Worldbuilding Thread

[Rogue Nine]

Arr, I read the title as "Wordbuilding" and immediately assumed that this thread for for sorely-needed vocabulary reinforcement. Silly me. *puts away dictionary and thesaurus*

 

Oh yeah, and I love Patricia C. Wrede. She's the author of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, which are some of my favorite fantasy books evar.

 

See, my post wasn't totally useless. I think.

 

[BattleDog]

Hmmm, tricky

 

A: Agamar is an averge world for the Shield and it has only 55 cities numbering over 100,000 inhabitants. Of these cities the largest is Agusil, capital city of the Northern Compact, numbering 182,000 inhaditants. The total population of the planet doesn not exceed 50 million.

 

The ssmall population of the planet is due to fatalities in Touraments, as well as the planets undeveloped rural economy.

[Admiral Odin]

Been meaning to answer this for a while now.

 

A:

 

Asgard: being the Aesirian Capital planet surprisingly it doesn't have the largest population of the Kingdom/Empire (still haven't decided ) There are 11 major cities in Asgard with populations in the between 50-80 million(all major cities have similar population ranges). Valhalla has 150 million residents. Total population of the planet is 80 billion. *Keep in mind Asgard is around the size of Jupiter*

 

Vanaheim Has 20 major cities, total planet population 85 billion.

 

Alfheim Has 9 major cities total population 8 billion.

 

Nidavelir Has only 2 major cities but a population of 9 billion

 

Svartalfheim: Has 19 major cities and a population of 50 billion

 

Midgard: Has 4 major cities with a population of 4 billion.

 

These are only the major planets of the Kingdom/Empire. In total the Aeisr number between 500 billion. The Aesir have built numerous space stations, inhabit the moons around their primary planets, have bases and colonies on other worlds.

 

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Jotunheim: Has 16 major cities, and a population of 90 billion.

 

Utgard: Has 10 major cities and a population of 20 billion.

[Redwing]

Niner: Very funny (happy now? )

 

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Q: Where does magic or other supernatural power come from: the gods, the "mana" of the world, the personal willpower or life force of the magician, somewhere else? (ex: for the Force, it's the Force itself, presumably usually through midichlorians) Is magic, etc. an exhaustible resource? (For the Force - are there instances anything like Kyle Katarn's "pool" of power which he could deplete through rapid overuse?) What long-term effects will usage of magic or other supernatural power have on the health and/or stability of the user? (Especially if the "spells" must be fed with the user's own willpower, life-force, sanity, or other mental or metaphysical personal resource.) Do different races/species have different sources for their magic/supernatural power, or does everybody use the same one?

 

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Deac: Question Debt - 1

Redwing: Question Debt - 1

 

(Will post an answer to both the question I skipped and the one above ASAP. )

[BattleDog]

A. The Force permiates all living things. The peoples of the Caranthelan shield, like those across the galaxey, are luminous beings. The Force exists in all living things and all are atuned to it to a degree.

 

The Jedi are simply those more attuned to the Force than others, they draw on the Living Force around them and direct it with their will. Over use of the Force is both mentally and physically tiring. The Force is drawn from the world around the Jedi, several Jedi can link and thus greatly improve theri power. It is possible for a Jedi to draw more of the Force than they can safly weild or contain, if this happens their bodies are litterally burnt away.

[Redwing]

(Nothing Agamarian-specific, BD?

 

Again, will post later)

[BattleDog]

Not regarding the Force, no.

[Admiral Odin]

A: The Furthark comes from the Drakes, where the Drakes got it, or get it is a mystery. They are also the only ones who naturally have access to the Futhark, and they grant it to others (Hence how the Aesir and the Jotuns have gained access).

 

While the Futhark itself is not exhaustible the use of it does make a person tired as if that person just done something phyisically demanding (ex: Lifting heavy equipment). Similar to phyical labor people can train themselves up to more demanding spells, this is a long process and gaining profeciency takes decades (fifty years generally for some of the simpler spells). The Futhark is used by speaking spells or writing certain Runes or combination of Runes.

 

The Drakes are the sole source of the Futhark and there presence in a dimension is essential to the use of the Futhark, although proximity is not important neither is the number of Drakes (only one is required). The reason for this is one of the mysteries surrounding the futhark.

 

Also while there is only one Futhark, the Aesir and Jotuns have access to different areas of it. Since the Aesir are "good" they have access to defensive spells and neutral/utility spells. The Jotuns are evil and have access to offensive spells as well as neutral/utility spells.

[Deac]

[Question debt?! Awwww, this is like monopoly all over again...]

 

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Cities Question

 

There are several major cities in Mrear. The largest is the Tylor capital, Tylor City, but there are several other major population centres at places such as Dawnfire and Kokkoran. Exact populations are unknown. The last census registered 2.5 million in the Tylor Kingdom.

 

[i'll post more when you lot all get back to the cantina!]

[Redwing]

((Monopoly? Never played that, but okay! XD))

 

 

Q: How many people are there in this country (or these countries)? How does this compare with world population? What is considered a small town/large town/city in terms of number of people?

 

The countries located on the central continental spiral of the Aether are fairly heavily populated, comparable to the United States and Europe in average population density, although certain countries have many more or less people than others. Radiating outwards across the Aether central disk are more countries of wildly varying populations, from extremely sparse to extremely dense.

 

Of course, since the Aether is enormous, far bigger than Earth (exact size currently unknown), the population can be assumed to be immensely higher than Earth's, although it has never been completely measured.

 

 

((Will most likely post an answer to the second question later today and post a new question. Again, sorry - now that I again have regular Internet access for more than ~30 minutes a day, this thread at least shouldn't be lagging as much anymore ))

[Redwing]

Q: Where does magic or other supernatural power come from: the gods, the "mana" of the world, the personal willpower or life force of the magician, somewhere else? (ex: for the Force, it's the Force itself, presumably usually through midichlorians) Is magic, etc. an exhaustible resource? (For the Force - are there instances anything like Kyle Katarn's "pool" of power which he could deplete through rapid overuse?) What long-term effects will usage of magic or other supernatural power have on the health and/or stability of the user? (Especially if the "spells" must be fed with the user's own willpower, life-force, sanity, or other mental or metaphysical personal resource.) Do different races/species have different sources for their magic/supernatural power, or does everybody use the same one?

 

Magic is part of the world, like water. It encompasses an entire set of elements all to its own, but unlike mundane elements, magic responds to the will and thought of life. Magic can be manipulated, or it can manipulate. Like the Force, it flows through all life; unlike the Force, it alters it. Different strains of magic alter it in different ways.

 

Magic is an exhaustible resource, but so is water. Some creatures form magic "sources" in themselves; but any creature can draw on the ambient magic of the world around them, assuming that ambient magic is there to be drawn from. (Going back to the water analogy, moisture is scarce in deserts, common in temperate areas, and extreme undersea.)

 

Since all magic alters 'reality' in some way, shape or form, it must be handled with care. There are certainly many strains of it which can destroy life or destroy sanity, and careless magic users can put themselves at enormous risk.

 

Different races and species may use different sources or types/strains of magic, but this is due to culture and happenstance, not something intrinsic to the race or species. Everyone can use any magic source.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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(The next category is split. I'm listing the questions for each category simultaneously; just ignore the question that doesn't apply to your world.)

 

 

B. Alternate Earth - OR - C. Not Earth At All

 

 

Q: (Alternate Earth)

 

How similar are the history and culture of the alternate earth to real history and culture? Why is it so similar/different?

 

 

Q: (Not Earth at All)

 

How does this world differ physically from earth? Is it the same size (same density, same gravity), same ratio of land/water, same atmosphere, etc.? Does it have more than one sun or moon? Rings? Are there spectacular constellations/comets, etc. visible at night or by day?

 

 

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Deac: Question Debt - 1

 

(XD)

[BattleDog]

A: Agamar is like Earth, however it has only one desert and has only four main continants.

[Redwing]

Bah. I have to answer BOTH these questions, because I have both an alternate Earth and that alternate Earth's magic world, which isn't Earth at all. XD

 

Q: (Alternate Earth)

 

How similar are the history and culture of the alternate earth to real history and culture? Why is it so similar/different?

 

A: Identical to the history and culture of our Earth, at least on the surface. The events that led to the creation of the magic world occurred either prehistory or were swallowed up and obscured in myth. On this Earth, originally the planet was a world of magic, until a group of very powerful beings with now-obscured agendas took it upon themselves to create another world, a world built on magic, one they could control, separated from the currently developing nonmagic cultures. Some say they did it to protect the nonmagic beings. Some say they did it to gain power indescribable. Some say they did it to recreate an old, fallen world; believing they could recreate an Eden.

 

Whatever their motivations, these beings succeeded in creating the magic world. What they failed in doing was to retain any sort of control over their creation.

 

The magic "firmament" of the Earth was divided from the nonmagic "firmament"; a schism was created and Earth became two worlds. Earth's magic world (in modern times called the Aether) was placed on an artificially created dimensional plane, using a combination of magic and technology beyond the grasp of the modern day's most advanced sciences.

 

To separate the two worlds great dimensional Barriers were built, constructed through contracted alien labor and technology of the Gallyava race. Only at certain points were natural portals created into the impassable Barriers, and the first of the Blades were created to guard them.

 

It seemed the creation was perfect. But something went wrong.

 

To this day no one knows how, but the dimensional plane of the Aether tore loose from its moorings to Earth. For an unknown span of time the Aether wandered in extradimensional space, cut lose from time, until finally it came back to rest roughly in its old moorings, partially reconnecting with the old portals and tethers that had once held.

 

Scant centuries had passed on Earth. But untold millennia had passed on the Aether plane, and it had evolved out of all control. To this day, no one knows what happened to the creators of the Aether. It is widely assumed by scholars who study these things that over time they and their progeny were absorbed and assimilated without a trace into the world they had created.

 

In current times, the Aether floats in an unstable dimensional orbit around Earth. Portal connections are ever moving, sometimes infinitely slow, sometimes blindingly fast. On several occassions since the Aether settled into its current moorings, its orbit will take it too far from Earth, and another break in time will occur. Depending on the dimensional angle, years may pass on the Aether while minutes pass on Earth, or vice versa, or but a total difference of minutes or even seconds.

 

The Blade Society, which survived the millennia-long schism to the present day, are currently working on stabilizing the dimensional orbit of the Aether. Unfortunately, they have another problem distracting them at the moment; the Barriers between the magic world and the human world, under unstable and varying pressures they were never designed for, have begun to form cracks.

 

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Q: (Not Earth at All)

 

How does this world differ physically from earth? Is it the same size (same density, same gravity), same ratio of land/water, same atmosphere, etc.? Does it have more than one sun or moon? Rings? Are there spectacular constellations/comets, etc. visible at night or by day?

 

 

The known surface of the Aether (and the section that connects with Earth) is shaped roughly like a great disk. It is possible that the Aether is a huge globe, but as travel is difficult to impossible beyond the immense central disk of the Aether, the entire world is often referred to as a "disk".

 

If the Aether is literally a disk, no one knows how large it is, or where the edges are. It is known that no one has ever made it to any of the theoretical edges, even with judicious use of warp-space where possible.

 

The gravity, atmosphere, seasons, etc are designed to mimic Earth's, through self-replicating magic processes. The sun, moon and sky of the Aether match Earth's in most places. The Aether is certainly larger than Earth, but besides the ever-presence of magic, mimics it in the area of physics. In the middle of the central disk, in the central continental spiral, the ratio of land to water is actually higher than Earth's in favor of land.

 

Many types of alien celestial phenomena occassionally decorates the sky at night. This is generally a side effect of magic forces moving on the ground below. Sometimes, this may cause stars, constellations, etc in the sky to become slightly distorted, but generally the sky mimics what would be seen from Earth in places that correspond to locations on the Aether.

[Deac]

Magic Question

 

Magic comes from the gods to one ordained with it's power, or by learning to manipulate cosmic energy fields. This requires an innate ability to do so and years of training to master.

 

C- Not Earth At All

 

Mrear is a planet roughly the size of earth, with only one moon, but encompassed by silver rings. No one yet knows how these formed. Gravity and time flow are roughly the same as Earths

[Redwing]

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(Again, this category is split, questions for each category are posted simultaneously; just ignore the question that doesn't apply to your world. In this case, both questions are the same, so don't worry about that. ^_~)

 

 

Q: (Alternate Earth)/(Not Earth at All) (same question)

 

Are there non-human inhabitants of this planet (elves, dwarves, aliens; in the case of Star Wars-style universes, what's the alien population, and are there any examples of indigenous sentient life)? If so, how numerous? How openly present? What areas do they occupy (examples: dwarves in mountains or caves, elves or Wookiees in forests, etc.)?

 

 

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Admiral: Question Debt - 1

[Admiral Odin]

Q: (Not Earth at All)

 

How does this world differ physically from earth? Is it the same size (same density, same gravity), same ratio of land/water, same atmosphere, etc.? Does it have more than one sun or moon? Rings? Are there spectacular constellations/comets, etc. visible at night or by day?

 

I already answered this one....

 

Originally posted by Admiral

A: Asgard is a large planet, havine tweleve continents and decent size oceans. The land is mountainous, with large old growth forests, some very nice beaches, many winding rivers. The world is temperate, has basically the same gravity as Eath. There isn't a moon around Asgard. Instead their is Vanaheim. The two worlds are very close (distance wise) and orbit each other while orbiting the sun. (Think around Jupiters size)

 

Vanaheim is slightly smaller then Asgard with Eight continents and larger oceans. The world has very rugged mountains in the North, The south is dominated by gentler rolling mountianes. Like Asgard the world is temperate and is covered in lush forests, there are many lakes and rivers. Vanaheim's beaches are superior to Asgard's and, and the water is crystal clear.

 

Alfheim is roughly the same as Earth and is the third planet in the Asgard solar system. It has two moons orbiting it, one which can support life the other is a small moon like Earth's moon.

 

Nidavelir: Is larger then Earth but not by much. The world is mainly covered in land with many lakes and rivers dotting the world, but no single body of water that could be called an ocean, but many seas. Nidavelir is generally flat, fertile plains. In the Eastern Hemisphere there are some small mountains but nothing like that on Asgard or Vanaheim. There are 6 moons around the planet all of which can support life. One moon is completely covered in water, another is a desert.

 

Svartalfheim: Around the size of Saturn, Svartalfheim also like Saturn has rings around the planet. It has nine moons, four of which can be inhabited. One of these moons is covered in snow. There are six continents on the planet, and the Yggdrasil trees grow on this planet, these trees are semisentient and grow to be very tall.

 

*The above planets are all in the same system, Midgard is in a seperate system. The Asgard system (not happy with that name but will due for now) is in a brillant blue nebulae

 

Midgard: Is twice the size of Earth, and has four moons. One can support life on it's own. The world has 5 large contintents and three very large oceans. Midgard is temperate, with High majestic mountains, lush forests, expansive plains, and many beautiful waterfalls. Lakes, and rivers dot the landscape.

 

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Jotunheim: A harsh world litte smaller then Saturn. In the North there are tall rigid mountains that are constantly covered in snow. In the south are many active volcanoes, and has a greyish look to everything. Jotunheim has 4 continenets overall and orbits a yellow sun

 

Utgard: An ice planet around the size of Earth, otherwise it is very similar to Jotunheim.

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No humans, Aesir (look at the other answers I gave)

[Redwing]

Unstickying, though if it becomes active again it can always be re-stickied. But unlike PtH I don't feel the need to keep it stickied during its possibly eternal hiatus.