Shan Hai Gen

[sprite-guard]

I'm making a tracery script that generates passages in the style of Shan Hai Jing, a bizarrely beautiful ancient Chinese geography text. The book already reads like a Tracery story, so this seems like a good first-time project.

Here's an example from the original:

Four hundred leagues further north is a mountain called Mount Burnbright. The river Burning rises here and flows west to empty into the Great River. The river Burning contains many what-not fish with one head and ten bodies. They make a noise like a dog barking. If you eat them, they will cure cancerous growths. There is an animal on this mountain which looks like a porcupine and it has scarlet bristles. It makes a noise like yowling. Its name is the wild-carob. It is effective against misfortune. This mountain has no plants or trees, but it has an abundance of green male-yellow

[MichaelPaulukonis]

Neat-o!

Is there an (public-domain) english translation available?

[sprite-guard]

Not as far as I can find. I have a hard copy of the Anne Birrell translation, which is the inspiration.

[sprite-guard]

I've finished the simplest case, a litany of descriptors without any sub-descriptions:

80 leagues southwest is a mountain called Mount Lovelyturning. On this mountain there are deposits rich with iron, hiddenpines, and Eat-boy dogs. The mountain is presided over by the deity Coolfading. The river Harvest-cruel rises here and flows south.

25 leagues east is a mountain called Mount Oldslow. On its sides there are cool-bounty bushes, Wax-dark cats, and seams of corundum. The river Burning-lynx rises here and flows east.

25 miles northeast is a mountain called Mount Bitter-hearth. Here are found shrinking-metal grasses, Waking crows, and rocks containing iron. The river Kind-love rises here and flows east. On its banks uncountably many Yellow cats.

60 leagues east is a mountain called Mount Scour-dying. Near the base are found livingpines, a great many Young-flower dogs, and seams of dark-magic. The river Run-growing rises here and flows south. On its banks innumerable Dyingpale animals.

40 leagues south is a mountain called Mount Throw-fairy. Around the peak can be found uncountably many shrinking-bird pines, Queen-water cats, and deposits rich with corundum. The river Queen-magic rises here and flows southwest. On its banks Growing-ash dogs.

50 miles southeast is a mountain called Mount Growingblue. On its slopes there are brightflowers, Ruddy animals, and seams of iron. The river Run-ant rises here and flows northwest. On its banks Walking birds.

[sprite-guard]

Added some longer flora descriptions, as well as medicinal properties:

170 leagues southeast is a mountain called Mount Dog-Bad. Near the base there are patches of Magic bushes, which look like a twisted oak but with flowers like an iris and thin leaves. The roots can be eaten to cure gas. Around the peak there are deposits of iron. The river Fine rises here and flows northeast. On its banks are found Burning-Metal animals.

[sprite-guard]

Source is now available: https://github.com/sprite-guard/shanhaigen

[sprite-guard]

Added deity sacrifices to my local version, haven't merged them yet. It's not very sensible yet: right now you can sacrifice blackberry boughs, there can be a grass that looks like a rhododendron, or a vine that looks like a stout fir. Splitting out different kinds of plants and animals will allow for more coherent imagery.

The deity of this mountain is Soap-Sleeping. To sacrifice to this deity, bring to its shrine some purified oil or blackberry boughs.

[schas002]

Feature request: Describe the shrine of the deity? :3

[sprite-guard]

Ooh, good idea!

[sprite-guard]

90 miles northwest is a mountain called Mount Restore-Shy. At its peak can be found rocks containing coal, many hidden-bird vines, and Kill-Old birds. The deity of this mountain is Kill-Wood. To sacrifice to this deity, make a burnt offering of olive oil and leaves of the Hiding-Cat plant. Their shrine has an asymmetrical door and is usually placed between two trees. The river Send-Turning rises here and flows west.

[sprite-guard]

I also separated out plant types so they make more sense. Animals are next on the agenda, as well as actually pushing all of the changes I've made.

[sprite-guard]

All changes have been pushed.

[sprite-guard]

I didn't finish absolutely everything I wanted to add, but I'm really happy with how this turned out. It's in a completely readable state, and has a nice amount of variation. I still want to expand on it some (I really want to add temples!) but I'm content with this being its state at the end of the jam.

[sprite-guard]

A final output from the final version:

180 leagues west is a mountain called Mount Quick-Emperor. On this mountain are found a few Autumn-Breaking beasts. They can be eaten to cure colds. On its sides there are innumerable Cruelbreaking trees, which look like a fir but with flowers like a carnation. Their leaves can be eaten to cure gluttony. The river Bridge-Hot rises here and flows northeast. On its banks are found Bad-Queen cats.

30 leagues west is a mountain called Mount Waking-Bird. On its sides there are Wash-Good crows and Man-Night dogs. Near the base can be found a handful of Send-Aching trees, which look like a elm but with flowers like a rose. The deity of this mountain is Boy-Shard. To sacrifice to this deity, place on an altar an offering of butter. Boy-Shard's shrine is black, and always near water. The river Walking rises here and flows north.

40 leagues southeast is a mountain called Mount Magicshrinking. Near the base are found a handful of finetrees, dozens of Kill-Lovely ducks, and seams of coal. The river Burning-Joy rises here and flows east.

110 leagues northwest is a mountain called Mount Open-Color. On its sides there are mineshafts containing iron, waningshrubs, and Girl-Lovely cats. The mountain is presided over by the deity Shard-Hearth, who accepts sacrifices of ox fat. The river Waning rises here and flows south. On its banks there are hundreds of Winter-Hot animals.

55 miles northeast is a mountain called Mount Red. Here can be found thousands of shrinking-woman pines. Their leaves will cure warts. The mountain is presided over by the deity Dog-Shrinking, who accepts sacrifices of sage. The river Sweetold rises here and flows northwest.

40 miles west is a mountain called Mount Mule-Home. Here can be found deposits of zinc, blurry-fire flowers, and uncountably many Yellowyoung fowl. The mountain is presided over by the deity Hotsleeping, who accepts sacrifices of lambs. The river Quickgrowing rises here and flows west.

80 miles southwest is a mountain called Mount Lovelyfading. Near the top can be found uncountably many Waxing dogs. Their livers are a cure for bad dreams. On its sides are found a handful of quick-spite pines. The roots will treat tingling. The river Blurry-Insect rises here and flows west. Deposits rich with bitter-bitter are found there.

25 miles southwest is a mountain called Mount Singe-Bounty. Near the top can be found mineshafts containing corundum. Near the top can be found scattered Pain-Wax fowl. Their meat can cure stomach pains. The river Sour-Fairy rises here and flows northwest.

90 leagues northeast is a mountain called Mount Burn-Pain. Near the top there are dozens of Fly-Red ducks. On this mountain can be found uncountably many Love-Hatred vines, which look like a honeysuckle with flowers like a carnation. The stems will treat fever. The deity of this mountain is Woman-Queen. To sacrifice to this deity, make a burnt offering of herbs. You can recognize the shrine of Woman-Queen by its flat statue. The river Sweet rises here and flows northwest. Rocks containing corundum are found there.

170 miles northwest is a mountain called Mount Ash-Ash. At its peak there are a handful of blurry-woman vines, seams of zinc, and Achingcool crows. The river Leopard-Bright rises here and flows west. Rocks containing beryl are found there.