Fantasist's Scroll

Ever want to learn a conlang?

Was it just too intimidating? What if you could learn it one word at a time? Well, Terrence Donnelly created the Tsolyani Word a Day page just for you! Yes, now you, too, can learn a created language one word, per day, at a time. Don’t delay! Start today!

The Magus knows!

And, now you can, too, with the Fantasist.net Fantasy Pocket “Litter” Generator. It’s pretty simple to use: just check the boxes that correspond with the categories that you want to generate random items in and click the button. The result is a list of what a character in a fantasy setting might be carrying in its pockets. Suitable for fiction, role-playing games, or just for fun.
The generator is a fairly simple idea that was inspired by Picked Pockets designed by Wraith Systems Labs. Their’s was built in Visual Basic, or Visual C++, but this is web-based and will work for anyone with a browser.
But, enough chatter, it’s Friday, so, go have some fun!

Yes, this is a fun book!

Okay, first off, .How to Keep Dinosaurs is NOT in any way a serious book. It’s a fun, little quasi-“coffee-table” book about keeping dinosaurs as pets. It breaks the possibilities down into several groups, ranging from dinosaurs for beginners to dinosaurs for safari parks. Each dinosaur entry is accompanied by picutres of the creature in a modern setting, usually with people. These photographs are so good, they look like they’re almost real. And, of course, each entry has notes about what the dino likes to eat and any special care notes that might be usefull. It’s a very funny book, but well crafted and informative. It’s really a load of fun and well worth picking up if you’re a dinosaur enthusiast, or if you’re looking for something that will add a bit of surreal reality to your fantasy life. Very cool.

It’s about time I did!

I was on a web BBS for role-playing game development this past week, arguing with someone again, of course, mainly about what seemed to be a willful misinterpretation of a semantic point. But, I got really, really upset by it. As my Dad would say, it “punched my buttons”. Boy, howdy! Frankly, that disturbed me. Why should what some faceless, nameless person think about my point bother me? What did I have to prove? Who was I trying to impress?
Well, I don’t know. However, what struck me about all that was how childish it all was. Not just the whole arguement, because it got rolling, I felt, as a result of someone else trying to impress everyone with their credentials, but specifically my reaction to it. I was rather like a child throwing a tantrum. And, that’s really sad. So, I’m going to stay away from BBSs for a bit. At least until I can get a handle on whatever that all was for me. Maybe that’s a sign that I’m growing up a bit. (About time! After 35 years, you’d think I’d have grown up already!)
So, with one last parting shot, I’ll quote the Bible:
“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ”
Corinthians 13:11

Another great Lawrence Watt-Evans book!

I just finished reading Touched By The Gods by Lawrence Watt-Evans last night. It was, of course, up to his usual wonderful work. Though, I have to admit I had some issues with the names he used. They were occasionally hard to pronounce and that interrupted the “flow” of the story for me sometimes. But, that’s really my only complaint.
It’s a fairly straight-forward theme, really, a champion who is chosen by the gods during a time of peace is suddenly thrust into a war that could destroy civilization as he knows it. Standard heroic fantasy stuff. Of course, Lawrence Watt-Evans manages to bring those “stock” characters to life and make them real with an expert stroke of the brush. Malledd, who is the god’s chosen champion, is born into a smithing family and takes up the trade at his father’s anvil. He grows to enourmous size, even for a smith, but settles into a peacefull life with his wife and children. But, it’s not meant to last, and it would have made a boring book if it had! An enemy of the empire in the far East has found a dark magic that he hopes will allow him to avenge himself against his people’s conquerers. And, along the way on his quest for vengence, he discovers that the gods can favor more than one champion…
I won’t tell any more than that, though, lest I give something away. Let me say only that Touched By The Gods has some interesting takes on destiny and duty. In fact, they’re themes throughout the book as Malledd struggles with the internal conflict between staying home with his family and doing his duty to his empire. An enjoyable read and a bit of a break for Lawrence Watt-Evans who is well known for his Ethshar series of books. I really can’t say enough about his fantastic fiction. And, yes, I meant that as a play on words! So, what are you waiting for? Go get this book and read it!!

I just finished reading Dragon Venom by Lawrence Watt Evans this week.

Wow, what a sweeping book! Lawrence Watt Evans had a lot of ground to cover in this final installment of the Obsidian Chronicles and he did so amazingly well. First off, if you haven’t guessed by now, this is the last book in a series of three novels that are not set in Ethshar, one of my favorite fantasy settings. This world is a little grittier and certainly more savage than Ethshar. And, it allows the author to explore some rather gruesome ideas about the comingling of magic and blood that his somewhat more “happy-happy” Ethshar series doesn’t allow. But, that aside, it’s a great series.
In this final installment, Lord Obsidian attempts to put an end to the dragons for good. And, of course, to seek his revenge on the dragons that devistated his village. Okay, now, if you’re reading this series, stop here, the spoilers are on the way…
Well, he manages to kill quite a few dragons, which doesn’t do much but irritate the remaining ones a bit. But, he also manages to let the wild magic of the South start to encroach on the Lands of Man. So, the Duke orders him to stop slaying dragons until he can guarantee that the Lands of Man will be safe from the wild magic without dragons. That, then, is the main thrust of the book. Obsidian explores far to the South, meets a “wizard”, then kills it, and a god, learning quite a bit about magic along the way. But, not quite getting the answer to his problems.
He does find out that dragon blood is concentrated magic and the key to his problem. So, he goes about trying to create a magical dragon “substiuite”. And, well… I’ll let you read the book.

An interesting website.

Ricardo Pinto has put up a website to support his series of books, which is really one book in three parts, called The Stone Dance of Chameleon. The third book is forthcoming, but the first two are out. (They are The Chosenand The Standing Dead, in case you’re interested.) I haven’t read either book yet, but the world displayed on the website is fascinating. It has quite a few similarities to Mayan or Incan cultures, but, of course, with a very unique twist or three to them. It really looks like a rich, full world that one could spend quite a bit of time exploring. Certainly, the author seems to have spent quite a bit of time creating it: over ten years, according to his claims. He has a created language and maps of the geography in the books. Not only maps, but actual sculpted models, too!
This website is the first introduction I’ve had to the books, but I’m impressed enough that I might just have to hunt the books down when I get caught up in the reading department. Go see for yourself!

Well, it’s just as good as dreaming about winning the lottery!

A long time ago, I remember seeing a list of things not to do if you ever become an Evil Overlord. Well, the other day, I found it. Twice, actually. Bull’s Place has the “short list” and EvilOverlord.com has the “long list”. The second list also has some history about how the list was developed.
Something to think about the next time you design a villian. Or, try to take over the world.