Forgive my inconsistent blogging, but it’s rather difficult to blog while trying to write a series of medieval fantasy novels while trying to be a good student while trying to live as a subject in the kingdom of God…catch my drift?
So, on to the geography, topography, and climate of Miendur.
First and foremost, one must understand that Miendur is actually an island amidst several others. Miendur is not a planet or country, it is simply a continent. Now, obviously it is the hub of all activities in this world. Truth be told, I have yet to conjure a name sufficient for the world itself.
Miendur…this island is roughly the size of Australia, with land features that largely resemble Europe’s. It’s roughly shaped like an oblong blob. Ideally, someday I would love to post a sketch of it for all to gaze upon, but I have no clue about any of that.
Miendur has several prevalent landforms. First of all, it is extremely mountainous. Where mountains do not exist, highlands are seen. Plains exist in rare locations and usually only on the coasts. There are three rather expansive plains that lie in between mountain ranges and coastlines. Several key rivers, which originate in those various mountain ranges, provide a “valley of life” for several of Miendur’s civilizations. Forests and fens, along with glistening glens and hidden vales abound in this wonderfully sylvan and pastoral land.
Miendur’s climate is very similar to temperate biomes. Save the northern- and southern-most extremities, Miendur experiences four very distinct seasons. The winter months see light to heavy snow, depending on latitude and elevation. Travel during the wintertime can often be treacherous and hazardous. The springtime is the typical time of April showers, vegetation renewal, and crop sowing. The summer months experience the radiant warmth of the sun and can sometimes begin a mid to late year drought. During autumn, the leaves change to red, orange, and yellow and then fall to the ground.
The calendar of Miendur is seasonal. Ergo, there are four “months,” each consisting of ninety-one days (the month of “summer” is ninety-two days to account for the 365 days of the year). The Gnomish (just wait until I get to the races) New Year is the last night of autumn.
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Thursday, October 28, 2004
The Creator
The other night I noticed something. The moon. Set amidst the dark, night sky, it shone with a brilliant light. The surrounding stars accompanied the moon with radiant light of their own. I then recalled a scene from earlier that day--the red, orange, and yellow leaves of autumn. I thought, "Wow, how can people not see a Creator behind this?"
My mind continued to wander as I thought about the Apollo missions. Man had gone to the moon. Then I thought about my friends and football and apple cider during the fall. Again I thought, "How can man reject a Creator?"
Look around, his handiwork is obvious. All creation testifies to Elohim.
If I cannot exist without a Creator then how can Miendur exist without its own creator?
Runos (lit. "the judge") is the god-figure of Miendur. A world requires a creator, virtue requires Truth. The standards of justice, freedom, courage, love, loyalty, and wisdom must be set forth by a higher being or else my world revolves around nothing more than the sword-wielding descendants of rocks, slugs, and pygmy shrews.
So if there is a clear god-creator-figure, is there a clear-cut religion? The answer is no.
Runos, unlike Yahweh, does not require worship. Although he is constantly and directly involved int e lives of the people of Miendur, he seeks no relationship of love with them. Therefore, where Yahweh requires worship, Runos requires honor. Where Yahweh requires love, Runos requires justice.
Clearly, it is a flat world devoid of sin as we know it. There are clearly defined lines of good and evil. While any character can fall, they can be redeemed by their own works in the end. Obviously, the spiritual nature of individual people in Miendur cannot be applied to ours. Miendur seeks to simplify the inner struggle in order to focus on the outer struggle. Miendur writ large symbolizes my inner self. The war inside me has a clear-cut victor but hat does not mean the war ceases. Even though Runos clearly embodies good and guarantees its victory over evil, the war in Miendur continues. "Why is this?," you might ask. I haven't the faintest idea.
My mind continued to wander as I thought about the Apollo missions. Man had gone to the moon. Then I thought about my friends and football and apple cider during the fall. Again I thought, "How can man reject a Creator?"
Look around, his handiwork is obvious. All creation testifies to Elohim.
If I cannot exist without a Creator then how can Miendur exist without its own creator?
Runos (lit. "the judge") is the god-figure of Miendur. A world requires a creator, virtue requires Truth. The standards of justice, freedom, courage, love, loyalty, and wisdom must be set forth by a higher being or else my world revolves around nothing more than the sword-wielding descendants of rocks, slugs, and pygmy shrews.
So if there is a clear god-creator-figure, is there a clear-cut religion? The answer is no.
Runos, unlike Yahweh, does not require worship. Although he is constantly and directly involved int e lives of the people of Miendur, he seeks no relationship of love with them. Therefore, where Yahweh requires worship, Runos requires honor. Where Yahweh requires love, Runos requires justice.
Clearly, it is a flat world devoid of sin as we know it. There are clearly defined lines of good and evil. While any character can fall, they can be redeemed by their own works in the end. Obviously, the spiritual nature of individual people in Miendur cannot be applied to ours. Miendur seeks to simplify the inner struggle in order to focus on the outer struggle. Miendur writ large symbolizes my inner self. The war inside me has a clear-cut victor but hat does not mean the war ceases. Even though Runos clearly embodies good and guarantees its victory over evil, the war in Miendur continues. "Why is this?," you might ask. I haven't the faintest idea.
The Races: Originality, Variety, and "Believability"
Something my brother and I really struggled with in the creation of Miendur was the various peoples. We wanted to create something new and something with depth. If I were to mention a race to my brother he would instantaneously have the same mental picture that I would. This makes it somewhat difficult to explain in one setting because my brother and I have probaly put hours of thought and conversation into each race.
Our first goal was to create original peoples. Our races are obviously going to be influenced by some sources, but we really try to create fresh new outlooks on intelligent, social beings.
Our second goal was to create an incredibly diverse and varied set of civilizations who interact with each other. Our own world sees no end to variety when it comes to the civilizations of the past and present, so why should Miendur be any different?
Our final goal was to create peoples that were realistic. Basically, even though it is pure fantasy, I want people to say, "Yeah, I guess that could happen."
Our first goal was to create original peoples. Our races are obviously going to be influenced by some sources, but we really try to create fresh new outlooks on intelligent, social beings.
Our second goal was to create an incredibly diverse and varied set of civilizations who interact with each other. Our own world sees no end to variety when it comes to the civilizations of the past and present, so why should Miendur be any different?
Our final goal was to create peoples that were realistic. Basically, even though it is pure fantasy, I want people to say, "Yeah, I guess that could happen."
Friday, October 01, 2004
Death and Dying
First off, I have added another blog to my favorite funny blogs. This one. And I'm sorry I didn't respond to your questions about heroism Dave, I didn't really undertake it.
Anyways, today I tackle the problem of death. This is a serious problem for me, because there are few things one can value more than life. For instance, my political views are based around this single value. Anti-abortion, anti-terror basically sums that up.
But how do I apply this to a world that revolves around warring with swords? The obvious answer is self defense. However, self defense can be complicated especially when it comes to pre-emptive strikes and the like.
I prefer to look, not at groups, armies, or nations, but at individuals. The heroes of Miendur fight for different reasons. Some fight for their wife and children. Some for the population as a whole. Others may fight for justice. Still some may fight for honor and revenge.
A key point to remember is that Miendur is not under the New Covenant. There is a God but there is no concrete religion or faith. There is no grace or obligation to forgive. So we should not interpret the stories of Miendur to coincide with our everyday life. Rather, interpret them politically and spiritually.
There is a threat, there is an enemy. It could be Osama bin Laden or your own sin nature. Deal with it accordingly.
Anyways, today I tackle the problem of death. This is a serious problem for me, because there are few things one can value more than life. For instance, my political views are based around this single value. Anti-abortion, anti-terror basically sums that up.
But how do I apply this to a world that revolves around warring with swords? The obvious answer is self defense. However, self defense can be complicated especially when it comes to pre-emptive strikes and the like.
I prefer to look, not at groups, armies, or nations, but at individuals. The heroes of Miendur fight for different reasons. Some fight for their wife and children. Some for the population as a whole. Others may fight for justice. Still some may fight for honor and revenge.
A key point to remember is that Miendur is not under the New Covenant. There is a God but there is no concrete religion or faith. There is no grace or obligation to forgive. So we should not interpret the stories of Miendur to coincide with our everyday life. Rather, interpret them politically and spiritually.
There is a threat, there is an enemy. It could be Osama bin Laden or your own sin nature. Deal with it accordingly.
Magicalness
Dude, I was reading my bro's blog. It's funny. Read it.
If there is one grievance I have with fantasy literature, it is magic. Honestly, I utterly despise magicality and spells and potions and sorcerers and wizards and incantations and Donald Trump. One might ask, "Then how can you find enjoyment in LOTR?" This is simple. The LOTR does not have a magical premise. If one were to watch Peter Jackson's films, or just read the trilogy itself, they would say that Tolien incorporated magical themes (i.e. Gandalf the wizard, Sauron the Dark Lord, etc.) into his books. But if one were to twelve deeper into the world of Tolkien, they would discover the truth. Gandalf is, in fact, the equivalent of an angel, and Sauron that of a fallen angel. Middle-Earth was not built upon magic, but upon the supernatural aka Illuvatar aka the One True God.
Plainly put, I like realistic stories. I don't like the magical things like, forgive me, Harry Potter and the like. Not only are they fruity and take away from physical heroism, but they are unnatural and unrelated to our reality. This is not to say that Miendur does not have different geography and, more importantly, different beings than our world, but its emphasis is more historical than fantastic. Next time we gat to tackle the problem of killing i.e. can it be justified?
If there is one grievance I have with fantasy literature, it is magic. Honestly, I utterly despise magicality and spells and potions and sorcerers and wizards and incantations and Donald Trump. One might ask, "Then how can you find enjoyment in LOTR?" This is simple. The LOTR does not have a magical premise. If one were to watch Peter Jackson's films, or just read the trilogy itself, they would say that Tolien incorporated magical themes (i.e. Gandalf the wizard, Sauron the Dark Lord, etc.) into his books. But if one were to twelve deeper into the world of Tolkien, they would discover the truth. Gandalf is, in fact, the equivalent of an angel, and Sauron that of a fallen angel. Middle-Earth was not built upon magic, but upon the supernatural aka Illuvatar aka the One True God.
Plainly put, I like realistic stories. I don't like the magical things like, forgive me, Harry Potter and the like. Not only are they fruity and take away from physical heroism, but they are unnatural and unrelated to our reality. This is not to say that Miendur does not have different geography and, more importantly, different beings than our world, but its emphasis is more historical than fantastic. Next time we gat to tackle the problem of killing i.e. can it be justified?
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
The Sword Conclusion and the Beginning of Parties
My brother posed me this question: So, why do we like swords and not guns as a means of defense and justice in Miendur and other various forms of entertainment? I believe it could have something to do with legos, yes legos. When we were young lads, we used to construct alternate realities with legos. That's right. But we typically did not use modern lego themes. Yes we had some cowboy legos and maybe a few spaceship one, but the vast majority of them were medieval legos. We had the Wolfpack, Dragon Masters, Lion Kingdom, Ninja Dudes, and various other sets that I cannot recall exactly. It all started back then.
And all this talk of legos brings me to another point. We used to set up very interesting little scenarios with those little plastic men. They had names, rank, and even food preferences. However, my brother always took a different approach than I. Ladius used to take one guy and deck him out with all the weapons he was given (we divided our weapons pieces up evenly). This would be his hero. This social outcast would most likely live, with monkey and parrot of course, on some deserted island, only revealing himself in times of dire distress.
I, on the other hand, would create a group of heroes, a party, a brotherhood,...A fellowship if you will. Each member of this group would then have a specific role or two. For instance, their would be a captain who, though not the greatest warrior, would be the unquestioned leader of the group. Then the champion would wield two swords since he was the greatest swordsman in all the lands, therefore he demanded the finest meats and cheeses (Kenny M. From ESPN). Then there would be an amazing archer or a great hunter-type, much like Robin Hood or Legolas. I would probably also have some pyrotechnic as well who liked to execute siege tactics against moving targets. And still there are more: the physician, the warrior maiden, the burly axeman, the falconer.
Miendur has come to respect those differences as my brother and I have come to focus on our own heroic style. He tends to concentrate more on one all-encompassing hero who stands alone against the hordes of evil, whereas I tend to emphasize a brotherhood of battle, where deep relational and even emotional ties exist. For instance, I find gripping dialogues most entertaining, yet Ladius might not even have quotation marks in his entire story.
I feel that group heroism is most useful to illustrate lessons of loyalty, trust, gift-using, and interdependence. After all this story is just one gigantic allegory of the Spirit-filled life, so this illustrates the importance of the Body of Christ in a disciple's life.
And all this talk of legos brings me to another point. We used to set up very interesting little scenarios with those little plastic men. They had names, rank, and even food preferences. However, my brother always took a different approach than I. Ladius used to take one guy and deck him out with all the weapons he was given (we divided our weapons pieces up evenly). This would be his hero. This social outcast would most likely live, with monkey and parrot of course, on some deserted island, only revealing himself in times of dire distress.
I, on the other hand, would create a group of heroes, a party, a brotherhood,...A fellowship if you will. Each member of this group would then have a specific role or two. For instance, their would be a captain who, though not the greatest warrior, would be the unquestioned leader of the group. Then the champion would wield two swords since he was the greatest swordsman in all the lands, therefore he demanded the finest meats and cheeses (Kenny M. From ESPN). Then there would be an amazing archer or a great hunter-type, much like Robin Hood or Legolas. I would probably also have some pyrotechnic as well who liked to execute siege tactics against moving targets. And still there are more: the physician, the warrior maiden, the burly axeman, the falconer.
Miendur has come to respect those differences as my brother and I have come to focus on our own heroic style. He tends to concentrate more on one all-encompassing hero who stands alone against the hordes of evil, whereas I tend to emphasize a brotherhood of battle, where deep relational and even emotional ties exist. For instance, I find gripping dialogues most entertaining, yet Ladius might not even have quotation marks in his entire story.
I feel that group heroism is most useful to illustrate lessons of loyalty, trust, gift-using, and interdependence. After all this story is just one gigantic allegory of the Spirit-filled life, so this illustrates the importance of the Body of Christ in a disciple's life.
Monday, September 20, 2004
The Sword
VS.
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VS.
First and foremost, visit my brothers blog. It will make you grin (you will need it after you're done reading this post). Here we go...
Notice the above pictures. You will see four warriors. Two are fake (Mel Gibson as William Wallace and the Alexander of Macedon painting) while the other two are real (the US infantry and the US tank). So, my comparison is flawed, but I seek the symbols behind the pictures.
Let me cut straight to the point. We obviously do not have horse and sword armies any more. Therefore we must remember them through art. Oftentimes, we forget that wars were not always won with the bigger, better guns. Wars were won with valor and hand-to-hand skill.
Now hear me out. I don't want to demean the excellent job that our soldiers are doing around the world in defense of freedom. But, to tell the truth, mankind fights a different kind of war altogether. As of five hundred years ago, warriors stood face to face against their enemies. In fact, Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front speaks of the brutal hand-to-hand combat occurring only eighty years ago in WW I.
However, in those ancient times, with the exception of range-limited bows and highly inaccurate catapults, death was literally within hands reach of every warrior. Imagine what that would have been like: standing face to face with someone who wanted to and/or had to maim or kill you. That's actually rather terrifying. Truly that would take either tremendous coercive power by the ruler to perform or great courage.
Similarly, the soldiers of the USA are encouraged to fight but usually not in a hand-to-hand situation. They place great trust in their commanders to create a scenario that favors them, and soldiers of ancient history likely held similar trust. Another aspect of this trust is training. American forces have the best technology of any in the world, so they must be prepared to use it appropriately.
Their ancient counterparts, however, were not trained in technological warfare but physical warfare. The US attacks with technology, but the ancients attacked a sword in hand. In that world only the most skilled will survive. One misplaced blow and you could be done for. Today, a random piece of flying shrapnel could end your life in seconds.
The difference lies in proximity--the distance between you and death. With this proximity comes the idea of glory. For instance, King David's Mighty Men are remembered in the book of I Samuel. Achilles is remembered in the Iliad for feats of combative prowess. William Wallace is remembered as a fierce warrior.
To sum up, in generasl terms...
- Today's way of war = valor + technology + distanced
- Yesterday's way of war = valor + skill + personal
Again, I say thank you to those in service of freedom, where ever you are in the world. My prayers are with you. Strength and Honor.
Sunday, September 19, 2004
Why medieval fantasy?
Ah yes, my first substantive post. This shall be a joy to explain the seeming strangeness of my mind. For one to understand my mind, they must first look openly upon what I am doing. Am I living in an alternate reality? Am I finding a way to escape from the worries of daily life? Perhaps...Perhaps not. In my quest to reason myself with you, you hopefully will see what I am trying to accomplish.
"Why?" you may ask, "are you so fascinated with medieval fantasy?" The legends of King Arthur, the Lord of the Rings, Greek and Norse Mythology. These are my hobbies. I study them for fun. For one, I love ancient history, so obviously, like ancient peoples, I love the stories that they loved (save LOTR) and have modeled my own stories after these.
Two words sum up my rationality for this seemingly strange hobby. The Sword. Truly, I love swords. Those who know me personally will recall that I collect swords. Swords are to me as shrubberies are to Roger the Shrubber. It all began about four years ago when I saw a movie called Gladiator.
Anyways, in my next post you all shall know exactly why I love swords as I do. Please do not mistake my love for swords as a love for death or a love for war. Remember I just love swords. If you can't wait for a few days I suggest you go read Hebrews 4:12+13. It's best in the King James Version.
"Why?" you may ask, "are you so fascinated with medieval fantasy?" The legends of King Arthur, the Lord of the Rings, Greek and Norse Mythology. These are my hobbies. I study them for fun. For one, I love ancient history, so obviously, like ancient peoples, I love the stories that they loved (save LOTR) and have modeled my own stories after these.
Two words sum up my rationality for this seemingly strange hobby. The Sword. Truly, I love swords. Those who know me personally will recall that I collect swords. Swords are to me as shrubberies are to Roger the Shrubber. It all began about four years ago when I saw a movie called Gladiator.
Anyways, in my next post you all shall know exactly why I love swords as I do. Please do not mistake my love for swords as a love for death or a love for war. Remember I just love swords. If you can't wait for a few days I suggest you go read Hebrews 4:12+13. It's best in the King James Version.
Saturday, September 18, 2004
Greetings
Greetings and welcome to my chronicles. This page will be dedicated to journaling the progression of my created world, Miendur. I will discuss its origins, its many revisions, and its cultures that are entirely imaginary. Strength and honor.
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