Meanwhile in Shadowrun

Discussion on game mastering Earthdawn. May contain spoilers; caution is recommended!
Post Reply
Bonhumm
Posts:435
Joined:Wed Oct 11, 2017 9:43 pm
Location:Right behind you
Meanwhile in Shadowrun

Post by Bonhumm » Sun Dec 23, 2018 2:54 pm

As most of you know, Earthdawn and Shadowrun share(d) the same universe, Earthdawn being the 4th World to Shadowrun's 6th World. Both games used to be owned/created by FASA but a lot changed since then and the 'official' link is now broken although Catalyst (Shadowrun's current rights owner) seem to be careful not to break to far away from the 'continuity', adding stuff like the windlings (pixies) 'recently'.

I played Shadowrun a long time ago (2nd edition, ouch I'm old!) and although I did not play the game much, I read everything lore-related and loved it. I'm currently joining a group in 5th Edition so started to update my lore and found out something surprising:

I was aware that Dunkelzahn/Mountainshadow was dead, basically sacrificing himself to slow down the magic spike that was pushing the 6th World into a 4000 years-early Scourge but I did not know that he was 'still alive' in the astral plane, going full Jedi of sort.

It is said that he is 'guarding the bridge with the Dragon Heart'. The Dragon Heart in Earhdawn is the heart of the Dragon All-Wings and is currently held by Earthroot, the great dragon living under Throal as king of the Pale Ones t'skrang.

So finally, my question: Is anyone aware of anything canon (in Earthdawn or Shadowrun) explaining how Mountainshadow got hold of it? I can't see Earthroot willingly relinquishing it.

Also, while we're at it; does anyone knows if there is other Great Dragons from Earthdawn in Shadowrun besides Mountainshadow/Dunkelzahn, Icewing/Ghostwalker and Alamaise/Alamais? Specifically is the any references to Earthroot in Shadowrun and of Lofwyr (besides the fact that Alamaise has a brother back in Vasgothia) in Earthdawn?

Thank you all.

Tattered Rags
Posts:374
Joined:Mon Nov 28, 2016 12:04 am

Re: Meanwhile in Shadowrun

Post by Tattered Rags » Sun Dec 23, 2018 4:12 pm

FYI, though unrelated to the OP's questions, heard an interview a while back over on the Archology podcast making mention of bringing Horrors back into official Shadowrun canon, though they can't actually call them Horrors. Those writers loved the connections between Shadowrun and Earthdawn, too.
Adventure I'm running:
Under the Stars

Adventure GM post-mortem:
Under the Stars Postmortem

Bonhumm
Posts:435
Joined:Wed Oct 11, 2017 9:43 pm
Location:Right behind you

Re: Meanwhile in Shadowrun

Post by Bonhumm » Sun Dec 23, 2018 4:31 pm

Tattered Rags wrote:
Sun Dec 23, 2018 4:12 pm
FYI, though unrelated to the OP's questions, heard an interview a while back over on the Archology podcast making mention of bringing Horrors back into official Shadowrun canon, though they can't actually call them Horrors. Those writers loved the connections between Shadowrun and Earthdawn, too.

On top of my head the Invaes and Ysrthgrathe (the Horror of Typos) are called by name in Shadowrun, making the Horrors presence there official. As for whether they are called Horrors or not, I don't see them having problems with that: even IF FASA where to try and pull a trademark war over it (which I doubt very much) a generic therm like 'horrors' would probably be thrown as not valid. If worse come to worse, Catalyst would just have to drop the capital 'H' and call them horrors.

Tattered Rags
Posts:374
Joined:Mon Nov 28, 2016 12:04 am

Re: Meanwhile in Shadowrun

Post by Tattered Rags » Sun Dec 23, 2018 4:33 pm

Bonhumm wrote:
Sun Dec 23, 2018 4:31 pm
Tattered Rags wrote:
Sun Dec 23, 2018 4:12 pm
FYI, though unrelated to the OP's questions, heard an interview a while back over on the Archology podcast making mention of bringing Horrors back into official Shadowrun canon, though they can't actually call them Horrors. Those writers loved the connections between Shadowrun and Earthdawn, too.

On top of my head the Invaes and Ysrthgrathe (the Horror of Typos) are called by name in Shadowrun, making the Horrors presence there official. As for whether they are called Horrors or not, I don't see them having problems with that: even IF FASA where to try and pull a trademark war over it (which I doubt very much) a generic therm like 'horrors' would probably be thrown as not valid. If worse come to worse, Catalyst would just have to drop the capital 'H' and call them horrors.
I'm just repeating and paraphrasing what the writers being interviewed said. They specifically said they couldn't use the 'H'-word due to in-place licensing restrictions.
Adventure I'm running:
Under the Stars

Adventure GM post-mortem:
Under the Stars Postmortem

Slimcreeper
Posts:1061
Joined:Mon Nov 28, 2016 11:44 pm

Re: Meanwhile in Shadowrun

Post by Slimcreeper » Mon Dec 24, 2018 2:37 am

Capital H Horrors are very specific to Earthdawn. It would not be cool to introduce them into Shadowrun, in my opinion.

Bonhumm
Posts:435
Joined:Wed Oct 11, 2017 9:43 pm
Location:Right behind you

Re: Meanwhile in Shadowrun

Post by Bonhumm » Mon Dec 24, 2018 4:47 pm

Slimcreeper wrote:
Mon Dec 24, 2018 2:37 am
Capital H Horrors are very specific to Earthdawn. It would not be cool to introduce them into Shadowrun, in my opinion.
They are kinda already introduced. Of course, as Rags pointed out, it is a question of licensing and stuff BUT maintaining the link between both games could only be beneficial to Earthdawn/FASA; many of the groups I've joined playing Earthdawn had tried it because they heard of it playing (the admittedly more known/popular) Shadowrun.

I could just picture Verjigorm doing an 'hostile takeover' of Saeder-Krupp.

User avatar
Kosmit
Posts:167
Joined:Mon Nov 28, 2016 1:41 pm
Location:Warsaw
Contact:

Re: Meanwhile in Shadowrun

Post by Kosmit » Wed Dec 26, 2018 4:32 am

http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?showtopic=372

I use this post as an inspiration for my ShadowDawn crossovers. During last session PCs were on spiritual journey on their way to Shosara and they witnessed Alamaise trying to "kill" Dallia. IMB she would listen to his arguments (same as she would listen Shosarans) and young Alachia (which is Caynreth, Failla, Liara and Alamaise's daughter) along with Harlequin (Lowfyr's son) tried to kill her to take over Wyrm Wood.

Dallia convinced Alamaise to take her instead of revenging on his own blood and after he stabbed her (he wasn't able to take his dragon form due to PCs presence - but it's another story) she said to Alachia: "If you so hard crave for power, you will always ruler of the Elven Court but your reigns will always be connected with blood" (Sacrifice magic/dying curse ring a bell? ;)). That gave players a hint of the overall Great Elves stuff (one of them was a Blood Elf) and that in Earthdawn nothing is exactly as told in legends ;>

If anyone is interested to read more about "ShadowDawn" here is the link to my blog. I am planning to run more of it during 2019 Orichalcum (Polish Earthdawn Convention on which you are all invited - we can try english sessions of course).

(try google translate ;) )
http://www.kosmitpaczy.pl/kosmit-paczy/ ... shadowdawn
https://www.facebook.com/KosmitPaczy/ph ... 2020414696

Post Reply