#explicarium

To those whom it may concern,

As it seems that very few are familiar with the homeland of our dear Mr. Thatch, I shall endeavor to enlighten to the best of my abilities. To one from the modern era of the world of Earth, the world of The Monster Blood Tattoo/The Foundling’s Tale might appear to be similar to that of Earth’s 18’th century history. The land Baribus hails from is known as Half-Continent, the southern portion of a continent called Altgird in the world of Harthe Alle. In this continent are several empires and kingdoms, though the main focus will remain on the Haacobin Empire, which Baribus is a citizen of. As I have mentioned in my Faithful Narration, Baribus lives on the coast in Frestony, one of the Patricine city-states involved in the Frestonian League.

Now, there are many differences between Earth and Harthe Alle. For instance, in the matter of technology in which rather than steam or electricity, most work is done by hand, by animal or by Gastrine. there are humans, animals and sentient/semi-sentient non-humans known commonly as monsters or bogles, which range in size, shape and ferocity. Most humans and bogles do not share friendly relations and are in fact the deadliest of foes. Those who do share friendly relations towards such creatures are known as Serdorners, a title whose bestowal is not only the most heinous of insults but, if proven true, is punishable by death.

One of the more common lines of work for those along Altgird’s coasts is sailing on the caustic Vinegar Seas (which are infested by sea bogles known as Nadders and Kraulshwimmen). The men who sail these seas are known as Vinegaroons or Salts and are most commonly found on rams, cargoes and other sea-faring vessels. More occupations can be found such as butchers, bakers, farmers maids, etc., however for this over view, there are a few more worth knowing.

There are Teratologists, Monster Hunters who roam the lands and perform great services in eradicating bothersome bogles and nadders (sea bogles) for those willing and able to pay. Of these are Lazhars, Fulgars, Wits, Sciomanes, Skolds and scourges, Leers (specifically Laggard, such as Baribus himself), Sagaars, Pistoleers, Filibusters, and Fugelmen.

Then there are the massacars, practitioners of the dark trades and creators of foul man-made monsters known as gudgeons. Such activities have been made illegal in the Haacobin Empire, though the private keeping and owning of such horrendous creatures remains legal.

I hope this brief overview of Harthe Alle, or the world of The Monster Blood Tattoo/The Foundling’s Tale by D.M.Cornish, has been helpful!

or pseudobaths; also known as amathabrins ("foolish-arrogants"), basbathonids ("deep-lords"), catabrathins (""great deep ones", a name used for any big sea-monster, including kraulschwimmen), demiurges, falacitines, fichtärs, pseudomaurins ("false-fools"), pseustis ("liars") and nausithoë (though this is a more general term for any sea-monster).

False-gods were once the equals of the eurinines, back in the Aforetime when all things that were being made and known first as the alosudnë ("the sea-born"). The antiquated, fragmentary catalogs say many things, but most hold that they were the lords and agents of life in the seas, as the secretive eurinines were of the lands, and the gossamer naeroë were of the air.

It is held that false-gods are sources of prognosis (the original, secret knowledge of the world's founding) and those that are known are actually worshipped by some everymen. These worshippers are known to other right-thinking folk simply as fantaisists ("dream-believers") or fictlers (also thralls, dullards) and consider them the most blighted outramorines--to be rooted out and obliterated. Fantaisists refuse to use such terms as "fichtär" or "false-god," calling them instead the basbathonids, bathonions or "our bathic lords." Gathering themselves into groups called septs, each will revere a single fichtär above all others, the most terrible sept being the Saccour or Sucärines--the bloodthirsty, cannibalistic worshippers of Sucoth the Decayed, Swallower of Men.

Despite the discrepancies, vagaries and disagreements, most septs agree that Lobe, a famuli--or lesser fichär-- is the chief medium by which one gains the "ears" of the others, and you will find him occurring frequently in fantaisist litanies and mutes.

n. 

1.) Official and most insulting and incriminating name for a monster-lover in the Haacobin Empire.

2.) Anyone with friendly or sympathetic feelings towards or relations with monsters.