Line #68 Literature/HicSuntDracones


1	''[[http://www.hsd13.wordpress.com Hic Sunt Dracones]]'' is a web novel created by Terry Zilla, one of the many tropers here in TV tropes, and is a work in progress. ''Hic Sunt Dracones'' (Latin for "Here There Be Dragons") is a work of fantasy that takes place in the {{steampunk}} fantasy world of Zanoth, a strange little planet with the usual [[LoadsAndLoadsOfRaces races]] found in many other works of [[StandardFantasySetting fantasy]] but with a [[DarkerAndEdgier darker]] twist on [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragons]]. Instead of the usual [[Literature/TheHobbit Smaug]] or [[Franchise/DragonBall Shenlong]] fare, the dragons of ''Hic Sunt Dracones'' more easily fit into the Eldritch Abomination description, being alien monsters from another dimension who seek to devour all life on Zanoth.
2
3	The story revolves around a young halfling named [[UnluckyEverydude Joshua]] [[TheHero Dominica]]. As a young boy, he had lost his village, family and friends to a powerful three-headed dragon in [[TheEmpire the Kingdom of Humanity]]. Vowing revenge, Joshua joins the [[WhoYouGonnaCall Imperial]] [[CreatureHunterOrganization Hunt]], a military organization dedicated to hunting TheUndead, [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demons]] and, of course, [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragons]]. There he meets an [[OurElvesAreDifferent elven]] princess named Erulia Taemwyn and a [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampire]] [[CountryMouse village girl]] named [[TheGunslinger Neshka]] [[NatureHero Gerolov]]. Meanwhile, something sinister brews among the nations of the Farlands and the dragons, who many think are far away on the other side of the world, may be closer than they ever imagined.
4
5	For the trope on the appearance of dragons on maps, go [[HereThereBeDragons here]].
6	----
7	!!''Hic Sunt Dracones'' contains examples of:
8
9	* ActionGirl: Erulia and Neshka. Really, any female of any race who joins the Imperial Hunt or the Citizens' Watch.
10	* AlienSea:
11	** The oceans around the Farlands are actually made from freshwater, which is why dragons find it difficult to invade.
12	** The [[IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace Maw of Damnation]] is a small ocean in the middle of the Farlands Supercontinent that's almost black in color and notably bitter. It has very unstable weather, with storms appearing and disappearing with no rhyme and reason and is inhabited by particularly nasty [[OurDragonsAreDifferent sea dragons]] and {{sea monster}}s.
13	* AerithAndBob: Humans stick to normal naming standards but most non-humans get more exotic monikers. Take Kule Dood for example. Halflings, on the other hand, are forced to use human names as a form of [[FantasticRacism cultural imperialism]].
14	* AllThereInTheManual: Most of the background information can be found in the website and this very wiki.
15	* AlwaysChaoticEvil: Dragons and those who serve them.
16	* AnimalisticAbomination: The dragons are, of course. [[MixAndMatchCritters Some of the time]], at least. They're also a good example of EldritchAbomination.
17	* AristocratsAreEvil: The royal family and nobles of The Human Kingdom (with a few notable exceptions) are some of the worst examples of humanity, treating their people as [[WeHaveReserves expendable tools]] and any [[FantasticRacism non-humans as barely tolerated savages]].
18	* BodyHorror: Mortals [[TheCorruption mutated]] by dragons and their favored servants. Some dragons also qualify.
19	* CallASmeerpARabbit:
20	** [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Some dragons]] fit this category as there are those that [[SqUick look]] [[NauseaFuel nothing]] [[BodyHorror like]] dragons of folklore.
21	** [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Vampires]] are benevolent creatures that [[DaywalkingVampire have no problem with the sun]] and are {{vegetarian\|Vampire}} by default. The only thing that they have in common with standard vampires is their allergy to garlic and VoluntaryShapeshifting abilities.
22	* CharacterAlignment[[invoked]]: Ties in with the setting's CrystalDragonJesus religious system. With the [[GoD Builder]] being associated with LawfulGood, the [[NatureSpirit Quiet Wind]] with NeutralGood and the [[MessianicArchetype Vagabond]] with ChaoticGood.
23	* ChessMotif: Dragons are divided into several types with each one having a different specialty.
24	** [[MookS Pawns]], when controlled by smarter dragons (otherwise they're just dumb animals), prefer attacking in [[ZergRush large]] [[WeHaveReserves numbers]].
25	** [[TheBrute Rooks]] are slow but can easily overwhelm most enemies because of their [[MightyGlacier heavy]] [[ArmoredDragons armor]].
26	** [[FragileSpeedster Horsemen]] are fast and are good at hit and run attacks.
27	** [[EvilSorcerer Bishops]] can [[NecroMancer reanimate the dead]], [[BodyHorror forcibly mutate living things]] and [[MindControl brainwash]] [[PsychicPowers mortals]].
28	** [[EvilChancellor Viziers]] are the most dangerous of dragons, being [[BlackMagic skilled with magic]], [[MadeOfIron extremely tough]] and [[LightningBruiser blindingly fast]].
29	** [[PhysicalGods Monarchs]] are the largest and most powerful of dragons. Thankfully, if you kill one, lesser dragons in the vicinity are likely to die from the psychic backlash.
30	* CommandingCoolness: Emperor [[MeaningfulName Kule Dood]] of the Orkish Empire. Premier Ima of the Sylvan Commonwealth to a [[BadassPacifist certain degree]].
31	* TheCorruption: "Wyrmblight" is this along with UnholyNuke. It is for the most part invisible but can be felt as a malign presence. To [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires]], it can be perceived as a foul odor they find difficult to describe. To [[OurElvesAreDifferent elves]], it will sound like the low groaning of [[HellIsThatNoise someone being tortured]]. [[HobbitS Halflings]] will see it as a bizarre psychedelic moss. When active, such as when animating zombies or mutating mortals, it will appear as a [[SicklyGreenGlow feverish light of shifting colors]]. Wyrmblight is emitted by dragons and is theoretically converted from the [[MaNa mana]] that dragons get from the [[MegaManning victims]] [[CannibalismSuperpower they devour]]. The [[OurZombiesAreDifferent minions]] they create as well as the [[BlackMagic magic]] they use are dependent on it as a fuel source. Also note that dragons tend to be significantly weaker when not in Wyrmblight.
32	* CreatureHunterOrganization: The Hunt, the Watch and the Knighthood are meant to be this to dragons. Unfortunately, the Knighthood has become an ArmyOfThievesAndWhores with at least one SociopathicSoldier in each squad.
33	* CrystalDragonJesus: The Threefold God is reminiscent of the Holy Trinity with The Builder (God), the Quiet Wind (The Holy Spirit) and the Vagabond (Jesus).
34	* CutesyDwarf: [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame Dwarves]] resemble early teen elves or humans while [[HobbitS halflings]] look like kids who are [[LittleBitBeastly furry]].
35	* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: [[WoobieSpecies The halflings]] are forced to live in secluded areas by [[TheEmpire The]] [[ThoseWackyNazis Kingdom]] and are often surrounded by barbed wire and guards, [[IndustrializedEvil their people forced to work beyond the limits of their endurance]], [[PoliceBrutality beaten regularly by guards]], [[HuntingTheMostDangerousGame hunted and killed like animals when they try to escape]], [[PoweredByAForsakenChild are more or less treated like livestock]] and are generally [[FantasticRacism hated]] by the [[TheEmpire Kingdom's]] [[AristocratsAreEvil nobles]].
36	%%* DungeonPunk: It's like ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' after the UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar.%%Meaning what?
37	* EldritchAbomination: The dragons of this setting are closer to this than the fire-breathing lizards we all know and love. They have more in common with [[Film/AlienS Xenomorphs]] and [[SeahorsesAreDragons deep sea creatures]] than the dragons of folklore. Even worse with [[LargeAndInCharge Monarch]] type dragons.
38	* ElementalPowers: Nearly all races and their respective [[MaNa mana]] come in five flavors according to the traditional Chinese elements. There's [[ExtraOreDinary metal]] (also includes [[ShockAndAwe lightning]]), [[GreenThumb wood]] (also includes [[BlowYouAway wind]]), [[DishingOutDirt earth]] (includes [[GemstoneAssault crystals]]), [[PlayingWithFire fire]] (includes [[MagmaMan lava]]) and [[MakingASplash water]] (includes [[AnIcePerson ice]]). The only exceptions to this rule are humans who can only have Earth, Orks who only have Fire and Sylvans who only have Water. Dragons, who can [[YourSoulIsMine absorb]] the memories and mana of the victims they devour, have [[PowerOfTheVoid void powers]].
39	* TheEmpire: [[AvertedTrope Averted]] with the [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Orkish Empire]] but played straight with [[ANaziByAnyOtherName The]] [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters Kingdom]].
40	* {{Expy}}: A lot of the characters physically resemble characters from other works. Here are a few examples:
41	** [[TheHero Joshua Dominica]] is a mix of [[Literature/TheHobbit Bilbo Baggins]] and [[Manga/AttackOnTitan Eren Yaeger]]. Appearance-wise though, he looks more like a young [[Manga/{{Naruto}} Haku]] with mouse ears and tail.
42	** [[RichBitch Erulia Taemwyn]] is [[VideoGame/{{Tekken}} Lili Rochefort]] with [[OurElvesAreDifferent pointy ears]].
43	** [[CountryMouse Neshka]] [[TheFool Gerolov]] is [[VideoGame/BloodyRoar Nagi Kirishima]] with [[Manga/AttackOnTitan Sasha Browse's]] personality.
44	* FantasticRacism: The [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters humans]] of the Kingdom of Humanity look down on all the other mortal races as [[ValuesDissonance savages to be brought to heel at best]] and [[GuiltFreeExterminationWar vermin to be exterminated at worst]].
45	* FantasyCharacterClasses: The Imperial Hunt divides its members into 36 distinct [[CharacterClassSystem "professions"]] vaguely reminiscent of RPG classes. They include [[StoneWall Combatant]], [[KnightInShiningArmor Crusader]], [[BlackKnight Blackguard]], [[BarbarianHero Berserker]], [[EverythingsBetterWithSamurai Blademaster]], [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Fighter]], [[HunterOfMonsters Slayer]], [[RanGer Ranger]], [[LawEnforcementInc Enforcer]], [[NinJa Ninja]], [[TheHashshashin Assassin]], [[PhantomThief Sneakthief]], [[LoveableRogue Corsair]], [[TheGunslinger Marshal]], [[ElementalPowers Mage]], [[FluffyTamer Shaman]], [[TheDarkArts Warlock]], [[MiKo Oracle]], [[PsychicPowers Mentalist]], [[WizardClassic Wizard]], [[MageMarksman Pariah]], [[TheMedic Healer]], [[GreenThumb Druid]], [[NecroMancer Necromancer]], [[BareFistedMonk Mona]][[NunsAreSpooky stic]], [[BadassBookworm Sage]], [[FantasticScience Numerologist]], [[ThePaladin Paladin]], [[MusicalAssassin Bard]], [[DanceBattler Dancer]], [[TheBeastmaster Tamer]], [[TheBlacksmith Smith]], [[TheEngineer Tinker]], [[AlchemyIsMagic Alchemist]], [[MasterOfIllusion Illusionist]] and [[JackOfAllStats Knave]].
46	* FantasyCounterpartCulture: Here's a good breakdown:
47	** The Orkish Empire has an undeniably [[EagleLand American]] feel to them and their territories are reminiscent of TheWildWest complete with SettlingTheFrontier.
48	** The Sylvan Commonwealth can be reminiscent of the [[BritishStuffiness British]] although they do have a [[EuropeansAreKinky wild side]] and their cobbled streets and gaslamps are a lot like UsefulNotes/VictorianBritain.
49	** [[TheEmpire The Kingdom of Humanity]] is mostly a [[TakeThat Take That]] against the corruption, mediocrity and stagnation found in the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the author's home country.
50	** Elbador, a continent being settled by the Orkish Empire, can be similar to South America, complete with an Amazon River and rainforest, while Panadyssia, a colony of the Sylvan Commonwealth, has a lot in common with Australia, including an Outback, Uluru and [[EverythingTryingToKillYou hostile wildlife]].
51	* FlatWorld: Zanoth is essentially a homage to the Literature/{{Discworld}}, being circular in shape, with the Farlands on one side and the Dragonlands on the other.
52	* TheGoodKingdom:
53	** This is what the [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Kingdom]] wants you to think they are. They are actually TheEmpire.
54	** The Halfling Protectorate before the Blasted War was actually a better example.
55	* GreatOffscreenWar: The Blasted War. The Flight From the Dragonlands may also [[HopelessWar qualify]].
56	* TheGreatWall: The Bulwark which separates the Grimlands from Elbador and is regularly patrolled by the Imperial Hunt.
57	* HealingFactor: All dragons have it which is what makes them so dangerous. Unless their hearts are somehow destroyed, dragons can continue to persist as MeatMoss and can eventually [[FromASingleCell reconstitute]] themselves.
58	* TheHorde: Dragons and their minions.
59	* HordeOfAlienLocusts: Dragons, again. Especially the [[ZergRush Pawn Types]].
60	* KillItWithWater: Dragons are weak to freshwater so fighting them in the rain or submerging them in a lake or river puts them at a disadvantage.
61	* KrakenAndLeviathan: Sea dragons and their aquatic minions could qualify.
62	* LegionsOfHell: Here they are the servants of dragons and are actually chunks of their bodies given temporary life.
63	* LegionOfLostSouls: The [[HeroesRUs Imperial Hunt]] is an example of this, accepting people of all races, genders and creed. The [[ArmyOfThievesAndWhores Royal Knighthood]] is essentially a darker take on this despite being homogenous, being composed of [[SociopathicSoldier thugs]], [[BoxedCrook criminals]] and [[TheNeidermeyer madmen]].
64	* LoadsAndLoadsOfRaces: So far we have:
65	** BeePeople: The Changelings are human-looking BigCreepyCrawlies with a dash of OurFairiesAreDifferent. Their Earth forms being associated with beetles, Wood with butterflies, Metal with wasps, Fire with fireflies and Water with dragonflies.
66	** {{Golem}}: Golems in Zanoth are a race of sentient [[LivingStatue Living Statues]].
67	** [[GorgeousGorgon Gorgeous]] [[{{Medusa}} Gorgon]]: Gorgons of the setting tend to be [[GorgeousGorgon quite attractive]] although they have shades of being SnakePeople with legs and LizardFolk (having scales here and there and possessing forked tongues). What makes them different from the norm is that they have snakes ''in'' their hair rather than ''for'' hair.
68	** {{Hobbits}}: Halflings of this setting look like [[CutesyDwarf young children around 11 or 12]]. They tend to be a LittleBitBeastly with Fire Halflings having [[FantasticFoxes fox]] features, Water Halflings being [[LizardFolk lizard-like]], Wood Halflings possess monkey traits, Metal Halflings resemble FaunsAndSatyrs and Earth Halflings are rather like [[RatMen rodents]]. They are also the setting's resident WoobieSpecies.
69	** SuccubiAndIncubi: Ifrits sort of fit this bill what with their [[BigRedDevil horns, wings and tails]] and their regards to [[EthicalSlut sexual]] [[LovableSexManiac practices]] [[ExtremeOmnisexual certainly doesn't help matters]]. However, they are very critical towards any form of [[KickTheDog tyranny]] and [[DystopiA oppression]]. They fought valiantly during the [[GreatOffscreenWar Blasted War]] and are none too fond of the Kingdom's blatant disregard of their history. Also, ifrits [[BerserkButton take offense to being called demons]].
70	** OurAngelsAreDifferent: While the Sylphs are really more like OurFairiesAreDifferent in terms of their lore, they are known for their uptight and often HolierThanThou attitude. They tend to take [[KnightTemplar laws very seriously]] and can even seem similar to TheFundamentalist from time to time. Most of all though, they have the typical [[GoodWingsEvilWings angelic]] [[WingedHumanoid wings]] and an aura around their heads that resemble a halo.
71	** OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame: [[AvertedTrope Nope.]] Dwarves in Zanoth look like elves in their early teens.
72	** OurElvesAreDifferent: Metal Elves are actually high elves, Fire Elves are dark elves, Water Elves are ChristmasElves, Wood Elves are ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin and Earth Elves are similar to the depiction of [[HalfHumanHybrid half-elves]]. Elves are also related to Goblins through their common ancestor the [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe purple-skinned Sylvans]]. The elves of Zanoth are almost always healthy but they too are mortal and die just as easily as any other denizen of the Farlands.
73	** OurFairiesAreDifferent: The Sylvans play this role as a kind of [[Main/Precursors progenitor]] race to the elves, goblins and dwarves of the setting. Appearance-wise, they are like a combination of [[VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft night elves]] and [[Franchise/MassEffect asari]], being [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe exotic but gorgeous women]]. They're also a OneGenderRace to boot, being all-female and a good DistaffCounterpart to the [[OurOrcsAreDifferent orks]] of the setting.
74	** OurGhoulsAreCreepier: Ghouls of Zanoth are related to the setting's [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires]] and [[FantasticDietRequirement rely on the same nutrients found in the bizarre bloodfruits]]. However, instead of the vampire's VoluntaryShapeshifting abilities, the ghouls use the bloodfruits to power their PsychicPowers. Ghouls appear similar to [[VampiresAreSexGods vampires]] but instead of fangs, they tend to have [[RedRightHand heavy claws]]. Culture-wise, ghouls are often viewed to be quite morbid as their culture dictates that every household should have its own mausoleum in its basement.
75	** OurGoblinsAreDifferent: Goblins of Zanoth are more like the [[OurElvesAreDifferent dark elves]] of the setting, being [[AmazingTechnicolorPopulation oddly-colored]] [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe elves]] and similar to the dark elves of ''VideoGame/{{Lineage 2}}'' with Earth Goblins having gold skin, Metal Goblins having silver skin, Fire Goblins having red skin, Water Goblins having blue skin and Wood Goblins having green skin. They are related to elves through Sylvans. However, Goblins of this setting retain some of their love for explosives and high technology from other settings like ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' and ''VideoGame/AgeOfWonders''.
76	** OurMermaidsAreDifferent: The [[OurGeniesAreDifferent Marids]] are the merfolk of the setting, possessing feet but have webbed ears, fingers and toes as well as fins on their arms and legs. While they are good swimmers, they are specialized for freshwater and have difficulty breathing saltwater.
77	*** Then there is the setting's [[OurMermaidsAreDifferent actual]] mermaids that are a form of dragonspawn and are actually giant anglerfish with the upper torso of a human [[VoluntaryShapeShifting or any other mortal]] at the tip of its lure. These are almost always hostile and are included in the [[DragonSlayer Imperial Hunt's]] ''to kill'' list.
78	** OurOgresAreHungrier: The Ogres of the setting are more like the [[YouKai oni]] of Japanese folklore but also share quite a few similarities with [[AllTrollsAreDifferent trolls]] and [[OurGiantsAreBigger giants]] of European folklore. They tend to be quite intelligent and are [[HeroicBuild rather]] [[AmazonianBeauty attractive]]. Like the Goblins above, they have [[AmazingTechnicolorPopulation strange skin colors]] but also have [[HornedHumanoid horns]] and [[SpikesOfVillainy spikes on their shoulders and back]].
79	** OurOrcsAreDifferent: Called "Orks" in this setting. They are an [[OneGenderRace all male]] race that can interbreed with other races. Due to their over-the-top masculinity, they are often considered a [[SpearCounterpart counterpart race]] to Sylvans.
80	** OurVampiresAreDifferent: Very different. Vampires of the setting aren't particularly [[DayWalkingVampire weak to sunlight]] and are [[VegetarianVampire vegetarian]] by default, making nearly all of them a FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire. Instead of blood, vampires rely on the nutrients they get from bloodfruits which are off-putting to other races. Vampires can and have used the blood of other mortals as a substitute for the nutrients of bloodfruits but this tends to be a rare occurrence as mortal blood is addictive to vampires and can weaken their immune system, making them vulnerable to sunlight and creating vampires closer to traditional folklore (weak to sunlight, become predatory monsters). Vampires who are addicted to blood are often viewed by other vampires as "blood junkies" and are ostracized. Vampires aren't all that special compared to other races and are in fact mortals themselves, although they tend to be as [[VampiresAreSexGods as attractive as elves]]. Vampires of Zanoth are, however, allergic to garlic and can leave them paralyzed and are capable of VoluntaryShapeshifting with Metal Vampires [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent turning into wolves]], Wood Vampires turning [[PantheraAwesome into cats]], Fire Vampires [[BatOutOfHell turning into bats]], Water Vampires turning into lampreys and Earth Vampires turning into [[SpidersAreScary spiders]].
81	*** However, vampires who have been mutated by [[TheCorruption Wyrm]][[UnholyNuke blight]] tend to [[LooksLikeOrlok resemble]] [[AlwaysChaoticEvil more traditional]] [[HorrorHunger vampires]].
82	** OurZombiesAreDifferent: [[NotUsingTheZWord Shamblers]] are somewhere between Type A and V. These zombies are [[WalkingWasteland radioactive]] and animated by [[UnholyNuke Wyrmblight]].
83	* LovecraftLite: The Imperial Hunt and the Citizen's Watch have wiped out most of the sentient dragons in the Farlands even after the devastating [[GreatOffscreenWar Blasted War]].
84	* {{Mordor}}: The Grimlands. Up to eleven with the Dragonlands.
85	* MultipleHeadCase: The more heads a dragon has, the older and stronger it's likely to be in much the same way that [[AsianFoxSpirit kitsune]]'s powers are usually denoted by their number of tails.
86	* OurDemonsAreDifferent: Demons or Fiends are sentient pieces of Dragonflesh, given temporary life and sapience by the dragon that created them.
87	** Ifrits of the setting also appear similar to the traditional depiction of [[SuccubiAndIncubi succubi]] demons, having [[HornedHumanoid horns]], [[WingedHumanoid bat wings]] and a barbed tail. They also have [[LovableSexManiac strange]] [[ValuesDissonance traditions]] that give most other mortals ideas. However, [[BerserkButton never]] make the mistake of calling them [[AbominationAccusationAttack demons]] to their face.
88	* OurDragonsAreDifferent: The dragons of this setting would probably make the skilled dragonslayers of any other setting very uncomfortable at the very least due to their [[EldritchAbomination eldritch]] nature.
89	* OurMonstersAreWeird: Generally apply to [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragons]]. [[MixAndMatchCritters Chimeras]] also qualify but are more like [[MoN Mon]] being the [[HorseOfADifferentColor favored]] [[CoolHorse mount]] of [[CreatureHunterOrganization Imperial Hunters]].
90	* WhoYouGonnaCall: The Imperial Hunt and Citizens' Watch in a nutshell. Not so much for the [[TheEmpire Royal]] [[FakeUltimateHero Knighthood]].
91	* WeaksauceWeakness: Freshwater can severely weaken dragons and outright kill some of their minions. For reasons that cannot be explained, freshwater dampens [[TheCorruption Wyrmblight]] and there have been cases during the Blasted War when dragons were simply chained to heavy rocks and submerged into rivers or lakes to be killed. The oceans around the Farlands are also made from freshwater and is why dragons find it so difficult to invade.
92	* VegetarianVampire: Another major distinction in this setting is that vampires in Zanoth are vegetarians by default and instead rely on nutrients from a bizarre fruit called a bloodfruit. While blood can be used as a substitute for the nutrients found in bloodfruits, most vampires regard those of their own kind who rely solely on blood somewhat similar to the way we would regard a junkie.

Context Literature / HicSuntDracones