#fantasy worlds

[hikaaa-bi]

i don't understand why more fantasy worlds don't have therapists. i mean, they have the fantasy equivalent of a doctor, which is a healer. so why not a therapist?

there's so much potential to integrate it with the fantasy elements too.

you could do exposure therapy, for example, with the help of illusions. imagine someone is deathly afraid of dragons because of a childhood incident, but they really want to overcome this phobia.

the therapist could conjure up illusions, working from a small abstract dragon to a big realistic one, and help the client progressively become more relaxed around the illusion dragon before they meet a real one.

or imagine a character is grieving a dead loved one, and they never got closure from this person. maybe they wanted to tell this person something and never got the chance to. or maybe the person is not dead, but it's best to sever that tie instead of trying to talk to them again.

in this scenario, the therapist could shapeshift into the person the client wants to talk to, and give the client a bit of closure.

mind reading could be practiced with the client's consent, so that the therapist could tap into blocked memories or an incident that the client is too traumatized to talk about.

there's just so much untapped potential and it's driving me crazy. maybe some stories have done this, but none that i've seen so far. and i want more people to recognize this potential so that we can have more therapists in our favorite tragic fantasy shows.

[swornsword]

[alpaca-clouds]

High Fantasy Conundrums: The Misunderstanding of Religion

Talking about the cultural diversity within High Fantasy settings, and how they usually convert at a vague idea of a "medieval Europe", that is not really connected to the actual historical medieval Europe, religion is the topic that cannot be avoided. And yet... High Fantasy often enough tries to avoid this topic often enough. At least outside of the TTRPG settings.

I spoke on that yesterday already. There is the issue of Christianity. Because medieval Europe was molded both by some of the older European cultures, and the way that Christianity related to them and took this central role within society. A role that was quite different from what either media tries to display, mind you. But a role that was never the less central.

But High Fantasy kinda struggles to deal with this. Because if we are honest, media in general struggles with dealing with the church and Christianity in a complex matter. And if you worldbuild around it, you need to be a bit more complex.

Usually High Fantasy worlds work with either of these ideas:

"Church? Religion? What?"

"There is a church. There totally is. Don't worry."

"There is this big ass pantheon and everyone agrees on that. Actually, look, there is one of the gods walking around. Hi, God!"

Ironically Tolkien was always an example of the first. Sure, there are gods in Middle Earth, as well as creatures that work like angels and stuff. But, like... Religion does not really play a role within the story. The characters in Lord of the Rings do not really care about gods, and for the most part, there is not a lot of religious worship happening in the world. And because Lord of the Rings was so influencial on the genre, this was actually true for a lot of High Fantasy that followed.

Yes, there were gods. In most worlds there were gods of some sort, if we ever learn how the world or the magic works. But it is rare that the characters actually care about those gods. Heck, in quite a few examples it is not even clear if anyone even knows about the gods, let alone worships them.

The next method, that came up in quite a few stories, is that, yeah, there is a church. There is a church. And yeah, sure, like, the characters do believe in a god or a religion. It just... does not matter. It might color their language a bit, and maybe there are some characters in there that have a relation to the church, but it still does not really go into it. It exists on the margins of the story, but it never plays a central role. Often we do not learn much of what the religion is actually about.

And then there is the last one. The one that we will usually see in most TTRPG settings, but also in quite a few other High Fantasy settings: There is a pantheon, which often enough is actually prooven to be real. Because we can observe the gods interacting with the world they exist in. Both directly and through their clerics/priests.

How that pantheon works will differ greatly, but it is pretty much always a pantheon with a variety of gods. And outside of the worship of this pantheon, there is not much in terms of religion happening in the world.

Here is the issue, of course: All those ways of depicting religion within those worlds are very much based in a worldview informed by the writers living in a Christian majority world, that is however not centrally controlled by this religion anymore, though constantly influenced by it.

Alright, unpopular opinion time: Most Christians are actually really bad at their religion. They are. They lack understanding of the context of their religion. And while they will know some stories from the bible, few will actually have read the whole thing. They also do not understand or want to understand the history of both the selection of the stories in the bible - or the translation of it.

The more left-leaning, progressive Christian leans into the feel-good messages of Jesus. The more conservative Christian will more look for the ways in which there is stuff in the bible allowing him to hate the gays or the Blacks. But neither will really engage with the context of it. And it is not their fault. The fault is in the fact that we as a society get actively disencouraged from questioning religion and however it might be presented - mostly under the pretense of "respecting everyone's believes".

This leads to the aversion of many writers to interact with Christianity, Christian mythology and Abrahamitic religion in general in terms of writing. Especially when it comes to including those things into fantasy settings.

And this aversion makes dealing with religion within a High Fantasy world awkward. Because to build religion into the High Fantasy world, one would have to question and understand the role that religion played in actual history. And that, yeah... It is uncomfortable. Because we have been raised to feel uncomfortable about that. So often enough we don't.

It is uncomfortable in a different way for a believer than it is to a non-believer. Tolkien, who was a Christian, had clearly very different thoughts on it, than some modern writer might have. But it is uncomfortable never the less.

Then there is the other aspect that fantasy has to deal with - and struggles with because of the modern perspective. As I said, Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder and quite a few other settings choose to go with a pantheon of gods that are real. So everyone everywhere is united in agreeing that those gods are real, nobody ever argues about that, and while some might like some gods more than others (especially in DnD, where some gods are villains), the pantheon is worshipped as a whole.

The argument goes: "Who would be so insane to doubt those gods, if there is observable proof of them existing?" But that argument... actually does not work.

Because that argument focuses on the perspective of the heroes of the stories, who in their role as heroes actually do get to interact with the gods. Most farmers have never seen any of the gods do shit. They might have seen a cleric a couple of times, who might even have done magic, but, no shit, other people do magic too without relating it to one of the gods. Especially in DnD, which is a High Magic world in general, those gods do appear a lot less impressive, right?

And here is the other thing. There are stories going around in the world of DnD (and other fantasy worlds with comparable worldbuilding) about the gods coming down to Earth and doing their thing. But the same is true for the real world. Especially in historical times there were so many stories of saints appearing, of actual gods from the actual polytheistic pantheons appearing, of magic happening. There was supposed proof of that happening, and still not everyone was sold on those religions - and there were other religions happening.

Which brings me once again back to the lack of any cultural diversity and this focus on the one culture. Because... this is also connected to it.

For one: Different cultures do worship different sorts of gods. And even if they worship the same god, they might worship that god in very different ways. That is just something that will happen to any religion - and I do not think that most gods will be terribly interested in clearing up misunderstandings all the fucking time, even if those gods are real.

In worlds like Toril, where there definitely are other religions around on the other continents - and where there were other gods around in times past... One would think that this should somewhat show. Sure, the people would come to accept the Faerûnian gods, if they are living in Faerûn. Maybe. But they might still worship their own gods. And maybe they will mix it up, if you get what I mean. And this should show with the races, too. Elves, halflings, dwarves and so on might also worship the gods in different ways.

This is one of those core issues.

Neither of those three ways that High Fantasy usually deals with religion actually works. And more than anything it really does show the influence of the culture people grew up in.

And, well... I still think we can do better in that regard.

[hallowgracie]

Americana in High Fantasy

As apparently this is the project that is gearing up to take over next when To Sail on Seas of Sky wraps up, I've been thinking more about House of Apocalypse lately and its setting.

House of Apocalypse is a high fantasy project taking place in another world that is inspired by California in the 1970s. How I came to this idea was kind of an interesting one.

There have been a lot of discussions lately about how fantasy--especially high fantasy--is very much locked in medieval Europe, maybe venturing as far forward as the Edwardian era if anything. While there have been attempts to include other traditions and continents, I realized that for all that a lot of Americans such as myself write fantasy, we don't often write fantasy about our country.

This is an idea that has intrigued me for a long time. One of my abandoned projects, Sorcerers of the Iron Circle (later the Divine Legacy) was initially a take on this, taking Regency-era fantasy and putting it across the pond to the Federalist era in a fantasy country inspired by America. To Sail on Seas of Sky also has this element, being inspired by the New World era piracy and how certain elements of piracy and pirate culture eventually fed into American ideals of democracy and self-sufficiency.

Because while Europe has its divine right of kings, China has the Mandate of Heaven, we in America have our cultural myths surrounding democracy and the American Dream.

There has been a lot of discourse and disillusionment with the ideas in modern American culture, and for good reason. But as someone who was once a little girl who played with American Girl dolls, I still cannot help but hold a fascination for our cultural myths.

We tell a story of young revolutionaries who were creating a brand new system, one that allows the people to decide (while avoiding the question of which people) and a more fair and equal system than the divine right of kings (again, debatable in real life). We tell stories of people who forged new lives out of terrible circumstances, of people coming to America for new lives and finding it, a found family of sorts.

Hamilton as a stage musical does a really good job at exploring the cultural myths and pathos surrounding our Founding Fathers and the Revolutionary War. These ideas are really powerful, and I think they should be explored in a high fantasy setting.

We enjoy seeing the cultural myth of the good king taking the throne and revitalizing the land--why not enjoy the cultural myth of young men from differing circumstances and homelands of birth changing the world to create a more fair system and marking their place in history?

I love American history, and while my country does not always do me proud, I find a lot of intrigue in our stories and cultural values and myths. Hence why I want to explore them as a fantasy writer and make some fantasy worlds inspired by America.

[elysiumxflowers]

"I could see that she was a cat of great dignity and self-respect." - T. S. Eliot

[omg-snakes]

Okay so this might be one of the more off the wall questions you’ve ever received. So if snakes were people, how would they design their house. If I were a snake man, what kind of floor and wall shapes would be ideal for me to live in. Like I’m imagining a sort of cistern kind of shaped room with a mulch floor but what kind of person has a mulch floor?? What would a person use as flooring if they were a snake?

Uhhhhh hmm...

Okay.

I think a snake people would live in a Hobbit-style house with round doors, small-side-of-average circular rooms with domed ceilings, and tunnel-shaped hallways. Probably a few skylights in common areas. Conversation pit in the living room. It would feel a little cramped to the average person, and might be a bit cluttered. Furniture would be rustic hardwood with stone inlays and overstuffed chairs and sofas with lots of extra pillows. Their bed would be either a cozy hammock or a pillowtop mattress. The floors would be slate tile or sealed concrete with in-floor heating, with fluffy shag accent carpets that a snerson's toes can dig into, but that has good traction and isn't slippy. The bathroom would have a built-in sauna and/or rainfall shower. The kitchen would be embarrassingly small and poorly outfitted. Sneople love to eat but they're not big on cooking.

Lots of plants, polished stones, macrame. Not a ton of wall art (curved walls!) but a few choice pieces may be framed and displayed on tables and desks.

Aesthetic would trend towards plush, cozy, a little witchy but not goth, a little cottagecore but not cutesy, nature colors, natural lighting.

They often prefer passive hobbies like watching movies or playing games rather than arts and crafts, but some sneople find joy in interior design or gardening. When the weather is nice, many also engage in outdoor activities like rock climbing, swimming, fishing, or hiking.

[tomoleary]

Alex Niño (attributed) Epic SF-Fantasy Painting Original Art (c. 1975) Source

Very much in the style of Alex Niño’s Fantasy Worlds.

[mysticdragon3md3]

[tildeathiwillwrite]

Do you have a favorite biome to put your ocs in?

Get forested, idiots.

Particularly in Tales from Valaria I've found that either the majority of my stories or at least significant parts take place in forests, in particular the Fells. And in A Musician and a Curse the main character is self-exiled in a forest known as the Sybil Wilds due to the rumors of great magic permeating the very soil.

This is probably because I grew up in a heavily forested area, and going on walks on the trails in the local metropark was a staple of my childhood.

My second-favorite place is probably cities. I like how versatile the stories that take place there can be. Big chunks of The Hunter, the Myth and the Cure and Trials of the Six take place in cities, and The Legend of Orian Goldeneye is almost entirely in one city.

[kieraplaysthesims]

The K'ito region of the continent of Odryae. Specifially the country of Rou Vone, lying in the North East of the region.

Rou Vone

Farms types of grains and many kinds of vegetables, made up of farming towns and one city that mines copper.

Most Popular Dishes:

yamub’o yingo: thin deep fried dough filled with cheese and mint

yo yud’i d’ete: grated lamb mixed in with dough and baked, topped with ginger, basil, and during the summer, guava

huyi d’u nipʼo: papaya and pineapple mixed into a paste and smothered over plantains

nuhapu laka:a cake cooked and stuffed with shredded chicken, mustard seed, nutmeg, and anise

deyu tʼati hapu: Bass or catfish smothered in tomato paste baked in a thin layer of bay leaves. After baking, the bay leaves are removed and it is covered with parsley, thyme, and chives

[space-rat-incorporated]

All three of these maps are available in full resolution on my new patreon! $3 for all these and future maps I make. Commission info will be going up soon for custom maps, but for the moment I'll be posting here the maps I'm making for my own world.

[vestaignis]

Талантливый цифровой художник Сергей Гурский. Talented digital artist Sergei Gursky.

UwU police, arrest this man

Faye

Cook Illustration

Dislyte Illustration

Сергей Гурский - художник, работающий в Mooncolony и проживающий в Ереване, Армения.

Sergey Gursky is an artist working at Mooncolony and living in Yerevan, Armenia.

Источник: /krmplce.artstation.com, /www.iamag.co/the-art-of-sergey-gurskiy/

[theversevoyager]

Upon her arrival, secrets unveiled, A family torn, now whole, Forgotten worlds collide, myths unfold, Ancient lore and magic intertwined, A newfound destiny they'll redefine.

[hallowgracie]

The Magical Races in the Sea of Gales (2/4): Selkies

The Selkies are perhaps the most mysterious of the magical people who live in the Sea of Gales. So mysterious and rare is a sighting, that it has been recorded incorrectly what animal they can turn into! Little do many know that not all of the narwhals can fly in the air and sing songs under the moonlight--only those who are Selkies, with their moonlit magic can do so. They keep to themselves, but there are a few legends surrounding them. They are great warriors, with the finest blades and weapons ever forged. There are also stories about them as loyal and loving spouses, who all return to the sea someday. Furthermore, one legend tells that the Selkies originate from the Emerald Isle, and that one of the many gods of the ocean, the Lady of Desolation, may have created the Selkies to give freedom to the inhabitants of the Emerald Isle who refused to submit to Thulian rule. If you should be so lucky to see a Selkie in human form, you will know them by the gray and white hair, like the moonlight and the narwhals whose shape they take.

Read more about them in my high fantasy pirate novel, To Sail on Seas of Sky!

[fangirlforeversthings]

Why do the characters who did their whole life nothing else than giving, giving others love, support, appreciation, friendship, etc. only get the worst pain and suffer known to mankind back in return.

IN WHICH WAY IS THIS FAIR??!

EVEN ALLOWED?!?!?!