Sabiré's Wall

Glaspia, a southern Gderan country, spent centuries pushing its border northwards. Its neighbours might have objected, if it hadn't been for the wall of Sabiré, growing in Glaspia's hinterlands for almost three millenia. During a speaker war in 3602EL, the spell relic was caused, and the wall that rose due to it didn't stop growing until two centuries ago. It is only a few hundred meters wide, but now over four thousand meters high and several hundred kilometers long. It influences local weather significantly and has created drylands on its western side.

"Ah, the mages around here never let you hear the end of it. A wizard appears, and they start whispering there's going to be another wall, as soon as we cast a spell. It might be interesting to the voiceless that most civilized regions were disrupted by mages' spell relics, not wizards'."
— Emketju, wizard

As all landmarks of importance, Sabirè's Height, as the wall is also called, is inhabited by a nature spirit. Ednini is very tall, and strange. He has not been at the wall for long, but his presence has caused local plantlife to improve greatly. Unlike other spirits, Ednini speaks a lot, is easily upset, and wants company. But since most people think the wall to be cursed, scary, or uncomfortable, he has little of it and jealously guards what few people he has.

"I almost pitied him, being so alone, if he hadn't been so creepy. There are almost no mid-sized spirits around the wall, only Ednini and the tiny ones in the plants he helps growing, and in some rocks. Maybe spirits, too, go mad when left alone?"
— Wenemmes, traveller

Artists' notes
This is one of those places where the things you hear about it are almost all wrong, over the top or way too harmless, and most things you can't learn at all. Nature spirits had personalities before, but with Ednini I discovered they could be influenced by supernatural affairs as well. 

Area thresholds

"This was the fourth threshold we stepped through in these mountains. The map says nothing about it, so they must be new - I worry who would poke holes into the Here in six valleys."
— Szagrat, traveller

An Area threshold is where one can step over into the Area. Natural thresholds are, as many things about the Area, seemingly random - any crossing could lead into the Area, a riverbank, a door, a line between shadow and light.
Artificial or drawn thresholds are easy to make, but require precision, and are best done by signmakers. Each of the four corners, then the opening, of the threshold-to-be is marked with the First Sign "Create Threshold". Because this last, fifth sign must therefore always be made into the air, and First Signs are complicated, it's hard to successfully create a threshold artificially.

"That was your tenth, no, eleventh, attempt at it. I suppose we can always wait for a Nightly Traveller to happen by when you're having such trouble with that damn threshold... I'm just joking!"
— Jagir, to Vramde

Artists' notes
Because Genius Loci is also built as a roleplaying world, sometimes I think in terms of difficulties for dice rolls. But imagining how it actually looks is exciting; making a threshold should be mysterious and strange. Most travellers know how to make one, even if not all are good at it.

Technology and development

Kitas' technological development sees sophisticated husbandry methods, strong, durable materials for large structures, ship trade routes between continents, and medicine that can remedy common ailments. People don't starve on the streets or die of everyday diseases. But travel is lengthy, exotic goods rare, and payments are done in natural goods rather than gold.
Common technologies include pocket sunclocks, spyglasses, and lighters. On a larger scale, glass windows, concrete, aqueducts fed by norias, domed buildings, and cannons make regular appearances. Farmers know about crop rotation, creation of black earth, and use clever irrigation methods. Medicine includes knowledge of epidemics, and use of anaesthetics.

"Straws were drawn who had to camp closest to the cannon site. Just the month before, a powder stock had blown its crew to bits so small there weren't even spirits left."
— Gabunda Hes, soldier

Spells play only a tiny role in technology; speakers are too quickly exhausted for everyday affairs and artifacts are notoriously ill-mannered. Instead, engineers invent tirelessly, with important schools in Lebridge and Bargassa, making mechanics powered by wind and water commonplace. However, the mages' taste for detail, and the wizards' open minds still put speakers at the forefront of scientific progress.

"Oh, curse this mechanical clock. The slightest movement, it misses the time. I'll never buy one of those idiotic Sawan contraptions again, and stick with the good stuff from Bargassa."
— Tilibriin, Ryaqan merchant

Artists' notes
I've learned a lot about what mechanics were possible in ancient times, and the Greek or Chinese were far more advanced than most people would think, so I had no problem putting complex, timed mechanics into play, and founded the two large engineering schools from which nearly anything can be expected. Technological advancement also allows for more interesting buildings, larger settlements, and peoples cultivating unfavourable lands. 

Art on deviantArt: White forest dwarf and Standing Stones, and an announcement

New artworks have been published on deviantArt: a concept of a dwarf girl from the white forest, and a landscape concept of standing stones. You can learn more about dwarves in their article:

I want to increase the amount of artciles published here. I also want a picture to go with every article, and therein lies the problem; I create Genius Loci solely in my spare time, and making images takes much longer than writing articles. I will therefore also use sketches to illustrate my articles from now on. When I get around to creating a finished piece for any subject, it will of course be shared here as well.

The Discordant Cities

"I don't care who thinks to be the first, greatest, or smartest. If I lose one more shipment of medicines because of their daft squabbling, I'll make them Tsiranian, and that will be that."
— Mainalhar II. of Tsir

The first of the Discordant Cities was Eligei, which was a rhu'khach city until they left, and returned to greatness some centuries later. Then the ruling families of Eligei began to quarrel all the time, until finally two of them left and founded new cities nearby. Then fighting started there too, citizens left, and founded their own cities. As they are located in the Tsiranian Gulf in Lozir, with rich fishing grounds and moderately fertile lands, new cities can survive easily. Today, they are twelve, and constantly fight among themselves. Pirates and mercenaries are set on each others' trade routes, cities are spied upon and sabotaged, embargoes enacted, and alliances are as short-lived as the morning dew.

"All the Oparikans have to do is acknowledge that Tassaar makes the better frigates, or we can just show them if they won't believe it. What do they take us for - Henassetans?!"
— Benengei, Tassaarian

On the other side of the gulf lies Lozir's largest kingdom, Tsir. The Tsiranian traders also fall victim to the dirty tricks of the Discordants, and the traditionally grumpy government grows impatient. Urlakal used to send diplomats, but since the Dimnerians invaded and the royal Urlakal family was exiled, it has been too unstable, and the Dimnerians are uncompassionate. Council city negotiators are still sent from Plokin, but the only solution - unification of the ridiculously likeminded cities - is openly attacked as an affront to the cities' sovereignty by all twelve.


Artists' notes
When I dotted city states onto the maps, a whole lot appeared around the Tsiranian Gulf, and I wondered how they got along. The more they became, the less they did, and now the "Streitende Städte" are a mischievous bunch of rascals. It spun away into the political situation of the entire region; Urlakal's civil war fitted perfectly. I love it when the open ends of my world connect seamlessly.

Hillers

It's said that each continent or element has its own biggest animal, which are so attuned, or incredible, that they function outside the normal workings of living creatures. Hillers are considered the embodiment of the powers of the earth, and thus to be Lozirian animals, although there are some in Sawa as well, and nobody knows what hides under the canopy of Gdera's forests.

"Some of the hiller tribe spoke to the hiller by waving flags. They said they used them to talk about which way to go, but from what I saw, their conversation was much deeper than that."
— Sasi, traveller

It's said that they are born under mountains, and when they are big and strong enough, lift the mountain up and walk away. Their gargantuan bodies are covered with rocks and sediment, and they are big enough to house a large tribe. Hillers move very, very slowly, nobody knows what they eat, and there's barely a way of communicating with them, although those who live on them can tell if the hiller is happy, sad, or calm. Hillers seem to generally enjoy the company of humans, especially when they decorate their mobile home.


Artists' notes
The original German name is Berger, which would translate to mountainer, but it lost its whimsicality in the translation, and I went with hiller instead. Walking mountains are a wonderfully fantastic idea,  and they make several appearances in Genius Loci. I haven't even invented all biggest animals yet, but the horr in the seas and the clouders in the skies are of similar incredulity.

Collector's tools

Spirit collectors can work entirely without tools if needed, but prefer using them. They're usually made by pendulors, and totems and tubes need to be of certain quality - broken totems release their spirits.

The wooden totems are for trapping dead spirits. They are blue at first, turning brown when inhabited, and are painted with spirit-bonding patterns. The figure is sitting with folded arms, and must be of the appropriate species; a rope can be pulled through for hanging them up. In the cleansing rituals to unite the dead with the Great Spirit, the totem is destroyed.

"It was custom for collectors on their way to the cleansing to wear blue as a warning. Crowds parted around them, but more than once, the rebels shot them to release all spirits in the masses, causing great turmoils."
— Benerare Pikale, historian

Spirits are reflected like light and cannot escape rings, going in circles forever. Echo tubes are therefore made from mirroring materials. They can be glass tubes that are screwed shut or crystals closed with clasps, while metal tubes are not commonly used - since there is no light inside, there's also no reflection, and supposedly this makes them less useful.

"And when they had reached the clifftops, they started throwing down items we took for bottles, that shattered on the ground, but we soon realized in horror that they were echo tubes releasing their spirits among us."
— Ratirra Merruh, listener

The collectors' rings also use the ring principle. Young collectors start with them on arms and legs, moving them outwards gradually. A collector's body is a vessel, every inch makes room for more and greater spirits, and the rings are like stoppers. Seasoned collectors wear their rings on toes and fingers.


Artists' notes
Needless to say, there are also legendary collectors' rings or echo tubes that supposedly work better than the average. I always liked all the precautions you are supposed to take when interacting with the supernatural - turning mirrors to the wall, guarding thresholds with brick dust or salt, and so on. With equipment, there's also the storytelling element of precautions gone wrong, to add danger and difficulty to the task.