#setting creation

[multiversetravelingjournalist]

Dwarf Diversity

You know how there is a running joke in the writing community about the average fantasy setting having so many elves. I'm talking high elves, low elves, wood elves, sun elves, moon elves, blood elves, sea elves, Christmas elves, desert elves, swamp elves, dark elves, light elves, and so many more. I don't know why, but it seems to be that most fantasy novels have a tendancy to add more types of elves to the fantastic ecosystem that is different intelligent species. And that's okay. Elves are cool and easier to work with.

However, I want to talk about the possibility of taking that diversity and including it in other such linneages and heritages like Dwarves, Goblins, Halflings, and other such humanoids and sentient beings. Goblins and Kolbolds are quite diverse if you know where to look in the community. So, I would like to dedicate this post to Dwarves, arguably the second most popular set of beings to include in a fantasy work, trust me.

Normally, there are the classic "good dwarves" and "evil dwarves" that might have some visual distinctions in their design language. See the chaos dwarves of Warhammer Fantasy and Petty Dwarves of Tolkien's Legendarium. However, the Dwarven nature of being industrious landscapers could be applied to more than just digging under mountains and making cool weapons. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Imagine a lineage of dwarves that managed to build a colony under the ocean because they figured out how to form tunnel into the water itself and harden them. Then they start crafting things out of mother of pearl and discarded metal scraps at the bottom of the sea. As well as using all sorts of aquatic materials ranging from coral to turtle scutes. Desert-dwelling dwarves that build sandcastles as grand as any human fortress or palace. All the while they are creating a variety of glass works from said sand ranging from stain-glass windows to a special type of durable glass that they use to make see-through armor and weapons. Or what about Arctic/Tundra/Frozen wasteland dwarves that work with ice and snow? Making cold weapons that freeze their enemies and snowmen so lifelike that they actually move as well as making their colonies into glaciers themselves.

These are but a few ideas I have for the potential of dwarves as master craftsmen and industrious little buggers. I hope to come up with a lot more of them in the future. Till then I would love to hear about what sort of dwarven variants that you can come up with.

Thanks for readin, and till next time! ;)

[im-a-meme-or-so-i-hope]

So, I attended a club for creative writing. Today we had a presentation where we all played a bit of a game that I just want to share with you all cause it was really fun. Its a game where you and a bunch of friends make a setting. Essentially, you all sit together in a room and start off with two random word generators. One adjective and one noun, and that is the name of the world. Then you'll think of what kind of landscape and scenery that would fit in your named world. Ours was Hellish Midnight so we chose that of a world with lots of sulfuric fires, volcanoes, and a dark barely see through smoky air across the lower parts of the habitable atmosphere. Next to think about is food sources for humanoids and other animals to eat. Whether that be animals or plants, what would the beings of this setting eat in order to survive? Next would be sources of transportation, like dragon riding, snail riding, mech riding, or whatever people use to get around. We went for dragons, gliders, blimps, and giant snails(I like snails alright?) After that is the type of architecture that would be in this place, like where they would live and how they would live. For our setting, we made a few different types of cities depending on the different species. Skaven living underground in giant nests, Dragonborns lived either in or around volcanoes in villages similar to the Native Hawaiians, and a giant city above the clouds made of cities. Next is mailing and how they send things to each other. Similar to owls in Harry potter(I agree with Brennen Lee Mulligan). And finally, what kind of characters would be likely to appear in this setting. Ones already known? Ones new to reality? What animals would appear with them and such. Now go out my friends, go and be creative. If not with yourself, with some friends. Make some stories or whatever you would like to do.

[lnk-and-lnspiration]

Tips for Writing Memorable Settings: Creating Vivid and Immersive Worlds

In storytelling, settings play a vital role in transporting readers to new worlds, evoking emotions, and enhancing the overall reading experience. Well-crafted settings can immerse readers in your story, make it memorable, and bring your narrative to life. In this article, we will explore effective tips for writing memorable settings that captivate readers and create vivid, immersive…

[whimseysthrone]

Love/Hate: Priming your game with NPCs & Groups

In our own world, there are people we love and people we hate. Our feelings about others might be distant or dispassionate, or they might be personal and urgent. Sharing a love for the people of a neighborhood, a country, a sports team, or a gang is a quick and easy way to bond with someone else—as is sharing a hatred. As storytellers, we can use this. Continue reading Love/Hate: Priming your…

[jakeperalta]

We've only got so much time / I'm pretty sure it would kill me / If you didn't know the pieces of me are pieces of you

[aliciadessendre]

Aerith Gainsborough in FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH (2024) dev. Square Enix

[teophan]

a fantastic commission from @themetalhiro of my Dungeons & Devil Fruits 5e Sniper Marksman, Vinsmoke “Starfall Gunner” Beretta!

it was an absolute treat to work with you, looking forward to the next opportunity to do so!

[heywriters]

Found myself a new resource for describing settings and characters in fiction: real estate sites.

I don't mean the flipped and professionally decorated listings, I mean the photos taken while people were still living there. You can learn SO much about a character by what is described in their home. Gender, politics, economic class, shopping habits, religion, culture, and sometimes morality of a character can be inferred from describing the inanimate items around them.

Sometimes you can even determine a family's reason for moving; divorce, old age, new baby, empty nest, debt, etc., from the visual indicators in a home.

How much more so could a writer use these details to create an authentic depiction of reality? Yes, you can simply entertain yourself by judging people for their bad pics, but the storytelling materials are right there.

[beanbagbuddies4life]

Simplicity Crafts 8091 looks like mostly generic beanbag animals... but Simplicity Crafts 8472 and Butterick 5295 look like potentially Beanie Baby replicas and spoofs. (That Butterick pattern is for sure-- that rabbit is spot on!)

These patterns are probably small enough to scan and upload. Just saying. Should anyone get their hands on one

[earthfluuke]

"You're not my homeland anymore, so what am I defending now? You were my town; now I'm in exile seein' you out." EXILE (TAYLOR SWIFT FEAT. BON IVER)

[honeydewtual]

people died.... (i'm people)

[clarkgriffon]

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER 6x19 | “Seeing Red” 

[dailyclaudiajessie]

CLAUDIA JESSIE as MAGGIE MAHON Toxic Town (2025)

[mobius-m-mobius]

falling in love with a god is not a death sentence. the story is only a tragedy if the god loves you back. - nathaniel orion g. k.

[whimseysthrone]

No more bland-aids: make your Clerics interesting

Hot take: clerics in D&D 5e feel like the blandest superheroes. Without a clear relationship with a greater power or a faith, it’s easy for them to float in the narrative void like a cornucopia of bandaids. The solution lies in placing more expectations on them, constraining them, and giving them a deeper connection with the story’s world and whatever they serve. Continue reading No more…

[jakeperalta]

The Everdeen family + their flower namesakes

Asterid is a large clade of flowering plants, composed of 17 orders and more than 80,000 species — pictured is an echinacea plant, which has long been used in traditional medicine // Burdock, belonging to the Asterid clade, has sticky burrs and heart-shaped leaves and its roots are used for medicine and food // Katniss is an aquatic plant, also known as arrowhead, which grows tubers similar to potatoes // Primrose is a wildflower belonging to the Asterid clade that is valued for its ornamental flowers