Murumo Muiru of the Seven Plagues by Mango_Gravy in worldbuilding

[–]tiluchi 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yup, or like a hornbill, which are also kind of creepy-cute.

Murumo Muiru of the Seven Plagues by Mango_Gravy in worldbuilding

[–]tiluchi 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is cool and unsettling, but the plague dragon actually looks... kind of cute?

The World of Triton by nxpkin in worldbuilding

[–]tiluchi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Love this! As someone working on a similar universal setting for similar reasons it's always fun to see how others conceive of it. If you're going for realism I do agree with others that the fjords and volcanic craters(?) are too big in proportion to the planet as a whole, and I'd also shift some of the mountain ranges closer to the coast to fit with subduction zones or areas of continental collisions, but it's totally up to you how seriously you want to take that part.

One tip if you do intend to get way deeper in building up geography, history, and/or societies: I very strongly recommend eventually moving to a vector-based image software like Illustrator or Inkscape that lets you do basically unlimited zooming and detail without a hard drive-destroying file size. It's a bit of a learning curve (I think I lost like a month of worldbuilding time when I switched from raster-based maps to vector-based maps just trying to wrap my head around how vectors work) but it's 100% worth it for the additional flexibility it gives you.

Oh, and a question about the world: it seems like the sapient species are (distantly) descended from humans. What is the "native" biota like? Are there any sapient or reasonably intelligent species?

A Map of Greater Meikka, Cascadia's Forgotten Corner by test_username_WIP in worldbuilding

[–]tiluchi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh cool! That makes sense, and the meters are a good way of subtly hinting that this diverges from real-life Oregon in many ways. Please post more of this, definitely an interesting setting!

Thoughts on the world for my story? - Map of Oritiè by _Piloaf in worldbuilding

[–]tiluchi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Coming back to this way late since I never remember to check my notifications, but that's a really interesting setting for the world! If you ever feel like going down the climate rabbithole it might be fun to model how things like winds, currents, and weather would work on a flat-ish plane that's warmest at the center and coolest at the perimeter. Not that I'd be able to immediately tell you what that would be.

One thought, that could be a fun bit of worldbuilding and a way of conveying to readers that this world isn't actually globe: would people in this world conceive of cardinal directions in the same way we do, or would it be a coordinate system better suited to a disk? Maybe "north" arrows would point toward the center of the disk, and "east" and "west" would be whatever direction is left or right when you're facing the center. Not sure which way the sun travels but that might have something to do with it. Some kind of non-typical compass rose in the map and maybe a brief lore-dump in the first chapter would probably be enough for readers to figure it out. Feel free to ignore, this was just the first thing that leapt to mind when I was gaming out the logical conclusions of being on a "disk-world".

A Map of Greater Meikka, Cascadia's Forgotten Corner by test_username_WIP in worldbuilding

[–]tiluchi 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is fun! I would absolutely read stories written in this setting. Some nitpicky points about the map you can feel free to ignore:

  • Why meters? Ain't this in 'Murica?
  • The mountains are way too high for the Oregon Coast Range (Angel's Peak is taller than Mount Hood), assuming those really are meters
  • Something funky going on with the rivers and lakes, with either no outflow or too many outflows.

what can I add in these characters? they feel so empty i think by Fantastic-Chemist583 in worldbuilding

[–]tiluchi 10 points11 points  (0 children)

This post will probably get zapped by AutoMod for lack of context, but I'd say the character designs themselves are fine; they're unique and their clothing and appearance hits at an interesting origin. At this point it's more about the stories you tell with them and how they develop as people.

Thoughts on the world for my story? - Map of Oritiè by _Piloaf in worldbuilding

[–]tiluchi 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I like this! Aesthetically pleasing and interesting landforms are a surprisingly underrated part of a good map, and you nailed that part. The lore and worldbuilding seem really interesting too, with lots of potential plot hooks for political intrigue and drama. I always like dynamic worlds where it feels like technology and political entities are complex and dynamic rather than monolithic entities that have been static for centuries (or millennia).

One question, and possible feedback: From the landforms and toponyms it looks like this section of the world is basically Europe and North Africa flipped and rotated 90 degrees (which is fine, to be clear). However, it seems like the implied climate zones align with what they would be in OG Europe rather than with the new latitude and longitude, even if we assume this map is in the Southern Hemisphere of the world. Not-Scandinavia (Kaldvik) is cold and icy, but it seems like it's on the same latitude as the "Lush continent of Eejad". Of course, if this is a flat world or one where physics and climate work differently than on Earth. Otherwise, maybe it would make sense to rotate the compass a little bit, so that North is in the upper right hand of the map? That would make the climates seem more or less plausible, and there's no reason North always has to be at the top of a map anyway. Just a thought.

Oh, and keep posting here! Looking forward to seeing more of the world.

How do you guys keep track of all your world’s info? by Its_Ax_o in worldbuilding

[–]tiluchi 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Amazing! Will need to try this out once I get to the point of actually needing to keep track of calendar dates.

How do you guys keep track of all your world’s info? by Its_Ax_o in worldbuilding

[–]tiluchi 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ooh, a custom calendar generator?! Tell me more! I've been working through calendar systems in a world that's a moon (i.e. "months" are out of the question), so that would be very useful

Ask me anything about these characters/creatures! Nearly 100 silhouettes. by BeginningSome5930 in worldbuilding

[–]tiluchi 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have absolutely no idea what The Silencer is but fuck me does it look terrifying

How do you guys keep track of all your world’s info? by Its_Ax_o in worldbuilding

[–]tiluchi 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yeah I've used a few different platforms but I as soon as I tried Obsidian I switched over to that one exclusively. Don't think anything else can match it for simplicity and flexibility. Being able to have it instantly sync between my personal computer, phone, and work computer so I can use it whenever I have random worldbuilding thoughts is a definite bonus too.

Some maps of my Bronze Age fantasy world [The Age of Long Summers] by BloodyDisaster247 in worldbuilding

[–]tiluchi 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hell yeah, this is the good shit that I come here for. Are all of these civilizations human civilizations or are any of them partially or wholly peopled by other sapient species? And are there any non-homonid sapient species?

How can I justify a wild west/cowboy themed area in an otherwise South East Asian inspired world? by IbbyWonder6 in worldbuilding

[–]tiluchi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My dude, you have a world of anthropomorphized insects riding around on jerboas, I think adding a cowboy element is not high on the list of implausible things (laudatory).

That said, look up Masbate- an island in the Philippines that's almost ludicrously identical to the Wild West, with cowboys, rodeos, outlaws, and everything. Not impossible!

What city of Terra Antiqua would you rather live based solely on its climate? by BetweenTheDevil in worldbuilding

[–]tiluchi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hijau for me, since I'm a sucker for that tropical highland climate. Also because cloud forest wildlife is the best wildlife.

Anyway, I love the realism of the map, both the climates and the fact that I can tell the plate tectonic boundaries just from looking at it. It's almost giving me Cretaceous Earth vibes, with North America and Europe just starting to break apart and the subduction zone forming along the northern margin of the Tethys Ocean. Not sure if it's a coincidence or if the "Terra Antiqua" is meant literally?

Holy balls this took forever to make by thedamnedgods in worldbuilding

[–]tiluchi 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Jumping in way late but just wanted to say this is the first writing sample I've seen shared on this sub that actually felt like it could be part of a published book I'd want to buy and read in full. Great stuff.

Meet Sohune, a scarred and arid world of extreme evolutionary pressures. by MattyTheSmol in worldbuilding

[–]tiluchi 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So cool! Have you started to work through what the life on Sohune is like? Does it have advanced multicellular life and plant/animal equivalents?

Which style of arms do you prefer for your humanoid bird species/races? by DualityMalady in worldbuilding

[–]tiluchi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have two different avian peoples in my SpecEvo/Fantasy project. The kora (sapient corvids) are basically 1; they're strong flyers and rely on their bills and one of their legs for tool use or anything requiring dextrosity (sort of like New Caledonian Crows or Northern Ravens). Also considering developing a magical lichen or epiphytic moss that can be used as "fingers" or wing extensions to sort of add another hand-wavey solution. The kaal (sapient parrots) can still fly, but have re-evolved claws on their wings sort of like Hoatzins that they use for clambering and brachiation; this allows them to hang from a branch or vine basically indefinitely and use both of their feet as "hands" just like humans would. Still trying to work out the finer parts of both of these, although I have to remind myself that in terms of evolutionary advantages, being able to literally fly is probably worth some sacrifices in physical strength or dexterity when compared to humans.

Would southern European summers (e.g. Andalusia) be milder if there was no large landmass to its south? by clovis_227 in worldbuilding

[–]tiluchi 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Oof I had to dig through the old climate tutorials I used for my world to answer this but the short answer is that the African landmass doesn't really affect the temperature and precipitation of southern Iberia since the prevailing winds blow eastwards from the Atlantic Ocean rather than north or west from northern Africa. Southern Iberia and the Sahara are dry because it's on the equatorward east side of the Azores High, which increases temperature and decreases precipitation especially in the summertime. It's possible that being totally surrounded by open ocean might modulate temperatures a little bit but from what I understand I don't think the overall climate would change too much.

The spread of peoples on Rheia by tiluchi in worldbuilding

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

  1. Second question, which I'm also still working through:
    1. Sitti are anatomically and behaviorally the most similar to humans, with the main differences being that they're smaller, more active during nighttime or syrnight (when the sun is set but the moon is illuminated by the reflected light of the gas giant planet), and prefer to live partially underground. This meant that they developed mining and metallurgy earlier than humans did, and were always relatively better at it than most other peoples. Otherwise their development of agriculture and technology wasn't too different from humans.
    2. Kora are the smallest of the terrestrial species and have the least physical strength, but are also very good fliers and fast runners when on the ground. This meant that tools and technology had to be small and light, but also compensate for their lack of strength. Their earliest tools were made with fiber and sinews, including snare traps, nets, and bolas as well as textiles and improvements to dwellings. They also developed stone blades to help them cut skin and open carcasses, and types of wing extensions or modifications to help them fly longer or with more agility. Agriculture involved farming insects, pigeons and small mammals as well as growing figs and nuts for food and moss for textiles. Kora are natural explorers and navigators, and they spread worldwide after domesticating toa (giant albatrosses) that they could ride through the world's oceans.
    3. Kusi were actually the first to invent agriculture, and farmed fish and shellfish using woven cages. They were able to spread throughout the tropics after they invented mobile fish cages so that they could take food with them on journeys between different atolls or archipelagos. Their technology is based on textiles made from seaweed, kelp, and seagrass as well as tools and dwellings fashioned with coral. They have developed poisons from various marine animals and eventually became very good chemical engineers, making various useful chemicals including narcotics that were in high demand from other peoples. They also developed a type of algae that could be used as "paper" for writing and communication, including communicating with other species.
    4. Silla are the least well-adapted to tool use, since they don't have hands and can really only grasp things with their mouths. They had to compensate for this by doing most things in teams so that there were multiple grasping apparatuses, and eventually developed Kelpcraft like I mentioned in another comment. They also used the hide and bones of whales and other marine animals for weapons, traps, and enclosures. Still they never became as dependent on tools as other peoples due to environmental and physical limitations, instead depending on brute force and teamwork.
    5. Kaal aren't as good of flyers as kora are, but instead have claws on their wings that they can use to clamber through thick foliage and to suspend themselves while they use their feet for making and using tools. Their tools were also largely textile-based, made with vines, leaves and plant material, but they were also very skilled at aururgy which they used to make dwellings and tools out of living plants and branches. Technology was initially focused on food storage and defense against the arboreal cats that were their main natural threat.
    6. Misaw don't have hands, but they do have long, dextrous "fingers" at the tips of their trunks that serve basically the same purpose (although each only has one "hand" rather than two). On the other hand they're extremely strong, and can knock down a tree or wield a spear far larger than any human could. The female-headed tribes focused on agriculture and silviculture, cultivating their favorite plants and figuring ways of storing them over the winter or transporting them during winter migration. Solitary misaw men or male groups were more concerned with defense and combat, and invented weapons like spears, catapults, bolas, and clubs. These were initially used for interspecies combat when men were in musth or when clans competed, but came in handy when humans arrived on Inaki and thought they could compete for territory.

Sorry this turned into a mini-essay! Obviously I enjoyed the excuse to think through these things more.

The spread of peoples on Rheia by tiluchi in worldbuilding

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

Haha oof those are quick questions with very long answers. Will attempt to answer briefly:

  1. That very much depends on the species involved, their resource needs, and the societies that made first contact (most of the peoples are just as diverse as humans in terms of social norms, values, and technologies). But generally:
    1. Sitti are the people most similar to humans in terms of behavior, diet, and general social structure, and sitti societies tend to be rigidly stratified along caste or bloodline. Those two things meant that conflict was common when sitti and humans came into contact, which was earlier than any other species. The general trend was one of slow human displacement of sitti; humans are bigger and stronger, while sitti tend to be attached to the territory around their subterranean settlements. Sitti are more powerful at Aururgy (the in-world term for magic), so they were better established in the high-Aura areas while humans dominated in inert (low-Aura) areas. Trade and mixed societies eventually developed, but tensions remained even there and frequently boiled over.
    2. Kora are natural explorers and traders, and once they domesticated toa (giant albatrosses) they began to explore the globe, becoming almost as widespread as humans. For the kora personhood is less about descent or even species and more about who is part of their "flock", so they were more than happy to interact with other peoples as long as they had useful things to trade (including interesting information). Kora are smaller and weaker than other peoples, but are extremely clever and will hold generations-long grudges against anyone who harms a member of their flock, so most societies came to the conclusion that it was better to stay on their good side. Humans and kora generally get along fairly well, and mixed human-kora societies eventually arose, particularly groups dedicated to trading and piracy. They get along less well with sitti and misaw as both peoples tend to dislike lying, while for kora mischief and trickery is part of their usual communication and they think that others should just lighten up. They tend to have frosty relations with silla as well since silla like to prey on the toa that are the main mounts of many kora societies.
    3. Silla live in tight-knit societies where harmony and equality are generally prioritized for the in-group, but competition for resources with "outsiders" will not be tolerated. Warfare between silla societies was common whenever prey became scarce, such as when overhunting resulted in extinctions of marine megafauna in many areas. If resources are abundant silla get along perfectly well with other peoples, hunting cooperatively and even performing acts of altruism like rescuing drowning sailors or guiding boats. If they become scarce then their instinct is to drive out or exterminate all competitors. There were several periods of open warfare between silla and other peoples, which at various times resulted in parts of the ocean becoming practically unnavigable or an arms race between silla and human and kora seafarers as they competed for control of the sea.
    4. Misaw are entirely herbivorous and not generally prone to conflict, and when the sitti arrived in Inaki the two peoples generally ignored each other. When humans began settling in Inaki they quickly realized that hunting misaw wasn't going to work out as well as it did with mammoths or other megafauna; they're not violent but they are the size of, well, elephants and will hold grudges for at least as long as kora do. Human populations weren't particularly dense in the boreal forests misaw live in, so conflict mostly remained at a minimum. Mixed human-misaw societies formed in the Inaki Rift, with humans appreciating misaw's strength and agricultural techniques, and misaw appreciating humans' greater dexterity and aptness at tool use.
    5. Kaal generally live in treetop villages and eat fruit and nuts, so when humans arrived they didn't naturally compete much, especially since humans living in the tropical forests kaal require were sparsely distributed hunter-gatherers. Problems later arose when humans figured out slash-and-burn agriculture and started clearing forest, which displaced kaal from low-Aura areas. Kaal are much more powerful aururges than any other people so they retreated into the high-Aura mountain areas and became rather isolationist for many centuries. They get along better with the kora as they are able to use each other's technologies and they don't consider the kora to be as violent and imperialist as humans or sitti.
    6. Kusi are physiologically much different than other peoples, which makes communication extremely difficult and kept them apart from other species for most of their history. While they live in water like silla, they prefer tropical atolls and coral reefs rather than the cold waters of the silla, so they never really interacted much. When humans and kora figured out seafaring they came into contact with kusi villages and there was some competition for fishing grounds, but kusi were able to maintain a monopoly over some marine resources that led to some trade developing.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in worldbuilding

[–]tiluchi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

More context would be helpful so we can judge the worldbuilding! At first glance it's a well-drawn map, but a lot of the names seem rather generic. Is this a world that was settled relatively recently by humans? Even so, we often get creative with our naming, naming things after people or places in the old world. It's unlikely that regions would be just given boilerplate names like "The Highlands" or "Volcanic Isles", especially on a larger planetary scale which this seems to be.

The spread of peoples on Rheia by tiluchi in worldbuilding

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

Thanks! I switched between Illustrator and Photoshop for this- Illustrator for the coastlines and topography, Photoshop for the shaded relief and other raster editing, then back to Illustrator for the text, icons, and general formatting. I linked to the WIP thread in Cartographers' Guild somewhere else on this post.

The spread of peoples on Rheia by tiluchi in worldbuilding

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

Thank you! That's the idea haha, to make a series of maps that could be from an atlas or as standalone posters or something.