Busy Brained

Lily//She/her//Fantasy writer//Tree Hugger// My current wips are THE IRAEYA CHRONICLES, and CHILDREN OF THE MAGE WARS 

[treesandwords]

Sons of the Summer King inspiration post

Goethe - The Sorcerer's Apprentice (translation: Bart Wolffe)//Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A'Changin//Wendell Berry - The Peace of Wild Things//Mary Elizabeth Counselman - Witch-Burning//The Green Knight (dir. David Lowery)//Khalil Gibran - On Children//T.H. White - The Queen of Air and Darkness//George R.R. Martin - A Storm of Swords

Painting is A Pageant of Childhood by Thomas Cooper Gotch

Taglist: @kaatiba @writingmoth @on-noon

[treesandwords]

redoing the castle design for sotsk for probably the tenth time 😭😭

[saturncoyote]

The most frustrating part about giving my own characters sexualities and labels is that i always feel like it gives the impression that these characters are aware of this information and would actively use these labels for themselves when that is rarely ever the case

They do not know what aro or ace means, that dude would never describe himself as trans, that other guy is nonbinary but they got a job so they don't care about that right now, she's bisexual but if you ask her she'll just tell you everyone has a beautiful soul and move on, they use multiple pronouns but not out of choice people just keep on guessing and she doesn't mind and honestly kinda enjoys it but he's not telling you that

Ooc They're gay or bi or aroace or bigender or whatever the fuck but in-universe they're looking you in the eyes and telling you that every man on earth secretly wants to kiss other men and that's just a desire you gotta live with and that it's completely normal and they will not for a second question what this implies about themselves

[elumish]

I feel like this is often one really interesting piece of worldbuilding that people can do, and also one place where worldbuilding can fail.

Different cultures, times, groups, etc. will have different sets of language for sexualities and genders, and you can show something interesting about the world you are writing with how they talk about it.

People have talked a lot about how gender has been talked about across a wide range of societies, and I won't be able to do it justice so I highly recommend doing some research on it, but if you're creating your own world--are there two genders? Two "main" ones and a third? Three "main" ones and a fourth? Do they have the concept of "trans" in whatever term they use for it, or is that a fully separate gender?

Does your world have terms for sexuality at all? Do they differentiate between attraction to one gender versus the other? Are the four sexualities "people attracted to men", "people attracted to women", "people attracted to both", and "people attracted to neither" rather than about what gender(s) you are attractive to relative to your own? Do they just have terms for "yes attraction" and "no attraction"? Do they see romantic and sexual attraction as the same, or do their terms more closely resemble the Split Attraction Model?

Are terms ones that most/all people know, or are they more academic? What terms are well known? Is there an academic effort to define some of these identities? Are there non-slur terms?

I feel like part of why it can often feel jarring and wrong for characters to refer to themselves as gay, bi, etc. in either fantasy or distant future sci fi is that they feel very grounded in time. If we weren't using the term "asexual" in this context 100 years ago, why would we be using the same term 500 years in the future? Or, alternatively, if we are reading about a patriarchal, sexually restrictive fantasy world with a relatively low level of technological development, why is there one universally known term, and why is it "gay"?

[treesandwords]

Oughghgughgh just realized Jamos and Bronwyn's aggressive and borderline unhealthy levels of attempted self-sufficiency mirror each other yiiiiiiiiikes

[somethingclevermahogony]

Hello everyone! This is the next entry in a "guide" I'm creating here on my blog for one of the cities in my WIP, Labisa. To see chapter one click here.

Here are some other posts that you may want to check out : Intro, Language, Phrases, Food Pt1, Food Pt2, Maps, Magic, Status Symbols, Labisa Tour, MC intro.

This is a long one folks so I'm splitting it into two parts.

Btw the pottery images here come from the app Pottery 2.

Chapter 2: The Markets and the Humbalibal Festival Part 1

At the end of the olive harvest when the city of Labisa holds its annual Humbalibal Festival in honor of the city's patron goddess, the place to be is not in the grand halls and inumeral rooms of the palace, but rather in the twisting maze of streets, market stalls, beer halls, street performers that the people of Labisa call, Enun Tu-Shet Tabun, The 26 Streets.

While the palace complex serves as the political, military, and manufacturing core of Labisa and the lands it governs, if you want to learn about the people and culture it is essential to visit the markets. Visiting during the Humbalibal Festival provides the added benefit of getting to meet an learn more about the thousands of foreign visitors who pour into the city for the celebration, providing a glimpse into the hundreds of cultures that make up the Green Sea and beyond.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through one day in the 26 Streets during the height of the Humbalibal Festival using a hypothetical scenario to introduce you to the sounds, sights, and oddities of Kishetal's largest city.

Continues Below!

Part 1: Entering Labisa

If you are not a Kishite from another city-state or a Makurian, chances are you arrived in Labisa via boat, landing at the bustling docks, the largest and most prosperous freshwater port in the Green Sea. Around you, people carry a variety of goods, from grain and livestock to copper ingots, jewelry, weaponry, and even exotic beasts like tigers and ostriches. 

You spy a cage with a rarakalu (yap dog), a strange magical creature more closely related to hyenas than actual canines. These creatures are able to perfectly imitate human speech, quite eerily, in their native arboreal habitat where they swing with prehensile tails. But this one has been captured and is now being used for entertainment. You feel a twinge of pity for the creature as it belts out an Ikopeshi sailing song at the behest of its purple-haired master, but before you can think more about the topic, you are beckoned towards the city by the man who brought you here. After all, you paid good money to see this festival. 

You are far from the only person entering the city. During the days before the festival, hundreds of people are guided through the Serpent Gates, so called because of the two massive stone-horned serpents that stand guard on either side of the grand cedar doors. Before you even enter the city you catch a glimpse of three great hills. The largest is the palatial hill, atop which stands the palace of Labisa, a city unto itself. The second is the Temple Hill, topped by the sprawling Temple of Humbalibal, the largest temple dedicated to a Kishite deity in the entirety of the Green Sea. Even from here you can smell the burning of sacred herbs and meats, and see the column of smoke rising from the great stone altar.

The last and smallest hill is not a hill at all, but a manmade structure, the Tomb of Tamel. This gargantuan structure is the resting place of the city's founder, the demigod Tamel. The trees growing on the tomb are fig, date, and pear. Visitors to Labisa often pay to purchase these fruits from the priests. It is believed that using one of the fruits from Tamel’s tomb for a sacrifice or offering will serve to better win the favor of the gods.

There will be time to gawk at the Tomb later, your guide reminds you. He insists on pushing you past the Grand Square where the Tomb resides. You catch glimpses of dancers dressed in animal furs or else draped in copper bells, men banging on drums, and strange forest folk with horns and tusks. The delicious smells of dough and tiny fish frying in freshly pressed olive oil waft from the little huts and stands that have been propped up in the square to feed eager visitors. These pleasant smells mix with the less pleasant aromas of the city.

You're hurried forward down the main street, past priests and priestesses and prostitutes calling down at you from the windows of brothels. A chariot rumbles past you, its owner dressed in his bronze armor, polished for the festival.

Your guide brings you to a beer hall, the place where you will be staying. As the name suggests, the primary function of a beer hall is to serve beer. Throughout Kishetal, beer has traditionally been brewed and sold by women. Labisa alone has 19 beer halls, all but one of which, including this one, are run by women. These halls typically serve five varieties of beer (see below) and may also serve some food, though not always. This particular beer hall is owned by a woman by the name of Huma who has agreed to board and feed you for the next couple of nights, for a small fee of course. Your guide has already taken care of this.

Aruhakishar/Akishar: (Aruha- Dry, Kisharu- Beer) Unadulterated, typically plain beer, this sort of beer is the basis for the other varieties. These vary from brewer to brewer and can differ greatly in terms of strength, flavor, color, etc. This tends to be the cheapest option. Ishkishar: (Isha- Sour/Bitter Kisharu- Beer) Aruhakishar typically with the addition of various herbs, nuts, and even minerals. This beer is typically seen as invigorating, good for lifting the energy and strengthening the resolve against wicked spirits. Few people drink this casually. Wakishar: (Wawa- Sweet, Kisharu- Beer) Similar to the above but rather than the addition of herbs to promote bitter and sour flavors, this variety of beer is typically sweetened with the addition of various sweeteners, most often date syrups, honey, and fruits like fig. These tend to be the most well-liked variety of beer and fall in the middle when it comes to price. Olikishar/Olkishar: (Oli- Blood/Red, Kisharu- Beer) This variety of beer is similar to Wakishar but is flavored specifically with the addition of red fruit, like pomegranate, cherry, and various mountainous berry, giving it that crimson appearance. Some beer halls may add other additives to increase this sanguine appearance. Depending on the quality, this may be the most expensive variety of beer sold at a hall. Ihikishar/ Ihiki: (Ihi- Giggle (haha), Kisharu-Beer) This particular variety of beer is not sold in all halls and tends to be the most expensive, and is viewed among the common folk as more of a treat. This beer can be any of the above with addition of the treated oil of the magical Kasikur plant, also known as jit(from a Forestfolk word). Drinking jit mixed with wine may cause various effects, most commonly a slight high, similar to cannabis. However the use of jit is highly regulated as its magical effects, when consumed in sufficient amounts can have dangerous and bizarre effects.

It's already quite late and you have a busy day tomorrow. Before bed, Huma gives you a bowl of what seems to be a mixture of leftover Akishar and Wakishar, producing a mildly sweet if somewhat dull drinking experience. For food, you are given a large piece of barley bread, some olives, a hunk of unsalted goat's cheese which may be slightly past its prime, and some chakun from the butcher next door. Chakun is typically made from pig or lamb skin, fried in its own fat and then seasoned with salt and herbs. This is somewhat comparable to "cracklins" or chicharrons. Labisian cuisine in general holds an appreciation for crispy or crunchy textures that is relatively unique among Kishite city-states.

After eating you are brought to the underground cellar, the ground little more than dirt and reeds, where the large pots holding beer and grain are kept. You are not the only guest staying there. There are two Korithians, a Baalic man, and a Makurian. You mostly keep to yourselves as you settle onto the piles of reed and old cloth which Huma has provided for you beds. The Makurian introduces himself as Jerat, and explains that he comes the Tijik Tribe who inhabit the lands east of the Red Cedar Mountains. You both speak the Labisian dialect of Kishite as this is the most commonly taught dialect outside of Kishetal, alongside the Chibalic dialect. Jerat informs you that he was in the city for the previous festival when the current king, Akard, dethroned and killed his uncle Hutbari. He is happy to report that since Akard has become the king the city seems to be much cleaner and he wonders what the new king's conquests around Lake Shebali will mean for the festival. After a bit more pleasant conversation, you dim the olive oil lamps and go to sleep.

IMPORTANT: When talking to Makurians, it is best not to call them Makurians. Makur (Or Makia in Korithian) is the term used by Kishites and Shabalans to designate the lands east of Kishetal and north of Baban, Jezaan, and Ukkaria. In truth "Makur" accounts for a gigantic swath of land and is home to hundreds of different groups and cultures, each unique in their own right. Bonus Fact: Makur derives from the Shabalic word for east, maku.

Part 2: Starting Your Day

You are roused by the sound of singing outside in the streets. The first of many processions making its way from Temple Hill to the base of the Great Tomb. The last and grandest procession will come from the Palace and will be led by the King and his closest lords. You and your sleeping companions stumble out of the cellar to see what the fuss is all about.

This particular procession comes from the temple of Kimaba, goddess of the oven and of bread. As the small collection of priestesses and priests march down the road, they pour barley grains on the ground in supplication to the ground, unintentionally feeding the rather fat flock of birds which circles behind them. They sing ancient stories, in this instance the tale of the demigod Lat and his lover, Uridush. They carried aloft a statue of the goddess, the four-armed figure draped in the pelts of the temple guard dogs, collected upon each dog's passing and hung around the statue to fend off mischievous spirits. A few people rush forward to pluck hairs from the pelts as it is believed that adding these to grain will help to preserve them. In order to preserve these revered artifacts, one particularly sour-faced priestess wacks at anyone that comes close with a large cedar rod. A group of boys dare one another to get as close to the rod as possible, all fun and games, until one boy finds himself not quite fast enough and is left sniffling and enduring the teasing of his peers while rubbing the welt forming on his back.

Bonus Fact: Throughout Kishite History there have been several demigods or spiritbloods. The most famous of these was Tamel. Other famous demigods include the hunter Lat, the boar-headed demigod Hu(u)m, and the pirate Kilala. Still living figures like Mikrab the Mad and The War Queen Batricca often feature in songs and tall-tales.

As the procession passes on you duck back into the beer hall for a morning meal. You are not the only one, festival goers and locals alike are seated on the various benches and chairs. You are given the breakfast of choice, "gokigu", a mixture of stewed and mashed barley, old beer, and a thick variety of yogurt called ishjir. For the price of cleaning some bowls, Huma also adds a drizzle of honey and a sprinkling of black pepper to your bowl.

You ask some of the locals seated nearby where you should go first and they suggest you visit the Hall of Gods via the Dyer and Fishermonger's Streets. With a plan in place you leave the beer hall and start your day.

Part 3: The 26 Streets and the Hall of Gods

Though the market district is called "The 26 Streets", this is a bit of a misnomer. Many of these so-called "streets" actually fall on different sections of the Road of Tamel, which leads from the Tomb of Tamel to the Palatial Hill, with parts of the market then branching off from the main road to places like the Temple Hill. While to the untrained eye, the lay out of the markets may seem uneven and chaotic, in truth they are highly regulated by the palace, with each kind of business/trade limited to its own district. This serves not only to make issues of taxation easier, but in theory serves as a sort of consumer protection. By putting all of the options for a certain trade in close proximity, it allows potential customers to look around and make their own judgements before buying.

Palatial officials regularly inspect the districts in order to insure that no one is trying to sell outside of their approved district and to collect fees and taxes relating to breeches in law or conduct. One of these officials are properly referred to as an Uhwaku but you are more likely to hear store owners and locals refer to them as Tidiku or simply Tidi which means "Rat man" or "Rat", as they "steal" your grain.

The "streets" are as follows:

The Potter's Street

The Perfumer's Street

The Weaver's Street

The Butcher's Street

The Slaver's Street,

The Bronzesmith's Street

The Coppersmith’s Street

The Carver's Street

the Brewer's Street

The Vintner's Street

The Jeweller's Street

The Plantbrew's Street

The Scribe's Street

the Ropemaker's Street

The Tanner's Street

The Spicer's Street

The Painter's Street

The Dyer's Street

The Stonemason's Street

The Fishmonger's Street

The Carpenter's Street

The Basketweaver’s Street

The Papermaker's Street

The Musicians’ Street

The Farmer’s Street

The Candlemaker’s Street.

CAUTION: Before starting your adventure make sure that you have strong bottomed footwear. Though much has been improved in terms of sanitation since the reign of the previous king, particularly with the cavernous underground waste tunnels being properly tended, the streets are still far from clean. Broken pottery, animal feces, and other refuse are common on the streets and the last thing you need on your big trip is a cut or worse an infection.

The Butcher's Street

Your beer hall falls on the boundary between the Butcher's Street and the Farmer's Street. As the name suggests the Butcher's Street is where the majority of the city's meat is processed though it is also where products made from bone or horn can be purchased. The Farmer's Street is where produce as well as game from outside of the city is sold, it is the largest of the markets but it also one of the least well-suited for visitors such as yourself, as the traders there have little time to entertain your prodding and questioning. Luckily for you, the path to Hall of Gods takes you through the Butcher's Street.

Its still relatively earlier, which means the stalls are still well stocked. Goat, horned-rabbits, pork, mutton, and waterfowl are hung proudly for passers by to inspect and haggle for. Children paid in sausages and scraps swat away at the insistent flies with paddles made from reeds and horse hair. You won't find any chickens here as they have yet to be introduced in great quantity to this part of the world. Cattle is also another rarity, such creatures being far too valuable for consumption for any but the most elite.

You stop to inspect one stall one the owner sees you and approaches with a spoon which he claims is carved from a ram's horn. The carvings etched into the blood are quite well-done if not somewhat basic. Aside from metals, horn is perhaps the most revered material for spoons in Kishite society and owning a well-made horn spoon is a sign of status, particularly one from a well-grown ram or bull rather than a horned rabbit. Perhaps it could even be worth the exorbitant price he's asking (two silver coins). But are you confident in your ability to identify what is actually horn and if so, to haggle the price down?

Mini Lesson #1: Haggling and Money

Coins are still a new innovation in Kishetal, only being adopted a few decades before your visit. Much of the city still uses barter, though unless you have some grain or other valuables hidden up your sleeve, coins are probably your best course. While there are specific Labisian coins, any coin or even an equivalent amount of the raw metal will work for trade.

Haggling is a regular part of life in the markets and most shop-owners expect it. This can come as somewhat of a shock for people from places like Baalkes and Koritha where the prices are typically final. However, before you start randomly throwing out prices, you should know that haggling has a highly structured form that should be followed if you wish to reach a reasonable price.

1) The seller will offer an initial price, usually around twice to four times as much as they actually expect to receive. Do you like this spoon? Its horn, well-made. I will give it(this) to you in exchange for two sy(i)sbakip. Dagakila itdili fada? Jir ga, dasamigutas. Tukiwad dab fada lutuki se sisbakun. 2) You must thank them for their offer and inspect the offered item. Even if you have already looked at the item before being given the price, you should do so again. A thirty second inspection should be sufficient before offering your first counter offer. Thank you, can I see it? Oldab, hiwa ikab ekkiwaz irab? 3) After you inspect the item give a counter price, go low, perhaps about half of what you actually intend to pay. Do not go too low or you risk insulting the other person. Remember that this should be the lowest offer you give. Offer an explanation why the initial price is too much. What about (instead) three zubakips? I am a foreigner (m/f) and I do not have much (I have not much). Ekdowa kala ba zubakun? Wa zuluku/zuluma al nadana kudiwa.

After this, the exchange can be less regimented as you can go back and forth on the price. Be aware though that some sellers can be quite stubborn and some haggling matches can last hours. If you decide that trade is not worth it, bow your head and apologize and be on your way.

Mini Lesson #2: Thunderstep

With your spoon (or not) secured, it's time to continue on your way. You pass by more stalls and shops, a few owners try to lure you in with the promise of cheap or other high-quality products, waving about sausages and roasts. You manage to resist the temptation and continue onward. The street expands into a small plaza. Statues and styles surround you, including a new one which depicts the victory of the new king over the city of Naloch and its allies. The carving of King Akard, dressed in royal regalia with the Ram-horned goddess at his side, stands above you, carved in sandstone. 

 Four streets branch off from this plaza, including the one you just came from. The ever-growing smell of fish indicates that the path forward is to the west.  Before you can get there, however, you find your path blocked by a large swell of people. You strain to see what they are looking at when you hear (and feel) something strange. You look up to search for clouds but find nothing but the blue sky stretching endlessly. Then you hear it again, a rolling boom that you can feel vibrate through your entire body. It comes again and again, each boom coming in ever rapid succession. It is only then that you realize that what you are listening to is music. You push forward from the crowd to the front. There you find a large platform, its exact construction is a mystery to you. But you have little time to ponder on the platform before you finally find the source of the music. Two Kishite women, bare save for the green paint adorning their arms, chest, and belly as well as the thin ribbons of red fabric tied to their wrists and ankles, are leaping and spinning around one another. They look at the crowd with exaggerated facial expressions, grimacing, grinning, and rolling their eyes. Each time one of their feet hits the platform it produces one of those loud booms. A third woman seated on the edge of the platform plucks at a lyre-like instrument and sings a song about the Hoopoe King.

You have stumbled upon a Thunderstep/Stormstep performance. The style of theater combines dance with music and song to tell a simple narrative. The dances are performed on specially made hollow wooden platforms, producing loud thundering sounds, thus giving the style of theater its name. Thunderstep originates from the pre-Kishite inhabitants of the peninsula, specifically the Karaki people who once inhabited the region where the Kishite city of Seha sits now. Thunderstep has historically been dominated by women, and more often, women are in romantic relationships as this is believed to improve their performances. Thunderstep has been banned off and on throughout Labisa's history, most recently by the previous King Hutbari. Luckily for you, King Akard legalized such performances yet again.

As the performance finishes, people place bronze coins, fruits, and other trinkets and small objects on the stage. You are free to do so yourself.

NOTE: Place your offering on the stage; do not throw it. Throwing it may cause another boom and is viewed as disruptive. Do not try to get the performer's attention as this will almost certainly earn you some annoyed glances from other members of the audience.

The Fishmonger's Street

As you approach the Fishmonger's street, the smell of fish and rot intensifies, there is perhaps a reason why you see fewer foreigners there. As you near the first shop you are waved down by an older woman seated before a large bronze inlaid chest. She holds out her hand expectantly and demands a single bronze coin.

One bronze. Ku Zubakip.

As you try to ponder what exactly she wants, another person slips around you and places a coin in her hand. She nods and hands the man a small clay vial, no larger than your thumb. The man pours the contents in his hand and then smears it over his mustache before walking into the fishmarket.

The woman turns back to you, raising her hand once again. After a moment of hesitation you hand her a bronze and she places a vial in your hand.

You do as the man before you did, though a bit more conservatively, and apply some of the contents to your upper lip. The effect is eye-wateringly intense. Its a perfume, highly potent. Rosemary and pine resin dominate. The purpose becomes immediately clear as the intensity of the perfume means you can no longer smell the fish, or much of anything.

Continuing into the market, you find locals buying fish caught in Lake Shebali; small minnows, trout, carp, eels, and more. Someone has caught a massive sturgeon and is now auctioning it off bit by bit to a jostling group of customers. At another stand, people crowd around to gawk at a rare import from the west: oysters and scallops. Some bid, not for the meat, which is far too expensive and will almost certainly end up at the table of nobles, but rather for the shells.

In between the shops and stands selling fish are homes. Outside some of these, the owners sit with small portable clay ovens and grills, offering to cook up the purchases of passing shoppers. However, you are still full from your breakfast and decide to move on. The sellers here are somewhat less aggressive than those on the Butcher's Street. Soon enough, you come to the base of a small hill, far smaller than those previously mentioned. At the top of the hill is what you initially mistake for a temple, its walls carved and painted with grand murals of conquests in foreign lands. You have found the Hall of Gods.

The Hall of Gods

You enter the hall and find yourself surrounded on all sides by statues of deities, their styles varying wildly. Some are simple, little more than columns with faces carved into their curved surfaces, others are animalistic, others are quite abstract. There is no rhyme or reason in their ordering. There is only one thing that all of these strange statues have in common: none of them are Kishite.

This is not a temple, it is a trophy room. The deities which surround you are captives, taken from their native lands during the wars and conquests of Labisian kings, starting with Tamel. Fifty-seven statues and idols can be found in total. Ikopeshi, Apunian, Makurian, Korithian, Baalkic, and more are all represented. Perhaps you spot a deity from your own homeland.

Workers on ladders work to fix cracks and apply fresh paint to the strange faces. As you contemplate one of the statues, you feel a hand on your shoulder and turn to find yourself face to face with a Labisian guard. You are steered out of the hall and initially assume that you must have done something wrong, but it is then that you see the procession of priests approaching the Hall. You have done nothing wrong, you were merely in the way. This particular procession, banging at bronze bells and wailing, belongs to the temple of the war god Orikki. The head of their orders holds up a dragon bone spear, as old as the city itself. Two men lead jackals with leather leashes. Gripped in their other hands are gold-sheathed knives. As they enter the hall, the doors are shut behind them. Unfortunately (or perhaps not so unfortunately) you, as a foreigner, are not permitted to see the rituals they are about to perform.

The Lower City

With exploring more of the hall out of the question, you decide to follow the road to the part of the market that seems busiest, though you have little interest in cutting back through the Fishmonger's Street. You soon enter the Lower City, so called because of its elevation in comparison to the Palatial and Temple Hills, not its location on the map. The Lower City is made up of many small, cramped hovels of mudbrick and straw, interconnected through various doors and halls to form a sort of hive. There is no such thing as a private home in the Lower City. A man could walk from one end of the district to the other without ever stepping onto the street. Peasants lie on their roofs, chatting, trading, and playing games of dice. Unlike the rest of the city, many here are practically nude, dressed in little save for a loincloth (besawi), some wear even less than this. Nudity is far less of a taboo in Kishetal compared to many other regions.

There are far fewer travelers here than in any other part of the city you have been to thus far, for it is where the city's poorest live. There are no statues, only a stele or two, the beer halls are puny, and there are no shops. Yet as you walk you find people smiling at you and waving. A few old men try to beckon you over for beer and dice. Though far from perfect, the lives of the least fortunate have improved tremendously since the assassination of the old king. Of course, this does not stop the children on the street from calling themselves Narul or Princess Ninma as they go about their games.

You almost don't want to leave as you hear the bustle and noise of the markets up ahead.

The Weaver's, Perfumer's, and Potter's Districts

The transition from the Lower City to Weaver Street is jarring. These three streets are some of the largest and the most visited of the 26 streets. Visitors rush to gawk at and purchase bits and pieces of Lebanese clothing or textiles. Garments of imported Mu silk, Apunian linen, and Kishite wool of every color are waved by enthusiastic shop owners and hawkers seated in front of the flat-topped brick and wood buildings that function as stores, workshops, and homes. Unlike the plain mudbrick homes of the Lower City, the shops here are colorfully painted with whites, blues, reds, and greens, in the hopes that their bright tones will draw in curious patrons. The pungent smell of dye lay over the district like a blanket and the squeals and clicks of the looms and wheels fought to be heard over the many chattering voices. Unless you plan on buying something and are prepared to haggle its best that you do not look at any of the wares for too long, lest you attract the attention of an overly zealous seller.

Through the dye and the ever-present stench of the city, something more appealing catches your attention. The smell of frying dough. One of the shops selling wool tunics (sakalu) is also selling fried dough stuffed with sheep's cheese (Hasolikip). The shop, it seems, is run by a mother and daughter, both dressed in rust-colored fur coats and tunics, despite the heat. The daughter tends to the cloaks while the mother tends to the bubbling pan of sheep's fat. Your stomach growls, and you approach the woman to order a treat, but she simply points to her daughter. The daughter informs you that the pastries are free, so long as you buy a tunic. Her accent is odd, as are her proportions, her arms are longer than they should be and her shoulders broader. What you assumed was a coat was not a coat at all, but rather a thick layer of fur growing across most of her body, save her face and hands. These two are Hillfolk. More specifically, they are Uteshites who have come from their home in the hills to sell their wares for the festival.

Fun Fact: The Hillfolk are fur-covered beings often naturally capable of very minor magic (true magic, not sagecraft, a competent human sage is typically capable of far greater magical feats, though with the drawback of physiological and psychological wear and tear). They are one of the Awakened Races alongside humans and giants.  They are genetically and phenotypically most similar to the now extinct Stonefolk, and this can be seen in their typically short and broad physique. They are differentiated by their covering of fur, which can vary in color and texture in a similar nature to human head hair, and by their sixth digit found on each hand. It is not unusual for Hillfolk living in human settlements to shave their bodies in an attempt to fit in. Across Hillfolk cultures, a love of perfume and of combs is almost universal. The largest Hillfolk culture inhabiting the land now called Kishetal, are the Uteshites.

After considerable haggling and indecision, you finally agree to buy a tunic, white with green trim, and quickly also get a pastry. The pastry is split open and stuffed with a mixture of cheese, honey, and pistachio. The Labisian love of fried foods may not be particularly healthy, but it is delicious. You quickly finish your snack, your new tunic draped over your shoulder, and continue onward.

As you pass into the Perfumer's district, the smell of dye is quickly overwhelmed by a headache-inducing mélange of fragrances. Jugs and bottles of dozens of sizes, from the size of a child’s palm to the height of a grown man, line the street. Images have been painted on their surface to advertise their contents. Perfume is of immense importance throughout the lands of the Green Sea, but especially in Kishetal. No person leaves their home without first scenting themselves; slaves are typically the only exception. Indeed, among some peoples, like the Makurians and the Korithians, the Kishite people were thought of as feminine for their love of perfume, adornment, and their extravagant bathing practices. Even the presence of public toilets was at times considered to be unduly opulent.

Any combination of the scents listed below (and more) can be found. Certain shops may even allow you to combine perfumes to create your own bespoke scent. Each shop marks the jars and bottles containing their product with their own personal stamp, pressed into the clay while it was still soft. Just cataloging these stamps would take hours to complete.

Common Scents/Ingredients in Kishite Perfume: Rose Haasir (Fireflower) Peach Blossom Apple Blossom Thyme Rosemary Jasmine Cedar Myrrh Pine Lavender Fennel Lotus Dill Iris Pomegranate Cinnamon Cardamom Corriander Saffron Beeswax Clove Musk

Above: An example of a Kishite Stamp used to signify the origin of goods like perfume.

Well you could spend hours looking and sniffing the vast array of perfumes, you find your head is beginning to hurt. Perhaps its best to get away from all of these potent smells for now.

To finish this first part of the guide, we'll quickly introduce you to some of the sorts of pottery you might find in the Potter's Street.

You quickly move onwards towards the Potter's Street. Soon enough, the smell of rose and cinnamon declines, replaced by the earthy scent of clay and the sharp tang of kiln smoke. Potters line the streets, hawking their wares, hands stained with the rich red brown of freshly fired earth and glaze. From tiny, ornate perfume bottles to massive pithoi, many of which you recognize from the previous district. Some of the pots, jugs, and jars are adorned with intricate designs, some depicting scenes of daily life, others abstract patterns that seem to dance around the curves of the vessels, still others are unglazed, fiery orange or ashy gray.

Many of the ceramics being sold here were originally created for other purposes. Korithian and Apunian wine amphora, once used to ship expensive wines across the Green Sea, are now empty. A keen eye might recognize a royal pithoi, likely thrown away by the Palace, the crack in its side hastily patched by the merchant that found it. The merchant approaches you eagerly but you aren't in a position to be carrying around much of any sort of pottery, much less an entire pithoi (this one being larger than you). You politely decline and go on inspecting the wares of the various shops.

Each region produces their own distinct shapes and decorative traditions. Below are some examples: A Labisian Oil Jug

An Apunian Wine Amphora

A Korithian Water Jug

An Ukarrian Beer Mixing Bowl

A Burric (Eastern Kishite) Perfume Bottle

If you've read this far, thank you! Stay posted for Part 2, coming soon! (I am also going to try to post some story relevant content soon rather than just worldbuilding)

Taglist:

@illarian-rambling, @mk-writes-stuff, @kaylinalexanderbooks, @willtheweaver, @patternwelded-quill

@elsie-writes, @elizaellwrites, @the-ellia-west , @the-golden-comet

@finickyfelix, @theprissythumbelina, @autism-purgatory, @diabolical-blue , @tildeathiwillwrite

@katenewmanwrites, @leahnardo-da-veggie, @paeliae-occasionally, @melpomene-grey

@drchenquill, @marlowethelibrarian, @phoenixradiant, @pluttskutt, @3-2-whump

@dyrewrites, @unrepentantcheeseaddict, @roach-pizza, @rivenantiqnerd, @pluppsauthor

@flaneurarbiter, @dezerex, @axl-ul, @surroundedbypearls

@treesandwords, @the-golden-comet

[homunculus-argument]

Idea for a Generic Medieval Fantasy Setting: The characters refer to their nameday as an apparent stand-in for birthdays, celebrating it annually according to their respective preferences and perhaps family customs, as one does. People talk about things that happened before someone's time as having gone down "before you were named", someone grievously insults an opponent on the battlefield by going "your mother should never have named you." So with the way naming is always talked about, as a reader you start to somewhat assume from context clues that these people have some sort of a taboo about the word "birth" or something, and naming is used as some sort of an euphenism to avoid naming the process in which people come into the world.

Then somewhere halfway through the story it turns out that in this setting, people aren't named immediately after being born. This is a semi-realistic-gritty fantasy setting, after all. Due to the somewhat high infant mortality, to at least somewhat soften the blow of potentially losing a child, babies just aren't named before the parents are pretty confident that the kid is going to survive. The naming ceremony is where a baby is officially aknowledged as an entire individual, a member of the family and a legally existing person, instead of just a gurgling extension of the mother who may or may not disappear from this world. And that timespan between birth and being named is - depending on the situation and the family - somewhere between 1-4 years.

And suddenly the whole bunch of annoyingly-too-mature teenagers and other weird remarks about age start making sense in hindsight. The heroine protagonist who celebrated her 16th nameday at the start of the story is actually 19 years old. The wild difference in maturity between two characters who were both named the same year wasn't just a difference in backgrounds, The Rich Idiot isn't just rosy-cheeked and naive due to being sheltered growing up, but actually literally years younger than a peasant "of the same age". A character who's sickly and was frequently remarked to look much older than their years hasn't just been harrowed by their illness, but was not named before the age of seven because their parents didn't think they'd survive.

[iphysalian]

Having myths and lore-within-lore in your worldbuilding

I mentioned this elsewhere but having lore within your lore that the narrative never reveals whether or not it’s true is some delicious worldbuilding that I live for.

It’s the opposite of “characters in a fantasy setting are inexplicably extremely knowledgeable about politics and history that does not concern them to inform the clueless protagonist”.

As with fairytales and myths in real life, having myths within your world, and which groups believe in them, can say a lot about their perspective on their world and how they see themselves in relation to others, the gods, the earth, etc.

Even better is when there’s multiple refuted versions of the same myth and which characters believe which version also speaks to their personality, and anything they probably would never admit about themselves otherwise.

You can reveal which myths are true, but I think it’s more fun to leave it unknown and let both the characters and the audience speculate.

Example:

I write about fantasy vampires, and my deuteragonist tells the protagonist ~allegedly~ where they came from. In my universe, vampires have a signature scent, as unique as their voice, and it’s always from the land. Soil, petrichor, flowers, wheat, cut grass, herbs, spices, nectars, fruits, etc.

Why? Nobody knows but…

“Allegedly, the first vampire was a person wrongfully murdered for the death of their child. Brought back by their grief to seek justice on the true killer. So we are all reborn from the earth and the flowers that were buried with them.” … “Other versions say it’s the child who came back to guide their anguished parent and others say it was the secret killer cursed by the gods to live forever with their guilt, and the shroud of all their unmarked graves.”

Which is the real reason? Idk. It doesn’t matter. Which version is believed by my characters—and which versions were propagated by those who hate vampires—speaks volumes.

Are vampires ruthless serial killers compelled to kill every chance they get, or are they just people, trapped by immortality while all they’ve ever known and cared about inevitably ages and dies around them?

[somethingclevermahogony]

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.

Goodnight: Dadura(a)t/Dada (DAH-doo-raht)/(DAH-dah)

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.

Ouch: Atta! (Aht-tah)

How much? (Purchasing): Dowa enrila lutuki irab?/Dowa lutuki irab/ Dowa lutuki (Doh-wah enree-lah loo-too-ki ee-rahb)(Doh-wah loo-too-kee ee-rahb)(Doh-wah loo-too-kee)

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.

@illarian-rambling, @mk-writes-stuff, @kaylinalexanderbooks, @willtheweaver, @patternwelded-quill

@elsie-writes, @elizaellwrites, @the-ellia-west, @the-octic-scribe, @the-golden-comet

@finickyfelix, @theprissythumbelina, @autism-purgatory, @diabolical-blue , @tildeathiwillwrite

@katenewmanwrites, @leahnardo-da-veggie, @paeliae-occasionally, @melpomene-grey

@drchenquill, @marlowethelibrarian, , @phoenixradiant, @pluttskutt

@dyrewrites, @unrepentantcheeseaddict, @roach-pizza, @rivenantiqnerd, @pluppsauthor

@flaneurarbiter, @dezerex, @axl-ul, @surroundedbypearls

@treesandwords, @the-golden-comet

[treesandwords]

Jamos is a horrible dad but honestly in the funniest fucking ways. No it's not weird that my grandkids sleep in the room my sister died in. I didn't do it on purpose I just literally could not fathom an understandable reason why that would be bad. It's just a ghost grow up. Of course we never talk about your dead brother, why would we?? Yes I'm sending you to be married to our enemies fully knowing they might decide to hold you prisoner or kill you, it's for politics it makes sense I promise. No you can't "escort your wife and children to safety during wartime"???? I will disinherit you. Why are you all so upset.

[isabellebissonrouthier]

reblog with a spoiler for your wip with zero context. no context allowed.

[writerfae]

The Six Divine Trees

Facts about the divine trees that the fair fae refer to as mother-trees: Alder, Willow, Ash, Aspen, Birch and Oak -the first of their kind

the six trees are deities and keeper of the world’s balance, after they made the earth the three goddesses planted the trees to stabilize it, each goddess planted two trees

since the goddesses took a part of themselves (and with it of their godliness and magic) to turn it into the seeds of the trees, the trees are considered deities, one could even say they’re the children of the goddesses

they were also the world’s very first trees (and the first inhabitants of the world in general)

each tree has the power of one of the six elements of life

the trees are a form of deity called elementary gods (also called prime elementals)

they are very much physical trees that have their place in the fae realm and they have a soul, a heart and even “blood”

while heart and “blood” are a part of the physical tree itself, its soul exists on a different level of existence

the trees’ souls are called tree spirits and they “live” in the dream realm, but are connected to their tree on various levels

the tree isn’t the body of the spirit, nor does the spirit really live in the tree, the tree is their spirit’s counterpart in the physical world, the anchor that connects them with the world they keep watch over

tree and spirit are woven together. The spirit can act through/influence the tree, which allows a sort of communication with the spirit through it (if the spirit is willing to that is) and the spirit feels what the tree feels

this also means that if the tree falls sick/gets harmed or injured or even dies, its spirit will die with it, the other way around if something happens to the spirit or it fades/dies the tree will die with them as well

they keep each other alive, you could say

the tree spirit technically can be replaced if something happens to the old spirit, but only a member of the royal family that originated from the specific tree can be the replacement, because the tree’s blood runs through their veins, which makes them compatible

[treesandwords]

Nerolie: Hey did you know I was kind of in a brief lesbian situationship with your sister also I'd love it if we made out. like right now.

Jerod, having just experienced the most traumatic thing in his life to date like an hour ago: why are you telling me this

[kazoosandfannypacks]

Your original WIP is getting an adaptation! Spin this wheel to find out what it is!

How well can you adapt your WIP into this media?

This is already the media my WIP is!

I could make SUCH a good adaptation with this format.

Eh, it's not something I'd choose for myself, but I think I can make this work

It's a stretch, but I'm open to it.

I don't think I can make this work.

This will not work out for me at all

Voting ended onFeb 18, 2025

Feel free to ramble about your results in the tags!

[moondust-bard]

Are there any disabled characters in your wip?

Yes!

No!

Nuance

Voting ended onFeb 5, 2025

Tell us about one of them!

[moondust-bard]

Of these children from classic literary works, who would your wip’s protagonist have related to when they were young?

Peter Pevensie

Lucy Pevensie

Susan Pevensie

Edmund Pevensie

Alice (Lewis Caroll)

Wendy Darling

Jo March

Sara Crewe

Lyra Belacqua

Nancy Drew

Anne Shirley

Oliver Twist

Voting ended onJan 6, 2025

[treesandwords]

Been thinking about what some of my OCs (within the Dalion family as well as without) would be listening to in the modern day has been fun, so I'll share it here why not

Jerod: modern indie/folk; Lord Huron, Gregory Alan Isakov, Noah Kahan adjacent stuff; also older folk music (Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel etc.)

Laedir: probably mostly classical

Bronwyn: definitely vibes to Florence & the Machine and Hozier. Arcade Fire, Last Dinner Party, possibly Stevie Nicks. Gotta be some black metal in there somewhere too.

Nurei: Swiftie. Also would like Sabrina Carpenter, Adele, Olivia Rodrigo. Would definitely be a musical theatre girly, and probably also into 50s/60s blues and pop

Gevin: I feel like he'd be into metal but he'd be picky about it. Probably also listens to stuff from around the world, I want to say he'd like...idk how to categorize it but intense non-English metal? Like The Hu, Heilung, etc.

Esme: She's a Billie Eilish/Chappel Roan fan for sure. Lorde. Phoebe Bridgers. Definitely had a mid-2000s emo phase.

Quinnton: primarily classic rock and oldies (Stones & Doors moreso than Beatles). Also vibes hard with movie soundtracks.

Cassian: I feel like he'd be into modern hip hop/rap/r&b for the most part. Would not want to admit that he also listens to musical theatre soundtracks but he very much does.

Ciaran: Honestly the hardest to define. I think he and Jerod's tastes would overlap a lot, but he'd be into the more obscure artists. Probably listens to like, primarily traditional folk songs and sea shanties and stuff

Taglist: @writingmoth @on-noon @faithfire-writes

[treesandwords]

Ghhhhhh I want my weird huge family of OCs to just have a normal existence in the modern world with mental health professionals why did I force the pseudo-feudal nobility life upon them