Discworld & Terry Pratchett Wiki - User contributions [en]

Glorious Revolution

2019-05-14T20:55:43Z

DJClayworth:

''Truth, Justice, Freedom, Reasonably Priced Love, and a Hard-Boiled Egg!''

{| style="float: left; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; clear:right;"
| [[Image:La.jpg|192px]]
|}

The People's Revolution of the Glorious Twenty-Fifth of May is depicted in {{NW}}. It ended the increasingly tough reign of [[Lord Winder]]. Tension had been rising, and while the nobility arranged a quiet succession by [[Mad Lord Snapcase|Lord Snapcase]] in the background, the people on the streets started a revolution and attacked Watch Houses all over the city.

A few streets around Treacle Mine Road were barricaded at first. Soon more people started barricading streets, barricades were moved forward and merged together, covering at least a quarter of the city - including the food industry. The resulting area was called The [[People's Republic of Treacle Mine Road]]. The watchmen of the Treacle Mine Road Watch House led the Republic together with some enthusiastic angry young men, among them the then-living [[Reg Shoe]].

Although the Republic originally was invaded succesfully, the change of history recorded in ''[[Book:Night Watch|Night Watch]]'' resulted in [[Sam Vimes]] under the name of [[John Keel]] saving the Republic until Lord Snapcase had become Patrician. But because history finds a way, those who died in the original revolution still died, in an attack planned by [[Carcer]] prompted by Snapcase's concerns about what "Keel" could get up to if left alone for a month after serving as such a prominent leader after less than a week in the city.

Each year, on the 25th of May, a group of survivors of the uprising gathers at Small Gods' Cemetery to honor the casualties with lilacs and, affectionately, one hard-boiled egg (from Madam Roberta Meserole). The seven killed were mostly Watchmen from Treacle Mine Road: [[John Keel]], [[Cecil Clapman]], [[Horace Nancyball]], [[Billy Wiglet]], [[Dai Dickins]], [[Ned Coates]], and, temporarily, [[Reg Shoe]] - he will lie in his grave for a time during that day, and then leave.

The 25th of May is also memorialized, among those who survive, by [[Lilac|the wearing of lilac]] on that date. Persons known to wear it include Sam Vimes, [[Fred Colon]], [[Nobby Nobbs]], [[Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler]], and, improbably, [[Havelock Vetinari]] (he, at the time a young assassin, has kept his and his aristocratic aunt [[Lady Roberta Meserole]]'s, not-insignificant involvement in the affair entirely secret).

The date is not publicly known as it was one of those revolutions where everybody likes to pretend in the aftermath that it never happened, with many new Watchmen uncertain of its relevance to the point that one new recruit tried wearing lilac only to be sharply criticised by Fred Colon. Vetinari once speculated about erecting a statue in memory of the soldiers, but Vimes rejected the idea, stating that the dead men would not want to be immortalised and inspire others to be heroes after they were betrayed for going beyond the call of duty, requesting that the men be simply left in peace.

==Note==
Following Terry's announcement about Alzheimer, [http://www.matchitforpratchett.org/2008/03/wear-the-lilac.html calls have been made to wear lilac] on the 25th of May as a tribute, and to raise money for Alzheimer research.

In the Earth history the name "Glorious Revolution" is usually ascribed to the overthrow of King James II of England by the Dutch invasion force under William of Orange in 1688.

It is noted that in Earth history the 25th Of May was national holiday in former Socialist Yugoslavia as it was birthday of Yugoslav communist leader and WWII resistance leader Josip Broz Tito. Holiday was also known as "Day of youth". It is also a day in 1944 when German paratroopers tried and failed to capture him.

Also, the 25th of May of 1810 is recorded in Argentina as the start of the Revolution against Spain, the "Revolución de Mayo" ("May Revolution", in english), centered around Buenos Aires, but pretty much igniting the revolution fires across Latin America.

In WWII in Yugoslavia many partisan-held territories were called "Republics" or "Peoples Republics".

May 25th is also national Geek Pride Day and Towel Day, a day in honour of Douglas Adams. This has led to some fans having to choose between the two, until someone came up with the lilac towel.

[[Category:Discworld Historical Events]]
[[de:Glorreiche Revolution]]

John Lawn

2019-05-14T20:54:11Z

DJClayworth:

{{Character Data
|title= Doctor John "Mossy" Lawn
|photo= Mossy.jpg|Mossy Lawn, as drawn by [[User:Knmatt|Matt Smith]]
|name= John Lawn
|age= Currently in his 60s (already a doctor in {{NW}})
|race= [[Humans|Human]]
|occupation= Doctor, Chief of Medicine at the [[Lady Sybil Free Hospital]]
|appearance=
|residence= formerly Twinkle Street
|death=
|parents=
|relatives=
|children=
|marital status=single
|books= {{NW}}
|cameos= {{GP}}, {{UA}}
}}

'''Dr. John Lawn''', usually called "''Mossy''", is probably the only medical [[Doctor|doctor]] in [[Ankh-Morpork]] actually known to cure or heal anyone. Normally, doctors are more to be avoided than the plague: the plague may not kill you, and certainly won't charge you for it.

Lawn credits his training in [[Klatch]], where patients were expected to get better; he had learnt techniques other Morporkian surgeons distrusted, but which kept patients alive for longer than it took to pay the bill. He also gave free treatment to those who needed it, including those who had been tortured by the Cable Street Particulars.

While he is unlikely to give his patients a little trim or a shave when performing surgery, he makes use of a number of curious and often alarming implements in his line of work. Being outside the medical establishment, he worked for many years in a rough area near [[The Shades]] as a "''pox doctor''," with many patients among the [[Seamstresses' Guild|Seamstresses]].

In {{NW}} he met and treated [[John Keel]] (and let John Keel (Sam Vimes) sleep in his spare room), and served as the surgeon for the short-lived army of the [[Glorious Revolution]]. When [[Samuel Vimes|Sam Vimes]] returned to the present time in [[Book:Night Watch|Night Watch]], he found his wife in life-threatening labor with their first child. Vimes literally flew to Twinkle Street to get the now-thirty-years-older doctor, and rewarded his success (and his silence as to the ''real'' identity of "John Keel") with "one-hundred thousand dollars and the freehold of a large corner site in Goose Gate" near the old city wall. By the time of the events of {{GP}}, the sprawling building had become the ''[[Lady Sybil Free Hospital]]''.

Mossy continues as Chief Of Medicine there, apparently still fighting off the non-professional attentions of the nursing staff despite advancing middle age. Dr Lawn's preferred method of dealing with the nursing staff is to throw a handful of chocolates in one direction and run in the other as fast as possible. It is also noteworthy that he also serves as the family doctor (of sorts) to the Vimes family, [[Sybil Ramkin|Lady Sybil]] having mentioned that Dr. Lawn has told Sam Sr. at his latest physical to eat more fruit and vegetables - tomato ketchup doesn't count as such (trying to dissuade him from eating greasy food).

Later books have stated that the hospital is also used by Dr. Lawn to train new doctors in the same techniques that he had learned all of those years ago during his tour in Klatch. He is also known to employ Igorinas who wish to practice the full range of medical skills, not just assist their Igor counterparts. [[Tiffany Aching]]'s friend [[Preston]] is one of his med students, now a surgeon in his own right ({{TSC}}).

Dr. Lawn's personality can be described as quiet (if a tad sarcastic) and almost unshockable. During the events of the [[Glorious Revolution]] Lawn commented to John Keel (Sam Vimes) that, when he dies, he wants a bell left on his gravestone so he can have the pleasure of not getting up when people ring.

Lawn is quite possibly one of only two people (besides Vimes) who know the truth concerning John Keel: the other is the [[Havelock Vetinari|Patrician]].

[[Category:Discworld characters|Lawn, Dr. John]]
[[Category:Supporting characters|Lawn, Dr. John]]
[[Category:Human characters|Lawn, Dr. John]]
[[de:Dr. M. Rasen]]

Dungeons and Dragons

2019-05-14T13:45:03Z

DJClayworth:

Dungeons and Dragons

2019-05-14T13:44:35Z

DJClayworth:

On [[Roundworld]], a role-playing game where slightly nerdy humans assume the identities of warriors, wizards, thieves, elves, trolls, dwarves, etc, to solve problems and earn experience points - it is in keeping with their general unworldly nerdiness that this is experience gained in any conceivable world other than the one they actually inhabit.

The younger [[vampires]] in {{CJ}}, have a similar sort of role-playing game where they take on mortal personas, for instance as chartered accountants called Nigel or shop assistants called Pam, and act out the problems and rewards appropriate to their characters. Younger vampires taking this game to extremes have been known to dye their hair mousy brown, attempt to drink wine, and most shockingly of all, to wear a lot less facial makeup, and wear colours other than black. This game is assigned no name but might well be called '''''Htog'''''.

[[Category:Discworld concepts]]

Talk:Dungeons and Dragons

2019-05-14T13:44:15Z

DJClayworth:

Why do we have this article, instead of simply referring to {{wp|Dungeons_&_Dragons|Wikipedia}}? --[[User:Sanity|Sanity]] 15:59, 15 May 2007 (CEST)

Why, indeed. The Author may have had something to do with D&D, once, but I don't think that brings it into range of this Wiki (nor astronomy, nor carnivorous plants.)--[[User:Old Dickens|Old Dickens]] 16:26, 15 May 2007 (CEST)

Is it possible to think of "Dungeons and Dragons" as a "hoover" - ie a brand name that is so successful that it serves as a catch-all title for the set of ALL role-playing games, just as "hoover" serves for all vacuum cleaners, regardless of make. From this standpoint, an article entitled "D&D" serves as a useful collection point for loose ends and themes, like the young vampires' RPG, the sort of reverse-Goth where they adopt mortal personae and pretend to be chartered accountants, et c. It also covers the extremes to which Nijel the Destroyer goes to become a barbarian hero - as if he's not figured out yet that this really isn't a live-action RPG with rubber swords, people can get killed. Perhaps it might be more acceptible with a name-change to Role-Playing Games, or something similar? Special pleading now ends...--[[User:AgProv|AgProv]] 17:11, 15 May 2007 (CEST)

::What the vampires do is hardly RPG. It's more a kind of fashion thing. In a normal society you're gothic, in a gothic society like a vampire one, you're behaving like an accountant to be cool. Being gothic isn't an RPG either. --[[User:Sanity|Sanity]] 17:34, 15 May 2007 (CEST)

Nijel the Destroyer is not playing a game, he is following a manual on how to really be a Barbarian hero. The parody is that Cohen's books is a ridiculous 'How-to' manual, not that it is a game manual. [[User:DJClayworth|DJClayworth]] ([[User talk:DJClayworth|talk]]) 13:40, 14 May 2019 (UTC)

"It is thought that The Colour of Magic originated from Terry Pratchett's experiences as a Dungeon-Master". Really? Who is it thought by? Do we have anywhere that STP says that? Is it not much more likely that The Colour of Magic is a parody of various well-known fantasy works? Let's not put things in here just because some dude thinks it might be true. [[User:DJClayworth|DJClayworth]] ([[User talk:DJClayworth|talk]]) 13:44, 14 May 2019 (UTC)

Dungeons and Dragons

2019-05-14T13:41:34Z

DJClayworth:

On [[Roundworld]], a role-playing game where slightly nerdy humans assume the identities of warriors, wizards, thieves, elves, trolls, dwarves, etc, to solve problems and earn experience points - it is in keeping with their general unworldly nerdiness that this is experience gained in any conceivable world other than the one they actually inhabit.

(It is thought that {{COM}} originated from Terry Pratchett's experiences as a Dungeon-Master and some of the things he incorporated in the RPG group he ran - ie, [[the Luggage]] originated as somewhere to stash the loot but from which the loot could not necessarily be retrieved, depending on the beast's mood) [citation needed]

The younger [[vampires]] in {{CJ}}, have a similar sort of role-playing game where they take on mortal personas, for instance as chartered accountants called Nigel or shop assistants called Pam, and act out the problems and rewards appropriate to their characters. Younger vampires taking this game to extremes have been known to dye their hair mousy brown, attempt to drink wine, and most shockingly of all, to wear a lot less facial makeup, and wear colours other than black. This game is assigned no name but might well be called '''''Htog'''''.

[[Category:Discworld concepts]]

Talk:Dungeons and Dragons

2019-05-14T13:40:45Z

DJClayworth: