A Quick Ramble about Bronze Age Fishes and Worldbuilding
This is a minoan larnax, aka a "bathtub" sarcophagus. I had the privilege of seeing it along with many others while I was in Crete. Many of these sarcophagi, like the one below, had lids. However, this particular example (above) was not displayed with a lid, though it was presumably meant to have one.
What caught my attention about this particular larnax were those three fish. Many of these vessels have marine scenery (marine life, ships, water-like patterns, etc.). It is theorized that this imagery may be indicative of the Minoan afterlife, which was innately linked with the sea, or perhaps waited beyond it. But that is a whole different issue.
Why I found those fish so interesting is because they were located not on the outside of the larnax, but inside, meaning that when the deceased was interned and the lid placed, they would have only been "visible" to the dead, keeping them company in a way.
I wonder if the person who this coffin was intended for had a part in its design or, if not, what the loved ones who commissioned it were thinking. Maybe it was a bit of flair from the artisan that was never explicitly requested.
Regardless, I find something charming about those strange, seemingly inconsequential little human details that appear on ancient artifacts. They're not images of deities, and nothing indicates to me any deep explicit cutic or ritualistic meaning. They seem to just be fish. I hope those three little fishes were able to help the occupant on their journey.
I think when it comes to world building or just imagining the past, an important aspect is remembering little quirks like this. It's easy to use generalities, particularly about the material and physical aspects of a culture, but I think occasionally sprinkling in these little quirks helps to make your world feel more alive.
"To be human is to bleed and to be bled. These words rattled in the slave's head, as they had ever since they were placed there twenty long years ago. Blood dripped into the awaiting bowl, each drop painting the alabaster crimson. Wicked, accursed blood, tainted by an ancient and divine fury. Narul watched it trickle down his arm, skirting past coarse hair and stony muscle. His veins had been opened a thousand times before, and yet he could not shake the same creeping feeling of unease as his eyes followed its path, as if at any moment it may rear up like a fanged serpent and strike. The bottom of the snowy basin was now completely swallowed by red. His eyes met those of his reflection, as it gazed back at him from the scarlet pool, ugly and monstrous. That familiar cold hand of fear and disgust clenched at his belly. He turned away."
Howdy everyone! This is just a quick WIP introduction, or to be more specific, it is a re(re)intro for my WIP, The Testaments of the Green Sea. This is in response both to a tag from @willtheweaver and a recent poll I held to see what folks wanted to see from me.
Just a quick bit about myself for people that might be seeing this for the first time: you can call me C. I'm in my late twenties, and my partner and I are originally from the USA, but we currently reside in Scotland. I am a student of Mediterranean History and Archaeology (starting up my PhD in September, as long as funding is secured), with a focus on the Aegean and Western Anatolia, which is the driving influence behind the world of my WIP. I enjoy cooking, fishing, DnD (ing?), reading, and of course writing.
I am trying to be a bit more active on here; work and life sort of got in the way for a while there, and I am always open to things like tags and asks, even if it takes me a bit to respond.
The Testaments of the Green Sea
Genre: Epic Fantasy, Anthropologic Fantasy, Mythic Fantasy, Bronze Age Fantasy, Sword and Sandals(ish)
Themes and Tropes (Or more accurately a random assortment of words and phrases vaguely related to the plot): Found family, Bronze Age setting, immortality, loss, love, war, power, memory, magic, insanity, The passage of time, growing up, queerness in the ancient world, violence, spirits, fantasy outside of medieval europe
Summary: The first book of the Testaments of the Green Sea (The lands of the Green Sea are pictured above) follows the journeys of the giant slave Narul and the princess Ninma. After unexpected tragedy forces the two to flee from the Great city of Labisa, they find themselves on a journey which carries them across the ancient and fractured lands of Kishetal as search for a safe place for a fugitive child to grow up and a way in which Narul can come to terms with humanity, or lack thereof. Along the way they encounter spirits, demons, war, gods, pirates, and slavers. Content Warnings for death/grief, violence/blood/gore, mental illness, physical illness, abuse, ancient slavery, elements of horror, and cannibalism, awkward queerness, secondhand embarrasment etc, etc.
The stories themselves are told and translated from the perspective of C.C.H., a student living in the world of Kobani approximately 4,000 years after Narul's time.
Excerpt: "Yes, I am a spirit, though I take some offense at being so carelessly lumped in with all other spirits. Would you appreciate it if I just referred to you as an animal? We spirits are just as varied in our forms, intelligences, and moralities as you mortals. Though perhaps mortal isn’t quite the correct term in this case.” The spirit looked over Narul with appraising eyes.
Draft Status: Well...what was originally meant to be one book has been split into three, I kept trying to edit my manuscripts and make them smaller but I found that instead of the word-count going down they instead kept going up. So, I threw in the towel and decided to split what was supposed to be one book into three. I am in the process of finishing the last third of the first book. (title to be determined) I am subtly optimistic that I can have that done by the start of autumn, at which point I will give it to my partner to edit and will not touch it until after they're done. After that I'll probably start looking for some beta-readers, while at the same time starting up on the second book.
This first book (and the first trilogy) is just the beginning of a larger series following Narul's story throughout I'm so excited to share more with you, and I love answering questions!
Author's Note
"I have some reservations in allowing this piece outside of the secrecy of my own mind, but at the prompting of a member of the Department of Ancient Histories and Archaeologies (AHA), who I shall refer to only as Dr. H for the sake of anonymity, I have chosen to submit this manuscript as a part of the annual “Arch-fest,” an annual sharing of projects, performances, and papers concerned with the Era of Greater Bronze I-IV, that is to say the period of approximately 1800 years between the foundation of Cish or Kişetal by the demi-mortal Tamel the First and the crowning of Queen Dapia the Second marking the beginning of Tarquinian dominion in much of the Western Green Sea. The Fest has shared its fair share of controversy, particularly amongst the more religiously conservative members of Yannish society.
Before all is said and done, I must preface that this is a work of fiction. All characters are inspired by my own interpretations and feelings, inspired though they may be by the literature and archaeological record. I am not questioning the wisdom of the authors of the Ancient Tomes nor the authority of modern clergy and theologians, regardless of affiliation. With all this being said and done, I must acknowledge that my own philosophical, political, and religious proclivities will most assuredly appear within this story, as they are ought to do in just about any work of fiction meant to evoke serious thought and emotion. While I have largely forgone organized faith, I was raised within a New Jothist household and grew up well acquainted with many of its intricacies. The figures which appear within the Tomes are of deep emotional importance to me, and though I may have largely moved past my religious connection to these figures, they are, I believe, still an essential foundation to my political, ethical, and spiritual understanding of our world.
Now that I have addressed that particular issue, let me turn to more academic matters. I make no connections or mentions to Joth or Tarque, as both would be meaningless to the figures inhabiting the world at this time. Nor will you find mentions of the more grandiose events of the Ancient Tomes, much to the disappointment of the theologians, I have no doubt. Rather, all that I will describe will be in keeping with what the most recent advances in archaeology, Calamatic and Pre-Calamatic Studies, paranatomical research, zoology and azoology, in addition to other fields, have shown us about magic, monstrous species, spirits, the Calamity, and the nature of demi-mortals, also archaically referred to as Spiritbloods and demigods, with the truly fantastical being included only on rare occasion. Recent excavations at the site of Chibia (Çibal) and Hapir (Labisa), along with more ongoing studies of the recently uncovered remains of Specimen G56, who some believe to belong to the famed demi-mortal Satrick or Sadaric, were of particular use.
Lastly, I will apologize to the philologists. I am no expert in ancient languages, and I must admit that my grasp of Middle Kishite is somewhat tenuous and my grasp on Lawuian is even worse. With this in consideration and with broader society in mind, I will be rendering Kishite words in a way that is more immediately accessible to those who are not versed in academic writing. However, I will also not be using the Etruitized nouns with which the common man is so well acquainted. You will find no Naro or Nina here, nor will you find Na-rŭ-(u)l and Ni-n(a)-ma or, Joth forbid, the proper Kishite characters, but rather the far more approachable, and frankly more practical for general transcription, Narul and Ninma."
-C.C.H.
Narul and Ninma courtesy of @faeporcelain
(Here's some links too. I have way too much worldbuilding content)
Language, Phrases, Food Pt1, Food Pt2, Maps, Magic, Status Symbols, Labisa Tour, MC intro.
Can you tell me a little about the knosh island from your world?
Thank you for the ask! I'll give you a quick history of Knosh and I'll tell you a bit about some of the groups and cultures that exist there.
Knosh: Isle of White Stones
The history of the two islands of Knosh (Kuh-nOsh) is long and complex and requires at least some understanding of the world before that of Narul and Ninma.
The Age of Glass and Metal
Long long before the current era humanity experienced a golden age of science and magic which would later be known as the Age of Glass and Metal. In those days humanity shaped stone and soil as a potter shaped clay. The forces of nature themselves bent to their will.Their cities were vast beyond modern imagining, sprawling megacities of millions. Just one city from this era held more people than in the entire Land of Kishetal during the time of Narul. They held the power to fly and sail through empty space, they even made cities upon the moon.
Unfortunately this constant growth and need for power soon pushed society to the limit. They developed Ekatsim technology which allowed them to harvest and utilize the souls of living things as energy. This resulted in untold ecological destruction, damage which still can be seen in some parts of Kobani up to the modern day.The consequences were catastrophic, not only for Kobani but for all the worlds bound within the Cycle of Reincarnation. In order to try and stop this, many of the spirits of Kobani rose up against these cities, joined by a small minority of humans. This war would rage on for fifty years. During this time the Tree Tenders and the Stonefolk, the wisest and longest-lived of the Awakened peoples, were wiped out. Ultimately Ekatsim technology allowed the Men of Glass and Metal to prevail against the spirits, and soon they began to harvest the energy of the spirits themselves, causing even further ecological and spiritual damage in all worlds of the Cycle.
The growing harm inflicted upon the Cycle by humanity led the gods to conclude that Kobani needed to be purged of the corruption caused by the civilization of the Age of Glass and Metal. Before acting, the gods sent visions warning a select number of humans of the coming devastation. These people were told to seek refuge with spirits who had not turned hostile.
When the time came, the gods unleashed widespread destruction across Kobani. Natural disasters and supernatural forces devastated the land. Volcanoes erupted, earthquakes reshaped the terrain, storms and floods destroyed cities, and many spirits turned violently against humanity. Most human settlements were wiped out, and roughly ninety-eight percent of the population died. This event brought the Age of Glass and Metal to an end and became known as the Great Calamity.
The Post-Calamity World
Among the regions most violently shattered during this destruction was the region that would later become Knosh. Before the Calamity this land had not been an island but the northern tip of a great peninsula extending from the mainland of Pyritia. That peninsula had supported several massive cities which were ultimately destroyed when the peninsula crumbled and was swallowed up by the sea. By the time the destruction ended only the mountainous northern fragments of the peninsula remained above the waves. That fragment became the island of Knosh. Near the fortress city of Mahrwy, the remains of one of the ancient cities can still be found, with a few broken white towers jutting up from the forest. In other places stone from the ruins has been integrated into building walls and temples. While the reuse of ancient stones for construction is not uncommon in the Green Sea, Knosh has a particular abundance of this. These ghostly white ruins can sometimes be seen from the sea, and from them Knosh gained the moniker “The Isle of White Stones.”
In the centuries that came after the Calamity, human tribes slowly re-emerged from their mountain sanctuaries. Some early hunter-gatherer peoples settled the area that would later become Apuna. Climate change gradually transformed northern Pyritia, drying marshlands and plains until they became the Kusr Desert. These environmental changes scattered the ancient tribes in many directions. Many settled along the Putla River to become the Proto-Apunians. Some traveled west to become the ancestors of the Pyrian tribes, while others moved south to form the cultures later known as the Namutians and Aguru. One small group took to the sea and eventually settled upon Knosh. There they encountered several existing populations of Forestfolk, descendants of survivors of the Calamity, twisted and mutated by magic, such as the Akwa and Safiyru; they had inhabited the island for generations. The newcomers gradually intermingled with them until their peoples became culturally and physically intertwined, though their language left a lasting mark on Knoshic speech.
Knosh itself proved unusually difficult for humans to inhabit. The island had absorbed an especially heavy concentration of wild magic during the Calamity, and its forests became home to strange and often dangerous beasts shaped by that power. Even its flora show shapes and traits which are found nowhere else. Many early human settlements vanished or were forced to abandon the island entirely. In other cases the settlers themselves were transformed by exposure to wild magic and became new Forestfolk tribes. For these reasons Knosh was among the last lands of the Green Sea region to be permanently settled by humans. By the time of the Arkodic-Kishite War humans had only been permanently inhabiting Knosh for about 100 years.
The northern island was occupied for a short amount of time by Kishite soldiers who captured the island in search of timber to repair their ships for the battle against Arkodai and to gather slaves. The Kishites would in time be pushed out by a confederation of Forestfolk tribes alongside their human allies.
Makwi and the Safrimtwy
Over time, however, human populations, descended primarily from settlers from northern Pyritia and Satabul, slowly grew and formed a number of competing kingdoms. Particularly in the aftermath of the Arkodic-Kishite War, settlement on the islands became more robust in order to profit on the vaccum left by the destruction of the Arkodians and the collapse of the Kishite maritime empire. These new human settlements while initially cordial with the forestfolk tribes soon turned against them, pushing them into less desirable corners of the islands.
During the reign of Kenwat, king of the eastern kingdom of Makwi, sixteen loyal soldiers and their families, just over fifty individuals in total, were exposed to a magically contaminated spring in eastern Knosh. The exposure to the wild magic mutated them into a new lineage of Forestfolk called the Safrimtwy. These people were larger than ordinary Knoshic humans (Knoshics are on average amongst the smallest humans in the Green Sea) and possessed a remarkable physical resilience. Their most striking feature was a long prehensile tail covered in thick keratinous plates resembling scales. Because of this tail they were often called “Snake Men.”
The Safrimtwy became renowned as warriors and fiercely loyal guardians of the eastern throne against both rival human kingdoms and fellow forestfolk. They were granted the fortress of Mahrwy. For nearly four centuries they served the eastern kingdom faithfully and at their peak population grew to more than eight thousand individuals spread across Eastern Knosh. Their prosperity would come to an end after Makwi, which had been gradually dwindling, was conquered by the Western kingdom of Bam and its Apunian allies. At the Battle of Pmnya the eastern king, Hekret, was killed. Seven hundred Safrimtwy warriors fought there and died to the last, their ferocity earning them lasting fame. Fearing rebellion, the victorious leader of Bam, Hanru, ordered a brutal campaign to eliminate the Safrimtwy entirely. Their tails became grisly trophies traded in markets across the Green Sea, the scales often carved and used in the creation of jewellery and other decorative items.
By the time the Safrimtwy child Dati was born his people were on the edge of extinction, with only fourty-one left in the entirety of the Green Sea. Thirty-two years before the events of the story a devastating earthquake struck eastern Knosh, resulting in the collapse of the gateway of Mahrwy, killing thirteen of the survivors. Soon afterward raiders attacked and killed the remaining inhabitants, sparing only the young Dati, who was captured and taken away to be sold as a curiosity.
Meanwhile Knosh continued to change. The island once possessed vast cedar forests covering nearly eighty percent of its land, but centuries of logging to supply timber for Apuna and Pyria devastated these woods. By the time of Narul, only about fifteen percent of the island remained forested. The loss of forests and wildlife caused severe economic decline, and the population of Knosh fell by more than two-thirds. Many inhabitants turned to piracy or the slave trade to survive. Ironically, the reduction of human settlements allowed some Forestfolk communities to reclaim parts of the island and rebound, making Knosh an unexpected refuge for them.
Beneath the island lies another curiosity of uncertain origin: the subterranean city of Unkhatet, a sprawling network of tunnels and caverns inhabited by roughly twelve thousand people. It is not entirely clear where these people come from, or whether or not they should be counted as human or forestfolk. Whether the earliest passages of Unkhatet were carved in the distant age before the Calamity or more recently by some forgotten people is unknown, but the city now survives through trade with the surface, providing flint, gold, and iron while relying on surrounding communities for food and cloth.
By the time in which the story takes place, most of Knosh has once again been unified under the Kingdom of Ban. Yet the island is not completely united. The southwestern corner has been occupied and at least temporarily claimed by the Kingdom of Juta, descendants of raiders from the islands of Baalkes.
Profile
Name: Knosh ( Kunush in Kishite, Knwa in Apunian, Wikati in Korithian, Koniud in Baalkic Langauges)
Pronunciation: Kuh-nOsh
Location: The southern Green Sea, off the northern coast of Pyritia west of Apuna and south of Ikopesh.
Population: Around 134,000 Humans in total, Reduced in recent centuries after deforestation and economic decline. Approximately 68,000 Forestfolk also inhabit the islands with their numbers gradually increasing.
Peoples: Knoshic humans descended from Apunian, Baalkic, Pyrian, and Satabuli settlers. Major Forestfolk tribes include the Akwi, Akwa, Yan, and Safi. There is a small population of Hillfolk, about 600 in total living on the southern island. A small community of 43 Kiriki inhabit the mountains near Pteu.
Languages: Knoshic (influenced by early Pyritian settlers, with a particularly strong influence from Apunian and local Forestfolk dialects) Various Forestfolk languages and dialects.
Geography:
Knosh consists of two rugged islands with rocky coastlines, dry hills, and scattered forest. The larger northern island is typically referred to as Wret (Knoshic: big) while the smaller southern island is Let (Knoshic: small). The islands were once the mountainous tip of a peninsula that collapsed into the sea during the Calamity. The remaining landscape is heavily influenced by lingering wild magic, producing unusual flora, dangerous beasts and monsters, and ecosystems unlike those found elsewhere in the Green Sea. This has resulted in an antagonistic relationship between the human kingdoms of Knosh and its natural inhabitants, most exemplified by the campaigns of deforestation taken by Knoshic leaders throughout its history. Only about 15% of its ancient woodland remains today. Despite this Knosh has an unusually high concentration of spirits when compared to neighbouring regions.
Economy:
Historically Knosh exported cedar timber and other forest products to nearby regions such as Apuna and Pyria. Following the large-scale deforestation the economy declined sharply. Modern livelihoods include coastal trade, fishing, piracy, and the slave trade, while some communities survive through mining and trade with the subterranean city of Unkhatet.
Notable Cities:
Mahrwy: The stronghold once granted to the Safrimtwy and located near the ruins of a pre-Calamity city whose white stone towers still stand among the forest. Mahrwy in now Knosh's largest port.
Unkhate: A vast underground settlement of uncertain origin inhabited by roughly twelve thousand people.
Pteu: A port city home to the temple of Tkwa, god of both poetry and sagecraft. Many of Knosh's sages reside here, practicing their craft.
Important Figures: The demigod Sheknu, The hero Tem, the poet Ukish, King Kenwat, King Hanru, Queen Temit
One Common Dish: Pemrwy genmesen (Stuffed Dates)
Fun Fact: Knoshic pottery is considered among the best in the Green Sea, with their long spouted jugs, typically shaped to resemble a poppy flower, being of particular interest to buyers around the Green Sea. This has resulted in not only a massive trade in these vessels, which may appear in the noble houses of Kishites, Korithians, Apunians, and even as far away as Ukkaria and Sinria, but also in a growing number of workshops in these lands creating imitations of Knoshic pottery. In Kishetal this is called "Nakunu" coming from the word for not "Na" and the Kishite name for Knosh.
been a bit since I did a bit post like this. Fun to be back!
Feel free to ask if there is more that you want to know or if you want me to expand on anything!
I want to try getting active on here again. Life has been a lot and I've missed posting on here, I've found it really helps get my creative gears turning. Help me please, tag me in stuff, suggest things you might want to see. Worldbuilding, character stuff, excerpts, whatever. I miss tag games and asks and such and interacting with folks on here.
Happy Storyteller Saturday!
This is your invitation to share a link to something you do that isn't on Tumblr. For example, your author website, a social media profile, your Patreon or Kofi, a Linktree or Carrd or some other landing page, your newsletter, your itch.io or Gumroad or Smashwords or Wattpad or Royal Road or wherever else your stories can be read or downloaded or bought etc.
If you really don't have anything off-Tumblr to share, you're welcome to share a link to your writeblr intro or a post you want to bring awareness to instead.
💜
Thank you! Happy (late) STS! Unfortunately I don't really have anything outside of Tumblr as far as my "online" presence goes. I've thought about making more, but I'm not really sure what would fit best or what I would actually post.
So I guess I'll use this as opportunity to link to my current intro (I'll be making a new one soon) and then I'll just do a dump of some of my maps (with no context) and such! By the way I use Inkarnate.com for my maps!
https://www.tumblr.com/somethingclevermahogony/740885946541719552/a-re-introduction-to-me-and-my-wip?source=share
If you want to know more about any of these just let me know!
Word Find Tag Game (Leaving this open) (also a quick poll)
Thank you @winterandwords, I know that this is uh...quite a bit overdue.
The Rules:
Search for the given words in your story. If your story doesn't have a word, you can use a variation on it or a word with a similar meaning.
My words are TOGETHER, ALONE, WITH, and APART
TOGETHER
“My people, children of the Red Cedar, do not think that I refuse my crown. Do not think that I wish to run back to the desert where I was born. Do not think that I forfeit the marble throne. The gods have found me worthy, those brave men like Lord Barunaki and Datur here who helped me in my victory over my cruel uncle have found me worthy, but I have not yet proven to myself that I am worthy. My throne has been bought with blood. The blood of my own kin, of not only my uncle but his family, innocents and children, and also by the blood of some of you and your kin. That is a pain and pollution that will haunt me until the beasts feast on my flesh. It is not in the nature of a king to humble himself with apologies, but I do so now. I shall rule in utter gratitude for the sacrifices that you the people of Labisa have made for me. And to show my gratitude, I shall work to see that you are prosperous. I shall know no rest. I shall serve for the good and glory of all Kishites. Yes! All Kishites! I saw in the visions of those spirits an ancient time, a time so foreign to me that it filled me with fear but also with wonder! Because I saw a true Kishite people! Not a people of many kingdoms! But a people of one great kingdom, a kingdom of honor and glory! Of full bellies and plentiful herds! I saw that was my purpose! My brother was Hiru, Prince Hiru. He was destined to sit on the marble throne and to wear the ancient crown. But he was struck down by my uncle when he was just a boy, before I took my first breath. He resides in me now, this I know. I am he and he is I! I have taken this throne and laid my uncle low for him, but this grander purpose is for me. The purpose that I have seen, my duty is to reignite the forge long cold and to forge together the broken shards of the Kishite people! To bring us together as one proud people; a people of the poet and the warrior! I cannot wash away the pain of last night, I cannot pull them back from Father Death, but I can see that their sacrifice was one of the utmost necessity.”
ALONE
To Narul the forest felt different when he was alone. It already made him feel small, but without the familiar voices at his side, he felt minuscule. Just a moment before he had felt like some great beast, towering over Bira and the judgmental eyes of villagers/
But now, in the forest, it felt as though he had tripped and fallen into another world entirely. Birds cried and whooped overhead as they hopped from branch to branch, while insects buzzed and spiraled around the giant’s head. Half-recognizable things flicked between the shadowy trunks; the same shapes that had haunted him on the road, now clearer in the growing darkness. Things that buzzed and glowed, that twisted and knotted into impossible forms, slipping between tree trunks to gaze at him with eyes that were almost human. Bira’s words bounced about in his thick skull.
WITH
The laughing ended abruptly, the clearing was silent, and even the fire stopped crackling. A light pierced through the shadows of the trees. The torch was held aloft by a man dressed in the simple woolen tunic and reed cloak of a farmer. He was tall, though perhaps not as tall as Narul, with a large round gut and a soft kind face. His skin was the color of golden wheat, his hair that of autumn barley, his eyes were dark blue, like a deep forest spring, speckled with green and brown. Tucked under the arm which did not hold the torch, was a sloshing beer jar, bigger than Ninma. Behind him marched a train of figures, some sort of forestfolk, human-like, their skin a vibrant green, their eyes the color of amber. In their arms they carried drums, harps, flutes, and other instruments of merrymaking.
APART
“Just don’t tell Bazus, I’m sure the lad is jealous enough that I took my slave on a hunting trip and not my own son. But he can’t cling to his father’s skirts all the time. A child must learn to live and thrive apart from their parents, especially if that child wishes to rule someday, isn’t that right?”
“Erm, I suppose so, sir.”
“You see Narul? This is why you’re funny! You suppose. What would you know about being a father, a child, or a king? You suppose. You know nothing.” Hutbari chuckled.
I'm gonna leave this one open to whoever sees it and wants to participate. Your words are Consume, Stomp, Cackle, and Grin.
Now, I'm trying to get more active on here again, and I would like to do things that people find interesting. I think something that's caused me a bit of burn out in the past on here is that I have a bad habit of putting a lot of effort into my posts which then receive little if any attention. If I'm going to post on here I want it to be things that people are actually interested in. Of course I will continue doing some of these tag games as well but I am making this poll to see what sort of things y'all would be interested in seeing.
So, what should my next big post be?
Worldbuilding Post (which will require another poll)
OC Intro
Writing Share (Maybe some snippets here and there)
Something Else? (Give me some suggestions)
A Re-Intro just to refresh people and introduce any new folks to my WIP
Common Greetings in the Kishite Language: Important Phrases for Travel
It's been awhile since I did a worldbuilding post (Hopefully there won't be too many typos in this one.)
This is entirely unprompted but this is mostly just an excuse for me to share some of the conlang stuff I've been working on
I copied a list of important phrases for travelling in Greece but of course instead of translating them into Greek I have translated them into the Language of Kishetal, Kishite.
For those of you who may be unfamiliar to my WIP, is the primary setting of the first book. Kishite is a loose cultural region on the eastern edge of the Green Sea. For more info about the Kishite Language click here.
See Below: A Cultural Map of Kishetal, and the Kishite Syllabary
Note that these only account for mainland dialects of Kishite. Colonies and settlements in places like Makora are considerably different.
Hello (Formal): Dasuda (DAH soo DAH)
Hello (Informal): Dusa (DOO sah)
Hi/Hey (Very Informal): Du (DOO)
Dasuda should be used when talking to those of a higher societal rank than yourself, elders, and for groups of people. Dasuda and by extension the other two words, Dusa and Du, come from a shortening of the phrase, Irun dasu uk da(a)b (EE roon DAH soo ook dahb), which literally means "Good things for you" which is itself a shortened version of Gipikoni janu ch(i)un irun dasu uk da(ab) (Gee pee KOH nee JAH noo choon EE roon DAH soo ook dahb)meaning "May the gods send good things for you." Well these two longer greetings are largely unnecessary, using them can be seen as a sign of respect.
Nice to meet you/Good to meet you: Ga dasu kugiwaz da(a)b (GAH DAH soo KOO gee wahz dahb)/ Gadaka (informal) (Gah DAH kah)
Literally "(It) Is good meeting you" Use this phrase when meeting someone for the first time. If meeting multiple people instead say Ga dasu kugiwaz da(a)bun. In more informal situations you may be fine to simple say Dakuda (DAH koo dah. If you’re about to take off at the end of an interaction, say "Ga(a)s dasu kugiwaz da(a)b" means “(It) Was good meeting you."
How are you?: Mowa Da La?
When addressing two or more people, use the plural and say "Mowa d(a)un lan(a)as" (MOH-wah doon lah-nahs). You can also ask the much more informal "Moda" or "D(a)la/D'la" which translates to something like "Sup"
I'm well/healthy/good/happy: Wa Dasi/Daja/Dasu/Bira
Any of these are appropriate responses.
You can also add, "Ash", to the end of any of these (AHsh) for “very." For example very good would be Dasu ash.
Other possible responses include:
Ill/Bad : Nadu/Kosu
So/so: Dakudaku
Okay: Nidasu
And you? = Da?/ Al Da?
Goodbye: Datara (DAH-tah-rah)
Bye: Du (DOO) (Same as Hi)
From Dasu Taraliwash which means "Good leaving/embarking"
Another common farewell for non-coastal areas is "Wi Ri al janu Ch(i)un itpali" (Wee Ree AL jah-noo CHOOn eet-pah-lee) this translates to "Be alongside the sun and the gods" when in coastal regions or speaking with a sailor replace Ch(i)un with Jabisa (Sea).
Good morning: Darire/ Dari
Shortened from Dasu Riture (DAH-soo Ree-too-reh) (Good morning). Use this as a standard greeting up until around noon.
Good afternoon/Evening: Dayulumu/Dayu (DAH-yoo-loo-moo) (DAH-yoo)
Shortened from Dasu Yulumu (DAH-soo yoo-loo-moo)(Good Late Day)This greeting is said around late afternoon, dusk, and into the evening. This the greeting used anytime between Noon and bedtime.
Shortened from Dasu Dura(a)t (DAH-soo doo-raht)( Good Darkness) Say this when bidding someone saying farewell in the evening, typically when preparing for sleep.
Thank you: Olda(a)b (Ohl-dahb)
From the verb "Oldi-" meaning To Thank and "Da(a)b" meaning You. To say "Thanks very much," just add "Dana" (Dah-nah).
Please: Pakida (pah-kee-dah)
It's polite to say Pakida (pah-kee-dah) after asking for something. It can also be used to mean "I beg your pardon?" or "Huh?" when you want someone to repeat what they said. When talking to a person of higher status add the honorific before, for example "Nin(i)jali pakida..." (Princess please...")
You're Welcome: Na (nah)
There is no specific word for thank you, rather to acknowledge gratitude you simply respond with the word for no, "Na". The higher the position/status of the person who has thanked you, the more times you should repeat Na. When thanking a king you should say "Na" no less than seven times. It is important to watch your tone when using this. It is typical to accompany "Na" with a bow or inclining of the head, while not maintaining eye contact .
My name is ...: (En) Kubit ikir wani ... (koo-beet ee-keer wah-nee)
Literally "(The) Name of mine is..." alternatively use "Ik egirwa..." (eek eh-geer-wah) (I acknowledge...)
What is your name?: Dowa wani (en) kubit da(i)r? (DOH-wah wah-nee koo-beet dahr)) /Dowa wani da(i)r/ Dowa da egirla?
Literally "what is the name of yours?" or " What do you acknowledge?"
How do I say?: Mowa akkuwa? (Moh-wah ahk-oowah)
Say this when you want to know the Kishite word for something.
Yes: Duda (Doo-DAH)
For non-verbal ways of communicating yes either incline the head forward well retaining eye-contact (not a bow or a nod) or touch the nose with either index finger. Clicking one's tongue can also be used to say yes, typically when purchasing something, though this is very informal and not appropriate when talking to someone of higher or even equal status.
No: Na (Nah)
For a non verbal form, tilt the head to the side, the more extreme the tilt the more emphatic the no. Touching the ear to the shoulder shows extreme displeasure or disinterest. Additionally a sharp hiss between the teeth can also be used as an informal way of showing disinterest.
Excuse me/sorry: Akdi (Ahk-dee)
Say this to get a person's attention, ask to pass by, or apologize if you've bumped into someone or otherwise inconvenienced them.
Oops: Wu! (Woo)
Typically used playfully, the sort of thing you say after you make a silly and non-harmful mistake, like dropping something or tripping. Use in cases where no apology is needed.
Literally "What do you want in exchange for this?" or you can simply say "Dowa lutuki?" and point to what you want. You do not necessarily need to include "enrila" which means "you want" as this is typically implied.
I don't understand: Na ludakiwa (Nah Loo-dah-kii-wah)
Alternatively a palm placed flat over the left ear is a non-vocal indication that either you don't understand or you can't hear.
Help!: Pasisi! (Pah-see-see).
Cheers! : Daliwi! (Dah-lee-wee)
From "Dasu Oliwi" meaning "Good Blood" or "Health".
First longish post I've made in a bit! Hope y'all enjoy it.
If there are other phrases or words that you would like the translation for, let me know!
If y'all notice any mistakes or typos in this, send me a message so I can fix them! Same goes for if you have questions! I'm also just stealing the taglist from the last linguistics post I made, hope y'all don't mind.
