I have this fascination with artificial mythologies. Particularly, Tolkien's work has been quite inspirational for me, of late. I'm currently reading "The Road to Middle-Earth: How J.R.R. Tolkien Created A New Mythology", which documents how Tolkien's efforts toward fictional world creation and the artificial mythologies and languages that underpin this enormous effort all grew out of his love for and study of philology.

Some years ago, I began a world creation effort, inspired in part by an idea to craft something worth writing about. So, my basic concept was a Tolkienesque high-fantasy world meets Lovecraftian invading Gods from outside the universe. I began a D&D game basically as an effort to help me write this world. I figured, if I had several people 'inhabiting' this world (named Ereth, by the way), so to speak, then maybe I could flesh it out enough that eventually I could write some fiction set in this world.

In the end, I think I've let it become more about the game, and have let the world be a little too influenced by the typical D&D setting, but I think that with this second campaign that I've finally hit upon something worth writing about. So, I think that after this current D&D campaign is done, that I'm going to have to write the story of this world. Not the story of the player's characters. I'd leave that to them. Rather, the history of this world, in an almost encyclopedic sort of way.

The imagination is a funny thing. I've spent so much time thinking about Ereth, that it's really a real place to me. Parts of it are certainly still a mystery to me, the barest of outlines. But, overall, it's real to me. And I hope someday I can make it real to others, much like Le Guin's Earthsea is to some, or Herbert's Dune is to others.

In other news, a long time ago Mr. William Chesser and I were enamoured of Cappio, this wonderful iced cappuccino drink, which has unfortunately disappeared from the market. I am happy to report that Arizona brand Cappuccino Shake tastes just like Cappio. A delectable find indeed.