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Fantasy Dictionar
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Fantasy Dictionar
Fantasy Dictionary
Writing a fantasy story often involves world-building: creating the setting in which your story takes place. Physical location is an important part of this phase—the house, cavern, mountain, forest, town, ship, island, or any other space your characters inhabit. But it is more than just a place. Building a world may mean thinking about the history, art, music, language, clothing, and customs of the story’s people—how they earn a living, what they do on holidays, and what everyday objects they use.
Of course a writer can’t design every aspect of a culture. If you did that, you’d never get around to writing the story! But here is the key: you want to think carefully enough about these things so that the reader believes your fantasy world goes on beyond the edges of your story. You want this imaginary world to feel real. And you do that with some well-placed, clear, creative details.
So let’s do some world-building! Please come up with objects, places, words ... any ideas for a fantasy story’s world. Tools, animals, types of clothing, dwellings—any of these and more may become necessary elements in our story! You may suggest as many as you like, or even post a strange word and let others suggest meanings. If you want, you can also write a sentence using the word or describing the fantasy place. Here are two examples:
haloris – a lantern that gives off both light and a pleasant scent. It is used by people who live near the swamps to counter the odors of mud and decay.
“Quill’s boots sank into the moss, deeper at each step, and ahead she could see a swamp, moonbeams glittering on pools that lapped around the tree roots. Catching the stench of stagnant water, she pulled the haloris lamp from her pack and set it alight.”
gnawk – a large, black bird with a raucous cry and uneven feathers that always look ruffled and untidy. Gnawks have a fondness for pecking and chewing on rope, and they are notorious for setting free dogs and farm animals tied with ropes. They unmoor boats tied to docks, and have been known to free certain fortunate prisoners.
Can you see how story ideas practically ooze from your Fantasy Dictionary, once you get your imagination going?
submitted by Fred Durbin
(April 23, 2014 - 10:11 am)
(April 23, 2014 - 10:11 am)
The Order of the Moon is my most ancient and excellent group. Thank you for mentioning that, Princess Pony.
(August 2, 2014 - 12:02 pm)
Your welcome.
(August 7, 2014 - 6:27 pm)
Livear- a person with different colored eyes
Sealoc- a person who is bound to the waves
Avaris- guardian
(August 1, 2014 - 6:43 am)
Qunder, a magical jewel that gives a weapon a magical power like fire or somthing else. His Qunder arrows flew finding there own targets and kiling them
(August 6, 2014 - 10:32 am)
Swishen : Someone who feels the pull of the wind. Sometimes such are winged.
Seathi : Someone who feels the pull of the sea. Some have the shining tail of a Mer-person.
Ether : Someone who feels the pull of mountains . Some say this is the same as a Swishen, but Ether not only love the hight and climb but to massuge jewels and ores out of the earth and shape it into strong swords that are almost alive, and jewels that hide powers strange and beautiful.
Leth Etkyr : The ceremony to name a Ether-born sword ( for if these swords are alive... )
Yetyer Kyu yu-Gora, Alk Thyu Kel Adreo-Tha :
' Whisper wind and crash sea,
I cannot come to thee '
This is a stanza from a song by Aythura Kyum, called, ' Yetyer Kyu yu-Gora, Alk Thyu Kel Adreo-Tha ' by the elves , who are only half believing that such a song cannot be of the birth of a tree ( They are quite adoring of plants ) .
Wethkyr Untipo :
' Burrow-puff ' , litteraly- refering to rabbits in the elf-human halfling dialect.
Yute :
A curving flute, often named and well-loved. Slang for a close friend or relative.
" Little Yute... Oh my poor, poor little yute, I'm so sorry ... "
(August 7, 2014 - 9:26 pm)
Espen (n) - A fried pancake of sorts made from a paste of crushed pine needles, soft bark or reed, cream, and other herbs based on what is available. Good for camping with limited supplies.
Ex. The espen were made from his special recipe with dandelion leaves and cattails.
(August 15, 2014 - 12:54 am)
Espar : The woodsy scent of pine needles. Espen smell of them .
THANX for commenting, I've been trying to keep this alive !
( Hi from 1969 )
(August 15, 2014 - 8:47 pm)
Oh, sorry, I preveiwed it and it said I was in December 1969. * Embaressed Grin*
(August 16, 2014 - 10:29 am)
Enscyle: A scythe enveloped in an overwhelming aura which can only be dispelled by the owner. Example: 'He watched as the enscyles' aura dissapate as he gripped the hilt. "It's all yours, lad." stated the talented blacksmith.'
Worljin: A mage like creature that rides on the hidden whirlwinds of the atmosphere. It creates a beautiful aurora with its ribbon-like tail. Example: 'The worljin streaked the sky with auroras of all colors. I gasped and watched it dance gracefully among the clouds. (I like to be descriptive, sorry.)
(August 30, 2014 - 11:47 pm)
Drakon: Like a dragon, but much larger. I owned one, until Fable's stupid stupid father killed me. Oh well, I killed him at the same time! Her mother was gone anyway.
Miff: a fool. Fond of that phrase, actually.
(August 31, 2014 - 8:41 am)
SUPERCALAFRAGILISTICEXPIALODOCIOUS!!!
(September 3, 2014 - 3:36 pm)
is a long word. spell it.
(January 30, 2015 - 6:31 pm)
Here are some for you, everybody. I hope you like them!
Sagyai--sweet, herbal tealike beverage. If you drink too much it may drug you! (unless that's what you're trying to do)
Example: Roti carefully poured a strong dose of sagyai into her cup, and waited breathlessly as she swigged it all without noticing. In a few minutes his escape would be complete!
Allurris--this means a creature, most often human, dragon, or phoenix, who has a strong connection with the wind. Their singing is extraordinary and may sometimes be magical. It is a hereditary trait passed on in remote areas.
(September 2, 2014 - 9:56 pm)
I suppose I should add some.
Unfindlang: one who is lost.
Lusapien: A creature who can morph from a wolf to a human, different than a werewolf.
Telscript: A scroll that allows you to communicate with someone far away.
Solureve: A time when the moon and sun are both in the sky.
Solurefin: A type of fish that only comes out on a solureve.
Fraspicel: A creature, human or animal, who can preform dark magic.
Okrex: The eighth descendant of a mighty king.
Gracieve: A dirt road that leads nowhere in particular.
Gracievee: One who is silly enough to follow it.
Aringenda: Unconcievably large.
Impronegda: Incomprehensibly small.
Godeaquo: Extremely delicious.
Kind of got carried away there. Hope you like them! (Eugene says ubyr. Is that an entry to the fantasy dictionary, too?)
(September 3, 2014 - 9:02 am)
ubyr : Someone, like an acrobat, who dances for very low pay in bars.
Elsora was an ubyr, the best in the kingdom, and she hated it.
(September 3, 2014 - 5:53 pm)