#worldbuilding reference

[inky-duchess]

World-Building Guide to Deserts

A desert is a vast biome that is known for its extreme temperature. Deserts can either run hot or cold and are usually difficult to inhabit. But deserts are harsh places but they are visually stunning and make for an impressive backdrop to any story.

What is it like in the Desert?

Like I said, deserts are hot or cold. The temperatures are extreme which limits the amount of vegetation which in turn limits the coverage one can get in a desert, leaving the area very exposed to the elements. Rainfall is limited, well below average which means only very durable vegetation and wildlife can survive. It is a harsh landscape but it has its own beauty. The desert can often be very quiet with the limited wildlife and people around.

Hot Deserts

Features of Hot Deserts

Sand Dunes: These are hills made of sand, shaped by the extreme winds.

Plateaus: These are flat areas, usually of rock that have very little vegetation or cover.

Salt Flats: Large areas of salt deposits

Playa Lakes: Temporary lakes that appear during heavy rainfall

Oases: Small areas within the desert that have fertile soil and flourish with vegetation due to a water source.

Canyons: Are deep valleys of rock formed from rivers long dried up or greatly reduced.

Sedimentary Layering: Striped rock that shows off the different layers of rock giving the desert a striped appearance.

Mesas: A mesa is flat elevation of steep sides.

Inselbergs: Isolated rock formations that jut up from the desert floor, formed out of soft rock.

Yardangs: Ridges of rock formed by wind erosion

Mushroom Rocks: Pillars of rock formed over time with bigger heads than their bases

Rocks Commonly Found in Hot Deserts

Quartz: Clear/white/pink and usually smoky or clouded. Quartz feels very smooth like glass and may look like crystal.

Sandstone: Tan/red/yellow/brown-ish in colour. Made of compacted sand, it feels very coarse.

Limestone: Grey/white. Rough to touch and often featuring fossils.

Gypsum: White/Clear/Pink/Grey. Soft with chalk-like texture.

Salt Crystals: White/Clear. Crystal-like.

Meteorites: Often found in deserts. Usually black/grey. Can be both rough or smooth to touch.

Common Plants in Deserts

Prickly Pear Cactus: Greed, waxy pad-like cacti with spins. They grow red/yellow fruit that are edible.

Mesquite Trees: Small twisting trees. The pods are edible.

Agave: A thick-leafed succulent, shaped like a rose full of nectar and water.

Oleander: A shrub with pink or white flowers. Not edible, poisonous.

Chia Seeds: Tiny seeds that are edible.

Date Palms: Tall with long sweeping fronds. The dates are edible.

Jojoba: A shrub that's seeds are edible.

Desert Mallow: Flowering plant of pink blossoms. The leaves and flowers are edible.

Peyote: Small round cactus. Do not eat.

Creosote Bush: A shrub with waxy leaves that can be eaten.

Common Wildlife in a Hot Desert

Snakes

Small rodents

Foxes

Raptors (the birds of prey not the fun kind)

Beetles

Scorpions

Locusts

Coyotes

Camels

Lizards

Tortoises

Surviving a Hot Desert

Shelter: It is imperative to stay out of the direct sun if possible to conserve energy.

Keep an eye out: In the shade, there are other creatures who want to get out of the sun. Venomous snakes, scorpions and other critters could be lying in wait so it is best to make sure your shelter isn't already occupied.

Travel: Moving when it is sunrise or sunset or night is best as it isn't as hot and you waste less energy.

Water: Limit water intake in case your character doesn't reach a water source soon. If there are cactus around, your character may find water within it.

Know your plants: Your character might feel the urge to eat any vegetation they come across if they are hungry and weary. There are edible plants in the desert but there are also poison ones. Your character shouldn't eat any strange plant without knowing what it is.

Getting help: Signalling using something reflective or creating a large symbol might signal for help from above.

Clothes: A character should remember that the desert is hot and dress accordingly. Light, loose clothing is best but the nights in a desert are extremely cold. If your character is modifying their clothes, make sure they remember this.

Cold Deserts

Features of Cold Deserts

Ice Sheets: Unbroken sheets of permanent ice.

Glaciers: Immense sheets of moving ice.

Permafrost: The ground that remains frozen all year round. It is barren and nothing can grow here.

Icebergs: Vast lumps of ice that break off from larger sheets of ice to float in the ocean (and kill Leonardo DiCaprio)

Rocky Outcrops: Exposed rock formations.

Crevasses: Deep cracks in ice sheets and glaciers, very dangerous.

Seracs: Ice formations created where multiple crevasses meet.

Erratics: Large rocks deposited by glaciers seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

Rocks Commonly found in Ice Deserts

Basalt: Grey/Black. Smooth.

Granite: Grey/Pink/White. Coarse to the touch.

Shale: Grey/Black. Smooth and brittle.

Gneiss: Striped with greys/pinks/white. Rough texture.

Schist: Silvery-green. Flaky and layered.

Till: Of many colours. Rough.

Common Vegetation found in Ice Deserts

Lichens: Crusty spots that grow on ice and rocks. Can be edible.

Mosses: Soft green plants that grow in the damp. Some kinds are ok to eat.

Arctic Willow: A shrub. Edible.

Saxifrages: Flowering plants growing in rocky areas. Some are edible.

Bearberry: A shrub. The berries are edible.

Grasses: Grow in tundra areas. Edible.

Wildlife Commonly Found in the Ice Desert

Bears

Foxes

Wolves

Deer

Elk

Walrus

Moose

Reindeer

Seals

Whales

Ice worms (the spice must flow....)

Rodents

Surviving in an Ice Desert

Clothing: Wearing layers is crucial. Base layer, insulation and a waterproof layer. Boots and gloves are a must. But you should dress to be sweating, it is a waste of energy. Stay dry always.

Shelter: You can find or build shelter, especially if the winds are high. If sleeping on the ground, use insulation.

Food/Water: Melting snow and ice is fine, eating snow is bad because it will lower your core temp. The best food to eat in this weather is high in fat to keep your body working to keep warm.

Keeping an eye out: Ice fields can break apart easily, crevasses are lethal.

Flag for help if lost: Flares or fires can attract help so always carry something to spark up a flame or two.

[octoswan]

I love that RPG race trail rations post, and it got me thinking about non-Eurocentric fantasy trail rations. I focused on Central and South Asian cuisines (as I also needed the information for a project I’m working on). I looked for foods that were easy to carry (dry or dehydrated), easily obtainable in markets/easily foraged, easy to cook/not needing cooking at all, and high in protein/generally filling. Many foods had language-specific names and some overlapped into different regions, so I bare-bones’d the names. This is what I came up with: 

Dried curd comes in many forms -- kashk, aaruul, quroot, etc. -- and was of particular interest to me, since I learned it was used since (and before) medieval times as a trail ration for soldiers and travelers because it is lightweight and high in protein. The more you know. 🌈

Tempeh is one of my favorite food options, but I should note that it originates from Southeastern Asia, Indonesia in particular. 

Bamboo is extremely handy for use as both a carrying and cooking vessel, and would save a character the hassle of bringing a skillet with them (provided the character is in an area with large bamboo and a water source). It’s a method still used today because it’s extremely efficient. Storing eggs in rice is a good way to travel with them and keep them from cracking for a short time. 

These are just some basics and I’m only scratching the surface, so if anyone has foods to add from these regions (East and Southeast Asia, too!), or any non-European region honestly, don’t hesitate to add them! 

[benevolentbirdgal]

“36″ Worldbuilding Questions for Your Fictional Country

What is your country called - by its inhabitants, by outsiders, nicknames? 

How big is the country, physically?

What other countries border it? What kind of relationships do they have? Is there another country citizens are particularly fond of visiting? 

What kind of government do they have in theory? What kind of government do they have in practice? 

What level of government (local, state, federal) exerts the most power on a day-to-day basis? 

Is there internet or something analogous to it (i.e. sci-fi, fantasy)? What about phones, televisions, other forms of modern technology? 

What is the population of the country? 

Is the population homogenous or diverse? How are minorities treated? 

What is wealth distribution like? 

What is language like? Are there multiple languages in regular use (i.e. in schools, on road signs, on gov’t documents)? How many dialects are there? Are there mutual intelligibility issues? Is dialect a point of contention or mistreatment? 

How is the country subdivided? How many subdivisions are there and what are they called? How do different states (or territories or provinces or whatever) feel about one another? 

Is there religion and if so what is it like? How many religions are there? Is religion a private or public affair, is church separated from state? 

What holidays, religious and secular (i.e. independence day, New Years) are public days off? 

What is food like? Is there a particular dietary restriction that is very common? 

How are LGBTQ+ individuals treated? Are same-gender couples treated similarly to heterosexual couples? How are trans people (binary and nonbinary) treated? What about polyamory (and if it’s acceptable, which forms are acceptable and which are taboo)? 

How many genders are (commonly) accepted? Are there different roles/separation between them? How does gender impact citizens’ lives? 

What are coming of age rituals like, both religious and secular? 

What is the typical level of education for citizens? Who pays for education? What does it include? 

How big are families normally? 

What are the common superstitions? 

What is the weather like in the winter? The summer, spring, and fall?

Is there a natural disaster or extreme weather that’s accepted as a normal part of life? 

What’s the standard mode of transportation, short distance and long distance? Do most people have a horse, bikes, cars, etc? 

Is the population mostly urban, suburban, or rural? Where does the food come from? 

What is appropriate small talk? What is absolutely taboo to ask about? 

What is the attitude towards different life phases? Children? Newlyweds? Spinsters? The elderly? 

How does marriage work? Who oversees it? Can it be between more than two people? Is there an expectation for drastic shifts in community roles and occupations upon marriage? 

Is honor, be it personal, familial, communal, and/or national, relevant in any way? Is there a culture of “gentlemen’s agreements” and sworn oaths to be honored? Is anyone bound to protect anyone else’s honor and if so what does that mean? 

What kind of clothing is acceptable for public wear? Is it different for different occasions (i.e. day dress vs evening dress)? Are there particular fabrics, cuts, colors, or details that imply social standing or occupation?

Are there clear distinctions between levels of familiarity and if so what are they? What kind of interactions and behaviors are appropriate at each level?  

What is the career everyone wants their kid to do? 

Are there any national animals? What is the most popular pet? 

What activities do you need a license for? 

Do citizens generally like their government? If there is a central leader or figurehead, how do they feel about them? 

What is the legal and justice system like? Who makes the laws? Who enforces them? 

How does the country view itself? How do its citizens? What about other countries? How does it view its past self and actions?

[writingressources]

10 Rules for Believable Fantasy Maps

[incandescent-creativity]

How Much Worldbuilding is Too Much Worldbuilding?

And how do you know which details are the most important ones?

There’s a lot of good worldbuilding references out there. A lot of masterposts. But something that I’ve never seen addressed is the above topic.

The answer to the first question is the more complicated one. One could say that there’s no such thing as too much worldbuilding, but I would disagree for two reasons. 1) It could get real confusing, real fast. Of course, it could not. But if you worldbuild like me, sprawling all over the place and jotting down notes as different concepts come to you, things could get confusing. 2) At some point, you have to develop your actual plot. Something has to happen in this world that you’ve built. Building the world is fun, but ultimately pointless if there’s going to be no conflict. Utopias do not make for good stories.

So there is such a thing as too much worldbuilding, but the boundaries of where “too confusing” and “where’s my plot?” can get a little fuzzy. It’s something you have to judge for yourself, unfortunately.

Something you don’t have to judge for yourself is which details in your world are the most important ones. There’s a simple way to determine this: The details that affect your character (directly or indirectly) are the most important. If you’re creating a beautiful forest in your fantasy world and you include glowing mushrooms, poisonous flowers, and trees with hollow tree trunks, how do you know which forest element to emphasize the most?

To find out the answer, ask yourself which element affects your adventurers the most. Do they use the mushrooms as a major source of food? Do they use the hollow trunks as shelter? Do they dip their arrows in the poisonous flowers? If the answer to one of those questions is yes, congratulations! That’s the most important world building detail thus far. If the answer to all three of those questions is yes, then all three of those details are important! Good on you for being such a successful worldbuilder.

Bottom line(s): Do your worldbuilding! Have fun with it! But remember to develop your plot as well! In order to know which worldbuilding details are the most important ones, take a step back and consider which ones will affect your characters directly.

If there’s something you want to see me post about, you want to ask about my writing, you have a writing question you want help with, or you just wanna say hi, please do! I’d love to hear from you.

[inky-duchess]

WorldBuilding Ask Game

Here is a little ask game for WorldBuilding in your WIP to pad out one country or all of them! Use it for yourself or ask a friend and spread some love. Focus on a particular section and have fun!

Geography

What does your world look like? What's the biome? Are there different ones?

Are there any oceans? If so, are they accessible? Are they a reliable source of travel and food?

Are there any rivers in your world? Any lakes? What's the longest river? Deepest lake?

Is there a safe supply of drinking water? If not, why not?

Are there mountains in your world? What's the highest one?

What is the weather like? How does this effect life?

What animals inhabit the world? What animals are indigenous or considered exotic?

What are some natural features your world is famous for? Is your world considered beautiful?

How many countries in your world?

How are countries divided? By natural lines or by agreements?

Population

What's the population like? Is it large or sparse?

Is there any factors in population density? Do more people live in a certain area more than elsewhere? Why is that?

Are there different peoples living in your world? If so, how do they get on?

How important is nationality? Are foreigners tolerated? Or are they unwelcome?

What countries get on? What countries hate one another?

Are there any important cities? Why are they important?

What's the architecture like? Are there any outside influences?

What's a typical building material? What's considered an expensive feature to include?

What is infrastructure like? Are roads and railways in good condition?

Is there public transport? Is it reliable?

Government

What system of government does your world adhere to? Is it popular?

Where is the seat of government?

Are there different governmental agencies?

Are there political parties? If so, what are their goals?

How much control does the government have over the average person?

Can your people vote? If not, why not? If so, who has/hasn't the right to?

Are there any parties or organisations that oppose the government?

How does the government crack down on sedition?

Are people allowed to criticise the government? If so, how? If not, how do they get around it?

How are laws made? Who makes them?

Is there any odd laws in your world?

What are some punishments to crime? Are they considered fair?

What crimes are unfathomable for the people?

Who handles justice? Is justice obtainable for all?

Are there any police? What's their reputation?

What role does the military play in your world?

Who controls the army? Head of state or government as a whole?

Is it considered a good career path?

Who can join the army? Are there any restrictions?

What is your world's stance on war? Are there any neutral parties? Or particularly warlike ones?

Commerce and Trade

How is trade done?

Is currency universal or dictated by region?

How is your economy going? What effects it?

What trade is your world known for?

What are some exports? What must your world import?

Are any goods considered luxurious?

What services are available in your world? What services are niche?

What sort of work is common? Is work readily available?

Who is expected to work?

Are workers treated fairly or unfairly?

Are there any ways workers are protected? If not, what are some consequences?

Is your world more reliant on technology or on labour?

Is agriculture possible in your world? If so what can your people grow?

How big is industry? What goods can your people make?

What resources can your country exploit?

What are some barriers to trade and commerce?

Is your nation known for quality? Or Quantity?

Who does your country trade with most often? Who do they boycott?

Are there any major ports in your country?

Are there any banned goods? If so, is there a black market for their purchase?

Society

How society expect one to behave in public? Are there different expectations for different people/genders/ranks?

Is there a social order? Can one move up the ranks?

Is there any considerations made on account of rank, gender, age or position?

What is considered a social faux pas?

Are there any gestures or actions that are considered rude or socially unforgivable?

What would utterly shock somebody to see somebody do?

What are some opinions that are normal for your world but can be considered subversive in real life?

How can one rise up the status ladder? Is there much trouble to do so?

What denotes a person's place in society?

How is life different in cities compared to life in the countryside?

Daily life

Where would someone go to buy their weekly shop? Is food easy to come by?

What would be the daily routine of the wealthy? The common man?

How is hygiene handled in your world? Where does one go to spruce up?

What would be some day to day tasks one might face?

What is the favoured means of travel?

Are there any problems in your world that could effect a daily routine? Potholes? Gigantic spiders? Acid rain?

What ammenties would an average person expect to have access to?

Where would one go if they are injured or ill? What's healthcare like?

Do people feel safe where they live? Are there any places somebody might face danger?

How do people communicate? Is it difficult? Why?

What do people do for fun? What's considered normal fun versus hedonistic?

What pastimes are common? What kind aren't?

Is education valued?

Is there access to education? If so, for who?

Are the population educated? If so to what extent?

Family Life

What is the typical family set up?

Is extended family important?

Who can be considered family? Who can't be?

Is marriage considered a duty? Or is it more of a personal choice?

Is divorce possible?

Can people adopt children?

What happens to orphaned children?

Are children important? If not, why not? If so, why?

What are some typical toys children play with?

What are some games children play with one another?

How is in charge of household chores?

Is there a hierarchy in families?

Are children expected to take on certain roles?

What is the living situation like between the different ranks? Are the roles different?

What's considered the proper way to raise a child?

Culture and Languages

Are there multiple cultures in your world? How do they differ? Do they mesh well together?

How are cultures similar? How are they different?

Are there any traditions in your world? How important is tradition?

What are some rituals your culture undertakes?

Are there any special days? Events?

What are some traditional values in your world? Does it effect daily life?

Are there traditional clothes for your world? Are they something somebody wears on a daily basis or just on occasion?

Are there any rules around what people can wear?

What would be considered formal dress? Casual dress?

What would happen if somebody wore the wrong clothes to an event?

What languages are spoken in your world? If so, how do they sound?

Are there any dialects? If so, how do they sound?

Are most people monolingual? Or bilingual? Or multilingual?

Are there any languages that are closely related?

What is considered a universal language?

Religion

Is religion a thing in your world?

Is religion a staple of life or just a small part?

Does religion affect politics, personal lives and affiliations?

Is your world sectarian? Or ruled by religion?

What are some influences religion has on daily life?

What sort of religion is it? Monotheistic? Polytheistic?

What are some myths your people believe in?

What common rituals does one undertake on a day to day basis?

How does one please a deity?

Where do your people pray? How do they?

What symbols would denote a follower of a certain belief system to a stranger?

What places or objects are considered sacred?

Are there religious orders? If so, who can join?

Is there tolerance or violence over religion? If so, between which faiths?

Food and Drink

What are some traditional dishes in your world?

What would be a basic diet for the common man?

What's considered a delicacy?

Is there a societal difference in diet? What are the factors that effect diet between classes?

Is there any influence from other cuisines? If not, why not? If so, to what extent?

What would a typical breakfast contain?

What would lunch be?

What would be a typical dinner?

What meals are served during the day?

What's considered a comfort food or drink?

Are there any restrictions on who can eat what or when?

Are there any banned foods?

What stance does your world take on alcohol? Is it legal? Can anybody consume it?

Are there any dining customs? Are traditions?

Is there a difference in formal meals or casual meals? If so, what's involved?

Are there any gestures or actions unacceptable at the dinner table?

How are guests treated at meals? If they are given deference, how so?

Are there certain rules about how one can prepare food?

Are there any restrictions on eating with certain people?

How is food generally prepared by?

History

Who are some notable figures from history?

Who founded the country?

Is history looked back on with fondness? Or do your people rather forget?

Are there any heroes in history? Any villains?

What are some highpoints in the history of your land?

What are some points of history nobody likes to speak about?

Does history effect your land, people, culture, language in the present? If so in what ways?

What historic monuments are still around in the present day? What has been lost?

How do people learn about history? Do they learn the truth? Or just an abridged version?

What's a historical event that is important to the story?

[benevolentbirdgal]

“13″ Worldbuilding Questions About Food in Your Fictional World

1. How many meals a day is normal? What kinds of foods are normal at each meal? 

2. Is food regulated in anyway and if so by whom? 

3. Where does the food come from? Farms, gardens, something else? Is food production industrialized? How does it get from production to table? 

4. What is the most popular delicacy or treat?

5. What kind of critters are food? What absolutely aren’t and why? 

6. What food taboos are there (i.e. kosher, halal, vegetarianism)? Are any food combinations taboo? 

7. Are there any very common food intolerances? 

8. Does alcohol, or alcohol-by-another-name exist? If so, what are the laws and social norms around it? 

9. How does food relate to class? What is “poor people food” and what is “fancy food?” What about in terms of food consumption? 

10. What kind of restaurant is the norm (i.e. taverns, bars, diners) and what would they serve? 

11. Is there a food from another country, culture, or world that is popular and that restaurants of are very common?

12. What is healthy food? What is junk food? 

13. Are there special foods only eaten on holidays? 

[benevolentbirdgal]

“13″ Worldbuilding Questions for your fictional language and how it interacts with your world

1. How old is the earliest form of the language? How old is the current form? 

2. How many people speak it? Is it a living language or primarily liturgical? 

3. Is it a written language? If so, how widespread is literacy? If learning to read is the norm, what age do people typically learn? 

4. Are there are other languages that speakers have mutual intelligibility with? 

5. Is the language gendered? 

6. Is formality part of the language? 

7. If there is an alphabet, how many letters are there? Are there diacritical marks? How does does punctuation work? 

8. Is there a central authority that dictates or tries to dictate the official rules to the language? Are there widely respected informal authorities, like famous dictionaries? 

9. Is the language associated with a specific country or or countries? 

10. Are there different dialects? 

11. Is it a popular second language? 

12. What kind of curses or swear words are popular in the language? 

13. Are there any words that specifically describe something in your fictional world, country, or culture that don’t really translate outside that language?