As I said in my post about traditional artistic depictions of chimerae there was little doubt to the creature’s appearance, which remained iconic over hundreds of years. The written descriptions, however, differed in the particulars. Artists of the Medieval age and beyond, depending on which writer they had access to, created different beasts from the …
Category: Fantasy
Apr 20
Worldbuilding Wednesday 4/20/22: Recreational Drugs
xxxx(Fantasy)
Wherever there’s a fantasy world, there’s probably some sort of fantasy drug. Robert E. Howard’s Conan had Black Lotus, and inhabitants of Phillip Jose Farmer’s Riverworld had Dream Gum to chew. Tolkien gave the Hobbits and Gandalf pipe-weed, or tabac, to smoke, which was likely tobacco and NOT marijuana. If you’re wondering why I included …
Apr 14
Traditional Chimerae
It was a single being that had the force of three beasts, the front part of a lion, the tail of a drakon, and the third–middle–head was that of a goat, through which it breathed out fire. — Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 2. 31 – 32 (Greek mythographer c. 2nd A.D.) Chimerae depicted in ancient …
Apr 13
Worldbuilding Wednesday 4/13/22: Undead Magic
Undead are some of the most terrifying creatures in the AD&D universe. Yet, there doesn’t seem to be much magic that deals with them. So here’s a few randomgenned spells created on the fly. Undead Magic Hair of the Skeleton: Strands of hair still existing on the skull of an otherwise defleshed skeleton can …
Apr 06
Worldbuilding Wednesday 4/6/22: English Folk Beings
In Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain series, one of the main characters is Gurgi, a sort of apelike wild man who Taran, the protagonist of the series, first encounters living in the forest. Though a pest at first, Gurgi later grows into his own as a hero and participant in Taran’s quest. Though Gurgi struck …
Apr 02
The Book of Three [Reading Challenge 2022]
The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander Square Fish, 2006 (Originally published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1964 ) [ Challenge # 23: Read the first book of a series. ] The Chronicles of Prydain is a much-loved children’s book series originally published in the 1960s. It consists of five books that follow the adventures …
Mar 30
Worldbuilding Wednesday 3/30/22: Shunned Locations
xxxx(Lovecraft IV)
Miskatonik University may be the most beloved of Lovecraft’s imaginary locations. This Ivy League college, known for its library of occult books and daring expeditions, lies near a river of the same name which runs through imaginary Arkham, Massachusetts, * which Lovecraft based on Salem. He even drew his own map of the city to …
Feb 26
The Daunting Chimera
Another fine chimera, adhering to the monster’s female gender, with dragon, lion, and goat heads, dragon wings, and a snake’s tail — with hair!
Feb 23
Worldbuilding Wednesday 2/23/22: Chimerae
Pretty much anyone with a passing knowledge of Greek mythology or fantasy gaming knows what a chimera is, right? Part lion, part goat, and part snake, embodied in this Etruscan bronze statuette. It’s a goofy-looking beast in its original form. It has a lion body (note, however, the body looks more canine than leonine), …
Feb 17
Women of The Witcher
Cosplayer, photographer, and stylist Milligan Vick of Deviantart has created some mesmerizing portraits of The Witcher’s female characters, like the one of Adda the White at the top. Adda, for those who don’t remember Season 1 on Netflix, is the king’s daughter who becomes a striga, a vampirelike supernatural being whom Geralt must defeat, …