Terry Pratchett/Discworld

The Discworld is the creation of Terry Pratchett. It is an imaginary location that appears in most of his books. (an earlier Pratchett book, Strata also features a disc shaped world, but it's nothing like the Discworld)

It consists of (as the name suggests) a flat disc (complete with end of the world drop off and subsequent waterfall) sitting on top of four huge elephants (Great T'phul, etc.) which are in turn standing on the back of an enormous turtle (Great A'Tuin) as it slowly swims through space.

The sex of the Turtle is something of a mystery to the inhabitants of the disc, being not able to peer underneath the turtle themselves. This leads to some great debate and argument as to what position the turtle would assume should there be another cosmic "big bang".

The world has been chronicled through at least 26 novels so far and several short stories.

• The Colour of Magic
• The Light Fantastic
• Equal Rites
• Mort
• Sourcery
• Wyrd Sisters
• Pyramids
• Guards! Guards!
• Eric
• Moving Pictures
• Reaper Man
• Witches Abroad
• Small Gods
• Lords and Ladies
• Men at Arms
• Soul Music
• Interesting Times
• Maskerade
• Feet of Clay
• Hogfather
• Jingo
• The Last Continent
• Carpe Jugulum
• The Fifth Elephant
• The Truth
• Thief of Time
• The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents (a children's Discworld book, November 2001)

These novels prior to The Amazing Maurice (in fact almost all Pratchett books to date) have had cover art done by Josh Kirby who died in October 2001.

In addition Terry Pratchet co-authored with [Phil Masters]? two role-playing game supplements for Discworld:

• [GURPS Discworld]?
• [GURPS Discworld Also]?

Directions within the discworld are not given as north south east and west, but rather as directions relating to the disc itself, eg Hubward (towards the centre), rimward (directly towards the closest outer edge from your current position) and to a lesser extent, turnwise and widdershins (relation to the direction of the discs spin).

At the hub of the disc are some incredibly high mountains, the largest of which being Cori Celeste, upon the peak of which rests "Dunmanifestin?" home of the gods.

Chief amongst the Gods is Blind Io, not chief for any other reason than he has the most believers. He's your typical Thundergod, and appears to his multitudinous believers under several different guises, so as to ensure the largest numbers. This is somewhat like fraudulently claiming social security payments under several names, but hey, there are no laws for gods except "watch out or you'll get zapped"...

Some of the most famous (to readers) inhabitants of the Disc include:

• Twoflower the Tourist,
  
• Unseen University is the principal seat (or, more precisely, overstuffed old armchair) of learning on the Disc.
  • Mustrum Ridcully, or Ridcully the Brown (Wizard, current Arch-Chancellor of Unseen University)
    
  • The Librarian (Definitely not a monkey)
    
  • Rincewind the Wizzard (sic); after extensive (involuntary) tours of the far regions of the Disc, he is now the Lecturer in Cruel and Unusual Geography
    
  • The Bursar, sane as long as he keeps on the dried frog pills,
    
  • Ponder Stibbens, a postgraduate student in the High Energy Magic building.
  • HEX, the most powerful (and only) computing machine on the Disc

• Granny Esmerelda Weatherwax (Witch, and possibly the most powerful being on the disc),
  
• Nanny Gytha Ogg (Witch),
  
• The Ankh-Morpork City Watch, under its new leadership has become a vital force in maintaining city order. It has an active policy of recruiting amongst ethnic minorities:
  • Sir Samuel Vimes (Chief of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch),
    
  • Captain Carrot Ironfoundersson (Captain of the City Watch),
    
  • Corporal "Nobby" Nobbs, probably human,
    
  • Corporal Angua
    
  • Corporal Cheery Littlebottom, a dwarf, and the Watch's forensics expert.
    
  • Sergeant Detritus, a troll
  • Dorfl, a golem
• Death (Reaper, Grim, an Anthropomorphism).
  
• Death of Rats (Squeaker, Grim, a rodentomorphism)
• Mort
  
• Havelock Vetinari, the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork
  
• Foul Old Ron, Coffin Henry and the Duck Man ("what duck?"), three Gentlemen of Leisure
• Gaspode the Wonder Dog
• Leonardo de Quirm, mad inventor
• C.M.O.T. (Cut Me Own Throat) Dibbler (entrepreneur and seller of street food. Only the finest meat byproduct byproducts go into his wares)
• Chrysophrase, Troll Gangster
• The Lady, not really a goddess, but very powerful
• Lady Sybil Vimes
• Magrat Garlick, witch (not really practicing anymore) and Queen of Lancre
• Verence, King of Lancre

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