This week’s trope is CHESS MASTERS:

A true master knows where all the pieces are at all times. Others may think they have taken control but alas, the master knew their last move before they played it.

This week’s trope is KNIGHTS:

Um. Noble rich people on horseback. Come on, you people know what knights are.

This week’s trope is TO BLATHE:

Sonny, true love is the greatest thing in the world. Except for a nice MLT, a mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomato is ripe. They’re so perky, I love that. But that’s not what he said! He distinctly said “to blave.” (Thanks to Wendy again.  Let’s find those examples of True Love!)

This week’s trope is EVIL LAIRS

The evil lair is where a great fantasy villain will spend the plurality of his or her time (topic provided by Christopher Scott Hand).

This week’s trope is LAW ENFORCEMENT:

Seems odd to think that in fantasy cities in which entire economies revolve around crime there is room for the men in blue (or crimson, or whatever). But the law does the best it can, even when faced with magic, mystical creatures, or rogue deities.

This week’s trope is PETS:

Everybody needs somebody to love. And the best companionship doesn’t always come from the same sentient group, does it? Be it furry or scaled, large or small, sometimes an animal companion is the best thing a person can have. Thank you to Nathan’s wife for this week’s topic!

This week’s trope is SNARKY SIDEKICKS:

Why is everyone so serious all the time?  Perhaps they need a friend that is there with a quick bit of wit to liven the day; even if the day is looking to quickly turn to blood. (Not actually found in the Tough Guide)

This week’s trope is HOLIDAYS:

Never too late to celebrate … holidays! Because fantasy festivals and feasts are always fun. Thanks to Wendy from Bibliosanctum for the suggestion!  And feel free to blame her if this proves to be as hard as it sounds.

This week’s trope is KINGS:

KINGS come in four kinds: Puppet Kings, Bad Kings, Good Kings (rare), and Long Lost Kings.

This week’s trope is TRAVELLING FOLK:

TRAVELLING FOLK are quite common.  They are of two kinds: Land travellers and River travellers. These people are merry, colourfully dressed, dishonest, and knowledgeable…they will cheat you, cure your wounds, and hustle you off to the cart of their oldest lady who will tell you something about the future you need to know.

This week’s trope is DRUGS

DRUGS- Driver of all the underground economies. At times glorified, at times responsible for all the world’s evil, but just as common in Fantasyland as our own.

This week’s trope is HIGH PRIEST:

HIGH PRIEST is nearly always evil, either on his own account or on behalf of the dark lord.

This week’s trope is BUGS:

BUGS are not in the Tough Guide but it should be. Let’s all find anything creepy or crawly, big or small, six legs, eight legs, or more. Bugs, bugs, bugs.

This week’s trope is MISSING HEIRS:

MISSING HEIRS occur with great frequency. At any given time, half the countries in Fantasyland will have mislaid their crown princess/prince.

This week’s trope is NAMED WEAPONS:

Surprise! This is not from the Tough Guide but fits the spirit of it well. So let us say for this topic the weapon either needs to be A. Named, B. Famous, or C. Sentient.

This week’s trope is NOVICES:

Novice is a term in frequent use. There are not only Novice Priests and Priestesses and nuns: you will also encounter novice healers and bards, and sometimes also novice mages…Novices are always young, frequently skinny and undernourished, and clad in robes.

This week’s trope is MONSTERS:

MONSTERS are likely to lie in waste areas, caves, and old ruined cities. You can usually detect their presence by smell.

“Tough Traveling” is a weekly Thursday feature created by Nathan at Review Barn where participants make a new list each week based on The Tough Guide to Fantasyland by Diana Wynne Jones. […]

This week’s trope is DARK LADIES:

DARK LADY. There is never one of these – so see DARK LORD instead.

This week’s trope is COMPANIONS:

COMPANIONS… You will normally meet them for the first time at the outset of the tour. They are picked from among the following: Bard, Female Mercenary, Gay mage, Imperious Female, Large Man, serious soldier, Slender Youth, Small Man, Talented Girl, Teenage Boy, Unpleasant Stranger, and Wise Old Stranger.

This week’s trope is WITCHES:

Witches are special and probably at least the equal of WIZARDS.

“Tough Traveling” is a weekly Thursday feature created by Nathan at Review Barn where participants make a new list each week based on The Tough Guide to Fantasyland by Diana Wynne Jones. […]

This week’s trope is TOWERS:

TURNCOATS are people who change to the side of the DARK LORD in mid-tour.

This week the trope is SHAPESHIFTERS:

SHAPESHIFTING is frequent among both WERES and MAGIC USERS. The usual form taken is that of a WOLF, but lions, eagles, serpents, owls, and cats are common too. In all cases the rule is that the shapeshifter cannon stay too long in animal form without actually becoming that animal.