Do you have any cultural/historical influences you draw on when worldbuilding?
This is a great question, and I'm afraid I can't point towards anything too specific. There are two main reasons for this:
The worldbuilding for Kalandakar exist mainly so I can do humorous drawings that reflect my own experiences with, for example, academia. Albeit in a roundabout and cartoony manner.
I wish for the concepts to be broad strokes and not inspired too closely by any one historical epoch or event. Mostly because I don't trust myself to write historical analogues with the nuance and sensetivity this deserves.
The backdrop of the Jar-Lorego storyline deals with topics such as classism, social inequality, colonialism and the clash of cultures at different levels of technological advancement. I haven't touched too closely upon this, but one of my goals is to write the meeting between stand-ins for indeginous cultures and colonial powers that doesn't result in assimilation or genocide.
My main goal, however, is still to develop these characters and their world, and just... see what happens.
Fadesi science and technology in the region is approximately at the level of Medieval Islam. I.e. Ma-Vireva would have access to steel, hydraulics and indoor plumbing, paper and bookbinding, sophisticated mathematics, navigation and astronomy, as well as a fledgling medical field with herbal drugs and rudimentary surgery. As of yet, there is no germ theory, steam power, electricity or firearms.
To kick of the storyline (Adreas being dumped in the desert), I have drawn inspiration from African trypanosomiasis throughout history. As well as the "white spot" phenomenon on 19th century maps.
See, unbeknownst to Adreas, there is a mysterious disease preventing the Fadesi from advancing into the Jar-Lorego, one which doesn't seem to affect the other two sophonts. After several research missions fail horribly (i.e. everyone dies), they send a Tenel and a Moskuan as a last ditch effort and/or for shits and giggles.
Regardless of the outcome, the university considers this a a win-win; either they'll be rid of the thorn in their side that is Adreas, or they'll have more information on the vast and unexplored desert. That is until Adreas starts putting together the pieces of the greater circumstances, and realize he can utilize this against the Fadesi to benefit Tenel and Moskuan society.
