what a fantasy world to live in
Time to start dreaming. Or something like that.
The first thing I’m going to do is give this world a name. I’ve been using the power of google to look up interesting translations of words (thanks Google Translate and Behind the Name for your service), and I think I’ll settle on the name ‘Ire’ for my new world.
‘Iré’ translates to ‘I will go’ in Spanish, which has a nice symbolism for the prospect of a new epic journey, but I’m going to pronounce the word differently:
“Įrę” (eee-ray)
I like where this is going. I think it sounds ever so slightly elvish, and it harkens back to a word my mom used to say to me whenever I got sick:
“Ah’Rē”
A phrase I doubt was ever a real word, but a phrase I’ve always loved. She’d check my temperature if I wasn’t feeling well and gently whisper “Ah’Rē” under her breath. The words immediately comforted me and compelled me to just be still and wait for her care. Then she’d gently tuck me into bed and leave me resting under the blankets, while she went to the kitchen to make me some chicken soup.
So many comforting memories from that word.
I think this new world is going to need some of that comfort:
Įrę - the wounded planet. A world torn apart. Very little is known about this world. No one living knows the true history of what happened. The true history of the giant canyon of ripped earth that scars half of the planet. Enormous, dagger like mountains of rock that jut out from its very core and stretch out far into the world’s atmosphere. A canyon too hot and too deadly for anyone living to approach, or to explore. It is a terrible scar on the world. A toxic scar… The Great Scar.
The main story is told from the perspective of warriors living in different parts of this world. These central figures are striving to reach their full potential as warriors, and trying to find meaning… make a difference with their lives. In the midst of their struggle, terrible things begin to happen on Įrę. Strange, deadly forces begin to emerge from the Great Scar and other places, destroying entire communities and threatening the great cities of the inhabited lands.
The warriors must come to terms with what is threatening their world. They must work together to learn the truth of this threat, and find a way to fight back and survive. They must fight to save their families, their friends, and as many lives as they can before their wounded world becomes completely undone.
But wait… while Įrę is certainly an exciting start to my world, and grounds the name of the world in a beautifully significant meaning… what if I transformed the first syllable of the name to something that feels more connected to my world’s innermost core?
Perhaps… something like… “Ore”?
Ore (Merriam Webster Dictionary - Definition #2): a source from which valuable matter is extracted.
Yes… I think this name will really fit with the world I’ll be building. The stories I plan to extract from this world that I’m creating will certainly be very valuable to me.
Just one more thing. Let’s try a slight tweak to how the name is spelt (and to how the name is pronounced) to give it a more otherworldly look and feel:
“Ørē” (ohh-ray)
That’s it! I love it!! And the best part about this name is that it might still sound cool when it’s (inevitably) mispronounced 🤣
Yay! First task done! My new world has a name, a defining characteristic, some helpless characters who won’t just sit there and take it, and some reasonable stakes! I’m very excited.
Hmmm. But now what?
💀
Side Note: Google translate tells me ‘Įrę’ means ‘sick’ in Lithuanian. My mom’s Nigerian, but I’m feeling happier than ever about that having initial brainstormibg session. Hmmm… HowtoSay.org tells me ‘Įrę’ means ‘rooted’… I see this ‘naming of worlds’ thing is going to be quite the adventure…
