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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 like your definitions!
(November 13, 2014 - 9:28 pm)
Thanks
(November 14, 2014 - 7:44 am)
twasbyr-a phoenix that was born under a blood moon. Its fire is green instead of red.
Grenadien-an extremely powerful, ancient spell that was used in the first war by Khaos.
Polkmio- a small animal that looks like a cross between a dog and a weasel. They make great pets and are very loyal.
Crekeia- long, dagger-like blades whose hilts are made of solid dragon gold.
Cycydryl- a special type of enchanted whistle that summons help to those in need.
Ihilptra- Two twins that are specially linked by magic.
(November 14, 2014 - 9:54 pm)
I wish I could have a polkmio as a pet...
(November 15, 2014 - 5:32 pm)
Me too. They are said to be very soft.
(November 16, 2014 - 9:49 pm)
Asmal- a stone that if you throw it into the river Ramas under the full moon it will let you dimly see the future. Sentence. After Fable had tossed the stone into the river she summoned it to her hand and put in her pack.
Uhak-a fearsome band of savages that roam the Aras. Sentences. Attack!! Dorfd, the leader of the Uhak commanded.
Ramas- a river that runs right through the country. Many travlers travel alongside it. Sentence. The river kept flowing and flowing by all the towns and the capital city.
(November 13, 2014 - 9:21 pm)
Trgas-another name for a wishing well.
Decloris- a spell that can send a whole country to sleep except for the speaker.
(November 14, 2014 - 11:33 am)
Come up with more definitions:
zalafir
djonuoi
armeyl
nuyt
niyo'mai'mai
fredsylo
duratodr
vlerserben
kolemnh
klopodsa
xestexaadrl
(November 15, 2014 - 5:37 pm)
Zalafir: a magical ring embedded with rubies that gives the user various powers.
Blood moon: like a blue moon except it occurs less often and glows a faint red.
Armeyl: a special type of soldier trained in magic.
(November 15, 2014 - 8:11 pm)
Zalafir-another name for a king.
Djonuoi- a special moss that if brewed in a special tea it can return some powers.
Armeyl- a type of honey that if is eaten the person can speak to fire.
Nuyt- an animal that is kind of like a lizard but has a very long tail and can hold on to any thing.
Niyo'mia'mia- a weapon that the elves use. Is made out of gold. It look like a sword but one side is flat and has an ax head on the other side of it.
Fredsylo-a kind of fruit. It is striped yellow and red inside and out. I can't say what it tastes like.
Duratodr-another name for a washer women.
Vlerserben-what the people in this country are called.
Kolemnh- an animal it is green and brown and is used for hunting on the ground. It has a very keen sence of hearing and smell but it can hardly see.
Kolpodsa- a type of seaweed that only grows that only growers in this country.
Xestexaadrl- a sword that had been broken and remade exactly forty times.
(November 17, 2014 - 8:05 am)
letherines: leather shoes made for dancing into another dimension; creates a portal for everytime you dance without stopping
pillarines: pillars made from quartz that take you from one place to another when you are thinking about that place
glanardine: magical object told to give immortality to a person who drinks water out of it
jeberstiner (jee-ber-stin-ner): mythical creature that gives all the powers in the world to a person who catches one and keeps it from flying away
kalatouche (ka-la-too-shay): tranlated as "Great Heaven"; place where mythical creatures go to worship the Great Goddess's Fire Scepter
Renaissance Scepter: magical scepter made from the feather of a golden jubellinner, the wand of the Jester Magician, the heart of a palestine hawk moth, and a petal of a zinnia gossipine; turns person holding it into a wizard of fire
golden jubelliner: golden bird fairy
Jester Magician: jester/magician who is greedy, selfish, weak; bargains for your precious items
palestine hawk moth: hawk with moth wings, and large silver, gold, red, light blue, and jade green horns
zinnia gossipine: flower that is blue and green with delicous tasting, drug-like petals that make you feel dizzy and make you hallucinate if you eat them
Zebra Stripes: a striped scepter made from a piece of a unicorn's horn and a zebra; makes the person holding it indestructible forever
(November 15, 2014 - 5:40 pm)
Did anyone see my comments?
(November 15, 2014 - 5:42 pm)
floborp- another word for steampunk
(November 15, 2014 - 5:45 pm)
Hey everyone, Will T. speaking! Er, writing that is... Anyway, here are some steampunk words for you to make up. It's basically what we've been doing, but this time It'd be great for your word definitions had to do with steam-punky stuff. Enjoy!
Skyshield-
Garlo machine-
Ronnergan-
Terragonian warriors- these robot-like machines are used in combat. They are about seven feet tall and are made of solid bronze. They do have arms and legs but they look nothing like humans. They are run by a magical generator inside their chests and are armed with an array of weaponry.
Steam tanks-these war machines are similar to modern day tanks except they have wheels instead of treads. They run on gears and cogs and, well, steam. Their turret is armed with a short, cannon shaped blaster that shoot explosives. These 'tanks' are not nearly as powerful as modern-day tanks, but still very effective in combat.
Oops, sorry, didn't mention Willow's my nickname. My bad!
(November 19, 2014 - 10:00 pm)
1.Romoria the land where the elves live. Only elves and half elves can enter Romoria. Romoria is as big as the earth but it dosn't have the stars or the moon elves often sneak out to the human world to gaze at the stars.
(November 22, 2014 - 12:57 am)