Fantasy Dictionar

Chatterbox: Crowd Sorcery

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)

Dear Fred Durbin,

I wrote down that my name was Zachary T.,  and it  is.  Zachatree is just my nickname.  Sorry! 

submitted by Zachatree, age 11, Tree, Tree
(September 26, 2014 - 3:27 pm)

Hi, Zachatree! (That's a great nickname! I really like it!) I'm sorry I missed answering this until now! I hope you see my reply. I like your ideas very much! I'm sorry that I can't make any promises about whose words are going into the story. I don't keep any systematic track of who submitted the words I'm choosing. I just pay attention to the words themselves and how well they fit the story. Thank you for inventing great words--I hope at least one of yours will make it into the story, but I honestly don't know.

submitted by Fred D., Pennsylvania
(November 19, 2014 - 2:53 pm)

OK, more words!

Places:

Tunnah Daeryama: A system of caves that houses creatures of evil. It is said that those who venture in never live to see sunlight again.

Caer Lidron: A sky kingdom of godly people who consider themselves masters of writing. When visiting other realms, they hide their face with a cloak, so as not to blind the eyes of ordinary people. Lidrones, as citizens of Caer Lidron are often called, usually work as scribes or librarians, and only reveal themselves to those who are extraordinarily worthy.

Orypos: A volcanic land strewn far to the east. It is so lethal, not even the bravest adventurers dare to explore its ashen land.

Other words:

Eragrine: A common peasant meal made from grain, beans and mushrooms.

Makothyn: One who had sworn their soul to an evil entity.

Mintravy: A type of bird who senses when someone has died, and sings a mournful tune.

Avisyct: The language of birds.

Grynt: A mauve root used to cure burns.

Corypi: A torch that is only illuminated if its holder is brave.

 

submitted by J.B.E, age 13
(September 26, 2014 - 9:46 pm)

Vyuen : A kind of elven flute made of reed

Ruddyn : A dye made from clay which makes a reddish-brown color

Gymn : ' Grim ' in Elvish

Yhnn : It is an adjective meaning ' dull ' or ' sleepy ' in Elvish.

   The day was yhnn with a gray sky streching forever and not even the soft splattering and splashing of rain to wake the world.

Cyhy : A special kind of hay made of a mix of oats, dried seeds, corn and wheat.  

 

Patchi says angi . Angry ? Who are you angry at ? 

submitted by Indigo K. ❖
(September 27, 2014 - 2:56 pm)

AWESOME!!!

submitted by Will T., age 14, GA
(September 27, 2014 - 6:52 pm)

Awery=   A ghost that died multiple times

seperentus=  a giant snake, similar to the basilisk that can change into dragons and turn invisible

musicolius=  a creature with the head and body of a woman that sings ancient music, similar to the sirens except she kills with her voice alone

 

submitted by Grace, Hogwarts
(September 27, 2014 - 4:27 pm)

I think that all of the other kids suggestions are GREAT! I just have a few more to add: 

chdesser: a normal-looking stone, that when you touch it, will drag you to the right place, even by flying or swimming you there. This stone has wings, hands, feet, and flippers, but is very powerful and tiny.

Rucky: A pair of boots that are a rather conspicuous yellow, and that cannot sink into quicksand, cannot sink, and that are so light that they feel like a part of your skin. These boots can talk, and give out a really high chirp like a bet, so only the person the person wishes to call hears it. 

Squisll: A future version of a squirrel. They are soo cute, that as soon as you see them, you fall into a deep daydream, and do not notice anything around you. Their tails are furry and small, but are so powerful that they could knock you off your feet and send you flying in the air. Once they bond with their first master, it can never be undone, even if the master dies. Their eyes are a deep navy blue, and usually swirl like a spiral, if the squisll is not sick. 

Thorg woods- A deadly and dangerous forest, filled with strangling vines. Its where the old animal prisoners who seek revenge and where the demons of ? live and dwell. 

Sentence suggestion-

" As the rucky boots gave their call, my ears felt like exploding, and soon I fell unconsious. Hours later I awoke in a metal chamber in the middle of Thorg woods, with a squisll staring me right in the face. I could tell that an evil force had caught me, and I was desperately afraid, with no weapons to escape. I was trapped."  

submitted by Gabrielle L. , age 10, California
(September 27, 2014 - 7:03 pm)

Rewoya= a rare monster that is born from an exploding moonbeam and an exploding phoenix turned into an egg. It can grow to be huge, and some can shape shift.

submitted by ?pandora?, age ??????????, athens
(September 27, 2014 - 8:08 pm)

Kertanium-a type of grey-red rock that explodes into flames if thrown into a hard surface with enough impact.

Wymp-small, red-skinned, elfish creatures that serve humans, though they're not at all slaves, more like housekeepers. They are not wimpy. Usually they assist LIBRARIANS IN LIBRARIES.

Serponens-part wolf, part dragon. Similar to griffins. These horse-sized monsters have upper bodies of dragons, and the lower bodies of wolves. Their body color vary from grey, red, to black. Khaos used these creatures in his invasions.

Roagers-huge humanoid monsters with single horns growing from their foreheads. They have deep grey skin and are eight feet tall. They usually wear chainmail suits and armor. Their chief weapon is a cortor. These beasts were also used by Khaos.

Cortor-a large battle ax with ax heads on each end.

Slicers-dark beings that were used the most in Khaos's quest to take over the world. They are about five and a half feet tall, with two-foot long claws coming out of the tops of it's hands along with fingers. They have two horns on their small heads that curve forward. They look similar to humans but have four arms instead of two.

Terronians-here's the fun part. Please write to me what you think a terronian should be.

 

 

submitted by Will T., age 14, GA
(September 27, 2014 - 9:02 pm)

garcus lopian = a plant that it's leaves have a poisonous odor and it likes dark places

resam= a type of magic light that must be stolen to use

Seryac = a name meaning " doomed to die " 

submitted by Me, age my age, my place
(September 28, 2014 - 8:49 am)

Mythka : A pale pink climbing flower. Also a name.

 

submitted by Indigo K. ❖
(September 28, 2014 - 3:16 pm)

fatia- a horse with lavender skin that eats only purple things, but very rarely ever gets hungry

sesasma- a plant with bright green and circular leaves that can be ground up to make an excellent green paint or dye

obolopo- a plant with purple spiral-formed leaves that can be ground up to make puumpola, or a food that can give energy to fatia, so they can travel at amazingly quick speeds, yet the effects wear off when five minutes pass, or when it rains (whichever comes first).

ptaima- a creature that existed before anything ever has. It has a blunt nose with a beetle-like shell, but it doesn't have any front legs, only hind legs. It stays very low to the ground, but ptaimas aren't very shy. They try to communicate, but since they camouflage so well, no one seems to notice them at all. Only a few have been seen. Sometimes, if people found one, they would try to paint them with orange paint, so they can possibly be found again. 

submitted by Zachary T., age 11, Valparaiso, IN
(September 29, 2014 - 6:12 pm)

Azoi : A polenta-like thing made with firey red corn, and the milk of a reindeer.

Cir ( Prounced Kyr ) : A long thin instrument which looks like a very thin one-stringed violin with two flutes attached to the edges. It sounds like a river, with undertones from the violin-part and overtunes from the two " flutes " . It is played with your mouth and a curved stick 

Names for girls :

Kyta✧

Jurena⤅

Injana✧

Royene⤅

Pykytha★

Soné *★

Juyenr⤅

Boy names :

Esmykan✧

Durisinr⤅

Fakoy✧

Flyke *★

Zingar⤅

Vyken★

Surkor★

⤅ : Human

✧ : Elven

★ : Other 

* These go togehter : Song and flight, the two gifts of the Bird People

submitted by Silver Mask
(September 29, 2014 - 7:25 pm)

Shala: A sweet water found at the roots of a mangrove tree, has amazing healing powers.

Karisse: A serpent that lives in the sand dunes.

Cliyed: A thread that has been woven by powerful magic, usually the magic of friendship or love that will protect you.

Krut: A large bird that makes a rasping noise.

submitted by Forrest
(September 30, 2014 - 6:50 pm)

Dhi -- magical crystal orbs

Spindra -- a race of people, usually have deep purple or indigo eyes and light, golden-brown skin

Torredge -- a meal eaten by peasants, usually consisting of whatever scraps they can find 

submitted by Me
(October 1, 2014 - 7:07 pm)