Hello, followers! Hope you’re ready for another June full of creation and concepts.
As always, check out the official prompt for today!
I love the worldbuilding June prompts, but I often find myself overwhelmed thinking about things on a global (or universal) scale. So this year, I’m going to focus on the little things. The details that may go otherwise forgotten. Simple, short prompts, meant to be answered in a few sentences, but also intended to bring other questions about your world to the surface!
If, by the end of this month, you don’t have a completely fleshed-out world, don’t worry! The blank spaces are fun to fill in as you go, and flexibility makes it so you don’t have to triple check your notes every time you add something to the setting.
Anyway. Without further ado, here’s the prompt for today.
Using all five senses, describe an average adult from your setting. Let the sense details guide you as you elaborate on this individual. If they smell like fish, why? If they look like they don’t get much sun, why? If they have a voice that’s accented in a certain way, why?
Feel free to share your worldbuilding, either for my prompts this year, last year, or the official prompts! I’ll be tagging everything for this month with #worldbuildingjune18. Use #ladytabletopchallenge if you want me to see your answers to this prompt! And of course for any content you produce, use the official tag #wbj18 (I’ll be doing that, too!).
This one is odd for me. As I have story ideas throughout history, from before the advent of Humanity into a futurism-fantasy thing, I can’t exactly stipulate what level of tech people have. It depends on when we’re talking.
In Farnos, as in the rest of the world, technology and magic are closely linked. So at different points in time they typically have technologies comparable to different eras of our own development. Comparable but not the same, because of the whole magic thing.
Partially due to the prevalence of magic, and partially because of the presence of other, older, sentient species, Humanity in this world didn’t go through an industrial revolution as we did. Rather there have been periods of innovation and progress interspersed by periods of stasis. Often this is linked to other socio-political or environmental events.
Most tech uses magical energies to function, or uses magical conduits to harness other energies such as sunlight, wind, tides, and heat. Magic work takes effort and energy from the user to control, so as time has gone on devices have been developed to replace previous spells. For example, lightstones have replaced light-spells.
However, even for these established magi-tech innovations, care and upkeep is required. They often need to be tested by a magic-worker, and have their spells updated when they’ve been running for too long.
As far as Farnosian inventions go, I’m honestly not sure. They may have invented the telescope. Having been a wealthy trade hub for an extended period they probably invented a bunch of things, but I haven’t thought through that part of history yet. Obviously I need to work on this further.
A woman in a layered silk robe quarrels with a crow-headed woman, tilting back her head to glare up at her. Her dark brows are furrowed, her voice shrill and her hands wring at the thick beaded blanket hanging from her shoulders, but before long, the two bow to one another and laugh. They’ll never agree on that poem, but they’re not martial artists. They could agree to disagree. She parts with her friend, covering her tightly coiffured head with a basket hat painted with her clan’s symbol to keep the rain off. Her hands are scarred from a lifetime of carving totems and tool handles, and the smell of cedar hangs about her - when the smell of oiled cloth and damp doesn’t cover it. She’s carved her wooden sandals herself, the better to stay out of mud and puddles and keep her hems dry. After all, she is not clan mother, but it behooves her as a wife of her clan to keep a dignified appearance, even on days too wet to wear makeup.
Hey there, I've been wanting to do this for ages, but I've never been able to do this before unfortunately before today. But I want to change that so I'm going to actually try and complete a 30 day challenge for once in my flippin' life while at the same time get to blab about my old fantasy webcomic idea, Lost Resonant and finally get a semi-finalized plan for its worldbuilding. So shall we begin?
Starting off, Lost Resonant centers around a guild of four individuals by the name of Zachary Sanzeith, Ofelia Carmein, Wilton Drogo and Thomas Duncansson (pictured above clockwise from bottom) who are trying to survive fantasy capitalism on the continent of Adir by doing odd jobs and missions for people. Things might have not been so bad if they just didn't suck so much. Jesus Christ do this poor losers suck...Well anyways, they're trying to survive and also help keep Zachary's great uncle's old bookstore afloat too.
Adir in general is difficult to describe in just one word, it has four countries but each one is more different than the last, along with a large variety of climate. It's an incredibly large continent and one of the largest on the planet where the story takes place. The continent's deeply varying climates and terrains, which range from tropical and desert-like climates, to mountainous and forrest-filled, also have given the chance for many different types of races and cultures to flourish on it. Some of these races are: Terreifs (humans), Zwercs (Dwarves), Horkos (Orcs), Ifreets (Dragon/Lizard people), Aoideans (Elf-Like “Sirens” that live on land), Cait Sidthe (Cat people), Albions (Actual Elves), Luche Sidthe (Mouse people), etc. Not to mention incredibly varying type of plants and animals.
The four main countries of Adir are Chron, Virva, Sabrynag and Fauronos. To put it bluntly, each country is based around one specific fantasy aesthetic.
Chron, the country to east, is based around steampunk and is currently the most technologically advanced country. There is a huge focus on industry, the pursuit of knowledge (whether magickal or technological) and exceptionalism. It also has very Victorian and Edwardian-esque ideals.
It truly is a horrible place to live.
This country is also notable for its many sprawling cities and it's capitol city of Ordes, which is the most populated city on the continent (and probably the most polluted). It is also well-known for its various "guilds" or groups of people who are hired to complete different missions for people; mostly escort, excavation, extraction, etc. missions of the such and they basically function as jack-of-all-trades mercenaries.
Virva, the country to the south, is heavily influenced by Final Fantasy, most particularly the land of Spira from Final Fantasy X. It is a very tropical and sea-faring nation with a huge amount of island chains to the south of it, and a desert area in the north west. Though some of the islands are starting to push for independence from the mainland... It also is famous for its large concentration of Aoideans, a race who can manipulate sound itself and for being one of the only other country than Chron to utilize guilds. Also its capitol, Maris Aphronan is often regarded as one of the holiest cities on Adir. Well due to large number of shrines dedicated to the various Gods located within the city, with the most being dedicated to the chief Goddess Xephir
Sabrynag, the country to the west, is based around dieselpunk/the -1910s-1940s and while it was once a prosperous country known for its extensive precious mineral and jewel mines, a major economic disaster has caused it to fall into a bit of disarray. The gap between the rich and the poor has never been wider and while the elite stay in their glittering capitol city of Nephritopolis (well it's honestly more of a city state at this point), wanting to seem above it all, the rest of the common folk have to fight to survive in such a grim place. For the past ten years or so gangs have roamed the country trying to take as much territory as they can while getting into literal turf wars with rival gangs. This has gotten so bad, that there are various cities/towns that are entirely run by these gangs. Though in some cases, that might actually be a good thing since some of these gangs are the main reason why some towns even have protection, food, infrastructure, etc. The Grand Council of Nephritopolis keeps saying that they'll fix everything but let's be honest...they're in no hurry...
Fauronos, the country to the north, is heavily influenced by high fantasy/Lord of the Rings/Medieval and Renaissance eras, etc. with some early Final Fantasy as well (think FF I-VI). There is a great focus on military prowess with an even greater focus on chivalry, tradition and honor. There are numerous legends of daring knights based in Fauronos alone and while Chron may argue that they clearly have the superior libraries. It turns out that nothing can really compare to the expansive libraries run by the various Horkos tribes. Fauronos is also known for its many, many different walled cities either built into one of Fauronos' many forrests or fortified mountain ranges. The grandest of all of the cities being its capital, Rexhaven. Since the country is bordered by great mountain ranges (specifically the Great Eira Mountain Range), for the longest time Fauronos was essentially blocked off from the rest of Adir making trade and travel incredibly difficult. That is until the advent of air travel around 50 years or so ago. Now the country is open to the rest of Adir and it's easier to go back and forth without risking freezing to death hiking. 👌✨✨
Sliders are the final race in The Blossom. They are fairly large, semi translucent, and seem to be made up of some sort of liquid. Sliders are the race associated with Burst magic, and they have some interesting traits to show it.
For one, their skin is unbelievably slippery and rubbery, and has the consistency of gelatin. Somehow, their skin also seems to repel other objects very well, so it’s incredibly hard to hurt them - force applied with fist and blade alike simply slide off of them. This also means it’s kind of difficult for Sliders to wear clothes, so they tend to opt for either long sleeved button-up shirts, or nothing at all.
Sliders also have the strange ability to shed their outer layer at will, which includes their limbs and tail. They can grow back what they shed fairly quickly, but they have difficulty reattaching what they shed, as it seems to act as though it’s a different material after it’s shed.
Interestingly, there’s a special dyable material that can be made from a certain plant where the Sliders live; dying this material allows Sliders to color their outer layer. This is the only way Sliders can tattoo themselves, as actual tattoo needles can’t pierce their skin accurately.
Only a short warp jump from Ceravar, Obdoza is a cool, pleasant pleasure world with remarkably liberal attitudes. An appointed diktat rules in theory, but in practise, power is divested almost entirely into an elected Planetary Council. With a series of hunting lodges, ski slopes and unusual wildlife across its expansive ice caps, tourism booms but occupies a dangerously-large space within its overall economy. Even the slightest hint of war entering the Sector is enough to drive its privileged patrons into panic and lead to years or possibly decades of ruin.
Political power on Ondoza is unusually well-distributed among its citizens thanks to the Council and largely able to maintain a strong culture of hospitality and restraint. The planet’s Arbites’ successes in addressing corruption have even made it something of a haven for those fleeing more oppressive regimes in the region, much to the chagrin of its neighbours. Tithes of beasts and fauna alongside patronage by convalescing Imperial Guard have kept the planet in good standing, but with its population booming, maintaining its unique culture and self-governance will be an immense challenge. It is only a matter of time before the Empire seeks its pound of human flesh and blood.
Classification: Pleasure World
Planet Type: Medium, Terrestrial
Tech Level: Mid-Imperial
Population: 7 million
Atmosphere: very thin
Average Daily Temperature: 18°C
Gravity: Above Average
Relief: Standard
Strongest Imperial organisation: Arbites
Let’s get personal. Pick one of the individuals you have described in this setting and write a letter from them to one of the following:
a dearest friend
a hated enemy
a long lost love
someone they need help from
a family member
Consider how the letter will be sent - some communications are faster than others, and the content of the letter should reflect whatever method the sender is using.
