recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Lamia

The **lamia** is a hybrid monster with the body of a snake and the head, arms and torso of a female human. They are fond of seducing and devouring human males. They are also noted for stealing humans.

They are said to be descended from Queen Lamia of Libya (or Sardinia), a lover of Zeus who is turned into a monster by Hera.

Some experts (including Gary Gygax) describe lamias as having four bestial legs, in addition to human arms, like a monstrous centaur. These variety may emerge in the Middle Ages.

**Wikipedia:** **Lamia**
Mary Magdalene

**Mary Magdalene** is a harlot who turned into a saint after becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. Symbologist Robert Langdon uncovered a secret tradition that claimed that she was actually the wife of Jesus and the mother of his children.

Her siblings were Lazarus and Saint Martha.

After the Resurrection, she either came to Ephesus in Asia Minor, or Provence in France.

**Wikipedia:** Mary Magdalene
Llama

**Llamas** are herd animals found in mountain regions of South America, bred for use as a pack animal as well as for meat. The name is also used to refer to a family of animals that includes the **alpaca**, a similar animal bred for their wool, and for their wild relatives, the **vicuna** and **guanaco**.

## Links

**Wikipedia:** Llama

**Open Gaming Network (Pathfinder SRD):** Herd Animal, Llama
Lady Luck

**Lady Luck**, known to the Greeks as **Tyche** and to the Romans as **Fortuna**, is the modern deity of luck. As an avatar of Chaos, she bestows and withdraws good fortune on a whim.

As a companion of the Olympian Pantheon, she was said to be the daughter of Aphrodite and Hermes. In her modern guise, she appears as an alluring woman, often dressed in evening wear or else scantily clad. She is attracted to cards, dice, horseshoes, four-leaf clovers and other symbols of chance and luck.

**Wikipedia:** Tyche, Fortuna
Mediterranean

The **Mediterranean Sea** is a body of water south of Europe and north of Africa. It connects to the Atlantic Ocean via the Straits of Gibraltar, to the Black Sea via the Bosporus, and to the Red Sea through the Suez Canal.

## Seas

The Mediterranean is subdivided into smaller seas, the best-known of which are:

Aegean Sea

Adriatic Sea

Ionian Sea

## Islands

Sicily

Sardinia

Corsica

Crete

Cyprus

Malta

## Nations

Among the nations that border the Mediterranean are:

Spain

France

Italy

Croatia

Albania

Greece

Turkey

Lebanon

Israel/Palestine

Aegypt

Libya

Tunisia

Algeria

Morocco

**Wikipedia:** Mediterranean Sea
Mach 5

The **Mach 5** is a racecar driven by Speed Racer, and designed and built by his father, Pops Racer.

It has numerous special abilities, activated via a keypad on the steering wheel. These includes autojacks (which facilitate jumping), mini-wings, belt tires, cutter blades, an invulnerable (and watertight) bubble, a periscope and a homing robot.

**Wikipedia:** Mach Five
Midatlantic

The **Midatlantic** is a region of the United States in North America. To the east of the Midatlantic is the Heartland; to the south is Dixie. The Atlantic Ocean is to the southeast, with New England to the northeast. Canada is to the north (across the Great Lakes).

## States

New York State

Pennsylvania

New Jersey

Maryland

Delaware

Note: Maryland and Delaware are considered part of Dixie (being south of the Mason/Dixon Line) as well as part of the Midatlantic.
Mina Harker

**Wilhelmina Murray**, later **Mina Harker**, is a British schoolteacher who is instrumental in thwarting Count Dracula's conquest of England. She is a close friend of Lucy Westenra, Dracula's first victim in England, and later is almost turned into a vampire herself. In the midst of the conflict, she marries her fiance Jonathan Harker.

**Dracula Wiki:** Mina Harker
Kraken

**The Kraken** is a sea monster, an enormous squid that lives on the bottom of the North Atlantic, feeding on whales and ships. It is believed to be unique, though there may be smaller versions of the creature in existence. Though associated with the waters between Norway and Greenland, it is sometimes directed by the Olympian gods against their enemies, following the cry "Release the Kraken!"
Martial Artist

**Martial artists** are a class of fighters who use special training to turn their bodies into weapons.

## Types

Karate

Kung Fu

Judo

Taekwondo

Jiu-Jitsu

Aikido

Krav Maga

Kickboxing

Capoeira

Mixed Martial Arts

Boxing and wrestling are often considered sports, rather than martial arts, but they could be included here as well.

Ninjas are skilled in their own form of martial arts as well as in the arts of stealth and infiltration.

## Individuals

Bruce Lee (1940-1973)

Jackie Chan (1954- )

Jet Li (1963- )

Steven Seagal (1952- )

Chuck Norris (1940- )

Jean-Claude Van Damme (1960- )

Wong Fei-hung (1847-1924)

Kato (c. 1915- )

Iron Fist

Shang-Chi

Kwai Chang Caine (b. 1838)
Kobold

**Kobolds**, also known as **tommyknockers**, are diminutive humanoid creatures that live underground and are hostile to miners if not shown proper respect. They are a very old species, displaying a mixture of reptilian and mammalian traits.

Kobolds are found in Germany, Cornwall, Wales and the Appalachians, among other places.

**Wikipedia:** Kobold
Mastodon

The **mastodon** is a furry, prehistoric elephant found in North America during the Ice Age. It is often confused with the mammoth, another hairy Pleistocene pachyderm; they can be distinguished by the mastodon's lower, flatter head. Unlike the mammoth, the mastodon is not closely related to modern elephants.

## Links

**Wikipedia:** Mastodon

**Open Gaming Network (5E SRD):** Mastodon
Lewis Carroll

**Lewis Carroll** (1832-1898), also known as **Charles Dodgson**, is an English author and mathematician who is a leading authority on the alternate reality called Wonderland. He is a close friend--some say too close--of Alice Liddell, whose accidental encounter with Wonderland he chronicled.

Carroll teaches maths at Oxford.

## Creatures

Carroll is the first writer to catalogue numerous fantastic beasts, among them:

Jabberwock

Bandersnatch

Jubjub Bird

Mome Rath

Tove

Borogrove

Mock Turtle

Cheshire Cat

Snark

Boojum
Krishna

**Krishna** (3228-3102 BCE), god of love, is a deity worshiped in the Hindu faith. He is an avatar of Vishnu. He is blue and plays the flute.

Incarnated at Mathura in India as the nephew of a wicked king, Krishna is smuggled to Gathula where he is raised as a cowherd. After killing the king, Krishna founds the city of Dwarka, where he lives as a prince. During the Mahabharata War, he serves as charioteer to Arjuna. Krishna is accidentally killed while meditating in the forest of Bhalka Tirtha, where a hunter mistakes him for a deer and shoots him in his vulnerable heel.

**Wikipedia:** Krishna

**Encyclopedia Britannica:** Krishna
Miskatonic River

The **Miskatonic River** is a river in Massachusetts. Its source is near the village of Dunwich; it flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Arkham. It is the namesake of Miskatonic University.

Aside from the typical fauna of a freshwater river in New England, the Miskatonic is home to monsters such as Deep Ones and Shoggoths.

**Evil Wiki:** Miskatonic River
Los Angeles

**Los Angeles** is California's largest city, and the city that dominates Southern California. It is known for its sunny weather, its traffic and its connection to the film industry.

## Neighborhoods

Bel-Air

Beverly Hills

Burbank

Chinatown

Compton

Downtown LA

East LA

Hollywood

Knot's Landing

Malibu

Mockingbird Heights

San Fernando Valley

Santa Monica

South Central

Venice Beach

## Features

Beverly Hills Hotel

Brown Derby

Disneyland

Forest Lawn Cemetery

Grauman's Chinese Theater

Hollywood Boulevard

Hollywood Sign

La Brea Tarpits

Los Angeles River

 Melrose Place

Rodeo Drive

Schwab's Pharmacy

Sunset Strip

Whiskey A Go Go

## Groups

Blue Moon Detective Agency

Charlie's Angels

CHiPs

Helping Hand Acceptance Corporation

LAPD

The Mod Squad

Symbionese Liberation Army

## Individuals

ALF

Angel

Lew Archer

Jack Bauer

The Black Dahlia

Blacula

Carol Brady

Mike Brady

Foxy Brown

Jed Clampett

Deckard

Norma Desmond

Walt Disney

 Grandpa

Dr. Dre

Douglas Fairbanks

Sgt. Joe Friday

Jake Gittes

Doogie Howser

Hutch Hutchinson

Ice Cube

Barnaby Jones

Cleopatra Jones

Robert Kennedy

Rodney King

Charles Manson

Philip Marlowe

Perry Mason

Fred Munster

Lily Munster

Ozzie & Harriet Nelson

River Phoenix d. 1993

Mary Pickford

Mildred Pierce

Ponch Poncherello

Jim Rockford

Fred G. Sanford

Lamont Sanford

Nicole Brown Simpson -1994

Will "Fresh Prince" Smith

David Starsky

Remington Steele

Sharon Tate -1969)

Charles Townsend

Lana Turner

Marcus Welby
Minos

**Minos**, the son of Zeus and Europa, was a powerful king of Crete.

His palace was at Knossos, where he built the Labyrinth to house the original Minotaur. He demanded a tribute of sacrificial youths from Athens, a practice halted by Theseus. Minos held Daedalus and his son Icarus prisoner, forcing them to escape on wax wings.

After his death he became a judge in Hell.
Kokopelli

**Kokopelli** is a Native American deity, known throughout the Southwest. He is identifiable by his hunched back, the feathers or antenna coming from the back of his head and the flute he constantly plays. A trickster , he represents fertility and the changing seasons to his worshippers.

**Wikipedia:** Kokopelli
Mary Queen of Scots

**Mary, Queen of Scots** (1542 – 1587) is Queen of Scotland from 1542-67. She is also Queen of France from 1559-60. Deposed from the Scottish throne in 1567, she is seen as a pretender to the English crown, held by her cousin Queen Elizabeth, who imprisons her. She is executed for treason at Fotheringhay Castle in 1587.

**Wikipedia:** Mary, Queen of Scots
Mage

**Magicians**, sometimes known as **mages** to distinguish them from performers of stage tricks, are a class of people with the ability to control and direct magical power.

They are considered one of the basic adventuring classes.

The Gygaxian tradition distinguishes between wizards, warlocks and sorcerers--different sorts of mages depending on how they gain their powers. It's not clear that mages of legend or literature ever use the terminology in this way, but they do seem to describe actual archetypes:

* Wizards use research and study to master the arcane arts, reading musty tomes of ancient spells.
* Sorcerers channel magical energies through an innate connection to arcane forces.
* Warlocks achieve power through bargaining with supernatural entities.

There are also specialized mages, who concentrate on particular kinds of magic--such as illusionists, necromancers, diviners and enchantresses.

The term "witch" may be applied to virtually any type of mage--usually but not exclusively female.

## Wizards

Gandalf

Saruman

Radagast

Circe

Medea

Simon Magus

Merlin

Morgana Le Fay

Godric Griffindor (10th C-11th C)

Rowena Ravenclaw  (10th C-11th C)

Helga Hufflepuff  (10th C-11th C)

Salazar Slytherin  (10th C-11th C)

Albertus Magnus (1200-1280)

Prospero

Albus Dumbledore (1881-1997)

Lord Voldemort (1926-1981, 1995-1998)

Aleister Crowley (1875-1947)

Sabrina Spellman (witch)

Severus Snape (1960-1998)

Steven Strange

Harry Potter (1980- )

Ron Weasley (1980- )

Hermione Granger (1979- )

Ginny Weasley (1981- )

Alex Russo

## Warlocks

John Faust (1480–1540) (warlock?)

John Dee (1527-1609) (warlock?)

Edward Kelley (1555-1597) (warlock?)

## Witches

Witch of Endor

Baba Yaga

Malificent

Elphaba

Glinda

Sabrina Spellman

Sabrina Spellman
Leopard

**Leopards** are a large spotted cat found in Africa and Asia. They can be found in a wide variety of tropical habitats, including grasslands, deserts and mountains, but they are particularly suited to forests and take full advantage of the ambush possibilities provided by trees.

**Snow leopards** are a variety of leopard (not closely related) found in cold mountain regions.

Leopards cannot change their spots.

## Links

**Wikipedia:** Leopard

**Open Gaming Network (5E SRD):** Leopard
Medium

A **medium** is a means through which stories are told. As with genre, media sometimes have common conventions or styles, but it's possible for multiple genres to be represented by the same medium. (Likewise, one genre can be featured in multiple media.)

## Examples

Art

Literature

Theater

Film

TV

Comic Book

Comic Strip

Opera

Cartoon
Metal

A **metal** is a solid substance that is typically hard, shiny and malleable. Metals may be a single element or a combination of elements, in which case they are known as **alloys**.

## Elements

Magnesium

Aluminum

Chrome

Iron

Cobalt

Nickel

Copper

Zinc

Silver

Tin

Platinum

Gold

Mercury

Lead

Uranium

Plutonium

## Alloys

Brass

Bronze

Electrum

Pewter

Steel

## Fanciful

Adamantium

Mithril

Unobtanium

Vibranium

**Wikipedia:** Metal
Middle East

The **Middle East** is a region in the southwest of Asia. It includes Asia Minor, the Levant, Palestine, Arabia, Mesopotamia and Persia.

To the northwest, the Middle East is separated from Eastern Europe by the Bosphorus. Westward is the Mediterranean Sea, and a connection to Egypt via the Sinai Peninsula. To the southwest is the Red Sea, across which is Africa. To the south of the Middle East is the Indian Ocean, and to the east is India. Central Asia is to the northeast, with the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea to the north.
Magrathea

**Magrathea** is an ancient planet hidden in the heart of the Horsehead Nebula, renowned for its planet-building industry. Magrathea's inhabitants, the Magratheans, are a highly skilled yet reclusive people, with an economy based on creating bespoke planets for the wealthiest clients in the universe. Its surface, mostly barren and rocky, hides complex machinery and workshops beneath.
Lake Superior

**Lake Superior**--known to the Chippewa as **Gitchigoomie**--is the largest of the Great Lakes, and the largest lake in the world by surface area. It lies between Canada and the United States, with the state of Minnesota on its western shore, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to its south, and the province of Ontario to its north. On its eastern end Lake Superior drains into Lake Huron.

Associated with Hiawatha and the wreck of the *Edmund Fitzgerald*.
Kong

**King Kong** is a kaiju, a giant gorilla from Skull Island in the Indian Ocean. In 1933, he is captured and taken to New York City, where he dies after falling from the Empire State Building.

There are other giant gorillas, some even larger, that are referred to as Kong--one of whom battles Godzilla in 1962. After King Kong's death, an immature giant gorilla was found on Skull Island and assumed to be the Son of Kong.

## External Links

**Wikipedia:** King Kong

**Wikizilla:** King Kong
Lake Michigan

**Lake Michigan** is one of the Great Lakes, the only one entirely in the United States. On the western shore of Lake Michigan is Wisconsin, while to the southwest is Illinois. Indiana is at its southern end, while Michigan is to the east and northeast. At its northeast corner, Lake Michigan empties into Lake Huron.

The major cities on the shores of Lake Michigan are Milwaukee and Chicago.
Lohengrin

**Lohengrin** is a knight of the Holy Grail, the son of Parsifal. He is known as the **Knight of the Swans**, since he travels in a boat pulled by swans. He marries Elsa, the daughter of the Duke of Brabant, on the condition that she never ask his name. Eventually she does, and he must leave, in his boat pulled by swans.

The music known as "Here Comes the Bride" was first played at Lohengrin and Elsa's wedding.

**Wikipedia:** Lohengrin
Giant

A **Giant** is a creature of human form but with larger than human stature. They are common in Ancient Times and through the Dark Ages, but are rarely to be found in Modern Times.

## Types

Ogres

Cyclopes

Hill Giants

Stone Giants

Tree Giants

Ettins

Trolls

Fire Giants

Frost Giants

Cloud Giants

Storm Giants

Mountain Giants

Titans

## Individuals

Cardiff Giant

Atlas

Goliath

Polyphemus

Orion

Balor

Gogmagog

Gargantua

Paul Bunyan

Jolly Green Giant

Fifty-Foot Woman

Colossal Man

Rubeus Hagrid

## Links

**Wikipedia:** Giant

**TV Tropes:** Our Giants Are Bigger
Mary I

**Mary I** (1516 – 1558) is Queen of England from 1553-58, nicknamed **Bloody Mary** for her persecution of Protestants.

The eldest child of Henry VIII by his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, she becomes queen after the death of her half-brother Edward VI and the removal of her cousin Jane Grey, who was briefly placed on the throne in an effort to keep the Catholic Mary from reversing the English Reformation.

**Wikipedia:** Mary I of England
Metis

**Metis**, a titan daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, is the first wife of Zeus. He swallows her when it is foretold that she will bear a child mightier than their father, and afterwards the goddess Athena is born from Zeus's forehead.

Metis is renowned for her wisdom; she advises Zeus, for example, on how to rescue his siblings from Kronos' belly.

## External Links

**Wikipedia:** Metis (mythology)

**Greek Mythology Wiki:** Metis (titaness)
Merlion

**Merlions** are sea monsters, fantastic hybrid beasts that have the head and (webbed) forelegs of a lion, and the body and tail of an enormous fish. They are sometimes called **sea-lions**, a name that invites confusion with the natural marine mammal.

They are found in warm salt water, particularly near Europe and Southeast Asia; they are especially common in the waters near Singapore and the Philippines.

**Wikipedia:** Merlion
Knife

A **knife** is an edged weapon as well as a tool necessary for survival.

Knives are usually 12 inches or less in length (though there are exceptions). Blades longer than that are typically considered swords.

Throwing a knife effectively is a specialized skill.

## Types

Definitions of knife types seem even more nebulous than sword definitions--but to take a stab at it:

Dagger: A short double-edged blade intended for stabbing.

Dirk: A long single-edged knife designed for use in an off-hand in two-weapon fighting.

Machete: A long straight knife used for slashing.

Stiletto: A slender dagger often used by assassins.

Bowie Knife: A large knife suitable for use in duels.

Bayonet: A knife that attaches to the end of a firearm for close-in fighting.

Jackknife: A knife that folds into the handle, also known as a pocketknife. It may include numerous other tools that fold out, like a Swiss Army knife or a scout knife.

Kris: A knife with a wavy blade, found in Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia.

Switchblade: A knife whose blade extends out of the handle when you flick a switch.

Shiv: An improvised knife, usually found in prisons.

**Wikipedia:** Fighting knife

**The Knife Encyclopedia**
Medea

**Medea** is a witch from Colchis who becomes the lover of Jason and helps him retrieve the Golden Fleece. The daughter of King Aeetes, she kills her brother to help Jason escape her father.

Upon their return to Greece, Medea tricks the daughters of King Pelias of Iolcus (who sent Jason on his quest) into cutting up their father, thinking the witch would rejuvenate him.

Medea and Jason then live in Corinth, where they have children together. When Jason announces he is marrying Corinth's princess, Medea kills her, the city's king and her own children, fleeing in chariot pulled by dragons provided by her grandfather Helios.

Medea shows up in Thebes, where she cures Hercules of madness. She then goes to Athens, where she marries King Aegeus. She is forced to flee again after an unsuccessful attempt to poison Aegeus' returning son, Theseus.

She returns to Colchis, where she restores her father to the throne. She ends up in Persia, where the Medes are named for her.

It's hard to deny that Medea is Chaotic Evil, given the number of people she murders. But she is nevertheless a strangely sympathetic character.

**Wikipedia:** Medea
Mark Antony

**Marcus Antonius**, also known as **Mark Antony** (83 BC-30 BC), is a Roman politician and general who played a key role in the events leading up to the end of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Age of Empire. He is a key supporter of Julius Caesar and later the lover and ally of Cleopatra. He is defeated at at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC.
Mary Read

**Mary Read** (1690–1721) is a prominent pirate during the Golden Age of Piracy, operating in the Caribbean until 1720. She is noted for her association with Anne Bonny as part of the crew of the pirate Calico Jack Rackham. She often disguises herself as a man. She is captured and sentenced to death on piracy-related charges.
Massachusetts

**Massachusetts** is one of the United States, part of New England. To the west of Massachusetts is New York State; to the southwest is Connecticut, to the south is Rhode Island and to the southeast and east is the Atlantic Ocean. New Hampshire is northeast of Massachusetts and Vermont northwest.

Boston is both the largest city and the capital of Massachusetts.

Cape Cod is a peninsula extending eastward from Massachusetts into the Atlantic. The hills in the west of the state are known as the Berkshires.

## Places

Amherst

Arkham

Boston

Cambridge

Cape Cod

Concord

Dunwich

Innsmouth

Lexington

Plymouth

Salem

Walden Pond

## Individuals

Abigail Adams

John Adams

John Quincy Adams

Sam Adams

Lizzie Borden

Noam Chomsky

Emily Dickinson

Ishmael (whaler)

John F. Kennedy

Robert Kennedy

Ted Kennedy

Mary (lamb owner)

Mighty Casey

Richard Upton Pickman

Paul Revere

Henry David Thoreau

**Wikipedia:** Massachusetts
Madness

**Madness** is the state of irrationality caused by **mental illness**. Also known as **insanity**.

## Examples

Hercules

Lear

Renfield

The Joker

Norman Bates

Travis Bickle

Hannibal Lecter

Patrick Bateman

Tyler Durden

## Print the Legend

In popular fiction, characters with mental illness are most often portrayed as dangerous and frequently evil. In the real world, people who are mentally ill are more often victims than perpetrators of violence.

**Wikipedia:** Mental illness in fiction
North America

**North America** is a continent of Earth, in the Northern and Western hemispheres. To the west of North America is the Pacific Ocean. To the south it is connected to South America via the Panama land bridge. To the east is the Atlantic Ocean. To the north is the Arctic Ocean.

Politically, North America is currently divided into Canada, the United States and Mexico--along with Central America and the Caribbean.

## Regions

Regions of North America include:

Alaska

Canada

The Northeast

The South

The Midwest

The West

Mesoamerica

## Creatures

### Ferocious Beasts:

Wolves

Black Bears

Grizzly Bears

Panthers

Bison

Moose

Elk

Alligators

Rattlesnakes

### Fantastic Beasts:

#### Legendary:

Wendigo

Manitou

Thunderbird

Deerfoot

Sasquatch

#### Folkloric:

Jackelope

Hodag

Mugwump

Dingbat

Hoop Snake

Mothman

Jersey Devil

Sidehill Gouger

Squonk

Windwalker

Gnomes

####  **Sci-Fi:**

Giant Spider

Giant Scorpion

Giant Insect

Dinosaur

Blobs

####  **Horror:**

Vampire

Werewolf

Zombie

Ghost

### Critters:

Raccoons

Deer

Opossums

Skunks

**Wikipedia:** North America
Louisiana

**Louisiana** is one of the United States in North America, part of Dixie. To the west of Louisiana is Texas, to the south is the Gulf of Mexico, to the east is the state of Mississippi and to the north is Arkansas.

Louisiana is situated at the delta of the Mississippi River. Its most famous city is New Orleans.
Mercury

**Mercury** is a planet in the Solar System, the closest known world to the Sun, traveling inside the orbit of Venus.

In the HBD universe, unlike the real world, Mercury's day is exactly equal to its year, leaving one side perpetually in scorching sunlight and one side freezing in darkness, with a thin habitable band between them.

**Wikipedia:** Mercury
Mathematician

**Mathematicians** are a class of expert who are skilled with numbers, geometry and the like. To be a great mathematician you must be extremely intelligent.

## Individuals

Pythagoras

Euclid

Archimedes

Isaac Newton

Rene Descartes

Pierre de Fermat

Leonardo Fibonacci

Kurt Godel

Blaise Pascal

Lewis Carroll

August Ferdinand Mobius

Professor Moriarty
Mammal

**Mammals** are a kind of vertebrate animal found on Earth, distinguished by warm blood, hair and milk produced for their young.

## Orders

Monotremes (egg-laying mammals)

Marsupials

Toothless Mammals (armadillos, sloths, anteaters)

Rodents (includes rabbits, insectivores)

Bats

Hoofed Mammals

Carnivores

Elephants

Sea Mammals (whales, seals, manatees)

Primates
Manhattan

**Manhattan** is an island that is a borough of New York City--the part most people think of when they think of New York City. To the west of Manhattan is the Hudson River, and beyond that New Jersey. South is New York Harbor, with Staten Island on the other side. Eastward is the East River; the northeastern shore is Queens and the southeast Brooklyn. To the north is the Harlem River and The Bronx.

## Neighborhoods

Manhattan is known for its distinct neighborhoods. At the northernmost end of Manhattan is Washington Heights. Below that is Harlem. Southwest of Harlem is the Upper West Side; due south is Central Park; southeast is the Upper East Side.

Below the Park is Midtown. The northwest part of Midtown is Hell's Kitchen; the southwest zone is Chelsea. In its center are Times Square and Rockefeller Center. On its east side is Turtle Bay.

South of Chelsea is Greenwich Village. East of the Village is the East Village.

South of Greenwich Village is SoHo. South of the East Village is the Lower East Side. In between the two is Little Italy.

South of SoHo is Tribeca. South of Little Italy is Chinatown.

South of Tribeca and Chinatown is City Hall. South of City Hall is the Financial District.

## Streets

Manhattan has a good many iconic streets, including Broadway, Fifth Avenue, Park Avenue, Madison Avenue, Wall Street, 34th Street and 42nd Street.

## Points of Interest

Landmark buildings in Manhattan include the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and the Flatiron Building. Notable museums include the Metropolitan Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim and the American Museum of Natural History.
Masked Avenger

A **masked avenger** is a hero who fights crime or injustice while concealing their identity, often with an actual mask. They are often at odds with the authorities.

The skills of a masked avenger generally involve some form of hand-to-hand combat. They are often masters of disguise, are skilled at climbing and stealth, and have a quick, resourceful intelligence.

Some superheroes partake strongly of the masked avenger archetype--notably Batman and Daredevil.

## Examples

Robin Hood is an early prototype of the masked avenger.

The Scarlet Pimpernel

Zorro

The Lone Ranger

The Phantom

Green Hornet

The Shadow

The Spirit

**Encyclopedia of Fantasy:** Masked Avenger
Knights of the Round Table

The **Knights of the Round Table** are an order of knights in Dark Age Britain, founded by King Arthur and based at his hall at Camelot. Their round table signifies their equality; they are dedicated to bringing justice to the land of Britain and, later, seeking the Holy Grail.

## Members

The Knights of the Round Table include:

Sir Bedevere

Sir Galahad

Sir Gawain

Sir Kay

Sir Lancelot

Sir Palamedes

Sir Perceval

Mordred

**Arthurian Legend:** The Knights of the Round Table -- Who and How Many?

**Yahoo! Answers:** Who Were the Best Knights of the Round Table?

**Quora:** Who Were the Best Knights of the Round Table in Order?
Mesopotamia

**Mesopotamia** is a part of the Middle East region of Asia. It centers on the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. It is roughly equivalent to the modern nations of Iraq, Syria and Kuwait. To the northwest of Mesopotamia is the Levant, to the southwest is Arabia. Southeast is the Persian Gulf. Persia is eastward, and Asia Minor north.

The people of Mesopotamia worshiped various combinations of the deities of the Mesopotamian Pantheon.

## Cities

Babylon

Akkad

Nineveh

Uruk

Ur

Ashur

## Individuals

Gilgamesh (c. 2650 BCE)

Abraham

Jonah

Nimrod

Hammurabi (reigned 1792 - 1752 BCE)

Nebuchadnezzar  (c. 634 - 562 BCE)

Sargon (reigned 2334 - 2279 BCE)

Ashurbanipal (reigned 668 - 627 BCE)

**Wikipedia:** Mesopotamia
Longsword

A **longsword** is an edged weapon with a three- or four-foot blade, designed to be used with one hand. The blade is typically straight and double-edged. It becomes a common weapon in the Middle Ages, particularly used by knights.

(Note: This is not what historians call a longsword, but rather what's known as an arming or knightly sword.)

**Wikipedia:** Longsword
Magic

**Magic** is a supernatural power that makes the impossible possible. It is a force that can be employed by magic users like wizards and witches ; it can also be embodied in magic items.

Magic is usually distinguished from miracles, supernatural manifestations that reflect the will of deities. Sometimes the two phenomena are described as arcane magic and divine magic.

**Wikipedia:** Magic (supernatural)
Leonardo da Vinci

**Leonardo da Vinci** (1452–1519) was an Italian artist, inventor and scientist, considered one of the most brilliant figures in all history.

Leonardo was born in Vinci, near Florence. He lived and worked in Florence, Milan, Rome and France.

He is the creator of some of the best-known works of art in history, including the *Mona Lisa* and *The Last Supper*.

His inventions include a parachute, a flying machine, a self-propelled cart, an armored fighting vehicle, a diving suit and much else.
Middle Earth

*See Gallery of Middle Earth.*

**Middle Earth** is the continent of Europe in an ancient antediluvian time, perhaps in an interglacial period in the Ice Age. It is a time when humans, elves, dwarves, hobbits and orcs all co-existed.

## Places

The Shire

Gondor

Mordor

Mirkwood

The Misty Mountains

Moria

## Characters

Frodo Baggins

Gandalf

Aragorn

Legolas

Gimli

Samwise Gamgee

Arwen

Boromir

Gollum/Sméagol

Saruman

Elrond

Galadriel

Pippin Took

Merry Brandybuck

Éowyn

Faramir

Treebeard

The Witch-king of Angmar

Bilbo Baggins

Theoden

## External Link

**Wikipedia:** Middle-earth

**Thierry Jungles:** A Map of Middle Earth

**LOTR Project:** Map of Middle Earth

**Peter Bird:** Map of Middle Earth
Missouri

**Missouri** is one of the United States of North America, part of the Heartland--though it also has affinities to Dixie. Nebraska is northwest of Missouri, Kansas to the west and Oklahoma to the southwest. Arkansas is south of Missouri, with Kentucky and Tennessee to the southeast. Eastward is Illinois, and Iowa north.

## Places

Independence

Kansas City

St. Joseph

St. Louis

St. Petersburg

Westport

## Individuals

Frankie Baker

Billy DeLyon

Huckleberry Finn

Injun Joe

Jesse James

Jim

Johnny (victim)

Tom Sawyer

Windwagon Smith

Stagger Lee

Becky Thatcher

Harry Truman
Lion

**Lions** are a species of feline carnivore found mainly in Africa, particularly East Africa and Southern Africa, with a very small population in India. Formerly they inhabited Northern Africa, the Middle East and Greece. Their preferred habitat is the savanna--open grassland with large numbers of prey and enough trees to provide cover. Unlike other big cats, they generally live and hunt in packs. They too occasionally specialize in human prey.

Lions are the kings of beasts.

## Individuals

Simba

Aslan

Cowardly Lion

Nemean Lion

## Links

**Wikipedia:** Lion

**Open Gaming Network (5E SRD):** Animal, Lion
Lake Erie

**Lake Erie** is a lake in the Great Lakes system, lying between Lake Huron and Lake Ontario. It is famous for its pollution during the mid-20th century.

On the west end of Erie is Michigan; to its south are Ohio and Pennsylvania. The east end touches New York State, and Ontario is to its north. The major cities on Lake Erie are Cleveland and Buffalo.

The water that flows out of Lake Erie goes over Niagara Falls before entering Lake Ontario.

**Wikipedia:** Lake Erie
Matt Dillon

US **Marshall** **Matt Dillon** is the chief law enforcement officer in the bustling frontier town of Dodge City, Kansas in the 1870s. Honorable and stoic, Dillon has a strong commitment to justice.

Dillon is aided by his trusty deputy, Chester Goode. He has a strong is largely unspoken affection for Miss Kitty Russell, part-owner of the Long Branch Saloon. He also has a friendship with the town's doctor, Doc Galen Adams.

## External Links

**Wikipedia:** Matt Dillon (Gunsmoke)

**Gunsmoke Wiki:** Matt Dillon

**Historica:** Matt Dillon
King

A **king** is a male hereditary monarch. The wife of a king is a queen; a king's children are princes and princesses.

In ancient and medieval times, a king's power might be absolute; through the Renaissance and Enlightenment their power was gradually circumscribed, until by modern times most remaining kings have an entirely ceremonial role.

**Wikipedia:** King
Moth

**Moths** are flying insects, related to the butterfly. They are often nocturnal and are attracted to lights at night.

Moth caterpillars frequently eat clothes. They spin a cocoon when it's time for them to metamorphosize.

## Types

Deaths Head Moth

Gypsy Moth

Atlas Moth

Silkworm

## Giant Moths

Giant moths are encountered in fantasy and science fiction settings. Examples include Mothra and the Giant Lunar Moth.

**Wikipedia:** Moth
Mount Othrys

**Mount Othrys** is a mountain in central Greece. It is the site of the palace of the Titans, and the birthplace of Zeus and his siblings who are eaten by Kronos. The palace is destroyed in the war between the Titans and Olympians.

**Coordinates:** 39° 1′ 1″ N, 22° 42′ 35″ E

**Wikipedia:** Mount Othrys
New Jersey

**New Jersey** is one of the United States in North America, part of the Midatlantic region. To the west of New Jersey is Pennsylvania; to the south, across the Delaware River, is Delaware. East of New Jersey is the Atlantic Ocean. New York City is to the northeast, and New York State to the north.

## Places

Asbury Park

Atlantic City

Camp Crystal Lake

Gotham City

Grovers Mill

Jersey Shore

Lakehurst

Newark

Princeton

Trenton

Westfield

## Individuals

Gomez Addams

Morticia Addams

Tony Baretta

Buckaroo Banzai

Albert Einstein

Dr. Gregory House

Jason Voorhees

Charles Lindbergh Jr.

Tony Soprano

Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Wayne
Muhammad

**Muhammad** (570-632) is a prophet of Allah, and founder of the religion of Islam.

Born in Mecca in Arabia, the Archangel Gabriel inspires him to receive the contents of the Quran, the main holy text of Islam. Facing opposition to his teachings, he is forced in 622 to flee to Medina. He later conquered Mecca and all of Arabia. He died in Medina, but his movement went on to conquer much of Asia, Africa and Europe.

## Family

Muhammad's father was Abdullah. His first wife was Khadija, whose first daughter was Fatimah. Fatimah married Muhammad's cousin Ali, and was the mother of Hussein, among others. Another prominent wife of Muhammad was Aisha.

Out of respect for the religious traditions of Islam, Mohammad is generally not depicted.

**Wikipedia:** Muhammad
Krypton

**Krypton** is a planet circling a red sun in the Milky Way galaxy, known for its advanced technological achievements. It is destroyed by natural instability in the early 20th century. The natives of the planet are called Kryptonians; they have superpowers when not under the light of a red star.

Krypton is the home planet of Kal-El, known as Superman, who escapes the planet's destruction by being placed in a rocket by his father Jor-El. Krypton is also the birthplace of Kara Zor-El (Supergirl), as well as General Zod and other survivors of the cataclysm, including the residents of the bottle city of Kandor.

In addition to Kandor, major cities of Krypton include the capital of Kryptonopolis and Argo City, Kara's hometown. Points of interest include the Scarlet Jungle, the Jewel Mountains, the Fire Falls and the Gold Volcano.

The remnants of Krypton's destruction turned into the material kryptonite, a substance that has a debilitating effect on Kryptonians.

## External Links

**Wikipedia:** Krypton (comics)

**DC Database:** Krypton
Little Rock

**Little Rock** is the capital and largest city in Arkansas. Founded in 1821, it has a population of about 197,312 in 2020. Located on the Arkansas River, it is the site of a key victory in the struggle to desegregate schools.

**Coordinates:** 34.7465° N, 92.2896° W

**Wikipedia:** Little Rock, Arkansas
Orpheus

**Orpheus** is a musician from Ancient Greece, perhaps the greatest bard of all time. Born in Thrace, he is the son of Calliope, muse of epic poetry. He can charm animals and make trees and rocks dance with his music.

He marries the dryad Eurydice, and follows her to the Underworld after she dies from being bitten by a snake. He persuades Hades and Persephone to let him take her back to the world of the living under the condition that he not look back while taking her home; he looks back.

He is torn apart by Maenads, the followers of Dionysus.

**Wikipedia:** Orpheus
Modern Deity

**Modern deities** are powerful, godlike supernatural beings that are still believed in or at least evoked by modern culture.

Santa Claus

The Easter Bunny

The Tooth Fairy

Cupid

The Stork

The Bluebird of Happiness

The Grim Reaper

Father Time

Mother Nature

Old Man Winter

Jack Frost

Justice

Liberty

Lady Luck

Victory

The Invisible Hand

Flying Spaghetti Monster
Paris Opera House

The **Palais Garnier**, known as the **Paris Opera House**, is a theater for opera performances in Paris, France. Construction starts in 1861 and the theater opens in 1875. In 1883-84, the opera house is haunted by the Phantom of the Opera.

## External Links

**Coordinates:** 48°52′19″N 2°19′54″E

**Wikipedia:** Palais Garnier
Oedipus

**Oedipus** is a king of Thebes in Ancient Greece who unknowingly kills his father Laius and marries his mother Jocasta. He also defeats a sphinx that had been harrowing Thebes. He blinds himself after learning who his parents were, and is guided by his daughter Antigone to Colonus near Athens, where he is granted absolution by King Theseus, dies and is buried.

Millennia later, Sigmund Freud names a complex after him.

**Wikipedia:** Oedipus
Muse

**The Muses** are goddesses worshiped in Ancient Greece who represent the arts and inspire artists.  They are the daughters of Zeus and the titan  Mnemosyne, and are led by Apollo. They live on Mount Helicon.

## List

* Calliope  (epic poetry)
* Thalia  (comedy)
* Melpomene (tragedy)
* Terpsichore (dance)
* Clio (history )
* Euterpe (lyric poetry)
* Erato (love poetry)
* Polyhymnia (sacred poetry)
* Urania (astronomy )

**Wikipedia:** Muses

**Greek Mythology Wiki:** The Muses
Nymph

**Nymphs** are supernatural creatures, resembling beautiful human women, with an intrinsic connection to the natural world. They are notably found in Greece and Italy, but may be found in many parts of the world under different names.

## Types

Dryads (tree nymphs)

Naiads (water nymphs)

Nereids (sea nymphs)

Oceanids (ocean nymphs)

Oreads (mountain nymphs)

## Groups

Hesperides

Hyades

Pleiades

## Individuals

Amalthea

Callisto

Calypso

Daphne

Echo

Eurydice

Harmonia

Io

Syrinx

Thetis (mother of Achilles)
Nick Adams

**Nick Adams** is a young man from Horton Bay, Michigan, who works for the Ambulance Corps in Spain during the Great War. He is wounded during the war, and later recuperates in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, fishing on the Two Hearted River.

Adams is the son of a doctor; he has a sister, Littless, whom he is perhaps overly close to. He later marries Helen Adams.

## External Links

**Wikipedia:** Nick Adams (character)

**Book Rags:** The Nick Adams Stories Characters
Mollusc

**Mollusks** are a class of invertebrate animal. They are divided into bivalves, gastropods and cephalopods.

**Bivalves** have two jointed shells.

Clams

Oysters

Scallops

**Gastropods** have a single spiral shell--or no shell at all.

Snails

Slugs

**Cephalopods** have multiple tentacles, and may or may not have a shell.

Octopuses

Squid

Nautili

**Wikipedia:** Mollusca
Navajo

The **Navajo**, known as **Dine** in their own language, are a Native American nation, in modern times one of the most populous in the United States. Their lands are now in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. They are closely related to the Apache.

During World War II, Navajo servicemembers served as Code Talkers--using their language to build a code that was impossible for Japanese forces to break.

**Wikipedia:** Navajo
Nimue

**Nimue**, also known as the Lady of the Lake, is a legendary figure from Arthurian lore. She is associated with the magical island of Avalon and the court of King Arthur. Nimue is known for her mystical abilities, particularly in the realm of enchantments and magic. She plays a pivotal role in the Arthurian legends, often appearing as a guide and advisor to Arthur and his knights. Nimue's story can be found in various Arthurian tales and medieval romances.
Patrick

**Patrick** (373-493) is a saint who took the message of Christianity to Ireland. Born in Wales, he was captured by Irish pirates and enslaved, working as a shepherd. He later returned to preach the Gospel to the Irish. He used a shamrock to illustrate the doctrine of the Trinity. He also drove all snakes from Ireland.

**Wikipedia:** Saint Patrick
Morgana Le Fay

**Morgan Le Fay**, also known as **Morgana** or **Morgaine**, is a mage in the Dark Ages of Britain. She is an enemy of King Arthur, who is the father of her nephew Mordred.

She is described as "le Fay," which is to say "the Elf," though she seems to come from human stock.

**Wikipedia:** Morgan le Fay

**Quondam et Futurus:** Morgan le Fay
Nellie Bly

**Nellie Bly** (1864-1920) is a journalist and explorer based in New York City who in 1889-90 circumnavigates the world in less than 80 days, beating the record set by Phileas Fogg. In 1887 she checks herself into a madhouse to expose conditions there. Her employer is Joseph Pulitzer's *New York World*.

**Wikipedia:** Nellie Bly
Pangaea

**Pangaea** was a supercontinent that bound together all the major continents of Earth, from approximately 335 million years ago--the middle of the Carboniferous Era--until about 175 million years ago, the middle of the Jurassic Era.

Initially Pangaea broke up into two large masses, one comprising North America, Europe and most of Asia, and the other Gondwanaland--South America, Africa, India, Australia and Antarctica.

**Wikipedia:** Pangaea
Maltese Falcon

The **Maltese Falcon** is a bejeweled, golden statuette created by the Knights of Malta as a tribute for Charles V of Spain. Before it can be delivered, it is captured by pirates, and treasure hunters have been looking for it ever since. In 1713 it turns up in Sicily; in 1840, it appears in Paris, by which time it has acquired a coat of black enamel. In 1923, it's found by a Greek dealer named Charilaos Konstantinides, who is killed over it. It reportedly resurfaces in 1940 in an Istanbul suburb in the hands of a Russian general named Kemidov; it is stolen from him and supposedly taken to San Francisco, though the statue that is wrangled over there turns out to be a fake.

Among those contending for the Black Bird, as it's called, are Kasper Gutman, Joel Cairo and Brigid O'Shaughnessy. Their machinations result in the death of private detective Miles Archer, which leads his partner Sam Spade to investigate and eventually turn in the gang.

**Wikipedia:** The Maltese Falcon (1941 film)

**Daily Script:** Maltese Falcon
Mount Fuji

**Mount Fuji**, or **Fujiyama**, is a mountain in Japan. At 12,389 feet, it is the highest mountain in Japan, and one of the nation's most recognizable landmarks. An active volcano, Fuji emerges approximately 100,000 years before the present, and erupts most recently in 1707-08.

Hokusai's *36 Views of Mount Fuji* are considered the artist's masterpiece.

**Coordinates:** 35° 21′ 29″ N, 138° 43′ 52″ E

**Wikipedia:** Mount Fuji
Peacock

The **peacock** is a male bird noted for spectacular displays of their tail feathers. The female of the species are called **peahens**; collectively they are **peafowl**. They are native to India and Southeast Asia, but have long been domesticated.

## Links

**Wikipedia:** Peafowl

**Open Gaming Network (Pathfinder SRD):** Peafowl
Monopod

**Monopods** are a human folk who are born with one leg, at the base of which is one enormous foot. They move about by hopping. In the heat of the day, they often lie on their backs and shade themselves with their foot.

According to authorities such as Pliny, Mandeville and others, monopods dwell in both India and Aethiopia. Some were encountered by the *Dawn Treader* in the ocean east of Narnia.

**Wikipedia:** Monopod (creature)
Peking

**Peking**--nowadays known as **Beijing**--is the capital of China, and its second largest city (after Shanghai). It has been the seat of various Chinese governments since 1403.

**Founded:** 1046 BC

**Population:** 280,000 (50 AD), 460,000 (600), 600,000 (1100), 1.6 million (1200), 3 million (1325), 2.5 million (1910), 4.6 million (1935), 2 million (1949), 7.6 million (1964), 11 million (1990), 21 million (2013)

## Places

Forbidden City

Tienanmen Square

## Individuals

Peking Man

Mao Tse-Tung

Deng Xiaoping

**Wikipedia:** Beijing
Omar

**Omar** (584-644), a holy warrior, is one of Mohammad's closest companions and later Caliph of the Muslim empire. Once one of Mohammad's fiercest opponents, he is converted to Islam by the prophet in 616. Under his leadership, the Caliphate conquers Aegypt, Syria, Mesopotamia and Persia. Conquering Aegypt, he orders the final destruction of the Library of Alexandria.

**Wikipedia:** Umar
Mount Rushmore

**Mount Rushmore,** known to the Lakota as the **Six Grandfathers**, is a mountain in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The landmark features sculptures of four presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Construction begins in 1927 and the sculptures are completed by 1939.

The mountain's peak is 5,725 feet above sea level.

**Coordinates:** 43° 52′ 44″ N, 103° 27′ 35″ W

**Wikipedia:** Mount Rushmore