31 Days

Working on a homebrew world for the 31 days of December 2021.

Deceber 5 - Plant

Write about an important plant.
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Deceber 4 - Isolated Settlement

Describe an isolated settlement; why is it so isolated and where is it?
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Deceber 3 - Shapping Politics

Write about a political conflict that shaped the political climate of your world.
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Deceber 3 - Shapping Politics

Write about a political conflict that shaped the political climate of your world.
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Deceber 4 - Isolated Settlement

Describe an isolated settlement; why is it so isolated and where is it?
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Deceber 5 - Plant

Write about an important plant.
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Test

Write about an important plant.
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Deceber 1 - Travel

I want to travel from one edge of the known world to the other. How do I go about this, and is it possible?Cutting through the clouds of the heavens are the large Aeronavis ships.  Designed for war, repurposed for luxury.  They move the wealthy across the...
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Deceber 2 - Religions

Are there any specific dominant religions in particular geopolitical regions?Thought my world there are lots of gods, demigods, self-proclaimed gods, and what to be gods.  The people may know the story of some but not all, and they worship a core few - mo...
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Deceber 3 - Shapping Politics

Write about a political conflict that shaped the political climate of your world.
Read More

Challenge Summary and Objectives

Since before I got into world-building games I have wanted to explore, create, and make! As a kid I would try to make stop motion lego movies with my friend on the back porch, while these never panned out, it was exciting. Collaborative storytelling or creating creates the richest wellspring of ideas. This gorgeous meld of ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives makes fantastic and interesting stories. D&D was a perfect fit for me, and when my friend David got me into it at the local Comic Book shop I knew I was going to jump in head first!

I quickly got set to work on creating my world, it started as a town called Knoll that I stuck into the leftover world I use to make pretend in when I was a kid. It worlds well, but that first fell away and apart after some time - the biggest part of D&D is not just finding a group but keeping them. Schedules of high school and lead to me working even more on the story, plot, and worldbuilding that I care to admit. This eventually became me working on the world with my friend Gabe and David in study hall.

In the study halls of Highschool, my world of pretending I had left in childhood was resurrected to serve a new purpose. To allow a backdrop for my D&D games and players but not some static backdrop. No, moldable, shapable by the players that work in it. Hiraeth was born. Called Pythia early on for the top Goddess in the pantheon named after the Oracle of Delphi - my world took on strong Greek traits. This world has evolved to the point where some of my players' are now running a country. Keeping spreadsheets of soil data, income levels, great works, and secret projects the country is working on. If you know Joe Joe's Bizzar adventure I am hoping this sort of country can exist in the background in the future like the Speedwagon Foundation.

For the 8 years, I have been actively working on the world. The current game I am running while similar to Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden I hope its ending is more impactful. This world is full of fantastic ideas I hope to share with you in the future as I expand and grow this blog post. As for the purpose of this blog, it is to help me think of different things and home my creative juices. You know never know what triggers a moment of brilliance. I was told that a good poet does not sit down for a week and become good but rather sit for 15 minutes of a day every day for years. This makes sense to me and works in tandem with the idea if you sleep on something you can get better.

A cool geographic place in your world. What unique or exsotic resourse exsists in your world? Write about a tale surrounding a mythological creature in your world? Write about a political conflict that shaped the political climate of your world. Can you give me a linguistic overview of your world? (Language families, broad distribution, intelligibility, lingua franca, trade language, etcetera.) What does the rainbow symbolize in a culture of your world?
What criminal organization in your world is notorious and why? What is a villian/person who changed the world's history? Write about a ceremonial building in your world. Describe a lush location in your world. What are your world's superstitions? (Bonus: Where do these beliefs come from?) Describe a traditional celebration for the summer solstice in a culture of your world.
What are some common insults in your world? Desribe a building that has gone to ruin, and why? Write about how bereal customs work in your world. Write about an important plant. Can you give me the descriptions of some of your world's cheeses? What's the healthiest food in your world? How common is it and how does it taste?
What is a famous fairy tale? What is a popular sport in the world? What are the rules? Describe an inhospitable area in your world. Describe an isolated settlement; why is it so isolated and where is it? What does an average household look like? (Is it a modern nuclear family, or a multigenerational feudal household? Do pets live inside?) Write about a person who defies social expectations. How do people react to their unconventional life?
What is a feared illness? Write about a hero in your world who changed history (none player). Describe a breakthrough magical or technological in your world. Write about an artifact that has shaped history that has no magic to it.
How are children treated in your world? (Until what age are they considered to be kids? Are children allowed to work? Can they vote? Are they considered people or property? Do daycares and schools exist? Has the concept of teenager/young adult been introduced in your world?) Tell us about an important food staple in your world.
Suppose I'm transported to the most pleasant place in your world; where would I go for lodging, and what should I order off the menu? Wandering through one of your world's cities, a thief steals my wallet. I report the incident to a local authority. Who would they be, and what will (Or won't) they do about my stolen wallet? I dive to the bottom of the sea. What wonders, treasures and curiosities will I find on the seabed? Now stuck in your world, I would like to continue my studies. What university, academy or similar institution would I want to apply for? (Bonus question: Where would I actually end up studying?) What do people in your world value most in a leader? (Strength? Kindness? Rationality?) What are the common religions I can find around the world, and where could I find houses of worship? - David L
What strange beliefs do your peoples have about places lying beyond the known world? (Here be dragons!) Pets and mounts. Which are some of the interesting ones your world has? (Bonus question: For what are they used?) Days, Weeks, Months, Years. How are they measured and what are they called? Can you give me the synopsis of one of your people's cultural/national epics? (The foundational myths.) What are some common names in your world? (Bonus: Why are they popular?) Are there any specific dominant religions in particular geopolitical regions? - David L
What do your common folk do for fun? (Bonus question: What does the elite think about this?) Can you tell me a tale that is fictional within your world? I want to travel from one edge of the known world to the other. How do I go about this, and is it possible? Can you give me an example (or more) of differences in morality between people in our world and inhabitants of yours? Is magic regulated in any way? (By the government, academia, religion, vigilantes, or…?) What are some of the more Popular local drinks? what ingredients are used and what dose it taste like? - Zavi
Zoos, Waterparks, Amusementparks. Do you have any equivalent? What's the biggest, most beloved celebration of the year? What's the latest fashion and/or what type of clothing never goes out of style? Can you tell me about the itinerant folk of your world? (Bonus: Why do they travel?) What is taken for granted in our world, that is desired in your world? How are potentially unorthodox schools of magic seen around the world? (Particularly necromancy) - David L
It's late at night and I'm hungry, what food venues are still open? Which arts are most appreciated in your world? Can you tell me about your world's seven (or other number) wonders? What's the closest your world has been to wholesale destruction? (Apocalypse) I’ve spent quite some time in your world by now, and would like to settle down. How do I obtain a house? Any story’s of a lost civilization in your world? Like Atlantis. - Taylor
Can you give the lyrics for a song from your world?(Alternative if you have no lyrics written: Can you tell me the meaning of one of your world's songs?) How many people roam your world, and who do you count as 'people' ? Can you tell me a little something about your world's organized crime? I look above, what do I see?(What colour is the sky, what do the clouds look like, how many moons, can I see the stars?) Write about a special item used to keep track of time.
What are the boundaries of what is magically possible? Disease shaped our world, so what role have plagues and the like played in your world? Can you give me some insults specific to your world? What's the most valuable material in your world, and how is it used? Write about a famous ship crew. Who are they and why are they famous?
What will be served for a typical breakfast? Where do people get the news? (Do they have an established media system, or is it word of mouth, or... ?) From the christian cross to the nike icon, our world is filled with recognisable symbols. What are your world's most widespread symbols? How much of a career can a writer have in your world? Write about a day that celebrates the youngsters living in your world.
I am in search of work. Where could, would and should I apply? I take a big shovel and start digging, what do I see? (Colour and substance of the ground. Worms, insects, other creatures, etcetera.) I'm reading through the history books. Which names am I sure to come across? Is it possible to enhance your body through means other than hitting the gym and eating well? (bio-augmentations, cybernetic implants, magical enhancements, or…?) Write about a pirate of your world. What are they famous for?
How is public sanitation taken care of? (Bathhouses, hot springs, sewage, public toilets, sewage disposal?) Can you explain one of your world's sports to me? Can you tell me about your world's boogie man? Can you describe the architectural styles of you world? (high/low, peaked/rounded, ornate/modest, open/closed etcetera) Write about a delicious nut in your world. Does it have other special properties?