Recent content by shangrila

You'd have to take the dragons into account though. Even decimated, they'd still be a threat to any expansion attempts (especially if they're winged like traditional dragons) so a direct comparison to the colonization in our world might not make as much sense. Remember, those people were dealing...

I could see it being plausible. A machine could likely figure out a language given enough time, or at the very least give a rough estimate of what it says. Which leads me to another thought; what if your automaton was translating it wrong throughout the story? You could have your MC relying on...

Some thoughts and questions; Does this limit them to that specific form of magic or is this species based magic on top of the other kinds you have? To go further with the "wild" magic, perhaps this magic is power in it's rawest form. It could be wild, near uncontrollable, but far more...

I prefer magic to be a tool so I look at how it could be used in more mundane settings. A little boring I know, but I think it adds depth. For example, in my main magic system I have telepaths of a sort. They can read minds like you'd expect, so they make good interrogators. But they also have...

My nan used to tell me I had to get out of bed the same side I got into it. I still have no idea why.

I've got several floating around in various unfinished projects, some wholly original while others are variations on the classics. Personally though I tend to side with the idea that humanity is mutually exclusive. I think we're bound to find conflict with others that are different. So when I...

My favourite world is more a region than a fully fleshed out world. It's wild west-esque but with steampunk technology, monsters and the lingering effects of magic. Essentially two nations, Thule and Gilead, went to war. During it they discovered a crystal-like substance nicknamed glim...

It depends on two things for me; what name you're using and how far you deviate from the original. I see no problem with the ones you've listed above. Harpies, for example, are so varied in pop culture that it would be tough to pin down a specific image for them. Panthers with horns isn't too...

Well, robots, or wargolems as that page says, would be a big part of this genre. As far as a time, maybe the flintlock era? Something like when Napoleon was around. I don't see a lot of fantasy books with that kind of setting and I think it'd make a good time for magitech.

So you want us to do the work for you? That won't go over well... I'll say this though; just experiment. Try different names, whatever comes to mind. Or go to a word/name generator. Try words in a different language. There are tons of places to get inspirations for names. How they look is...

I think Slenderman is definitely out. I believe he's copyrighted by the original creator. Lovecraft hit public domain a while ago though so that's fair go. As for the world I think it depends on how these pantheons came to exist. If it's based on belief, as in they gain power or just a presence...

Perhaps fleshing out exactly what Childoric has been doing while he's been king that's so bad would give a little more insight. As it reads, I don't understand why noble families would go against him without a strong reason and without them it seems Alfgrim has little more than rebels and...

I have a dwarf-inspired race; the Senomaal. They're short, like dwarves, averaging roughly 4.5 feet tall. They're also stocky, though part of that comes from being naturally big boned. That's about where the physical characteristics end. They have a deep blue skin tone, large eyes and a flat...

I've got a few that show up in my current WIP; Awakeners of the Flame: A cult that is secretive and exclusive, but can be found in almost every city. They believe in the ancient monolithic dragons and strive to awaken them from their slumber, spending most of their time digging for them (the...

"There's nothing magical about 'em. They're made up of a collection of organs. They have a mind, a heart, and a liver, you take out one of these, you bring down the beast!" -Denton Van Zan, Reign of Fire Couldn't resist. Dragons in my world can't be killed so I don't know if I'm much help...