Here is the beginnings of a map. The idea is to convey the flavor of what goes on in the place by the way the font looks and the name sounds. My players won't know what to expect in each place, but their characters should have at least some recollection of the way things are in various places. So I'm testing it on you:
-One of the places is all heavy metal and shit.
-One of the places is all vikingish and cold and merciless.
-One of the places is creepy and Lovecraftian.
-One of the places is weird and Vancian.
-One of the places is old and gothic and M. John Harrisonish.
-One of them is just a minor city that happens to be on the map.
Let me know if it's working by telling me which subgenre you think goes with which name on the map.
Okay, I'll play (poorly, no doubt):
ReplyDeleteHeavy metal - Vornheim
Vikingish - Nornrik
Lovecraftian - Isle of Oth
Vancian - Bellet Osc
Harrisonish - Gaxen Kane
Minor city - Osc Leth
it's either simple or very tricky:D
ReplyDeleteVornheim - gothic
Nornrik - viking
Isle of Oth - lovecraft
Bellet Osc - vance
Gaxer Kane - metal
and
osc leth should be a minor city (small font, quite casual style)
btw. you've got a taste in names
ReplyDeletemy feelings are
ReplyDeleteheavy metal and shit: Vörnheim
vikingish: Nornrïk
Lovecraftian: Isle of Oth
Vancian: Gaxen Käne
gothic Harrisonish: Bellet Ösc
and Osc Leth as the minor city.
Everyone else seems to be agreeing with me on some and disagreeing on others, but here goes:
ReplyDeleteNornRik - heavy metal.
Vornheim - vikingish.
Isle of Oth - Lovecraftian.
Gaxen Kane - rocks the Jack Vance.
Bellet Osc - M. John Harrisonish.
Oscleth - the minor city
NornRik - Cold merciless Vikings. Norn=North and The Norns, plus runic font = viking.
ReplyDeleteVornheim - Metal, heavy and shit, but "heim" makes me think it's the city which would be wrong if correct.
Isle of Oth - Lovecraft (given a choice of Isle and non-Isle the Isle is always Lovecraft). Dot in the Oh is also a giveaway.
Gaxen Kane - Guessing Vancian by default. But the umlaut is really throwing off the vibe. They should be reserved for metal, viking and/or viking metal
Bellet Osc - Old German calligraphy = gothic. Bellet is like Bella which for some reason makes me think of Southern Gothic / Vampires
Oscleth - ne word, no umlauts = minor city
Vornheim: Metal
ReplyDeleteNornrik: Viking
Gaxen Kane: Vance
Isle of Oth: Lovecraft
Bellet Osc: Harrison
Osc Let: Minor
So, huh, yeah, I line up with Norman Harman and papajoemambo. Although I'd trade Gaxen Kane and Bellet Osc, because neither of them really sounds Vancian to me and either of them could be Harrisonian.
Adam
Adam, Norman, and Fishlemons are right.
ReplyDeleteThough, really, it's a test of me, not you. I feel like I should do something to make Gaxen Kane seem more Vancian (the original name was a conflation of gygax and a partial anagram of Jack Vance's name) or at least more whimsical/weird.
So I was 4 for 6, which isn't bad considering I don't have any familiarity with M. John Harrison.
ReplyDeleteI recommend you become familiar. "In Viriconium" is definitely the best genre novel of the last 50 years, and one of the best novels of the centruy, period.
ReplyDeleteI second the "In Viriconium" recommendation and am happy I got that many right.
ReplyDeleteJust an FYI, as of today the image is gone. Found that out when I came to link it as an example of typography conveying information.
ReplyDelete@Pulp Herb
ReplyDeleteThanks for telling me--if I come across the original I'll re-scan it.