#worldbuilding glossary

[thecourtofindigo]

Melaco Town Pt. I - Natural + Main Areas

MELACO TOWN - MAIN AREA A small, semi-rural town nestled between several large, dense forests and shielded by misty black mountains to its far north. Train tracks run through it, and a freight train runs daily, sometimes at strange late hours.

Melaco Town is an eerie, odd place that becomes darker the deeper one looks at it. It feels quaint, old-fashioned and often abandoned by daylight, but lit up in fluorescent colours, seedy and sinister by night. Many of its citizens are nocturnal and very eccentric, and seem to be hiding dark, unthinkable secrets that they will likely take to their graves.

The weather in Melaco is inconsistent, but always windy and the air bears a chill even in summer. The local soil is of note, being extremely rich, oily and black and sprouting rare flowers that appear nowhere else in the world. Despite its unsettling qualities, the vast stretches of trees and nature around Melaco Town can be quite breathtaking to find oneself in. This quietness and magical aura was part of what drew Alexia and her brother to settle there.

WOODWARD FIELD A huge, grassy, hilly meadow that stretches across eastern Melaco Town to the foothills of the dark mountains surrounding its north side. There are sparse houses, but little else in the field - save for two unusual landmarks.

One is an archway that seems to have once been the gate to something, inscribed with the text "To the land of tomorrow for two - if one again breaks my heart to pieces". Its origin is unknown, but it seems old, is carved of stone and marble, and seems to have once been painted in garish shades of pink, violet, gold and blue.

The second landmark is a marsh spring with deep green water, surrounded by drooping willow trees. Several decayed, moss-laden stone totems jut up from the water. The spring is the haunting ground of two sister nature gods - Tar-Rokka of the Swamp and Tir-Ranna of the Storm.

THE FOREST OF VEILS A mysterious patch of deep woods located a short walk behind St. Martin Street, beyond the train tracks. The trees here have black bark and silver-white leaves and blossoms. The forest floor is also covered with silvery grass and flowers, and no other colour of flora will bloom there.

The forest gets its name from the pearlescent veils and strings of jewels strung up like spiderwebs between the trees - this is a naturally occurring phenomenon. Its treetops are extremely dense, allowing little sunlight in, yet it remains fairly well-lit due to the shimmering plantlife. The forest's sole inhabitant is an ageless, ancient child-eating witch named Wysteria, but there are hints that there was once a native group of beings there - whom Wysteria likely ran off, killed, or ate the last of long ago.

THE DAWNLIGHT BLUSTERS An extremely windy, forested patch of hills on the eastern edge of the town that seem to be perpetually stuck in autumn, painted year-round in bright greens, gold and red. It is a wondrous, beautiful place with an aura of childhood adventure, yet can become quite lonely and wistful, with few houses or people around.

The deepest groves of the Blusters also harbor a sinister place - Jane's Hours Estate - a supposedly cursed Edwardian-era manor that belonged most recently to the Rondo family, all of whom but the youngest member, Robin, met a tragic end there.

Robin Rondo still resides in the Blusters, in a fort of his own design, in the woods on the farthest edge of the Estate. Robin's fort is constructed of wood, scrap metal, bright colourful quilts and miscellaneous "junk", and is surrounded by pinwheels and childlike novelty objects of all kinds.

ABANDONED PARK The abandoned park lies concealed by tall tangles of grass and densely-woven, overgrown trees in a field between Julian's backyard on St. Martin Street and the small barrier of forest behind Goodnight Plaza.

All that remains of the actual "park" are rusted, unusable skeletons of playground equipment and a canopy laced with tiny baby roses. Outwardly, there is nothing special about this area, but upon entering, one can sense a "living force" there, like a massive heart slowly beating just beneath the soil.

Hidden deeply in a thick grove within the park is a disturbing monument of soft, oily scarlet stone that feels like candle wax to the touch. It is made up of a square door in the ground guarded by a statue of a man screaming in great agony, thick blood streaming from his eyes and mouth. Beneath it is the pathway to the Court of Indigo (the Depthless Stair). The monument itself, while worn by time, still serves as a seal to keep the Indigo under their curse - a curse set by a warlock which entails they will die in their natural forms if they touch either sun or moonlight.

One From the Clocks uses this path to stalk the above world for victims to use in his and Kanabiel's experiments (or for cruel pleasure), since he is still part-human and the curse does not affect him.

[zal-cryptid]

Toyfolk Glossary Masterpost

Collected in this masterpost is a glossary of terms concerning the worldbuilding of my series Misfits in Toyland.

Toyland - A phantom island of games and toys inhabited by the toyfolk. Also known as the Land of Toys, Island of Misfit Toys, the Doll Kingdom, and Merryland. Although autonomously ruled and governed by a monarch, it belongs to its creator, Krampus. It exists in a parallel plane of existence that dances in tandem with the mortal realm known as the Otherworld.

Toyfolk - People who’ve been transformed into living toys and sent to Toyland as punishment for their misdeeds by Krampus. This punishment is reserved only for adults. They don't possess any vital functions and thus have no need to eat, drink, or breathe.

Rule of Play - the magic that allows toyfolk to interact with toys as if they were real simply by playing pretend with them. For example, toyfolk can move their bodies simply by pretending that they can, despite not having muscles, a nervous system, or any of the necessary organs. Same goes to their ability to speak and sense the world around them. Externally, they can make any toy real for them by interacting with it as if it were real - such as pretending to eat toy food in order to mimic the sensation of eating. There are, of course, limitations to the Rule of Play. For example, it cannot be used to create life (playing with a normal doll or a toy animal won’t cause it to come to life) or cause death (playing dead won’t cause suicide). Toyfolk roleplaying with each other can even temporarily alter their perception.

Phantom Nervous System - named after Phantom Limb Pain, the Phantom Nervous System is what allows the toyfolk to move without muscles, see without eyes, hear without ears, taste without tongues, think without brains, and even feel (temperature, texture, pain, erogenous stimulation, etc.,), all without possessing any organs or nerves. Toyfolk are essentially undead - the mind and soul bound to a lifeless object and animated by magic.

Toy Fugue - Named after Dissociative Fugue (although the two should not be conflated), Toy Fugue is an altered mental state where Toyfolk lose their memories and sense of identity. Their minds are subsumed by their Toy Brain and form a new identity based around the type of toy they are. Toy Fugue is a mental escape triggered by traumatic events and emotionally distressing experiences. It’s often the end result of those who fail to find a way to cope with an existential crisis. Unlike dissociative fugue, Toy Fugue isn’t temporary, nor does it cause one to wander. While some have been able to snap out of it, others may be doomed to remain that way for the rest of their lives.

Toy Brain - also known as Play Brain, refers to the “programming” that all toyfolk have that gives them a collection of instinctive urges to play the part of whatever type of toy they are. Many struggle to find a balance between these urges and their own personalities, and it's a great source of discomfort for many of the toyfolk. Much like a Chinese Finger Trap, attempts to resist these urges will only cause them to intensify and worsen. If toyfolk fail to control their urges, their urges will ultimately end up controlling them and descend into Toy Fugue. These urges can range from specific (such as tea parties) to more broad (such as animal behaviours).

Magic - Magic works differently in the Mundane World than it does in the Otherworld. One can be forgiven in thinking magic doesnt exist in our world, but the truth is exists in its most fundamental and purest form - imagination. In its passive form, it manifests as thoughts, ideas, creativity, emotions, and problem-solving. In its most active form, it can manifest as psionics (also known as psychic powers and ESP). Long-term exposure to another plane will cause an entity to slowly acclimatize to the laws of that reality.

Wind-Up Keys - Wind-up keys have the ability to temporarily influence a wind-up toyfolk's personality and behaviour. Each key contains toy brain traits of the wind-up toy it came from. For example, a toy soldier wound up with a music box key would suddenly start to act more feminine and want to dance like a ballerina.

Voice Boxes - While most toyfolk are able to speak through the Rule of Play, those with voice boxes are bound to the rules of the voice box. Those with pull-strings, for example, cannot speak unless their pull-string is pulled. The voice box isn't just an analog for the larynx, but also functions as the speech center of the brain (particularily the Broca's Area). It contains their voice, vocabulary, speech patterns, accent, language, everything. Damage to this aparatus may cause something akin to aphasia, dysphasia, or dysarthria.

Playing Dress-Up - For dress-up dolls, costumes and outfits can influence their behaviour and personality. For example, a business suit could make them feel and act confident, a girly dress could make them feel and act girly, a maid uniform could make them feel and act like a maid, a collar could make them feel like a pet, so on and so forth. The affects are temporary, only lasting as long as they're wearing the outfit, but their original outfit they ever wore as a toyfolk gets imprinted into their toy brain, making it their default trait.

Currency - The official currency of Toyland is the Standard 52-card deck of French-suited playing cards. Playing cards were chosen over play money on account of the fact they couldn't decide on which nation's or board game's play money to use. They ended up turning to Quebecois history for inspiration. Playing-card money was a type of paper money used periodically in New France from 1685 to the British Conquest in 1763.

[aroaessidhe]

2024 reads / storygraph

Far Removed

book 1 in a character-focused sff (with dystopian/horror elements) duology

set on a moon city populated by a highly intelligent semi-aquatic species with a strictly stratified society

a well-off politician / college director who is trying to use his position to challenge the corrupt upper strata organises to have one of his students smuggled out of the city after she’s accused of insurgency

he’s helped by maskad worker - those who are forcibly magically disfigured and made to wear masks, becoming the lowest strata - at the college, who’s able to guide the student to safety

but they catch the attention of powerful people, leading the two of them to be drawn together, developing a complicated friendship

[theelin-sea]

Advancing the Warp - Theelin Creation Myth

Told in the style of the Theelin planetary council for the benefit of other cultures

Here is a tale woven long ago, we know it as we know ourselves, connected to all that was, is and will be. 

The Weaver, the force that holds all things together through thread and loom sits in its circle of looms, it weaves planets, creatures, space, time, and all things into place. 

It weaves for a time before switching looms to allow things their time to settle. It finishes one system at a time and then turns to make another. It is at one such moment we find it.

After a moment of resting its arms, the Weaver, already turned to the next loom in its cycle, bids the Patchwork Harpy to release the lock of the warp beam that it may advance the warp and wrap the fell on the breast beam, which brings the work to unmade space. 

The Weaver observes the space for a time, musing on all that could take shape before it positions its arms to work, bidding its Spindles to select threads. 

The Spindles nudge bright threads into the Weavers hands, yellows and greens. Between the stars and space of the warp the Weaver forms a first, small planet: yellow and green. It does not want the planet, Seev, to feel cold so it bids the Spindles to fetch warm reds, pinks and yellows. It weaves two suns, twins Theel’ell and Sev’arp. As it battens the weft down into fell the two suns, woven so close together, become one: Eel’sev.

Seev is too small for the Weaver to contain all it has in mind, so it weaves on, lo’arp Eel’sev and Seev it begins to form Theelia. A larger planet than the first of the system it first takes blues to form an ocean, then greens to form the first islands. 

On the first island it takes branches and lays them out in the arrangement of bones, it scoops clay from a river and wraps the bones shaping flesh. It paints the clay into bright decorated skin with the dyes of its Spindles, it leaves a hole in its creations chest as it picks the brightest threads for hair. 

Then the Weaver weaves a heart, taking threads from its own and imbuing it with love. It nestles the heart into its creations chest and lays the newly made Theelin on a bed of tea flowers and berry branches its Spindles wove. 

It weaves another Theelin, laying it beside the first. Then, as its new creations sleep it weaves a draegin with large wings to shelter the still sleeping creations from the sun. It leaves eight spindles, four of each kind, to aid the newly created and then it continues on. 

The next land mass to form is furthest from the sun, the Weaver forms two Theelin all the same process as before, resting them on a bed of tea flowers and berry branches once more. It forms a Avicore to snap off branches from the trees and cover the sleeping Theelin from the sun and the winds. The Weaver leaves Spindles the same as with the first pair as it battens down the weft and sends the shuttle toward the sun. 

The land mass it forms next, closest to the sun, receives two Theelin the same process as those before, set to rest on berry branches and tea flowers. It creates a Erieroc to settle by the sleeping pair, its large form casts a shadow over the pair, it shelters them from the close heat of the sun. It leaves eight spindles the same as the sets before.

The Weaver continues one for a space, it builds out islands and continents. It drops three more creatures, one for each region. The teep on the center islands, the Ailote far from the sun, the Kee and Dir, counted as one in their purpose, all scattered to till and plant along the ground. 

The Weaver continues on once more, it creates three more pairs of theelin, further along their columns, center with the company of an Oer to help clothe them from the sun and warm them from the night, furthest from the sun it gives the company of a Varr to keep them warm as they sleep away the long dark nights, and closest to the sun is given a Cagor to help clothe them under the intense sun and provide them drink as they explore. Each set is given Spindles as before.

The Weaver next scatters three more creatures, it observers that while its creations are making fine creations of their own and cannot help but grant them more help as it feels its own heart beat echoed in its creations. 

Centered it weaves a Leer to help teach how to hunt fish. Far from the sun, a Weffloom for the creation of clothes to warm when the Varr is unable. Close to the sun, a Eabgh to carve an easier path to explore. 

As the edges of the planet began to round toward each other once more, the Weaver creates three more pairs of Theelin all made from the same process as before. It gives the center a Mear. Furthest from the sun, a Gatross, the closest a Eeakle. Each to teach the newly created how to eat well like those created before them,to  hunt the creatures made by their hands that had begun to rapidly spread across the lands. Each set is given spindles once more.

As the Weaver finishes the end of each land it forms three final gifts formed from feathers of its companion, three harpies, one per region to travel back lo’ell to spread news of the planets completion. The weaver studies the theelin and the creations as the harpies fly. It finds the theelin have made made of their own will many creations. As the Weaver rests its many arms it finds that the theelins hearts glow brightly with love for their creations just as its own glows for them. 

Needing to express this light the Weaver forms another sun, two suns batten down into one to keep the second sun, Ve’tria: the combination of Mel’ve and Arp’tria, from feeling lonely compared to Eel’sev. It places it Lo’mel of Theelia. 

As the weaver takes in the sight it notices that some of its Spindles had woven another small planet, the same reds, pinks and yellows of the suns though the smallest planet yet. They whisper to it that the planet is A’tor, though not twins battened like the suns the small creatures have chosen the name to quell their bickering of if the planet is more Lo’arp or Lo’tor of Theelia. The Weaver laughs as it praises them, observing all that was woven. 

The Patchwork Harpy brushes it’s feathers against the expanse of space above all that has been woven thus far and requests a spool of blues. The Weaver gives the spool to its old companion and happily twatches as another small planet is formed lo’arp from the rest. The Harpy names it V’nell as it declares it the end of the systems range. 

The Weaver nods, taking in all that is woven once more, it grabs a few final threads, greys, browns and greens to thread its needles as it bids some Spindles to copy its actions as it forms a moon lo’arp and lo’tor of Eel’sev. The Weaver sits back when it finishes the moon, it observes with affection the way the Spindles have mirrored Ortal, the weavers moon when creating their own, Netrii. 

As the Weaver rests, watching its Spindles spin new threads to replenish the bobbins, brew new dyes and rewind shuttles, it notices the Patchwork Harpy peering at Theelia. At the point furthest from the sun a Mountain Harpy attempts to break free of the threads of its home world. 

The Weaver takes a needle and gently untangles the creature from the threads of its world, and bids it to speak.  The bird wails a melancholy tale of a dark night sky, it laments that the thread that composes its night sky has too few stars and it must petition for light. 

The Patchwork Harpy leans down to soothe the fragment of itself that pleads for light, a wing outstretched toward the Weaver. The Weaver understands its companions' request, it takes some of the most colorful feathers and brightest beads to carefully weave them into lights and stars over the mountain harpy’s home region. 

The small harpy’s wails become joyous as it darts between the stitches of the Weaver, wings become painted with the new lights of the night sky as it darts in and out and all the way back homeward, joyous wails echoing all the way, drawing a laugh from the Patchwork Harpy as it declares the Theel system nell. 

The Weaver agrees, setting its supplies down once more as it listens to its Spindles ooo and ahhh at the things the Theelin were creating.

The Weaver turns to another loom, and bids the Patchwork Harpy to help advance the warp once more to continue the Weavers slow rotation of looms, creating anew, wrapping old abreast to be unwound and remade after a time, a joyous eternal cycle of old to new, all that came before woven with all that would be.  

In time the Weaver will notice the slow shift of its creations as the twin suns slowly pull toward each other, dragging planets and space with them in a slow dance, a death spiral of birds locked talons between the suns. 

The Patchwork Harpy will cry a final song for the system as the suns collide to one day clear the space to start anew. 

The Weaver will mourn its creation and celebrate the return into the thread of all things, beloved and eternal. The thread will weave into something new, continuing to tie all that was, is and will be. 

This end was woven long ago, we know this end as we know ourselves, connected to all that was, is and will be. 

Glossary under the cut. In box is open for comments, questions, general yelling, ect <3

Snippets in the glossary provide context that is generally given regionally, each region focusing more on their creatures and creation than that of the others or as a whole.

The Weaver - The figure that works on its loom to weave the fabric of time and space together. Though no true form is ever recorded it is known the figure has many arms when needed, and a heart of its own. It is typically portrayed as hands working on a loom with a heart somewhere in the vicinity of where it’s torso might be if it were humanoid. 

Seev - The first planet formed in the system, a small planet that appears mostly green and yellow. It is generally depicted as such. 

Eel’sev - The first sun, a merged set of twin stars. It is considered to be the second planet though suns are not planets, theelin tend to refer to it as such for the simplicity of numbering the creation timeline of the system. It is generally portrayed with reds and pinks, in traditional theelin depictions it is portrayed as one sun nestled inside another. 

Theelia  - A large planet, homeworld to the Theelin. It is considered the third planet formed in the system. It is generally portrayed with many greens and blues, typically with a band of islands representing Sei’lo in the center with larger land masses representing the other two regions on either side of it. 

A’tor - A small planet formed fourth in the system, made up of the same reds, pinks, and yellows of the sun though it is not a star of any sort. It is considered the fourth planet to be formed and is generally depicted as it is described. 

Ve’tria - The second sun, another merged set of twin suns. It was created to mirror the first sun and is considered to be the fifth planet formed. It is generally depicted with yellows and oranges, in traditional theelin depictions it is portrayed as three theelin stars nestled within each other. 

V’nell - A small blue planet considered to be the sixth planet formed. It is generally depicted as it is described. 

Ortal - A medium sized moon made up of greys, greens and browns. It is considered to be the seventh planet to be formed. It is generally depicted as a gray planet with rings of green and grey with a brown dot in the center. 

Netrii - A medium sized moon made up of greys, greens and browns. It is considered to be the eighth and final planet formed in the system. It is generally depicted as grey with brown marks reaching toward a brown dot in the center that is cradled by a green crescent shape.

The Patchwork Lights - A series of stars and colorful lights found in the Toria night skies as a gift from the Weaver and its companion the Patchwork Harpy. 

The First Islands/ Center - The Sei’lo region. Its formation began first and stretched up the center of the planet as chains and stretches of islands. 

The Furthest from the Sun - The Toria region. Its formation began second, with multiple large land masses with a smattering of islands bordering the Sei’lo region. 

Closest to the Sun - The Melore region. Its formation began last with multiple large land masses and a smattering islands bordering the Sei’lo region, near similar to Toria’s formation though it also held a single large island directly on the planets axis, referred to as the collision point due to the collision course of the suns leading right over it. 

Nell - Most commonly used to mean complete or finished. 

Directions - Theelin view their system and the galaxy at large being rotated to the right due to their view of the Weavers loom having East as the direction of the fell (completed work) and West as the direction of the empty warp (space waiting to be woven). 

Due to this the Theelin compass and directional terms are as follows: 

Lo’ar/p (p sound is regional) = Up/West 

Lo’tor = Right/North 

Lo’ell = Down/East 

Lo’me/l (L sound regional) = Left/South

Sei is considered the word for Center. The “Lo” affix becomes a suffix as opposed to a prefix in the regions name due to the view that Sei was created first, and then directions formed in context of it. The affix is also seen being as a suffix in the names of the first suns original names while being prefixes in the names of the second due to the weaver mirroring the creation of the first suns in the seconds. 

Patchwork Harpy - One of the weavers oldest companions and primary assistants, often portrayed as helping work the loom and keep it in good shape. It is said that it was made from fragments of the Weavers first creations and that it takes patches from each of the Weavers creations giving it a colorful appearance. 

The Spindles - The term used to refer to the caterpillars and spiders thought to be the Weavers helpers, spinning threads and helping teach the early theelin how to weave themselves by taking the images they created and weaving life into them.

Tea Flowers - The flowers that were gathered to make the beds for the first theelin to rest on. Theelin tea flowers contain nutrition that helps prevent excessive illness and blood issues within the species, many theelin commonly refer to it as the species life blood. 

Animals by Region: 

Sei’lo:

Draegin - A winged creature that can be seen as a mix between a Bat and a Pangolin, thought of as a protective figure from the sun. Thought to be brightly painted from the berry juice and tea flower stained fingers of the first theelin. Its scales, though used as canvases by the first Sei’lo theelin, are thought to have healing properties. 

Teep - A creature similar to a mix of a tapir and a deer. Has the snout of a tapir and large antlers similar to deer, was said to plow the ground with its snout and drop seeds into the hole by shaking its berry covered horns. 

Oer - A large horned rabbit, its long hair sheds easily to be spun and woven on its horns to clothe the early Sei’lo Theelin to protect them from the sun. It was also said to have playfully followed behind the Teep on its later journeys to tamp the dirt over seeds and speed up the planting process.

Leer - A large creature similar to a seal. It was said to be painted by the sun through the water, resulting in spotted patterns and a berry stained nose from licking the juice from the first theelins hands. It was said to have taught the early Sei’lo theelin how to catch the fish they had created. 

Mear - A large cat-like creature said to teach the early Sei’lo theelin how to scale the trees to reach more food and look for paths through the foliage and trees. It was said to be patterned like the tree bark it brushed against as it climbed. It was also said to have taught the early Sei’lo theelin how to stalk and hunt the creatures they had created. 

Sea Harpy- A large raptor seabird made to fly the length of Sei’lo to bring news of the completion of the planet back to the first pair of Theelin. Its wingtips are said to be painted blue by dipping them in the water before it was fully woven and stealing some of the dye. 

Toria: 

Avicore- Quadruped creature with crested horns and fur and feathers. Like if a unicorn was cooler and also probably more like a deer than a horse. Thought to be painted by the sap of the tree branches from it snapping branches to shield the first theelin of Toria from the sun. It’s feathers, though first used as paint brushes and quills by the first Toria theelin, are thought to have healing properties. 

Ailote - A coyote-like creature with an extra tail. Its coat is said to be stained from the cloak of berries and seeds placed on it to plant things in the paw prints it left as it bound across Toria.

Varr - A large bear-like creature said to have been made to shelter the early theelin of Toria from the cold by curling around them and bundling them in its fur. It’s said to have gotten its spots and smears of color from the theelin it had curled around as the dye staining their skin was not quite dry. 

Weffloom - A large sheep like creature with extra horns to allow the early theelin of Toria to spin its wool off of it and use the yarn to weave clothing to protect them from the sun and the weather when the Varr was off hunting during the day. It was said to be able to blow on ice to melt it and water to warm it. 

Gatross - A large alligator-like creature with four sets of legs and large scale plates armoring its body. It is said to have been painted with the clay of the swamp it was formed by, mixed with tea flower petals. The Gatross was said to have taught the early Toria theelin how to ambush and hunt the creatures they had made. 

Mountain Harpy - A large raptor bird, its puffy leg feathers are said to be white from the snow sticking to them as it hopped from mountain range to mountain range to bring news of the completion of the planet back to the first Toria theelin. It was said to have gained wings that match the lights of the night sky after journeying to request such lights from the Weaver.

Melore: 

Erieroc - A large reptilian creature similar to a crocodile but if they were cooler and had a lot of spikes and horns. Said to have used it’s claw to crave creatures into the ground to show the first theelin of Melore how to draw to create. It shed its old teeth for them to use as tools, though its teeth are also thought to have healing properties. 

Kee and Dir - A snake and a bird that are thought to be in an eternal chase. Kee, the snake is said to have spikes to protect it from the birds beak and have a beard of horns that plows the earth as it runs from the bird, Dir who’s wings shed the seed and berries that had been placed between its feathers when it was created. Dir is said to be long necked and long legged. 

Cagor - A goat-like creature who shed its long hairs for the early Melore theelin to spin to make looms and cloth on the spikes and horns of the Erieroc’s back. It was also said to be able to produce milk for tea leaves to be steeped in, a trait given to it to help aid exploration without worry of needing to find water along the way. 

Eabgh - A large water buffalo like creature said to have gotten its striped upper fur from breaking through foliage, rocks and trees to make paths for the early theelin of Melore to explore. It’s said that its lower body’s stripes were washed away when the Eabgh waded through the rivers to continue its path. 

Eeakle - A large cat-like creature with a thick coat of hair that was said to mimic the grasslands it was made in. It was said to teach the early Melore theelin how to disguise themselves to hunt the creatures they had created.   

Deseret Harpy - A large raptor bird said to have gotten its spotted wings from the sand sticking to its feathers being melted onto them by the sun as it raced back to tell the first theelin of Melore of the news of the planet's completion. 

[empyrean-thrones]

The worldbuilding in this god forsaken series makes me so fucking mad. I'm actually fuming. Whenever I think about the potential cultural values/beliefs and distinctions between the different provinces, I want to tear this book to shreds.

You have Violet go to a festival celebrating the unification of Navarre and not describe the cultural dresses or various cuisine there. She goes to Poromiel and barely explores the country. The gryphon fliers are the exact same as the dragon riders except they don't have signets and actually mourn the loss of their loved ones.

THERE ARE NO CONLANGS DESPITE IRON FLAME MAKING A BIG DEAL OUT OF LOST FANTASY LANGUAGES.

[shehili]

SHURIMAN GLOSSARY

Phrases I intend to use in RP, sorted by origin.

SHURIMAN • source is @voidsought on Tumblr & the official companion book which I own.

MISCELLANEOUS water and shade to you – universal greeting; binsikhi – little explorer, daughter (possibly); bibi – grandmother; Maza – respected elderly woman (possibly); echnebi – foreigners, a group of people (possibly); (the) Great Sai – a grand desert separating north from south; Sai Faraj – desert region in southern Shurima, located west of the Sun Disc; Sai Kahleek – desert region in southern Shurima, located east of the Sun Disc, called "the Bone Sea" in northern dialects; shayatin – the Beasts of the Last Infinity i.e. the Voidborn. Also referred to as "outerbeasts" by Shurimans.

TITLES Hagyett Sadja of Nashramae; Hagya Ta'Fik of Tereshni; Hagyos Valif & Hazir Ima'Sai of Bel'zhun. NOTE: I don't have the lorebook on me right now, but IIRC Valif & Ima'Sai were co-rulers. Distinction is unclear.

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN • in-verse, these all originate from Ancient Shuriman and occur in all dialects. Take it and everything else down below with a grain of salt.

COMMON WORDS nek – swearword in the spirit of "shit" or "fuck"; neket iadet – piece of shit; sen – brother (affectionate nickname for one's companion); seni – my brother (possibly); senet – sister; ??? – my sister. likely "seneti"; khered – child; mes-en – born of; hereret – flower; felucca – small boat; stela – stone slab bearing inscriptions or paintings; where? – tjen?

COMMANDS shem – go; ab – stop; mesneh – turn backwards, reverse; kheti – retreat; wesef – be idle; hi-i or hi'i – strike, beat; seseh – smash, destroy; seki – perish, destroy; aha – stand, arise; sheni – surround; mes – bring (imperative).

TITLES sefetjew, seftew – butcher; tepey (m, n), tepet (f) – chief, head; seshem – lead, guide; neb – sir, also used when the addressee's gender is unknown; nebet – lady; Nebetah – lady of the palace/house; Henuttaneb – mistress of all lands. Used for the empress, nowadays attached to Mariam mostly by highborn sycophants. Va-Nox terms are used to denote military rank in so far as northern dialects are concerned.

MISC • in-verse, these belong to the tribes that have populated Shurima's northern banks since before the empire's fall. Phrases marked with * are shared between all northern tribes. Unmarked entries are specific to the Tereshan dialect.

Teresh, -an*; Bel'zhun, -ite*; Urzeris, -rite*; Void take you – Mariam's invention and her favorite curseword; sheeplover – swearword, substitute the animal as needed; aslema – hello; bislema – goodbye; marhaba* – welcome; shokran* – thank you; yaishek – a tenderer way of expressing thanks ("life to you"); azizty – dear one; hbibty – my love (can be platonic; alternatively: habibi* or habibti*); hobi – my love (romantic; alternatively: hubbi* or hubbee*); sokar* – sugar, used for children.

ARABIC HEART-MELTERS • pure self-indulgence.

NOTE: placing "habib" in front results in love of my… albi* – my heart; hayati* – my life; rouhi* – my soul; wahashtini* – I miss you.

[thecurioustale]

Assession: Tales from the Curious Tale Glossary

Assession: The adversarial process of joining the Guard of Galavar. The successful candidate must venture into the Depths of Sourros and there pass three distinct tests. The word assession etymologically means "sitting towards" and refers to the successful candidate's opportunity at the end of their trials to be seated before Sourros, the God of Logic and Wisdom, to freely ask questions of him with the high likelihood of being answered. Along with a suit of the Black Armor, these interrogatives are regarded as gifts bestowed upon the successful candidate to legitimize their (ahem) accession.

Assession is an existing word in English, meaning "a sitting beside or near." (Wiktionary)

When I published the Prelude to After The Hero, I got some feedback from a couple of people who wanted to alert me to the possibility that I had misspelled the far more common word accession, which is identical in spelling except that it has two Cs to assession's two Ss. And since the Prelude didn't have a glossary, and since the word accession could functionally and grammatically work if it were swapped in for assession, and since assession is an extremely obscure word, that's an understandable reaction.

Out of curiosity in writing this post, I went back and looked at all instances of assession in the Prelude, and I only found one (out of twelve total) that wouldn't be flawlessly swappable with accession. It's a line from Silence:

The experiences of our assessions are private, and difficult.

You could still exchange the two words here and pass a grammar test, but accessions does not read as naturally in the plural here, since we rarely construct it that way and tend to only ever refer to a single accession at a time. Uncoincidentally, this is the only time in the Prelude that assession appears in the plural.

A Curious Origin Story & Textual Function

I originally came up with this word not through careful study but because I was convinced that there was another word, physically similar to accession, with a similar meaning. I was wrong; there isn't; but in my research I found this one and decided to go with it on the Curious Tale mantra of touch-grass vocabulary.

Accession is a word that most of us already know well, and so when it appears in text our minds glide right over it without really thinking about its significance. And this can actually be an enemy of rich worldbuilding if not regulated carefully, because it feeds into people's prior knowledge and causes them to substitute that prior knowledge for a more active parsing of the text.

For example, an "accession' simply and quickly describes to us the process of joining some body or some higher tier of something. It's the sort of word that directs our attention elsewhere in the sentence—usually to the thing being acceded to or to the person who is doing the acceding.

After discovering it in the dictionary, I chose to keep the word assession to refer to the process of joining the Guard in order to counteract this and make the actual process itself something that the reader has to think about a little more on account of not having convenient prepackaged conceptual knowledge.

This isn't something that I expect many readers would stop in their tracks and carry out explicitly. Rather, it adds texture to the world by weakening the presence of categorical classes of things and people and instead putting more focus on individual instances of things without regard to their category. An accession is just an accession, and a "Galan accession" is just the Galan version of an accession. But an assession, with the two Ss, is something that doesn't have a ready-made category. It's this special, unique thing that candidates for the Guard of Galavar go through. This subtly but powerfully makes Galan culture more interesting and genuine. You can still eventually make a category for it, but if you do you'll be synthesizing your own and thus instilling yourself with Relancii worldbuilding.

This is something I do quite often in The Curious Tale (and to a lesser extent in Galaxy Federal), and it is something I actively think about and am proud of as a part of my distinctive style.

For example, this is one of the reasons why the word magic is not used in The Curious Tale to refer to the manipulation of numen. Instead, various cultures around the world have various conventions for referring to it, ranging from the more rationalist "this is another domain of engineering" to the more mystical "these are the passions of the Gods animated in the sparks of the Kindred," and much that is in between. The word magic itself does exist, but it is used the way we use it today in the real world, i.e. metaphorically.

For another example, this is why the word king is not used anywhere in the Middemesne to refer to top political leaders; instead we see terms like edet, loin, and sheriff. The Middemesne is a more backward part of the world and, stripped of the royal vocabulary narratively, its leaders don't have ready-made access to the grandeur of royalty the way the King of Tanzibay or the King of Davoranj (two of Relance's greatest nations) do. I try to utilize these cultural discrepancies to good effect!

For a third example, it's why many Relancii militaries have rank names and unit / formation names that we don't conventionally use in the modern world, such as "yeomate ensign" and "deck lieutenant" as ranks in the Galan Sand Fleet and "maniple" as a unit formation in the Galan Army. These terms hearken to real-world terms (e.g., the maniple was a Roman army unit, and terms like "yeo(man)" and "ensign" are easily parsed as military vocabulary), but they are different enough for the reader to understand that they are not simply looking at the Galan skin of the American military organizational structure. It's a different structure, and hopefully that ignites curiosity in the reader.

If the reader is told that there is a process for accession to the Guard of Galavar, then, in order for that term to pack any kind of punch, they must also be told that it is an adversarial series of trials followed by an almost spiritualistic "pilgrim on the mountain summit" opportunity to ask questions of God. But if the reader is instead given the unfamiliar word assession to start with, then, assuming they don't simply misread it—and some will, I realize, but my philosophy in such matters is "try never to insult the intelligence of the reader," which is something I must constantly work at owing to the fact that my desire for conceptual thoroughness often comes across as condescension—the reader is going to know from the beginning that this is a new thing they have to learn about. There will be fewer suppositions, and, hopefully, more curiosity, purely from the word itself, and any definitional information thereafter should only amplify these reactions until such time as the reader reaches a satisfactorily full understanding of the process of assession to the Guard.

[paracosmspring]

Out of Character

Behind the Scenes or Out of Character

Out of Character Definition: someone is not keeping to their usual pattern of behavior and motives.

~*~

In the roleplay world (and thus in the conceptual realm) it is a change from character to writer’s voice. Usually a writer goes Out of Character to say something to another writer or player, and whatever they say has no bearing on the story or game they are writing.

The same thing happens in the conceptual realm. There are events that happens out of character that have no bearing on the story that is seen in the real world. It is akin to what happens when the camera is not rolling or when the actors or backstage.

Examples of Out of Character behavior is whenever a character encounters something of the real world (like an author being). If they know about the real world, like in the case of Domain Leaders, they often play it off to other characters as a joke or gloss over it. Most keep it hidden from the other characters.

Sometimes there’s a few characters that know about the real world, and keep going as if it doesn’t exist. They do this in order to protect their domain and not draw too much attention to it. Many harmful things can happen to a domain if there’s a lot of outside attention paid to it, usually because of an intruder.

So who knows about the real world in a domain?

Usually it is the domain leader or leaders—the main character. They have the choice to tell others that their domain is a fictional world or keep it a secret. They can have many reasons to do either.

What happens when a character find out?

If a character that is not the domain leader finds out that their world is a fictional world, many things can happen. First of course is a freakout. Most characters are shocked and upset to know they aren’t what they thought they are. Most eventually make peace with it.

A domain leader might ask an author to “reset” the character, and take away the memory that they know. This is usually done if the character can not make peace with the knowledge. Other times it is for simplicity sake, and the domain leader just wants to keep the status quo. More serious domains take this route.

The domain leader might choose to take that character into his confidence, to better help protect the domain. This is the usual route. Older domains have more characters aware of the real world, and often interact with it (including seeing all the incriminating fanart!)

Why do we not see them out of character?

That’s the nature of out of character. This is the characters’ private time, or even when the story has completed (or the show is canceled). Story characters don’t die in the traditional sense. Their stories are told and retold, but it doesn’t mean they are in a forever loop. Unless their creator told the story out of character, you’re never going to see this side of them outside the conceptual realm.

What happens when characters encounter Author Beings?

That’s the question. The events of Variant show one possibility, but most of the time its just shenanigans. Interacting with author beings automatically makes the character go into an out of character state. The events taht come out of it won’t reflect in their media in the real world, no matter how much power is used.

[writers-potion]

MASTERPOST (PT. 2)

If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! 📸

For romance writing prompts, plotting tips & more, check out: MASTERPOST PT. 1

⭐Dialogue

Writing Dialogue 101

Crying-Yelling Dialogue Prompts

---

⛰️Words to Use Instead Of...

Synonyms for "Walk"

Synonyms for “feeling like”

Words To Use Instead of "Look"

Words to Use Instead Of...(beautiful, interesting, good, awesome, cute, shy)

Said is dead

---

🔠Vocab Lists

Nervous Tension Vocab

Kiss Scene Vocab

Fight Scene Vocab

Haunted House Inspo & Vocab

---

👁️‍🗨️Setting & Description

Common Scenery Description Tips

2012 School Setting Vibes - follower question

Describing Food in Writing

Describing Cuts, Bruises and Scrapes

Using Description and Setting Meaningfully

How Different Types of Death Feel

---

🗡️Weapons & Fighting Series:

Writing Swords

Writing knives and daggers

Writing Weapons (3): Staffs, Spears and Polearms

Writing Weapons (4): Clubs, Maces, Axes, Slings and Arrows

Writing Weapons (5): Improvised Weapons

Writing Weapons (6): Magical Weapons and Warfare

Writing Weapons (7): Unarmed Combat

Writing Female Fighters

Writing Male Fighters

Writing Armour

Writing Group Fights

Writing Battles At Sea

Erotic Tension in Fight Scenes

Pacing for Fight Scenes

Writing a Siege Warfare

Different Genres, Different Fight Scenes.

Making Fight Scenes Sound Nicer

Fight Scenes For Disabled Characters

---

🌎Worldbuilding

Constructing a Fictional Economy

Homosexuality in Historical Fiction

Writing Nine Circles of Hell

Writing Seven Levels of Heaven

Master List of Superpowers

Magic System Ideas 

A Guide to Writing Cozy Fantasy

Dark Fantasy How-To

Dark Fantasy Writing Prompts

Dark, Twisted Fairytale Prompts

Fantasy World Cultural Quirks 

Fantasy Nobel Ranks: A List

---

🌠Symbolism in Writing

Plant Symbolisms 

Weather Symbolisms

Symbols of Death

---

🪄Writing Magic

Writing Magicians - the basics

Writing Magic Systems

Magical Training Options for Your Characters

---

📋Other!

List of Fantasy Subgenres

Beauty is Terror: A List

The Pirate's Glossary

Storyediting Questions to Ask

Writing Multiple WIPs Simultaneously

Idea Generation Exercises for the Writer

Book Title Ideas

Picking the Right Story For You

What If God Dies in Your Story 

International Slang, Slang, Slang!

10 Great Love Opening Lines 

How to Insult Like Shakespeare

Serial Killer Escape Manual

Best Picrew Character Generators for Your Characters!

How to Write Faster

[heroesgambit]

Elden Ring Inconsistent Translation Catalogue

I've spent the past six or so months putting together an extensive catalogue of inconsistent translations, and places where different Japanese words end up translated as the same word in English, in Elden Ring.

It's NOT a list of mistranslations or a critique - just parallels and associations that differ and could potentially lead Japanese and English-speaking players to make different conclusions about the worldbuilding.

You can find the catalogue here!

It includes:

Tables showing both Japanese and English descriptions and dialogue side by side

Analysis containing cultural context where neccesary, and links to Japanese lore theorists' videos and essays

And also:

Japanese poetry - haiku and tanka - which aren't possible to preserve in English

Wordplay and puns which aren't possible to preserve in English

A glossary of English translation terms which share kanji in Japanese

Words which have no English-language equivalent and the specific Japanese cultural concepts they refer to

... And more!

I hope you enjoy reading and find something interesting that you didn't know about Elden Ring's worldbuilding and characters in here! Please let me know if you see any mistakes.

[thecourtofindigo]

Melaco Town Concept Map

Melaco Town is the main 'hub' area of 'Good Night, Tortureland', where 80% of the story occurs. A simple map I made to give readers a better idea of where everything is located. This is not the *entire* town, just the main northeast corner that's relevant to the plot. Click to see in clearer detail.

The protagonist, Alexia Corai and her brother, Cantrell, live in a caravan trailer on St. Martin Street. The plant keys indicate natural or forest areas, and the rose key marks the (hidden) gate to the Court of Indigo, which tunnels underground.

[nanistar]

SERPENTINE PROMISE | Hidden in Plain Sight.

Serpentine Promise is a 16+ literate Horror / Slasher Warriors RP set on the coast of Belize in the heart of a meteor crater called the Cardinal. This RP takes heavy inspiration from the beautiful indigenous Mayan cultures of Belize for its worldbuilding.

You are part of three groups known as Arrows. You live in relative peace, guided by your Celestial Leaders in the skies above - the Jade Tiger, the Red Tiger, and the Gold Tiger. Centuries prior, these three leaders created the Arrows, but in doing so created something worse. The North Serpent wanted the crater for itself, and would only be satisfied when it ate the sun. The three tigers fought together against the serpent to the death.

In modern times, these Celestial Leaders are growing increasingly distraught, until they disappear one night and leave you with nothing but an omen … Cats around you begin to drop dead soon after. Your objective? Survive. Keep one eye open. Figure out which one of you is slaughtering cats by the dozen, or die trying.

𓆙 ━─┈

🌊THE EAST WAVES Living on the sandy coasts of the Cardinal, the cats of the East Waves are weathered, brave, regal, and know their way around the barrier reef, and the raging seas. 🌴THE SOUTH RAINS Nestled in the dense, lush rainforest of the crater, the cats of the South Rains are intelligent, agile, gifted and flighty. They know how to traverse the land without ever placing a paw on the dangerous jungle floor.

⛰️THE WEST PEAKS Settled in the mountains along the edge of the crater, living within caverns and along cliff faces, cats in the West Peaks are hardy, strong, tough and independent, battling the biggest threats of all — Harpy eagles, amongst other dangerous raptors. 𓆙 ━─┈ WHAT WE OFFER🐍

A safe, secure environment for all with safety nets in place for any incident that would otherwise occur in a large space.

A server open to writers of any experience.

An extremely large expanse of lore and world-building including a glossary of brand new terms, in-depth lore and history inspired by Mayan cultures, unique ranks and roles to each Arrow, and an entirely new herb and medicine system created entirely for the RP, amongst a dozen other additions!

A server run by BIPOC and LGBT+ moderators, including a Belizean admin and consultant.

High Ranks and Roles open for application for writers of any experience and skill level!

RP affiliation / partnership — advertise your RP server in ours!

EXPLORE THE WORLD & APPLY NOW! >> https://serpentinepromise.carrd.co/ << =

(please note that i, nanistar, am NOT the host of this RP. i am merely a moderator and the tumblr liaison. i can answer some basic questions, but for anything more in-depth else please contact BADMIRACLE on tumblr. he is an amazing rp host and has spent months bringing this together and developing this rp.)

[aroaessidhe]

2023 reads

Ethera Grave

multiverse space opera

end of the trilogy

Caiden and Leta have finally reunited, and teamed up with their enemy to defeat his sister who’s trying to collapse the multiverse into one

but the only way to become powerful enough to defeat her might cause him to lose himself

sentient spaceships, lots of alien species, monster pets, bodyswapping, found family

[serpentface]

How do you go about words and language in your worldbuilding? im curious about your method and also it just feels good to try to pronounce the words you use, I love it

Most of it started back-engineering languages based on character/creature/place names I put together before having any guidelines and just like a vague Vibe of what the language would sound like. Nowadays I have cfull naming languages for the major languages I will be using regularly, maintain glossaries, etc. Most of the words I have to worry about are in Wardi so that's the most detailed of all.

I think a good starting point is to make a decision on what consonant sounds you want to be present in any given language. I Did Not Do this until later but the best way to go if you're serious about it is to learn (or at least reference) the IPA so you have a very clear understanding of which phonemes are in the language rather than just going off letters (which can have multiple different pronunciations within the same language), and use it to make a naming language. (Should note I only have very entry level understanding of the IPA)

this guide for naming languages is pretty good and helps you understand the IPA and what its terms mean

[x] full IPA pronunciation guide

[x] if your first language is a North American English vernacular, this is just a good starting point to learn how the sounds You regularly use are represented in the IPA.

I think this step is really important if you want to have coherent pronunciation rules (and is just good for learning how languages work on the most basic level) but if you just need Words That Look Good On Paper In The Latin Alphabet you can somewhat narrow this down to choosing consonant sounds from This alphabet.

So like from that simplified angle Wardi doesn't have the sounds represented by the english Z V and X, I will not produce a word from that language containing these letters (backed myself into a corner early on by giving SEVERAL characters names with these letters. I was able to write around this very easily by having them be foreign names pronounced differently by native speakers, but stuck with the original spellings. This is an unresolved issue and I should really be spelling the names as 'Faitsa' 'Saitsen' 'Lifya' 'Stawis' for more clarity).

From the more complicated angle, Wardi does not have the /θ/ ('thorn') /ð/ ('thy') /z/ ('zebra') /ʒ/ ('genre') /v/ ('vowel') /æ/ ('atlas') sounds, which I use to inform spelling (so also avoiding 'th', and any 'g's that would intuitively be read as a soft G by an English speaker).

There's also sounds I've established as present here that are not present in/close analogues to sounds in English or directly representable by the Latin alphabet - /r/ (rolled r) /ɾ/ (post alveolar flap r) / t͡s/ (like 'tsetse') ((also I've been having difficulty determining what this sound is in the IPA, but a sort of flapped 'L'), (also dental clicks used as consonants in a rare few words and more frequently as an interjection that adds emphasis to words without changing their core information, and as a filler sound). I can't indicate most of these in spelling with any clarity so it's mostly for my own use.

Romanization in general is kind of tricky and is ultimately semi-arbitrary to begin with (presuming you're constructing a language for a setting in which the Latin alphabet doesn't exist). The best way to do it is a non-vibes based way where you set up rules for what letters represent which sounds. This is an area I've been sloppy with/have rules that aren't readily apparent ('ch' spellings in Wardi can denote either a /k/ ('cog') or 'tʃ' ('cherry') sound depending on surrounding vowels, lone 'c' always has a /k/ sound, with 'ch' used in its place where English speakers would otherwise presume a soft C. This means I shouldn't need to have Any words represented with a letter K whatsoever but a few have slipped through anyway).

I would say like, 25% of the words I've constructed are Entirely just putting Canonically Appropriate vowels and consonants together in a way that look good and stick to established rules. But in doing so once I establish a word and its meaning I'll try to pick out roots that I can use again when constructing words with related concepts.

So for an example where I did this in a ultra simple capacity of just Putting Roots Together:

An/ana- root pertaining to fresh water, clean water

Nae- root pertaining to a narrow pathway, implies carrying/movement

Pel/pele- root pertaining to saltwater, undrinkable water

Nau- root pertaining to something that holds/enfolds, mostly in an abstract/cosmological sense

From this:

Anae: river ('freshwater path')

Pelennau: ocean ('enfolding saltwater' (specifically influenced by cosmology in which the world is functionally an island atop an infinite sea)

Pelenae: estuary ('saltwater path')

These roots don't have to be limitations (the same assemblage of letters can occur in words that wouldn't have any obvious etymological relations to an established root), especially if you aren't setting out to make a fully fleshed out hard conlang, it just helps establish a sense of coherency and connectedness in a given language. (Also if you want your language to be really fleshed out you probably shouldn't Just do the 'mashing roots together' thing, pronunciation of words drifts away from their root components over time).

Anyway yeah that's the general methodology I use. I'm very new and entry level at conlanging so it's pretty simple and sloppy but it serves its purpose well enough.

[mysterylilycheeta]

ONYX STORM REVIEW:

After 2 days of catching up on all the work I had postponed for the sake of reading OS, and organising my thoughts, I'm here with my spoiler free review of Onyx Storm. Please remember that these are my personal thoughts and opinions and you're free to agree or disagree based on your views

Rating: 3.25 stars

The Good:

The absolute lack of miscommunication between Xaden and Violet: This book is a gift for all those people who were annoyed to their wit's end by the repetitive stupid fights between Xaden and Violet in Iron Flame. They trust each other, communicate with each other and don't get mad about secrets. I was so pleasantly surprised

Ridoc: Ridoc went through such amazing character development, he easily became one of my favourite characters in the story. We saw him as only the comic relief friend till now but man, he shows such badassery in this book while still being his clown self. And, let's not forget his favourite dick jokes!

The Dragons: Anyone who knows me knows my favourite part about the series is Tairn and the other dragons. Love seeing my grumpy dad dragon, he's such a mood. We also have our sassy teenager Andarna to give him grief. I love all the moments Tairn started boasting about his lineage and his feat: he's such a dork!

Dain and Cat: I never truly hated Dain because I knew from Fourth Wing itself he never intentionally wanted to harm Violet. My only gripe with him was about breaking her trust and looking through her memories without her consent. But man, does he redeem himself. Needless to say, Dain is on my "need to protect" list. I really hated Cat in Iron Flame because she was such a stereotypical cringey evil ex and the way she attacked Violet was so crass and below the belt. She still has some shitty moments in the beginning of the book but she gets a lot better so much so that I want good things to happen to her in the next books. RY did a great job writing these two

Jealous Xaden: My o my was it a treat to see Xaden so jealous. RY fed us with those entertaining af moments. Read the book and you'll find out what I mean

Aaric: I was intrigued by Aaric in book 2 but he stepped up the game so much in this book. He is an amazing character and I'll throw hands if RY even tries to harm him in any way, istg.

The Bad:

Very mediocre worldbuilding: This might be just a timing issue, but the last fantasy book I read was the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson, and every fantasy fan knows the kind of world-building Sanderson does. Onyx Storm tries to introduce us to new places beside the continent, but it is not well done. We spend half the book in the Isle Kingdoms, yet they're not even mentioned on the map. They talk about routes to get to the kingdoms, but how am I supposed to follow them if you won't even mention them on the maps? Every Island has a god it worships and things go according to that but I think we could've had a little more information about them beforehand instead of being presented basic info right before we arrive at the next island. "We're going to said island, this is the god they believe in, here's a five point bullet lost of their customs"- NO, THAT'S NOT HOW YOU DO IT! Like I said, it might be because my last book was by Sanderson so my expectations were higher but the world felt so lacking.

Lack of Glossary: A glossary should be a must in every fantasy book, especially if you're branching out and diving deeper into worldbuilding. We are introduced to gods, islands, uprisings and groups of people we haven't even heard of before and we get hardly one or two lines about them in a chapter and then they are mentioned again 2 chapters later and we're supposed to follow. There were so many new names in OS, it was difficult to keep track of them after a while. I still don't completely understand who the Krovlan people were and what was their deal.

Lack of Basgiath: My favourite book in the series till now has been Fourth Wing and one of the biggest reasons for that was Basgiath. I loved that place and the way it felt an actual character in the story. That Basgiath charm is missing in this book. Basgiath is the biggest strength of this series, it's the reason why FW was so successful, the war college and it's deadly atmosphere, the challenges, the interpersonal relations, it was entertaining af. However as the series is progressing, it's turning into another typical romantasy involving young adults leading revolutions, making alliances, fighting wars etc. I started reading Fourth Wing because of it's setting and yet with each new book, we spend less and less time in Basgiath and it's just dampening my mood.

No real surprises: Let me be brutally honest- this book felt like a filler. Of course there are a few shocking moments with new information but it hardly hit the mark like the previous two books. There were no moments that essentially packed a punch. It's just a bunch of random sidequests to gain alliances which didn't up feeling all that meaningful because of worldbuilding problems. It also seemed like fanservice because of a lot of reasons but I won't mention them as they can be accounted as minor spoilers. Some characters died but it didn't feel impactful at all. It seemed more like Ry was just filling up the death quota because we can't have a book where no one dies

Violet and Xaden: Okay so here's the thing, I like both of them as characters and I think they make a good pair. However, I didn't ever truly feel the romance and this has been a problem since Fourth Wing. They have a shit ton of lusty moments but hardly any soft romantic domestic moments that make the relationship feel organic. I have always been disappointed by the lack of proper romantic development between these two. The problem in this book however is the dialogue- they felt so cheesy and downright cringe at times. Maybe show more and say less?? The way they keep saying nothing else matters as much and I know people are feral for how Xaden and Violet are ready to throw off the entire rebellion for each other but it irks me so much. Xaden, you are leading these people and you have accepted that responsibility. Stop endangering the lives of people you swore to protect because Violet might be in danger. She has other people to support her. Violet, don't get mad when people tell you your needs and wants will come second to Xaden's duty towards the people. He is their leader, he has to make those sacrifices, If you think that's unfair then find someone else to fill his position. You can't have the leadership position yet be each other's top priority. It might seem unfair but that is the right thing to do. I really don't feel like the two of them are fit to lead people. Agree with @thequietesthing's review about Violet's god level power feeling over dramatic and out of character at times.

The Ending: If any of you have talked to me about the book in the last few days, you'll know I'm frustrated af with the ending. It doesn't exactly feel like a well done cliffhanger, it's just plain messy. A bunch of unanswered questions to keep the reader confused and hooked for the next book but it just ruined the whole book for me. I have no issues with cliffhangers but the book should feel complete. The way Onyx Storm ended, it feels there were at least two more chapters that got deleted. It's just all over the place.

That was the review guys. I'll still wait for the next book to get published but my excitement has gone down quite a lot. I was expecting more of a Harry Potter style story where the main still occurs in the school/college itself but it seems like that isn't gonna be the case. I honestly believe this series should've been just 3 books instead of 5 but oh well, what can we say. Really agree with @justallihere and @justascrollingghost. We have almost the same complaints with the books lol P.S: The best surprise in this book: Broccoli, the kitten

[etirabys]

I find it hard to suspend my disbelief about how many different substances you can make with protons neutrons and electrons. That's just three things. I'm in a bath right now and there's water and fiberglass for the tub, stainless steel for the faucet which has completely different properties, some sort of tile which you can round off as a kind of fiberglass, but then mortar in between those tiles which is a secret fourth thing also a kind of fiberglass if you squint, cotton towels which are mostly cellulose, the wooden door which is also a lot of cellulose but Different and With Lignin, toilet paper which is also cellulose... and then candle wax, which is neither fiberglass nor cellulose, which traps all sorts of nice-smelling ketones and esters. It seems lazy from a worldbuilding perspective is all. You want to eat your cake (a complex setting like a bathroom) and have it too (only three glossary entries about world composition for the reader)