Elementarians: Dryads

Dryads are the elementarians of the west, the element of life. Several meters tall, with overly long arms, numerous fingers, and roots for legs below the knee; dryads are perceived as female. Their skin is bark, they have twigs for hair, their mouthless face shows bright eyes and a grim expression. A dryad fiercely defends her hometree, but can live without it. Unlike other elementarians, dryads hardly ever speak and are considered the most powerful of them.

"It is not by accident that we call a devastating event or a tool of destruction "a dryad's word". The last time a dryad spoke, all of Gdera heard it. We should be thankful that the ominous treeladies rarely utter anything."
— Mbagu Greeneyes, western wizard

While dryads are not evil, they are the least predictable elementarians and busily pursue their unfathomable plans. They appear in destroyed forests to restore them, or even destroy artificial structures themselves. A traveling dryad is reason to abandon settlements. A resident dryad, however, guarantees rich harvest, intact woods, and good health.

"The sitting dryads in Clom Vah's great voice hall have legs. Since they usually don't, one cannot tell if he statues really are dryads - many mages tried to find out. Without success."
— Rachneei Injira, gderan citizen

Artists' notes
Dryads are wonderful mythological creatures. I wanted to keep them close to the easily angered Greek originals. However, there's only one dryad per wood, not per tree. They're the reason words are so powerful in Genius Loci - I had drawn a mouthless dryad and wondered if they could speak at all, and what that would be like.

Genius Loci in Worldscapes Magazine

"I'll never understand how speakers can be so insanely curious. And laborious. An essay about Kmalian teapots? Gimme a break."
— Fesa, market trader 

Artist's notes
I attend a group on deviantArt focused on worldbuilding which has just resulted in issue #1 of the Worldscapes Magazine. I wrote this three-page article about Genius Loci, an introduction and the current theme binding the worlds together for this issue; you can read the full article in the mag: Worldscapes Issue #1

The Blue forest

The Blue forest grows tall but fragile plants, wispy and thin, held up by infinitely fine leaves, gaseous bladders, or grass-like built. Most of the fauna flies or floats; even if the sunbathed ground is covered with nutritious plants, most animals stay in the air. The blue forest grows on sandy grounds, on steep cliffs and rocks, and is easy to travel since even tree-sized plants are light enough to be pushed aside. Most spectacular: the air is lighter, they say, and indeed flying is far easier here than anywhere else, and floating down cliffs is possible with simplest devices. It's quieter here than usually in forests, because most animals do not speak in a way audible to people.

"Sometimes the forest is called the blue hole - it seems people going in don't come out again. Once you've felt its calm, you'll understand why leaving the Blue Forest isn't tempting at all."
— Shiteng, blue forest guide

The inhabitants are quiet and meditative. Flying is a popular sport, and clothes reflect this; voluminous sleeves, short capes and baggy coveralls, especially in childrens' clothing, are used to travel quickly. The Blue forest's wealth comes from medicinal exports and building materials famous for their lightness, notably the wood for dustships. Like in the Yellow wood, people are interested in aesthetics, but keep things simple.

"Me love the Blue. Sand float, plants float, me float - I am part o' everythin'. Me feels very important there. Me likes."
— Mimiparo, bug fairy

Artists' notes
As so often, much of my inspiration comes from films. One of the most important here is the chase scene from Crouching Tiger, hidden Dragon in the bamboo forest, which has all the mood I want in the Blue forest. It has a very "asian" flair to it, with dreamy, quiet landscapes, serene dwellers, and calm movements. Must be quite a shock to be jumped on by a predator here.

Genius Loci Calendar 2014

Artist's notes
There is a wonderful, large calendar with all my favourite Genius Loci landscapes available via my deviantArt account:

http://www.deviantart.com/print/34766434/

Some of my favourite pictures, sadly, had a format that wouldn't fit and had to be left out, but the calendar includes a previously unpublished painting.
As for other publications, look out for the first actual texts in novel-fashion - albeit very short - to be published soon (probably on dA as well).

Elementarians: Stone giants

Stone giants are the elementarians of earth and air. They are around eighteen meters high and seemingly made of stone, but change appearance all the time - so slowly it's barely noticeable while it happens. At least part of them is floatstone, and a cloud of rocks, sand, and dust floats around their feet. Their heads are stumpy cones with holes for eyes, and giants move with the seemingly slow pace of all enormous creatures. They are mostly found around Sawa's volcanoes and in inner Lozir, although some are said to roam the Singing Ryaq.

"It took us fifteen years to puzzle out what the giant meant by "the blue will help, but must first turn white". Spirits know where he knew them from. If you want advice, ask the voices, they're way clearer about things."
— Goffi Celinad, merchant

Stone giants are kind and friendly, but ignorant towards most things that last less than forever. They are sought out for philosophical advice, but have a habit of speaking in riddles, and are hard to get to assist. There seems to be some form of communication between all giants; they carve great drawings into the ground most appreciated by dust sailors.

"And the giant decided to topple the insolent spirit's mountain. When he came to the peak, it fell and buried him, and neither spirit nor giant were seen again."
— lozirian tale

Artists' notes
One of my early creations, I like the stone giants for their zen-like friendliness. Their ground drawings are nice inspiration for environmental paintings, and I have always liked the Nazca drawings, hill-sized chalk pictures in England and such.

The White forest

"Night scares us outside the White. Black shadows and lightless skies are unknown to us. We much prefer the White Night - one can see into one's mind much easier."
— Uomiqa, villager

The pale fungi plantlife names the White forest. It grows in tropical regions; tree-sized fungi shadow the ground, bundles of mushroom stems take the bushes' place, but there are some regular plants as well. Many people consider the White forest boring - the inhabitants agree, and love it. There are no dangerous animals or plants, few natural dangers, and the soft, squishy flora prevents most accidents. Finding food in the largely indigestible plantlife is tricky, however. Life in the white forest is slow and soft, and comes to bloom after dusk; the many-coloured glow of plants and animals hold night at bay.

"The rumours about the White night seem true - the inhabitants can apparently read thoughts. Whether this has the same source as the Gderan shimmer or another is unclear. As is the shimmer's source."
— Mage Ralvirr Jix, in a lecture

The people of the White forest are both playful and deep-thinking. They greet change but do not seek it, as they say. Clothing is wide and practical in pale colours, feet bare. Settlements are easy to transport and light-weight and put on the forest's middle floor. They are mostly left alone by the world, and most denizens are human living their vegetarian diet.

Artists' notes
My biggest influence for the mushroom forest was "Nausicaa of the Valey of the Winds", particularly since the film showed many types of fungi instead of the classic champignon shape; I was equally impressed by the fantastic vistas of Avatar. Shroom forests are somehow associated with playful surrealism and Alice in Wonderland fantasy stories, but the White forest is fairly normal (though trickier to paint, since I can't hide everything in foliage).

Bug fairies

"If I ever find one of you in the pantry again I'll whisper a spell to the door, clear? Have you at least taken care of the pests under the windowsill, or were you too full with berrycake?"
— Mrinbira, farmer

Bug fairies are stick-thin creatures fourty centimeters high, with deep purple, hard skin, four membrane wings, and spikes on their limbs. Genders cannot be told apart, and nobody knows how they reproduce.
Bug fairies are called after their favourite prey, and are welcome in settlements where they hunt down pests. Unfortunately, bug fairies are dim-witted, cheeky, and wild-mannered. They are popular babysitters, though - bug fairies love children and look out for them with great care. They appear in flocks and are independent, but are very fond of homes and equipment made for them by bigger people. Bug fairies are hardly taken serious, but have an understanding of speechcraft that's not to be trifled with (and are utterly oblivious to academic education).

"My great people made us a house of whitewood that rides on the iunas when we travel to the summer pastries. We're very proud and grateful, and we will die before harm comes to their children."
— Vanvan-ira, Ashstone tribe fairy

Artist's notes
Every decent fantasy setting needs some koboldy creatures to get on your nerves, but still be useful. I imagine bug fairies zooming about, shouting and playing, tugging and poking, using the dinner table for a playground... there are many comical small folk in movies and other fantasy worlds that were inspiring for bug fairies, and many characters from the Mumins book series by Torve Janssen.
I'm not sure yet if either of the two fairykind will have magical properties, but I tend towards no. It's just too cruel to be ground to dust for potions, and I dislike magically overpowerful flippy crazies.