The World Building Game (returns!)

[Dev Kimiko]

This game was not my original idea, but I loved the first thread and it deserved a remake X3.

So, what is the game about?

It works like a lot of other question-prompted games. The poster above you asks a question, and you answer it in relation to your world (In return supplying a question to the next poster). The aim of this thread is to get you thinking about aspects of your world that you might not have thought of, and to explore the ideas you already have. In other words, this thread will hopefully help you to create a rich landscape of your own :3

Rules and stuff

• Remember to leave a question at the end of your post.
  
• Please give some thought to your questions and answers. I don't expect five-tier questions and ten page answers, but do try and consider the aspects of the Q+A. You might find out something interesting about your world if you give it a closer look.
  
• Especially if someone takes time with their post, accidental skip-overs can occur. Please be mindful of this and don't completely ignore the missed question.
  
• No asshattery

[Dev Kimiko]

QUESTION COMPILATION LIST

This is where a list of previously asked questions will be compiled, as inspiration for those who need some world building ideas or just want to poke holes in their existing world. If multiple questions are similar, I will pick the one that best expresses that idea

Quote:

Politics and War
- When was the last war fought in your world, and why?
- What kind of political system(s) does your world have and how does this affect the characters?
- What treaties/wars are there in your world?
- Does your world have an armed forces, and if so, how is it structured? For what reason does it exist, and are the army and law enforcement seperate from eachother?
- Any notable wetworks or espionage going on that the public shouldn't hear about?

Magic and Technology
- If there's magic in your world, how prevalent is it and how does it affect the cultures and societies of your characters?
- Describe a magical or near magical feature of your world, it can be animal or object.
- Is there a dominance of magic or technology in your culture? Describe the height (or advancement) of it, please.
- What is the main source of energy in your world? How do the people of your world obtain such energy?
- What would you say the level of technology in your world was? Does it excel in any particular area, and are there any technologies that are unique or highly influential to your world?

Geology and the Built Environment
- In your world, how connected are people to each other. For example, does it take days to travel a few miles, or are trips across the entire span of the world commonplace?
- What's the climate like in your world? Do you stick to the recognisable seasonal pattern, or it is very different?
- What sort of natural catastrophies do your people have to deal with, and how do they deal with them? Have any superstitions or traditions arisen from natural phenomina?
- What is the status of your world? Are there any major environmental issues that affect how your characters have to live or survive?
- Does your world have any large water systems or bodies of water? Are these seen as obstacles/natural barriers, or are they an important part of your worlds culture? (eg, your world may rely heavily on river systems, or may be a series of islands to which the ocean is an ever-present part of life)
- What does an everyday home look like in your world? How is it furnished, what are the different rooms used for, or does it have rooms at all? What is the size of an average household?
- What would you consider to be the capital city of your world? Has it always been the capital, or has it shifted over time?
- Chose one domain of power. What are the conditions of its roads? It is said that well kept roads equal a well kept nation, so how well kept are they? How common is travel and who does the most traveling? Is it safe to step off the beaten path, or even, is it safe to stay on it?

People and Life
- Give a detailed example of an inhabitants daily life.
- What are the major drives for your people, what makes them want to wake up in their world?
- I am a foreign dignitary, sent as an envoy to your country. Where do you take me to dine, and what do we eat?
- I am a man on the street. I'm looking for something to eat, just a quick bite. Where do I go and what is available?
- How long have there been people on this world? Did they evolve, were they created by the gods, or did they migrate from somewhere else? If there are non-humans, how long have they been around and where did they come from?

Religion
- What type/types of religions does your world have? (animism, polytheism, antheism, agnositcism, gnosticism, monotheism, lumentheism)
- How does the religious community feature in your world? Does the church function as the government or is there a separation of church or state? Also, how do the people view the members of the religion?
- How much does faith affect the actions of governments? If there are real and tangible gods in your world, do they directly intervene with politics? If faith is more blurry, how much power do religious institutions have over the government, and how does this reflect in everyday life?
- How important is religion in your world? Is it left to the individual or is it controlled by the ruling powers?

Race, Gender and Equality
- Does your world have one dominant race/species/group of people, or do its citizens tend to cooperate?
- How do the people in your world react to those who do not want to conform?
- What social classes are there in your world, and are any groups discriminated against?
- How are same sex relationships or unions viewed in your world? (Socially accepted, taboo, illegal?)
- Are the sexes viewed as equal in your world? Explain why or why not (eg, historical precedent, politics, religion)
- Has slavery ever been a part of your society? If not, what are your societies views on it?
- What are your societies views on children born out of wedlock? Is marriage an important part of building a family with regards to legitimacy? For example, would the child of a sole parent born out of wedlock be treated any different to the child of two married people?

Law
- What is considered taboo in one of your cultures and why?
- Are there any unusual, or at least different to Earth's, actions or possessions that would carry a sentence? What are the social/legal no-nos of your world?
- What is the punishment for theft? If it depends, what does it depend on?
- How is the law enforced in your land, and by whom? Is there a wide stretching 'police' force, or would rural areas have to rely on vigilantism? How are law enforcement officers viewed in your world?
- What is society's opinion on killing, stealing, and rape? Do the laws treat them equally, or change depending on circumstance, such as who did what to whom or why? What is the process of deciding guilt and what punishment is common?
- What kind of Judiciary system does your world have?

Culture and Education
- What is society's opinon on "family" "nationality" "religion" or "loyalty"? If you have more than one society you might want to pick a single one. What should a person be most loyal to, and what values are most important to that society?
- What languages do people talk in your world? Have you made up a whole new language? Do they have several languages or just one big common language?
- What type of clothing do your people choose to wear, and is the weather always suitable?
- What ceremonies or beliefs does you society hold when it comes to death? (eg; burial practices, notions of an afterlife, martyrdom)
- What are the rituals or ceremonies surrounding marriage? Is its significance primarily religious or civil? (Ie; a religious ceremony vs a matter of law)
- How important are the arts (music, writing, art) to your society?
- What sort of education system does your world have? Is it accessible to all, or reserved for an elite class?

Business and Commerce
- Are there any unusual professions in your world, or jobs that do not exist in our own society? How does one obtain this position, and what role does it play in your world?
- Describe an item that is rare or highly sought after in your world, and explain why.
- What is the main form of goods transportation in your world? Describe a main export and import of one region.
- I am a person of business looking to transport goods to a major city. How would I go about this in the most efficient manner, and would I need any protection for my cargo? Is it safe or am I likely to be robbed?
- What sort of currencies do the cultures in your world use and how are they figured?

[Dev Kimiko]

USEFUL LINKS

Gaia Name Bank
Got a question? Just ask Jile~
Think Tank and Ideas help
Write interesting
Veives writing linklist and rants
WF linklist; useful rants and guides
Prompt me!
Fantasyland Challenge
The writing rants of Limyaael
Sydney Morning Herald snapshots; inspirational images

[Spatterdash]

Dev Kimiko

Does your world have one over-arching government system, or is it made up of seperate ones? Describe a goverment system of your world.

Okay, I've got several worlds, but the one I'm working on could be considered post-apocalyptic, and as such most of it runs under an anarcho-capitalist system. There's no state to speak of, and generally the world has fragmented into small territories dominated by warlords and robber barons. Some of the territories cooperate; others feud endlessly. There are several 'superpower' companies which are attempting to build empires.
In London v2, where most of the story is set, the area is almost entirely dominated by the Linton Corporation, although it's under threat of being bought out.

Does your world have one dominant race/species/group of people, or do its citizens tend to cooperate?

[Moenen]

Spatterdash

Does your world have one dominant race/species/group of people, or do its citizens tend to cooperate?

I have a society which is isolated not only because it's on an island, but also because it sees itself as the center of civilization. They don't venture out into the world because they believe that the world couldn't possibly have anything interesting to offer them. They see other species/races as backwards and undeserving of living near them, so they've banished them to the far corners of the island and have harsh punishments for those who try to live near them illegally.

Then there's the desert society, which has been flourishing with trade and bustling with nearly all benevolent species and races in that world for over a thousand years. There are of course some tensions, but no more than you would see in any other society where the people are all from the same race/species because the people are used to living together with other species.


How do the people in your world react to those who do not want to conform?

[Lea Fealith]

Depends on where you are. In the northern continent, because racial superiority is a big thing, those who do not contribute to the group are outcast, usually to the unclaimed plains in the Southeast. In the southern continent, the better part of civilization is based on rebellion against the norm or the ruling power, and although established governments would rather have easy to rule citizens, there is a long history of revolt, counter-culture, emmigration, etc...

In your world, how connected are people to each other. For example, does it take days to travel a few miles, or are trips across the entire span of the world commonplace?

(By the way. Fantasyland Challenge. *pokepoke for the linklist*)

[Fromasj]

I have not started the creating of my world yet, but there are no other ways to venture than on foot or on the back of some or another animal/creature. They don't have the technology to invent faster ways to travel. Not yet at least.

What languages do people talk in your world? Have you made up a whole new language? Do they have several languages or just one big common language?

[Spatterdash]

Due to the effects of globalisation, pretty much everyone speaks English or Chinese, depending whether you're in the West or the East. Other languages are only spoken by Anachronistic communities, who are a stubborn lot.
English comes in about three levels. Most people speak a fairly recognisable, everyday sort. Leaders tend to speak in a rather convoluted, stilted style, riddled with jargon and buzzwords. The younger generation tend to speak in a mangled, hard-to-understand mix of modern English, archaic words, mispronounced Chinese and Japanese words, and backslang, entirely for the purpose of frustrating others.

What's the climate like in your world? Do you stick to the recognisable seasonal pattern, or it is very different?

[Donovan Riddle]

Spatterdash

What's the climate like in your world? Do you stick to the recognisable seasonal pattern, or it is very different?

(I'll pick Dementia for this...)
The climate is, as one character puts it, eternal autumn. Watery sunlight, cloudy sky, brisk breeze. The reason is that the man who created this place (yes, it is a magic-created world, and not very big) just couldn't be bothered to create any other seasons. They would go unnoticed anyway, seeing as visitors to his world can pay to change the environment.

Describe an item that is rare or highly sought after in your world, and explain why.

[henred5]

Donovan Riddle

Describe an item that is rare or highly sought after in your world, and explain why.

The most rare and sort after item in my own created world are the 'elemental seeds.' These are small seeds of which when planted can issue a grandly powerful weapon that can protect the planet/kingdom from any threats or attacks, that is when used for a good cause, when used for evil they can destory whole kingdoms withen minutes, which makes it the most powerful protector or attacker known to the planet which is full of elemental magic, but non as powerful as the elemental seeds.

However all the seeds must be reunited and planted together to create the weapon of goodness or destruction.

Desribe a magical or near magical feature of your world, it can be animal or object.

[Axioma]

henred5

Desribe a magical or near magical feature of your world, it can be animal or object.

In Sonya's Magical Patricide Adventure! which as you may have guessed is yet another one of the many working titles it's had, there is a certain species of plant (Actually several kinds) that can bloom extremely fast.

You see, there's this stretch of rocky desert to the southwest of New Tenebrous, which is mostly pure scorched heat and stuff, but once a year there's this horrible flash flood when a storm gathers out of nothing, rains like hell. Almost immediately afterward, the entire area is shaken by earthquakes.

This is because the plants beneath the earth are growing at supernatural speed. The desert transforms into a blooming paradise during the course of a single day, the plants growing so fast you can actually see them move.

This lasts for about three days, after which all the plants die off, and everything turns into desert again for another year. Mark and Sonya are going to have the privilege of witnessing this event. And then I think I might kill Mark off.

***

When was the last war fought in your world, and why?

[Donovan Riddle]

Axioma

When was the last war fought in your world, and why?

(Skity 5 now!)
The last war, to the knowledge of the characters, was the Torkan-Dehr conflict, about a hundred years ago. It was fought because Dehr began trading with another country for a precious metal that, until this point, Torkan had had a monopoly on. A mountain range separated Torkan and this country, so retaliating directly was out of the question. Torkan instead cut its trade ties with Dehr, which severely affected both countries economies and caused Dehr to retaliate in turn. This went on until open war was declared by Torkan.
The war caused conflict in other countries as well, but the question does not cover that.


What kind of political system(s) does your world have and how does this affect the characters?

or

Give a detailed example of an inhabitants daily life.

[Endrael]

Axioma

When was the last war fought in your world, and why?

I'm going to go with my fantasy world for this one, because I find it the most interesting in this regard, as there are actually several on-going wars, depending on what area you're looking at.

In the South Lands, there's the trolls (which are nothing at all like the standard D&D trolls) and the various human kingdoms that are collectively known as the Inkai He-ged, who are allied in their fight against the Ming Srak, which are basically magical servants created through a joint effort by Serak Nell (the now dead goddess of chaos) and Mingen Raul (the now dead god of magic). The Ming Srak were never intended to be anything but temporary creations, but because of the nature of their creators (especially Serak Nell), they managed to overcome that restriction on their existence. Which wouldn't have become a problem if they didn't also multiply. They were almost wiped out during the last war among the gods (when they were created), but discovered they could take refuge in the Heat Wastes, an area that the god's war had corrupted so extensively that no more mortal races could survive there, and so survive. Except there was nothing there for them to occupy themselves with, and being the offspring of the chaos goddess, they went searching for something to do.

Because of this conflict, the Inkai He-ged and the trolls have intertwined culturally for mutual survival against the Ming Srak, and their use of magic is far more advanced than that of any other human culture. Despite this, the Ming Srak are slowly but surely beating them down, and have recently snuck around to the eastern side of the continent, where they've encountered the thriving half of Sjal Shkrack, the "unifying" empire of the humans.

They've met with little resistance here, but have encountered the shamans, which are undead somewhat akin to liches and that serve the rulers of the empire. Unlike liches, shamans can not be killed, as their physical form is only a manifestation of their true existence in a mirror universe. Being creatures of magic, they, like the Ming Srak, are adept with its use, and the clashes between the two races have already sprouted several legends.

Which isn't to say the shamans are beneficial. They're not. Everytime their physical form is killed, it drives them that much closer to madness, and many of the older ones are completely insane and utterly dangerous. The empire's reliance on them is thus a double-edged sword, but at the same time, they are the only source of powerful magic that the empire has, as the humans of the North Lands are extremely wary of it, given the still lingering scars of the god's last war.

In a way, they're fear is justified, but at the same time, they're also dooming themselves, as without it they have no effective way of dealing with the shamans who pass the brink of madness, have no way of dealing with the Ming Srak, have no way of dealing with the followers of the god of insanity (even if he is dead), and have no way of dealing with the Banda Korronn (a race of elves cursed to forever be that which they most hate: undead).

Which brings us to the western half of the Sjal Shkrack empire, which is crumbling under it's own weight and lack of resources. The Banda Korronn, having been searching ceaselessly for a cure to their condition since it was inflicted upon them, have lost sight of the goals they had at the time of their curse (a few thousand years passed will do that), and now have no real understanding of why they were cursed in the first place. They've lost none of their zeal, however, and under the leadership of Eldroh Rillyhre, have taken to conquest, looking for a power beyond that which they've managed to find for themselves. Already, they've made short work of the human nation of Seltora and have discovered remnant powers of the world's first gods, but they have no understanding of how to use them, let alone get to them. They're now poised to strike outward, at Sjal Shkrack and the Edrrin Gra'Yur, who were once their blood kin but escaped being cursed.

There are also further wars on the horizon between the now displaced High Druids (an actual race that I haven't yet gotten around to renaming) and the shamans of Sjal Shkrack, a conflict which is likely to completely destroy the empire, as the High Druids are one of the very few (and dwindling) races whose existence is founded upon magic. Being nigh immortal, their power is not to be taken lightly, but having lost the only home they had to a focused onslaught by the followers of the god of insanity, they are now scattered across the realm, and thus weakened.

-----

If there's magic in your world, how prevalent is it and how does it affect the cultures and societies of your characters?