Inspiration: Curiosities of the Icelandic Sea

Islandia; Abraham Ortelius, circa 1590

Here we have a map of Iceland created by Abraham Ortelius in the tail end of the sixteenth century.  More information than you could possibly want about this map is available here.  Ortelius displays various nautical features – most of them 'sea monsters' – and labels each with a letter of the alphabet, 'A' through 'Q' (excluding 'J').  The reverse of the map provides information regarding each of the entities so labelled.  In the descriptions below, italicized text represents a direct quote from Ortelius' material; everything else is my commentary.  For terms of measurement, it is assumed that one 'cubit' is equivalent to 18 inches while one 'ell' equals 4 feet.

A. NAHUAL – If any man eat of this fish, he dieth presently.  It has a tooth projecting ten-and-a-half feet out from its head.  This tooth has the same anti-poison properties as the Unicorn's horn.  This monster is 160 feet in length.  We know this creature as the narwhal; however, narwhals do not grow to such lengths, their teeth do not possess any unusual properties, and consumption of its flesh is not typically fatal.

B. ROIDER – This is a fish 520 feet in length, which hath no teeth.  The flesh of it is very good meat, wholesome and toothsome.  The fatte of it is good against many diseases.

C. BURCHVALUR – This creature hath his head bigger than all the body beside.  It hath many very strong teeth, whereof they make Chesmen or Tablemen.  It is ninety feet long.

D. HYENA or SEA HOGGE – Ortelius refers us to Olaus Magnus for information.  According to Olaus, this monster has “four feet like a Dragons, two eyes on both sides of his Loyns, and a third in his belly inkling toward his navel.”

E. ZIPHIUS (perhaps XIPHIUS, the sword fish) – This is an horrible sea monster, swallowing the blacke seale at one bitte.  Rather than the swordfish, science equates this 'monster' with Cuvier's beaked whale.

F. ENGLISH WHALE – It is 120 feet long.  It hath no teeth, but the tongue of it is 28 feet in length.

G. HROSHUALUR or SEA-HORSE – It often doth the fishermen great hurt and skare.

H. WHALE – Specifically, the greatest kind of Whales, which seldome sheweth it selfe.  When it does appear, it seems more like a small island than a fish. It cannot follow or chase the smaller fishes, by reason of the huge greatnesse and waigth of his body.  Nonetheless, it is able to catch fish and sustain itself by a naturall wile and subtilty.

I. SKAUTUHVALUR – This fish is somewhat like a ray or skaite but an infinite deale bigger; it seems like an island when it appears and it overturns ships and boats with its massive fins.  It is altogether full of gristles or bones.

K. SEENAUT or SEA-COW – These gray creatures sometimes leave the water and feed on the land as a herd.  They are able to live in the water by virtue of a little bagge hanging at their nose.  Should this bag break, they live upon the land as other cattle.

L. STEIPEREIDUR – A most gentle and tame kind of whale; which for the defence of the fishermen fighteth against other Whales.  It is forbidden by Proclamation that no man may kill or hurt this sort of Whale.  It has a length of at least 150 feet.

M. STAUKUL or SPRINGUAL – It is so called of leaping or skipping.  It is a very dangerous enemy to seamen and fishers; and greedily seeketh after mans flesh.  It has been known to stand all day upright upon its tail for reasons not established.

N. ROSTUNGER or ROSMAR – This creature is somewhat like a sea-calfe.  It walks on the sea bottom with its four, short feet. His skinne may scarcely be pearced with any weapon.  It sleeps for twelve hours at a time in a curious fashion – hanging by his two long teeth from a rock or cliff.  These teeth are at least four feet long, but the length of his whole body is 56 feet.  Rostungur is Icelandic for walrus.

O. HUALAMBUR or SPERMACETI PARMACITTY – This is a semiliquid, waxy substance found in the heads of Sperm Whales.  It was much sought after by whalers.

P. TREES – These are tree trunks which have been pulled up from Norway by force of winde and violent tempest.  After being tossed to and fro and passing through many stormes, they are eventually cast upon the Icelandic shore.

Q. ICE – Great heaps of ice brought hither with the tide from the frozen sea, making a great and terrible noise; some pieces of which oft times are sixty feet.  In some places white beares do fitte closely, watching the silly fish which heere about do play...

Inspiration: Septentrionalium Terrarum

Septentrionalium Terrarum descriptio (A map of the North Pole); Gerardus Mercator, 1595

Submitted for your approval is the region of the North Pole as Mercator believed to be at the tail-end of the 16th century.  (The above map is available in a greater resolution at Wikimedia Commons.)  It is 'inaccurate' in many respects, but for purposes of gaming this is more of a virtue than a fault.  Opportunities for exploration and adventure abound.  Perhaps a party of player characters form an expedition for the Northwest Passage?

A mountain marks the position of the North Pole and a separate mountain placed at the magnetic pole.  Pygmies evidently inhabit the lower right-hand Arctic 'quadrant.'  The biblical Gog and Magog appear near Meractor's 'longitude' of 170 - 180°.  Special attention is paid to Frisland (350°) with an inset in the upper left-hand corner.

A more detailed depiction of the fanciful Frisland is shown below from a map in the possession of the National and University Library of Iceland.  It could be used as a remnant of Atlantis or a stronghold of anachronistic Vikings.

Frisland; Pietro de Nobili, 1590



Elf Sex in Real Life

or ‘Realistic Fantasy’ is a Contradiction

John Holland claims to offer “complete realism (or as close to realistic as a game can get)” in his memorable role-playing game, The Realms of Atlantasia. Last week, we discussed the sexual mores of Atlantasian elves, but are those mores realistic? Not according to the woman in this article (also, this video – probably NSFW). Clearly, Holland doesn't have a clue about the sexual attitudes of real elves.

Holland says that The Realms of Atlantasia is “the most realistic fantasy based role-playing game...on the market.” Holland thinks that “fantasy” RPGs should be “realistic.” Holland is hardly the only designer with this viewpoint, but he allows me a convenient way to broach the topic. Why, in the name of The Great Svenny, do some designers feel the need to adulterate fantasy with realism? Fantasy and reality are – by definition – contrary. Fantasy RPGs are vehicles for escapism; realism defeats the purpose.

The goal of playing a fantasy RPG should not be to simulate reality (I have enough reality, thank you). The goal is entertainment. Rules (and whatever realism they encompass) are guidelines toward achieving that goal; they are the means, not the end.

The fictional setting of a fantasy RPG acts as a ‘consensus reality’ for the game master and players. It is convenient to model such consensus realities upon objective reality; however, this should only be done to the extent it facilitates a common understanding among the participants. The source material for fantasy RPGs is not objective reality, it is fiction. Designers shouldn’t add realism to fantasy RPGs, they should add unrealism. They should intentionally deviate from objective reality in an effort to inspire the wonder that the source material generates.

Assigning a numerical value to represent the durability of a character’s cotton breeches (The Realms of Atlantasia The Game Master's Bible, p. 47) does not contribute to a sense of fantasy and it is not something that I find entertaining. We can assume that the durability of clothing is finite and if such needs to be addressed, common sense and/or game master fiat will adequately meet our needs. Don’t focus on the mundane, focus on the fantasy.

To paraphrase Jack Kirby, why mirror reality when you can surpass it?