Chargo
Acolyte
Soo I've been building this world for a story that I should hopefully start soon (I have the main characters and some major plot points in mind, but I like to flesh things out so I can just focus on plot while I'm actually writing). It's going to be low-fantasy(as they call it these days), and one of my my main influences is Martin (among others). Anyhow I'd like to just get some feedback on my world, I'm kinda dancing with a few cliches.
1) So the primary setting is a large empire pretty much based off the Holy Roman Empire in the early 15th century, some of the constituent parts (Electorates) are based off european nations (i.e there a peninsula based off of Spain/Italy, a part that's more english, German areas, and a Breton/French/Nordic area). I like the idea of doing it like this so people will kinda know what I'm talking about and I really don't want have Wheel of Time Style names (one of my biggest turnoffs in Fantasy is made-up weird names). I also plan on using titles from the period like Electors, knights, Dukes, and Margraves. My main worry is that people are gonna think it's a little to cliche (Warhammer pulled it off, but I also don't want people thinking I ripped off Warhammer).
2) Sooo I have elves... and dwarves. I know. I'm not going to call them that, but for that's how I tend to think of them. I'll start with my "dwarves". They're actually not that short, for starters (avg 5'5-5'8) but they do live underground (which is what makes them dwarves in my head). Some of them excel in geology and mining and all the usual dwarvish stuff but they also are quite notable for their intelectual and artistic pursuits (I figure if they're stuck underground all winter they get good at passing time). I see them being almost stereotypically "Jewish" (bear with me here) introverts, excelling at banking and commerce (they're quite well represented in the merchant cities). They're backstory is a little convoluted but they're Kingdom is on the Eastern border of the Empire in the mountains, but quite a few have moved to the human cities to ply their trades and escape the weather. My elves are an island people, and at one point ruled the area that is now the empire. Culturally they're a bit of a mashup of Greek/Roman/and Japanese. Anyhow I'm still working on them and a lot of it is going to be major plot points, but I can say they aren't going be platinum haired gods. Really the only thing separating the dwarves/men/elves is their longevity and culture (they might have a linked past).
3) Fauna. And I mean gryphons, hippogryfs(sp), wyverns, giant squids, and Lovecraftian squid people. Also giant spiders and trolls and in general a lot of deadly creatures. Cliche or awesome?
4) Lastly, is it cliche at this point to not have magic? I'm not a huge fan but I hear it just isn't fantasy if there isn't any.
Thanks for indulging my neurotic tendencies, please feel free to pick things apart (or tell me what you like). Btw, my profile is new but I have lurked here before a little in the past.
1) So the primary setting is a large empire pretty much based off the Holy Roman Empire in the early 15th century, some of the constituent parts (Electorates) are based off european nations (i.e there a peninsula based off of Spain/Italy, a part that's more english, German areas, and a Breton/French/Nordic area). I like the idea of doing it like this so people will kinda know what I'm talking about and I really don't want have Wheel of Time Style names (one of my biggest turnoffs in Fantasy is made-up weird names). I also plan on using titles from the period like Electors, knights, Dukes, and Margraves. My main worry is that people are gonna think it's a little to cliche (Warhammer pulled it off, but I also don't want people thinking I ripped off Warhammer).
2) Sooo I have elves... and dwarves. I know. I'm not going to call them that, but for that's how I tend to think of them. I'll start with my "dwarves". They're actually not that short, for starters (avg 5'5-5'8) but they do live underground (which is what makes them dwarves in my head). Some of them excel in geology and mining and all the usual dwarvish stuff but they also are quite notable for their intelectual and artistic pursuits (I figure if they're stuck underground all winter they get good at passing time). I see them being almost stereotypically "Jewish" (bear with me here) introverts, excelling at banking and commerce (they're quite well represented in the merchant cities). They're backstory is a little convoluted but they're Kingdom is on the Eastern border of the Empire in the mountains, but quite a few have moved to the human cities to ply their trades and escape the weather. My elves are an island people, and at one point ruled the area that is now the empire. Culturally they're a bit of a mashup of Greek/Roman/and Japanese. Anyhow I'm still working on them and a lot of it is going to be major plot points, but I can say they aren't going be platinum haired gods. Really the only thing separating the dwarves/men/elves is their longevity and culture (they might have a linked past).
3) Fauna. And I mean gryphons, hippogryfs(sp), wyverns, giant squids, and Lovecraftian squid people. Also giant spiders and trolls and in general a lot of deadly creatures. Cliche or awesome?
4) Lastly, is it cliche at this point to not have magic? I'm not a huge fan but I hear it just isn't fantasy if there isn't any.
Thanks for indulging my neurotic tendencies, please feel free to pick things apart (or tell me what you like). Btw, my profile is new but I have lurked here before a little in the past.