Thick and full eyelashes fanned over the delicate and smooth curve of her cheeks, lips as red as a rose. Her beauty—it was transcendent. Beyond the true symmetry usually described by such a word. It was beaming out from within. Showering the room with the warmth of a thousand suns as she hummed, eyes closed, reading music only she could see.
That song…
Tears came. Hot and wet. Sybille’s entire body filled with an emotion too severely hopeful, too utterly private to name.
And the humming drifted off, lyrics only half-way sung…
“We’ve met somewhere before, haven’t we?”
Her eyes opened. And it happened like one of those old black and whites. Full eyelashes swept back, revealing the kind of big doe eyes that could set the sun the fire. But hers…
November topaz.
They were gold. The color of wet and glittering island sands. And so warm, there was little doubt in Sybille’s mind that was she was harboring a dragon beneath those beams. And then, she smiled. Mouth curving into a gorgeous crescent. Like Sybille’s, her top front two were square and pretty. “Brynhild. My name is Brynhild, Sybille.” She offered her hand, “Come, let us dream…”
THE END
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New Gotham’s Grimoire: A Glossary for Readers
Draconel: (New Gotham) Could refer to “The Teachings of Draconel,” a piece of gargoyle culture and the piece of literature from which they pillar their society. (Their version of the bible.) Or it could refer to the native language spoken by gargoyles, draconel. For the purpose of this grimoire, the language of Draconel is a marriage between Latin (French) and Japanese.
Dragon: (Universal) Is a universal legendary mythical creature with serpentine or reptilian traits. They are often imbued with prophetic ability and powerful magical abilities that are more often than not linked to the natural elements. In New Gotham, “dragon” is a species with many different breeds, i.e. lungs, lindwurms, heraldic, etc. and physical and magical characteristics such as wings and supernatural abilities vary from breed to breed.
Dragonling: (New Gotham) In New Gotham, a term for young dragons. It is also considered a pet name for small, adventurous children of all breeds.
Dream Crystal: (New Gotham) Is a special type of magical crystal found only in the Fade. Typically, the gem is used for weaponry, given it can be folded and refolded into a diamond sharp edge. Colors vary according to the crystal, and each one has a separate and unique magical property. Often it will adapt over time to best suit its user.
Dreamspinner: (New Gotham) In New Gotham, a term for those with the ability to navigate and create their own realities within the Fade. It is a psychic ability, rather than magic.
Dorn: (Old Norse) Is the Old Norse term for “thorn.”
Fade, the: (New Gotham) In New Gotham, “Fade” is the term for the metaphysical dream world. It is a plane of reality with vastly different rules and laws than the mundane reality, and exists as pockets of “worlds” and realities. To look at the Fade on the map, would be very similar to star gazing and connecting the dots. That is how it works in terms of navigation. Every living thing is said to exist in the Fade at one time in their life as all beings dream. (With the exception of true gargoyles—who do not dream.)
Freybug: (English/European) Is a monstrous “Black Dog” in English Folklore. It was considered a dire-animal, and had many ghostly characteristics. It was said to wander the moors in search of travelers to attack and devour. On that note, all that remains true in New Gotham.
Gargoyle: (European) In architecture, a gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque with a water spout. That’s it. Any and all other depictions of gargoyles are made up by their creators. In New Gotham, a gargoyle is a mythological creature said to have been formed from stone by dragons and brought to life with their tears. Most have wings, impenetrable skin, and are quite large creatures. Please note, true gargoyles do not have dreamspinner capabilities. Also, there are many breeds of gargoyles, but they do not have a faction in New Gotham. There aren’t enough of them, and given they don’t give a shit, it works out.
Gargouille: (New Gotham) In New Gotham, a gargouille is considered a breed of gargoyle. They are what happens when a “human” mates with a gargoyle. They retain a normal, human appearance until their thirteenth birthday. Afterwards, comes the “casting period” in which their bodies are ravaged a with stone rash until they’re eventually consumed into a full-fledged gargoyle. Until then, they have two forms, half-shifted and full-shifted. Not every gargouille is a dreamspinner.
Hag: (European) Is usually depicted as a crone, and are often seen as malevolent fey. (Think the witch from Hansel and Gretel, or Baba Yaga) They are shape-shifting sprites. In English and North American folklore, she’s a nightmare spirit. In many myths, she is actually a sexually vampiric deity that is responsible for nightmares. She shares many characteristics with an “incubus.” (See incubus entry for more details.) She also shares many characteristics with “banshees.” In New Gotham, all the above applies, with the exception of “deity.” A hag is a regular monster classified within the New Gotham’s “Court” faction. Do note, there are some hags that have special eyes. These “evil eyes” allow them to see several dimensions and planes at the same time. It makes them almost impossible to outsmart.
Imp: (Germanic) Is a lesser demon and are often depicted as diminutive in size and rather unattractive. As tricksters, they are often mischievous rather than evil and can function as familiars. As familiars, they act as guides and (mostly) helpful companions. In New Gotham, they are actually a collective species with several types and MUST have a witch’s patronage (i.e. be a witch’s familiar) in order to maintain a corporal presence in the mundane world.
For instance, Sybille’s owl, Socrates, is a Demonic sprite, i.e. demon. She killed an owl and magically bound the imp into the carcass so it could live in the real world. The darkling still retains its magic and ability to navigate in-between reality planes because it is a demon. In other stories, there may be a true imp, i.e. an unseelie imp OR an imp with vampiric ties like a batmite. Oh, and remember the Cheshire cat? That flea-bag was DEFINITELY an imp.
Incubus/Succubus: (Judaism) Is a vampiric sex demon. Its prey includes anyone who is sleeping. They rape individuals in their sleep via sexual intercourse, from which they derive their sustenance in the form of psychic/sensual energy. A succubus is the female counterpart. Sex with an incubus usually results in death, wet dreams, sickness, or pregnancy. (All the “fun” in life, ladies and gentlemen.)
In New Gotham, a true incubus is an androgynous being with the ability to shift between genders, i.e. succubus and incubus. Incubi cannot procreate amongst themselves as they have no reproductive material. An incubus may be driven to procreate and produce offspring with a female partner via the process described in the cambion entry. However, theoretically they could not themselves carry a baby to term.
Koma: (Japanese) A game piece to the Japanese two-player strategy board game, Shogi.
Lung: (Chinese/Japanese) Are commonly known as “Oriental Dragons.” However, in folklore, they originate in Chinese mythology and folklore, but were later adapted in Japanese folklore as well. Unlike Western dragons, Lungs do not only have reptilian characteristics, such as scales and short, bracketed legs. They also have animal characteristics as well, such as stag horns, turtle shells, etc. Normally, they are not depicted with wings. They’re serpentine creatures and the number of talons (or toes), whether they have a pearl in their jaws, etc. depends on folklore origin. They are symbols of power, and usually have awesome godlike power ov
er the elements and natural disasters, such as typhoons. In New Gotham, all the above applies. However, they are not solely celestial creatures (though some have astral forms), but a breed of dragon. And like all dragons, they are notoriously hard to find, and hardly welcoming upon being found.
Pixie: (Celtic) Are the Anglicization of a race of diminutive trooping fairies called piskies. They are believed to be the reincarnated souls of un-baptized children or those good souls who died before Christ’s coming. In New Gotham, pixie is a species with many different breeds, i.e. true pisky, ellylon, etc. and physical characteristics such as wings vary from breed to breed.
Ryojin/Ryujin (Japanese): AKA Owatatsumi, is a dragon god and guardian over the sea in Japanese mythology.
River Styx (Greek): Is the murky marsh running with rivers of souls. It forms the boundary between Earth and the Greek Underworld. The rivers Styx, Phlegethon, Acheron and Coytus all converge in the center of the underworld. In ancient times, a coin was placed the mouth of the deceased to help pay the toll for the newly dead. In modern times, the practice still persists in certain places of the world. There is also a variation of placing two coins over the eyes (one on each eye) before burial.
Spindle Witch: (New Gotham) Is a classification of witch, with natural inborn dreamspinner abilities. This ability allows her to navigate the plane and craft her own pockets of reality within the dimension. Depending on the level of mastery, instant immersion into the dream world is possible and easily achieved. Often, spindle witches are also very skilled in alchemy and illusion schools of magic, and double as poison herbalists. Spindle Witches are often categorized with beneath the “Coven” faction.
Sprite: (Europe) Is a broad term referring to a large umbrella of legendary creatures that are not from this earth, usually those with fey attributes or similar elf-like traits. Term could also be used to signify a spiritual being like a ghost.
Storymaven: (New Gotham) Is a classification of witch and is categorized in New Gotham under the “Coven” faction. However, storymaven are special sprites that are neither dead, nor living and are imbued with awesome magical ability and the fey ability to navigate between reality planes. They also retain whatever capabilities they may have had in life. They are tasked by the Pagemaster, who is a nebulous being in charge of the production and preservation of all great tales ever told. The storymavens are instructed with recording tales to add to the library. In other words, a storymaven is not only a fairy godmother, she’s got a freaking deadline. Busy, busy, busy.
Tengu: (Japanese) They are supernatural beings and generally assumed to take the forms of birds of prey. They’re depicted with both human traits (like arms, torsos, etc.) and avian characteristics (like wings and a bird head). They were considered demons and harbingers of war.
Turm (Old Norse): Is the Old Norse term for “tower.”
Mount Hindarfjall: (Norse) In Norse mythology, MountHindarfjall is the name of the mountain on which Brynhildr, condemned by Odin into mortality, resides imprisoned and entombed.
Nettlebane: (New Gotham) Is a special type of magical wood only found in the Veil. Typically the wood is used for weaponry, given the diamond-hard granulated ebony wood. Often necessitates a special skill set to work with this construction material given its inflexibility and the risk of special sanding required.
Will o’ wisps: (European) Is the commonly most widely known name for Ignis Fatuus. They are commonly thought to be trickster boggarts (known as Hobbledy’s Lanterns) or sometimes have a ghostly origin. For instance, a soul who simply could not rest, so it wanders. It usually appears as an atmospheric, ghostly ball of light or a flickering lamp, and is said to recede if approached. Often, it appears at night to travelers, especially over bogs, marshes, and woodlands. In New Gotham, will o’ wisps can be: boggarts, wandering souls and the colors and personalities vary. They are often categorized in New Gotham under the “Court” faction.
Other Useful New Gotham Terms and Definitions:
Other Useful New Gotham Terms and Definitions:
Dire-creature: Are large, feral animals. They are faster, bigger, and more aggressive than their average counterparts. Dire-creature doesn’t automatically mean were-creature. There are mundane creatures that are considered “dire.”
True “Monster”: A true monster is the traditional and purest depiction of a monster. For instance, a “true” vampire is a breed of vampire. However, in order to be considered a true vampire, the creature’s bloodline must be pure and it must have characteristics similar to the original historical/mythological depiction.
Therefore, a true vampire is almost like the purest breed of vampire, i.e. the purebloods. They are the vampires that everyone knows and recognizes as traditional “vampires.”
If Dracula is billed as the origin of all vampires and sired a daughter with another vampire, she is not the sole species ancestor, etc., but she's close enough to the real thing to be considered a true vampire. All modern vampires and many, many vampiric breeds will have descended from her bloodline at some point in evolutionary time.
The Court: In New Gotham, the term fey is very broad. It is a species umbrella term, almost like a classification in the Animal Kingdom. There are many different breeds of fey and they generally do not meddle in the mundane realm, preferring to live in The Veil (also known as the Otherworld). The Veil is a melting pot of exotic and intricate ancient cultures. Many of their practices spill over into the mundane realm, but for the most part they prefer to keep things simple for the ignorant and uncouth. A fey of high-standing limits their terms of address to “court” or their given first names, granted the simpletons can pronounce it.
The Clan: In New Gotham, the term vampire is a very broad term. There are many different breeds of vampires and they can be respectfully addressed by their faction title. For instance, it is appropriate to refer to a vampire as “clan” in casual conversation. However, vampires are considered nobility in New Gotham and the correct formal term of address is “sir vampire” or “lady vampire.” They are never to be addressed familiarly without explicit invitation. Likewise, they don’t take too kindly to the derogatory term “suckhead.”
The Coven: In New Gotham, the terms witch, wizard, warlock, alchemist, etc. are very broad terms. There are many different breeds and types of magic wielders but they can be respectfully addressed by their faction title. For instance, it is appropriate to refer to a magic wielder as “coven” in casual conversation. Covens often prefer to be addressed by their chosen monikers like “Gillian the Candy Witch” or “Arn the Undertaker.”
Registered covens and guilds are headed by a master magic user known as The First Witch, The First Enchanter, The First Alchemist, etc. Their given name cannot be used in a formal setting without explicit invitation. The First Enchanter or The First is appropriate. (But really? They’re a lot more laid back than everyone else. It’s more like, “Just call me something close and quit being a buzz kill. We’re making magic here!”)
The Pack: In New Gotham, the terms shifter and were-creatures are very broad terms. Like everything else in New Gotham, there are many breeds. However, the difference between a were-creature and a shifter is very distinct.
Shifters have complete cognizant control over their transformations from human to animal/animal to human at ALL times. Were-creatures may have control over their “changes” most of the time, but there is inevitably an underlying compulsion that must be satisfied according to whichever curse they happen to bear. For some, it’s the phases of the moon. For others, it’s as random as an unscheduled nervous breakdown twice a year.
All weres and shifters can be respectfully addressed by their faction title. For instance, it is appropriate to refer to a werewolf as “pack” in casual conversation. In fact, they don’t necessarily find it insulting when vampires refer to them as “the animals.” However, they do not appreciate the term “knuckle-dragger.”
Did the ravens miss anything? Feel free to send a carrier pigeon via the c
ontact form on Sophie Avett’s website with any questions or ideas for entries. For a list of Sophie’s research resources, please check out her Goodreads. Thanks!
Author’s Note
If you’ve made it this far, you’ve been eaten by the Sophie. Mwah-ha-ha! On some real stuff, thank you so much for reading this craptastic short story. I do hope you enjoyed your foray into Sybille’s nightmares. Welcome to New Gotham. If you’ve been here before, welcome back. If you haven’t, you should check out the brochure here. (It might save your life!) Otherwise, the Sophie will be trapped in this dungeon with a typewriter with spinning needles for keys.
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