History Literature / TheToughGuideToFantasyland

* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: The "old fashioned bad" variety of bad queen. She's an absolute tyrant who has complete control over her realm, with everyone terrified of her. Very cruel, her land is the worst on the Tour, and rapes then murders peasant youths [[{{Sadist}} for fun]]. Invariably she'll demand sex from the Tourists and have them tortured when refused. Their only solution [[ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption will be to kill her]], but with reluctance [[WouldntHitAGirl as a result of her gender]].

* SweetPollyOliver: One Tour Companion, the Slender Youth, is very often a girl in disguise as a boy (usually a Princess).
* SympatheticMagic: This is one of the commonly encountered kinds of magic. It works by taking some bit of the target and using it as a conduit for casting curses, or making it into a clay model and using it to move the target about. The piece must be gotten back to break the magic; if the caster is using something non-physical, such as a name, this may be a problem.

* HeroesWantRedheads: Princesses who fall for the hero are often redheads in Fantasyland.

* StandardFantasySetting: The book is written as a parodic guide book for tourists (that is, protagonists) through such settings, pointing out the various recurring locations, individuals, races, organizations, perils and story beats that they will encounter along the way, with humorous jokes commentary on more silly elements.

* AngryChef: Without exception, cooks have filthy tempers and rule their kitchens with iron fists. Kitchen aides can expect a rough time and a great many clouts around the ears from a ladle if they don't work fast enough for the chef's satisfaction. Some have hearts of gold under all the shouting, but others are just bad through and through.

* CityOfCanals: Cited by name as one possible location that tourists may visit. It will be a maze of filthy canals, bridges, and mouldering houses that only locals know how to navigate and is typically ruled by a council of corrupt merchant-princes, once of which is likely to be the leader of the local Thieves' Guild.

** The Forest of Doom has [[WhenTreesAttack moving, prehensile trees]] that can attack people, {{giant spiders}}, and reclusive tribes that will to sacrifice outsiders to their gods.

* HornyVikings: The Barbary Vikings who live in the north of the world. They love killing and fighting, are skilled sailors, and wear the usual horned helmets. They usually turn as Pirates of a foreign sort, going around looting and burning and killing and such, but may be talked into joining the side of Good. Either way, they are one of the malest peoples you will encounter.

* LizardFolk: Scaly Folk of the "lizard kinds" are found living in on land in warm climates. They can range from knee-high to ten feet tall or more. They are often very knowledgeable and wise, but may be unfriendly to the Tourists.

* PowerAtAPrice: One possible kind of magic requires a practical cost for the desired effect. This may involve selling one's soul to a demon, or it may just mean that you grow tired after casting spells.

* StandardFantasySetting: The book is written as a parodic guide book for tourists (that is, protagonists) through such settings, pointing out the various recurring locations, individuals, races, organizations, perils and story beats that they will encounter along the way.

* SympatheticMagic: This is one of the commonly encountered kinds of magic. It works by taking some bit of the target and using it as a conduit for casting curses, or making it into a clay model and using it move the target about. The piece must be gotten back to break the magic; if the caster is using something non-physical, such as a name, this may be a problem.

* VirginSacrifice: The preferred form of sacrifice among evil religions and practirioners of the black arts, which features ritual rape and disembowelment as part of the ceremony.

* WeaponOfXSlaying: Rune-enchanted swords are often meant for killing some specific foe, such as dragons, orcs, or goblins. They tend to be intensely underwhelming when use against anything else.

* TheWildHunt: The Hunt, a great procession of spectral horses, hounds and riders, with a masked and horned leaders at its head, occasionally crosses the skies of Fantasyland. It does so somewhat arbitrarily and does not always appear to play a clear role in the Tour beyond just being generally ominous, and Jones speculates that the Management doesn't have full control of it.

('''Note:''' As the whole point of the book is to list and {{deconstruct|edTrope}} as many fantasy tropes as the author could identify, it's a fair bet that any fantasy-related trope known to this wiki gets some kind of coverage. But the following tropes are definitely among those included -- and, pretty much to a one, [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] and [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]].)

* AutomatonHorses: The Tough Guide speculates that in Fantasyland horses may be a type of vegetable.

* ButNotTooWhite: A character's goodness can be judged by that character’s tan.
* ChubbyChef: The trope and its inverse are {{discussed|Trope}} as fantasy stereotypes:

* CityOfCanals: Cited by name as one possible location tourists may visit. Its canals will be filthy and it will likely be ruled by a council of corrupt merchant-princes.

* ColourCodedForYourConvenience: One can tell a person's character through clothing, eye and hair color.

* ElementalEmbodiment: Elementals in Fantasyland, besides the usual four classic elements, come in various types, including iron, fog, mist, ice and whirling eddies of sand of indeterminate type.
* EnchantedForest: The Forest Of Doom, which has [[WhenTreesAttack moving, prehensile trees]] that can attack people and {{giant spiders}}. Woods of the second kind as well, where the entire thing is a [[GeniusLoci sentient being]] very often hostile to outsiders and must be appeased by them.

* EvilSmellsBad: The "Reek of Wrongness". Horses seem to be particularly sensitive to this smell.

* ForcedTransformation:
--> TRANSFORMATION has been defined as "inflicted metamorphosis" and is quite as uncomfortable as it sounds. Someone has, without asking you, turned you into a carthorse or a table with bendy legs. It usually takes a WIZARD to remove you from this discomfort.

* GiantSpider: All spiders in Fantasyland are huge, and prey on small Humans, Dwarfs and Gnoemes. They're described like a ripoff of those in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' (unsurprisingly). It's stated they've evolved to their size because of insects, their former prey, having gone extinct.

* GodsNeedPrayerBadly: One of the two absolute Rules in regards to Religion in Fantasyland.

* HighPriest: Nearly always evil. Sometimes thin and evil, sometimes fat and evil, but evil. You may also meet a High Priestess. Regardless of whether she’s attractive and motherly or thin and severe, she’ll always be good.
* HornyVikings: The Barbary Vikings who live in the north of the world. They love killing and fighting, are skilled sailors, and wear the usual horned helmets. They are one of the malest peoples you will encounter.

* HumanSacrifice: Evil religions tend to practice this, specifically [[VirginSacrifice of virgins]] most often though other people too. The sacrifice being disemboweled, raped and or mutilated in some other way precedes this quite often.
* IKnowYourTrueName: Using PunctuationShaker names is possibly used as a form of protection against this.

* LittlePeople: There seems to be a wide assortment of them running about in various sizes and levels of hairiness. Some will likely be copies of Tolkien's {{Hobbits}}.

* MageTower: Nearly all towers are owned by Wizards. Powerful spells and guardian demons protect the towers from intruders.

* MerchantCity: The CityOfCanals generally is one, ruled by a council of corrupt merchants.
* MessOnAPlate: Expect to eat ''a lot'' of stew. And not always know what's in it.

* MysticalPlague: Natural plague is unknown (possibly due to a lack of bacteria or viruses). Magical plagues though are common tools of the Dark Lord and his minions. Due to this, it isn't caught by those not specifically targeted (like the protagonists).
* {{Necromancer}}: Necromancy involves summoning a spirit or raising a corpse to ask them questions (more in keeping with the original concept). This is usually something that can only be done once, plus dead people are very {{literal minded}}, so care is needed in asking questions.
* NominalImportance: Tourists will feel sorry if Fellow Travelers who have names are killed-otherwise they won't.

* OurDemonsAreDifferent: Their appearance is generally of a large size, with huge fangs, staring eyes, many limbs and an odd color. It's difficult to pin down however. They do appear to be physical, but of some gaseous substance that lets them squeeze through narrow spaces like keyholes yet not be harmed with ordinary weapons. Sometimes they are found running loose, although they must often be summoned to our world and then bound with Magic. Any sort of [[DealWithTheDevil bargain with them]] is highly advised against, because all demons [[JerkassGenie are]] [[LoopholeAbuse cheats]].
* OurDragonsAreDifferent: They apparently fled to Fantasyland from our world to avoid being hunted into extinction due to being thought to be evil monsters. In reality, they’re actually aligned with Good, even though they eat people.
* OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame: Naturally, the typical bearded, surly and metal-loving standard-issue dwarves show up in Fantasyland, living in hidden fastnesses in the mountains.
* OurElvesAreDifferent: They are, as per always, immortal (and always youthful), and wiser, more ethereal, more magical, better-looking and just generally better than humans. They have been in decline since humans turned up, and now most of them are passing West -- which here means they have been moving to the American Southwest, where they [[Creator/MercedesLackey wear punk clothing and ride motorcycles]].

* PlantPerson: Green Man, either a walking tree being or construct who's woven together. In either case they are malicious, either coming after the Tourists while moving or them being placed inside then burned or thrown into the sea. Tourists are advised to run away immediately on meeting them.

** Good. The salt of the earth like their liege, they are shown relaxing while off duty, laughing and talking about their families to show they're nice. Assuming they have to arrest the heroes, [[ApologeticAttacker they're apologetic]], though also not easily escaped as they are quite diligent about their duties.

** Automata. They're in full armor [[TwentyFourHourArmor every time they're seen]], with [[FacelessGoons visors down]], due to no longer really being human, [[{{Brainwashed}} controlled by the Dark Lord]]. They will not stop attacking, [[ImplacableMan no matter what]]. Often they work for a PuppetKing in the thrall of the Dark Lord, but others serve him directly and can form entire armies.

* RapeAsBackstory: The Female Mercenary character's fear of sex is explained due to her being sexually abused in childhood sometimes.

* RecursiveReality / SelfDemonstratingArticle:

* {{Scienceville}}: The City of Wizards, a coalition of good wizards gathering to live, study and debate together. It's usually a decent place to visit - give or take a bit of magical weirdness involving perspective and distances. The inhabitants can be characterized as aloof AllPowerfulBystander-types, quarrelsome human wizards, or collegiate wizards who never agree on anything.

* SexyDiscretionShot: Under VIRGINS, bolding is ours:
--> 6. As TALENTED GIRLS. These are very likely, towards the end of the second third of the Tour, to come across a male Tourist in his BATH and turn implausibly to jelly (''a surge of some deep, hitherto unknown emotion swept through her'' (OMT)). Thereafter they have a sprightly step, a jaunty gleam in the eyes, a yet more tiptilted nose, and '''a private life over which the Management generally draws a discreet veil.'''
* ShoutOut:

* SwampsAreEvil: Jones distinguishes two kinds. Bogs are essentially patches of deep mud put in your way to slow you down when being chased by Evil in order to provide dramatic tension. Marshes show up later and involve more of the traditional swampland dangers -- swarms of insects, filthy water, mazelike channels and so on.

* {{Turncoat}}: Which is only people who turn ''against'' you. People who come over to your side are only doing what is right. "Coats do not exist in Fantasyland -- cloaks are universally preferred -- but turncoats do."

* VirginSacrifice: The preferred form of sacrifice among evil religions, which features ritual rape and disembowelment as part of the ceremony.

* WackyWaysideTribe: Your Tour is certain to include a great deal of people, tribes and incidents that will have little or nothing to do with the theoretical main plot of overthrowing the Dark Lord. Jones goes into great detail on each kind of Tribe you’re likely to come across.

* {{Bishonen}}: The "gay mage" tour companion is described as a long-haired "pretty boy" in beautiful clothing who's indicated to be quite androgynous or effeminate in appearance, and probably CampGay (at least [[AmbiguouslyGay by implication]]).

* OurDemonsAreDifferent: Their appearance is generally of a large size, with huge fangs, staring eyes, many limbs and an odd color. It's difficult to pin down however. They do appear to be physical, but of some gaseous substance that lets them squeeze through narrow spaces like keyholes yet not be harmed with ordinary weapons. Sometimes they are found running loose, though often must be summoned to our world then bound with Magic. Any sort of [[DealWithTheDevil bargain with them]] is highly advised against, because all demons [[JerkassGenie are]] [[LoopholeAbuse cheats]].

* ExposedToTheElements: The Anglo-Saxon Cossacks, despite living on the constantly windy steppes, only dress in sleeveless vests and scanty trousers, probably as a sign of how tough they are.

* FantasyCounterpartMap: The parody FantasyWorldMap at the start of the book is just Europe turned 180 degrees counterclockwise. All of its geographic features are also named using anagrams of real ones, such as the "Bay of Caysib".

* WizardingSchool: It's called the "Invisible College", described as being like an UsefulNotes/{{Oxbridge}} university. Within, if anything with magic [[MurphysLaw can go wrong, it will]]. Students should be prepared for every type of magical accident possible. Note this was written before ''Franchise/HarryPotter'', which [[TropeCodifier codified]] the "wizarding school as UK boarding school" trope.

* HiddenElfVillage: The Hidden Kingdom, a very beautiful, idyllic, isolated Country. Its people are Elves, Mystical Masters, or both. Tourists will be given a talk by its ruler on magic or their life goals. Food may, surprisingly, not be Stew (but invariably vegetarian). Despite it being utopian, Tourists will quickly grow bored and want them to go. Its people will be happy with that, finding them restive. They will deliver a Prophecy and then send the Tourists off with supplies.