Introduction and Rules

[myrddin173]

EDIT: (Telcontar) This post relates to a previous version of the Archipelago.

Background Information

If you are reading this then you are probably wondering what exactly the Mythic Archipelago is. It is a collaborative World-Building Project that was started in March 2011 in this thread by JCFarnham. Unfortunately it almost died soon after it began. Then that July, I mentioned it in a thread about Shared Worlds and after a number of people expressed interest the project was reborn.

The premise is that the members of Mythic Scribes come together to create a world to write stories. In total there are 10 civilizations based on an island or islands (in the case of the Big Island there are two civilizations separated by a desert).

The Rules

1-Any member of Mythic Scribes is able to contribute as much or as little as they wish.

2- In order for there to be a minimum of contradictions, each island will have an "editor-in-chief" that will have final veto power over contributions to that island to maintain internal consistency. The Editor should be willing to work with people so that a vetoed suggestion can be reworked and accepted

3- Before writing a story set in this world it is necessary to contribute to the World-Building in some manner.

4- To be fair to all involved, no one member should seek to have a piece set in the Mythic Archipelago be published for money. The writing of stories, and the World-building itself, should be considered as an exercise.

5- To share an idea, please start a thread with the name of the idea and the name of the island it pertains to in the title. The main threads should be reserved for finalized content approved by the Editor-in-Chief of the island in question.

The Mythic Archipelago (click for map)

Enessia – myrddin173 (Moderator)

Enessia is the northernmost of the islands in the Archipelago. A constitutional monarchy, however the king has significant influence over the government. Most Enessi follow Ciall, the goddess of Reason.​

Indaeos - Mythos

Indaeos is the island to the southeast of the largest island. The people of Indaeos, the Indae, are ruled by a diarchy of two queens. Each of the queens represent one of the mother goddesses, the sky mother, Vaena or the earth mother, Oreth.​

Byrá - desertrunner

Reknahl - Donny Bruso

Aal Frum - Kaellpae

Emporer Island East - JCFarnham (Moderator)

The eastern portion of Emperor Island is dominated by the nation of Oberyth - a largely feudal plutarchic nation that rules over it's wide spread, commonly subsitance farming population, from the capital city Stornacott.​

East Group of Islands - Eliazar

Say Tasmani - InsanityStrikenWriter

Emperor Island West - Telcontar

The western half of the giant island is highly populated, but two cultures dominate - the coastal cavern-dwelling Niel and the numerous - and highly religious - Drobani.​

Emperor Island Central (City of Kilvikasa, Cholu Gezinshar and the Savage Coast) - Ravana

The center of Emperor Island is occupied by a vast arid plain, stretching as much as 700 miles in each direction at its largest. This sparsely-settled region is claimed by the nomadic Agrabali, who care for little contact with outsiders, save when trading through the southern coastal towns or the vast northern port of Kilvikasa, or when they feel inclined to raid neighbors to their east or west. The southern towns, all of them small and independent of each other or anyone else, are home to the Ahali, whose ancestors left the plains to farm, fish, and play host to all the riffraff of the Archipelago who couldn't find better hideouts—a trait that has earned them the epithet "Savage Coast," for all that they're friendlier to outsiders than their cousins are.​

The Harronyne - Kevlar

The Harronyne is a single country split in two. A bloody civill war has devestated the marchlands for over thirty years. In the north the Kingsmen stand true to the only tradition the island has ever had, kneeling only to men and gods, while in the South the Queensmen follow the older, saner queen. The people follow an unnamed religion, where every mountain, forest, lake, or river is a god or goddess.​

Other Contributors


Editors, please send me a short description and name of your island in a PM so I can add it to this list, don’t worry it can be changed.

 

[myrddin173]

Frequently Asked Questions

*reserved*

 

[Lavender]

I'm interested in this project but I'm slightly confused.
Am I right in understanding that members of the forum are invited to create stories set in one of these islands/worlds?

3- Before writing a story set in this world it is necessary to contribute to the World-Building in some manner.

I don't understand this part? What does it mean to contribute to the World-Building and how do we do this?

 

[Kaellpae]

Contributing ideas and content to an island. We're currently getting together our act and posting basic background for the islands. Like Myrddin said. Make a new thread with the Island name then explain your idea for the island. Or you can pick one of the free islands to make your own.

I hope I helped..

 

[Lavender]

Thanks, Kaellpae I understand now

 

[Kaellpae]

Thank goodness. I didn't want to ramble for no reason.

 

[Telcontar]

Do I see that there are as-yet unclaimed bits of this? After perusing the project, looks like there is some fun to be had here.

Am I correct in reading that JC has claimed one half of the large island? If so, I intend to take the western half.

 

[Kaellpae]

You are correct. You'll be my other Southern neighbor!

 

[Ravana]

Map's starting to get a bit crowded—and I probably won't be as regular a contributor as the rest of y'all, due to another project I'm working on.… Anybody interested in assigning me some little-known land across the seas, whence come unusual oddments and unlikely tales? I'm not picky on direction, though if the planet's spherical, there isn't much of it left to the north.…

P.S. I'm also willing to be a consultant on language for any/everybody, if you feel the need for assistance.

 

[myrddin173]

Ravana, we would be happy for you to participate. Since your main focus is this other project you might want to help flesh out the other islands instead of having to flesh one out yourself.

 

[Ravana]

That's why I thought of taking someplace that wasn't even on the map. That way, any "missing" information can just be chalked up to a lack of local knowledge. At the same time, it will provide a method of introducing things not native to the archipelago. Up to you; whichever you're most comfortable with.

 

[Ravana]

[Now out of date: see edit.] Actually, looking at the map—and at Telcontar's description of his portion of the big "island"—it seems likely that the central desert, and narrow stretch of coast to its south, remains unclaimed? (JCF hasn't mentioned how much of the land he's planning on developing yet.) If so, I'd be game to take that… I know exactly what I'd put there.

•

Edit: I've decided to pull back and handle only the City of Kilvikasa. Mention of the "Savage Coast" still appears in a couple of places, as well as nomads in the central desert, but both are now undefined and unclaimed.

 

[Telcontar]

As long as your desert can be host to a few tribes of nomadic raiders (much like the beduin) then I'm dandy with it!

I've received no reply from JCFarnham, but I've been operating under the assumption that we would leave the desert as a buffer zone between our two pieces of the island, leaving us to develop our regions in basic isolation from each other, with a couple of exceptions (which require his approval).

I'd had a couple ideas for this region already which I've incorporated into my cultures, but they are very broad. Should work out if you're focusing on something else right now.

 

[Kaellpae]

I'm the closest neighbor to the North. I could help possibly?

Also. I have a port town developing in the north part of my island that I haven't had anyone say if they wanted to be the father/mother culture.

 

[Donny Bruso]

Map designers note: That desert was put there to stick a third desert based civilization in it. That, and splitting the big northwest island that Insanity claimed was the way I got the original count of ten civilizations.

 

[Ravana]

By the way, I almost hate to ask, but: the scale of the map is given as 1 inch = 400 miles… but does the map display the same size as it's drawn? On my screen, it's 7.25 x 10 inches. Is this correct? If not, it may throw distances off by around 10% or so—not enough to ruin anything for anyone, I imagine, but enough to alter the size of my desert by about two days' ride.…

 

[Donny Bruso]

No, it was drawn on 8.5 x 11 paper, with the top and bottom edges serving as the parallels I marked on the revised copy of the map. If you need more accurate measurements, I can do them on the physical copy for you if you'd like

 

[myrddin173]

@Donny

The next time you update the map do you think you could draw a line an inch long and have it marked as four hundred miles. That way when you upload it and the internet makes it smaller the scale in relation to the line will still be accurate. Does that make sense?

 

[Donny Bruso]

Yes it makes sense

 

[Ravana]

Had the feeling that was the case. Doesn't affect me much, but I figured it should be clarified in case some of the smaller islands suddenly found themselves with an extra 20-30 miles of land. Thanks.