#Worldbuilder

[redd956]

Worldbuilding: Cold Climate

Worldbuilding things to think about for cold climates :D

Not Freezing To Death

One of the main things to think about when worldbuilding a society in cold climates is how exactly people don't freeze to death. Of course we could easily knock out some factors, such as nonhuman creature of ice, but what about everybody else. Even creatures that live in arctic level climates are exposed to the dangers of too much cold.

Extremeness

First things first, decide how extreme the cold is in the climate. Another thing to think about is whether or not it remains this freezing all year long, or if a more stable temperate climate is nearby (usually south).

This will decide how difficult it is to not freeze to death. If we're talking arctic or colder, it will be surprisingly easy to freeze to death, but locals would be wiser.

Architecture

Keeping heat in is going to be the most important function of homes and shelters.

How are homes heated?

How do homes keep heat in?

Think about these two questions of course.

Insulation is a major factor as to why warm housing in cold climates is possible, just look at igloos, which rely entirely on insulation using your own body temperature to heat the indoors.

Next is a heating source. There are so many many different ways to heat a house in such a cold environment. Homes in Siberia use methods such as masonry stoves, central heating, and communal boilers. In many areas the cultural aspect of putting carpets on the walls also aid insulation.

The more facilities and technology a building holds, the more maintenance it needs. Sources like water and electricity are much more difficult to obtain and upkeep. In many arctic circle settlements, they rely on bringing back pure blocks of ice for drinking water. Wells are most often dug, and pipes need to be very closely cared for, due to pipes freezing and exploding.

Snow is heavy too. Roofs need to be sturdy, and allocated so that snow doesn't build too heavily. If temperatures change during warm seasons, most often people will go on their roofs to clear the snow before it melts, because the wet moisture will find its way inside the home and destroy the infrastructure.

Clothing

Warm, windproof, waterproof, and proper fabric. These are four things to consider for clothes that keep people alive. Clothes alone, unless supplemented by magic or technology, cannot guarantee survival in the coldest environments. However a person in winter gear is going to take a lot longer to die of hypothermia compared to someone in casual summer wear.

Fabrics and materials like fleece, wool, leather, and fur are very warm and reliable. Cotton is frowned upon though for not being water or wind proof.

Things like gloves, masks, scarves, hats, boots, and padded armor will be more common, especially to protect against frostbite on extremities like fingers, toes, ears, and nose.

Biology

I'll go further detail into this later down in the post, but biology plays a major role. Many different creatures have different adaptations to help them survive the cold. Humans do too, a good thing to think about for messing around with humanoid populations in cold environments.

People on average tend to have larger builds, and sometimes shorter limbs in colder climates. Larger bodies mean more cells, which means more heat. Limbs help dissipate and disperse heat, so when they're shorter they hold more warmth in. Also generally being more fat or chubby keeps one warmer compared to someone with lower fat and muscle distribution.

It's also important to realize that as humans we adapt through more than just physical ways, we adapt through innovation and culture as well. Take for instance the snow-blindness goggles or ski goggles.

Food Sources

Populations are often aligned towards the coast in cold environments, due to the easiest food source, fish. Fishing is not only much easier for populations, but less dangerous than searching for potentially sparse wildlife in the middle of the arctic.

Hunting is still an option, and so is farming in a way, but it will not be as big of a provider for diets as fishing.

Agricultural animals, such as cows, chickens, etc, need heated shelter and food as well. Low temperature crops are essential too. Of course we all know about potatoes, but also other root vegetables. Leafy green vegetables are also good at surviving.

Everything else would require some form of advanced greenhouse, and of course the labor to take care of everything.

Animal-Life Things

Alright, back to biology. Animals!

Arctic animals often rely on winter coats and/or blubber. Blubber isn't always seen as the outer layer of an aquatic animal like seals, but can also be a layer of skin on a furred animal. Fur is often multilayered too, and of course adapted to seasonal camouflage. Their bodies are their insulators. For feathered creatures we see fluffed up feathers.

Huddling together, digging icy dens for insulation, and sometimes relying on local hot springs are other tactics seen.

Some creatures, on the more cold-blooded side, have a natural antifreeze in their blood.

Of course one of the most important factor is fat reserves. Bulking up in preparation for winter is a must, especially if an animal is planning on hibernating.

Many arctic creatures have dark or black skin, as it helps them absorb as much light as possible as the sunlight is out. As for why humans don't replicate this trend is not fully known. There are many theories, but most of it simply boils down to the magic of diversity.

Travel

Last, but not least, is travel. Traveling around in a snowy environment isn't as easy as it seems. Frequent breaks are needed to maintain one's heat if traveling out in the open, and vehicles need to be specially constructed to overcome the rough terrain.

Water transport is often the main group of transport utilized in such cold environments. Railways are common too. Engineering techniques and lots of resources plus manpower keep things like railways functioning in arctic climates.

Things like sleds, and sleighs, often animal-pulled are seen culturally and historically. This is because other animals simply have an easier time clambering over snow, compared to humans.

[astrunaria]

Arphene's Magic System

OKK so I feel like before I post the post about Throdia (and go to bed), it's worth talking about Arphene's magic system and how it works and all bc it's also a major part of worldbuilding (we'll get to the fun part soon dw baddies)

Enter my google docs notes

Because of how magic came into the world, how the magic system works is heavily connected to Ophelia’s godly power, especially now to the two moons. The true power of your magic depends on what stage of the lunar phase the two moons were on when you were born.

For example…

After Ophelia’s exile, to put the world into balance again, Aurelia implemented a few changes with magic around the world. One change involved the abilities for those born under full moons. Now, to truly be able to use your ability (and maybe also magic), there was a specific energy required. Some requirements are nearly harmless, while some could change you entirely. It depends on how Aurelia values the ability.

However, with all these rules and special abilities, what is the kind of magic that’s used in Arphene exactly?

Magic derives its energy to work from a source of the wielder’s choosing. It can range from electricity to paper, as long as the source isn’t a living material. Depending on which moon you were born under, and how much time you spend on developing your magic, there’s a variety of ways in which your magic can be used.

ANNNDDD that's all from the google doc (round of applause) tbh something tells me this doesn't make complete sense so feel free to ask for further elaboration, I'll see what I need to edit to make it make sense

Tyy for staying to read!

[worldanvil]

Worldbuilding Factions w/ Martha Wells

How do heroes & villains get things done in your world? Probably not all by themselves! Join Janet & Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries) as they discuss how to worldbuild fantastic factions!

Saturday, January 11 - 6PM UK | 1PM EST | 10AM PST

[amaiguri]

Worldbuilding in 5

Thanks to @mysticstarlightduck for being so cool and tagging me in this one! Rules are simple: Post 5 pictures and tell us about something in your world. But... I'm just gonna post 5 pages of the world guide I've been working on!

Saegeneime is my culture that I redesigned the most recently. You can tell absolutely FEEL the Chinese influence gushing into Saegen culture, but I'm OK with that.

Also, update from last year around this time when I was finalizing the culture: I am actually learning Chinese! Wo3 shi4 ken4 lao4 zu2. (I am nibble old group.) So that's cool. I'm still in the "familiarize myself and start learning grammar" phase and tones are hard. BUT I'm getting there!

Gently tagging @reaperofcrows @anyablackwood @cee-grice @theprissythumbelina and @maiemorrae to hop on this one!

[moscahbriar]

some concepts for a script for the Cavran languages! this is this still a first draft and is subject to change. the second words/names are all Mosinov words/names specifically! (no translation underneath = name)

[thecrazyworldbuilder]

Some miscellaneous worldbuilding brainrambles I had.

Saw some art from the Rainworld universe and it got me wondering - what if like, some Shoggoth level eldritch being, all tentacles and stuff, found humans freaking adorable. Like "OMGGGGG HONEEYYY COME LOOK AT THISSSSS" while reaching a slimy appendage to pet Mark the Cashier at the Gas Station on the head as he's frozen in fear.

.

What if dragons are always angry because they feel the pain of constantly growing. The older the dragon, the bigger they are. The growth rate stays the same their whole life, from egg to titan, which means their bones just ache all the time, every joint, their teeth fall out and regrow constantly like those of sharks. Imagine being stuck in puberty forever. What if gold presence eases their pains?

.

I like the take on prophecies where they aren't a script to follow but a ticket with restricted permissions. It's not that "the one who takes the sword from the stone will be king" but "anyone who takes the sword from the stone will be king", if they want to. It all boils down to roles in a prophecy and the amount of specification. The less specific, the less significant the prophecy. Any black-haired man can pull help a farmer to pull a donkey out of a pit, but the seventh son of a seventh son, born under an eclipsed sun surrounded by fire? That's some world-changing potential prophecy there.

.

"Perfection... For thousands of years we tried to achieve perfection without really understanding what it is. We might be incapable to achieve it, but we can make something that will achieve it for us. First were the automaton who were designing each other by being a couple generations where the youngest disassemble the oldest to create a new wave. Who analyze themselves for weaknesses and think like a true hivemind. Then there were the chimerae. Beings of two bloodlines, noble and drone, like ants they lived in colonies yet each member was so drastically different from others you couldn't tell they are the same species. Splicing genes of all animals in the world, all fishes, all insects and even plants. With their own queens, princes and princesses who are the closest to the Perfection. And what else? Others not so lucky, drones, experiments out of which survive only the strongest, and who can challenge the noble bloodlines. If they live they get to reproduce. Die - and become genetic food for the nobles to grow stronger. Everytime we tried to pump animals with the Evolution agents, they turned into crabs. No damn idea why. And everytime we tried to use magic for the idea, slime were created in one way or another, slime that changes state of matter between liquid and solid, quicksilvers who simply outskill everything alive in survival, shapeshifting into cogs of a grand machine they are now building. We never knew what perfection was, yet tried to achieve it nevertheless."

.

Thinking of those scenes in movies when something paranormal is happening and things start to float upwards, or like, completely switch gravity directions. Say, a pendant starts dangling upwards rather than down, water flowing uphill, and all that. One possible way could be to say that there is a gravity anomaly affecting items below certain weight. If such anomaly could be harnessed in mechanisms, it be so dope. You know the ancient Greek Hero's automaton? Imagine the complexity if you include opposite gravity in that equation.

Could be a spell, could be some superconductor stuff like on Pandora.

.

Skin tones of a metal-based species.

.

Takes on elven youth:

Baby-looking elves. Elves just always looking like they are about seventeen, looking like that type of youngster you'd see in a supermarket asking for some random ass beer and looking too young to be allowed alcohol. Elves looking not in this "etereal beauty" kind like the "stock photos model" Looking young, yes, but. Not. Like those celebrities and richmen who spend a fortune on looking like they are forever 20. The only part of an elf that ages is the hair, turning white with age.

.

Runes are channels of energy, imperfections in metals, veins in your body, cracks and ores in stone, smallest anomalies in the crystals. Runes could be smithed, yes, but naturally occurring ones are stronger, better. Greater. So making a sword out of a metal chunk with a potent rune in it while preserving the rune itself yields greater results than trying to fabricate it.

.

Anatomic: Brain in the chest, heart in the head.

.

Concept:

The summoning sigils for demons (and other beings for that matter) are like calling a person's name and the only reason the demon shows up is because they grow tired and annoyed of being called like that so they are ready to do anything to stop that shit.

Imagine someone repeating your name a dozen times without elaborating what they want. Of course you will come over and ask "WHAT?"

.

Oooh I just got an interesting idea.

So, like, a language/culture where people's names are secondary, going after the pronoun they use.

It's like. He-John, She-Harrada, Ey-Nullée, et cetera.

But then that pronoun part is used as a third-person signifier. He, she, ey, all that, while the name is the second person pronoun (which it is in some cases). But then the part comes about verbs/adjectives getting those "genders" applied to them, as well as nouns (like "she-wolf" but, for example, "xe-smith apprentice").

.

There's this conversation I had with myself (typical neurodivergent queer going insane from having no reliable friends in a homophobic country that doesn't believe ADHD can exist in adults) about inflating a whole setting out of a minor detail, a smallest thing.

First it's one concept, then there's two, until the whole thing snowballs into a huge fictional world with lots of lore and stuff.

Say, concept: "Undead gods". Already amazing - sets up the assumption that A) Gods were once resurrected and B) Gods were once dead. Say if this happened to the Greek mythology, Hades - the god of the dead (but not death) himself dies and there's nobody to tend for the dead, and the Gods fight each other over the responsibility of tending over the most shitty job in the pantheon, resulting in mass bloodshed and death. Gods are dead, and only Thanatos is here to collect their souls. So he devises a plan, with ulterior motives: To give them and many dead a second chance in life. So in undeath, he lets them live as revenants, ghosts, skeletons, zombies, all devoted to different undead gods.

Undead being zapped with lightning from the blessing of Zeus. Undead breathing like a living forge of fire, blessed by Hephaestus. Chaos-bringing warriors in armor, followers of Ares. So much more.

And all from a simple ass concept, two words: Undead gods. Just that I am sometimes amazed how people who get into worldbuilding think that you must have a grand idea, a lot of things to connect together when in reality, it's just one stone, then two, then three, all together forming the building of your world(build). .

Or another, even smaller concept - "Alexandrithium is a metal that boils water on touch".

What tech will it inspire? What usage, how will it revolutionize the world? Boiling turns into steam, steam is punk (ba dum tsss). Some freaks make weapons out of this metal to cause Extra Suffering and the equivalent of the Geneva convention bans such weapons, may they be blades or bullets.

You can make an analogy of a snow ball, rolling down a mountain and sticking more and more snow to itself, or you can say that you have a balloon - the original first concept - that you inflate with ideas from within, filling in the bag, stuffing it up with all that other stuff while under the hood of the First Concept. Like.

Worldbuilding is neat.

.

I had a similar idea which could be called "procedural conlangs" (proclangs?)

In all technicality it is just a relex with words assigned via some algorithm, say, there's 3000 possible syllables that could be generated through some given algorithm, and to these 3000 syllables we assign the 3000 of the most frequent English words. Afterwards we can either continue assigning words their relex variants via randomly combining the 3000 syllables into bisyllabic words, or could try and piece together new translations for them.

E.g. the word for "toaster" isn't in the 3000, so we either use a random bisyllabic word without connected meaning, "ab-resh" (which would literally mean "bone-green"), or try to piece it together from the syllables already present in the 3000, like "thran-mil" (meaning something like "bread grill").

.

Sooo Hm.

My idea for "oriental elvish" was to base it on Japanese (the modern dialects at least) with the phonetic mutations and stuff (like "hu" being pronounced as "fu" and et.c.) But with added sounds like the English eth and thorn, + the /l/, and allowing three codas - /n, r, l/ thus (with a possible mutation coda /m/ when /n/ is before a bilabial stop).

Then once I have it I will reverse-engineer the protolang based on Chinese with added in tones and stuff, probably, and a more strict collection of phonotactic rules. And from all that a third possible dialect could be made, based on Korean.

.

Also sounds like me before I invented cryptolangs and thus a new brainworm that'd gnaw on my gray matter til' this very date.

Just naming stuff what sounds I fit best.

I didn't knew English that well back then, so like. One of the cities in a setting of mine was called "Meth". (I renamed it since, making it "Mett" - meant to be derived from "meeting", since the port city is one of the largest and richest, where many cultures and races meet, indeed.)

.

A way to count to 625 on fingers:Thumb is the index pointer in this case. Each finger is separated into phalanx and joints - 6 units per finger thus - plus the middle of the palm for one extra. Thus, on one hand you can count to 25. Now, once you count to 25, you count one unit on the other hand. Basically, an abacus of sorts.

[frozen-flower-thing]

I finally got a minute to sit down and fix this thing so let’s do this, imma document this process as that’ll probably actually motivate me to get it done.

I’ve run immediately into an issue, I never actually write my stuff down all my worldbuilding info is purely in my head which I have discovered is a problem. Idk if this is just like a me thing or what but apparently when I don’t write stuff down I come up with stuff on multiple separate occasions and end up fusing them together but because I don’t physically see the previous systems like listed i don’t register that it doesn’t make sense.

What notes from the og concept I have so far:

1 the selection of the leader (the high puppetmaster) is strength based but also is a successor picked by the previous leader but also it’s a democratic election??

2 the high puppetmaster has absolute power but also the grand priest and great tribunal have the authority to undo whatever the high puppetmaster does and prevent him from doing things

3 has a functional constitution that must be followed by the government officials

2 that’s it??? I thought I had more but no just a few incredibly contradictory things????

Goals:

1 fix the many contradictions, this should be possible I just gotta either remove some stuff or make one thing more prominent while others are more minor

2 define specific powers of each individual part of the government

3 figure out the legal system

4 figure out literally everything else ig

Potential hurdles:

So here’s my main issue, It would be really easy to just remove some details, mske it basically a parliamentary democracy with a creative election process and call it a day before doing everything else. The problem is that I know my plot and my plot has also been crafted over the span of 8 years and is likely the reason this system is so messed up.

Every single part of this government structure plays a vital role in some of the most important parts of my plot.

This has gone from a relatively simple and fun creative writing project to completely reworking several major plotpoints within my story…

I’m screaming both In anguish but also in excitement cuz this is def gonna be a very fun project lmao

[redd956]

Protolanguages & Conlang Youtubers & More

As a worldbuilder one thing big thing I occasionally decide to take part in is protolanguages and conlangs. Worldbuilding a language can be quite difficult. One thing that has helped me tremendously is a select few channels, communities, and resources.

Biblaridion

Youtuber number one being showcased today. His whole channel is all about conlanging, worldbuilding, and fun biology stuff. He has amazing tutorials in working on protolanguages and conlangs.

Etymology Nerd

I don't think this guy is human, but we're all going to pretend he is for now. You want to know anything about languages, conlangs, linguistics, dialects, etymology, anything words and language- look to this guy. He not only is incredibly entertaining, but I have learned so much from him in the very little time I've discovered his content.

Learning About Language First

A good place to start is learning about the nuances and funnies of language. One of my favorite videos in this category is this one. Go explore, look into languages you like or want to learn, etc.

r/conlangs

Some of Favorites:

Tsevhu (Koilang) by Koallary

Language that is drawn through the lens of an inked out koi pond. Yes, you are looking at a poem. Yes. A whole poem right there.

A'e'i'a (Dolphin Language) by Etymology Nerd

I can't make this shit up. Don't worry he has more animal languages, and has even started created Creole between them.

Baksami (Circular Script) by MeatThatTalks

CIRCLE SCRIPT! CIRCLE SCRIPT! CIRCLE SCRI-

[bodyhorror-bimbo]

I wonder if anything I ever make will matter.

I suppose that’s not important.

If my digital ink weaves into corporeal minds.

But I’d like to think, something I’ll make will matter.

Even a little.

To someone.

Give comfort or pause.

Horror or wonder.

Even if it’s nothing new.

Make someone feel.

Something.

Anything.

I hope.

I hope.

[computer-cryptid]

hail our little town, :-)

decided to take a crack at my worst enemy... landscapes. but! in the more digestible way! which, to me, is through vector art! :] i've never done something like this before so it was honestly pretty fun! though i do think it came out a lil sloppy... pfft... who knows! maybe i'll come back and redo this in a few months!

[agronian]

DUALITY- DEMIURGICAL BALANCE IN THE SCARLANDS OF ELRIEL

the two creatures opposed yet seemingly bound to each other that you see here above are the um'ral and the etry'lael, a sun-and-moon sort of balancing duo of godlike entities that take turns wandering the dolmen aurus of the scarlands, each with an opposing influence on the area around them (15 ft). one acts as an agent of growth, light, and brevity- while the other acts as a rotting, miasmic, tar sapping goop drag. opposites yet tethered- they maintain the nonrigidity that is hallmark in the deeper scarlands.

[astrunaria]

ARPHENE CURRENT LORE

Latest ver of Arphene lore - ALL POSTS SO FAR

(I'm so sorry for the scroll)

Main Lore:

Misc Worldbuilding Details/Lore Tidbits:

[moscahbriar]

these are old drawings that i dont like anymore - and that i plan on redoing - but its related to worldbuilding so here it is! this is of the twin spirits Annuska (dark) and Ananhu (light). this was for class and wasnt meant to be their final designs, and still arent, but that works out bc theres many versions of myths regarding these two figures (who DO exist) in different cultures!

as a general rule i try not to determine whether religious beliefs are true or not, but i do know that the myth in question isnt really canon and is rather a stated belief. it goes - Ananhu was seen to have to do with the sun, and Annuska with the moon, Annuska is influenced by a non-corporeal being to grow jealous and bitter, and Annuska kills Ananhu, stealing the sun for itself. there is some truth to the myth - the fallout of the twins and the conflict between them leading to Ananhu's death, but context is different and its a lot less one-sided. Annuska and Ananhu are very important in my main story which is why i decided on confirming that belief as non canon

[monriatitans]

ARTIST SHOUT-OUT Sunday, July 2, 2023 "Seshat - Goddess of Memory" by Yaroslav Salo

SOCIAL MEDIA

Shop

ArtStation Post

Email: yaroslav.salo91@gmail.com

**Don't forget to give Yaroslav Salo a follow!**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Artist Shout-Outs are given to provide exposure to human artists to combat the AI compilations. For more details, and to view previous ones, click here! This shout-out choice was inspired by Oxford English Dictionary's Word of the Day: mug, to see the definition, click here! See the original Artist Shout-Out post to Instagram here! See the piece on ArtStation here!