a snake, sometimes said to contain a venomous sting...

That being said, I'm leaning towards harpy here... but from my days of D&D (1.5/2.0 rules), harpies are rather hard to kill, and don't harpies have a rather odiferous aroma to them? All I gotta say is I wish I could have run into harpies like THIS in game... LOL

[Mark N]

All I have to say is that Paul is doing one of his "The myth is wrong and the reality is more like this" moments to make what is most likely a fun and loyal character to be a friend to Kath.

[ChattaStarhawk]

"Will Katherine answer the Siren's call to Adventure? Find out next page - same Sphinx channel, same Sphinx time!"

[Fairportfan]

I don't know why, but i have a bad vibe about this...
1)when Monica went in that entrance, it was INSTANTLY the Annex... but when Shelly and Justin going in the wrong door it wasn't, then when they went in the right door, it was ALSO INSTANTLY the Annex... somehow i don't think she in the Annex right now.

When Tsillah brought Lily and Suzi in, they only saw an abandoned building at first, too.

[Fairportfan]

With that hair and personna, I get a strong 1950's bobby-socks vibe. All that's missing is the poodle skirt. Anybody remember Gidget? Now think Klutz. This is going to be hilarious!

I'm still thinking 1950s/60s British girl's school/holiday story.

There Shall Be Ponies!

[Mark N]

[
I'm still thinking 1950s/60s British girl's school/holiday story.

There Shall Be Ponies!

Ponies that breath plasma you mean.

[DilyV]

I'm determined to figure out what book that could be, but Google is being surprisingly stubborn.

She might also be a Griffon in intermediate form - or possibly as humanoid as they can get; she also seems to have cat marks on her face (amongst all the cute freckles). And fangs.

Hmm...maybe, but griffons are typically feline from the waist down, aren't they?

Griffons typically exhibit the features of a Lion's forebody, an eagle's head and forefeet, the rear feet are typically similar to a goat's, and has the tail of a snake, sometimes said to contain a venomous sting...

That being said, I'm leaning towards harpy here... but from my days of D&D (1.5/2.0 rules), harpies are rather hard to kill, and don't harpies have a rather odiferous aroma to them? All I gotta say is I wish I could have run into harpies like THIS in game... LOL

According to TSR's D&D Monster Manual 3.5, a Harpy looks like an old evil faced Human with the lower body legs and wings of a reptilian monster. The coal black eyes clearly reflect its evil soul as do the wicked talons on it's hands. Harpies entrance their victims with magical songs and inflict unspeakable torments on their victims. They tend to "play" with their new toys before killing and eating them. When a harpy sings, all creatures within a 300 foot radius must succeed on a DC 16 Will save or be entranced. Creatures who succeed in the save cannot be affected by a harpy for 24 hours. Captivated victims walk towards the harpy, taking the most direct route available.Captivated creatures can take no actions to defend against the Harpies attack. The effect of the song lasts until the harpy stops singing and lasats one round after.

The harpy in the new 3.5 rules seems to differ from the harpy I'd fought back in 1999-2000 under the first and second edition rules. The first/second edition harpies were distinctly described with birdlike legs and talons, with a human upper torso and feathered body/wings.

Hope this helps clarify things, but it seems that it just muddies the water a bit more...

[Fairportfan]

Let us just say that the D&D manuals are not exactly the ... ummm ... most accurate source of information about supernatural critters.

The original Greek harpies were beautiful; it's later Romans who decided that they were ugly.

Hesiod[2] calls them two "lovely-haired" creatures, and pottery art depicting the harpies featured beautiful women with wings. Harpies as ugly winged bird-women, e.g. in Aeschylus' The Eumenides (line 50) are a late development, due to a confusion with the Sirens. Roman and Byzantine writers detailed their ugliness

=================

It's been mentioned that Our New Friend may be a siren; Wikipedia says:

In early Greek art Sirens were represented as birds with large women's heads, bird feathers and scaly feet. Later, they were represented as female figures with the legs of birds, with or without wings, playing a variety of musical instruments, especially harps.

<snip>

The so-called "Siren of Canosa"[19] accompanied the deceased among grave goods in a burial and seems to have some psychopomp characteristics, guiding the dead on the after-life journey. The cast terracotta figure bears traces of its original white pigment. The woman bears the feet and the wings and tail of a bird. It is conserved in the National Archaeological Museum of Spain, in Madrid.

Since Sirens lured sailors/explorers to their doom, her insistence that Katherine should go a-venturing with her might fit.

The Siren of Canosa:



Look familiar?

[Fairportfan]

Just hit me:

"...a cook becoming a knight...":

Not exactly, but The Ill-Made Knight, the third section of THWhite's The Once and Future King, begins with young Lancelot dreaming of becoming a Knight of the Round Table as he works in the kitchen as a boy in France.

[DilyV]

Let us just say that the D&D manuals are not exactly the ... ummm ... most accurate source of information about supernatural critters.

The original Greek harpies were beautiful; it's later Romans who decided that they were ugly.

Hesiod[2] calls them two "lovely-haired" creatures, and pottery art depicting the harpies featured beautiful women with wings. Harpies as ugly winged bird-women, e.g. in Aeschylus' The Eumenides (line 50) are a late development, due to a confusion with the Sirens. Roman and Byzantine writers detailed their ugliness

=================

It's been mentioned that Our New Friend may be a siren; Wikipedia says:

In early Greek art Sirens were represented as birds with large women's heads, bird feathers and scaly feet. Later, they were represented as female figures with the legs of birds, with or without wings, playing a variety of musical instruments, especially harps.

<snip>

The so-called "Siren of Canosa"[19] accompanied the deceased among grave goods in a burial and seems to have some psychopomp characteristics, guiding the dead on the after-life journey. The cast terracotta figure bears traces of its original white pigment. The woman bears the feet and the wings and tail of a bird. It is conserved in the National Archaeological Museum of Spain, in Madrid.

Since Sirens lured sailors/explorers to their doom, her insistence that Katherine should go a-venturing with her might fit.

The Siren of Canosa:



Look familiar?

I did agree with the 1st and 2nd edition rules, which described them as female upper torsos with bird wings and legs... No wonder the 3-4th edition rules we so unliked... they changed a lot. However, note the mention of "coal black eyes"... sound like anyone we know?

[bmonk]

Duh. It's pointed out on the Facebook comments that the name should be Romanized as Atsalos (Katherine must be nervous). That's not unknown as a surname for humans. It does bear a masculine form, though. So maybe this harpy is really butch...or else humans are really bad at determining harpy gender.

The Master has corrected his error. Of course, Greek was not quite so doctrinaire about endings and gender as Latin--and even Latin did have exceptions, such as Agricola (masc. Farmer) or domus (fem. house, either 2nd or 4th decl.) In Greek, though, the a-stem masculine nouns and names were usually given an s, such as Petras (ironically turning the Aramaic Rock into a Pebble), while the feminine names had no s.

[jwhouk]

Okay, I'll make the obvious joke:


"It's all Greek to me!"

[Yamara]

Duh. It's pointed out on the Facebook comments that the name should be Romanized as Atsalos (Katherine must be nervous). That's not unknown as a surname for humans. It does bear a masculine form, though. So maybe this harpy is really butch...or else humans are really bad at determining harpy gender.

The Master has corrected his error. Of course, Greek was not quite so doctrinaire about endings and gender as Latin--and even Latin did have exceptions, such as Agricola (masc. Farmer) or domus (fem. house, either 2nd or 4th decl.) In Greek, though, the a-stem masculine nouns and names were usually given an s, such as Petras (ironically turning the Aramaic Rock into a Pebble), while the feminine names had no s.

Atsali is not an unknown surname for humans either: http://www.google.com/search?q=atsali

[Hansontoons]

As GIR said, "It's got chicken legs!". First thing through my feeble brain when viewing second panel.

Too bad tomorrow is Friday, that means two days follow sans new Wapsi!

[NOTDilbert]

Hmm... perhaps not a Harpy, but a Siren?

Sirens combine women and birds in various ways. In early Greek art Sirens were represented as birds with large women's heads, bird feathers and scaly feet. Later, they were represented as female figures with the legs of birds, with or without wings, playing a variety of musical instruments, especially harps.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siren#Appearance

I think you may be closer than the rest of us - after all, the first thing most think of about 'bird woman' is 'harpy' - although you've shown either one might be right....
Have to wait on Paul to clarify...

edit: So this is Clumsy? Will there be any other guest appearances from the characters in BC?

[DilyV]

As GIR said, "It's got chicken legs!". First thing through my feeble brain when viewing second panel.

Too bad tomorrow is Friday, that means two days follow sans new Wapsi!

Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase: "The chick's got bird legs!"

Love your Avatar pic... Werner Voss's Fokker DR.1 I do believe... =)

[Opus the Poet]

So this is Clumsy? Will there be any other guest appearances from the characters in BC?

Oooh, Oooh! I'm hoping for the Midnight Skulker.

[HospitalDrone]

Apparantly all supernatural beings get annoyingly upbeat and cheerful when they visit the library and find what they are looking for. Wonder how that would work with Nuckalavee.

[Akasha]

Welcome Akasha! Thanks for the lesson (especially since I put her name into Google Translate, and it told me her name meant "steel"...I wonder if I used an incorrect character... )!

Well, here's to a new character and learning where she fits into the grand scheme of things! Interestingly enough, I found a slew of bird-women myths when I did a quick search for anything that resembled our new friend here. There have been bird goddesses (specifically with bird feet and wings) in many cultures, and even the Sirens of Greek mythology were aparently depicted as bird women (something I'd forgotten).

ah, as a matter of fact, it shows that the intonation is important in greek, Άτσαλη=clumsy and Ατσάλι=steel differ in two things, one, the emphasis is on the first syllable and on the second syllable in the other, and in gender, female first, and neutral the second. clumsy versus steel.