Kalamar - first published 4e setting?!?

[S'mon]

U Pijkkurzagh, Thizhahagh, Lekkzhawazh, Khoviggazh and Thakakkazh.... Sowido, Gobido, Livowido, Vevusido, Merido, Sika'ido, Rilido, Kuvido, Wirido, Tumufido, Naka'akido, Hudepido, Mothisefido, Polido, Thimido, Rogido, Ruwido...

There may well be a lot of scholarly research behind the Kalamar campaign world, but it must have been confined to mostly the natural sciences - there certainly have been no professor Tolkien around to tell the authors their names suck, and badly at that.

This

OMG that's my first ever This!

Yeah, I bought 3e Kingdoms of Kalamar, but the moment I saw Principality of Pekal, I knew Kalamar and me were not going to be friends. The names are just appalling. If I were them I'd reissue the setting with all the names 'translated into English' - instead of Tumufido and Naka'akido, for gods' sakes give me the White Bone Hills and the Land of Two Lakes. Or anything, anything but those endless collections of silly syllables.

 

[phil500]

I meant illegally.

I guess the publishers know better than I do, but I would think putting out your content in such an easily stealable, inconvenient to read format would be a bad idea. the marginal cost is virtually zero though, so I can see how it is good.

 

[Desdichado]

800 lbs. gorillas are not apt comparisons here. One presumes that Kenzer would work pro bono for his own company, and since he's an attorney specializing in IP law, I think they can confidently say that the old adage that "one doesn't need to win a lawsuit to crush their opposition" doesn't apply to them.

I really like the conceit of Kalamar, and I don't mind "dry" text at all. Of course, I read anthropology, linguistics and archeology textbooks for fun, so take that for what its worth.

 

[Mark Plemmons]

This

OMG that's my first ever This!

Yeah, I bought 3e Kingdoms of Kalamar, but the moment I saw Principality of Pekal, I knew Kalamar and me were not going to be friends. The names are just appalling. If I were them I'd reissue the setting with all the names 'translated into English' - instead of Tumufido and Naka'akido, for gods' sakes give me the White Bone Hills and the Land of Two Lakes. Or anything, anything but those endless collections of silly syllables.

Different strokes for different folks.

To me, the great thing about the different languages in the Kingdoms of Kalamar setting is that, after you've used the setting for a bit, you and your players will be able to recognize most people and places simply by hearing or reading their names.

For example, Brandobian uses certain consonents more than others, and a few single letters that sound like LD, LN, ND, VL, and VR, and translate this way into English (Merchant's Tongue) - so you've got Volven, Galborn, etc.

In Kalamaran, vowels and consonants are never found in pairs, unless separated by an apostrophe, which indicates that the word originated in another region and was adapted by the Kalamarans. So you see Valamir, Ar'Tur, etc.

If everything was "White Mountains," "Dry Desert," etc., it would lose a lot of cultural feel.

It's okay that it's not for everyone, but I happen to love it.

 

[Treebore]

From RPG.net's History of Game:


As for setting up a shell company, that was done to protect the IP AND to protect WotC, should M:TG go belly up. That way, it couldn't destroy the company if it failed.

And from the same article:

Thank you.

 

[GeorgeFields]

Different strokes for different folks.

To me, the great thing about the different languages in the Kingdoms of Kalamar setting is that, after you've used the setting for a bit, you and your players will be able to recognize most people and places simply by hearing or reading their names.

For example, Brandobian uses certain consonents more than others, and a few single letters that sound like LD, LN, ND, VL, and VR, and translate this way into English (Merchant's Tongue) - so you've got Volven, Galborn, etc.

In Kalamaran, vowels and consonants are never found in pairs, unless separated by an apostrophe, which indicates that the word originated in another region and was adapted by the Kalamarans. So you see Valamir, Ar'Tur, etc.

If everything was "White Mountains," "Dry Desert," etc., it would lose a lot of cultural feel.

It's okay that it's not for everyone, but I happen to love it.

When are you going to release "The Dark Side of Teleene"? Some of us want to know what's beyond the Sea of Dread and Brandobian Ocean.

 

[Treebore]

Different strokes for different folks.

To me, the great thing about the different languages in the Kingdoms of Kalamar setting is that, after you've used the setting for a bit, you and your players will be able to recognize most people and places simply by hearing or reading their names.

For example, Brandobian uses certain consonents more than others, and a few single letters that sound like LD, LN, ND, VL, and VR, and translate this way into English (Merchant's Tongue) - so you've got Volven, Galborn, etc.

In Kalamaran, vowels and consonants are never found in pairs, unless separated by an apostrophe, which indicates that the word originated in another region and was adapted by the Kalamarans. So you see Valamir, Ar'Tur, etc.

If everything was "White Mountains," "Dry Desert," etc., it would lose a lot of cultural feel.

It's okay that it's not for everyone, but I happen to love it.

Don't worry about it MArk. I have a gut feeling that the people who complain about the words/languages used in KoK are the same people who have never read a detailed map of other countries, like Kazahkistan, and tried to figure out how to say those words.

Using the words you did does the same thing seeing words that I have to guess at pronouncing does, it helps me feel like I am in a foreign land. That is the biggest thing that hits me and tells me I am not at home anymore. I don't know the language.

I imagine most DM's don't bother trying such things, but for those of us who do, we know how well it works to help force the player to feel like they are in a foreign culture/world. An effect most players enjoy, because its the first time a DM ever did such a thing to them, and because it succeeded in making them feel like they were someplace foreign to them.

Plus the ones, in my experience, who didn't like it, were the ones who failed to adapt to the change.

 

[Desdichado]

Actually... the names is one of the things I don't like about the setting, and I'm an amateur linguistics nut.

:shrug:

I find that in practice, the names all muddle together in player's minds as unpronounceable muck that they can't keep straight.

Granted; other than that, I quite like the setting, though.

 

[Wyrmshadows]

Don't worry about it MArk. I have a gut feeling that the people who complain about the words/languages used in KoK are the same people who have never read a detailed map of other countries, like Kazahkistan, and tried to figure out how to say those words.

Using the words you did does the same thing seeing words that I have to guess at pronouncing does, it helps me feel like I am in a foreign land. That is the biggest thing that hits me and tells me I am not at home anymore. I don't know the language.

I imagine most DM's don't bother trying such things, but for those of us who do, we know how well it works to help force the player to feel like they are in a foreign culture/world. An effect most players enjoy, because its the first time a DM ever did such a thing to them, and because it succeeded in making them feel like they were someplace foreign to them.

Plus the ones, in my experience, who didn't like it, were the ones who failed to adapt to the change.

Now, now....be fair.

I am perhaps the biggest, nit-picky, versimilitude nut on this board and I have to say that it isn't the foreign sound of the names that throws me, its the lack of aesthetic sensibilities that allow the words to trip easily off the tongue despite their non-english nature.

For example, in Dragonlance the elven word for master is shalifi, a completely non-english word that still flows off the tongue. Tolkien was a linguist and his languages flow easily even for non-dwarven or non-elven speakers. Its an issue of aesthetic taste for me and not merely that the words aren't in english. I expect that there should be odd or jarring words in fantasy (or even real-life) languages from time to time, but when that oddness seems touch too many words, it sounds, IMO like gibberish.

Its just an issue of aesthetics and not an appreciation of a well-developed setting...which Kalamar is. In fact, I would say that it ranks up their with Harn in its internal consistancy.


Wyrmshadows

 

[Treebore]

Now, now....be fair.

I am perhaps the biggest, nit-picky, versimilitude nut on this board and I have to say that it isn't the foreign sound of the names that throws me, its the lack of aesthetic sensibilities that allow the words to trip easily off the tongue despite their non-english nature.

Wyrmshadows

How many languages have this?

"... aesthetic sensibilities that allow the words to trip easily off the tongue despite their non-english nature."

Russian doesn't. Chinese doesn't. Most, if not all, non English languages do not. Which is why I guess it works for me.

For those who don't want sucha strong "foreign" feel, and want an English setting, they could just replace such words with english words the DM and players can pronounce.

I like how it reinforces the fact that their are significant differences in culture, etc...