A mystical high fantasy world

Spear's bearer - Firebolt
Bow's archer - Nevercold
Axe's swinger - Worldhauler
Sword's master - Wavecaller

Four there were since times of old

Genius Loci is a world where spirits walk among the people, where legendary creatures cause the rise or fall of empires, and where races share unique cultures. Its mystical landscapes are soaked with magic and populated with riddles and legends.

What's to expect?

Genius Loci has been developed on and off for many years. Since taking up game dev, I would like to expand it into a playable world with games and RPG material. There are dozens of illustrated articles about Genius Loci in my blog. You can start by learning about the world's shape, and its supernatural counterpart, the Area. Genius Loci's two main magical systems are wizardry and magic. There are seven playable species (before special rules apply). Here's a humorous take on what's not in the setting, to adjust your expectations. Genius Loci is a world with many kinds of spirits.

How is Genius Loci special? 

The Genius Loci setting breaks with the pre-loved assumptions about cultures in mainstream RPGs and constitutes that species and culture are independent of each other. Members of the same species do not automatically agree, and there is no such thing as a dwarven country, or elven language. The name of Genius Loci's world is Kitas.

It is an attempt to create a fantastical, believable world with a story to it – two worlds, actually, because Genius Loci is not just one place: The real, material world, the Here, is accompanied by the mysterious Area, a dreamlike parallel world that can – and should – only be entered with special preparations. While not entirely without substance, it is a mindrealm where things are not as they seem. 

A world filled with spirits

Genius Loci means "spirit of place". Kitas is full of spirits, making it a very magical world. Nature spirits are caring, curious, and self-sufficient; dead spirits are grief-stricken, violent, and vengeful; echoes are leftover visions of persons who mustn't even be dead; and the most feared of all, the spirit of place – a genius loci – is an overpowering entity that can come into existence at any place, pushing its destructive will on everything and everyone within its domain. The continents of Kitas are each dominated by one of the elements of water, earth and air, fire, and life, strongly influencing their landscapes.

Names and translations 

I'm German, and the original names are German as well. If a name can be translated it normally will be, and sometimes I'll give the original name as well. Other times the feel of a name is changed, as in the famous rhyme of the Four, so it may happen that no translation is given if nothing suitable can be found. Since names in GL are speaking names, they almost always will be though.

Can I play Genius Loci?

Yes. While the marrow of GL's bone is tabletop roleplaying, it will become a multi-media publication (before you think I lost my mind: this means video games and TTRPG supplements, the former being almost easier to make). The current experience on offer is the textadventure The Spirit in the Door.