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A Visit to your Fantasy World

Sheilawisz

Queen of Titania
Moderator
Imagine that you could get magically transported to the Fantasy world that you created, the place where your characters live and where all of your cultures, magic and creatures are real...

What would you do in a visit to your own Fantasy world?

What would you be afraid of, and why? Would you try to hide to stay safe, or maybe you could use your unique knowledge about the world to gain influences or power??

Do you think the people would be friendly to you, or maybe they would be a danger?

Thinking about this could help us to understand our own worlds more deeply, so maybe this would be an interesting exercise to practice some World Building =)
 

ThinkerX

Myth Weaver
Hmmm...

On the one hand I tend to identify pretty strongly with certain of my characters. On the other hand, those characters tend to be a lot tougher than I am. Still...

Most of the civilized nations of Char cling to the shores of the great round body of water termed the 'Cauldron', the sole true ocean on the planet, which stretches from the frozen fjiords of Gotland in the north to the sweltering plains of the far south. Gotland...I've yet to do much with yet...kind of a viking culture in the process of settling down.

Cimmar is to the south and east of Gotland. A massive, brutal feudal regime roughly patterned after Kievian Russia, and also where most of the Toki/Hock-Nar stories to date are set. If I had to go there...I'd try to remain in the 'Archon Cities' if at all possible. The Boyars who rule the countryside are basically gangsters.

The Hobgoblin Hegemony, to Cimmar's south might actually be safer despite being the domain, of, well, hobgoblins. Still have to walk real careful, though.

The 'Oriental' nations south and a bit west of Cimmar are Xenophobic. Foriegners who go past the coastal trade cities tend to be executed on sight. Might just avoid going there in the first place. In story terms, its a place where certain characters come from, not a place characters go to, if that helps any.

The southern plains...hmmm...mostly empty. Lots and lots of flat grassland, with maybe the occasional bush or rock. Then you go to sleep and wake up the next morning surrounded by nomads (of several possible races) who debate whether to kill you on the spot, torture you to death ('fun' by their standards) or simply enslave you. There are a few city states here and there...but they tend to be either really primitive or really strange. Again, give this one a pass.

Climbing north as well as west from the plains country is what I'm imaginatively calling the 'Black States', a jungle ringed by mountains and populated by african type people...as well as an assortment of monstrosities. Non natives have a better than even chance of contracting a fatal plague if they remain too long.

North of the Black States is a large diamond shaped peninsula, the site of the Free Cities. Very civilized, excellent artisans and mariners, but also a region rife with lethal political intrigue. Strange cults linger here. Bactra, largest of the Free Cities, might be safe enough to visit.

Most of the western Cauldron - and a connecting inland sea - is dominated by the Solarian Empire, a sort of rough cross between the late Roman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire of Charlemagne the Great. Well organized, militaristic, and just starting to experiment with things like hot air balloons, explosives, bicycles, semaphore towers, and printing presses. Some parts, like Equitant and Carbonne are pleasant enough, but others, like Niteroi, are brutal slave states. I'd probably spend some time in Corber Port, largest city of the Empire, followed by a leisurely cruise to Carbonne, with maybe a brief stop to check out the pyramids of Kheff.
 

Jamber

Sage
That's a nice idea, Sheilawisz!
I don't think I'd want to visit my world -- there are strong gender rules, the place is falling apart and I'm not the tough young nurse my main character is. There's a macabre doctor, an amnesiac patient covered in bandages, a brisk and angry Matron, blimps and dirigibles, the power's always out, the lifts are broken and the whole of society is crumbling while people go about their roles.
I'd be hopeless there -- I just wouldn't have what it takes.
Far better to hang here peering through the little windows I've made, like a peeping tom.
I've never thought of what the world would be like for me, though -- what an interesting exercise! I must be more chicken than I thought. :)
cheers
Jennie

Oops: lifts = elevators.
 

Dr.Dorkness

Minstrel
Oh, wow, thats a good question. As I am now I would not like to visit my world. Since I am far to weak to walk among the people. But for the sake of argument, lets say I'm a godly being in my world. I created it after all...

First I would go to Lathalantas, The great sunelven city and the place where the royal palace is. I would go to the harbor to see the living ships of the selani. Perhaps even a little sea voyage on one of them. Then I'd go to the Bear and barrel, a nice little inn owened by one of my characters family. after that I would dine with the king and converse with him on the state of the kingdom.

After that I'd go to the plains of Dorthun, to vissit the beast tribes. I'd go for a hunt with them. Feast with them in the evening. Perhaps even take part in a race. though I would probably lose.

Then I would go to the mountain ranges, firstly Kudurn. This is where the Aardar live. Jolly fellows with a knack for mining. They give the greatest parties in all the world with fine misic and drink. Then to Zan Tharmir, to the Dwarves. I'd like to see a training match, and taste their forge cooking. After Zan Tharmir I'd go to Nurdur mountains. Uppon which the giants live. I'd ask to see their culture, but they of course would not let me. I would not like to dine with them for they'd probaly have me for dinner.

Then I would go to vissit the orcs. Great warriors and hunters. They'd better be because they need to defend themselves from the giants.

After the orcs, I would go north to the jungle island of Ur'si. The Trollhaugen (Trolls for short) live there. Though I would not stay long for they would probably try to poison me.

Finaly i would go to the safest place in the world. I could probably visit the way I am now. To The orchard of Trees. There every kind of tree in the world grows. I'd go and have a cup of tea and a smoke with the care taker. The great, but wacky, wizard Mairth. who is my favorite character I have ever written.
 

SeverinR

Vala
In the main country, life is dangerous.
But the thieves and beasts that would attack you are not as common as in other countries.

There is crime in the streets, and a duel to the death is common, the Lords are always feuding with each other.
Slavery is still accepted, but not encouraged, some on the grand counsel are talking of ending slavery. Talk is cheap when the majority of Counsel of Commons, still have a full staff of slaves to serve them and still accept discounts and endorsments by slavers. The House of Lords never speak of such, much less the Table of Kings.

But its been over a decade since the last Orc uprising, the dragon menace has not been seen in nearly a hundred years. Pirates still rule the distant seas, but the oceans are safe for the coastal traveller or fisherman.

One of the advantages of having the largest standing military in the hemisphere and mostly allies in good standing on the borders. It allows the military to keep the peace inside the kingdom.
 

Ireth

Myth Weaver
I dunno if I'd want to go to Faerie. XD For one thing, not very many of the Fae are nice, even the supposed "good" guys, the Seelie. The place is pretty much one massive forest, so it's easy to get lost if you don't know where you're going. And there are very dangerous plants there that are nigh indistinguishable from perfectly harmless Earth plants, so you'd need a guide who can tell you what will and won't kill you. Plus, if you do stumble in and somehow find a way out again, there's no telling where or when you'll return to on Earth. Could be only a minute has passed, or it could be a hundred years.

(Oh, and if the Fae throw you a feast, DO NOT EAT. There's a VERY good chance the food is enchanted, which means you'll be stuck in Faerie forever after even a mouthful. You'll never get older in Faerie, and after long enough, you'll turn part Fae yourself. Immortality, but at a price -- even if you didn't eat the enchanted food, you can't leave Faerie again or else you'll fade away and die.)
 

Sheilawisz

Queen of Titania
Moderator
What I would do in a visit to the parallel Earth of Joan of England:

First, just entering that world through some gateway would place me in danger. Violet has ways to detect when gateways of various kinds are opened (especially if something comes in) so she would send a squadron or two, just to make sure that nothing dangerous has happened.

If they caught me, most likely I would be taken for interrogation. Then I would never be seen again, and they would find a way to re-open the gateway and come to investigate this Earth. After they realize what our world is like they would prepare to carry out a large scale attack, and that would be the end of everything here.

Now, let's say that they do not detect my entrance into their world...

I would prefer to appear in England in March of 2007, so I have time to adjust to life before the new world order starts. I would try to live as normally as possible, perhaps at some little town, keeping absolutely silent about all the dangerous secrets that I would know.

The chances of passing inadvertent would not be 100% but still, maybe I could do it =)

Then I would live happily in the new world order created under Joan's rule, and I would never come back to this world.
 

teacup

Auror
Well this sucks.
In mine the country it's set in has been wiped clean of magic and monsters and such (with some exceptions, as the story goes on) so it's essentially just like a medieval England. So england...without internet...Oh gods the horror.

Now if it was in the neighboring country then I can have me some fun with elves, dwarves, magic etc.
 
Drako Okno and Nod

I'm just about to write about the planet Drako Okno and the planet of Nod.

I wouldn't want to go anywhere near Drako Okno at the moment. It's beautiful, tho. Breathtaking, snow capped mountains, dense old forests, a dangerous hidden jungle, an old stone castle, small villages full of terrified, unwelcoming villagers and evil lurking about in every direction. I think I'll wait to visit Drako Okno for a few months when things improve markedly. Oh wait--I just remembered. We're about to be marooned there. Ugh.

The Underworld of Nod - I'd go in a heartbeat! It's a magical Elvin world with musical flowers, exotic wildlife, sentient horses, interesting royals and secrets to discover. Idyllic in every way, brimming with old world charm and developing new world tech. Not to mention an epic romance on the horizon. But unknown to them, danger is approaching from the dark side of their star system at near the speed of light. I might need to cut my visit short.

Oh, the woes of interplanetary adventuring! :spin:
 
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Everyone's worlds sound intriguing. What a creative bunch! This is inspiring me to do more "world creation." I think I was a bit sparse in my last/first novel.

And Ireth, I won't forget - don't eat the Fae feast!
 
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Sheilawisz

Queen of Titania
Moderator
A visit to any of my Aylar worlds from my other Fantasy series:

This would be dangerous too, maybe even more dangerous than a travel to Joan's parallel Earth for a variety of reasons. First, I would most likely get sick with some form of altitude sickness, because the air in those worlds is very thin and even at sea level it's like you were at some 12000' elevation in Earth.

The constant, freezing cold would be another problem (I would have to wear a heavy coat, a hat and everything) but the real problem would be how to pass inadvertent when I meet the local population, which is composed by the Aylar species that have never seen a Homo Sapiens in their lives!!

Aylars are very vicious and blood-thirsty creatures, and I am sure that their first reaction after seeing me would be to tear me to shreds with their claws... Hiding my physical differences with the clothing would perhaps be possible, but the smell (and the lack of a tail) would still give me away.

My best chance would be to stay far from the towns and cities and try to survive by myself, but the thin air, the cold and the variety of dangerous creatures that inhabit those worlds would make it impossible to stay for very long.

Anyway, just thinking of what the Mages could do to me would be enough to convince me not to travel there, even if I could do it right now...
 
Since my main character isn't particularly competent in most skills, this might be somewhat easier for me than it might for others with physically/mentally stronger MC's than me.

Going from north to south, starting with the top-most part of the continent of Kangara - the Columni belt. The weather is hot and tropical, and I really dislike hot weather so I wouldn't like that aspect alone. Along with the weather comes the animals - tigers snakes, insects, you name it. Then there's the native tribe that lives near the north of the jungle; the Black Widows. They'd either kill me on the spot or use me in their man camps to produce them more offspring, as they believe men are worth nothing but for reproduction.

To the south, the Sobrius belt. It would be a nice place, really. The air would be a bit thin at the tops of the mountains and tropical wildlife could still be a problem near the foothills, but life would be relatively peaceful without the influence of the three major cities smothering the community.

Then to the Arid Zone, or Artenesque Belt - the weather here would be extremely hot and extremely dry, reaching 50 degrees Celsius in the shade in summer, and as I said I hate heat. Surely, it would be interesting, with the very Arabian-based cultures and the influx of advanced technology from Ictethys would stand out in an otherwise quite medieval setting. The main city in this belt is Skander, which has severe laws against the usage of firearms and If I was caught with one I'd probably be hanged.

The next Belt down, the Clarius Belt, will be seperated into two very different areas - Calas and Ictethys.
Calas would be a great place to visit architecturally, with huge, Gothic castles and large churches with stained-glass windows. Calas is a semi-feudalistic city-state, following the rules of give and receive often seen in medieval Europe. As a peasant, living in Calas would be relatively safe (Save the possibility of dragon or manticore attacks) but relatively boring. Life as a noble would be fraught with danger and responsibilities, but more interesting.

And Ictethys - it would be very different to visit Ictethys compared to the other two cities. For one, the technology is much more modern and industrialized, and general life expectancy has gone through the roof, and somewhat of a rudimentary internet has been made, so I would probably feel more at home. I would, If only Ictethys wasn't under the rule of communism, which would make living their hard when your beliefs could not be displayed and you technically owned nothing.

Just a little botched thing, hope it interests someone.
 

Ophiucha

Auror
Well, I would be an anomaly from a biological standpoint. Nobody has hair as straight as mine without doing something to it, nobody has blue eyes, my hair is a bit too light, and all of the white people in this world have pointed ears and four toes. My ears don't look like any of the other races' ears, either - those are shaped like acorns. This world also has some pretty heavy gender politics, so as a woman, it wouldn't be the best place. That in mind, I don't know how kindly I would be treated by most people - I would probably get put in one of the mixed race ghettos, which are friendly enough and my main character lives there, so there's that.

All of that said, it is certainly a nice world. There are some... dangerous creatures and problems. I wouldn't want to work in a nuclear factory, nor would I want to be a hunter - there are sabretooth tigers, man - but city life could be pleasant and I think the world is rather beautiful, architecturally and artistically. I have a few skills that could be used to get a job. Actually, my main character has the same job (cook, incidentally), so I guess she might be able to get me a low-level job in her kitchen or something. And by nature of being the person who created the world, I have a vastly superior understanding of the magic system to most people in this world, so I could probably use that to my advantage. I'd say I could use my hip 2013 ~future~ knowledge to help with the space race, too, but I suck at science and know nothing of rockets.

Oh, and if I were transported right during the time of the story... I mean, the story is about a feminist revolution/overhaul of the government. I could probably just ally myself with them and get a nice government position when they win.
 

Addison

Auror
:dance: That exercise blew my writer's block to Io. THANK YOU!

If I could visit my fantasy world...I'd make sure I was awake. Then i'd go running around the city, buy a hot chocolate from the elfen barista and ride the magic carpet to the library, sntaching books as they fly overhead.

I'd be afraid of the sewers (alligators) and anything un-dead, not counting werewolves.

After reading everything I could, from fiction to magic spells, I'd navigate through the metropolis to the South West side, go through the park to old town. There I would use my knowledge of the world to have fun.
 
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mbartelsm

Troubadour
I'd be afraid of delving too deep into forests and wilderness, as there are a great number of dangers. The thing I'd be most scared would be the local daemon, spirit king of the region as his magic could tear any person apart if he's angry. The next thing to worry about would be possible elvish tribes in the area, elves are small but fearsome and very territorial, while some tribes are less hostile to visitors most are downright scary, my last big worry would be animals and spirits that inhabit the area.

The first thing I would do would be to find a human or slender village and learn some magic as magic is probably as important as walking in this world, it would take me a while to get used to it, but I'd eventually get the hang of it, after that I can get a job and earn a life or just build a nice home outside of town, but not too far and live off the land, I may even travel to the skylands and settle there as people are nice and friendly, but it may be a very long journey.

Another option would be to become an explorer, much more dangerous than settling somewhere, but probably much more rewarding, as landscapes are beautiful and things to learn are many, I may meet people on the way who may join me and make a small group of friends.

Othrorath or Liroth are good starting places as the opportunities are many and the land is vast, a normal person with no skills such as me may learn quickly there and raise fast trough the social ladder, even if you get stuck somewhere in the middle they are still great places to live. Liroth having an incredibly concurred port (think RL panama canal) and othrorath being visited by many people from different lands due to it's location on the map.

I don't think I'd become a soldier or a mage, those are risky and difficult professions which are better suited for people with different skillsets, I think I would become an artist of sorts, maybe an sculptor or even a blacksmith.
 
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Jess A

Archmage
Everybody's worlds sound fantastic! Maybe I would visit some of the worlds above. Maybe not others...

My world's setting is similar to the Renaissance period, but men and women are generally equals. The main Kingdom is highly religious and slavery is legal. The duchy to the south is led by the King's cousin, who is a rebel. There are humans and some non-humans around - humans make up the majority. Non-humans are looked down upon but they are intermingled with humans in the big cities. Others avoid humanity completely.

With this in mind, as a human I would not stand out in a crowd. Citizens of the largest Kingdom are from mixed ethnic backgrounds and of course many people might themselves be mixed. My ability to read and write might get me a job somewhere. I can play music, too. I could also become a soldier, but it would cost money and I would be expected to go to war. I would be punished for going against religious codes. I could also become a slave if I commit a crime or am caught by slave traders. Since I am foreign and have no money (assuming I was dropped into the world), I would probably die on the street of some disease, or starvation, maybe freeze to death or get attacked and killed. I would have to make friends straight away to survive. If I lived in the Duke's lands, I would get a bit more support. Slavery is also illegal in his lands (though he does make one of the MCs a slave as a serious punishment - double standards!). But the weather is harsher. Winters are very cold.

As for where to visit - pretty much all of it! Whether I survive those visits...heh. The wildlife can be quite terrifying, as well as some of the forest folk. I would want a camera and something to write with - visually the places would be quite stunning, and I would love the ancient temples and sacred grounds (providing I was allowed to visit those grounds) and the enormous forests and mountains. I would need some strong body guards. I'm adventurous, but I'm a young woman and travelling alone would probably get me killed, let's be realistic here!

As for meeting my characters...the two witches are fairly nice people and non-dangerous unless I threatened them (though the older of the two is very strict and judgmental). I could make friends with them. The younger witch might annoy me - she's a bit dramatic, but then, she's only sixteen. She would be fascinated by my tales of the world I come from. The Duke wouldn't know I existed unless I presented myself to him and was useful. The shape-shifter he enslaved is quite scary. I might want to avoid him or try to appeal to the nicer side of him. No doubt he would ignore me anyway unless I was of some major interest. One of the main characters in the second book is a rich snob and in some ways a criminal. I wouldn't like him or his mates one bit.

Of course, give me some magical powers and some other awesome abilities, I would be far more able to survive.
 
What a thought!:skip: thou at the moment my world (Panadrome) is in the middle of a tabular crisis, (the world's flat) but in normal time's, wow! i would first go to Afulcon. see the great city's of Seara-Nindolf and Seara-Gola. i would explore the grey shade mountains and see the centaurs at work amid the ironwood trees then i would jump north and visit the icy elven empire of Azearia, explore the cold mountain city of Vrog, and visit the famous Blue Bizarre. climb the aurora mountains and see the silent plains where no one may go. (except the author!) then i would jump south, and see the land of Shalloway, where the dwarves work their the huge fields that produce so much of food for the people of panadrom. see the massive Twilight city, and then say farewell and fly south to the jungle country of Wild. watch the fire-breathers slip between the tree's and hunt the great dinosaurs that are said to live there. see the hunted green vale, where king Ardzer of Afulcon disappeared. then to the last and largest of the known continents (known to the people anyway ;)) the great land of Nyew. i would see the prism city that now lies in ruin. farther south i would see the great desert, and the stormwall mountains . i would go to Life City, the great cave matroplis by the sea. look upon the towering citadel of the house of Morex. and the wonder at the strange loogus, who, for some reason, do not seem to fit into this world. i would visit to the archive of the city, the most exstinsive in the world i hear! after browsing through the labyrinth of scroll's i would leave for the last stop, the island in the middle of the table, Izal-Edan. i would fly over the gleaming city of Oz-Goliath and up the side of the mountain, to end my journey at the top. where the thin cold air is still and quit. there i would look in wonder at The Lamp. that shedes it's gold light on the world by day, and it's silver by night. then i would turn for a last look over panadrome, stretched out all around. and i would grieve for a moment for dark times come...
yeah i went overboard. but it was fun! thank you sheilawisz for an awesome thought. every one's worlds look great! thanks:)
 
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