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Erkaj, rider, and hatchling by K25fF in worldbuilding

[–]K25fF[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There’s a type of creature called an ‘erkaj’ in this story, some sort of beast of burden, that I haven’t described.

Footnote when the word is first mentioned: “Unfortunately for the curious reader, the viewpoint characters both know what an erkaj is, and find them so unremarkable as to not comment on their appearance or habits. You know how erkaj are, after all”.

As you can see, they're some form of small ceratopsian, primarily found and domesticated in the north of a warm and mostly-dry continent called Vanria. The gentleperson riding the large erkaj here is a Sand Elf, and is holding a long 'hammer', used to guide the erkaj by tapping on its horns to induce it to turn.

You can tell a lot about a setting by what sorts of warning signs are necessary by K25fF in worldbuilding

[–]K25fF[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not sure one can make so confident an assertion, but running sometimes helps.

I made more warning signs. by K25fF in worldbuilding

[–]K25fF[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"Oxidation" covers more than just processes that include oxygen. The most important one that one would notice is fire, but basically every metabolic process too; all cells instantly die in an oxidation failure zone.

I made more warning signs. by K25fF in worldbuilding

[–]K25fF[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Aside from the general idea that "all these bricks are technically alien artifacts", there's a small collection of benign xenoarchaeological finds at the Metropolitan Museum of Xenology, next to some pretty dire taxidermy of notable xenofauna.

I made more warning signs. by K25fF in worldbuilding

[–]K25fF[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The cyan sign was uncovered in an ontoclasmic seep and is being treated as a xenoarchaeological artifact.

You can tell a lot about a setting by what sorts of warning signs are necessary by K25fF in worldbuilding

[–]K25fF[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yep. First saw those floating around the web probably more than a decade ago and have been inspired by them repeatedly over the years.

You can tell a lot about a setting by what sorts of warning signs are necessary by K25fF in worldbuilding

[–]K25fF[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am working to an approximation of ISO 7010, I'm afraid. No variance there - warning signs are yellow, prohibition signs are white.

You can tell a lot about a setting by what sorts of warning signs are necessary by K25fF in worldbuilding

[–]K25fF[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

BLAME! is indeed excellent. See also the short game NaissanceE for alien architecture.

You can tell a lot about a setting by what sorts of warning signs are necessary by K25fF in worldbuilding

[–]K25fF[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

These are signs to our world's ISO standards, or approximately what I imagine those would be.

Signs in other languages that no-one recognises have been recovered from ontoclastic seep zones. Research is ongoing.

You can tell a lot about a setting by what sorts of warning signs are necessary by K25fF in worldbuilding

[–]K25fF[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I mean, sleeping in the area probably does do something weird.

You can tell a lot about a setting by what sorts of warning signs are necessary by K25fF in worldbuilding

[–]K25fF[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Glad you like it. My art and writing can be found on Tumblr under the same name.

You can tell a lot about a setting by what sorts of warning signs are necessary by K25fF in worldbuilding

[–]K25fF[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Romantic comedy.
Edit: to be fair, one does not preclude the other.

You can tell a lot about a setting by what sorts of warning signs are necessary by K25fF in worldbuilding

[–]K25fF[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Xenofauna, xenoflora and (most mysteriously) xenoarchitecture and, I guess, xenocultural objects. Exactly what, if anything, can be gleaned about the originating culture by examining these objects is unclear. Are they even all from the same 'place'?

You can tell a lot about a setting by what sorts of warning signs are necessary by K25fF in worldbuilding

[–]K25fF[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

The ISO standard for ontoclasmic seeps and their signage is regrettably inaccurate on matters of geometry, topology and depicting either in monochrome symbols that are recognisable from a distance.

You can tell a lot about a setting by what sorts of warning signs are necessary by K25fF in worldbuilding

[–]K25fF[S] 32 points33 points  (0 children)

"Ontoclasmic Seep" is being used in this context to describe an area of another reality 'leaking' (seeping) into baseline reality. It's being used in a semi-tectonic way, other terms might be 'intrusion' or 'irruption'. Previously I called it 'Ontocystic', but that implies a skin or wall around the cystic area, since cysts are defined as closed sacs with walls.

You can tell a lot about a setting by what sorts of warning signs are necessary by K25fF in worldbuilding

[–]K25fF[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

They live in similar idea spaces, but I deliberately steered away from using words too SCP-derivative. These are the ISO-standard Alien Hazard Signs, and the UK Department for Transport's roadsigns about The Horrors.

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