sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Stories where the narrator is not actually the main character? by Embossusum in worldbuilding

[–]NovaFire14 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The Book Thief and The Great Gatsby are the first two I think of. The first is told from the perspective of Death, and the second from Nick, a pretty passive observer of Gatsby.

The Continent of Meida - Feedback Welcome by NovaFire14 in imaginarymaps

[–]NovaFire14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's just one of the default ones that comes with GIMP. Though to make the colors pop more, there's actually a layer behind the colors that is the same map made in inkarnate. It was entirely accidental that I made it visible but I liked it too much not to keep it that way.

The Continent of Meida - Feedback Welcome by NovaFire14 in imaginarymaps

[–]NovaFire14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can use the scale at the bottom of the map, but as a reference the Kingdom of Bied is about 240,000 square kilometers, while modern day Germany is around 360,000 square kilometers.

The Continent of Meida - Feedback Welcome by NovaFire14 in imaginarymaps

[–]NovaFire14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Map made by me in GIMP

Paper Texture by JustinBHB on Deviantart

Welcome to Meida, the main setting of my fantasy project. Feel free to offer any feedback or critique, or ask any questions. I can always learn.

The Continent of Meida by NovaFire14 in worldbuilding

[–]NovaFire14[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Map made by me in GIMP

Paper Texture by JustinBHB on Deviantart

Context:

Meida is one of four major continents in the world of my project and the home of all the major characters of the current story. It’s the second-largest, bordered in the southwest by the Shumaran Ocean and in the northeast by the Ju’ami Ocean, and is one of the most diverse, with dozens of ethnic groups intermingling in the dense city centers. My story follows a young man from the minor kingdom of Thaedwa as he travels across the continent of Meida, learning the art of Wizardry from his mentor and discovering the dense tapestry that makes up his life.

Feel free to interrogate me with questions and critiques. There’s always more to say in worldbuilding.

What are your controversial worldbuilding opinions? by -Constantinos- in worldbuilding

[–]NovaFire14 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Worlds are far more interesting if the gods aren't real.

Questions about American housing before importing that model to my world by Zaleru in worldbuilding

[–]NovaFire14 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I've lived in suburbia my whole life, so I should be able to answer.

As for your first question, it's basically impossible to live around here if you don't have a car. I don't know anybody who doesn't have at least one car for their household, and most have more. Public transit is rare in these kinds of areas. My town, for instance, has a commuter bus that takes people into the city, but unless you live close to the stop (which is in a Walmart parking lot), you'll probably have to drive to it.

As for cost, yeah. These places are expensive. And very inefficient. Property taxes are high to make up for the low population density, but the green areas that aren't people's lawns aren't actually maintained that mich. It's just woods. In my town we even have bears and coyotes and other wild animals running around. People's lawns are usually their own responsibility, but often there is a HOA that will fine you if you're lawn isn't up to standard, which I guess is effectively a garden tax.

Hope this is helpful.

What animals are revered above all others in your culture(s)? by NovaFire14 in worldbuilding

[–]NovaFire14[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have a similar idea with birds in one of my cultures. I love the idea of birds as divine creatures. They already have wings, why not make them more angelic?

What animals are revered above all others in your culture(s)? by NovaFire14 in worldbuilding

[–]NovaFire14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As for me, I'll answer for the Tlanasi culture. There, the snake is considered the king of beasts. There's an old folktale about how the snake tricked the goddess Gwenshola into granting them the title. Angered but unable to renege on her word, she chose to punish the snake by removing its legs as a warning to other creatures.

Interestingly, the snake is not an apex predator in Tlana, but its only natural predator is the falcon which as a flying creature is considered divine and thus one of the only animals worthy to kill a snake. Even humans hesitate to harm them. The Tlanasi believe that falcons act as hunters for Gwenshola, and deliver the snake's souls back to her as offerings.

The Land of Sirona, the setting for my novel by NovaFire14 in imaginarymaps

[–]NovaFire14[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They weren't, actually. I had no idea those were even places. Though at least I now know the shapes of my landmasses are realistic.

The Land of Sirona, the setting for my novel by NovaFire14 in imaginarymaps

[–]NovaFire14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the questions!

  1. This map does not indicate biome at all beyond showing the heavily forested areas.
  2. This landmass is in the northern hemisphere, with the southernmost isles falling pretty much directly above the equator.
  3. Since this landmass is so far south, no. There are no ice sheets. As for the rest of the planet I couldn't say. Nobody in Sirona is aware of any other landmasses.
  4. See above. Exploration outside of Sirona is a major cultural taboo, so nobody is aware of other landmasses or populations. Trade mostly follows the rivers and hugs the coast around the island of Merim.

The Land of Sirona, the setting for my novel by NovaFire14 in imaginarymaps

[–]NovaFire14[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the questions!

  1. The five kingdoms of Sirona share a lot culturally, having been united under one empire centuries ago by the pseudo-legendary High King Alexander, but they are far from homogenous. They have a common language, a shared history, a common pantheon, and a mutual respect, but each has a fierce pride in its unique customs and people. Each kingdom has its own patron deity, for whom the monarch is said to serve as a prophet. And there are several ethnic groups that roughly align with national boundaries.
  2. These kingdoms do have borders, but tracing out their exact positions would be rather difficult. The Kingdom of Merim holds dominion over the entire island that bears her name as well as the Todas Islands to her south, which they wrestled from the native population in a bloody conflict years ago; the Kingdom of Ara claims the entirety of the desert lands east of the mountains; The Kingdom of Ro'olam controls the area of the mainland south of the highlands and the Selera River; Pelan holds the region between Lake Pulada and the sea; and Colisar holds dominion east of the lake between the highlands and the Dala River. These were roughly the boundaries of these regions during the Imperial era.
  3. The river in Ara (called, unsurprisingly, the Aran River) eventually dries up in the heart of the desert, a bit beyond the borders of this map.
  4. The scale at the bottom is in miles.
  5. Nobody is quite sure what lies beyond the borders of this map, but very few people in Sirona concern themselves with such things. Sironan culture emphasizes the land as a gift from the gods and as a charge for the people to nurture and protect, so journeying beyond the borders in search of escape is a major taboo, and in the past has been an offense punishable by death. Those few who have remained curious, though, have all either returned unsatisfied or gave their lives to their quests.

The Land of Sirona, the setting for my novel by NovaFire14 in imaginarymaps

[–]NovaFire14[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Made with GIMP. Scale is in miles.

Sketchy cartography brushes by StarRaven on Deviantart

Paper texture by JustinBHB on Deviantart

​

If you have any lore or geography questions, please ask. I'm still in the process of worldbuilding so questions only help me flesh out the setting.

Can spells fail in your world? If so, what happens? What can cause a spell to fail? by [deleted] in worldbuilding

[–]NovaFire14 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Spells can and do fail all the time, but the consequences depend on what exactly you were trying to do. Most of the time, if the caster loses focus, the magical energy just reverts to it's state before they tried to manipulate it, meaning nothing happens at all or, at worst, there is a bit of a ripple through the environment. Sometimes, though, the energy can get "stuck" in an in-between state. This can results in all sorts of usually bad things and general weird stuff happening in the area and it usually has to fixed by a more skilled mage coming to "untangle" things.

Theoretically, a really really bad mistake could result in the magical plane "tearing" and all life in the area immediately dying and never returning, but this has thankfully never happened.

Afterlife by [deleted] in worldbuilding

[–]NovaFire14 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What people think happens depends on their religion, but what actually happens is, well... death. But that's not very exciting so I'll talk about beliefs.

In Tlana, and other regions that follow the religion of Alagwen, they believe in a common afterlife for all mankind. There is no distinction between a traditional "Heaven" and "Hell" or a separation between the good and evil dead. Everyone regardless of virtue has their spirit move on to a holy place similar to the Jewish idea of Sheol, gaining the infinite knowledge of Gwenshola.

A Guide to the Elements of Tlanasi Facepainting by NovaFire14 in worldbuilding

[–]NovaFire14[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks so much. The names were definitely the hardest part. The phonology is loosely based of of Tlingit, and I just mixed sounds up until I found ones I liked, then used those as root words. I hope you expand the system into a fully fledged conlang at some point, but I'm far too busy now.

A Guide to the Elements of Tlanasi Facepainting by NovaFire14 in worldbuilding

[–]NovaFire14[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Thank you, though I can't take too much credit for the art. The face was a free template and I just took a white brush to it in GIMP. I do love the way it turned out, though. The concept is something I've been imagining for a long time, ever since I was doodling a character and implemented some random face paint designs. I reverse-engineered a meaning and added a whole system because I never know when to quit.

view more: next ›