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General Art My World of Mystigma

ChargewithSword

Zelda Dungeon's Critic
Joined
Jan 13, 2009
Location
I don't want to say.
When I was gone from the forums, I stepped away from the world of fanart and decided to create my own art dedicated to my fantasy world of my dreams. I aspire to be an animator now, creating works that shall be remembered for decades to come. I have made stories based off my world and I have already images for the showing. As chances are, this shall be my homestead in the forums for my time being here.

Now then, on to business. I bet you all are wondering what a Mystigma is, well then; it is a very large world full of fantasies beyond your imagination. It is rich in lore, culture, and races. It is where a book replaces a computer, a walking stick is your cane, and a sword is by your side instead of a gun. I'm pouring my heart into bringing my world to life in any way possible, and I find it only my responsibility to show you all my works as you all helped me create it.

Our first map, is of Koldolün, the northernmost continent of my world.

map_of_northern_continent_by_firemariowii-d2zm4yv.jpg


Here is also the beginning of my novel: The Legendarium of Mystigma

Concerning Introductions

The World of Mystigma has been alive and well for many long years. It has a wide variety of inhabitants from the tall to the small and those who just don't fit in. However, it has come to the attention of me that many people do not know much about Mystigma, and I've even heard there are those who have never heard of it at all.
Well now, the best way to describe Mystigma is that it is a very big world. It is bigger than many others, and to match this, the inhabitants are just as great to boot. The cultures of every race is engraved in a wealthy history dating back to the beginning of it all. The preservation of history and culture remains ever so important that entire wars have been stopped just to preserve a historical site.
However, I am getting ahead of myself here. Let me first introduce myself to everyone. My name is Penn Righter. I am a healthy Giant Woman of 120. I live on the Western Continent of Feralün - a very nice place, I suggest you visit- in the Giant village of Godonjo. I am a very prolific writer and recorder of history. The subject of history is one that I find most enjoyment in studying. The process of finding new things from the rubbles of the old has always stood as the highlight reason I commit to this profession.
I do not care for the troubles of biases and old hatreds. They, to me, represent times when instead of looking to history as a way to look forward, time stays at a standstill for events of the past. One cannot embrace the richness of all cultures if one were to be bound to a discontent for one another. Time must flow forward, and history must not weigh us down, but embrace us.
Despite there being many monuments pertaining to history, I find that there is a lack of written history in the modern world. In this study which I have named, The Legendarium of Mystigma, I have chosen to represent the tidings of culture and history into one grand codex.
 

ChargewithSword

Zelda Dungeon's Critic
Joined
Jan 13, 2009
Location
I don't want to say.
Concerning Giants

Giants are considered today as the most expansive race on Mystigma. They have taken up large residence of six of the eight known continents, being widely known as a violent set of folk. Now, while this identification of is slightly accurate, it fails to regard the more humble aspects of Giants.
What probably sets off this ancient bias is that Giants are astronomically tall. They range from 1000 to 2000 meters tall. Their dark green skin is very unsettling when matched up towards the sun and can intimidate most small creatures. However, what is probably most unsettling is when a Giant speaks to a smaller creature. Their language ends with a rough "cha" after every word, which, to little folk, resembles that of a growl. Whenever they start screaming though, a Giant's words resemble roars. One can see how these factors can intimidate a smaller creature.
By their basic nature though, Giants are more playful rather than violent, and even more competitive than playful. Whenever a chance arises a Giant will not hesitate to display their physical prowess towards their others. The normal game of skill amongst the Giant community is Stones. It is a game where one throws a stone at a person. The defending player must then stand his ground while the stone attempts to push him back. The player who goes the farthest is the loser. Oftentimes a Giant will have an eating contest to test how rough their stomachs are, by eating very rough material that stays from their normal diet.
A Giant's diet is actually very limited. They find themselves unable to gorge down on most vegetation because the smooth texture of most of the vegetation on Mystigma gets caught in their throats too easily. So they're diet normally consists of meat, water, and rocks (to help get any leftover meat out of their throats). However, it is estimated that by the years between 10100 B.D and 11600 B.D Giants had begun to adopt Oak Trees into their dietary pattern due to the rough nature of the bark. It is also to be noted that a rumor has persisted that the Giants' skin was originally pale beige until adopting trees into their dietary patterns. Now, this is highly unlikely as stone tablets dating back to the ancient years of 8000 described the Great Giant Hero, Dianbusk Groungedoor, (Lines 36, P. 4) as "An immense obelisk stretching towards the heavens, with skin as dark as the deep jungles of Caer Willows."
This theory also fails to take into account family backgrounds. Giants have firm memories of just about everyday of their lives, including their own family members. If you were to ask ten Giants what their grandparents skin was, they'd all reply "green." If you'd ask them what shade, then they'd reply "Camouflage." No other shade has ever been recorded for Giants until recently in the year 678 A.D with the recent fame of the wizard, Lan Sajor. However, it has been exclaimed by Lan's brother, Match Sajor, that this lighter skin tone was due to an accident rather than genes. In no known time period has a giant ever had a mutation that led to their skin being pale beige. Mutations however have occurred in Giants before.
Those with pink skin are often times disrespected amongst Giants. This is due to Giant history with humans. It is estimated that somewhere between the ending years of the Before Destruction Era that a conflict had brewed between the races of the world. At the heart of the conflict was a human leader by the name of Cornelius Fanderbotte who had raised conflict between the other races in order to engineer human dominance. Through his deceit he had led to the near destruction of the world at the cost of many lives. Though Cornelius perished in the upcoming Cataclysm, this betrayal had stirred in the Giants a bitter rage unheard of for generations and the human race would suffer many hardships and deaths at the hands of Giants. Even today they have groups in their towns and cities dedicated to hunting humans (aside from children and pregnant women.)
A Giant town is also an interesting thing to take a look at. There are currently two different known building types. One is the Giant clay home with an open roof. Giants have an intense claustrophobia (understandable if you are that large) and rather live in big and spacious areas, but, understanding of the elements, Giants will choose to build walls around their buildings as long as they are earthy and spacious enough. The other known Giant House is the Magic house which resembles the human umbrella. These umbrellas lead to a pocket dimension that allows a Giant to fit his own living works on the inside. The only people that can enter these things without permission are the owners of the particular dimension. Everyone else must make a whistling noise towards the veiled umbrella aura. This noise is particularly known for its annoyance.
As of recent years, Giants have begun to take up complex magics. The profession of wizardry had been brought up by the Lone Wanderer, Sel Mander when he had managed a trip through the infamous Black Planes and returned alive. He told stories of amazing things one could do with magic and had begun a school of teaching the arts of magic. There are currently two well known institutions within the continent of Koldolün one is the Wizard's Academy of The Blessed, and The Cherished Offspring Institution. However, these names have attracted boisterous controversy and backlash from many Giants, and consideration is being put in changing them.
One thing that Giants are known to cherish is knowledge that isn't familial. Books that go off to speak of Adventures in far off places are known to be widely read amongst Giants despite lacking any proper form of printing. Books appeal to the Giant's sense of adventure to the unknown, but what is the most appealing part of a book is that it gives a Giant another prospective. The world that other people see is always the most fascinating thing to be discovered.
 

Hazel

A Frog
Joined
Feb 19, 2010
Location
on my bean bag...
Really, incredible start. Your writing is excellent, and the way you describe these Giants really cause me to eagerly expect more. I will be following this story.
 

Din Akera

Sniper
Joined
Jan 27, 2010
Location
My own little world
As promised.

I did enjoy the opening, quite a bit. It was quite an onslaught of information all at once. I'm not sure whether this is your story, or simply that, precurser information for your reader to be able to understand your story better. In either case, it is obvious you have created a whole world, with a background and an extensive history. Beautifully written.

Alos, the pictures are a fantastic addition. I always like maps and character drawings. The visiual can be taken into account in the readers mind, but not take over, in in a film situation. Fantastic. ^^
 

ChargewithSword

Zelda Dungeon's Critic
Joined
Jan 13, 2009
Location
I don't want to say.
Concerning Giant Culture Part 1

Giants are not the most outspoken when it comes to discussing their culture. They renown themselves are great warriors, but they never care to go down to discussing the bare basics. This could be attributed to their self-centered ego towards outside appearances. Weakness is not something that they care to reveal to any other races.

Giants and Crafting

If there is one profession that frustrates Giants to no end, it would have to be the crafts. Giants may have opposable thumbs that allow them to grasp many things, but they also have very sensitive nerves that don’t do well with precision. If they were to pick up a hammer, chances are that they would miss the chisel and smack the object or their hands. Because of this, Giants are very limited with what they can possibly build. Their objects end up having to be very simple.
Furniture has been a commodity most Giants have had to do without because of this hindrance. Rocks and leaves would often have to be a replacement for chairs and beds. Recently, through magic(1) , Giants have been able to create furniture and the like. However, as years pass and Giants become accustomed to living on rocks and leaves, wooden tables, chairs, and beds have been hard to integrate into Giant living (I have only recently acquired a chair for leisure nights.)

Giants and Commerce

The Giant system of economics is nothing to terrible to raise a fuss about. It is a simple system that eggs on ego. Rather than trade through goods and commodities, Giants instead build up reputation. You are given services depending on how pitiful you may be or how reputable you are. These goods are sold on specific market days that mostly follow the typical schedule a Giant follows.(2) This system is one that can only be applied to Giants though since they do not lie about their achievements. However, if they are suffering, chances are they would rather not let anyone know over admitting it.
A monthly tithe is given to farmers by Elders to share their crops with the rest of the community.(3) (These tithes have more resemblance to the human taxes than simple tithes.) Taxes are only ever given to those who manufacture materials or produce. These taxes never amount to the real definition of tax though. They are mostly demands by the elders to put the goods onto the market.
However, this system has found itself shadowed out by age old hunting tactics. Some find it easier to just go out of town to hunt for dinner and survival tools rather than to wait for a market day. This is why most merchants prefer to sell goods with durability in order to attract customers. The only reason they trade though is so that they may get praised for their accomplishments. Overall, economics was never a big subject for Giants due to their slow nature to adapting.

The Giant Calendar

There are 8 days in the Giant week for only four months. Each month is worth 11 weeks with 45 weeks a year. There is a leap year every 5 years to rework the alignment of time that was lost in the previous years. The individual weeks and days had been calculated through the counting of how many times the sun would rise and fall in a months.

The eight days of the week are as followed:
Ahnäne- New honor
Koldäne- New cold
Minäne- New fear
Icläne- New defeat
Foläne- New growth
Klamäne- New flame
Stranäne- New power
Fooläne- New romance​

There are only four months for the four seasons of the world. The months each have their own categorizations called, Stem, Mid, and End.(4) The four seasons are Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. It is at these times Giants will pertain to discussions of travel and adventure, with most of the discussions taking place during Stem, while adventures take place during Mid, and returns during End.
This system had been developed during the modern era once the Cataclysm had destroyed the majority of the advancements Giants had made in the unknown era. It apparently replaced a former seven day system adopted in the Primal Era.
Mystigma has eight recorded eras; the first three are more entwined with religion though, so their place on the list is skeptical:

Cradle (1-1000 C.) \
Footing (1-3000 F.) --- Religious Genesis
Spirit (1-5000 S.) /

Primal (1-20000 P.) – Recorded Pre-modern
Golden (1-20000 G.)/

*Unknown Eras BD.*

Destruction (1-1500 D.) \
Desolation (1-600 De.) --- Horror
Dormant (1-200 Do.) /

After Destruction (1- AD.)​


Giant Government​

There are no elections in the choosing of a Government representative in Giant society. Officials are chosen through tests of skill and valor, where they battle against others to seize the role of power. Once appointed, they are given the status as “Elder” and given a town to watch over. Elders don’t contribute much to the bulk of Giant society though, as Giant society is already so scattered. Instead they contribute to smaller things to feed their egos and boost their status amongst the townsfolk. This mostly accounts for being the heads for hunting parties, the giving away of crops, and the downing of alcohol. In truth, the appointment of Elder is more of a for-show title

Gender Differences​

The two genders are the female class and the male class. Neither is treated unfairly or highly amongst the public. Each gender has its own specific strengths and weaknesses that form Giant society as a whole. Males are the better cooks and craftsmen than females; this is because they do not have baggage on their chests, allowing them better balance and precision than females despite their jittery nerves. Females on the other hand are better fighters than males as they are much more agile.(5) Males have upper body strength that makes them as invaluable guards and defense in a fight.
In terms of the more mentally demanding professions females normally dominate the spectrum. They serve as wizards, archivists, and battle Rakængs.(6) Males on the other hand serve as herbalists, cooks, spiritualists, and sometimes wizards. Either gender can be appointment into the role of Elder; it just depends on whether they can defeat others wishing to aim for the role.
Also, something to be acknowledged is the Giant mating ritual. Unlike how most races conduct their mating, Giants must first impress one another to win the other. This is normally accomplished by presenting trophies to the mate you want. It doesn't matter which gender is doing the impressing, if the Giant manages to catch the eye of the other, then the mating ritual is complete.

Alcohol and It’s Effects on the Society

If there is one thing that Giants cherish more than their egos, it would have to be alcohol. Alcohol has always been a Giant’s favorite drink to the stinging qualities of the swill. It rolls down their throats without trouble and gives some of the greatest sensations. Some Giants can be instantly revitalized when they have a good drink trickling down.
Giants can’t just drink any alcohol though. Years of drinking have made them very picky and only the finest drinks can quench their thirst. (I admit I prefer a good chalice of Polang Flock. (7)) Cheap alcohol made with no creativity can fire some of the greatest fury in a Giant. The reason this is, is not just because of Giant’s picky drinking, but because they regard the concocting of drinks to be an art. (It is one of the few arts that they can master on their own, without the aid of others to bypass their nerve problem.)
The beginning of alcohol usage is said to have begun during the Golden Era, though precisely when is not simple to decipher. In some cases, it is said that the usage of alcoholic drinks began as medicine during great battles, and one concoction made its way into a Giant's mouth during the Battle of Thorn Peak; this in turn caused the Giant to break out into a drunken rage. Another set of rumors states that alcoholic drinks had begun as drinks that the other races kept to themselves and didn't share until the Giants forced them to hand them a share. This is however, unlikely as stone tablets dating back to the Golden depicting trade displays multiple alcoholic beverages being traded to the other races. This would suggest that the Giants had been the first race to use alcoholic mixtures, as they were the prime exporters of the swill.

-----------------------

(1)As discussed in Concerning Giants ¶6

(2)These are normally Koldäne and Foläne as these are the days when Giants normally stay in their homes.

(3)Giant society dictates that objects of the dirt should not be given a price, instead being given rights.

(4) EX: StemSummer, MidSummer, EndSummer

(5)Their baggage allows them to work with techniques unavailable to males. One technique is the Plunging Skrike, an axe strike, this technique utilizes the forward thrust of a female’s breasts to give them a proper lunge to swiftly kill an opponent. this makes them a must on the frontlines of a battleground.

(6) It is a Giant word that has no straight meaning. In normal context it would translate to killer in English. The definition is meant to describe those who teach students which would also mean the word should translate as the English word, teacher. However, these people are revered killers for their acts in battle and are thus given positions that allow them to teach younger generations.

(7) Polang Flock is a special drink brewed with Rrardo Fluut (or Demon Weed in English).
 
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Majora's Cat

How about that
Joined
Sep 3, 2010
Location
NJ
I've never seen a story such as yours. It's interesting to no end. As of yet I have not seen anyone on these forums or any others for that matter, write in such a style that makes the reader feel like what is being written is fact. For that I applaud you. And the art - stunning, really. Youve really got something going here, Charge. I'm usually a real nitpicker, but I must say, I don't have much to complain about here.

In fact, my only complaint would be about paragraph spacing. Everything looks a bit clumped together, you know what I mean? I'd suggest either using indents by adding invisible periods or pressig the "return/enter" button one more time to distinguish between paragraphs a bit more.
 

ChargewithSword

Zelda Dungeon's Critic
Joined
Jan 13, 2009
Location
I don't want to say.
The Slaurgs and the Girl

Once upon a time, in a land far to the north, there was a village of Giants known as Sakado. It was on the Winter's Eve that a great festival was being held in celebration of the winter God, Hiemensus.
It was on this day that Slaurgs would come down from their mountain passes to bring misfortune to the Giants. Slaurgs hated Giants with a burning passion, but today of all days was when they responded to the Giant activity. Winter's Eve was a festival of large scale and caused such a clamor that the Slaurgs just couldn't endure. So, groups of them would step down from their mountains and kidnapped children who strayed from the festival.
As the festivities went underway, three Slaurgs snuck into Sakado as quiet as death. Once inside the town, the three Slaurgs spied a little girl sharpening an axe too big for her to wield. She was a blacksmith's daughter who stayed behind to help her ill gaffer catch up with his work schedule.
With a quick jerk, the Slaurgs stole the girl away from the town. They ran for at least thirty minutes before finally stopping in a small grove. Now, the girl was no fool, she heard stories of Slaurgs and their appetite for children. However, the girl also knew that Slaurgs were very picky cooks.
So with a sly shot of wit, the girl put up a charade of fear and asked, "Oh sirs, what are you going to do with me?"
With an evil smirk one of the Slaurgs proclaimed, "we'll be puttin' you in th' pot t' boil, lil' biter."
"Oh but sir," exclaimed the girl. "My skin is thick and will take day before it is softened by your waters, and by then my muscles will have rotted and pruned."
"Oi," cried another Slaurg. "No point lettin' th' meat spoil'n th' pot 'for it t' git done."
The Slaurgs then found themselves in a bitter argument for a long while. They beat one another, kicked each other, and bit themselves all while the poor girl was being flung around in her Slaurg's hands. It wasn't until later that the Slaurgs finally decided that they would hang the girl from her feet and then from her hands until all the blood flowed through every part of her body, softening her.
Once more though, the girl intervened, "But good sirs, where would you get the rope to hang me from? The vines do not grow from these trees until Midsummer. And say you did hang me from these trees, what if a storm blew over? I would no sooner fly like a bird before I softened properly. It's as my old gaffer said once, 'Don't get in over your head if a storm is blowing over.'"
As one can tell, Slaurgs are not very bright creatures and were easily swayed by the little girl's words. The Slaurgs then began to argue once more, and this time they were so flustered that the trees shook in their rampage.
With a squeak, the girl then said, "It's such a shame I can't help you sirs. I'm just a blacksmith's daughter; the best things I can soften are the metals on blades using my great hammer."
Then, one of the Slaurgs proclaimed, "Ir' now. What says we gits us a 'ammer and smash it on 'er 'till she's soft as soil?"
To this the Slaurg's agreed wholeheartedly, but soon they were wondering where to get a hammer.
Then the little girl intervened once more, "Oh good sirs. I can get you my hammer from my gaffer's workshop. With it I'm sure you can crush my skin to softness."
The Slaurgs, so absorbed in their hunger, happily obliged and carried the girl back to town. Once there, the Slaurgs stood to wait for her at the gate. After a moment, the Slaurgs found themselves being chased away by many Giants carrying weapons. The girl had masterfully got the better of them, and they found themselves hungry for the rest of the night.
When she returned home, the girl was cheered on for her bravery and wit, when asked how she managed to trick the Slaurgs she simply said, "I found my way to their stomachs."​
 

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