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| Flesh out my fantasy world. | |
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| Topic Started: Sep 11 2012, 02:56 PM (3,565 Views) | |
| lamna | Sep 11 2012, 02:56 PM Post #1 |
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After I ran way crying trying to start my own RP in the same vein as the Cultural Evolution game I decided to get back to it with a fantastic piece. I want to include a variety of species and cultures and both keep it simple and not clichéd. Here is the map. Spoiler: click to toggle Currently the big Northernmost island is inhabited by Dwarves, who rule, the Finns, who enforce that rule and the Saami, who get seven shades of shit kicked out of them whenever they complain about being at the bottom of the pile. The big green island is inhabited by Elves. I'm not sure what to do with them, arrogant racists and arrogant perfect hippies have been done. I'll probably make them live only 200 or so years, and incapable of hybridizing with humans, or at least not producing very many fertile hybrids. The yellow islands are inhabited by Dragons, who are intelligent but rather possessive and straight forward, which can make them seem child-like. They also live with humans and act as their nobility, defending them in exchange for the humans doing all the things dragons can't. It's got a reputation as a place the oppressed can flee if they are desperate and willing to work. The dragon's don't care about your ideology or religion as long as they get their sheep tithe. On the "mainland" are the Human kingdoms. Once most of the island was united under an empire, the empire started to crumble under barbarian attacks, poor harvests, a bad economy and religious strife. The last Emperor decided that to turn things around he would conquer the dragon kingdom, plunder their gold and then use the dragons as soldiers to help restore his empire. The expedition was destroyed and the capital was razed. With no emperor, no capital and hardly any army left the empire collapsed in less than a decade. One province did manage to survive, mostly thanks to the corrupt governor having skimmed enough money to pay the local barbarians to fight for him rather than sack the place, and when the dust settled he found himself the most powerful and wealthy man left standing so just declared himself Emperor. That's the purple nation. Edited by lamna, Sep 18 2012, 12:43 PM.
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Living Fossils Fósseis Vibos: Reserva Natural 34 MYH, 4 tonne dinosaur. [flash=500,450] Video Magic! [/flash] | |
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| dialforthedevil | Sep 13 2012, 01:49 AM Post #16 |
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Frumentarii Administrator
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How are the Dothraki racist? I would always be wary when giving your races a similar culture to human ones due to allegations of racism. I don't know why but people will pull you up on this one. Try to differentiate your culture significantly from the base culture from human history. Especially when it comes to what people conceive as 'evil' races. (For those who follow my project they know I had a crisis when it came to the goblins). You can either spend time showing how they aren't evil and bestial as I did, or just change it
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| lamna | Sep 13 2012, 03:32 AM Post #17 |
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They think they are better than everyone else, that other cultures are either in their way or there to be enslaved and plundered. Same as most cultures throughout history. Because, as I have said I don't find that era interesting for this. It's Dark Ages, people have just about settled down and found their place in the world after the fall of a mighty empire. It's all chainmail and longships and small scruffy horses. The Elves are going to have a lot of Chinese characteristics. They just recently overthrew a Human dynasty and they are very embarrassed by it, much as the Chinese are embarrassed by non-Han dynasties, just look up the Qing and you'll find angry Chinese people declaring it wasn't really a Chinese dynasty, but a colonial occupation by the Manchu and that a bunch of tribal horsemen conquered the Ming without any Chinese help. They don't see themselves as just another nation but as the paramount state in the world. Everyone else are Barbarians and if you want relations with them, you have to acknowledge that you are their vassal. They don't debase themselves with trade, but they are willing to accept tribute from other lands, and their ruler will give the barbarians gifts. It's not trade, honest! They are dominated by "not invented here syndrome", and have no interest in the developments of other people, aside from a few very shrewd elves who study in human lands and return home to "invent" what they have learned. Magic is minimal. There is a huge basalt pillar rising out of the deep ocean with a city-fortress built on top that was create by magic a very, very long time ago which I intended to be a fantasy Citadel/Babylon 5. The Elves also have pyramids that control their climate and keep it warm and pleasent, but they have no idea how they work, they were built a long time ago. . |
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Living Fossils Fósseis Vibos: Reserva Natural 34 MYH, 4 tonne dinosaur. [flash=500,450] Video Magic! [/flash] | |
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| bloom_boi | Sep 13 2012, 05:49 AM Post #18 |
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What The?
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I considered the Dorathaki racist because the way he made them do pretty much ridiculous things just to get a "barbarian" feel. And yet, I loved their chapters the most. Okay, in the fantasy world which I have just drawn out of my anus, magic is not going to be something people can freely control but instead it will take the forms of spirits. These can be asked of favours in return for something, though not all spirits are benign/neutral, some are down right malignant. |
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"You shall perish, whatever you do! If you are taken with arms in your hands, death! If you beg for mercy, death! Whichever way you turn, right, left, back, forward, up, down, death! You are not merely outside the law, you are outside humanity. Neither age nor sex shall save you and yours. You shall die, but first you shall taste the agony of your wife, your sister, your sons and daughters, even those in the cradle! Before your eyes the wounded man shall be taken out of the ambulance and hacked with bayonets or knocked down with the butt end of a rifle. He shall be dragged living by his broken leg or bleeding arm and flung like a suffering, groaning bundle of refuse into the gutter. Death! Death! Death!" | |
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| lamna | Sep 13 2012, 10:47 AM Post #19 |
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Oh you mean that they are racist because of what they are, not in universe. What exactly do they do that is so ridiculous? I've only seen the series so all I see is slavery, conquest, pillaging and rape, which are hardly unique to any culture. Anyway, I've figured out recent elven history. After a nasty civil war Hrolf One-Eye invaded the elven realm. The elves were better equipped, fighting on home soil and outnumbered the invaders the Elven host was over ten thousand while Hrolf had only six thousand, but the civil war has severely weaken the army. The Imperial Army under direct control of the elven emperor numbered only about two thousand, the rest were busy putting out fires across the realm. The rest of the Elven forces were those raised by various lords, many of doubtful loyalty. Hrolf's army was fresh and well coordinated, while the Elven emperor's was a collection of young nobles eager to gain honour, farmers raised by lords unwilling to risk their best troops and a tattered and exhausted remains of the Imperial army. The elven forces lost all cohesion and were routed, the Emperor and much of the nobility killed. Hrolf marched on the capital and took it with little effort. Over the next decade he consolidated his rule, rewarding elves who defected to him and punishing those who did not by destroying them utterly and installing his followers and local human peasants as new nobility. Resistance continued throughout his reign, but there were no more major battles. His son, Sigtryg continued his pacification, and while he was brutal where he deemed it necessary, was seem as a peace maker and married Meren, an elven priest. His son Eystein was generally seen as a good king and ruled for just over a century, but it is rare for half-elves to be fertile, and fertile males have never been recorded, so he died without a heir. Sigtryg did have other children, one with a servant when he was fifteen and another with a mistress shortly before marrying Meren and a war broke out between the supporters of those children's descendants. Hjor was descended from the child of the servant girl, and Raum from the mistress. Both started as puppets but Hjor managed to take controls of his masters and eventually captured Raum. With nothing to rally around the pro-Raum forces melted away, with each lord returning home to defend himself, rather than working with the others and they were defeated in detail. Hjor only ever had one child, a sickly daughter who died when she was five and so he made Raum his heir. By the time Hjor died Raum was a very old man, and it's said the shock and stress of actually becoming king killed him. His reign only lasted for months, but he had plenty of legitimate sons. The next three kings has much quieter reign, until Hrolf II took the throne. Hrolf II was not a bad king either, a little reclusive and weary but he carried out his duties well. But he was born into the wrong time. Elven lord Sabarvedhil rose up in rebellion, it soon became a popular uprising and Hrolf's inaction allowed Sabarvedhil to depose him. Sabarvedhil was supported by many warlords and his dynasty had to be rather federal in character. After the war there was a reckoning. Elves who were close to the old regime, settlers and most of the original humans population were slaughtered or kidnapped/rescued by dragons. Many an elven lord now lives as a peasant in the Dragon's realm. |
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Living Fossils Fósseis Vibos: Reserva Natural 34 MYH, 4 tonne dinosaur. [flash=500,450] Video Magic! [/flash] | |
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| bloom_boi | Sep 13 2012, 11:18 AM Post #20 |
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What The?
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Well, it was a while since I read the first book but Ill give an examination anyhow. -They had massive populations. This does not make sense. I guess George was doing it on Khan's Golden Horde but he had it wrong. Practically the entire population forms the army but that does not mean a massive population compared to farmers. That doesnt make sense. -Overt sexism. Nomads have always throughout history been less sexist than settled people, but in Game of Thrones this seems the other way round -Eating horses. Not that bad, but I got the impression that was their main food source....well your "infinite" cavalry aint gonna last long that way. I could of misread though. -Intense violence. This ties with the first one. Because George gave them a massive population he also allowed extreme inter-group violence. Eg: killing a guy cause he jumped on the same women as you. Now that is insane. its a shame he kinda fucked up there, apart from that the Dorathaki where awesome, and had a decently thought out language. About language, you should design naming languages for each race/major faction. That history is pretty good, nice and complex. |
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"You shall perish, whatever you do! If you are taken with arms in your hands, death! If you beg for mercy, death! Whichever way you turn, right, left, back, forward, up, down, death! You are not merely outside the law, you are outside humanity. Neither age nor sex shall save you and yours. You shall die, but first you shall taste the agony of your wife, your sister, your sons and daughters, even those in the cradle! Before your eyes the wounded man shall be taken out of the ambulance and hacked with bayonets or knocked down with the butt end of a rifle. He shall be dragged living by his broken leg or bleeding arm and flung like a suffering, groaning bundle of refuse into the gutter. Death! Death! Death!" | |
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| lamna | Sep 13 2012, 11:52 AM Post #21 |
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Not sure I understand what you are saying there. I got the impression from the show that there is little difference between army and tribe, even at their most powerful they seemed to have only tens of thousands of people.
Eating horses is certainly rather barbaric, but perfectly plausible. Nomads typically eat horses and sheep, and sheep are a pain. They are slow and endlessly inventive when finding ways to get themselves killed or lost. Every army in history until after the Second World War left a trail of dead, maimed or blown horses in it's wake, no point in wasting them. And you have to remember, in the past people did not eat nearly as much meat as we do now, and the view points we get are mostly from royalty. Also, you take a lot more horses with you than just the ones you ride, even going into battle you'd take a load of remounts with you. The slaves probably walk so the horses don't get tired, and they will find it harder to escape. Certainly many were more equal, but that is far from perfect. I don't know of a single female Chief, Emir, Khagan, Khan or King of a Horse Empire. It's not absurd to think there would be a sexist culture. I expect a lot of the women are taken as captives or purchased as slaves, so that might help explain their low status. There have been plenty of societies with cults of honour where stupid young men find stupid reasons to kill each other. It's only been 300 years since young prats were shooting and stabbing each other in duels over minor slights. |
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Living Fossils Fósseis Vibos: Reserva Natural 34 MYH, 4 tonne dinosaur. [flash=500,450] Video Magic! [/flash] | |
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| lamna | Sep 13 2012, 01:01 PM Post #22 |
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It's kinda hard, I'm sure it could benefit from a bit of editing, not sure where. |
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Living Fossils Fósseis Vibos: Reserva Natural 34 MYH, 4 tonne dinosaur. [flash=500,450] Video Magic! [/flash] | |
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| bloom_boi | Sep 13 2012, 03:46 PM Post #23 |
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What The?
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God fricking damn it lamna. Im really frustrated now. This topic has lighted my love of fantasy which has been hidden for many months now. In just 2 days I have come up with what I think are brilliant ideas which I love. I even have a decent storyline set up so I can right a book(s?) about it. BUT I have for the last 3 months been planning P.A.S. Post Apocalyptic Simulator. It is personally very well thought out, with nearly all errors scrubbed out. Because it is an R.P the entire forum will be able to enjoy it. But, with this new fantastical want, I don't know whether Ill be able to hold up the bloody thing while trying to write a book that I love more... what do? |
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"You shall perish, whatever you do! If you are taken with arms in your hands, death! If you beg for mercy, death! Whichever way you turn, right, left, back, forward, up, down, death! You are not merely outside the law, you are outside humanity. Neither age nor sex shall save you and yours. You shall die, but first you shall taste the agony of your wife, your sister, your sons and daughters, even those in the cradle! Before your eyes the wounded man shall be taken out of the ambulance and hacked with bayonets or knocked down with the butt end of a rifle. He shall be dragged living by his broken leg or bleeding arm and flung like a suffering, groaning bundle of refuse into the gutter. Death! Death! Death!" | |
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| lamna | Sep 13 2012, 03:51 PM Post #24 |
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Fantasy apocalypse. Magic, magic never changes. |
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Living Fossils Fósseis Vibos: Reserva Natural 34 MYH, 4 tonne dinosaur. [flash=500,450] Video Magic! [/flash] | |
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| bloom_boi | Sep 13 2012, 05:45 PM Post #25 |
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What The?
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...then adventure time. |
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"You shall perish, whatever you do! If you are taken with arms in your hands, death! If you beg for mercy, death! Whichever way you turn, right, left, back, forward, up, down, death! You are not merely outside the law, you are outside humanity. Neither age nor sex shall save you and yours. You shall die, but first you shall taste the agony of your wife, your sister, your sons and daughters, even those in the cradle! Before your eyes the wounded man shall be taken out of the ambulance and hacked with bayonets or knocked down with the butt end of a rifle. He shall be dragged living by his broken leg or bleeding arm and flung like a suffering, groaning bundle of refuse into the gutter. Death! Death! Death!" | |
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| lamna | Sep 13 2012, 05:57 PM Post #26 |
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A post apocalyptic fantasy world might be interesting. I created a world where the Roman Empire equivalent was destroyed by some terrible magical event shattering Italy and filling it with lovecraftian monsters, boiling seas and choking ash. Some say it was divine judgement on the last Emperor, others that it was an attack by the Elven Empire or a natural event. |
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Living Fossils Fósseis Vibos: Reserva Natural 34 MYH, 4 tonne dinosaur. [flash=500,450] Video Magic! [/flash] | |
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| bloom_boi | Sep 13 2012, 07:40 PM Post #27 |
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What The?
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My version of Adventure Time replaced monsters with beasts from alternate dimensions, mutants and robots, wizards with people infused with rouge nanites that granted them special powers (and also could be gained (Jake rolling in nanite infused mud gave him stretchy powers)) and talking animals with genetically modified ones. Man, I should restart my projects. SO MANY ABANDONED PROJECTS. fuck it, starting with school, I'm going to restart ALL my projects. ALL OF THEM. |
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"You shall perish, whatever you do! If you are taken with arms in your hands, death! If you beg for mercy, death! Whichever way you turn, right, left, back, forward, up, down, death! You are not merely outside the law, you are outside humanity. Neither age nor sex shall save you and yours. You shall die, but first you shall taste the agony of your wife, your sister, your sons and daughters, even those in the cradle! Before your eyes the wounded man shall be taken out of the ambulance and hacked with bayonets or knocked down with the butt end of a rifle. He shall be dragged living by his broken leg or bleeding arm and flung like a suffering, groaning bundle of refuse into the gutter. Death! Death! Death!" | |
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| seascorpion | Sep 14 2012, 04:30 AM Post #28 |
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Why Can't I Hold All These Mongols?
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I've been working on my own fantasy world for a while now. I worked hard to make the non-human races 'otherwordly', I delved into the idea of a sentient forest (and no, not ents and anthropomorphised plants, a proper forest that had a kind of mind, it didn't talk or walk around, it was more subtle). I focused a bit more on spirits, but not the overt kind, the peripheral ones which no one is sure they exist. Although, I write and world build entirely differently for a story than what most here seem to do. I kind of start at both 'ends', I come up with characters and themes and a plot at the same time I create the world, the history, the geography, the races. |
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| bloom_boi | Sep 14 2012, 12:14 PM Post #29 |
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What The?
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Drew up a map of my fantasy world, or at least, the most interesting part of it (centre point of civilisation at this time) Spoiler: click to toggle EDIT: okay, some info on my world. There aren't many races and they definitely aren't the classic stereotypes. There are humans, a sub species of humans which I give a place holder name of Southrons, trolls, which split of from humans from Australopithecus, Yetis, which are relatives of trolls, the People of the Night, nocturnal hunters which evolved from Homo erectus and the People of the Trees, relatives of chimpanzees, except larger and somewhat more intelligent. Dragons exist but are not sapient, as do werewolves. Technology is similar to India in the 500s but is actually in a Dark Ages, the Great Empire of past times had tech similar to Medieval Indochina. The most important thing is this world is its relationship with the spirit world. To imagine the spirit world imagine two objects placed on top of each other. The sides touching each other are porous (but the other ones are not). The Spirit world is on top, Death is in the middle and Earth is at the bottom. Spirits can either purposely or accidentally "fall" through a pore and into Earth. There, the fact that their world has a completely different reality, they have magical "powers" and also "weakness". These spirits start out in Earth as half existent things, like a sound on the wind. Then they start to manifest, but to a viewer they look very strange, as if painted on the air. Finally, after many decades of staying on Earth, the fully manifest, with most of their "magic" gone. They are also completely unable to return to the Spirit World unaided. These are then monsters. People cannot easily access the spirit world, because they must "climb". The only way to reach it is too die and then ascend into the spirit world after much time (which is relative for each world) or train to climb through the pores with the help of essences, the spirits of spirits. This requires many, many years of training. Edited by bloom_boi, Sep 15 2012, 05:04 AM.
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"You shall perish, whatever you do! If you are taken with arms in your hands, death! If you beg for mercy, death! Whichever way you turn, right, left, back, forward, up, down, death! You are not merely outside the law, you are outside humanity. Neither age nor sex shall save you and yours. You shall die, but first you shall taste the agony of your wife, your sister, your sons and daughters, even those in the cradle! Before your eyes the wounded man shall be taken out of the ambulance and hacked with bayonets or knocked down with the butt end of a rifle. He shall be dragged living by his broken leg or bleeding arm and flung like a suffering, groaning bundle of refuse into the gutter. Death! Death! Death!" | |
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| Russwallac | Sep 14 2012, 04:04 PM Post #30 |
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"Ta-da!"
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My fantasy world has all the standard races, (I have a reason for them being there; most were created by the gods as soldiers during a big ol' war and others evolved from the same stock), but I'm trying to avoid using blatantly medieval technology by having a CRAPTON of magitech. (And I mean a CRAPTON. There are golems protecting cities, automated dwarf war machines, etc.) |
"We've started a cult about a guy's liver, of course we're going to demand that you give us an incredibly scientific zombie apocalypse." -Nanotyranus
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