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Post by Pale on Aug 25, 2003 7:37:27 GMT -5
A few alternate book covers and general art relating to Bas Lag. Feel free to post any more.   |
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Post by Doul on Aug 25, 2003 7:40:42 GMT -5
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Post by Pale on Aug 26, 2003 3:53:12 GMT -5
History of New Crobuzon.Taken from the Jeremy Baker site.
New Crobuzon. Vast, swelling city at the confluence of the Tar and Canker. Home of the diverse and dangerous, the fabulously rich and desperately poor; metropolis of commerce, breeder of despair.
New Crobuzon, one of the greatest cities of Bas-Lag, on the eastern coast of the continent of Rohagi. Agressive, mercantyle, colonising, her power stretches across the Swollen Ocean as far as Nova Esperium.
Geography
New Crobuzon lies on the eastern coast of the continent of Rohagi, on the world of Bas-Lag.
Nearby regions include Shankell (home of the worship of Sanshad), Myrshock, and the Jhesdull Islands. Inland regions of Rohagi include the vast desert region of Cymek, home of the garuda.
To the east, across the Swollen Ocean, lies the continent of Bered Kai Nev, and the Crobuzoner colony of Nova Esperium.
The Salkrikaltor Cray Commonwealth lies in the Swollen Ocean, east of QŽ Banssa on Dancing Bird Island, and between Bartoll and the Gnomon Tor islands. The Fins lie along the southern edge of the Commonwealth.
To the north lies High Cromlech, home of the thanati; and the Cold Claw Sea, home of the Grengis.
Politics
New Crobuzon is a Parliamentary Oligarchy, dominated by the Fat Sun party
Species
Many species, including humans, call Bas-Lag and New Crobuzon home.
The xenian species include the insect-headed khepri, the 'cactus-man' cactacae, the waterloving vodyanoi, the avain garuda, and the sea-dweling cray, among many others.
Other feared, scarcely named beings include the Weaver, vampir, the anophelli, and perhaps most terrifying of all, the gindylow.
Whilst not another species, the Remade deserve special mention. Persons (human and xenian) 're-made' through bio-thaumaturgy as punishment for various crimes in combinations of the biological and mechanical.
Languages
The language of New Crobuzon is Ragamoll. Many other languages are spoken within its bounds, and countless more across the face of Bas-Lag, both human and xenian tongues.
A common tongue across the eastern Swollen Ocean is Salt, a language formed from many languages of the Basilisk Channel, Ragamoll and Perrickish, the language of the Jhesdull islands.
Religion
Bas-Lag has a complex religious diversity. Some of the popular deities include:
Sanshad - a sun god, originally worshiped in Shankell.
Insect Aspect - the 'god' of traditionalist khepri in New Crobuzon.
Palgolak - a human / vodyanoi god of knowledge. Runs many libraries across Bas-Lag.
Technology / Thaumaturgy
New Crobuzon is a centre of technological development, particularly steam technology and bio-thaumaturgy.
Khepri technology incroporates significant elements of bio-technology, including the home-grubs and bettles.
Other techniques include vodyanoi watercraeft the use of a "hydrocohesive/aquamorphic energy field of minor diachronic extension".
Calendar
The New Crobuzon calendar is currently Anno Urbis 1779.
History
New Crobuzon is an old city - but Bas-Lag's history is older.
Ancient terrors such as the Ghosthead Empire are just a memory, but are nightmares none-the-less.
More recent horrors, such as the Ravening which drove the khepri from Bered Kai Nev one hundred years ago, leading the khepri broodmothers of New Crobuzon to deliberately forget ten thousand years of khepri history, and the dream-invading slake-moths, have troubed the people of New Crobuzon.
From Bureau 42:
True, The Scar lacks the mythic purity and widespread appeal of The Lord of the Rings, but in Bas-Lag we have a world as complex and dirty as our own, which must wrestle with issues that never plagued the Hobbits. There are no heroes here, and no simple moral answers. I didn't entirely like anyone, but I never doubted them as characters.
Bas-Lag has a history and a geography that sound real, and which matter. We have neither appendix nor map to which we can turn; we see and feel these things where they affect the story. The writer never forgets that this history exists and it influences events profoundly, but he understands perfectly what the Turkey City Lexicon calls "the Edges of Ideas."
Mieville constantly surprised me, and yet I recognized everything, or nearly so. He has taken bits and pieces of history, palaeontology, maritime lore, and genre conventions and reconfigured them into something familiar, yet alien.
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Post by Doul on Aug 26, 2003 12:31:50 GMT -5
cheers pale - i've never seen that before:) More Covers: King Rat (UK):  King Rat (US)  King Rat (Jap.)  PSS (UK)  PSS (US)  The Scar (UK)  The Scar (US)  The Tain (UK)  |
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Post by LooseCannon on Aug 26, 2003 12:56:26 GMT -5
Doul, half those pics aren't showing up... ;D
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Post by Doul on Aug 26, 2003 13:00:15 GMT -5
arg - they were a second ago - i swear!  I'll find alternate links:) |
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Post by Pale on Aug 26, 2003 17:31:22 GMT -5
That Japanese cover for King Rat is disturbing...and by far the best. Spanish typeface for PSS  |
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Mort
Wyrman
An Abyss gazing into you
Posts: 19
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Post by Mort on Aug 26, 2003 23:34:51 GMT -5
Thanks Pale - Love your work there. Truly you are the master of the web. (so does that make you the Weaver to our Humans then... hmmm)
Not sure about the Japanese Cover - it is disturbing, but also somehow *yuck* unfinished.
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Post by Doul on Aug 27, 2003 10:38:13 GMT -5
I was bored today so i flicked through PSS and created a Dramatis Personae sorta thing. Here it is:)
Isaac Dan der Grimnebulin: An brilliant yet alternative, outcast scientist working in Brock Marsh
Montague Vermishank: Isaac’s employer, a bio-thaumaturge
Lin: The secret Khepri lover of Isaac and well known sculptor
Joshua: An old Remade in the Dying Child – had his mouth covered with skin and cut himself a ragged hole in it.
Silchristchek: An ancient Vodyanoi in the Dying Child
David Serachin: A rogue scientist working in the same building as Isaac.
Lublamai Dadscatt: A rogue scientist working in the same building as Isaac.
Sincerity: A badger
“Lucky” Gazid: A failed impresario
Motley: A repulsive crimelord who as been Remade into a mixture of different creatures
Yagharek: An outcast Garuda who has had his wings removed
Teafortwo: A wyrman
“Red” Kate: Owner of “The Moon’s Daughters”
Ged: A vodyanoi Librarian of Palgolak, a God of Knowledge. A friend of Isaac.
Lemuel Pigeon: A messenger between the criminal world and the upper classes.
Derkhan Blueday: Art critic for the Beacon and writer in Runagate Rampant.
Cornfed: An artist
Thighs Growing: A cactacae cellist
Alexandrine: An artist
Bellagin Sound: An artist
Tarrick Septimus: An artist
Importunate Spint: An artist
Bentham Rudgutter: Mayor of New Crobuzon and Head if the Fat Sun Party
Montjohn Rescue: Rudgutter’s vizier; a handlinger
Eliza Stem-Fulcher: the home secretary
Josef Cuaduador: An acquisitions clerk in the government
Magesta Barbile: A scientist working with the Slake-Moths
Ma Francine: A Khepri Crimelord
Benjamin Flex: Editor of Runagate Rampant
Charlie: A garuda in New Crobuzon
Sanchem Vansetty: A karcist, able to communicate with Hell
The Ambassador of Hell
Umma Balsum: a communicatrix, able to communicate with anyone anywhere if provided with possessions and knowledge
The Weaver: A giant, trans-dimensional spider.
Kapnellior: An expert on Weavers
Arfamo: A Wyrman
Sideways: A Wyrman
Minty: A Wyrman
Buggerme: A Wyrman
Tormlin: An Inspector, also known as “Sally”
Mr. X: A mercenary
Josiah Penton: The Head of Arrowhead Mines
Bartol Sender: Head of the Bank of Commerce
Mashek Ghrasientnichs: Head of Paradox Concerns
Bellis: A former lover of Isaac
Construct Council: A Godlike robot
Shadrach: A Mercenary
Pengefinchess: A Mercenary
Tansell: A Mercenary
Andrej Shelbornek: An old man
Jack Half-A-Prayer: A legendary fReemade revolutionary
Kar’uchai Sukhtu-h’k Vaijhin-khi-khi: A garuda
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Post by Pale on Aug 27, 2003 13:55:24 GMT -5
If only i'd had that cast list when i started PSS.
I've also been working on something similar, relating to the scar. I'll post it tomorrow when i,ve finished it.
It's more of an allegiance table than character/ description list.
Anyway good stuff SL.
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Post by Doul on Oct 1, 2003 14:48:37 GMT -5
what happened to that allegiance table Pale? I'm still waiting.  |
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Post by Pale on Oct 5, 2003 3:33:20 GMT -5
Sorry Doul.I was distracted by work ,holidays and drunkeness  I will try to finish it this week.And post it next weekend. Thanks Pale |
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I'll find alternate links:)
