This is a Freend, a monster from my Garglemesh fantasy setting.
Freends are lesser Demons that live deep underground, in the bowels of the world (specifically the Stomach and Small Intestine). They enjoy swimming and cavorting in the giant acid pools of their home. Freends are not known to be freendly, and some can even act rather freendish. They like to play pranks and cause mischief when they can, and then share a good laugh about it together at their victim’s expense.
Freend sightings on the surface world are rare. Although a curious and/or lost Freend may occasionally make its way to the surface through a series of twisting caverns, most Freends that you encounter were likely called by some summoner. Due to the nature of the laws of Time and Space in the world of Garglemesh, there is no way to transport matter instantly from one location to another without using the Space Crystal. Because of this, summoning is a laborious process that does not produce fast results. Amateur summoners are often disappointed to learn that their summoned Freend will take two to three weeks to arrive at their doorstep.
Freends like to congregate around places of dark magic and sinister auras. There have been several Freend sightings in the forests south of the Garglemesh capital. There are whispers of a dark magician there, living in the Evil Log Cabin deep in the woods.
So World Building June is over, but I’m still gonna upload more stuff about the world of Garglemesh. I’ll probably post some more stuff focusing on Garglemesh as a game rather than just a fantasy world as well. Main characters and story elements and the like.
Anyway, topic for today is Time and Space.
The Crystals of Time and Space are two legendary and unique artifacts in the world of Garglemesh. Throughout much of history they are safeguarded by the Ussaryans to prevent meddling in spacetime, but the Crystals have been known to exchange hands every now and then. People discover them, use them, lose them, hide them, and discover them all over again.
As one might guess, the Time Crystal allows a person to travel through Time, and the Space Crystal allows a person to travel through Space. However, the artifacts do not come with you once you use them, meaning the journey is always a one way trip. You better make absolutely certain that you're ready to go, because getting back might not be so easy.
Time naturally flows in one direction. Moment A is succeeded by Moment B, and then Moment C, and Moment D, and so on and so forth. Nothing in the world is capable of altering this progression, save for the Time Crystal. A person at Moment C can use the Time Crystal to travel backwards to Moment B, or they can even jump from Moment C to Moment A, skipping B entirely. This is time travel into the past. A person can also use the Time Crystal to travel from Moment C to Moment D (which effectively is the same as the normal flow of time), or they can go straight from Moment C to E, skipping over D. This is time travel into the future.
Usage of the Time Crystal will only displace the user through time; their physical location will remain unchanged. If you activate the Time Crystal while standing inside your room and travel to the far future, you will arrive in the future in the place where your room used to be. However, the Time Crystal tends to be generous in situations that would place the user’s well-being in jeopardy. For example, if the user stands atop a mountain and travels to a point before the mountain existed, they will not manifest in the air and plummet to the ground. They will instead materialize on the ground directly below their starting position. Similarly, if the user occupies an empty space and travels to a time period where that space is no longer empty (e.g., a wall is in the way), they will not re-form stuck within the object. Rather, they would be moved laterally to the nearest open position.
Using the Space Crystal is simpler and operates as expected. The user can be explicit with their intended destination (send me five meters to the left), or they can be general (send me to the next town over). The Space Crystal interprets destinations less literally and more closely to what the individual actually had in mind. If the user says “Send me to my house”, the Space Crystal will understand whether the person meant “Send me to my front door” or “Send me to my bedroom” and react accordingly.
Using both the Time Crystal and Space Crystal simultaneously gives the user the freedom to choose any point in time and space as their destination. They can go to any location in any time period, without restrictions. Rarely does one person ever come into possession of both Crystals, outside of the Ussaryans. With both in hand, a person can even travel to vague or abstract destinations that they do not know the actual time and location of. A person could say “Send me to the Ice Cream Shop that sells the best chocolate ice cream in all of history”, and the Crystals will send them there. This will only work if the place actually exists, of course. A person could say “Send me to a time and place where the entire world is made of jellybeans”, and the Crystals will most likely not do anything at all.
The Time Crystal is the more powerful of the two, as it gives the user access to abilities they could not come across naturally. A person can use their own physical strength to move themselves from Point X to Point Y to Point Z. They cannot skip across Point Y while travelling from X to Z. Only the Space Crystal can transport matter from one Point to another that is more than one Point removed from the original. This is the same as how the Time Crystal is needed to travel from one Moment to another while skipping over a third. However, given enough time and energy, a person is physically capable of moving from Point A to B to C all the way to Z and then backwards until they return at Point A. While following the physical laws of Space, an individual is only restricted by their energy, time, and creativity to reach any location. But while following the universal laws of Time, a person will never be able to travel backwards from Moment Z to Moment A, or even Moment Y. They can continue to Moment ZA and ZB and ZC and ZD all they want, but without the Time Crystal, all Moments that they have previously passed through are rendered inaccessible.
The rules of time travel in the world of Garglemesh follow similar guidelines to those found in the TV show Lost: Time is immutable, and whatever happened, happened. If you time travel into the past, then in the present you must have already been in the past to start with. History cannot be changed. If you go back in time and murder your grandfather, then he probably wasn’t ever your grandfather to begin with.
The Time Crystal is missing a piece. This chunk is actually a separate artifact known as “The Recorder”. Like the Time and Space Crystals, the Recorder cannot be taken with you upon usage. Activating the Recorder does not send you to any point in time that you wish. Rather, it is only capable of sending you back to the last place you time travelled from. If you use the Time Crystal to go from the Present to the Future, activating the Recorder will send you back to the Present. If you have never previously time travelled before, the Recorder will do nothing for you.
So I’m not 100% familiar with the intricacies of how tumblr works but it seems to like to resize images sometimes. I really liked how this drawing came out so I wanted to post it at a better resolution.
This is the sky of the world of Garglemesh, from my “Sky” world building post. It depicts the crystal forest growing on the interior of the skydome. The Moon platform hovers above, while the crystal trees glow with the bright intensity that forms the Sun.
Major Territories and Other Areas of Interest (Of Garglemesh (continued)):
Black Phoenix - A mostly isolated kingdom, with deserts to the south, mountains to the west, the Shadow Lands to the north, and additional roads and passageways within made inaccessible by the Shadow Dragon’s rampage. Black Phoenix sees heavy rainfall, and is rumored to be home to blood sucking ghouls and other unsavory creatures. Notable features include Black Phoenix City and the Swamp of Near Death (it is said that people who go in do come out, but just barely, and they’d really rather not go back a second time).
Oldetmir - An arid land, Oldetmir is unique among its neighbors as it is home to one of the few non-human races of the continent, the Liliths. The Liliths are a race of snake people that live in the Salasand desert. They mostly keep to themselves, but some Lilith individuals can be seen mingling amongst humans in their cities. Notable features include Oldetmir City and the Lilith Lands.
Chidley - Sharing a coastline with Aquarya, Chidley serves as a hub of trade. Ships arriving from Aquarya or elsewhere dock on Chidleyan shores, where merchants are ready to continue the journey to the other northeastern territories and beyond. But some of these merchants can be a little unscrupulous in nature, and their deals may not exactly follow the letter of the law, if you catch my drift. All’s I’m sayin’ is, if ya’s got money, they might be able ta find some things for ya’s, is all I’m sayin’. Just be quiet about it. Notable features include Chidley City and Syral’s Tower.
Aquarya - A seafaring city-state. Sailors from Aquarya travel far and wide across the Great Ocean. Although Aquarya holds some territory on the coast, the majority of its population lives in the capital city on an island. Aquaryans are easily recognizable by the blue tint to their skin. Aquaryans are neither half-human, nor do they have gills or fins. Their skin is just a little blue. No one is quite sure why. Regardless, it appears to be a benign and hereditary condition, but it does make them look a little sickly or unwell to some people. Notable features include Aquarya City and the Bridge of Infinity, an impossibly long bridge/aqueduct that connects the capital to the mainland across a series of rocky spires and islets.
Aeino - The second largest nation on the continent and the only one capable of rivaling Garglemesh in terms of sheer power. The Republic of Aeino has a senate, and its nobles trace their roots back to the legendary figure Aeino, a Seacornian statesman and one of the founders of Raftera. The people of Aeino have a deep sense of national pride and exceptionalism, and their military is strong and disciplined. They are a prideful people, and can even be a bit snooty at times, but they have also have a great respect for courage, bravery, and honor. Notable features include the Ishiroo Plains and the Marsh of Death (which is much Deadlier than the Swamp of Near Death).
Raftera - Raftera is not a sovereign territory, nor does it have a government. It was once the Second Great Kingdom, and at its height it had an empire spanning the whole of the continent, coast to coast. But all that remains now are ruins. Its various states and provinces split apart and became the kingdoms of the modern era. Some, mainly Aeino and Garglemesh, like to claim they are the true successor of Raftera, but no one officially holds the territory directly surrounding the capital. The area has almost become a holy sanctuary of sorts, and is generally left untouched by its direct neighbors, Aeino and Notre Brew. Some small settlements exist here and there, but most stay clear of the ruins, lest they rouse the slumbering automatons and golems that linger there, ready to defend and serve masters that no longer exist. Notable features include the Raftera Ruins and the White Dragon’s Cave.
The Forbidden Lands - The Forbidden Lands are not actually Forbidden from anyone, but it is considered a cultural taboo to go there by many. A vast and harsh desert stretching far to the northwest, the Forbidden Lands were once the First Great Kingdom of Seacorn. Seacorn’s empire was larger than any other in history, and they ruled the high seas without question. But one day, in the blink of an eye, the entire ocean that they laid claim to dried up and disappeared. Accounts vary on what went down. Some say the Seacornians fell to hedonism and debauchery in their absolute power, and the gods took the waters away from them as a divine punishment. Others say that it was the last king of Seacorn himself that brought ruin upon them. Gripped with delusion and paranoia, he attempted to summon his god (by sacrificing his left sandal) to destroy his enemies, only to summon a terrible demon in its place. The monster is said to have laid waste to their capital and made off with their water before disappearing. Regardless of what happened, historians agree that there was once a vast seafaring empire where now there is only sand. The desert has since been seen as a cursed or sinful place, so most people avoid it entirely. However, it is not uninhabitable. Plants grow here and there, and desert nomads are known to make camp between the dunes. Notable features include the Tower of Destiny and the Wind Palace.
The Shadow Lands - The Shadow Lands are a barren wasteland. Nothing lives there. Nothing grows there. The air itself is poison, and any who journey there quickly become sick and perish. What ruins of buildings remain crumble into dust at the slightest touch. There are no clouds. There is no wind. Only silence. Notable features include...?
Ussarya - Ussarya is a place of magic, and a bastion of hope. The Ussaryans are an ancient and mysterious people. They are a community of scholars, magicians, gurus, and monks who aim to protect all of Space and Time and meditate on the mysteries of the world. Many are descended from more ancient Ussaryans before them, but they place no limits on outsiders who wish to join, regardless of race, gender, creed, sex, orientation, identity, ethnicity, or any other such label. A great barrier of ethereal energy protected them from the Shadow Dragon’s assault, but the encroachment of the Shadow Lands has left them isolated from the outside world. Their wisdom and power is revered by many, but they are ridiculed by some. Apparently, they worship turtles. They tend to get a little touchy on the subject.
Chilek - The people of Garglemesh know little about Chilek. Any major settlements exist far to the south of their shared border, and travelers in either direction are few and far between. Those who attempt the journey will find cold mountains and hot desert in turns. People say there are lands even farther south than Chilek, but who knows what could truly be down there.
A map of the world of Garglemesh I drew a year or two ago. I’d really love to clean it up and color it one day.
It was drawn in the context of being the overworld map for a video game, so some things like roads and trails were added with the intention of showing the paths the player would follow rather than accounting for where actual trade routes or foot traffic would be.
Gonna give a short blurb for each of the major places, but I’d like to make individual posts going through them in greater detail later.
Major Territories and Other Areas of Interest:
Garglemesh - The Kingdom of Garglemesh is the Third Great Kingdom, and both the largest and most powerful nation on the continent. Garglemesh is currently enjoying a period of peace and has just entered a new Golden Age, its culture going through a Renaissance-like transformation. The people of Garglemesh are considered a bit odd by the world at large, and are known for their kindness, hospitality, and willingness to trust. Like, to the point of being a bit off-putting. Seriously, they’re too nice. Notable features include the G Forest, which is literally shaped like a giant letter “G”, Garglemesh City, which rests on a great hill at the center of the Forest, North Town (in the south), Hourglass Valley, Sidequestia (a Guild for citizens to take on random odd jobs and requests), and the Volcano of Optionality (you don’t really need to go there).
Misseldor - A militaristic kingdom with a depressing landscape. The land of Misseldor is muddy, rocky, mountainous, and cold, making it unsuited for farming and generally gross to look at. Misseldor has poor relations with its neighbors and treats other nations with hostility and mistrust. Notable features include Castle Tyr and the abandoned Black Chasm, a cave that once housed the Black Dragon.
Notre Brew and Werberton - Notre Brew and Werberton are two separate, sovereign kingdoms that were once a much larger unified whole. At some point in the past they underwent a civil war, with a great chunk of the nation seceding and declaring independence. The animosity between these two lands was so great that one took the name of the original, spelled backwards, and used that as its new name. However, no one can agree on which one truly was the original, and which one the newer. Both kingdoms point fingers at the other as the instigator of the conflict, and both claim that their nation’s name is the original one, while the other’s is the backwards name. Historians find conflicting evidence on the issue, and most give up in frustration and decide to let sleeping dogs lie. Notable features include Notre Brew City, Werberton City, Serenity Volcano, and Beowulf’s Library, an enormous repository of knowledge owned by a private collector.
Uhhh whoops I ended up writing a lot more than I intended to for these. Guess I had too much to say to just leave it at a sentence or two for each. I’ve still got like ten more areas to cover, so I’m just gonna post this for now and add the rest tomorrow.
