Skinwalkers: Friends by Day, Enemies by Night

Skinwalker, Mateus Roberts

There are very few creatures in fantasy that are genuinely petrifying. Sure, seeing a troll or an elf when you’re out and about might be shocking, but most of these critters look more goofy than scary. The skinwalker, however, has got to be one of the scariest mythical beings.

They’re so terrifying, in fact, that many people refuse to even say the word in fear of drawing attention to themselves. Even publishing information about skinwalkers is said to be enough to attract one (I’m praying to God that one’s just a rumor).

What is a Skinwalker?

Originating from the Navajo tribe, skinwalkers are believed to be dangerous and horrifying witches. During the day, they disguise themselves as members of the tribe, but at night, will turn on their people. When nightfall hits, these witches will dress in animal skin to disguise themselves, actually transform into the animal or use dark magic to occupy the body. Then, they search for their next victim.

The scariest part about skinwalkers, however, is not their disfigured, emaciated animal-like bodies or their burning and lifeless eyes. The scariest part about skinwalkers is how human they can be.

Not only do they have the ability to look human, but skinwalkers can also sound human. In fact, this is how they get their victims into a vulnerable enough position to attack. 

Much like vampires, skinwalkers can’t enter a house without being invited by the resident. Because of this, they will mimic the sounds of people or animals in distress in order to entice their victims into the open, giving them the perfect opportunity to attack.

A Skinwalker, Vollelune

That being said, I think the most impressive thing about skinwalkers is that they can actually imitate the voices of people you know. So, if you’re far from home and hear your dad call out to you in the middle of the night, it might be best to ignore it and head back inside. Besides, if the next words out of his mouth aren’t demanding that the oil in your car needs changing, it’s probably not him anyway.

How to Kill a Skinwalker

Unfortunately, there are very few ways to kill a skinwalker. The first is magic, though this is incredibly difficult to execute. Shooting a skinwalker in their animal form with a bullet dipped in white ash can also kill them. Some even claim that a silver knife or bullet to the heart can be fatal, much like werewolves. The most consistent way to kill a skinwalker is by saying their full human name, though it can take days for this to take effect.

Of course, if you’re having a face-off with a skinwalker, you’re not likely to win. That’s why I’m here! To improve your chances of survival, I’ve listed a few ways to prevent having a 1v1 with one of these beasts.

How to Survive a Skinwalker

1. If your area has had sightings in the past, don’t leave your house after sundown.

2. If you hear your name being called at night, don’t respond, and don’t follow the sound.

3. If you spot an animal acting strangely (walking stiffly, looking emaciated, staring, not being startled by loud noises), don’t engage. Head back inside immediately.

4. If you hear something moving in the trees at night, don’t look. If they notice you staring, they will mark you.

5. If you hear someone calling out in distress, don’t look for them. Call the authorities and head back inside.

6. Keep your windows and curtains shut at night.

7. If you see a pair of glowing eyes looking at you, don’t look back.

8. Don’t whistle at night. This will only attract them.

Skinwalker, David Ferreira

While I hope that these tips won’t be necessary, it’s always better to be prepared. The world can be a scary place, and the nighttime is a free-for-all for creatures like these.

It should also be noted that while some people still deny their existence, the skinwalker is a part of Navajo culture and their beliefs should still be respected, regardless of whether or not you believe them. After all, the Navajo people have been here around 500 years longer than us, so if anyone knows the horrors that lurk at night, it’s them.

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Madison Costeira

Maddy is a professional writing student at Algonquin College and an aspiring writer. She’s a certified procrastinator, overthinker, and owner of a depressing amount of cats (remember: two’s a party, three’s a crowd).

The Wendigo - An Aboriginal Nightmare

Aboriginal folklore is filled with stories and tales both fascinating and intriguing. The vast majority of this passed down through oral tradition, and this has been the case for thousands of years. 

Many of these stories have a moral which connects to the lifestyle of that specific Aboriginal tribe or community, to such an extent that spiritualism and lifestyle are merged as one. A fine example of this is the wendigo, which tells the moral that isolation and selfishness are to be avoided, and the importance of community is paramount.

The Wendigo, or Windigo as it is also spelled, is a type of malevolent spirit belonging to the Algonquin tribe of North America.  According to most oral traditions, the wendigo is a monstrous cannibal who preys upon the weak and socially disconnected, killing and eating its victims to sustain itself and stave off an evil hunger. 

There are a few different interpretations on how a wendigo is born, however, the two most well known are as follows. The first is that a human becomes a wendigo after their spirit is corrupted by greed, and/or weakened by extreme conditions like famine and cold. The second is that a human becomes a wendigo after being possessed by an evil spirit during a moment of weakness. The final interpretation is that a human will become a wendigo after resorting to cannibalism.  

Just like how there are a few different interpretations for how a wendigo is made, there's also a number of different variations on what the creature looks like. Sometimes a wendigo is described as extremely thin, with its bones and skull pushing through its ashy skin.

Other times a wendigo is believed to be well muscled and giant, growing larger each time it consumes a victim. 

Lastly, certain legends state that a wendigo has pointed animal ears, with horns or antlers sprouting out of its head. Its eyes are sunken deep into the skull and glow like red hot coals on a fire. Their teeth are sharp, pointed, and are accompanied by horrifically bad breath and equally bad body odor. 

In most cases of the legend, a wendigo is endowed with supernatural powers and abilities which allow it to better hunt, kill, and eat its prey. The first two are superhuman strength and stamina, which allow it to overpower and outrun anything it comes across. More often than not, the wendigo has enhanced eyesight, hearing, and sense of smell. 

Perhaps the most eerie of all, however, is the ability to move with the speed of the wind and run across deep snow and water without sinking.

To kill a Wendigo has varying levels of difficulty depending on which legend you choose. According to some, the Wendigo can be killed by conventional weapons such as a club, blade, or bullet. 

On the other hand, certain legends claim that a wendigo can only be killed by being subdued, its frozen heart cut out of its chest and then melted upon a roaring fire. Lastly, some legends say that only a highly skilled aboriginal spiritual leader, also known as a shaman, can dispatch a Wendigo with a specific spell or ritual. 

No matter which legend you choose to believe in, the wendigo revolves around a number of ideas, which speaks volumes about the culture that made these stories. One way to create a wendigo was becoming possessed after suffering extreme cold and hunger, which the Algonquin people dealt with each winter. Food becomes rare, the cold bites day and night, and isolation can drive people mad.

The legend of the wendigo highlights the importance of community, generosity, and selflessness, and what can happen to those who are left outside of said community. Most stories about wendigo’s begin with a group becoming isolated and food running out, which gives clarity to the historical origins of the legend.

In the end, the wendigo shows us that greed, selfishness, and isolation can cause terrible things to happen. Families can be broken, people lose trust in each other, and worst case, people die due to a lack of empathy. 

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Conor Bruce

Conor is an aspiring professional writer. Interested in a variety of genres from fantasy, science fiction, and action. In his free time he often reads, enjoys a video game or two, and writes his various ideas on the side.

Conflation Confrontation

Credit to Henry Hustava (@enzo74) on unsplash

The thing I love most about fantasy is that it doesn’t rely on realism. That’s the whole point of it, actually. Yet, there’s this odd notion on the rise — especially on social media — that fantasy should include historical accuracy. 

This is not entirely untrue. If someone writes a fantasy story based around historical events, that does call for accuracy! Even a reference to something historical should be checked. But there seems to be this idea that any western, medieval-style fantasy needs to be historically accurate. However, there are a few problems with this conflation of historical fiction and fantasy. 

Here are the main ones: 

1. Fantasy does not rely on realism 

   Yes, I’m already repeating myself. This one, defining feature of fantasy basically nixes the historical accuracy argument. Since fans of fantasy — the ones who tend to bring it up — should know this tidbit about the genre, the argument shouldn’t even exist. 

   Unfortunately, there’s a very simple reason it still does. 

2. This claim is almost never actually about historical accuracy

   Which means it isn’t even a conflation! This argument is almost always about exclusion. And I’m not talking about casts and characters that aren’t diverse. I’m talking about the ridiculous amount of gatekeeping done by fans. Or, more accurately (ha), done by straight, cis, white, male fans. 

   Often, when people make the argument about historical accuracy, it’s in relation to:

   • The presence of women

   • The presence of people of colour 

   • The presence of LGBTQ+ people

   Of course, the reality is that these arguments are made to excuse misogyny, racism, and homo- and transphobia in media. 

Misogyny 

Credit to New Line Cinema’s The Lord of the rings: the two towers

Regarding misogyny, things for women are way better now than they were in oh, say, medieval Europe. Women didn’t even exist back then! 

… Just kidding. But this is, essentially, an argument that is pushed by exclusionists. They’ll explode at the sight of a woman doing “something they didn’t do back then!” which encapsulates just about everything that makes fantasy, well, fantasy. 

The counterpoint to this is simple. Women were not invisible in medieval times. They did types of work that was typically considered “men’s work” such as helping run businesses and bringing in the yearly harvest. If a woman could do that, she could probably do anything else a man could, too — like take up a sword.

Racism

The simple answer for this one is that the claim of there being no people of colour in medieval western Europe is that it’s factually incorrect. 

There are public records, called pipe rolls, that detail black people and people from western Asia living in medieval England. If the requirement for people of colour to be in fantasy stories is that they had to live in western Europe for a fact, they get a pass! 

Homo- and Transphobia 

Lots of ‘phobes think that LGBTQ+ identities are some new-fangled thing. They’re not, of course. What’s new is that LGBTQ+ people are less afraid to be themselves and have access to widely-used labels.

Homosexuality existed in plenty of cultures around the world beyond and before medieval Europe. The book The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is all about the romantic relationship between the Greek mythological figures Achilles and Patroclus. The nature of their relationship was not an assumption made by Miller. 

She traces the original idea back to the famous Greek philosopher Plato. He was estimated to have lived between 428 and 347 B.C.E, where medieval times are commonly believed to have started around 476 C.E. Here’s a graph to emphasize the time difference: 

Credit to Artoba tours (artobatours.com)

If that’s not enough, here are some lovely calculated statistics about how many transgender and intersex people would have been alive during 14th century France. 

I’m just going to throw this out there one more time for good measure.

Fantasy does not rely on realism. 

What is and isn’t true in a fantasy story is entirely up to the creator. If they want to write something historically accurate, there’s nothing wrong with that! But at the end of the day, fantasy is not history. To use the defence of “historical accuracy” to push a bigoted agenda is well and truly vile. It’s my sincere hope that I live to see the day when fantasy is a space that warmly welcomes us all. 

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Simona Casale

Simona is an aspiring editor and fiction author. In her free time she like to crochet, play video games, and read fanfiction. If you need to find her, check the nearest restaurant that serves ahi tuna bowls — look for the girl in pink.

Mermaids vs Sirens: All That Glitters Depends On The Story

In fantasy there is a spectrum. You can go all the way from the light, happy style of Disney films like The Little Mermaid with Ariel's obsession with sparkly human things, to darker depictions like the sirens in the Percy Jackson books. Of course, that is not really a good comparison because while the terms ‘mermaid’ and ‘siren’ are often used interchangeably, there is actually a large difference between them.

Mermaids are beings that have shown up through several cultures, most notably European culture. Sirens on the other hand are rather strictly identified through Greek mythology.

Mermaids

Mermaids are seen in most cultures as beautiful women with a fish tail instead of legs. There are many songs from seaside towns that tell stories of sailors falling for the singing creatures from under the sea. You can even find mermaids in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, and they are indeed beautiful.

Characters like Ariel from The Little Mermaid are often shown to wear seashell bras, but many paintings of mermaids show that their breasts are only covered by long flowing hair, or not at all. Ironically enough, the hair always seems to be dry when above land despite their frequent swimming.

I don’t know about anyone else, but as soon as my head goes under water, my hairstyle doesn't stay put. Of course, maybe that’s just part of the mermaid magic.

Sirens

Sirens are depicted as mixtures of women and birds. Sometimes they were said to have wings, other times they had bird legs. Rather than being known for their looks, sirens are widely recognized as dangerous creatures. They live on an island and sing to lure sailors in. When the sailors approach, their ships are wrecked against the sharp rocks around the island.

Either that or the sailors themselves get impaled on the rocks as they try to swim closer. It’s not exactly the type of story Disney would go for.

Perhaps the myth they were most famous for is in Odyssey. Before Annabeth Chase ever wanted to hear what the Sirens would sing to her in The Sea of Monsters, Odysseus had his men plug their ears with wax and tie him to the mast so he could hear the song without getting himself killed, because why not.

Now, mermaids and sirens do have similarities. They are both said to have enchanting voices that lure in sailors. Eventually some people started giving sirens fish tails instead of the original bird legs and wings, making them more like the mermaids of Europe. However, one key difference found in the mythology is the reasoning. 

With Sirens they seem to lure people to their deaths because they can. In some myths it was even said that they were fated to die should anyone survive their singing.

Mermaids on the other hand, are understandable. Men would try to capture them as trophies to display, or for their scales, or  tears. If people were always trying to kidnap you and your family and friends, you’d want revenge too.

There is nothing wrong with using the terms ‘mermaid’ and ‘siren’ interchangeably. However, in knowing the difference, more options are opened up in what can be done with these creatures — with the characters. After all, wicked sea creatures with beautiful voices are fantasy gold.

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Emily-Rose Moskau

Emily-Rose is a student at Algonquin College. Her favourite genre to read and write is fantasy. In her free time she can be found surrounded by various creative projects, be it visual art, sewing, baking, or writing.

Dungeons and Dragons: Chaotic Storytelling at its Finest

You might be wondering: What does Dungeons and Dragons have to do with storytelling? The answer is: a lot!!

For those who may not know what DnD is, here's a little run down: it is known as a Table Top Role Playing Game. People create characters (and there are many choices) and a Dungeon Master (or DM) guides them through either an official campaign (story, if you will), or a made up one (aka a homebrew). The size of the group varies quite a bit (I've played in ones as small as four, not including the DM, or as large as six). Each player has a say in what the group does, and dice rolls often determine the success of their actions.

A D20, picture by Leah Levert

What do I mean by “dice rolls?” In DnD, you play with 7 dice. The most important of which is the D20. This one is used for what is called “skilled checks”, which can mean anything from: “Do you hit this monster?” to “Can you successfully sing a song to distract the guards while the rogue steals the keys?”. So, when you leave the success of each task up to chance, it allows for spontaneity that’s hard to come up with in traditional storytelling.

Even though this is far from the only method of co-operative storytelling, I'd argue that Dungeons and Dragons offers an unpredictability that makes it extra fun and exciting. In your head, you come up with a brilliant plan that will make your character seem cool, suave, and capable, but then you fail your dice roll and instead your character will fall flat on their face in a pile of poo.

When your character is too focused on a forcefield to see what’s past it. (Art by Leah Levert)

What adds to the dynamic of gameplay is how each player interacts with each other. As one of my Dungeon Master’s said: “it’s a group of leading characters.” Which means that everyone is acting out their own story at the same time as everyone else. With the right group of people, it’s not actually competing for the limelight, but it does mean that your actions might end up interrupting someone’s plan.

 For example, during a recent session our party had come across a camp of goblins and hobgoblins. The rest of the party wanted to stealthily sneak up to the camp so we could scout it out and see what kinds of enemies we were dealing with. However, one member of our group was unfortunately suffering from paranoia and didn’t trust the rest of us. Running ahead, she alerted a large worg. My character, seeing that her friend was in danger, rushed forward and unleashed a large, loud, spell called Shatter… which then alerted the entire camp of our presence.

It led to a very exciting and highly entertaining battle scene. Being able to constantly bounce off of other people in an improvised way really keeps the creativity alive and makes for very exciting storytelling. Even if the Dungeon Master has a thought out and carefully crafted narrative for the players to go through, it is very easy for both the players and the dice to completely throw it out the window. It keeps you on your toes and it forces you, as a storyteller, to be flexible and willing to change your ideas to adapt to what the dice and players are dictating the story to be.

Many authors have written stories based off of their D&D adventures. It is a game that excites imaginations and offers a dynamic method of storytelling that is both fun and exciting. If you ever have the chance to join a game, I highly recommend you do so.

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Leah Levert

Leah is currently studying Professional Writing. She loves to write and hopes to be able to use her skills to make the world a little easier to understand. When not studying, she can be found at the stable with her horses, or playing video games.

Fairies and Faeries: What's the Difference?

enchanted wonderland, emma louise

You’re lost in a forest. It’s dark, and the path you’ve been following has narrowed into nothing. With the eerie creaks and chatters of the forest nightlife surrounding you, you find yourself terrified and in need of help. When you’ve nearly lost all hope of returning home, a pair of tiny wings flutter past you. But these wings don’t belong to a bug. No, these wings are attached to a tiny person, and they’re here to help! Or are they?

You see, finding a winged critter in the forest can go one of two ways. On one hand, you may have just discovered that fairies are real and arguably the sweetest, most caring fantasy creatures out there. On the other hand, that creature could also be a faerie, and these nasty, mischievous little things will not make your journey easy. Then again, it could always be some weird type of dragonfly, right? You never know in fantasy.

A lot of people mistake the fae with fairies, but they’re actually quite the opposite of each other, and if you really had encountered a faerie in the forest, the last thing you’d want is their help. In fact, you’d probably need help after your encounter. That’s why today we’ll be talking about what these creatures are, and how you can tell them apart. That way, if you ever do find yourself lost in a forest, you can keep yourself safe.

credit to buzzfeed

Fairies

Starting with fairies, these are the tender-hearted little mythical beings we’ve grown to know and love. By now, you’ve probably seen a great deal of them in movies, shows, or books. Sometimes they’re human-sized like the fairy godmother in Cinderella, or small enough to fit in your palm like in Tinkerbell.

Regardless, they’re always charming and ready to drop everything to help out. Fairies are the last thing you should be afraid of when it comes to fantasy creatures. They’re the purest and most hardworking little souls.

Faeries

The fae, however, are quite different from these sweet little winged critters. Most people consider fairies and faeries to be one and the same, but that’s just not true. In fact, not knowing the difference could cost you your life.

scary fairy, artur mósca

Faeries are the vermin of the fantasy world. They’re annoying, troublesome, and always show up just to bother you. They’re known for being cruel and taking solace in others’ misfortunes.

Most people know that they can get quite rowdy by playing tricks and degrading humans, but don’t know how dangerous they can be. In folklore, they’ve known to kidnap children, steal souls, and kill in the name of revenge. They may look innocent, but they are not to be messed with. 

Unlike fairies, when encountering a faerie, there are some important rules to remember when you interact with them to keep out of harm’s way. While it’s ideal to avoid interacting with a faerie at all, if you end up in their way, be sure to refer back to these simple rules:

• Never eat any food that they give you.

• Never tell them your name (you can give them a fake one, instead).

• Never stand in a fairy ring.

• Never say anything that they might take offense to.

• Never accept a gift from them (if you do, don’t thank them for it and be sure to destroy it later).

Ideally, you wouldn’t be encountering any fantasy creatures on your stroll through the creepy forest at night, but if you do, I’m confident that you’ll be alright now that you can identify the differences between fairies and the fae.

Just remember that a faeries’ intentions are never good, and always keep the rules of interacting with one in the back of your mind. And with that, your fairy blog mother wishes you good luck (or farewell).

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Madison Costeira

Maddy is a professional writing student at Algonquin College and an aspiring writer. She’s a certified procrastinator, overthinker, and owner of a depressing amount of cats (remember: two’s a party, three’s a crowd).

The Difference Between High and Low Fantasy

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Fantasy writing is a huge genre with many different subgenres. We have things like heroic fantasy, historical fantasy, and supernatural fantasy. The differences between these three aren’t very difficult to understand if you dig deep enough.

But what’s the difference between high and low fantasy?

To begin, Fantasy itself is defined as a genre of speculative fiction, set in some sort of fictional universe. Fantasy is often inspired by real life folklore, and mythology. It originated as a form of oral tradition which eventually evolved into proper literature such as books, and dramas in the form of plays.

High fantasy is defined by the epic nature of it’s setting, its characters, its themes, and its plots. Epicness is in fact one of the most beloved parts of high fantasy, huge battles between armies of good and evil, magical spells that can build, or level an entire city. All of this fits in the realm of high fantasy, and it’s the gift that keeps on giving. 

High fantasy is quite diverse in it’s worldbuilding process. This is due to the fact that this form of fantasy is also characterized by being set in an alternative, or secondary world. It is common for fantasy worlds to remain relatively consistent, however, the laws of reality in this world often differ from our own. 

Perhaps the most recognized high fantasy work is the writing of J.R.R Tolkien, such as the Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and the Silmarillion. In all of these books, the setting takes place in a world entirely different from ours, and battles between good and evil take place in epic proportions. Notably more so in the Silmarillion, which goes into great detail of how a large amount of an entire continent was destroyed during various wars.

A funny misconception is that Tolkien’s works should be low to medium fantasy due to their limitations on the usage of magic. While it is true that Tolkien limited magic to a fair degree in his works, there are still other ways we can consider Tolkien’s books high fantasy. This is mainly because the world of Arda is so different from earth, the amount of divine entities which wield incredible power, such as the Valar and Maiar. Most of all however, with the fact that despite a low amount of magic, the world is still rife with magical items and weapons. There are also creatures born of magic, such as the orcs, trolls,  and balrogs.

Low fantasy on the other hand is characterized by magical events that intrude upon an otherwise normal world, and therefore contrasts with high fantasy stories. This form of story often holds less focus upon typical elements of fantasy, and instead sets a narrative on a realistic environment, with certain elements that can be considered fantastical.

A big trend in low fantasy is a world within a world. What I mean by this is best explained by example. In the Harry Potter books, the setting takes place on planet earth, in Scotland. However, Harry Potter also has the wizarding world, which is an entirely different society and culture, living in secret from those who do not know about magic.

Good Omens is another book which has recently received a live action show (and I really suggest watching it) which also is considered low fantasy, and very much emphasizes the world within a world term. An Angel and a Demon are both attempting to halt the coming of the apocalypse, doing so because they desire for the world to keep on existing. After all, if you are enemies with someone since demons and angels first came into creation, you eventually become friends. 

High fantasy and low fantasy are two genres that can at times overlap, or the line between them can become blurred. Nonetheless, as an avid enjoyer of both genres, I can say that taking the time to indulge upon these two sides of fantasy is totally worth it. Whether you enjoy huge battles like in Lord of the Rings, or prefer a more subtle approach like the wizards in Harry Potter, there is surely to be a high or low fantasy story for you.

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Conor Bruce

Conor is an aspiring professional writer. Interested in a variety of genres from fantasy, science fiction, and action. In his free time he often reads, enjoys a video game or two, and writes his various ideas on the side.

Fantasy Settings: Why Do They Matter?

A Map of Middle Earth

We’ve taken a look at weapons. We’ve taken a look at magic. Now, let’s dive into what is arguably the most important aspect of a story: Setting.

           The beautiful thing about fantasy is that you can do as much or as little world-building as you desire. There are some, like J.R.R. Tolkien, who spent years crafting and building their worlds. Then there are others, like Rick Riordan, that spent more time crafting the lore and mythology that goes behind a story.

            But why do authors spend hours, if not years developing all this detail? In Tolkien’s case, especially, not everything is actually shown in the story. Being able to create a living, breathing story where readers can get sucked into and lost for hours requires attention to detail. Even if the reader is only shown 1/10th of the world, an author needs to know it, so that they can keep the story well-grounded.

A night scene from Avatar.

            What do I mean by well-grounded? Well, while you may never set foot in the world your story is set in, the characters that you write about live there. They have knowledge about the borders between their kingdoms, or countries. They also have the knowledge of how magic works, or how many gods govern the world. For them to feel like living, real beings with their own set of beliefs and morals, their world needs to have the little details that will provide the fuel for the characters’ biases to form.

            Basically, it’s important to create a world that can live independently of whatever story you write. At least, that’s how I feel, when it comes to fantasy. I like the idea of creating an anthology of stories that follow a world as it evolves, where you can plop yourself at any point in the world, and be able to write a story. Going from a lonely fisherman to the mightiest queen, audiences should still be able to find wonder and magic.

            Now, the beauty of creative writing is that you can spend as much or as little time fleshing out your world as you so choose. This is why I chose the two authors I did. On one hand, the J.R.R Tolkien spent a staggering amount of time fully exploring and expanding all the nooks and crannies of Middle Earth. He wrote several languages, wrote songs, went deep into the history and mythology of Middle Earth, and has left us with a rich, detailed world that quite a few people long to live in.

From the follow up series to Percy Jackson and the Olympians

            On the other end of the spectrum, we have Rick Riordan. Now, one thing these two authors have in common is that they were heavily inspired by mythology, though they chose different methods of how to apply it. Rick Riordan may not have crafted a completely brand-new world, or even a brand-new mythology based on his passions. But what he did do, was give us a fresh, fun, modern twist on the classic myths. Percy Jackson and the Olympians is among my favourite series. Rick Riordan sets the Greek gods and goddesses in modern times, and delved into how their continued influence would shape the modern world. The heroes in his books are all modern demigods, trying to survive going to school while also being attacked by monsters. Though his world building isn’t as extensive as Tolkien’s, it’s no less rich in its simplicity.

            But what makes both of their worlds so fun, is that they’ve created something that makes me want to dive in and never leave. I know I could wander in their worlds and never get bored. But most importantly, the solid foundations of their settings, made it easy for me to imagine their stories taking shape. So, I urge you, my fellow writers, to love the worlds your stories are set in.

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Leah Levert

Leah is currently studying Professional Writing. She loves to write and hopes to be able to use her skills to make the world a little easier to understand. When not studying, she can be found at the stable with her horses, or playing video games.

Dwarves: Underrated Badasses of Fantasy

Image from The Hobbit

The genre of Fantasy is filled with all sorts of amazing beings, but one species that often goes overlooked, is dwarves.

Image from the film Snow white and the seven dwarfs (1937)

The dwarves that I knew growing up were the ones in Snow White, men who blushed bright red, sang silly songs, and worked all day in sparkly diamond mines before returning to their woodland cottage. While the show Once Upon A Time did a good job of giving the seven dwarves some personality outside of their names, they still aren’t the dwarves that you’ll find in most fantasy works.

Nowadays, dwarves are portrayed in the style of Germanic folklore. They are beings that live within mountains and underground. Much like Snow White’s dwarves, they are known for being good at mining. In fact, modern fantasy often sees mines as part of dwarven kingdoms.

What many don’t think of, too distracted by ethereal beings like elves, is that dwarves are more than just mines. They are masters in smithing and crafting. With their mines, they have access to the valuable metals and gems that form within. They use their resources to create some of the strongest weapons in a fantasy setting.

Dwarves are warriors, despite usually being overshadowed by other beings. They create hidden fortresses of stone which they defend expertly.

I've seen books focused on humans, elves, hobbits, werewolves, vampires, you name it. I've only really seen dwarves used as secondary characters and plot devices.

Image from midkemia wiki

The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit include dwarves as fairly major characters, but even then they are not the real protagonists. The Lord of the Rings focuses on the hobbit Frodo Bagins, or even the human Aragorn, leaving the one dwarf included in the Fellowship of the Ring to act largely as comic relief through his little disputes with the elf Legolas. Though I must admit, seeing the pair compete over who killed the most enemies while defending Helms Deep helped display dwarven fighting abilities.

At least in The Hobbit, most of the adventure included dwarves. They were trying to reclaim their homeland from the dragon that had invaded it. Be that as it may, the entire story centers around yet another Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins.

While this is simply an assessment of how dwarves are portrayed in one world, this trend has largely continued throughout modern fantasy works. It seems that everywhere I look, the dwarves are left to their mines. Everyone ignores another aspect of these beings included in Germanic folklore; dwarves are known for their wisdom.

Dwarves join elves in the category of races that typically live longer than humans, leaving them plenty of time to collect knowledge and wisdom. 

At the end of the day, dwarves just need more credit. They are talented crafters and warriors. They deserve to be more than comic relief. In short: dwarves are the underrated badasses of fantasy.

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Emily-Rose Moskau

Emily-Rose is a student at Algonquin College. Her favourite genre to read and write is fantasy. In her free time she can be found surrounded by various creative projects, be it visual art, sewing, baking, or writing.

Grudge Against the Gritty

credit to d_poltoradnev on pixabay

Most people, whether they know it or not, are familiar with gritty fantasy. It’s been on the rise in popular media for several years. Despite the name, I’m a bit skeptical if works in this sub-genre deserve to be part of fantasy at all.

Why?

Awe is critical in fantasy. Awe is the way I felt when I saw the Balrog in the Lord of the Rings the first time around. It’s the way I feel watching Hiccup and Toothless fly together in How to Train Your Dragon. It was seeing all the creatures in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. 

The awe factor is a huge draw in the fantasy genre. Gritty fantasy is hallmarked by realism, a fair amount of violence and very little magic. These combine into a perfect storm. If the creator is not careful, the awe — the very core of fantasy itself — can be sucked out of the story. 

Realism 

Now, when I think of a fantasy story, the last thing that comes to mind is realism. Even in fantasy stories set in the modern day, the focus isn’t usually on that aspect. Fantasy is supposed to be an escape from a person's every-day life. I want to see things that are incredible and new and amazing. I want to be wowed! But in gritty fantasy, I find the only thing that “wows” me is the… 

Violence 

I’m not against violence in fiction. I think it actually makes for great catharsis — and, apparently, I’m not the only one who thinks so. However, it’s not necessarily what people look for in fantasy. 

Usually, people expect sword fights, battles with terrible creatures or even a good, old-fashioned tavern brawl. Gritty fantasy lends itself more towards violence for the sake of violence, and that gets old no matter the genre. 

If the violence overshadows everything else, there’s no room for awe. Or, worse than that, the reader/viewer may lose interest to the point where there’s no joy when the awe factor is finally presented. Sometimes, creators can tie the violence in, though, by using… 

Magic

Unfortunately, gritty fantasy tends to have a lack of magic, as I mentioned before. Magic is a ridiculously useful plot device, as I touched on in my last post. Because it can pretty much do anything — with proper integration, explanation and set-up, of course — it’s very easy to create awe. It’s also a rather traditional part of fantasy and tends to be something audiences look for due to its familiarity. 

In many cases, fantasy creatures are also tied into magic. And, you guessed it, they also make for great awe moments. Though this is not always the case, eliminating or downplaying magic can cause difficulty including creatures. 

Removing both these aspects not only seems like a strike against the fantasy genre, but an unnecessary loss on the part of the author. 

But It’s Still Fantasy!

a poster for netflix’s the witcher

Yes, I suppose it is. But maintaining the sense of awe in fantasy is important, and there’s no reason it can’t be done. The Witcher — a book series by Andrzej Sapkowski that's now available as a show on Netflix — is an excellent example. It uses the defining characteristics of fantasy to create awe!

Maybe I’m biased. I strongly dislike realistic fiction. I live in the real world every single day, and will continue to do so for the rest of my life. It’s these beautiful awe-moments that pull me out of my head. They let me have moments where I am living in that story, in that reality. 

In my opinion, being able to create awe is a trait of a successful fantasy writer, no matter what sub-genre they choose to work in.

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Simona Casale

Simona is an aspiring editor and fiction author. In her free time she like to crochet, play video games, and read fanfiction. If you need to find her, check the nearest restaurant that serves ahi tuna bowls — look for the girl in pink.

The Bloody Truth About Vampires

Nosferatu (1922)

Everybody knows about vampires. Whether you’ve read Dracula, shamefully indulged in the Twilight series, or even enjoyed a bowl of Count Chocula, you’ve seen these creatures at some point in your life. They’re one of the more well-known fantasy beings. I mean, I probably couldn’t tell you what a siren is or the difference between trolls and ogres, but cute ominous guys with sharp teeth? Girl...i’ve got you covered. 

It’s safe to say that vampires are easily the most romanticized fantasy creatures. I’m not too sure anyone is daydreaming about flirting it up with a troll or a cyclops. 

Over the years our perception of what a vampire looks like has become distorted, which is why we’ll be taking the time to compare old and new vampires. We’re also going to be briefly checking out their origin as well as going over some of the ways that we can protect ourselves. You know, just in case.

Aside from being notoriously bad at driving (because they never check their mirrors. Get it?), modern vampires really aren’t that bad. Sure, they might be a pain in the neck sometimes, but really these vampires are nothing more than six-foot mosquitoes with nice hair and six-packs. That being said, I think we can all agree that vampires weren’t always this undaunting. 

Once upon a time vampires were these menacing creatures that tore apart their victims. But pop culture changed the game. Vampires quickly went from these bald pointy-eared creatures with terrifying fangs, long cloaks, and sickly grey skin to hot flirty guys that sometimes sparkle. Not that I’m one to complain, though. I didn’t exactly binge-watch Vampire Diaries for the plot. There are so many theories as to why they became so soft as time went on. Some say it’s because romance sells and this was a ploy for authors to stay relevant. Granted, there are still outliers. Movies like I am Legend stray from the norm, depicting vampires in the same horrifying light they used to. Admittedly, there’s something refreshing about that.

While vampires might be a fun idea to entertain, for some this was once a harsh reality. Hundreds of years ago people genuinely believed that vampires lived among them. For a long time, there was so little known about the dead and the process of decomposition that what was really the natural breakdown of the body was misconstrued to be evidence that the undead had been feasting on the living. The shrinking of the skin as the body aged made the teeth seem so much larger and fang-like, and fluid from the breaking down of organs caused a blood-like substance to leak from the mouth of the corpse. Because of this, for a long time, people had convinced themselves that what was really the spread of deadly disease was actually vampires wreaking havoc in their villages. Since then so much has changed. We have a better understanding of the human body and have thankfully come to the conclusion that vampires just aren’t real.

That being said, we’re better off safe than sorry. If you ever find yourself face to face with a vampire, refer to these weaknesses for help. Firstly, vampires have an incredibly strong sense of smell. Anything smelly like garlic, onions, or your ex’s cologne are all great deterrents. Depending on what kind of vampire you encounter, sunlight, silver, holy water, or fire usually work too. If all else fails, a stake to the heart or decapitation are definitely things to consider. 

Now, with your newfound knowledge of old and new vampires, their origins, and how you can ward them off, remember to stay safe out there and to never trust a bloodsucker, no matter how pretty they might be.

Also, don’t forget to check out more fang-tastic vampire jokes here!

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Madison Costeira

Maddy is a professional writing student at Algonquin College and an aspiring writer. She’s a certified procrastinator, overthinker, and owner of a depressing amount of cats (remember: two’s a party, three’s a crowd).

Magic of Dragons

Because all reptiles needed were wings and fire.

When thinking about dragons, the first thing that comes to mind is magic, treasure and myth. Great beasts that take to the skies spewing golden flames in majestic displays. But why do we find them so fascinating?

Dragons are basically giant lizards with wings. Yes, they can breathe fire, but humans can set fire to things too. Sure, they like shiny things, but so do my cats.

An interesting fact about dragons is that two different cultures developed their own versions of the creatures. The ones that are seen in stories where the knight saves the princess are very different from the ones more common in eastern cultures. Western dragons tend more towards the violent side.

I grew up on the dragons that were largely developed in western cultures. Western culture most commonly depicts dragons as a giant lizard-like creature with leathery wings, horns and the ability to breathe fire. As mentioned before, there are centuries of stories about a dragon keeping a princess locked away in a tower. Even modern tales like Shrek use the trope, if not always in a typical way.

In these stories, it is typical to see a knight in shining armour (literally) come to slay the dragon and rescue the princess. Ignoring all the gender roles in these tales, the connotation is that in order to defeat the dragon, you need to be strong.

Dragons are dangerous creatures. Even in the newer creative works that flip the script, this fact is acknowledged. If you watch the show Merlin, Arthur Pendragon’s family crest is of a dragon, and yet (slight spoiler) the last dragon is locked up beneath the castle as both a sign of the royal family’s strength and a way to ensure the kingdom is safe from its flame. 

To defeat or control a dragon is to have power. A creature so volatile is bound to catch the interest of kings, knights and fantasy fans alike. 

Another common theme in the tales of old is a dragon’s den. Usually held within a castle or a cave, the dragon’s den (not the tv show) is where the creature supposedly hoards all its treasure. An excellent example of this would be Smaug in The Hobbit. 

I will admit that I haven’t read The Hobbit, just watched the movies, and for that I apologize. Be that as it may, the image of Smaug practically invisible where he’s settled in amongst his treasure is one I won’t soon forget.

These creatures are not real. The closest thing to a dragon that was found was a small lizard called a Draco Volans that has the ability to glide through the air. At the end of the day, I think people just love the idea of a creature that cannot truly be tamed. Dragons capture the reader’s imagination. We find them fascinating because there’s nothing more intriguing than a creature so versatile that it can be anything from the ultimate enemy to comic relief.

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Emily-Rose Moskau

Emily-Rose is a student at Algonquin College. Her favourite genre to read and write is fantasy. In her free time she can be found surrounded by various creative projects, be it visual art, sewing, baking, or writing.

Hybrid Creatures in Fantasy

The word “hybrid” is defined as the offspring of two separate species, created through breeding. There are both plants and animals in the real world that are known to be hybrids, such as the Liger and Beefalo. The plantain and clementine are also hybrids, but of the plant variety.

However, in the world of fantasy the possibilities are nearly endless for the creation of hybrid species. We have things like Gryphons, fearsome yet noble beasts that often have the body, tail, and hind legs of a lion, yet with an eagle's head, wings, and legs as forelimbs. 

Then we have the Minotaur, a half human, half bull hybrid. Originally, this creature was conceived as part of Greek mythology. In most fantasy genres however, the Minotaur is known to be a violent and angry creature. This is due to the roots of the creature in its original myth. 

The beast itself is both guardian and prisoner of the Labyrinth of Crete. Built and designed to keep the Minotaur within, so that it was unable to wreak havoc on the outside world. Those who roam into the labyrinth are likely to die at the creature’s hands and then be consumed, for it enjoys killing and eating its victims.

In the world of Warhammer Fantasy, the Minotaur is a subspecies of the race known as Beastmen. An evil race known for the rabid, seething hatred of civilization and all things aligned with order. These Minotaur’s share a fair bit of the Greek vibe, being angry and filled with violence, but taken a step further.

In Warhammer Fantasy, Minotaur’s are often 12 feet in height, and equally as broad due to their heavily muscled bodies. While not as intelligent as the average beastman, they make up for this with their hot temper, incredible strength, and an insatiable desire to consume the blood and flesh of the recently slain. 

In particular, human blood and flesh. 

https://warhammerfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Minotaur

The Minotaur of Warhammer originates in what can be called the first age of the world. A great catastrophe fell upon the world, which resulted in horrific amounts of destruction and mutation brought about by magic. Such a catastrophe spawned the Beastmen race itself, including the Minotaur. They are creatures that embody the worst traits of humans, and of beasts.

Last but not least, we have the Satyr, who are a bit of a comedic relief in Greek mythology. Being creatures that are half goat, and half human, they are a form of nature spirit which embodies mischief and lust. These creatures are known to be wild and untamed, but always seek to seduce and bed both mortal women and their twin race, the nymphs.

https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Satyr

The Satyr’s in the Warcraft Universe have a bit of an interesting history, for they are not simply nature spirits, but corrupted and accursed elves who were either forced to agree or willingly agreed to a pact with demonic powers. They are insidious and sadistic, delighting only in wreaking havoc and destroying all that life holds precious.

Whether in the fantasy world or in the real world, Hybrid creatures are more often than not described as creatures which we must separate ourselves from.

 The Minotaur represents violence and anger, something that has often caused humans to make highly unreasonable choices. 

The Satyr represents lust and mischief, and lust can easily break happy relationships between one another. 

In the end, Hybrids are almost a reflection of the bad side of human instinct. They take us back to our most basic and instinctive desires as living creatures.

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Conor Bruce

Conor is an aspiring professional writer. Interested in a variety of genres from fantasy, science fiction, and action. In his free time he often reads, enjoys a video game or two, and writes his various ideas on the side.

No Tech in Fantasy = System Glitch

credit to @nasa on unsplash

The lack of technology in fantasy stories has always puzzled me. I’m not talking about fantasy stories that take place in a modern-society setting, since they tend to have things like cars, trains, computers and cell phones. I’m talking about fantasy stories set in medieval-esque times, which avoid technology like the plague. 

First, I feel it’s important to reiterate that technology doesn’t just mean machinery, but also the things we can do because of machinery. Things like organ transplants and staying connected with others. To me, it seems like it wouldn’t be difficult to include these things in fantasy. 

Magic is the perfect excuse to have literally whatever you want going on in a fantasy story. And yes, this includes things that are considered science. To quote the late Arthur C. Clarke: 

“Magic is just science we don’t understand yet.” 

Let’s run with an example I gave before. Does a character need an organ transplant or some other life-saving, life-changing medical procedure? Explain it away with magic. If there’s any sort of water magic in a fantasy setting, it could be used on blood — almost half of total blood volume is water!

If a spell could be used to stop a flood, it could also be used to stop internal bleeding. In fact, it would probably take up less magical energy, too. A mage or wizard would probably be able to do it for a prolonged amount of time. Think bloodbending from Avatar: The Last Airbender, but less creepy and, you know, used for good. 

Or if that organ needs to be put on ice, use some ice magic! With enough set-up that these kinds of spells aren’t whipped out as a convenient plot device at the exact moment they’re needed, there’s no reason this wouldn’t work. 

a movie poster for studio ghibli’s howl’s moving castle

Of course, magic isn’t the only option, either. Deals with demons or devils are perfect, too. In the Studio Ghibli movie Howl’s Moving Castle, Howl has, well, a moving castle. It looks like a giant machine. When I first saw the movie, that’s what I thought it was. Later, I learned the castle was actually being controlled by Calcifer, a fire demon that Howl made a deal with. 

If Howl could do that, why didn’t Frodo make a deal with a demon for a first-class flight to Mordor? Ah, so many missed opportunities. 

But to get back on track, there’s one other way I can think of to include technology besides magic and demons — just don’t explain it. It’s fantasy. It’s fiction. The audience doesn’t need an explanation for everything. 

“The machine” from 20th century Fox’s The princess bride

An example of this that comes to mind is in the movie The Princess Bride. One character, Wesley, is kidnapped and hooked up to a torture device aptly named “The Machine.” It’s shown to be run by a water wheel, some bellows and a very impressive array of gears. 

Despite these lovely visuals, how The Machine actually drains years of life from a victim is never elaborated on. I never even realized this until I started to write this post, and I find that not knowing doesn’t bother me at all. I saw the way that it worked, and that’s good enough. The rest is part of the mystery of the fantasy genre. And really, isn’t that all part of the fun? 

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Simona Casale

Simona is an aspiring editor and fiction author. In her free time she like to crochet, play video games, and read fanfiction. If you need to find her, check the nearest restaurant that serves ahi tuna bowls — look for the girl in pink.

Managing Mandrakes

Picture this: You’re walking one evening and spot a thick tuft of green leaves. With its purple and green stems, you might even consider it beautiful. But before you even think of touching it, remember that deep in the soil, a grimy, wrinkly newborn mandrake is stretching its vocal cords, ready to go in for the kill.

Now, obviously, we’re not talking about the real plants, we’ll get to that later. These plants make many appearances throughout the fantasy genre, and although their appearances stay somewhat similar, their purpose usually differs. In this venture into the mystical mandrakes, however, we’ll be focusing on the creatures that can be found throughout the Harry Potter series, as these are what I know best. We’ll walk through the purposes of farming mandrakes, give a brief account of the real-life plant, and even learn how to grow and harvest our very own.

They may not seem like much, but these plants can do some serious damage. If not harvested properly, the mandrakes in their infancy can knock a person out for several hours with just their scream. Mandrakes at age of maturity, however, can actually scream loud enough to kill you. This is why it’s so important to understand these plants before considering growing your own.

Now, you may be wondering, with the amount of trouble it can be to farm these plants, why do it? The answer is simple. The mandrake has the ability to revert the effects of curses or transfiguration and is therefore a vital ingredient in many restorative potions.

Much like the mandrakes featured in the Harry Potter series, real mandrakes have also been used for healing purposes. They act as pain relievers, as well as treatment for abscesses, ulcers, skin conditions, or inflammation. That being said, mandrakes are poisonous, and if not used properly, can cause hallucinations, vomiting, diarrhea and even death. So... Probably best not to eat them. While they don’t scream, the mandrake was once believed to have a siren-like scream that could drive someone mad, but for obvious reasons, that’s a myth.

Even though I don’t recommend growing real mandrakes, the screaming one's sound fun, right? For those of you who might need some help breaking a curse, or who just want the adrenaline of fighting off a screaming plant baby, here are some instructions to growing your own mandrake:

 Directions:

1. Acquire mandrake seeds from your local shop and follow potting directions from seed packets.

2. Once potted, water regularly.

3. When the leaves begin to reach 12 inches high, it’s time for them to be repotted. Prepare a large pot. This will be where the mandrake will grow to full size, so make sure to choose accordingly.

4. Dress in protective gear.

            -Soundproof earmuffs are MANDATORY. Failure to follow this step WILL result in injury or death.

            -Gloves are recommended, as the mandrakes may bite.

5. Firmly grasp the stem of the plant, just underneath the leaves. In a swift but firm motion, pull the plant from the pot.

6. Place the mandrake in the larger pot and cover it in fresh soil.

7. Water regularly and observe for any behavior changes. As the mandrake matures, they become moody and secretive. They may develop acne and throw parties.

8. The mandrakes have reached adulthood and are ready to be harvested when they begin moving into each other’s pots. Adorn yourself in protective gear and remove the mandrakes from their pots.

9. Using a knife, separate the stems from the roots.

10. Chop and use as your recipe requires.

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Madison Costeira

Maddy is a professional writing student at Algonquin College and an aspiring writer. She’s a certified procrastinator, overthinker, and owner of a depressing amount of cats (remember: two’s a party, three’s a crowd).

Inspiration Nation

Look beyond what you know, yet within something familiar…

Credit to @lingchor on unsplash

Fantasy. The word alone is enough to conjure images of dragons, castles, royalty and magic. But what do these things look like in your mind? For me, the way I imagine all these things are heavily influenced by medieval western Europe. There’s nothing wrong with that, per se. But it can trap artists and audiences alike in a box.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m a fan of the castles, the typical four-legged, two-winged dragons and the magical abilities with vague guidelines. However, sometimes it feels stale. It’s the same thing, over and over, plugged into different stories with almost no new ideas or variation.

Which begs the question — why? What’s keeping authors from branching out?

I think it’s a particularly disheartening combination of (a) safety in what you know and (b) a lack of inspiration. As a writer myself, I constantly wonder what I can put out into the world that isn’t already there. What opened my eyes to new possibilities in fantasy, though, was fantasy.

Fantasy from another culture.

In the last few years, I was introduced to a certain brand of Chinese fantasy called xianxia. It was so refreshing because it presents fantasy in a different way than what I’m used to. Some aspects even seem un-fantasy-like, while other parts are familiar. This trailer for The Untamed, which is available on Netflix, gives a taste of the genre: 

Credit to Tencent Video on YouTube

After seeing some of the fantasy elements present in xianxia that aren’t like those in western fantasy, I was struck by the realization that it’s easier to break out of the box than I thought. It isn’t even as complex as coming up with entirely new rules or ideas. Things we already know can be repurposed.

In xianxia, stories centre around people called Cultivators, who are working to increase their qi — I’ll simplify this to the energy in all living things — and eventually become powerful, immortal beings. Plenty of myths from various cultures have stories about people who desire immortality and power, and xianxia draws inspiration from Chinese mythology.

However, the cultivation was new. Xianxia is also inspired by Chinese spiritual practices and martial arts. So, to cultivate, characters often meditate and, you guessed it, practice martial arts. Looking at it now, it seems like such an easy thing to come up with — having characters grow their magical abilities through another, non-magical practice.

But that’s not all. As Cultivators become stronger, they also tend to maintain youthful looks, gain incredible power and have enhanced resilience and rapid healing. These last three abilities sound more like something out of a superhero story, yet they are an important part of xianxia fantasy.

These ideas aren’t new, outlandish, or wildly inventive. What drew me in was how, through learning about another culture’s representation of fantasy, it’s easy to see that fantasy has less limits than I thought. Creating change can be as simple as looking at something familiar from a different angle.

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Simona Casale

Simona is an aspiring editor and fiction author. In her free time she like to crochet, play video games, and read fanfiction. If you need to find her, check the nearest restaurant that serves ahi tuna bowls — look for the girl in pink.

Orcs In Fantasy

The orcs are a well-known creature in many works of fantasy, and even a few science fiction works. The race known as orcs was brought into modern usage by J.R.R Tolkien in his books The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings. However, even Tolkien was inspired, and is not the original creator of orcs themselves. There are various mythological creatures that resemble orcs, particularly in the Old English poem Beowulf, which Tolkien claims he took the word from. There are also other depictions of what we might call orcs in various fairy tales and folklore from northern Europe.

Tolkien’s works however, indeed brought the word and the widely acknowledged description of an Orc, to the modern world. This has inspired many authors and movie adaptations, such as the live action films of The Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit. Various board games and video games have also taken a strong approach to the usage of orcs, perhaps the best-known examples are Warhammer, Dungeons & Dragons, Warcraft and The Elder Scrolls.

The Orcs of the fantasy world in The Lord of the Rings, have perhaps the most recognizable traits of an evil minion. They are corrupted and twisted elves, turned from a beautiful form to an incredibly vile and hideous one. Their original master and creator is known as Morgoth, meaning “the Dark Enemy of the World” in one of the various languages of Tolkien’s creation. While the race itself is the same in its origins, there are a few different acknowledged sub breeds of orcs. Such as Gundabad Orcs, Mordor Orcs, Black Uruk’s, and most famous of all, the fearsome Uruk-hai. The meaning of Uruk by the way, is “Orc”.

The Orcs in Warhammer are somewhat of a comic relief in an otherwise rather gritty and dark fantasy, and science fiction world. Warhammer itself has two specific sets of lore which they go off. Warhammer Fantasy, and Warhammer 40k. Despite this, the origins of orcs in both worlds are roughly the same. They are actually formed from fungi/mushrooms in various places which their race comes to call home, they are a highly violent and warlike race which lives only to fight. The comical relief, however, comes when you realize that these brutish monsters are incredibly stupid, and often communicate in a rough and humorous manner; going so far to believe that painting the color red upon your armor or weapons will cause faster movement, and the color purple causing you to be invisible and incredibly stealthy. After all, no orc in Warhammer has ever been seen wearing the color purple, so surely it must be true.

Orcs are perhaps the fourth most recognizable creature in fantasy aside from humans, elves and dwarves. Being creatures of strength, will, and sheer overwhelming force. However, in other works such as Warcraft and The Elder Scrolls, orcs are not inherently evil. Instead, they are born into a life and world which is harsh and incredibly unforgiving. Having no choice but to endure life’s worst trials and challenges or fall in the process.

Some may say orcs are a reflection of humanities will to survive and endure. An icon of overcoming challenges that life throws at you, and finding the strength to go on. No matter which lore you choose to learn about orcs, all of them are worth a read at the least. I hope you enjoyed learning about the brutes of the fantasy world!

Weapons and Story

Fantasy worlds are filled with adventure. Heroes go on epic journeys to defeat a villain, save a kingdom, or destroy a ring. They cross worlds filled with dangerous creatures and hostile foes and therefore have a need to defend themselves. Weapons can just be a means for a character to protect themselves, provide an avenue for exposition, or even be a pivotal point in a character’s journey. No matter how an author chooses to use weaponry in their stories, they add to the world and, therefore, are worthy of careful consideration. 

If you look at human history, you can see that weapons have changed and evolved throughout time. Different cultures came up with different types of weapons. The Knights of Europe wore heavy armour, and so broadswords, with blunt edges were forged for bludgeoning and stabbing. Unlike the sharp blades of the middle east, where hot deserts prevented their warriors from wearing layers and layers of metal armour. Therefore, what type of weapons each race has within a fictional world can help expand their culture. We can see this type of variety in the Lord of the Rings. Elves have sleek, elegant blades that have been carefully honed by master craftsmen over centuries, while the orcs have crude, misshapen weapons that were made in a hurry. It is a subtle detail that can help flesh out a fantasy world and give the readers another piece to help visualize the world in their minds. 

Aragon, from the Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, unsheathing Anduril.

For characters, their choice of weapon can be profound. It can be a pivotal shift in their story’s arc and help solidify their growth or descent. A lot of fantasy weapons have deep histories behind them and therefore come with a heavy burden. Take Anduril, the Flame of the West, from the Lord of the Rings. Aragorn is introduced as a Ranger from the north. A mysterious figure without much knowledge of who he is or where he’s been. But it is then revealed that he is actually descended from Isildur. Isildur was the king of men who, unfortunately, succumbed to the lure of the One Ring, forged by Sauron, and did not destroy it. This act of his ancestors haunted Aragorn, and for most of his life, he denied the throne that was rightfully his. But when the reforged blade of Anduril, which had been wielded by Isildur himself, is presented to him is a crucial moment where he’s chosen to accept his fate and be the rightful king that he was born to be. Anduril, in this case, is a tool to propel a single character’s arc forward and bring it to a satisfying conclusion. 

Instead of merely glossing over the weapons that characters use in the stories you write, think about how they can enhance the world your characters live in. How they can add history and dimension to their world, as well as to their stories. They can be a visual representation of a character’s arc, and well, they look pretty cool. 

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Leah Levert

Leah is currently studying Professional Writing. She loves to write and hopes to be able to use her skills to make the world a little easier to understand. When not studying, she can be found at the stable with her horses, or playing video games.

Elves: The Nature of Culture

An elf markswoman from the Wesnoth fantasy setting, created by Kathrin "Kitty" Polikeit

Differences and similarities in elven culture across fandoms.

When you dive into the world of fantasy, a being that you will likely stumble across is an elf. Now these elves aren’t like Santa’s elves. They don’t sit in workshops making toys and drinking hot chocolate, and they sure as heck aren’t wasting their time sitting on your shelf, spying on you.

The elves I am talking about are often associated with works of fiction like Lord of the Rings and games like Dungeons and Dragons. They are typically described as tall, elegant, ethereal beings. Now, while a lot of fandoms agree on certain details around elven culture, there are many ways to change the culture in such a way that you stay true to the race while still being original.

In general, elves tend to be connected with nature. It used to be that they were more associated with the fae, but over time they took on their own culture. How the culture is formed depends on the work they are in.

Today, for the sake of brevity, I will be looking at elven culture in The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien and The Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist. One series is much more popular than the other, but their elves are close enough to find some interesting similarities.

In both series, elves are seen as “the first people”. These humanoid beings do not experience time like humans do, Tolkien’s elves even being immortal outside of combat situations. As such, they are said to have seen the beginning of the other races’ civilizations. This is where the lore differs. Where Tolkien depicts a race separated based on where they traveled, Feist depicts a race torn apart by the spiritual paths they took.

As I researched the different types of elves in Tolkein’s lore, I noticed that a lot of the separation was established based on who went where. Some traveled from Middle Earth, the land in which the Lord of the Rings series takes place, to Aman in what is called the Great Journey. Some, like the Nandor, abandoned the journey partway through while others didn’t leave Middle Earth at all. 

While there may be some differing opinions about certain types being better than others, they all remain elves, and are similar to each other.

Feist’s elven lore speaks of spiritual paths taken. The Moredhel are elves that searched for power from a dark god. They wished to rid the land that they perceived as gifted to them by the Dragon Lords, their former masters, of the humans and dwarves that had stolen it. Meanwhile the Eledhel chose the path of light, living peacefully in their forest kingdom, only fighting to defend themselves and their way of life.

The way these elves developed, based on travel experience, or religious beliefs, makes for very different cultures despite being the same race.

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Emily-Rose Moskau

Emily-Rose is a student at Algonquin College. Her favourite genre to read and write is fantasy. In her free time she can be found surrounded by various creative projects, be it visual art, sewing, baking, or writing.