Does that mean it doesn’t even matter what I describe them as? Or the fact that “elf” covers quite a wide array of different subspecies here (some of which are trees)? Do they spontaneously morph to a specific image the instant word “elf” is mentioned?
To be fair, I wouldn’t mind calling them something else, but I don’t know what that would be. I’m using “elf” because that’s what the word I use translates to (and what elf is translated as), but the original word is such a catch-all term that with that concept, one could reliably call trolls and giants as elves, which might not work in English that well… Fae, maybe?
I don’t know what I’m going to do, that’s why I’m rambling instead of doing it.
Yeah, in English Elf isn’t a catch all term. Historically, “Fae” and “Fairies” have been used as a catch all, hence “fairy tale.” Fairies have since become more distinctive, but Fae can probably be used for you. At least in the US, they aren’t used as much and aren’t as specific as Elves or Fairies. Nymph can also work, if they take on a nature connotation.
Also, I don’t know what the word is in your language, or how hard it would be to pronounce for non native speakers, but you always have the option to just use the untranslated word.
Anyway I was trying to follow the writing advice of not using a new word for things that already have a word (like, I wouldn’t call horses as häst or hest simply because they’re Norwegian Fjord horses), but I guess if the concepts don’t match, I could use a foreign-language word (I don’t think the Finnish one would work, it’d get too awkward grammatically, but I might call them alver) or, I dunno, name them Guardians or something.
Mmh. The perspective is certainly leaning into that direction (in all my works), but I frankly prefer using Swedish terminology in English, since it’s easier for my brain to comprehend grammatically. Also it’s pretty.
(It’d also lose a lot of context, since a lot of names describe what they are.)
It used to be. Time was, fairies, trolls, goblins, even ogres could be described as “elves”, but these days it’s pretty much reserved for the fair folk. (And the Christmas Guy’s minions; that seems to be the one other place the word “elf” gets to be used.)
Also, if you want to say elves don’t have pointy ears…
“Why don’t you have pointy ears?”
[The elf] looks confused. “Is that something that your people say about us? I am afraid that my ears are as rounded as yours are.”
Incidentally, they’re clearly kidnapped Finnish house guardian spirits. I feel really bad for them.
I was just going to describe them looking exactly like humans (and forego telling they are elves until it’s relevant), but this still sounds so much like an uphill battle I’m not sure a change in terminology isn’t in order.
If you’re going high fantasy (and I think you are) unless you want to work outside the normal tropes and settings of the genre, you’re best using elf and only briefly mentioning ear tips I think. Fantasy readers will often just expect that when reading the genre unless the author states otherwise. It’s only when you have readers that aren’t high fantasy readers that they will get confused otherwise.
Sorry it took me a bit to stare that, but upon reading your reply and reconsidering that seems the best advice from what I know.
Note: but I do love some of the ideas posted on here if you want to adjust setting and tropes a bit. A high fantasy work that leaned heavily into a culture that isn’t always emphasized seems fun. Also, I’d love for a world to have male nymphs, but I also think Medusa should be a people and not an individual … playing with myths is fun and keeps it interesting. I would caution that while Satyr are the male companions to Nymphs they tend to be more goat like than Nymphs are more like river goddesses…so I think there is definitely ground and room to make male nymphs rather than using satyr. Depends if you would want to keep the Hellenic mythos and setting exact or expand on it.
I think either way is valid and could be fun writing and reading, but if you do go non-standard, either from high fantasy or changing a preestablished cultural mythos, I’d recommend eventually adding some sort of codex accessible by the stats menu that has a glossary of terms or something similar, or do something else to help readers orientate themselves.
Then again, there is also president for just letting the readers wade in and explore the setting and get used to it in game, similar to some of Sanderson’s series.
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Regarding Medusa vs Gorgons…technically, yes. But I think the Snake hair bit and the turning people to stone power was unique to her and not her sisters, but can’t claim to be an expert in Hellenic myth.
Technically, without a codex I could just… ignore the whole thing and never call anyone an elf (or whatever) at any point. In what I have of the actual story, I think there’s only two (three, but two of them overlap) places where that’s being drawn attention to - one, where the POV character at that point is confused about a couple of characters’ shapeshifting, and another character explains to that’s because they’re elves (and then consequently, telling that he himself can’t do that because he’s only a half-elf), the other ones where said half-elf is talking with his friend, the innkeeper, about the queen of the sea kingdom, who’s rumoured to be partially elf, and the half-elf pointing out that the innkeeper joking about the half-elf getting together with the queen would get too messy because he’s a half… archelf? and she’s rumoured to be partially naiad (nereid, but I wasn’t aware of that word at that point in my life). And that could so easily be edited out.
The nereid part is foreshadowing, but I’m sure there’d be alternative ways to pull that plot twist off.
(Also they totally are together, he’s just protecting her from the inevitable rumours and because the Usurper King is waging war against her because she refused to marry the Usurper King.)
I like your idea, it sounds fun! Seems like you’ve got a lot of cool worldbuilding and you’re invested in the details, which I enjoy. Do you still want suggestions on a possible MC? If so: how about the seer who gave the prophecy in the first place?
Because I think going with the Seer could smooth your story's transformation from novel(?) to game and here's why.
Consider this premise: the MC (whichever their origin/race) delivered a prophecy ages ago, then went to sleep or got cursed or frozen in time somehow–and then woke up to find that their little prediction has thrown the world into dramatic chaos and in-fighting. Now they’re involved in the events of their own prophecy and must reckon with the consequences.
This role for the player helps you in a couple of ways. First, it allows you to keep a manageable amount of perspective hopping. If the player-character is a seer with visions and prophetic abilities, then the character themselves comes along with the player during the scene changes and allows them to react (at least emotionally) to those events.
Second: casting the player-character as a Seer with no pre-existing attachments to one side or the other is a good way to establish that character’s investment in the conflict without tying the player to one side or the other at the start. It also makes the MC a character of potential interest/conflict to the NPCs, and doesn’t require you to sacrifice any of them to make room for the player. (Since you said that the original Seer-character was dead/hibernating during the events of the game anyway.)
Bonus advantage: playing a Seer with no pre-existing allegiances and a removed frame of reference allows the player to integrate with the high-level perspective you’ve been describing throughout your posts on the lore and worldbuilding. Seer-type characters tend to be heavily involved in those aspects of a story, and telling the reader up front that this is who they’re playing as will help you attract attract players/set expectations based on what they will encounter.
Tl;dr and the specific question of MCs aside, my best suggestion would be: instead of trying to reign in your desire to pursue the world-building and perspective changes, consider how you can turn them into an advantage.
It sounds like you’ve had this project cooking for a long time, and you’ve got some really cool history and lore build-up. If that’s the heart of your interest in the story, then kind of role gives you an excuse to get the player actively involved with it? That could be where you find your main character.
The more I think about it, the more I like “folk”… it’s in line with things like “fair folk” and “merfolk”, fits with the magic system (I’m literally calling it “folken magic” in another story), translates well, and lets me do things like “vanfolk, who some called elves and others jötnar” in descriptions…
Comic, actually, which is where the appearance stuff comes in as so important!
I can’t picture the original seer in that situation doing anything else than rolling her eyes, saying that humans are idiots, and going back to sleep. She’d be too removed from affairs of mere mortals. Some lesser seer or scholar working on interpretations could work though.
I need to rework the story anyway, its current state is atrocious. But that’s where this kind of throwing-ideas-back-and-forth brainstorming comes in as so important!
Really amused that nobody has said anything about me including “interdimensional aliens” in list of standard high fantasy species though. Is that really so common? I admit I haven’t read that much fantasy lately, I’m more on a Nordic Noir spree currently.
In many works, especially those with magical beings coming from their own magical world or plane something like Jötunheimr as being separate from Midgard, or fire elementals from the plane of fire, “Interdimensional aliens” isn’t all that inaccurate a term for them, though it would not be the first word most people would reach for, as it has more of a sci-fi connotation.
I, personally, love the intersection of fantasy and sci-fi (read: Shadowrun), so I’m here for it. Others may prefer a crowbar separation of the two, but that feels limiting.
