Kalamar Atlas Web Preview posted

[Noah Kolman]

Hey all,

Thanks so much for being patient with the Atlas. It will be out before Christmas this year, as it is currently in the final stages of approval. In the meantime, we have posted on our website a few preview pages that should give you a good idea of what the book will look like.

I am very excited about this product, not only because we all put a lot of work into it, but because I think it is truly the first of its kind. I hope the web preview makes you as excited as it makes me.

http://www.kenzerco.com/rpg/kalamar/atlaspreview.php

 

[Buttercup]

Oh. My. God.

It's just as beautiful as I knew it would be. I'm dying for this book.

I'm certain it will be worth the long wait, but oh, how the wait is killing me!

 

[shadow]

It says on the web page that the it will contain a pronounciation guide as well as a partial dictionary. As a linguistics major, this is what's exciting to me. I have a few questions about these features though.

1. Will the pronouncitaions contain non-English speech sounds? I find that most fantasy settings just have pronounciations that use English phonemes. Although simpler, its not very realistic.

2. Will basic grammar rules be included for the languages of Tellene?

3. How big is this partial dictionary. Is it just a page or two, or does it include the full 200+ Swadish word list (the list of essential words found in all RL languages) for the languages of Tellene?

I guess those questions sound a little geeky (I am a linguistics major and a language geek) Personally if Kenzer ever published a book of the languages of Tellene (complete with syntactic, phonological, and morphological rules for all major languages of Tellene) I'd buy it in a heartbeat!

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

Is the whole book full-color?

 

[Mark Plemmons]

It says on the web page that the it will contain a pronounciation guide as well as a partial dictionary. As a linguistics major, this is what's exciting to me. I have a few questions about these features though.

Well, since I'm the one that actually wrote this section, I suppose I'm the best one to respond.

1. Will the pronouncitaions contain non-English speech sounds? I find that most fantasy settings just have pronounciations that use English phonemes. Although simpler, its not very realistic.

Not being a linguistics major, I'm not 100% sure I understand the question. The guide is the same as a guide found in an American dictionary, with the cities/lakes/area/etc names followed by the pronunciation and description of their specific location. Look up a city in the dictionary, and you'll see pretty much what I mean.

2. Will basic grammar rules be included for the languages of Tellene?

Very basic rules have already been given in the campaign setting sourcebook. I don't think we really want to get much deeper into it at this point. It would be a huge amount of work to actually go into great amounts of detail on all the various human and nonhuman languages, and would require a giant book of its own.

3. How big is this partial dictionary. Is it just a page or two, or does it include the full 200+ Swadish word list (the list of essential words found in all RL languages) for the languages of Tellene?

Dictionary is probably the wrong word for it, but I can't think of any other. It's simply a list of all major cities, rivers, countries, etc. with a pronunciation guide to each - see question 1 above. It doesn't include other words, like the Kalamaran word for "shield," which wouldn't really fit with the 'Atlas' nature of the book.

I guess those questions sound a little geeky (I am a linguistics major and a language geek) Personally if Kenzer ever published a book of the languages of Tellene (complete with syntactic, phonological, and morphological rules for all major languages of Tellene) I'd buy it in a heartbeat!

Well, I probably wouldn't mind writing it, either, but I'm afraid you're WAY in the minority among the total fans (as far as we can determine) in your desire for such a book. At the moment, it just wouldn't be cost-effective for us to produce it.

Maybe someday, when we rule the world.

Mark Plemmons
Kenzer and Company
www.kenzerco.com

 

[Snoweel]

I guess those questions sound a little geeky (I am a linguistics major and a language geek) Personally if Kenzer ever published a book of the languages of Tellene (complete with syntactic, phonological, and morphological rules for all major languages of Tellene) I'd buy it in a heartbeat!

Throw in the cuss words and I'd buy it too.

 

[Agnostic Paladin]

I knew I wanted the atlas.

Now I know I must have the atlas.

Mmmm. Full colour topological maps with all the cities and towns and roads and rivers and yum!

Any chance of getting it out by the end of November?

 

[Sulimo]

All I can say is WOW. And I'm not even a current user of the setting (although I have a handful of Kalamar books). Although I am a big map geek.

If only more settings could do stuff like this...

 

[Wicht]

Just for the record, this is the first rpg book I ever preordered.

Just when is "before christmas" anyway? Are we talking November or December?

 

[Eridanis]

I can't believe what I'm seeing. It blows my mind to think that a gaming company would spend the time and treasure to create such a detailed *ATLAS* of its world. It looks gorgeous, and I'll be sure to consider buying it when I see it at Games Plus.... even though I have my own campaign world.

Hmm... I might have to add a new continent to my homebrew!