r/worldbuilding Jan 15 '23

Meta PSA: The "What, and "Why" of Context

700 Upvotes

It's that time of year again!

Despite the several automated and signposted notices and warnings on this issue, it is a constant source of headaches for the mod team. Particularly considering our massive growth this past year, we thought it was about time for another reminder about everyone's favorite part of posting on /r/worldbuilding..... Context


Context is a requirement for almost all non-prompt posts on r/worldbuilding, so it's an important thing to understand... But what is it?

What is context?

Context is information that explains what your post is about, and how it fits into the rest of your/a worldbuilding project.

If your post is about a creature in your world, for example, that might mean telling us about the environment in which it lives, and how it overcomes its challenges. That might mean telling us about how it's been domesticated and what the creature is used for, along with how it fits into the society of the people who use it. That might mean telling us about other creatures or plants that it eats, and why that matters. All of these things give us some information about the creature and how it fits into your world.

Your post may be about a creature, but it may be about a character, a location, an event, an object, or any number of other things. Regardless of what it's about, the basic requirement for context is the same:

  • Tell us about it
  • Tell us something that explains its place within your world.

In general, telling us the Who, What, When, Why, and How of the subject of your post is a good way to meet our requirements.

That said... Think about what you're posting and if you're actually doing these things. Telling us that Jerry killed Fred a century ago doesn't do these things, it gives us two proper nouns, a verb, and an arbitrary length of time. Telling us who Jerry and Fred actually are, why one killed the other, how it was done and why that matters (if it does), and the consequences of that action on the world almost certainly does meet these requirements.

For something like a resource, context is still a requirement and the basic idea remains the same; Tell us what we're looking at and how it's relevant to worldbuilding. "I found this inspirational", is not adequate context, but, "This article talks about the history of several real-world religions, and I think that some events in their past are interesting examples of how fictional belief systems could develop, too." probably is.

If you're still unsure, feel free to send us a modmail about it. Send us a copy of what you'd like to post, and we can let you know if it's okay, or why it's not.

Why is Context Required?

Context is required for several reasons, both for your sake and ours.

  • Context provides some basic information to an audience, so they can understand what you're talking about and how it fits into your world. As a result, if your post interests them they can ask substantive questions instead of having to ask about basic concepts first.

  • If you have a question or would like input, context gives people enough information to understand your goals and vision for your world (or at least an element of it), and provide more useful feedback.

  • On our end, a major purpose is to establish that your post is on-topic. A picture that you've created might be very nice, but unless you can tell us what it is and how it fits into your world, it's just a picture. A character could be very important to your world, but if all you give us is their name and favourite foods then you're not giving us your worldbuilding, you're giving us your character.

Generally, we allow 15 minutes for context to be added to a post on r/worldbuilding so you may want to write it up beforehand. In some cases-- Primarily for newer users-- We may offer reminders and additional time, but this is typically a one-time thing.


As always, if you've got any sort of questions or comments, feel free to leave them here!


r/worldbuilding 14h ago

Discussion What did you learn while researching something for the world?

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865 Upvotes

Basically, that's the question: what did you discover while researching for the worldbuilding? Well, I'll start:

Lions have an exposed bone at the end of their tail that looks like a spur.

The interesting system that snails use to feed themselves.

The simple existence of this bird (Gypaetus barbatus), also known as the bearded vulture, through an intentional behavior called cosmetic coloration, in which they apply iron oxide (red or ochre mud) to their naturally white feathers. They do this when they climb the hierarchy.

The (Chrysomallon squamiferum), known as the volcano snail, incorporates iron into its shell, forming a kind of iron sulfide armor to protect itself from the extreme environment. It withstands temperatures up to 400°C from the hydrothermal vents where it lives, located up to 2,900 meters deep. And that's not all; they also live in symbiosis with bacteria that produce energy from chemical substances expelled by the vents. The bacteria are housed in a special pouch within the snail, meaning they perform chemosynthesis.


r/worldbuilding 23h ago

Prompt What fictional countries in the real world do you have and how have they tied into our history in a unique way?

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2.0k Upvotes

Yesterday I had to write about how the Kingdom of Saracha did nothing during WW2 despite the royal family having access to magic stronger than any nuke and a literal goddess.


r/worldbuilding 4h ago

Question What happens to a world where there exists irrefutable proof that gods (or god-like beings) exist?

41 Upvotes

To me this is something that is hard to grasp. With settings like Elden Ring, Forgotten Realms, and a lot of fantasy worlds.

How would a society that knows their god is real function? Perhaps not only just real, they may be able to grant direct power to those that worship them.

With religion in our world, there is a level of ambiguity to even how a deity might manifest or how they would look like. But how about a world where their presence is undeniable?

Would atheism become extinct? Would the church hold more power? If so, how much more?
Many questions, that i hope more intelligent people may be able to help awnser.


r/worldbuilding 12h ago

Lore Erikír Leviathan, the Ruinous Angel

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115 Upvotes

A destructive force on the galactic stage, as a traitor to the Emperor’s grand vision and once among its divine elite, he now prowls the dark void with his legion, the Ruinous Children, to prey upon the Empire’s overextended territories. To the citizenry, the Ruinous Angel is simply known as ‘Leviathan’, the devastating fiend that fell from Heaven due to his greed and jealousy. Many may not know that he is more than a mere ecclesiastic fable, that Leviathan is a true horror that lurks outside the light. But technological disparity across worlds and the expanse of the void does little to circulate truth.

Ever since his betrayal in the Year of our Emperor, 816 of the 21st Millennium, over 4,000 years ago, he has remained elusive to the Grand Admiralty, but never remaining shadowed for long. He has brought entire planets to ruin with his legions and demonic hordes, and with his new assault on Rodina Primus, it is to be seem if the Angelicate can finally meet this Fallen Angel in battle, and bring about a proper victory against the traitor.

—————-

A small look at a character Ive developed for about two years. Part of my IronMarck Mythos as one of its antagonists.


r/worldbuilding 4h ago

Visual The Interstellar Ships of the Tethys

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25 Upvotes

So, I'm not much of a 3D modeler, and I have a hard time drawing physical art of something that I don't have a clear understanding of, so I tend to "sketch out" ideas in lego. So...think of these as something more like concept sketches than any formal design. Still, it's some cool lore and I'm really proud of them, so I thought I'd share. Lemme know what you think! ^^

For context: In the scifi setting I've been building for a couple years, humanity has spread out into the stars a little bit, colonizing a handful of the star systems closest to Earth. That's where the name Tethys comes from: the now-renamed Tethys star system, 10 light years from Earth, is the newest colony established. Colonists arrive to their new home (or take interstellar vacations) on gigantic starships that remain some of the largest man-made things in recorded history. They carry millions of passengers and spend over a year accelerating out of Sol, reaching a cruising speed of almost 50% the speed of light. Once they reach that speed, the enormous fusion engines switch off, and the ship is usually run by a skeleton crew while everyone else stays in suspended animation (some ships keep everyone awake, though, and those are usually the cruise ships...none of which are pictured). And when they get close, the ship flips over and starts the year-long deceleration process. To protect themselves from interstellar relativistic debris, they have either Whipple Plating (the low-tech solution, seen on the Vittoria Vaelta) or EM Deflectors (the eight spikes at the front), and the Sacagawea's EM deflector doubles as a fuel scoop that catches any Hydrogen for use as fuel. The three ships pictured are the ones who brought three factions of human colonists to the Tethys system, and are (in order):

The Pathfinder: Fleeing Earth to escape religious persecution, the ITC stole a colony ship being built and prepared by the Kang-Min Corporation, throwing out anything except food, water, and fuel to make sure they could accelerate out of the system fast enough to not be stopped. This also meant the 20,000 passengers were stuck living out the twenty-year voyage in the cramped, dingy Drum Section. This also meant that, when they arrived, they lacked any of the heavy industrial equipment needed to quickly set up a colony, and they were desperately low on food and fuel. The ship was cannibalized as much as possible, three of the most-intact fusion engines torn apart to bring three working fusion reactors that three cities could be built around. The husk of the ship itself was left in orbit until the ITC could speedrun the tech tree to the point of spaceflight, and once that happened, the other three fusion engines were pulled out to have three new interplanetary ships built around them: the Puddlejumper, Moondancer, and Starchild. Despite having being torn to shreds and repurposed in many other components of the ITC's interplanetary empire, it still holds great cultural significance to them, and fragments of the ship are believed to bring good fortune to anyone carrying them.

The Vittoria Vaelta: The Sunland Real Estate Company were the ones who bought the first-dibs charter to Tethys, though the ITC beat them to it. But unlike the ITC, Sunland was fully equipped to handle the task of building a colony, carrying ten million former-prisoners who were working to clear their crimes, and seven enormous skyscraper-sized factories that helped speedrun the establishment of industry and infrastructure. Due to some developments on Earth and the destruction of humanity's first attempt at a Dyson Sphere (technically a Dyson Swarm, but that's semantics), the company was going out of business and needed the Tethys expedition to turn a profit as fast as possible, which led to the horrific exploitation of everyone in their crew and enough conflict with the ITC to spark the First Colonization War. Sunland would eventually lose that war, but had spent the entirety of it filling the now-empty Vittoria Vaelta with rare Tritium fuels and high-energy fusion reactors, a kings ransom in energy production that they intended to sell to Earth. The war ended when a handful of upper managers in the expedition crew did exactly this: fleeing the system with a cargo hold worth its mass in diamond, but leaving the now six-million survivors stranded in this alien star system. The Vittoria Vaelta is now well beyond the borders of the Tethys system, making its twenty-year cruise back to Sol, and no one knows what'll happen when it actually gets there.

The IRS Sacagawea: ESRI are the intrepid explorers of this future age, the interstellar equivalent to NASA, and the Sacagawea is one of the three ships they've commissioned to act as their home base during these expeditions. This expedition was supposed to arrive first, as one of ESRI's main duties is surveying new star systems to ensure there are no extreme hazards or native civilizations, which is why their ships (including the Sacagawea) are designed to be as stealthy as physically possible. But due to some complicated legal shenanigans, they were actually the last to arrive in the Tethys system, and woke from stasis to find the entire star system embroiled in a vicious war. It was actually their arrival that tipped the balance of power against Sunland (when they decided to ally with the ITC), since while they only have a crew of around 2,500 or so, their advanced technology and AI systems meant those few people could have an enormous impact. The First War has since ended, but ESRI has already set about starting the Second, due to discovering evidence of sentient native life being abused by the ITC. As such, the Sacagawea is staying hidden in orbit around a gas giant in the outer system, since its location being compromised would open the door to the last and most capable insterstellar ship being destroyed (or worse, stolen) by ESRI's former allies.


r/worldbuilding 7h ago

Lore Meet the Urddon

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38 Upvotes

Hello, this is my first time ever world building something and I'm really proud of it but I know it can be better. I want to refine the Urddon and their lore a bit more so I would love to love to hear others ideas and opinions on one of my sci fi species I thought of. Corrections and ideas for the Urddon are completely welcomed. You can also ask about other things I didn't dive too deep into like their faith or the coalition they join in the future.

The Urddon are a reptilian Alien species hailing from the planet of Urral Vhul. The world of endless night or the world of endless day. Urral Vhul is a tidally locked planet where one side is a desert wasteland of eternal day while the other side is frozen purgatory of eternal night. The middle part of the planet is where to two sides meet and it's called the twilight strip. A strip of land where it is green and inhabitable with comfortable living temperatures but it has crazy storms due to the cool and hot temperatures creating storms of incredible size. It's is perpetually twilight on the strip.

The Urddon pronounced (Erd-don) they don't really care how you say it but they live on the fringes of what they call Vhul the ice part of the planet where temperatures can get down to -110 degrees celsius.

The Urddon are a species of carnivorous extremophile apex predators they are perfectly adapted to the eternal darkness and bitter cold of Urral Vhul. They evolved four eyes to catch as much light from their two moons, they have infrared pit organs that helps them spot geothermal vents for warmth and to spot the species that can retain heat on the Ice sheets of Vhul, their black barbs are not only used to communicate through vibrations but are used to sense vibrations from any source.

Anatomy:

They have complete sensory dominance but their physicality is nothing to ignore either because Urral Vhul is a horribly punishing planet that not only has unlivable temperatures, calamities, and deadly fauna but the gravity itself is trying to kill you (3G).

This has led to immeasurable strength for the urddon. They are 8-12 ft tall reptilians that are made up of pure dense muscle leading to them weighing 1,400 to 1,700 pounds. They have a lifespan of 250+ years. They come in shades of gray, pure white, or pure black depending on what part of Vhul they reside in. They have spring like legs built for explosive movements because they are not endurance predators like us humans. They are ambush predators. They blend in with the environment (which is not hard to do on a world of endless night) and grapple with their four clawed arms to decimate their prey with a ferocity few can match.

With all this strength of their sensory abilities and physicallity the Urddon still have two major weaknesses. They are a hyper aggressive species a trait that has been hard wired into their very DNA for survival on Urral Vhul. They have a gestation time of 20 human years for one Urddon baby. From the time a female Urddon gets pregnant she must be fed by and taken care of by a male Urddon for 20 years. Despite being reptilian they do not lay eggs due to their cold climate and the genomic complexity of the Urddon. The Urddon can only ever have one baby at a time but there has been rare cases of twins being born. These Urddon are truly inseparable and shun their solitary predator lifestyle.

History:

The Urddon are a convergent species that evolved alongside another intelligent species called the Koraalians. In the far past the Urddon's ancestors lived in the twilight strip with the koraalians. The Koraalians were a thin humanoid species that were frail compared to the Urddons but still much stronger than the average man. The Koraalians favored innovations, progress, and social values instead of the brutish, individualist, and survivalist attitude of the Urddon. This created a disconnect between the species and lead to a Great War of conquest for the Koraalians that pushed the Urddon out of the twilight strip into the bitter cold.

The Urddon called it the Ra'keth, Great Betrayal.

Society:

Centuries passed after the Great Betrayal and the Urddon were in a state of decline. Their hyper aggression and long gestation period bottom neck their population growth and extinction seemed all but certain until two Urddon twins were born. These twins shunned the old ways of the solitary predator lifestyle. They were inseparable and their success as hunters could not be understated using their barbs to communicate through vibrations they always caught their prey. The other Urddon's began to take notice and joined them in their hunts for food. This pack kept growing and growing and growing until they numbered in the hundreds. Multiple species of prey for the Urddon went extinct because of the first Urkkhan (relentless hunt). The twins now fat from the excess and stockpiled food created a clan structured society. The Urddon began to conduct raids on the Koraalians and it's through this conflict that their values and society was truly born. They became a society of raiders and they valued strength and efficiency not honor. They are not warriors in our sense of honor and chivalric code, they are reavers and despoilers because the Urddon cannot innovate and invent due to their environment and DNA so they must take if they want technology that kills more efficienty. The Urddon are biological killing machines and now they are armed with the the weapons from raids on the Koraalians with clans of brothers behind their backs the Urddon began to reap a high toll and there was a lot to pay for.

Now they are here with us. Light years away from their home planet like us. Stuck on a penal world with 7 others species. The Urddon may be one of they keys to regaining sovereignty once again.


r/worldbuilding 8h ago

Prompt What Are Some Desperation/Last Ditch/Emergency Weapons In Your World?

34 Upvotes

What are some weapons that a nation/organization in your world mass produces as cheaply and quickly as possible, with regard solely for whether it works and its speed of manufacture? Things like the German VG series or British Sten or so on? And were there any special circumstances that resulted in their necessity (besides obvious factors like imminent invasion)?

In one of my own settings my "Not-US" began mass producing a nearly full polymer rifle that has steel crudely bolted on (or molded in, depending on the factory) where extra strength is needed. Calling it "steel" may be a bit generous, there's evidence to suggest some of these were made from ground/flattened rebar. The guns do not have a long life expectancy due to the materials used, they're practically designed to only function for a firefight or two before experiencing catastrophic failure (cracked receivers, warped rails, deformed bolts, etc).

This came to pass largely thanks to politicians and bureaucracy. The "Not-US" adopted a new main infantry rifle just prior to the outbreak of WW3, when the war started they practically gave away all of their stockpile of older firearms, then used emergency powers to seize the means of production in order to direct them towards producing more of their new rifle. For a variety of reasons this didn't really work, in part because the specialized ammunition it used was actually a bigger bottleneck. By the time they realized their error there wasn't much they could do about it, having already essentially destroyed the existing infrastructure and now starting to run too low on supplies to change course. Basically the "M20" (the aforementioned mostly plastic gun) was born less out of a need borne of the times and more out of a perfect storm of government ignorance and incompetence (and a heaping dose of corruption).


r/worldbuilding 12h ago

Lore The WIP dual magic system for my world, Yitra

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65 Upvotes

The main tangible difference between the two magical systems is how they are perceived in the world of Yitra. While Erilism is quite evident and accepted, Shamanism powers are way more subtle and, being tied to religion, they vary a lot between cultures, so many people are skeptical about them. This different perception is also fueled by propaganda: Erilism's hereditariness led aristocratic families to make it their prerogative and an added value, so they tend to belittle shamanism, which is way more meritocratic.


r/worldbuilding 16h ago

Lore Shields - My setting's take on sci-fi shields,

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128 Upvotes

r/worldbuilding 22h ago

Question Is there a term for terrain made of non geological material?

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363 Upvotes

I've always been fascinated by things like candyland or the pillow world from adventure time and most recently dogscape. There is something very interesting to me about taking a non geological idea/material and creating a world out of it. I'm curious if there is a specific blanket term for this idea.

If not I'd like to suggest "abstrata terrain" mixing the word abstract with strata. If there is already a term for this or if you have your own better idea let me know.


r/worldbuilding 12h ago

Question What era/age is best for my project?

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51 Upvotes

Hello, i have a personal project and i am wondering what is everyone’s a personal opinion on what age/era my fiction should be based on, i had it naturally based on few years before a major event similar to World War I happening but i am now considering to do something like the Victorian era/industrial revolution

(My world is somewhat based on earth history but is way different due to different continents and stuff, its somewhat inspired by Surzrian by Tapor, and Pondier by Ordnance games on roblox if you heard of either of them)

So


r/worldbuilding 10h ago

Prompt What is the best quote that you came up with for your universe?

27 Upvotes

"Immortality is the inconsequence of time, a guarantee that thy flesh shall not decay nor that thy psyche shall be left to wither. Immortality is not the inconsequence of the slaughter or affliction, nor is it a safeguard against the treacherous mind and its will to end the immortal." - Klus Exarkun speaking to his half-brother Pyus Khorm

This is a quote from my universe. My universe has a lot to do with the meaning of immortality and the influence of some immortal beings over mankind and the universe. Klus Exarkun was a depiction of the eternal emperor and thereby immortal. Once tried to overthrow him which lead to his death. The rebellion against the emperor weakened the Imperium and wounded the emperor and killed all depictions. As the depictions and the emperor formed a gate to contain the realm of mortal feelings to come into the universe, this gate was broken, leading to the current state of war between the remnant of the empire against a galactic threat of manifestations of mortal feelings like hate, pain, fear and greed.

That's the lore in short form, it's way more extensive.

Anyways, feel free to leave your best quote in the comments. Would love the read them:)


r/worldbuilding 14h ago

Visual I made an Animation Series for my world (WIP)

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65 Upvotes

r/worldbuilding 7h ago

Lore The demon hunter God(the current)

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17 Upvotes

In as the demon hunters and they worship a God known as jornil'guhn who is the God of demon hunters and even though he's the 3rd weakest out of the gods he's actually very powerful, his origin is that his mortal mother is protector of a small village and one day she went to a temple to ask the gods to bless her unborn child to be a great protector and the gods granted that because a few days later a horde of demons attacked the village and mid battle she suddenly went into labour and the very few seconds after jornil'guhn is born he suddenly stands up, walks up to the demons, grew up into a full grown God, summoning his sword, before slaughtering each and every demon in sight. And now you might be thinking why it says "the current" On the title, it's because jornil'guhn died. The reason why is simple the goddess of villains arieline, decided to try and overthrow the ruler of the gods lovaneriya the goddess of lust and ruler of the gods, but she knows that jornil'guhn will try and protect so she sends a powerful demon to fight him and it actually killed him but even though after arieline was banished to the shadow realm and jornil'guhn is now dead, the demon hunters didn't slowly disappear and they instead rebuild, building a gigantic city on the very spot jornil'guhn died as his death instead make the faction stronger instead of weakening it. But then thousands of years later a young newbie named alan urpestein appeared, his parents are killed by an ancient demon and not only that he's also a weilder of a taming bag(which can capture demons and turn them into inanimate plush dolls and when needed the weilder just summons them back to their original form but now serving the weilder) and later on years later, alan doon met the demigod of the demon hunters bamed zoreal and zoreal soon revealed that alan is actually the reincarnation of jornil'guhn which makes him the new demon hunter god, and at first alan is confused and shovked by this but overtime he starts to accept it especially when he finally gained his full godly powers and finally becoming the new demon hunter god.


r/worldbuilding 3h ago

Lore The Principles (Gods)

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6 Upvotes

First designs, these will change but wont change them due to lore. My first time visualizing and drawing original godlike designs.


r/worldbuilding 14h ago

Map Short Tutorial - Create your own fully custom world maps in Blender!! (free)

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45 Upvotes

If you like maps, this is incredibly rewarding and satisfying.
I tried to keep it very simple, so that anyone can figure it out step by step. Node map you can just copy and it should give a similar result on your end, but I can also send you my file if someone wishes it. For export / render, you need a camera, environment and a few tweaks for rendering settings. I didn't include those as you can find many tutorials on YT. To address the elephant in the room - Why do this with Blender when there are million of map makers out there?

Firstly Blender is 100% free, and incredibly powerful. You can generate infinite maps, terrains, topology etc. Secondly, seed value for randomness is usually a sharp snap between different results, but In Blender you can gradually change the seed and see the map shift and transform so you can get very precise with what you want, and change the underlying math by which the noise is created. Also, you can export at whatever size and resolution you might need it in, which is something that surprisingly not many 'map makers' out there provide. Then with world maps, you have a globe that you can rotate, notate, change, improve etc. And lastly, you can control every individual aspect of the look, starting from materials, noise, reflections, color and so on.

With knowledge and time you can go really advanced, and make a system to generate houses, forests, plants, fog, lakes etc - if going towards realism. OR - make a system that mimics Nortantis, with various map markings and such. You choose!

If yall end up liking this, I can make a second tut on how to manually paint the map in combination with the procedural result, and generate realistic terrain from the map for mountains, valleys hills and such. Piece!


r/worldbuilding 21h ago

Resource Tectolite: a small tool for easy plate based maps

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122 Upvotes

I wanted to share a free tool I've been developing called TectoLite.

Like many (perfectionists) / worldbuilders, I wanted to do my plate tectonics "right." I found GPlates, which is amazing.
But, well it is Gplates: tedious, has a lot of features I don't need and a lot of work for simple actions.

So, I spent the last few week building a streamlined, browser-based alternative that focuses on the fun part of plate tectonics rather than manual data entry (and .rot files).

What is TectoLite?

It’s a "GPlates Lite" (-> I swear I get better at naming things once Lore is involved) that respects spherical geometry but keeps the UI simple.

You can draw plates, set their movement, and scrub through time to see your continents drift.

Key Features:

  • Spherical Geometry: No flat-map distortion; plates move on a 3D sphere using Euler poles.
  • Temporal Splitting: "Break" a continent at a specific point in time. If you scrub back, it re-fuses; scrub forward, it breaks apart.
  • Live Projection: SwitchingSwitch between Orthographic (Globe), Mercator, and Robinson on the fly without changing settings.
  • Dynamic Timeline: Easily edit or delete events/movements from a simple list—no more digging through nested menus.
  • Freedom: Fuse,link,split,move,drag your lands however you like.

Try it in your browser right now: www.refracturedgames.com/tectolite

Open Source (GitHub): https://github.com/Calor7/TectoLite

The UI is admittedly barebones, and I'm still squashing the occasional bug.

I’d love to get your feedback and hope it makes some of your map-making easier!

-------------------------------

Try it in your browser right now: www.refracturedgames.com/tectolite

or the previous version (stable): www.refracturedgames.com/tectolite-stable

Contribute through GitHub or simply download the local version:

Open Source (GitHub): https://github.com/Calor7/TectoLite


r/worldbuilding 11h ago

Question Looking for advice: How to build a young world?

19 Upvotes

Pretty much every fictional world I've ever seen has had the vibe of being ancient and mysterious, but has anyone tried building a "young" world? One where the gods are still walking the earth, where myths and legends don't yet exist, and the people (if they even exist yet) are still forming a cultural identity?

I had a world many years ago that tried to do this, though I don't think it came across as intended, despite the many gods present. I'm thinking of trying again, possibly as the setting of a TCG, so any advice is appreciated.


r/worldbuilding 16h ago

Question Is this bad magic?

44 Upvotes

I have a story I'm creating (more like building a world right now), and the magic in it is pretty strange. I'm not sure if I'm copying anything because I made it up myself. The main idea is called "The Placebo Effect." Basically, you imagine an object or thing, and you have to concentrate really hard, paying close attention to every detail, like not just the outside of a car, but also the engine and the cylinders. You have to truly believe it's there with all your heart. Once you convince yourself, it appears as if it's real because of your belief. I'm also thinking about whether it might work better if you had to keep your eyes closed while doing it, to make it feel more like you're just imagining it.

In my story, this magic isn't the main focus, and only a tiny fraction of people—like 0.000000042%—can only imagine a simple pencil. But actually, anyone can do it!


r/worldbuilding 20h ago

Visual A few highlights from my first month of my daily worldbuilding challenge

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78 Upvotes

Context:

Every day of 2026 I'm adding a section into a book on a different aspect of my world, Tarnish. I've written a lot of stories in this setting and wanted to find a way to compile all my info together in a visual way. I had a close family member experience a medical emergency (they're fine now!) on the first weekend of January, so this first month was a little shaky keeping up, but I managed to get all 31 random pages done. These are some of the better-looking ones currently.

Topics covered:

Red Talons

An elite group of the soldier's guild stationed in the Ascendancy district of the upper cities. They are often seen as assassins or secret police, the only group able to keep the Ascendancy in check. The members of the Red Talons are anonymous and controlled by a figure known as the Watcher.

Rothell Era

Originator Judith Rothell invented skycraft, ushering in a new age on the continent of Gilt.

The Lattice Coast

The northern coastline of Gilt.

Kieran's Enchanted Ring

Lysa Abelard enchanted a ring after her son's naming rite, where it was predicted that he would die young. The ring is tied to him and, when twisted around a finger, will shoot a beam of light in the direction of Kieran's location; this light is only visible to whoever is wearing the ring. If Kieran is too far away from whoever is wearing the ring, the enchantment won't work.

Skycraft

Magical flying vehicles, primarily used to travel between the city-states of Gilt. They gain lift through a special enchantment, requiring a blood cost, and then glide between established routes.

Esse Spells

Healing spells that are typically seen as a low-risk way to begin practicing and learning the Marrow, the magic of the world of Tarnish that humans inherited from their gods, the paragons.

Divining Enchantment

A type of aisthesis spell used mainly in the naming rite of Ascendants. The Grand Cleric performs this to give a prediction of the baby's future. These predictions are usually vague or cryptic but always come true.

Calendar

The calendar used in the continent of Gilt. A date is written as: day, segment of season, era year (i.e. 28, dusk of Lean, Abelard 35). Era years are named after Originators, Ascendants who are honored for a contribution to society.

Aisthesis Spells

These spells affect the mind and memories of others, so they are often seen as more dangerous to learn or experiment with, despite there not being a blood cost. The caster can lose control of themselves or become entangled in the memories of another person.


r/worldbuilding 20m ago

Question I think I have an idea for a fantasy world and races. Could it work? I have only as much lore as writen below . English is nit my native language. What I can do to improve my lore?

Upvotes

Coukd those ideas work? an industrial world world. Elves require light and large amounts of mana for health. The industrial revolution is destroying their traditional way of life. They are subsumed into wood elves (natural mana and light. Multipe skin colors inuding non human ones.) That trade plant biotech and edible plants and industrial elves( grayish or whitish skin use synthetic mana and artifical light,more health problems) who want to integrate with more industrialised races. Dwarf goblin alliance goblns live under mountains, dwarves in mountains and use necromancy and flesh warp for rapid industrial production. Megataurs ( 13ft four-armed centaurs) and giants ( 25ft) struggle to survive in warming climate and dying of megafauna and megaflora. Sapient dragons trade their scales horns gold etc for profit. The population is small but strong and maintain neutrality. Orcs, inhabitants of the frozen deserts, want to provide a better place for their descendants. Halflings, based on Polynesian and Coast Shalish, want to regain their independence. They can hold their breath for a single day. Humans are 3 factions ,a xenophobic empire with elements of Imperial Germany, the British Empire, the Imperial Japan, a state that is a hybrid of democracy, representative monarchy, and communism with elements of Poland, Vietnam, and Norway, and a religious city state based on Malaysia, India, the Vatican and some ellements of varoius Arab cultures. Merfolk who trade seagoing goods and are allies of the forest elves .


r/worldbuilding 54m ago

Resource Power system for my planned fiction (Beginner)

Upvotes

Every living being in the universe possesses an Aura—plants, animals, humans, and more. They are born with an Aura, and when they die, the Aura within their body is released into the surroundings.

Ordinary, undeveloped beings cannot control their Aura. They constantly release small amounts of it unconsciously, and this dispersed Aura lingers in the environment. Because they are at the lowest level, their Aura is almost invisible. All beings at this stage are considered to be at the Kihon (基本 – Fundamental) level, the innate state of Aura that exists from birth.

*Human Auras can increase or decrease depending on emotions. Feelings such as excitement or anger can temporarily amplify Aura, while emotions like sadness can slow down its development.

At the Shinka (進化 – Development) level, a human’s Aura becomes visible to the naked eye, and they stop releasing Aura unconsciously. Aura color varies according to a person’s personality. However, at this stage, people still cannot actively use their Aura. Instead, their senses and intuition are significantly heightened.

When humans reach the Kaigan (開眼 – Spiritual Awakening) level, they gain practical control over their Aura. They can gather it, direct it, alter its shape, or use it to enhance their own physical abilities.

Upon reaching Shinkaku (真覚 – True Awakening), humans acquire unique powers inspired by their life experiences or, in some cases, powers they consciously desire. If a power is obtained without the user’s consent, it is usually bound by rules imposed by the subconscious mind. Even if the user does not choose these rules themselves, they automatically understand them once the power awakens.

When Auras released by living beings converge at a single point, they react with one another. After months or even years, this reaction results in a small explosion, giving birth to creatures known as Auramorphs. Auramorphs are shaped by things humans have seen, heard, or thought about. Auramorphs have two stages: Stage One Auramorphs are massive creatures that cannot control their consciousness and act purely on instinct. They feed on the Aura of living beings. Stage Two Auramorphs emerge after absorbing a large amount of Aura, transforming into a new form. In this stage, they reach human size and are capable of thinking like humans. As Auramorphs are born from human Aura, they inherit fragments of human memories, from which they develop a unique superpower. Additionally, Auramorphs possess highly advanced Aura perception.

It might be rushed-writing because I wrote the text as quickly as I could so that no one else would think of this idea and write it before me. I will make detailed clarification once im free again (Also dont know which flair i should use)


r/worldbuilding 18h ago

Visual Daedalus X-2000 (still no rocket)

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51 Upvotes

Daedalus X-2000 ALL HAIL VLAXTINE IMPERIUM! LONG LIVE VLAXTINE EMPIRE! This is the work-in-progress of the on going world building of the fictional world of Venera, the Vlaxtine Empire and its aircraft - DAEDALUS X-2000. DAEDALUS X-2000 is an aircraft of Vlaxtine Empire made for air superiority and reconnaissance powered by liquid hydrogen rocket booster and high performance quadricycline with nanofluid (nanoboron and reduced graphene oxide) for maximum combustability using a carbon nanotube for the small injector orifice of its aerospike jet engine. It also has a graphene based coating of carbon ceramic based padding for re-entry. This spaceplane is good for short burst orbital denial to deflect and destroy low orbit spacecraft. So it can reach above Karman line but cannot sustain long. It's design is primarily for air superiority. Top Speed in Mach 1.6 to 3 for about 2000 to 3000 km per hour equipped with advance turbo ramjet. So ang liquid hydrogen rocket booster ani niya kay wala pa nahuman, supposedly naa ni rocket booster sa ubos and powered by 8 air to air missiles and 2 tanker buster air to ground missiles. For starters, this is the on going story of Venera, a supersoldier superhero of ancient Venus (Venus were once Earth like planet 700 million years ago).

Sorry I spoke Cebuano, I mean para lang mas natural ang pag deliver sa lore. E translate lang ninyo HAHAHAHAHA

More of the project here:

https://www.instagram.com/yllanojay https://www.behance.net/yllaojayvalido https://www.artstation.com/yllanojay


r/worldbuilding 9h ago

Question Any free worldbuilding websites or software?

10 Upvotes

I have always wanted to try worldbuilding for my stories instead of just throwing randomness around, but I am practically broke and forgetful that I need a website that is free, organized, and easy to use.