Kishar

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Ah, no new content today.  I spent the day renaming some regions and thus re-doing all those maps.

A quick list of name changes, so as not to confuse anyone:
Khaltesh -> Asaland (Norse name for Asia)
Shaldon -> Cercet
Tersh -> Hesper
Elmet -> Hunaland
Chonland -> Reidgotland
Ket -> Daga (I found out there is a Greyhawk country named Ket!  The things you learn)

Anyway, that gets rid of most of the old names from when not all nations were based on anything (i.e. an early version when I was just making up names for some places), with the exception of a few I'm especially fond off.

I think getting the right name for something is really important, hence all this work.

I also added some names to other lands on the maps, and moved one or two.  Remember, if using FireFox, you may need to hit "refresh," or you may see the old map until you do (it seems to store .jpg info).

I hope to have details on a new nation tomorrow.  Maybe.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Today's update: Hunaland

(the germanic country directly north of Nagryth).

Enjoy!

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Today's country: Cercet
(kind of a Scythian country)

I also did a bit of updating on Magic.  This an area I'd definitely like some feedback on, too, and one that hopefully doesn't require reading the whole setting.  So have a look ;)

[Seraph]

I like it.  I like how original it is.  The names give it a Hindi feel.  The story at the beginnig serves well to make the reader hungry for more.  Reading about the different kinds of magic, it feels just similar enough to core rules that it's not hard to grasp, but it's still very different.  just one thing:  

Perhaps how it works is less important that its effects.

I believe you mean "than it's effects."  If it weren't its own website I wouldn't bother correcting.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

You are correct.  Always good to have help with typos ;)

And, yeah, most of the terms are drawn from Indian philosophy, though many have analogous forms in other cultures.

Thanks for giving it a look, Seraph.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Ah for today's update:

Hesper
Elysium

I also added some more detail to several types of ghosts, especially larvae, which I decided to reclassify by the Indian name, bhutas.  This includes the addition of some classics like the rusalka.

And a note on the jikininki (everybody's favorite corpse-eating ghost) to the preta.

Also added a little to the glossary.

Enjoy.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Today's update is more limited than the last couple.  I've been busy with RL issues.  But I do have a bit of stuff.

First, a page on religion.  It's big enough I think I eventually will need a separate page for each major religion, but for now the Eclesian Church the only one detailed on the site, so it will do.  This major religion is spread through every country I've detailed so far, so it seemed appropriate.

And now, for something completely different, a new random asura: the ahuizotl (from Aztec lore).  Bonus trivia: a D&D version is found in the Fiend Folio.  It's actually pretty close to the mythological one, which is often not the case in D&D.

Other important notes: I changed the name from geans (which I made up) to devas (Hindu).  
For anyone that cares about my reasons: I originally didn't want to use the name because I was using the Persian daeva for non-cosmic demons.  I swapped this with asura, partly for consistency's sake in using mostly Indian terms.  This has freed me to use the term deva to refer to nature gods.

I know the menu's looking a little screwy right now (the third level overlap).  I'm working on it.  Those popout menus may look nice, but they can be difficult to formate sometimes.

[Tybalt]

I've still got a ways to go in reading your thread so my reviews are not complete.

First of all, I have to say again that I love how you have not just pasted some different myths and such together but have attempted to make them all cohesive. I think one of the outstanding examples of this is in your presentation of magic. You have a very clear system that is based on magical traditions that make sense when described. It is easy to understand it when reading it and I appreciate that--I have always loathed reading fantasy magics described where I felt I had to apply myself to studying a set of odd rules to figure it out. What's cool about yours is that different regions or traditions could easily call it different things or focus on particular aspects of it and still make it the same thing.

I generally enjoy the way you have a little story at the beginning of every chapter in your site, that gives you a brief but striking example of what is to follow.

As for the monsters: I generally liked them though what pleased me most was the description of the catoblepas, which is vivid enough to be considered as stolen for my game. ;)

I also liked that you actually made sense of the existence of dopplegangers. Sometimes the traditional D&D style of just having monsters pop into a campaign world because they're neat and would be an unusual challenge for players is irksome.

One criticism: I don't like the name "Lyonesse". It jolts me every time I read it. Since most of your other place names are either unusual or made up entirely (I assume they are either made up or very obscure) it is weird for me to read about a place name that I know about. I know you may like it a lot but I thought you should know that for someone who is familiar with the name it looks odd.

Perhaps I overlooked it but I'm curious about the status of genders and thralls in your pseudo scandinavian cultures.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

I've been out today, so today's update is less complete than others again.

First, two new animas:
Shadow Knight - a servant of demons that can skim Umbra and thus travel almost instantly (bad news)
Gorgon - (like the most famous, Medusa)

I also added some info on two more religions (I may do much more religious detail tomorrow); these include the old Ahlian Pantheon (the now fading pantheon based on Babylonian mythology), and the Cult of Dagon (everybody loves a crazy cult).


@Tybalt, thanks for another great review.  Glad to see I still have a regular reader :)

I also liked that you actually made sense of the existence of dopplegangers. Sometimes the traditional D&D style of just having monsters pop into a campaign world because they're neat and would be an unusual challenge for players is irksome.

One criticism: I don't like the name "Lyonesse". It jolts me every time I read it. Since most of your other place names are either unusual or made up entirely (I assume they are either made up or very obscure) it is weird for me to read about a place name that I know about. I know you may like it a lot but I thought you should know that for someone who is familiar with the name it looks odd.[/quote]
You've heard of Atlantis, right?  :D
Seriously, almost all of names come from folklore or bastardized historical names.  Only a handful are completely made up.  I actually went through I phase a couple days back where I got rid of most of those, too.

I made a special effort to include in some way or fashion every mythological land I came across.  In some cases, like Tartarus, it is another planet.  In others, like Svartalfheim, they are on an alternate reality.  But most, from Jotunheim to Mu, appear right on Kishar.

Your point does make me think, however.  To some extent, it is a concern with using all place names from history/mythology.  Anyone that has studied that particular culture may recognize it.  Of course, that's also part of the point.  Perhaps I will edit into the first post a clear table explaining the inspiration for each culture, and the etymology of place names.


As far as Scandinavian cultures go, the land that is truly representative of those cultures of Nostir.  Since you're interested in, I'll try to make it one of the next I detailed.  Thus far I haven't done a lot of research on gender roles in those cultures, so I cannot answer that question until I have.  I can say that in Norse cultures magic was considered "unmanly" and thus magic will probably be even less accepted among men than among women.  Each major post is usually accompanied by doing a lot of research (mostly online) first.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

For today:
Ersony

I've also done some more work on religion.  It's not finished, but you can check out what's up if you like.


I also edited the first post to contain a table of what all the various nations are inspired by and where the names come from.

[Tybalt]

I'm going to check the other stuff later, but I would agree that including the material you suggested on Lyonesse would help make it more contextual.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

I'm going to check the other stuff later, but I would agree that including the material you suggested on Lyonesse would help make it more contextual.

Yeah, I did go ahead and add that to the first post.  That way I can explain about countries mentioned but not yet detailed on the site.

After your suggestion, I considered making it just an island, but then I'd need a new name for the country, and it would still be there.  I'd like to keep the name, partly 'cause I like it ;), and partly because I've tried to use all the folklore/mythology names I could find.  Hence Atlantis, Lemuria, Mu, Muspelheim, etc.

Anyway, for today:

First, I fixed the menus.  They should look a little nicer today.  If anyone is having display problems with the site, let me know.

Today's big update: religion.  That pretty much details as much info as I have on all the religions.  I might want to think a little about non-human faiths (though most mortal races in a land may share the faith), and I may want some more details in a few areas.  But overall, I feel it's a fair accomplishment. :)

I also added a new, important genius loci: the woodwose.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Today's update:
More animas.

First, a random Unseelie from Hindu myth: Abarimon

Now on to more important stuff.

I made genius loci a sub-category of the new category: devata.  These are nature spirits.  It includes several that were previously genius loci (nymphs, maruts, etc.), as well a bunch of new ones like adityas, vasus, and gandharvas.  Genius loci have now been specifically relegated to spirits of a place, with no physical form beyond the place itself.

Also, a few new asuras:
Danavas
Pishashas

[Tybalt]

I continue to be impressed by how well you are meshing everything together.

What stands out:

I like the Abarimon because I have always been fascinated by creatures limited to and possibly created by a location. It makes things more mythical.

I found your description of the bar-lgura very succinct and vivid. The ahuitzotl as well I found really creepy. You have a knack for describing things as more than just stat monsters and as things that would be awe in spiring or scary or beautiful in and of themselves.

It would be neat for you to possibly do another one of your short stories to entice the reader to peer at more of your stuff actually.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Thanks Tybalt.
The Abarimon was kind of a weird creature, included mostly for completeness.  I'm glad you liked it.  It was kind of a toss up about whether it should be Unseelie or Seelie.  It's wild nature led me to eventually decide Unseelie.

The ahuitzotl is one of my favorites wacky monsters.  I mean, it has a tail hand.

It would be neat for you to possibly do another one of your short stories to entice the reader to peer at more of your stuff actually.

Can you clarify what you mean?  Do you mean the snippets at beginning of a few sections like the minotaur or sea serpent?

Or another short story like in the fiction section?  I had kind of temporarily abandoned that section (you can see I haven't updated it with new names for Elmet, etc.).

I hope to work on getting a short story published in a mag before too much longer.  I just haven't been quite ready to write on it yet.  

Either way, I could work on something to add.


Anyway, I updated daily from Feb 7th through March 2nd.  Pretty good.  Had I known how close I was to the one month mark, I might have tried harder to keep it up ;)  But there haven't been updates for the past two days.  For today I do have something, though:

First, since Tybalt expressed interest in my Norse culture, I present Nostir.

Also, a big step: Organizations

I also did a few animas over the last few days, though I'm not sure I remember them all:
Barhishad
Agnisvatta
Danava (was this up before?)

Anyway, I may try working on maps a bit (maybe mountains and stuff), so it might be a while before another update.  Maybe.