The "Daily" Worldbuilding Prompt

[Miles Lacey]

Question 30: Where do people get the news? (Do they have an established media system, or is it word of mouth, or... ?)

For those with money there's the radio. For others they can watch the weekly news reels at the movie theatre, read the newspaper or go to an inn and listen to a storyteller.

Question 31: From the christian cross to the nike icon, our world is filled with recognisable symbols. What are your world's most widespread symbols?

The Kharran Empire is represented by the symbol of a red pepper as it was the spice trade the Empire was originally built on.

The Faith is represented by a double edged sword to indicate the basic mantra that the Faith cuts both ways: the gods giveth and they taketh away.

The most iconic corporate symbol is a mammoth with a glass mug: the logo of Mammoth's Piss which is a popular beverage.

Question 33: I am in search of work. Where could, would and should I apply?

If you don't mind hard physical labour there's quite a few public works projects under way. If it's a temporary job that doesn't involve too much effort the Kharran Empire is looking for Census workers. Factories in Dalkhak in the Kharran Empire are short of stone carvers at the moment.

Oh and many tramp steamers are always looking out for crew. Cooks, cleaners and machinists are in short supply at the moment.

Ladies, your gender is no hindrance. Employers world wide tend to be all for equal opportunity which means you will also end up doing shitty work for low pay just like the men if you end up as a factory or retail worker.

 

[ScaryMJDiamcreep]

Question 38: Can you explain one of your world's sports to me?

I'm guessing you're meaning sports unique to my world, so that rules out the extreme archery that the Duongels do, as that's still a form of archery.

For manipulation-type mages, especially light mages, there's a little competition/test of ability to try and accurately replicate a statue at a distance(skill) or accurately replicate many statues quickly(speed)/at once(endurance).

For creation-type mages, there's something similar, but instead of statues it's creating a ball/filling a container, and the speed task is instead measuring intensity of the creation(how bright the flame/light is, how fast the container can be filled, etc).

Specifically for light mages, there's a different contest where a colour will be shouted out, and the mage has to create a ball of light/change the colour of a target to the colour shouted out.

Not sure what else yet.

 

[ScaryMJDiamcreep]

Question 39: Can you tell me about your world's boogie man?

Even though she's a deity, Inespell fits the role of boogie man quite well, as the "threat" of her "corrupting" a child who lives in an untidy room is a rather effective way for parents to convince their children to tidy their rooms, even though the streets are most likely more chaotic than an untidy room could ever be.

I'm not familiar enough with boogieman legends to do anything else without sounding really generic or ripping off of someone else, so I'll leave it at this.

 

[ScaryMJDiamcreep]

Question 40: can you describe the architectural styles of you world? (high/low, peaked/rounded, ornate/modest, open/closed etcetera)

Duongel buildings tend to have multiple stories(the average is 4-5, but the tallest is probably the 20 stories that the universities have at their tallest points), and often have take-off/landing pads at some of the higher levels.

The shape of the roof of a Duongel building tells a lot about what the owner's opinion of loiterers is. If it's flat, then it means that the owner doesn't care. Apartments and cafes tend to have this kind of roof, as it allows for people to get in if the street is too crowded. Pointed roofs mean that the owner doesn't want people standing on their roof. This tends to be on private homes, but important buildings like parliament and the universities also have pointed roofs. A round roof means that, while the owner doesn't mind having people stand on their roof, they would like to be able to monitor entry and exit. Restaurants and libraries tend to have this, and many shops do as well.

Duongel buildings normally blend into their neighbors, so it often isn't easy to tell where one ends and another begins, if they're connected.

As for actual style, I'm not sure. Probably would have a bit of stonework.

The human settlements are more like the standard fantasy setting, and the dwarves really live up to the stereotype(The ones that live underground, that is. The rest is like that one city in Turkey, where they carved the buildings into the face of the cliff). The elves differ slightly from the treetop stereotype, instead living in the hollowed-out base of trees that make redwoods look like pine trees. No clue what to do for anything else.

 

[ScaryMJDiamcreep]

Question 41: Can you give me a linguistic overview of your world? (Language families, broad distribution, intelligibility, lingua franca, trade language...)

Not really. Best I've got is that Duongelese(I know how rubbish that temporary name is but I've got nothing better at the moment) is literally impossible to speak unless you have some way of having multiple bodies, such as being a Duongel.

 

[Gotis]

Question 3: I dive to the bottom of the sea. What wonders, treasures and curiosities will I find on the seabed?
I can't say for the very bottom, but you will find three types of merfolk. There are the Wavers who are completely mammalian. They look like your typical merfolk except the tail is more dophin-like. They stay near the surface because they need to breathe air. The Depmer have the same body shape, but are more fish-like in appearance. Then there's the Goonies. They're just The Creature From the Black Lagoon

 

[Gotis]

Question 6: Pets and mounts. Which are some of the interesting ones your world has? (Bonus question: For what are they used?)

Male trolls are basically live versions of troll dolls from our own world. They spit acid which is used to dissolve prey into goop. With the acid gland removed they make decent pets. They are popular among rich little girls.
Driders (Dark Elf/spider hybrids) can birth a horde of spiders through a ghastly ritual. These spiders go out into the world and act perfectly normal. However the Drider can take over any of her spiders from any distance using them as eyes and ears. They are also good litlte murder weapons.

 

[Gotis]

Question 8: Can you give me the synopsis of one of your people's cultural/national epics? The foundational myths as it were.[/QUOTE]
The Dwarven Creation Myth
The four Under-Gods decided to create a people. The Smith, leader of the gods, made a skeleton out of iron. The Lady(Smith's wife) wove their beards out of spider silk. The Stone-Cutter cut precious gems for the brain, heart and other organs. Lastly, The Hunter wrapped it up in boiled leather. The Dwarves were a disappointment. They were indestructible and would obey any order, but had no soul, no self drive.
The Lady then merged her soul with the Dwarves making them both stronger and weaker. They were now flesh and blood, but had a will of their own. The Smith was enraged that his wife "died" for the Dwarves and so created iron golems to destroy them. He poured most of his power into them and was weakened afterwords. Just as the golems were advancing on the Dwarves, the Smith could see attributes of The Lady in each one of them. He regretted his actions and merged himself with the golems and made them walk away from the Dwarves. Eventually The Smith will lose control and the golems will destroy the Dwarves. It is said that the more the Dwarves are kind and good, the more determined The Smith is to save them, but mean and nasty Dwarves dishonor The Lady and make the golems return that much sooner.

 

[blondie.k]

Question 41: Can you give me a linguistic overview of your world? (Language families, broad distribution, intelligibility, lingua franca, trade language...)