Sawa

The northern landmass Sawa is the continent of Fire - the power of the North. Sawa with its rugged coastline, many islands, and inland seas is the smallest continent; the far north is ice-covered. The landscape is shaped by volcanic activity, from the Great Talash-Keh's vast mountains, to fields of boiling mud, to the omnipresent geysirs. Travelling Sawa is treacherous; dangers include unstable ground - thinly covered chasms filled with boiling lava -, toxic fumes, hot ash clouds, and lahare, the giant landslides accompanying volcanic eruptions.

"Where the water fell upward/ and the mountain shifted in its sleep/ we bonded hand in hand/ an alloy of loyalty and trust/ and like such metals/ will never part again."
— Nuralk, "Ode of Vhalo", verse 3

Sawan humans are the blocky, tall northern type, the coasts are populated by seafolk. The Great and Lesser Talash-Keh kingdoms are considered "dwarven lands" due to the dominant population; Mul'Geranan is populated only by mul'ahman and therefore nearly invisible above ground; the infamous state of Sawaland, an openly racistic country of pro-human orientation, is a black mark on the map; and last not least the heroic warriors of Brighthold are widely known, keeping the warring neighbouring tribes in check.

"We inhabit the lands of fire, and we Sawans are proud of our ability to start all over. I can't imagine living in a place where the ground never changes."
— Mugikri, Sawan farmer

Artist's notes
Volcanism fascinates me, and I have Sawa as a playground for it. The trouble with painting volcanic landscapes is that everything's covered in smoke...
I found it difficult to describe Sawa's diversity correctly; it has landscapes like Iceland and Alaska as well as Polynesia-inspired tropical zones. The landscape changes so frequently - mountains coming up here and there and sinking back into the ground - that mapmakers can make good coin here.

The Four

Spear's bearer - Firebolt
Bow's archer - Nevercold
Axe's swinger - Worldhauler
Sword's master - Wavecaller
Four there were since times of old

Speeres Träger - Flammenherr
Axtes Schwinger - Weltenschwer
Schwertes Meister - Wellengrund
Bogenschütze - Lebensmund
Vier von alters Zeiten her

The Four are a symbol occuring everywhere in Genius Loci. The number refers to the four elemental forces of the world - Water, Fire, Earth and Air, and Life - embodied by the Four Creators of the world, and their magical foci, the Four Weapons. Each is assigned a cardinal point, colour, and many more associations: character traits, times of day, spells, continents, plants, minerals... Each culture adds own representations and local symbols; the Four Weapons usually take precedence and take many shapes. It is said that the Four maintain the world's balance.


The Four:

• The spear Lefenned, associated with fire, the colour blue, and the south. Its sign is a bar. Its principle is cycles, new beginnings untouched by the old, and overcoming weaknesses and obstacles.
• The sword Rwannakah, associated with water, the colour red, and the north. Its sign is a kite-shaped rhomb. Its principle is change and compromise, and ability to adapt.
• The bow Gajtualih, associated with life, the colour green, and the west. Its sign is a half circle. Its principle is movement, shaping, and optimism.
• The axe Khachgallah, associated with earth and air, the colour yellow, and the east. Its sign is a triangle. Its principle is foundations, willpower, and both loyalty and unpredictability.

Artist's notes
The Four were one of my earliest decisions about Genius Loci. Red for water because many rivers on Kitas come through rock containing iron and are reddish, especially in Sawa; blue represents the fire at its hottest (its a concern to me whether this will confuse people too much).
The rhyme is also an old invention. I wrote it practicing calligraphy; I was writing Tolkien's poem of the one ring, and wanted something similar for Genius Loci. It is widely used on Kitas, from children's rhymes to the chorus of Nuralk's famous epos "The Four" (the insane often mumble it, too).
The Four are very important to the setting. They're the closest thing to gods in Genius Loci and have many more features which I gradually develop.

Lozir

The southern continent is shaped by Earth and Air, the element of the East. Dryland and deserts cover Lozir, some sandy, others rocky, or made of salt; proper states only exist along the waterways. Lozir is rich in valuable minerals, among them the famous floating stones used in dust ships. Traffic is bustling along the waterways, and Lozirian crafts are known for their quality.

"Some expect Lozir to be quiet, but the sands mumble, the rocks sing, and the wind jubilates. Still, quiet enough that many a wise man seeks solitude in the inner deserts, where according to legend, forgotten peoples survive, ancient cities slowly decay, and the traveller may find untold wonders - or dangers. Sometimes, they are one and the same."
— Asfile 'hu, dust sailor

Lozir's hot areas are packed with garren, and raganaj enjoy the lively winds. Humans are of the dark-skinned southern type. The famous glass plains of Brunnavah are in the southeast, a relic of the speaker war a hundred and twenty years ago: almost the entire plains in the backlands of the country were transformed into clear glass, engulfing many fighters. It is rumoured a genius loci resides in its middle. Other sights worth seeing include the engineering school of Bargassa, the galwanian opera, and the ancient, beautiful spires of Gianbaldee.

Artist's notes
Each continent is differently mysterious. In Lozir, there are vast empty lands that hold wonderful surprises. I feel about Lozir as a stage for adventure stories like Indiana Jones - some long-forgotten tribe lurking in the unforgiving wilderness, ruins of advanced civilizations long since forgotten, holding treasures... caves! Subterranean monsters! Emery storms! And yes, earth and air are indeed the same element in Genius Loci. "Scientifically", they represent the unliving foundations without which nothing could be.

Genius Loci races: Raganaj

The six-winged raganaj are the tallest race of Kitas, standing an average of two and a half meters. The stripes on their thick fur convert into blob shapes towards the front. Colours go from dark chocolate to pale gold, the stripes from faint orange to dried blood, their green eyes provide nightvision. The feathered wings allow silent flight. While the upper wing pairs are used for lift, the lower, smaller wings are for steering; the pawlike, clawed hands lack fine dexterity.
Psychologically, raganaj enjoy their physical gifts, and use them to their advantage in life and work. Many raganaj are fighters, soldiers, or guards, or work in strength-demanding crafts like smithing or carpentry. Dancing is popular with raganaj - and their audience, which enjoys the extra movement flight adds. However, raganaj are equally often found in social work like politics, psychoanalysis, and as bards. All raganaj dislike confined spaces.

"The bard sung tales of love and despair, and many a tear was shed at his words. His fur shone like an aura in the tavern lights, and gave an eerie sense to his voice as if it came from a half-wake dream."
— Errinnö Silversmith, villager

Most interesting about raganaj is their companionship with the solano. These small, plump creatures come to a raganaj in his early teens and form a strong bond. Cosmologists have theorized that the raganaj spirit might be divided or lacking, and completed by a solan. Others simply see a special friendship; however, raganaj without a solan are regarded as defective. The raganaj themselves believe it's the solano that make them peaceful - more peaceful than a born warrior might be otherwise, and that their little friends open their hearts to others. Raganaj indeed have a sense for romance and aesthetics, making them successful in working with people.

"Tineet, get back here! NOW! No, don't go in there! ... oh, damnit."
— Brashame, to her solan

Artist's notes
I gave much thought to the anatomy of raganaj. How their flight works (it probably wouldn't, in our world. But then, a pterodactylus had a wingspan of seven meters), how the wings would fold, how they would dress, and how it would be to others, having flying neighbours twice your size. I especially like the idea of giant war-creatures being romantic and soft-hearted.

Dead spirits

"The lonely dead know only anger, and vengeance, and their own will. They are not some romantic idea that obeys logic and society, their goals are often enough inachievable, and they cannot be reasoned with. I will teach you how to capture and unite them with the Great Spirit, and that is the only way we have of dealing with them." — Collector Novi Blue Seas, to her apprentice

Among the several kinds of spirits on Kitas, dead spirits are the most common "artificial" ones. Dead spirits come into being from people dying under bad circumstances - murder, intense pain of mind or body, while obsessed with one thought, from incorrect or missing burial rituals - or simply because they believe they must become spirits. Dead spirits are wrathful and insane. They are obsessed with getting justice and will leave when they get it - which may be as easy as setting up a tombstone. In harder cases, spirit collectors are called. Dead spirits have the general shape of their former self, but strangely dislocated in places, with bones shining through and a clearly visible dark heart. Only powerful spirits can attack, but their presence always causes discomfort or damage - from headaches to heart attacks. All dead spirits will attempt possession.


Artist's notes
Ghosts and haunted places were among my favourite stories as a child, from poltergeists to banshees, Wiedergänger, Aufsitzer... the dead spirits of Genius Loci have many of those powers. They are not helpful at all, not to be trifled with, and can be encountered anywhere, which should be a lot of fun in stories to come. Darkhearts are powerful enemies of freedom, and therefore the dark heart suited the dead very well (I am very glad I had this idea).

Genius Loci races: Elves

"Everyone is different, but elves are more different than others."
— kitaian proverb

Elves are indeed a strange folk. Their bodies work differently; what is normally edible or harmful kills or heals an elf. Some say it's because elves are slow inside - maybe they are right, elves live for over eight centuries. But then, no-one is as fast as elves. Their speed, balance, and elegance are legendary.
Elves have nearly black hair, green-circled black eyes, and beastlike features - all of them; for elves all look the same, like twins. Actual twins are one person in two bodies, extremely rare, and quite feared. There are no half-elves; children of elves are elves as well, and elves are more often than others subject to racist prejudice.
Elves can be voices for their entire lives. They can communicate with spirits easily, and many spirit collectors are elves.

"The most frightening person I can think of? An elven twin assassin."
— Oyofe, mercenary

Elves depend on an intact environment. A long unchanged town, even bustling with people, will do just as well as a beach or forest. It's fresh destruction that affects them; mining, logging, large construction sites. Many elves are engineers and architects to ensure a nature-friendly process.

Mentally, elves are often absent, or seek solitude. They long to understand a wisdom that seems just beyond their reach, making them prone to mental disorders like obsessions or paranoia. They partake in society less and less with age, focusing on their meditations.


Artist's notes
Every good fantasy setting needs elves; I found them the most difficult race to design. I dislike the over-powered elves of common fantasy: unbelievably beautiful, overly smart, and - of course! - magical. I wanted the Genius Loci elves to be a people than can be interacted wit, that can appear as normal inhabitants of the world, yet retain some of the mysterious qualities of traditional elves. I think they turned out okay, with the similarities in appearance and spirit affinity. By the way, elves are equally often mages and wizards.

More Starmaker

"When we looked down into the valley, the ground gave a sigh, then moved upwards and stretched, until a gigantic figure stood in front of a watching sky. Slowly, she turned towards us, and we tried hard to grind time to a halt before we would have to meet her gaze."
— Junikälla Honi, traveller

Artist's notes
The plan when painting Starmaker usually is to create a portrait, put it in absurd scale or unreal surroundings, and then add abstract and strange elements until it's creepy enough. I often think her to be clad in white, but I like her in black as well.