The "Daily" Worldbuilding Prompt. Chapter 3

[Ban]

Remember these?

If you're a worldbuilder like me, there's little you like more than rambling on and on about your worlds at every opportunity you can find. Isn’t it just great to share and compare your ramblings with the ramblings of fellow worldbuilders? The problem is, that sometimes there's no question worth rambling on about.

Now wouldn't it be fun, if there was a thread around to give you a daily prompt for just that purpose? Luck would have it, that this is exactly where the Daily Worldbuilding Prompt thread comes in. Each and every day, I'll ask you a question for you to answer.

Each DWP thread runs for 50 days (and 50 prompts), after which a new ‘chapter’ will be opened to discuss the next 50 prompts, and so on. This is done to keep the discussions somewhat organized. Don’t worry however, you are still free to answer all of the questions from an old thread at any time. If you see one, two or however many prompts that interest you, hop on in and answer them at your leisure.

Previous chapters can be found:
Here: The "Daily" Worldbuilding Prompt
And here: The "Daily" Worldbuilding Prompt. Chapter 2

Have fun!

 

[Ban]

Question 101: Giants amongst giants. Who's the biggest/tallest sapient your world has ever known and what can you tell me about them?

 

[Orc Knight]

Question 101: Giants amongst giants. Who's the biggest/tallest sapient your world has ever known and what can you tell me about them?

Giants naturally enough. Though the tallest they top off at is around thirty feet and for the bipedal's on the world. With some trolls coming in second. Though some dragons can get taller and longer then them, it takes a few decades to do so. The self proclaimed Wyrm King and Dragon King are also quite large, both standing over forty feet tall and up to sixty feet long.

 

[skip.knox]

Giants here, too. I don't know much about them yet, but as they appear in my next novel, I'm going to have to figure them out. Here's what little I have.

Giants are solitary creatures. Like birds, they come together to breed and raise the young, then off they go again. They return to nest once every five years. If the child has died, they breed again. If the child lives but has not bred, it’s just a reunion. If the child has bred twice, this family unit dissolves and the parents go off to die. Each parental couple breeds two offspring. Every once in a while, a third is born, though humans don’t know this until modern times. Even so, happenstance causes losses—war, disease—so the giant population declines over the centuries.
Giants are famously laconic.
They prefer live meat and will herd. This basically set the table for dragons, so giants and dragons are mortal enemies.

The speech of giants is deep and languid, full of plosives and long vowels with few sibilants or fricatives.
Giants do not claim sovereignty over land. They fight to walk alone and to be left alone. The parent stakes out an area for the child, which is to be his walking ground.
Much of a battle between giants involves show—posturing, strutting about, giving speeches like a Roman orator. This is punctuated by throwing large objects into the disputed ground. Once in a while, usually unintentionally, the giants get too close and there is a physical fight. When this happens, whole forests might be destroyed, lakes emptied, all wildlife fled or slain.
Giants range from twenty to thirty feet tall. Legend puts the greatest of them at twice that, but that's what legends do.

And that's it. Their religion, customs, history, etc.? *shrug* Known problem, best man working on it.

 

[Ban]

It might be short, but I was thoroughly immersed in the description you have of your giants Skip, though I do have a wonder where they receive their oratory skills from in isolation. Perhaps it's magic, I'm fine with that, simple magic without need for explanation is always a satisfactory answer to me.

 

[Miles Lacey]

Question 101: Giants amongst giants. Who's the biggest/tallest sapient your world has ever known and what can you tell me about them?

Though they are not viewed as giants as such the Neanderthals are much taller and bigger than other humanoid species. They are traditionally nomadic and live in tribes that consist of about eight or so clans. While the average Neanderthal is about seven feet tall there are accounts of some Neanderthals being as tall as fifteen to twenty feet. Because Neanderthals mostly reside in very remote areas such as steppes and mountain ranges they are often very hard to get access to.

For food they rely on game they've hunted and livestock. The livestock also provide dairy products such as yoghurt, cheese, milk and so forth. They have learned how to eat assorted vegetation that is found in woodland areas and grasslands that would harm or even kill many other humanoids. Neanderthals who aren't nomadic tend to live in areas where they can get jobs where their strength can be utilised such as dock workers, road and rail construction workers, dam builders and nightclub bouncers.

Curiously, most police and military forces won't conscript or recruit them.

 

[ThinkerX]

Question 101: Giants amongst giants. Who's the biggest/tallest sapient your world has ever known and what can you tell me about them?

On the main world, giants are genetic flukes, much as they are on earth. Rare for them to top nine feet tall, reputations for stupids. There are a few tales of entire villages being transformed into giants during the 'times of passage,' when the 'demon star' passes by, but again, they don't last more than a few generations.

On the secondary world (Aquas), there was an especially militant tribe that managed to supersize themselves partly through supernatural means. They conquered a huge stretch of the Strand, but their supersize petered out after a few generations.

 

[Vaporo]

Question 101: I mentioned the Al Grat in the "top of the food chain" question in the previous thread. The Al Grat is a crab-like monster the size of a small mountain. It served as a mobile base of operations for the Generals during their war to destroy this plane of reality. It is sapient, but its intelligence is distributed throughout its body and very alien to us. After the war, it agreed to remain in the world peacefully and spends most of its time resting in the jungles west of Untia.

Technically, the Al Grat is just a specially-crafted variant of another species called the Ol Grat. Al Grat means "King Grat" and Ol Grat means "Lord Grat." The Ol Grat look similar to the Al Grat, but are only about the size of a city block. The Ol Grat were mostly used to carry troops and supplies, and only a few survived the war.

Perhaps there are Grat that stand taller than the Al Grat, but I don't know what they are.

Among humans, the Kumbaskans are known for their great height and girth. In Untian history, the tallest person of import would probably be Ikla, the first queen of the nation of Ikla, who stood at well over seven feet.

 

[Ban]

Question 102: Skål, Proost, Cheers and Salut. What words do your folk utter when toasting? (And what other rituals do they have? Do they raise the glass? Tap it with a spoon? What would be appropriate at what occassion?)

 

[Maker of Things Not Kings]

In my main WIP I have a floating platform, sheltered in a tidal bay, where all trader ships come and go. The folk assigned to dock service will make one toast per night at a communal table, This is an offering to the tides and it includes dropping a pinch of sea salt into their tankards before the first cup is poured.

And I've borrowed a metaphorical term that I stumbled upon from an old Netherlands drink custom. My Grogoch miners head butt each other (gently) when they share an afterwork drink.

 

[Gotis]

In my WIP a Satyr's first drink of the night is always always dedicated to their culture hero, Clovis. They raise their drink and shout, "For Clovis!" or "To Old Green-hooves." Then they exchange drinks with someone nearby in honor of Clovis's generous spirit.

 

[Ban]

And I've borrowed a metaphorical term that I stumbled upon from an old Netherlands drink custom. My Grogoch miners head butt each other (gently) when they share an afterwork drink.

We do/did this? Interesting, must have been a northener thing.

 

[Orc Knight]

Question 102: Skål, Proost, Cheers and Salut. What words do your folk utter when toasting? (And what other rituals do they have? Do they raise the glass? Tap it with a spoon? What would be appropriate at what occassion?)

Most soldiers on Eld do the libations to the dead and the fallen in some form or another. A mouthful or a shot to be put to the ground and then a drink for oneself. Sometimes ghosts of fallen comrades are even on hand for it. Things don't tend to get much fancier then a raised glass or taps from clawed hands.

And if they're using metal or clay cups, thumping them on the tables, someones head or helmet also works. It works as an attention getter and sometimes as an opening to a bar fight. Wood elves, of course, sometimes up things and drop some blood in for the toasts as a praise to their deities. It's usually not their own blood.

 

[Miles Lacey]

Question 102: Skål, Proost, Cheers and Salut. What words do your folk utter when toasting? (And what other rituals do they have? Do they raise the glass? Tap it with a spoon? What would be appropriate at what occassion?)

For a toast the person or persons giving the toast will stand and bow to those being honoured. S/he will then give the toast then raise a mug or glass in the direction of those being honoured and cry 'Tagay!' Everyone else will then cry 'Tagay!' Whether or not everyone stands before crying 'Tagay!' depends on how formal the event is. In a bar everyone remains seated. In a wedding people stand.

In a toast in the name of the Emperor, the Empire or the regional leader (who may be a President or a monarch) everyone must stand.

When toasting someone living or the Empire the glass or mug is drunk until it is empty before banging it in the table.

If the person being honoured is dead one tenth of the drink is left in the glass or mug. That tenth will be poured over the grave of the deceased.

 

[ThinkerX]

Question 102: Skål, Proost, Cheers and Salut. What words do your folk utter when toasting? (And what other rituals do they have? Do they raise the glass? Tap it with a spoon? What would be appropriate at what occassion?)

Strangely, apart from the usual 'health' and 'best wishes,' type phrases, I've never really gone into this.

 

[Ban]

Question 103: Can you tell me about a minority culture in your world, whom are largey unknown by most of your world's residence?

 

[Gotis]

Question 103: Can you tell me about a minority culture in your world, whom are largely unknown by most of your world's residence?

There exist a small group of Orcs known as The Dog-kin. They were a minority even in their own tribe. This tribe believed in many spirits including Kutya, the dog spirit. These Dog-kin were warrior priests who kept dogs. Specifically they kept bone-crushing dogs. (the extinct species Borophagus orc to be exact)
These dogs are sacred to Kutya. These Dog-Kin considered the dogs family and would choose one to be blood brothers with. They lived, eat, and fought together. When one of the dogs died, it was mourned as if it were a fellow Orc.
Since the tribes were concurred and forged into a single nation The Dog-kin are even more rare. Elements of their beliefs were incorporated into the official religion with varying degrees of acceptance.

 

[Devor]

Question 103: Can you tell me about a minority culture in your world, whom are largey unknown by most of your world's residence?

Funny, figuring this out is my next worldbuilding challenge, the last significant hurdle I have on my country map. (To be clear, I'm also writing.)

In my story the nation has a special province that remains feudalistic. Its position on the map, with a mountain range on one side and a huge number of swamps and rivers along the coast, have kept it isolated, and it only joined the main country on the condition of retaining special autonomy.

Recently I've been thinking there may be some kind of colony that another big country established there, which then went independent and semi-native, kind of like the Vikings of Normandy in France. But the region needs to be poor, feudalistic, a little backwards, so I'm struggling to decide what kind of culture and background that colony might be.

 

[Miles Lacey]

Question 103: Can you tell me about a minority culture in your world, whom are largely unknown by most of your world's residence?

Allow me to introduce you to the Tautai. The name loosely translates as "Mariners" because they are from the various islands that dot the Great Western Sea and they are regarded as the world's best ocean navigators. Their lives are based around fishing, harvesting fruits from trees and growing root based crops. Because they spend long periods at sea the Tautai have developed the ability to drink sea water and to breathe underwater for a few hours. They are very skilled underwater hunters and have developed weapons they can use underwater to hunt prey, especially shark.

Their language is similar to the Maori language in the Cook Islands and they have a written language not unlike Braille. They are mostly brown skinned with brown or black hair. Tautai are unique for having gills which are located on the back which are invisible to the naked eye unless they are underwater. It is partly because of the gills that it is considered tabu (strictly forbidden) to touch a Tautai on the back without their permission.

The photo gives an idea of the type of costume a Tautai female would wear as their traditional costume but it is worth noting that such clothing is not worn as everyday clothing outside of the more remoter islands. Most of the time Tautai dress pretty much like everyone else does in the Tarakan Empire.

According to the Census taken in the 445th year of the 7th Millennium there are about four million Tautai within the Empire.

 

[Orc Knight]

Question 103: Can you tell me about a minority culture in your world, whom are largey unknown by most of your world's residence?

Two at the very least. The Trow and the Swamp Dwarves. The Trow because they hid themselves away inside their crystal style cities and the swamp dwarves, because seriously, dwarves in a swamp?

The Trow are, as possibly mentioned before, a not quite drow, not quite elf and not quite troll cross who spend time doing lot's of mystic research and hiding away to be quite peaceful sorts who are guarded by yeti's and have no standing armies. Which, given it's Eld, should be an impossibility, but they made it work. They are very closed to outsiders and most only ever get to meet with the yeti's. Most only once. They were called upon for the Lich Wars but would not leave their towers, saying it was not their fault the undead walked and the undead would not find them. This will have the unfortunate effect of biting them in the ass in time. Which, will make them even more rare, given they also have the lowest birth rate of any of the varied species on Eld. This means they play as close to a traditional style elf as possible.

The Swamp Dwarves are exactly that. A mixed ancestry of delver and orchard dwarves that took to the southern swamps and salt marshes below ogre territory and slightly above sea elf territory, they grew into their role and the swamps general insanity. They are in essence, cajun dwarves and they love their spice, their gator and their gumbo. Most live in house boats of sort and travel the tributaries and swampland in well crafted mangrove boats. They spend most their time hunting the swamp and jungle dwelling octopi, gators and crawdads among others. They make rare appearances when they have bounties and sell them at the port cities before disappearing again. Given they are dwarves, they also make some very powerful rum and beers to drink and some of their food is spicy enough to leave their three cousin types running in pain. Only the orchard dwarves tend to acknowledge them and most don't even recall they are there. They're happy with this set up.