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Fantasy Dictionar
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Fantasy Dictionar
Fantasy Dictionary
Writing a fantasy story often involves world-building: creating the setting in which your story takes place. Physical location is an important part of this phase—the house, cavern, mountain, forest, town, ship, island, or any other space your characters inhabit. But it is more than just a place. Building a world may mean thinking about the history, art, music, language, clothing, and customs of the story’s people—how they earn a living, what they do on holidays, and what everyday objects they use.
Of course a writer can’t design every aspect of a culture. If you did that, you’d never get around to writing the story! But here is the key: you want to think carefully enough about these things so that the reader believes your fantasy world goes on beyond the edges of your story. You want this imaginary world to feel real. And you do that with some well-placed, clear, creative details.
So let’s do some world-building! Please come up with objects, places, words ... any ideas for a fantasy story’s world. Tools, animals, types of clothing, dwellings—any of these and more may become necessary elements in our story! You may suggest as many as you like, or even post a strange word and let others suggest meanings. If you want, you can also write a sentence using the word or describing the fantasy place. Here are two examples:
haloris – a lantern that gives off both light and a pleasant scent. It is used by people who live near the swamps to counter the odors of mud and decay.
“Quill’s boots sank into the moss, deeper at each step, and ahead she could see a swamp, moonbeams glittering on pools that lapped around the tree roots. Catching the stench of stagnant water, she pulled the haloris lamp from her pack and set it alight.”
gnawk – a large, black bird with a raucous cry and uneven feathers that always look ruffled and untidy. Gnawks have a fondness for pecking and chewing on rope, and they are notorious for setting free dogs and farm animals tied with ropes. They unmoor boats tied to docks, and have been known to free certain fortunate prisoners.
Can you see how story ideas practically ooze from your Fantasy Dictionary, once you get your imagination going?
submitted by Fred Durbin
(April 23, 2014 - 10:11 am)
(April 23, 2014 - 10:11 am)
nightling
One born of a lunar eclipse and is trapped between being human and being spirit. They cannot die unless their power is drained from them or they are killed. The only way to kill a nightling is with a solarbright blade which can only be found in the Palace of Mita which just happens to be a floating city. The only way to drain their power is to bind a dayling and a nightling together in the Lost Caves of Ritasia under the Lost Ocean of Ritasia. If Luna wins the sidekick you will learn more about nightlings. Luna is a nightling.
dayling
One born of a solar eclipse and is trapped between being human and being spirit. They cannot die unless their power is drained from them or they are killed. The only way to kill a dayling is with a nightshade blade which is only found deep underground in the dwarf mines of Loria which is abandoned and is infested with Kikans. The only way to drain their power is to bind a nightling and dayling together in the Lost Caves of Ritasia under the Lost Ocean of Ritasia. If Luna wins the sidekick you will learn more about daylings.
solarbright blade
They were forged by the High Elves of Mita who live in the clouds. They are made from the sun's rays which sometimes get caught in the clouds. They take the sun rays, and forge them into blades.
nightshade blade
They are made from two natural types of stones. The only one we know is quartz. The other is a complete mystery. This stone has only been found in the deepest mine ever dug. The dwarf mines of Loria. After they mined it they forged it into blades.
Palace of Mita
A floating city in the clouds on which the High Elves live on. It has only been visited twice by anyone and is well remembered.
Lost Ocean of Ritasia
It is an ocean surrounded by Ritasia. It is filled with dark creatures of which we cannot speak of. Deep under the ocean their are caves in which you can drain power from the two creatures nightlings and daylings.
kikans
Foul creatures. They are a sleek animal and very beautiful but don't let their looks foul you. They are highly poisonous and lure you into death traps.
(July 15, 2014 - 12:36 pm)
I've noticed we've been typing about places and things more than culture and languages. I feel compelled to write some verbs and stuff :
Regyu (Reg U)* Darven * : Slang for someone who is new to mining/being underground (It's an insult.) It means surface-slug.
" He is no Regyu ! He's a great jewelist, a Cex through and through !"
Cex ( Kex)* Darven * : A darwf .
Tyere (Ti-ear) * Elven* : A bush or tree.
Tyvo (Ti-vo) * Elven * : To care for a tree or bush and/or the things living in it.
"I need to Tyvo. It I don't, the baby squrriels might die. They need me."
Tyve (Ty-ve) *Elven* : Tyvo past tense
VE : Past tense VO: Present VI: Progressive
* Elven*
Ye^)r : Only seen on paper. No one knows knows what it means or how to pronounce it or anything. Well, maybe I do. That doesn't mean I'm going to tell you !
(July 15, 2014 - 3:42 pm)
I agree. We SHOULD do more forigien-langue-words !
(July 17, 2014 - 11:35 am)
I cite etymologies from foreign languages, but all my words are technically supposed to be a part of Common (English).
(July 19, 2014 - 6:08 pm)
Desprax: a two-story battle tower with a special harness specifically built for a troll to pull. It is armed with a catapult and able to carry ten warriors.
Kerrenton: a hidden place inside earth where orcs, lizardmen, glacier giants, and other dark creatures call their home.
Slip ax: A battle ax on a chain. It has a small leaver in it's hilt that can allow it to either fit snuggly in it's place like a regular ax or lengthen on a chain to become like a mace.
(July 16, 2014 - 10:22 am)
Quillen faced his opponent, a water demon. The snake-like creature barred it's fangs at him and struck. Quillen pulled the leaver on his slip ax and it shot out into it's full length. He let it swing around his head a couple of times before swinging it. It lashed out through the air and sliced off the monster's fangs. The creature let out a horrible howl and sank back into the crystal clear river.
The soldiers stared in fascinated horror as the desprax rolled towards the castle. They tried to shoot the troll pulling it with arrows but the creature's skin was too tough and they just bounced off. just then the soldiers that were in the battle tower launched the catapult. The massive projectile sailed through the air and smashed through the castle gates. The enemy soldiers poured through the opening.
(July 16, 2014 - 10:51 am)
Here are some of my faerie words.
Aseelie: A faerie that is neither benevolent or malevolent. Does whatever fits them at the moment. (Derived from Seelie)
Blinglin: An woefully unintelligent or hapless individual.
Kromult: One who pretends to be your friend but does not hold your best intrestests at heart.
Resallak: A sudden and unexpected betrayal at a critical moment, usually done by a Kormult.
Telfoin: The feeling of shock one has when encountering a aquaintance they presumed to be dead, only to find they are still alive.
(July 17, 2014 - 5:37 pm)
Here's some real faerie words I know. If I think of more, I'll post them later. :3
Seelie court: The half of the faerie court which is fair and kind. Their ruling is during Spring and Summer. They are mischievous, but their mischief is usually more careful and not as dark as the Unseelie court.
Unseelie court: The other half of the faerie court. They are more frequently mischievous, malevolent, and cruel. Their ruling is during Autumn and Winter. Some faeries actually leave during this time, in case their children are stolen for the Trade.
The Changeling Trade: More often executed during the Unseelie's rule. People (Frequently small children and babies, but occasionally others) will be stolen by darker faeries. A fey child will sometimes be put as a replacement, but not always.
Changelings: Fey children replaced for the human child. These children have a glamour on them so they resemble the person they were swapped with. However, the Changelings will often have a different personality then the human baby. The sudden change can befuddle their human parents.
Glamour: A certain type of magic used to disguise faeries. Could just be used to make a faerie look human, but is often put upon Changelings to fool their adopted parents. Some are permanent, but some are temporary. If used for changelings, the temporary glamour could be fatal, as the changelings could be taken away to be tested on (If an Urban fantasy).
(July 17, 2014 - 6:05 pm)
Here are some dwarvish words:
Kortlieng: (COURT-lie-ang) n. A very influential religious leader.
The kortlieng argued with the king over the mistreatment of the peasants.
Ortfen: (ORT-feng) slang Someone who is stupid and ill-educated.
Be quiet you ortfen!
Chekit: (CHECK-et) n. A demon, who can shape-shift. They work for no one, and are often seen stealing livestock and small children. The dwarves fear them greatly, for nobody ever sees the ones the chekit take again.
Stay inside, child, there are chekit abroad.
Plean: (PLEEN) v. To get oneself ready, usually for a ball of some sort. This is a very long, and complicated process, especially for female dwarves. Typically only rich dwarves or nobles plean.
She pleaned before the masquerade ball.
Quoftar: (KWOF-tar) adj. Something that smells, looks, feels, tastes, and sounds disgusting. If something is quoftar, than it is basically the epittamy of gross and nasty.
The slimy mushroom soup was quoftar, and the guests gagged while eating it.
Here are some dragon words:
Kettme: (KET-meh) exclamation Used when exasperated. Typically shouted...very loudly.
--Random person being super annoying-- KETTME!!!
Murspin: (MURSS-pen) adj. Something that is very beautiful to behold. Typically things that are murspin are very fragile seeming, and they are so lovely that no one can bear to harm them.
The maiden was so murspin that the dragon could not bear to eat her like he had planned.
Hworkt: (similar to the sound some people make right before they spit) exc. An extreme sound of disgust and contempt.
--man puts out hand to be kissed-- HWORKT!!!
(July 22, 2014 - 11:34 am)
Luminous white hills rolled all the way from one horizon to the other in a rippling rhythm that seemed to go on for ever. Clouds rushed over head. It was mesmerizing, in way, Fable thought as she gazed at the sky, realizing that the cloud from which she had falen had long since hurried on its way. Slowly, another thought began to surface in her dazed mind — "I should be scared. How will I get back home?" But somehow Fable felt perfectly safe. She did not feel scared, even though she had suddenly found herself on the moon.
(July 22, 2014 - 6:30 pm)
scaol -- a necklace in the shape of a dragon that gives you thick scale armour
(July 26, 2014 - 2:16 pm)
Qani - An infertile woman, who is often sent away to a monastery, or executed. At the very least they live lives of shame.
Sotan - A child's toy. A square plank of wood with two minute wheels on each side and a rope attached through a hole in the front. Children sit on the wooden plank and, with their feet, roll around on cobblestones.
Kartepi - Slang term: Teps. A type of currency used by those in poverty. It is not officially recognized as a currency by ruling forces, but can be used to purchase things in impoverished towns. Militia confiscates the octagon-shaped wooden coins, only to find that the coins can take on the shape of small, flat rocks and such. It is criticized greatly because any person can have an unlimited amount of Kartepi. So recently, some towns have acknowledged Kartepi as a currency, and officially stamp wooden Kartepi. Since this defeats the point, some towns have invented a new currrency: Tarcuzi.
(July 27, 2014 - 5:57 am)
Thask : a brownish glop which can be spread on boots so they won't tear.Uneffective when dry.
Yuci : A thick shoe-sole you can strap onto your shoe.
Only an Erken would where Yuci's instead of shoes.
Erken : someone who is very, very, frugal.
Only an Erken would spread dried thask on their holed boots rather than buy a new pair.
(July 28, 2014 - 7:09 pm)
The Order of the Moon: A small secret group of sorcerers and monsters under the command of Khaos.
A.R.R.O.W.: A blended team of Air masters (wizards that expertise in air magic), dragon riders, fae warriors, and other sky people and warriors, based in a gigantic castle-looking fortress overlooking the mountains. It's job is to protect the surrounding kingdom. It is run by the great Air Master, Karrol Marren (pronounced, kar-el. Not like a Christmas carol).
The Jade Star: And ancient jewel that can reverse any curse or spell.
Flash arrow: A special type of arrow that explodes on impact.
(July 30, 2014 - 3:44 pm)
Admin, thanks so much for helping! This has been great! Are we going to do this crowd-sorcery contest again?
Admin: No immediate plans, but we'd like to!
(August 1, 2014 - 9:18 am)