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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)
I have good words and words for kinds of magic!
MAGIC TYPES:
Heliotan: People with the power to use light and take it away, and use it to stun enimies and travel.
Leavine: People with control over plants and animals.
Condensans: People with cloud, water and weather powers.
Skribes: Extremely rare people who can make anything they write true. (Hint Hint!!!)
Terms, words and creatures:
Fiappiantie: A combination of a water nymph and a manatee. Very rude and love smashing boat hulls. Easily mistaken for a mermaid, yet nothing alike.
Golpety: A small, misty animal only few magicans can summon. It is extremely strong, but saps at the conjourer's strength, resulting in fainting and visions that drive younger magicans mad.
Lebnathian: A sort of magic wand, only the stick part is a morphing ball of magic, helping in any situation.
Hechas: A creature of utter destruction, which can be summoned once a year then rampaging for months until trapped again. The caster must be utterly turned twords death and evil, and must not use magic for a week to cast the spell.
THX! More will come!
(September 3, 2014 - 3:57 pm)
Slunderfax-a small, badger-like animal with six legs, golden fur, big ears, and shovel-like paws. It can smell out metals within the ground that it eats. It can be used in treasure hunting.
Findo-a type of martial art only practiced by the Fae people.
Drig-a person that was born with the ability to change into a dragon at will.
Driveds-like mer-people but are part sea dragon. They have not lower bodies of fish but what looks like a serpent body with fins. If they make it, their breath can freeze almost anything.
(September 3, 2014 - 4:09 pm)
Snether : A reddish brown snake with small wings, believed to have evolved into dragons.
Feéga : A zen-like state in which you merge yourself with your element, streching your consouseness and leaving your body. Can be entered by reapetative physical labor, yoga or other calming practices, boring activities such as homework, or daydreaming.
Patchi says yard . A word ! Again !!!
(September 4, 2014 - 10:04 am)
Here are some places that could potentially be in our crowd sorcery story. This will be fun!
Hettyria: A fictional, whimsical nation in which our crowd sorcery story could take place.
Corginard: The central city of Hettyria. It is known for having a fantastical array of architectural wonders. The crowning jewel of these is the Infinity Tower, the tallest spire of a castle in Corginnard. From the top of the tower, you can see for hundreds of miles. Corginard was also the kingdom that Khaos led his final attack against.
Septimas: A snowy kingdom far to the north of Corginard that not many people know about. The people who live there are notorious for being harsh and having unpleasant attitudes. Essentially, it is the kingdom I spoke of in my sidekick entry (Sir Cecil).
Meadowrut: A small and relatively poor trade village that is many miles east of Corginard. Sorcerers flock here to sell their magical goods at the marketplace, and magical beings come to seek refuge in one of inns. It could be Fable Thatcher's village.
The Canyon of Souls: An infinitely deep abyss that isolates Hettyria from the rest of the world. It got its name from the many attempts to cross it that all ended in death.
Shadowmundus: Known also as the kingdom of shadows, it is the darkest and most evil place in the entire realm of Hettyria, and is as far west as you can go without running into the Canyon of Souls. It is the place Araceli Luminé's father traveled to find the mysterious man.
Hope you liked them! More to come!
(September 4, 2014 - 4:03 pm)
Cool!
(September 8, 2014 - 4:06 pm)
The Kira are sweet-looking, fairy-like creatures perhaps two inches tall with bubblegum-pink hair, but have a terrifyingly carnivorous appetite. They have magic which makes them all but invisible, which they use to hide themselves from prey. Often their next meal sees only a slight shimmer or sparkle in the air before the Kira swarm attacks.
(September 4, 2014 - 4:58 pm)
The Whispwoods: A small forest of no known location. Its name only appears in legends and tall-tales, it is said to only be reachable via an enchanted portal or a fluke.
The oldest legends of the Whispwoods mention a mysterious smoke-grey crystal that had the magic to open the portal, but it's never been found. Most people don't believe the crystal or the Whispwoods exist, but every now and then someone will enter by complete accident.
These are the few things known for sure about the Woods: The trees are filled with lost spirits called 'Whisps" (though whether they are friendly is up for debate), the wind there speaks to people, and every person known to have entered has lost any and all sanity within a few days of returning.
(September 4, 2014 - 8:23 pm)
The Luma Bugs: A species of strange but mostly harmless insects that give off a very strong light, as strong as a blazing torch. They are often brought by humans to libraries and other large buildings as cheap lighting, since they are scavengers, feeding off fungus, other smaller insects, and generally whatever they can find. They are about the size of an average bee or fly, and have been known to use their lights to lead each other to good food sources. Some may inhabit human dwellings naturally.
However, be careful: They have a very strong defense mechanism. If a Luma Bug feels especially threatened it may release a small but painful electrical charge which, in large groups, can electrocute a human. So be very quiet in the library... they don't like loud noises...
(September 6, 2014 - 11:27 am)
Athlet=A small stone said if worn around one's neck, gives one wisdom. They are usually found being sold at high prices in small stands lining the village street. No one knows if they really are magical, though it is rumored they are ordinary garden stones, polished and sold by conmen to the superstitious.
Garn=A crawling vine with crimson flowers,useful for healing minor injuries
Tukoths=Worshipers of Mael-Koth, who performed noisy ceremonies,in which they would make a large bonfire and burn wooden idols of the life and fertility goddess, Malora. One night after a particularley noisy ceremony, they disappeared.
(September 6, 2014 - 11:53 am)
kaster -- a human who has been forced to work for evil and has amnesia forcerd upon them as well
Brisery -- a magic bird whose feather enables the owner the power to sing like a siren, putting innocent people to their deaths
lish -- a drink that is made with bontris (see below) to put the drinker in a sleepy state
bontris -- a fruit grown in the mountains which has the power to put people in a sleepy state
(September 6, 2014 - 1:14 pm)
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Chinthets- (pronounced kuh-hin-tuh-het-esty) is the art of being able to conjure a Borealis Incarnatium. (see definition below)
Borealis Incarnatium- a hurricane like wind strong enough to whip magic out of
one being and into another. These range from strong to incredibly strong.
Courtensisen-
a creature that would pass as human, if not for their purplish green blood. They,
if choosing to, can morph into cold-blooded creatures such as snakes and
lizards. They are highly respected, and usually try to achieve power over those
likely to rule, or are ruling such as kings.
Temore
Lestens- These creatures have the powers of all well trained wizards, except
that they can imitate all powers and people. Unfortunately for them they can be
killed easily, as they are incredibly vulnerable in their chest/torso area.
Lymphorea-
a deadly disease that burns the soul but forces the brain to stay awake and
function partly normally, while leaving the victim with no emotions or conscious
thoughts. It is highly contagious; a person walking within two city blocks is
prone to show signs in three years. Signs include sudden competence to
complicated matters, continual nightmares, long lapses in memory, continual
staring into space, and very early developments in magic powers. Those who develop
the latter often have little or no control over these said powers.
Tenator-
a rebel against government whose magic is of the highest level of
destruction.
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Lingeu- a
sorcerer who is born with the ability to speak to a certain kind of animal,
such as goats, snakes, or birds.
Camenien/Camenia- a famous religion that many wizards practice. It involves a lot of confidential spells and magic, including binding to familliars. It was the first religion used by witches during the Salem witch tryals, but there is no proof of it existing before that. (though some beg to differ) One of the many practices is when a child with magic in the Camenien community is to turn eleven they begin to make a candle out of blue wax. They must begin with light blue and the slowly add in darker and darker blues till it is almost black. This process will take many years, but must be finished by their eighteenth birthday. on their nineteenth birthday they will insert a wik into their candle. They must then light it with magic. When the wik is set into the candle the child is now claimed an adult and must travel the world to seek work. Many wizards who grew up in Camenien communities still, on their birthdays, light their blue candles. When the candle reaches its candle holder it is thought to proclaim that the owners life will end soon. if the candle is broken it will mean the same thing as if it burns out.
(September 6, 2014 - 6:38 pm)
Drafyro--a spell that creates a small ball of fire for illumination or combat
Pyroaccipter Summinari-- summons a Phoenix
Spiritus animalius evocavimus--summons your spirit animal
(September 6, 2014 - 10:09 pm)
Dralem-an orphan, or someone disowned by their parents, considered bad luck to be around
ciscaroo-an animal that can change appearance at will, though having few brains and normally making jokes, a nuisance
Wer Laven-the formal title of a sorcerer
Wes Laven-the formal title of a sorceress
gallawumph-a creature with a body like a horse, reptilian wings like a dragon, and a head like an eagle, trusty steeds, as long as it is only women riding them. if a man who is not trusted by the gallawumph's owner gets too close, the gallawumph will emit a high pitched shriek and squirt acid-like goo.
Twila tree-a tree whose sap can cure nearly anything, but though they are quite common an d grow all over the place, they are invisible, but can only be seen by someone who is pure in heart and truly needs the healing sap
Seelaven-a second sun that appears once every seven months(still not yet sure on what it signals if anyone would like to comment on what they think, I am open to ideas)
Kligentan-a festival celebrating both the day that magic was found and who is now referred to as the first sorceress's birthday
(September 7, 2014 - 7:25 pm)
a tori stone - used by a few lesser enchantresses or enchanters to help guide and aid their magic craft. The appearance and size vary depending on the sorcerer or sorceress using the tori stone.
"As Fable Hatcher walked past a cottage, she peeked in the window and saw the enchantress that lived there casting a cleaning-up spell, her tori stone gleaming brightly in her hand as she maneuvered the broom about."
(September 8, 2014 - 6:32 pm)
Ophidium-snake-like creatures made up into bedtime stories to scare children into being good.
Bylup-a hard, gross biscuit made up of any leftover grain and grease.
Lunele-a stone with a faint blue or green glow. It is believed to have magical properties.
(September 9, 2014 - 12:30 am)