Explanation of Lore

= Introduction =

I have always loved the fantasy works of authors like Tolkien or George R. R. Martin. What interests me the most about the work of these authors is not the stories themselves, but the variety of perspectives and insights that exist into the worlds that they created. GRRM has this most directly present in his series  A Song of Ice and Fire, where the writing itself switches between different characters' perspectives. Tolkien on the other hand offers different perspectives by writing notes about how he actually came up with ideas or stories. While his novels themselves are all written as translations of Elvish histories, his notes and letters offer a rather rare view: the view of the author.

It is in this section of my wiki that I hope to illuminate the actual process of creation from an author's perspective. I will also eventually (read: hopefully) expand it to include my language Thumd'Rangur, which I use as the language of the peoples of my land (well, some of it, more on this eventually).

= Minecraft Server =

First I will explain the overall perspective of my MineCraft server, which is the easiest way for me to visualize my ideas.

The MineCraft server is to me what Tolkien's novels were to him: an outlet for a single perspective. For him this was the perspective of the Elves, for me it is the perspective of the peoples of the Northern Empire (Rangur). Like Tolkien, this was my first foray into what would become a massive world with rich histories and lore. What began for him as a single novel ( The Lord of the Rings - and to a lesser extent, The Hobbit before it ), and for me as my Minecraft Server, expanded into a much more complex and deep set of ideas and possibilities.

The world I have begun to build in Minecraft is merely an approximation of what the actual (well, fictional) world would look like. It is limited by both the technical limitations of Minecraft as well as my own conceptual limitations. Physically, the world is highly condensed, especially distances. Think of how in Bethesda's game  Skyrim, they departed from the full-sizedness of previous  Elder Scrolls  titles for a smaller but more detailed world. This is how I have decided to lay out my Minecraft World.

Conceptually, I have placed the following limitations on the Minecraft server:

Firstly, all structures, places, natural formations, etc... are built or laid out as if seen from the perspective of the Northern Empire. The most obvious effect this has on the world is its geography; in the northern regions the geography is more realistic whereas in the southern regions it is more fantastical. The southern civilization has become romanticized by Northerners, and as a result many geographical features are exaggerated. Buildings are also more fantastical and often impossible. The South is not the only region affected by this, however; structures or geographical features that are historically important to the Northern Empire are also more fantastical. Therefore, houses will be smaller and nondescript, whereas buildings such as palaces or temples will be detailed and will stand out more among the relatively unimportant houses. Mountains that form a physical barrier between important locations will be taller, steeper, and less realistic than those that pose no obstacle to politics or trade. Places that are meant to be exceptionally beautiful will be much more dramatic than their "real-world" counterparts. Think of how the American West was romanticized by early settlers. That is how the South and other "remote" locations are treated in the Minecraft world. For a more extreme example and explanation of this, read Mark Twain's  A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.

Secondly, I will allow other people to help build things on the server. Though this may not seem like a limitation at first, it has become clear that the more people involved, the more the server deviates from my original vision. Therefore, I usually only have people build unimportant things like houses or gardens while I'll deal with more prominent buildings as well as landscape features and roads. Because I have very little actual written material, it is impossible for other people to do any building without my express direction.

= Histories and Stories Based On the Minecraft Server =

This section is reserved for listing and explaining written works that fall within the world of the Minecraft Server (e.g. from the perspective of the Northern Empire).

= Histories and Stories From Other Perspectives =

This section is reserved for listing and explaining written works that are not directly from the perspective of the Minecraft Server; these works will not necessarily reflect what is actually seen on the server.

= Other Notes =

This section is reserved for other works such as explanations of languages, completely factual / unbiased historical notes, and anything written directly from my perspective.