.original sin
11 August 2006
It's been some time since I've felt inspired to write on this, but I've good news. I'm about to start revamping the story, so any posts here are the new version.However, as I am hoping to have this published, I will only be keeping chapters public for one week, then setting them to hidden status. I had intended for this blog to only be open to a few people to view, but it may not be as private as I'd intended and therefore I have to safeguard the unfinished work in some manner. I will also be transferring work over to my PC for safekeeping. This includes everything on the characters, since some of them are up for a revamp as well.
Updated 10:49 AM
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05 December 2005
I am setting a word count goal for the novel. As of December 5, 2005, I am shooting to have 80,000 words (the publishing minimum for DAW Books) and at least fifteen chapters. The current word count stands at 4,185 for the prologue and first chapter combined.Updated 3:21 PM
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04 December 2005
Yes, I have a mental soundtrack for Original Sin.- Meat Loaf, "Original Sin" - because dammit, the song is perfect for this story!
- Metallica, "Enter Sandman" - or, as I call it in my head, Micah's theme song.
- Matchbox 20, "Unwell" - this is more of a random song. I think if it fits anyone, it'd be Zentral's theme (but he hasn't shown up yet, and won't until around Chapter Three)
- Heather Nova, "Walk This World" - and yes, this is Karanya's theme. She's the kind of girl I wish I was: bold, ballsy, and not afraid to stick it in and break it off.
- Pearl Jam, "Garden" - I just love this song, it makes me happy. ::looks left, looks right, smirks:: And it'll eventually be Adonai's song. He's not as sweet and innocent and Chapter One makes him out to be.
- Stabbing Westward, "You Complete Me" - I have several reasons for including this song, the main one being that none of my main quartet is perfect. Only through the group (or rather, the pairs/couples they break off into) do they truly feel whole... and that will be a bit of time in coming.
- Drain STH, "Crave" - just give it a listen. It inspires me a hell of a lot, especially this section:
The love that you gave
Now I just can't be saved
And there is no salvation for me
My sin was to touch
But I wanted too much
Now I know that I've fallen from grace - J. Englishman, "The Hero" - picked mainly for the line "are you as angry on the inside as you are on the surface?"; it's likely to appear somewhere in the novel coming from Adonai. My redhead is very observant ::smirk::
Updated 6:00 PM
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Micah Ravensdark was not a happy man.
He had been in the city of Krish'ne Torel for little over a day and a half, and he was already fed up with the attitudes of the citizens. It was hardly his fault that their patron 'goddess,' a dragon-born bitch, had passed away the previous month, but they certainly treated him as if it were.
Then there were the ones who were rude upon merely looking at him. Again, it wasn't his fault that his parents weren't even the same race; there were more than a few times that he hated his mixed lineage, and the hostility in the eyes of even the children here was starting to make him wish that his father had stuck to whores and his mother had stayed with the elves.
Micah grunted as yet another man passing his bar stool roughly bumped into him, spilling his drink for the dozenth time tonight. If he hadn't been summoned to Krish'ne Torel, he would have left before the first evening passed. But, no, Denevir had insisted he come, and Micah was beholden to his mentor... damn the man.
"Excuse you," he half-snarled at the one who'd bumped into him this time. Bloodshot eyes turned to glower at him. "You owe me another drink."
"I don't owe you nothing, Halfbreed," came the belligerent response. "Don't know why your kind keep coming through here, 'specially since you ain't welcome." Anything else the man might have said was interrupted by a tinkling laugh.
"Nehere sh'rokan karan karan." It was a woman who spoke, and Micah groaned mentally. A Dreizen, a fucking dragon-born, was in the bar and had seen the way these bastards were treating him. As if he really needed another reason to hate dragoness bitches....
"Seran kibare he hile," came the reply, this time the speaker proving to be male. His voice was quiet in comparison to the woman's; probably a healer or spell-caster then. Still, Dreizen in the bar meant that either Micah was incredibly unlucky or that Denevir was more sadistic than he'd given the elf credit for.
Unfortunately for him, Micah could understand what the Dreizen male and female were saying. He wondered how the belligerent drunk next to him would react if he knew he was being insulted. Nehere sh'rokan karan karan translated to, basically, 'someone thinks he's smart,' while the male's reply was 'you're probably right.'
Maybe I'll get to see a fight tonight, Micah mused, a smirk crossing his lips as he turned to lock silver-blue eyes on the loud couple.
For Dreizen, they were actually fairly attractive. From their similar faces he assumed that they were siblings, even though nothing else about them distinguished any sort of bond between the two. The female lounged in her chair, idly twirling a bottle in her fingers as she watched the action around her with those damned colourless eyes. Her blonde hair was cropped to her shoulders, a small section by her ear braided through with red cord, indicating that the woman was a warrior. She was clad in a red jacket that reminded Micah of the school uniforms of the Eastern lands, similar to what he'd seen boys wearing but fitted to her figure, and black pants that were tucked into calf-length low-heel black boots. A sheathed sword was resting against the table and a thigh scabbard held a bejeweled dagger.
The male was the polar opposite of the female. His eyes were the same as the woman's, colourless and iridescent, but his hair was a deep auburn. It was pulled back into a loose braid that began at the nape of his neck and draped over his shoulder; when the male stood it would probably fall to about waist-length, if not longer. He was dressed more casually than the woman, opting for a loose-fitting sweater tunic in an earthy green over a black turtleneck and denim blue jeans rather than anything resembling a uniform; on his feet he wore what appeared to be hiking boots. There was a bag sitting on the chair nearest him, confirming Micah's earlier guess that this was a healer.
The woman spoke again, eyes glittering dangerously: "Nemerba zerens'ho karan na zoren," said in a conversational tone to her companion although when she saw the half-elf choke back a laugh she flashed a smirk and wink his way. After all, Micah was probably the only person in the bar aside from the Dreizen themselves who knew she'd just said 'it's never good when morons try to sound smart.'
"Anahai kre'ele nemerba," the male replied with a nod, keeping a close eye on the man who'd been causing the problems in the first place. From his frown it was clear that he thought the people here were trouble, and was probably deciding what was the fastest way to leave the bar if they realized his comment was just as insulting as the woman's: 'Even a moron would agree.'
"Dreizen mala ne zoren," Micah found himself replying from where he sat, voice little more than a stage whisper. The Dreizen heard him clearly and started laughing louder than before. It was right about this point that the drunk who'd been giving Micah a hard time realized that he was the topic of conversation.
"Hey, pretty lady, why're you with this guy instead of with a real man?" he demanded, crossing the room and shoving the redhead aside. The male Dreizen hissed low and muttered something under his breath while the woman's eyes narrowed to slits although her smile never vanished.
"Show me a real man and I'll leave kita to fend for himself," she said coldly, fingers twitching on the table.
"Baby, I am a real man," the drunkard insisted, leaning on the table and attempting to smile winningly. The female snorted inelegantly and turned her head, nose tilted upward; anyone familiar with the Dreizen would recognize the sign of dismissal if they weren't three sheets to the wind. "Aw, come on, sugar, gimme a kiss."
The woman's eyes flashed to red as she turned a hard look to the man; Micah began to look around for a quick escape route. When Dreizen were angry or annoyed enough that their eyes settled on a solid colour, it was time to either apologize or get the hell out of the way.
"Nemerba," she hissed, annoyance colouring her voice. "You're so sure it's my kiss you want, hm?"
Okay, nearest exit is the main door, Micah said to himself. Too far to get to if Goldie over there does what I think she's going to. Damn you, Denevir, you know how I feel about dragon-born....
The man obviously didn't know what was good for him. "Yeah, baby. You look good; all you need is a man to show you a good time."
The only warning was the male Dreizen sliding out of his chair and hitting the floor; the next instant the drunk was being slammed onto the table, the woman's dagger pressed to his throat hard enough to draw blood. Micah hadn't even seen her move to draw the blade from her thigh scabbard. The men and women closest to the action were stunned silent for a brief moment.
"I wouldn't allow your filthy human hands to touch me if you were the very last male krish'ne endare," she hissed in the momentary lull. "I'd sooner kiss a zentral."
"Fucking bitch!" One of the man's friends pulled a knife from somewhere and rushed at the woman while she was distracted. Before he could do much more than raise his arm to stab her, the redhead swept the man's legs from beneath him, sending him crashing to the floor. In less than a second the Dreizen had the human in a headlock, and there was no way he was getting loose without breaking his own neck.
"Such rude humans in this town, Karan," the male said with a slight shake of his head. "U'na zoren certainly owes us for this favour, doesn't he?"
"Anahai, Nai," the woman addressed as Karan replied. "I think it's about time we track him down."
By this point the rest of the bar was aware of what was happening and several small fights were breaking out. Micah still had his attention on the door when he was unlucky enough to be drawn into the fray... by the first man who'd slammed into him today.
"Fucking Halfbreeds always bring trouble with them," the tall human snarled, grabbing a handful of Micah's hair and dragging him from the barstool. "Maybe if we make an example of this one, their filth will stop coming to our city."
"Maybe if you stop being racist nemerba then you wouldn't have so much trouble."
Everyone turned to look at the Dreizen female, who still had her dagger pressed to the drunk man's throat. She spoke again, her words hard and bitter: "You people don't even know what the name of your fucking city means, yet you practically worship Dreizen as gods and treat other halfblood races like garbage." She shook her head and finished coldly, "It's no wonder Linara chose to die rather than continue to put up with such loathsome humans as you."
"That's a lie!" a woman near the back of the room shrieked. "Linara was fine until two months ago; then the damned Halfbreeds started showing up and made her sick. They need to stick with their own kind!"
"You mean like the Dreizen?" the male, Nai, asked conversationally... well, as conversationally as one could when holding an adult male in a headlock. "You do know how our race came to exist in the world... or have you conveniently forgotten?"
No one answered, although it seemed less that they didn't want to answer and more that they didn't know the answer. The blonde made a sound of disgust and, sheathing her dagger, shoved the drunk away from her. She didn't react as he hit the wall, instead turning her attention to the man who was still gripping Micah's hair.
"You mind letting go?" she asked sweetly, eyes still red but slowly shifting between shades. "If you do, I can always hack your fingers off and give them to the elfling as a trophy."
Micah nearly hit the floor, the man let go of his hair so fast. The half-elf caught himself and stood, shooting a hard look at the humans who'd been content to stand by and do nothing. They were all lucky that he followed his mother's creeds; if he was more his father's son, there wouldn't be a man or woman left standing by the time he was through. Micah turned his back to the room as a whole, reaching down to grab his knapsack before running a hand through his hair to straighten it.
"In case you were wondering," he said, not really caring if the humans were listening to him or not, "Krish'ne Torel means the land by the sea. And Dreizen were the first halfblood race in this world, one parent dragon and the other either human or elf. But I might be lying; I'm only a Halfbreed." Without a backward glance or another word, Micah walked out of the bar.
Denevir be damned, he decided. I'm leaving this goddess-forsaken town now before I kill one of the yokels.
"Wait up!"
Nearly stumbling at the abrupt cry from behind him, Micah stopped and half-turned to find the Dreizen had followed him out of the bar. Neither one looked terribly pleased, but after a moment the blonde smirked and the redhead laughed softly.
"Nice comeback in there," the woman said, tone far more friendly than it had been only a few minutes before. "The last bit and the comment about the intelligence level. Not many elflings can speak Dreizen."
"Good for me then," Micah replied. He really didn't want to deal with Dreizen today, or ever. The only ones he'd ever held even an iota of trust for had long ago abandoned him; just because these two had acted on his behalf meant absolutely nothing to a heart as cold and closed off as his was.
"This city started going downhill a long time ago," the male said with a tired sigh. "And the real hell of it is, none of the humans here realize that they are more than partially to blame for their own downfall. It's pathetic."
"Nai, be polite," the female scolded with a slight frown. "Our friend here is part human, after all."
"I'm not your friend," Micah snapped, turning a piercing glare to the couple. "And if you think I'm related to any of those assholes inside, think again, lady."
The blonde's expression was one of amusement as she replied, "Of course, how rude of me. Xa li'rek Karanya Sharan. And you would be...?"
"None of your damn business."
"Ado zen marita," the male said with a quiet sigh. "Please calm down. Naza doesn't always think before she speaks; we haven't really given you a reason to want to talk to us."
Micah gave the other man an appraising look. There wasn't anything about him that one would find threatening, but that bag on his shoulder was reason enough to eer on the side of caution. For a Dreizen to be so slightly built meant one of two things: he was still very young by his race's standards or he had fallen ill at some point. Micah was willing to venture that it was the former judging from what he'd seen in the bar.
He remained silent for a few moments before finally responding. "Nothing against you personally. I hate everyone equally." It was another minute before he added, "Micah."
He wasn't willing to trust them with his full name just yet.
"Xa li'rek Adonai Sharan," the male offered, a slight smile crossing his lips. "You don't seem the type to stick around where you aren't welcome. Is it safe to assume that you were waiting for someone?"
Micah nodded. "My cousin and mentor," he admitted. "He contacted me about two weeks back, said he needed my help with something and to meet him here. Damned if I know what it's about, though."
"There's trouble enough in the world today," Karanya said, brushing her bangs away from her face and staring off towards the sea. "And not only from zentral and their ilk. Humans are just as much a threat as the demonborn races yet they don't realize it." She shook her head. "There aren't many places like Everwyld left. I'm afraid that if Shi'kolo Ryhe has his way there won't be anywhere left for Dreizen and zenatek'hal to live without fear."
"Zenatek'hal?" the half-elf found himself asking, a slight frown crossing his lips. He'd never heard that term before, only one that sounded vaguely similar, and that was many years in his past.
"Half-elves," Adonai replied for his sister. "You aren't that far removed from the Dreizen, at least not the branch that Karan and I are descended from, zen'ta."
Micah snorted and turned away from the Dreizen. "Whatever. I'm out of here." He started walking again, cursing mentally when he heard the twins fall into step behind him. That word the male had used--zen'ta--was the one that Denevir and the elves from Izul'ze Dreva had used when speaking to him when he was still fairly young. He'd never asked what it meant, but from the way the twins had used it and zenatek'hal, it had probably been meant as an endearment. Too damn bad that it had come long after he'd hardened his heart.
"Can I help you with something?" he said, stopping for a moment to glare over his shoulder.
"Just because those nemerba back at the bar let up doesn't mean that everyone in this thrice-damned town will," Karanya replied, pausing beside him and flashing a grin. "Anyone who crosses paths with you will think twice about attacking or insulting you if there are Dreizen present."
Micah scowled but decided that arguing wasn't going to do him any good; ten minutes he'd 'known' the woman and already he could tell that she was just as stubborn as her dragon ancestors. Rather than speak, he simply rolled his eyes and turned on his heel, heading back towards the inn where he'd spent the previous night. This time he tried to ignore the fact that he had two dragon-born walking beside him.
"How long have you been waiting?"
Micah turned slightly towards Adonai, one eyebrow quirked. "About a day and a half now," he replied, tone nowhere near friendly. In the few hours that the twins had been with him, Micah knew only a little about them. It still wasn't enough to trust them, but enough for him to let down most of his guard in their presence.
Karanya snorted slightly and waved to the waitress to bring her another drink. "Sounds like u'na zoren," she said after the woman had left the table once more. "When we were still training, he would tell us to meet with him somewhere then wait over a day to come to us. Something about testing our level of patience."
"I don't put it past him to be doing that now," Adonai added. "Once an elf reaches a thousand he starts to get bored easily."
Micah bit back a smile at that. From what little he knew about the twins, they were several times his elders although he had no idea exactly how old they were. Karanya had only said that she was older than her brother, and Adonai would only offer that he was older than Krish'ne Torel. Even that didn't tell the half-elf much, seeing as the town was about three hundred years old and Dreizen could live at least several thousand years themselves.
"Still," he groused, "Denevir knows better than to piss me off. Last time he did I nearly leveled his house with my bare hands." He looked up to find two pairs of green-blue eyes staring at him. Wondering what had startled them, he asked, "What?"
"Denevir?" Karanya repeated, blinking slowly as if trying to remember something.
"Yeah," Micah drawled. "Why do you ask?"
The twins exchanged a glance before Adonai sighed heavily and turned his gaze back to Micah, eyes shifting to a pale yellow. "Denevir was our teacher. He's the one we're here to meet."
Updated 12:20 PM
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19 November 2005
In a small corner of a small country in a vast world, there once lived a man. There was nothing really special about this man; he was from the northern lands, was the son of a soldier who left for a war he did not return from, and had trained to be a warrior. He was only seventeen when he went to war, for all lands would be affected by the outcome and he loved his family so much that he wanted only to protect them.Many men he'd grown up with, that had known him as a small boy, left with him for the south; much fewer in number returned home two years later. But the man did not wish to return to the north, for he had become friends with an elf from the eastern lands, and wished to see the splendor that he had merely heard of in songs and stories. They traveled far, and the man was amazed at what he saw in the east.
There were beautiful cities within the forests, along the lakes and rivers, where humans like himself and elves and even the mysterious Dreizen lived in harmony with nature. It was everything he had dreamed it, everything he had imagined, and the man fell in love with the east.
He remained only one year; although he dearly loved the east, he missed his family and friends from the north. The man nearly wept as he bid farewell to his friends and set off for home. He had not gone far when he heard a voice cry for him to wait.
The man had not expected the elf to follow him. He asked why, for he did not understand why one would want to leave such beauty behind. The elf replied simply that she did not wish to be apart from he whom she had grown to love. The man was surprised by his friend's words, for he had fallen in love with her nearly two years before, but had never said anything for fear that such a creature could never care for a mere human.
The man and the elf soon reached the northern lands, where the man was welcomed back by his grateful family. They were a bit leary of the elf maiden at first, not quite believing her to be a warrior but soon accepting that elves did things a bit differently than humans; and why shouldn't a woman fight to protect those she loved, the man's mother mused aloud one day. Were she younger, the woman said, she would have wished to fight alongside her son and the husband she had lost ten years before.
In less than a year's time the man and elf were wed; a full year later they had a son. The child was truly beautiful, a perfect blending of elven and human traits, his mother's eyes peering out from beneath a short crop of his father's jet hair. Their family, human and elf alike, fussed over the child endlessly, one of the elf's cousins saying that when the time came he would train the boy himself to be as great a soldier as his parents. Unfortunately those not related to the family held no love for the boy; elves simply mourned that the beautiful child would fall victim to the human curse of old age and death, while humans looked upon the infant with contempt and disgust.
Before their child's first year had passed, two friends from the east came to visit. A pair of Dreizen, twin siblings who the elf had known for years, had wished to see how life was treating the couple and to meet their child. The woman had been fascinated by how the elven features mingled so well with the human, while the man had merely been in awe of the new life. The twins remained for nearly a month, during which time they pleaded with their friends to return with them to Everwyld, but to no avail. In the end, the Dreizen left for the east, promising to visit again when they were finished their business in the coastal city of Krish'ne Torel.
Years passed, and the boy grew. He did not realize until his eighth year that the other children around him were taller and stronger, and that they were terribly hostile towards him. His parents, the only family he had left in the north as his grandmother and aunts had succumbed to illness in the previous winters, reassured him that he was normal; his Dreizen friends who visited every so often claimed he was special and need not listen to what the other humans said. He clung to their words, keeping them close to his heart.
When he was fifteen years of age, his father was killed when trying to break up a dispute between two of the men he'd fought alongside in the war so long ago. The news struck his mother hard, and she faded and died less than a month later. It was then that his cousin from the east came to him, taking him to his home hidden in Izul'ze Dreva. He was eager to learn what the elf had to teach him, although with it came a hard lesson.
He was not human, nor was he elf. He aged slower than the human children his age, looking no older than ten years; he aged faster than elves, as those he'd seen who appeared to be his age were actually nearly ten years his elders. There was no real place for him in the world, and this knowledge was bitter. In time he grew cold to those who might well love him, not daring to let them close. His cousin frowned at his actions, the elves who could look past his humanity and see a brother lamented that he was dead inside, but the man could not bring himself to care. All he had held close to his heart were gone, even the Dreizen who had claimed to care for him as if he were their kin.
He trusted no one. He trusted Dreizen even less.
Years passed. The humans he had known as a child were either dead or had grown old; the elves he'd lived with were reaching maturity. The man left Izul'ze Dreva with nothing in his heart save for bitterness.
In time, he was called by his cousin, begging a favour for the good of the world. Although he held no love for any creature, his mother's teachings resonated in his mind, and the man found himself agreeing to meet with his cousin in Krish'ne Torel.
And this is where our story begins....
Updated 10:20 AM
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This post is shorter even than the last language post since it's only for a few minor phrases and words that will come up at some point... and be almost immediately translated. This is more for my benefit although when I publish I'll include either an index or an appendex with pronounciation guides on the words that are used.
- Oze'ir sarek'xen: (oh-zhe-eer sahr-ehk-zehn) Original sin; oze'ir is the Dreizen word for 'sin' or 'not virtuous' while sarek'xen means 'first' or 'original.'
- Xa li'rek: (zah lee-rehk) 'I am' or 'my name is;' basically an introduction.
- Ado zen marita: (ah-doh zhen mah-ree-tay) Please calm yourself; please calm down. Zen is the word for 'you' when referring to a male; marita means 'please.'
- Zenatek'hal: (zhen-ah-tek-hahl) Half-elf or elfling; Dreizen hold a great deal of respect and affection for halfbloods such as their own race and have no qualms against defending them from those who would harm them. A more affectionate term is zen'ta (zhen-tah).
Updated 10:06 AM
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18 November 2005
This post is to give some background info on the supporting characters who appear; most of the characters mentioned here are either allies/friends of the main cast, although there are a few minor background characters mentioned here as well.- Name: Denevir (deh-neh-veer)
Race: Elf (Eastern clans)
Age: 2,567
Hair: white
Eyes: silver-blue
Bio: Denevir has a few ties to the main cast. The elf acted as Micah's guardian and mentor when his parents passed away, and he fought in at least one war with Karanya. With Adonai he has been an u'na zoren (pronounced ooh-nah zhoh-rhen) or teacher in the healing arts. Denevir has no ties to Zentral.
- Name: Morgan Ravensdark
Race: Human
Age: 37 at time of death (deceased, mentioned only)
Hair: black
Eyes: brown
Bio: Morgan was Micah's father, and the time of his death gives some clue to his son's true age. (he was 22 when Micah was born). Karanya and Adonai make allusion to having met Morgan when he was in his late twenties, meaning that they knew who Micah was before even speaking to him for the first time as the met him as a small child.
- Name: Illiana Ravensdark (ill-lee-ah-nah)
Race: Elf (Eastern clans)
Age: 153 at time of death (deceased)
Hair: silver blond/white
Eyes: silver-blue
Bio: Illiana was Micah's mother who passed away while her son was still fairly young; although elves are long-lived she chose to tie her life force to her husband's so that she would be able to go with him into the afterlife. Denevir was a cousin of hers, and both the Dreizen twins recall having met her at the same time as Morgan.
- Name: Wraithe (rayth)
Race: Zentral
Age: 26
Hair: purple-black
Eyes: black
Bio: Wraithe may or may not be related to Zentral; he never really gives a straight answer when asked. He does not much care for Zentral's father, and he honestly doesn't like much of anyone. However, he is willing to help... for a price.
Updated 11:41 AM
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17 November 2005
This post doesn't go much into words, more into a few of the phrases that the twins use in OS. Formatting is the same as in the previous language posts.- Nehere sh'rokan karan karan: (neh-heh-reh shoh-roh-khan kah-rhan kah-rhan) Someone thinks he's very bright. Used by Karanya as an insult when she is offended by a bigotted person.
- Seran kibare he hile: (seh-rhan kee-bah-reh heh hee-lay) You are probably correct. Adonai's confirmation of his sister's words.
- Nemerba zerens'ho karan na zoren: (nay-mehr-bah zeh-rhens-hoh kah-rhan nah zho-rhen) It's never good when morons try to sound smart.
- Anahai kre'ele nemerba: (ah-nah-high kray-eh-lay nay-mehr-bah) Even a moron would agree.
- Dreizen mala ne zoren: (dray-zhen mah-lah nay zho-ren) If they were any smarter they'd be Dreizen.
Updated 6:10 PM
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16 November 2005
Continuing from where the last language post leaves off. Formatting remains the same.- Zere: (zhe-reh) Given as a negative answer. It can mean 'no,' 'not' or 'never' depending on what it is in response to.
- Anahai: (ah-nah-high) Given as a positive answer, usually meaning 'yes' or 'always.'
- Nubara ne lethe nai saha zerens'ho: (new-bah-rah nay leh-thay nigh sah-hey zeh-rhens-hoh) The individual words will be gone into later. The phrase means "Bad omens come on an ill wind." The word nai was defined in Language I; zerens'ho contains the word for 'never,' the word itself meaning 'never good' or 'bad' when used in conjunction with saha.
- Saha: (sah-hey) 'Omen.' Its meaning, good or bad, is determined by whether a form of zere or anahai is used in conjunction with it. A good omen is called saha anas'ho, the later term meaning 'always good' or 'forever good.'
- Nilia: (nee-lee-ah) Depending on the suffix or prefix, this means 'son of the Great Ocean Dragoness' or 'daughter of the Great Ocean Dragoness.' The prefix is kre (denoting a female descendant) and the suffix rho (used for male descendants). Unfortunately, there are no known descendants of the dragoness Nili in the world.
- Shi'kolo: (shee-khoh-loh) 'Evil' or 'wicked.' This term is rarely used by Dreizen as it is the strongest word in their language for evil; when paired with the word ryhe it means 'most evil' or 'greatest evil.'
- Ryhe: (ree-hey) 'Most' or 'greatest.' It is rarely used by itself, acting for the most part as a descriptor.
- Naza: (nah-zha) Elder sister.
- Niza: (nee-zha) Younger sister.
- Kita: (kee-tah) Younger brother.
- Kata: (kah-tah) Elder brother. All four terms for siblings are used only when saying 'my older sister' or 'my younger brother;' when addressing one's siblings most Dreizen use a shortened form of their given name, such as 'Karan' for Karanya or 'Nai' for Adonai (the two Dreizen protagonists)
- Per'fal: (beh-ruh-vahl) Mother. The shortened form peru (beh-ruh) basically means 'mama' and is used by young Dreizen or those close to their mothers.
- Vaz'rya: (vha-zoo-ree-ha) Father. The short form vazu (vah-zoo) can be translated as 'papa' or 'daddy' depending upon whether the Dreizen using it is very young or a near-grown female (male Dreizen tend to use the full form or the short form rya or 'dad.')
- Zoren: (zho-rehn) Depending upon how it's used, this can mean either 'smart,' 'intelligent' or 'instructor.' The phrase u'na zoren means 'teacher.'
- Endare: (ehn-dah-ray) 'Whole' or 'entire.' Usually used with krish'ne as in 'not if you were the last person on earth.'
Updated 10:14 AM
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15 November 2005
The world the story is set in is very much like the one we live in. The only real difference is that cities and forests are often intermingled, which doesn't always work out for the humanoid and animalia species involved as each is infringing on the others' habitat. There are some places where coexistence is possible; those are the main townships and cities that the story takes place.- Krish'ne Torel (kuh-reesh-nay tore-el): A small city/town by the Egyrian Sea. Krish'ne Torel is reknown for its fishing industry, as well as being one of the few cities in the region that can boast to having ties with the Elder Dragon gods. Unfortunately, the wealth of the city has flagged in recent years with the passing of their beloved Linara Kre'nilia, the last living descendant of the Great Ocean Dragoness Nili.
- Egyrian Sea (eh-jeer-ee-ahn): One of the most beautiful bodies of water in the world. It is nearly the size of the Great Ocean, and is the home to many species of fish and aquatic dragons. Many city/towns make their livelihood from the Egyrian as the creatures from its waters are said to be one of the richest delicacies in the entire region, if not the world.
- Everwyld: A city in the middle of a great forest, Everwyld is one of those rare hybrids where humanoid and animalistic species live in peace and prosperity. One would think that the city would falter as they prohibit any damage to the trees surrounding them; however, the vast majority of Everwyld are elves and Dreizen, which makes coexistence simple as both races have an affinity to nature. The minority human citizens are those who prefer nature to industry, thus the city functions well on all levels. Travelers are welcome, but those with intent to harm are punished severely.
- Izul'ze Dreva (ee-zhul-zay dray-vuh): The largest mountain range in the world. Izul'ze Dreva consists of several peaks and valleys, some as deadly as they are beautiful. One does not venture into the realm unless he has a learned guide or is himself from the region.
Updated 4:02 PM
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This profile is for the main characters in the OS world. You'll note that none of them are human, although each one has a character flaw of some sort. Supporting characters will be discussed in a later post.
- Name: Karanya Sharan (kah-rha-nee-ya shah-rhan)
Race: Dreizen (dray-zhen)
Age: unknown; older than Adonai
Hair: blonde
Eyes: iridescent
Bio: Karanya is no great beauty... or so she believes of herself. Raised by her people to be a great warrior, Karanya usually prefers to let her sword, daggers or fists do the talking. Most men are intimidated by her; a select few find her blunt nature attractive. She never gives her age when asked, merely stating that she is 'older than Nai' if someone persists. This does not help as all the siblings are twins.
- Name: Adonai Sharan (ah-doh-nigh shah-rhan)
Race: Dreizen
Age: unknown; younger than Karanya
Hair: auburn
Eyes: iridescent
Bio: Adonai is one of those men for whom the term 'beautiful' is more accurate than 'handsome.' As customary with Dreizen twins, he was trained in healing arts and magick while his elder sister Karanya was molded into a warrior. Adonai is as quiet, calm and gentle in nature as his name suggests; however, he does not give his heart away easily and will come to his sister's defense in times of strife like the dragon gods he is descended from.
- Name: Micah Ravensdark (mike-ah)
Race: Half-human/Half-elf
Age: appears to be mid-twenties
Hair: black
Eyes: silver-blue
Bio: Micah is the son of a human male and an elf maiden who left her people for her one true love. As a result, he is not fully accepted by either people as he ages slower than humans but faster than elves. He is much older than he appears to be, a fact that helps him more often than not. Micah has no love for anyone, but shares his mother's love for nature and will do anything in his power to protect the world around him... even if it means traveling with 'dragon filth.'
- Name: Zentral (zen-trahl)
Race: Zentral
Age: 10,000
Hair: purple-black
Eyes: black
Bio: Zentral cannot remember his true name, merely going by the name of his demon race. He has no true language as is true for all his kind, instead adopting the languages of those he encounters after only hearing it for a moment. Zentral has lived for well over several human lifetimes, and as a result has seen kingdoms and ages rise and fall several times over. He wonders often how humans can forget the mistakes of their past, forgetting that they are not as long-lived as he is, and laments that the races of the world cannot live in peace. His hate is reserved only for his father, a Zentral known only by the Dreizen word for darkest evil.
Updated 1:59 PM
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Most of the languages spoken in the world I'm creating are much like the main languages of our reality (mainly Latin-based languages) but two of the principal characters speak Dreize. Pronounced dray-zhe, this is the spoken language of those who are decended from the Elder Dragon clans. Names in Dreize have a specific meaning, most of the time tied to personality traits, although occassionally they can translate to something as mundane as Earthen or Lacking Spirit.
Format:
Dreize word/term: (pronounciation) translation and use
- Nai: (nigh) Usually translated as 'wind,' although the more correct translation would be 'as the wind' or 'like the wind.' Normally it is used in names, although sometimes it's used in sayings such as "He runs near as fast as the wind" and "Bad omens come on an ill wind."
- Nya: (nee-ya) 'Wind' in the commonly used form. Usually attributed to wind as in a heavy storm, it is also used by sailors and all who make their living near the sea. It can also mean 'golden wind' as many Dreizen girls with blond hair have nya somewhere in their given names.
- Karan: (kah-rhan) The general translation of this word is 'bright' or 'brilliant' in reference to colours. It is infrequently used save for in names for the most part, although on occassion those who speak Dreize will use it to ridicule someone of the common tongue who is acting in a foolish manner.
- Ado: (ah-doh) 'Gentle' or 'calm.' This is used to describe anything from temperment to touch to the weather.
- Krish'ne: (kuh-reesh-nay) Basically, 'the world' or 'the earth beneath the feet.' Dreizen use this often in naming villages and townships.
- Tor: (tore) 'Sea' or 'lake,' depending upon whether the suffix following is el or al. The name of the township Krish'ne Torel translates to 'the land by the sea.'
- Sharan: (shah-rhan) Depending upon gender, this means either 'son of the Great Dragon King' or 'daughter of the Great Dragon King.' It is used as a surname by those Dreizen who are direct descendants of Shar, the Father God of the dragon race. At this time, there are only two living descendants of Shar in the world.
Updated 1:13 PM
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