The "Daily" Worldbuilding Prompt

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

This one's easy. Raldan the Immortal: a gnome-like creature that leads drunks astray when they're walking home from the tavern so that he can replace them with changelings. Or challenges men to drinking games for their souls. Or carries off children who sneak some of their parents' liquor or otherwise misbehave. The legend has a lot of variation, but Raldan is usually depicted to somehow exploit drunkards.

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

Antisa has a penchant for structures set partly underground with wide, sloped sides. Antisa is largely grassland and is periodically battered by enormous hurricanes and earthquakes. Sloped walls make them less likely to collapse in high winds, and being partially underground saves on precious wood and means that there's less that needs rebuilt if an earthquake destroys your house. Improved technology has since rendered these to be largely secondary concerns, but the style has stuck around.

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

Every language is descended from the three major languages that survived the war with the Generals. I don't have proper names for them yet, but for convenience I'll call them Ancient Halgolian, Tulvian, and Amulkonian. These three languages were stuck on an island chain for two centuries while the rest of the world stabilized from the Generals' reality-tearing powers, and formed a variety of pidgins. Then there started to be pidgins between pidgins, and elements from these pidgins started to leak back into the primary languages. When colonists finally left the islands, many spoke languages so thoroughly intermixed that it was almost nearly impossible to discern their original origins. The original three languages survived, but in severely mutated forms. (I also just learned that language that emerge from pidgins are called creoles, so that's interesting).

The modern linguistic makeup is something like this: Halgolians speak languages directly descended from Ancient Halgolian with very few outside influences, although a few components from the Amulkonian language family made their way in during the reign of the Amulkine empire.

Untians speak languages from the Halgolian family, as they are culturally from Halgol. However, many native Untians assimilated into the culture the immigrants brought from Halgol, and brought elements of their creole-based language with it.

Kumbaskans speak languages from the Amulkonian family, but severely affected by elements from the other families. The Tulvian family is almost exclusively spoken on Western-Continent-Whose-Name-I-Keep-Changing.

Yeah... if you couldn't tell, I'm not a linguist. I mostly just came up with this stuff so that I could have semi-consistent naming patterns.

Question 42: What are your world's superstitions? (Bonus: where do these beliefs come from?)

It's bad luck to drink without wearing a piece of glass around your neck. Comes from the ability of magic to steal the memories of a drunk person. There is a glass-like material called unsundo that interferes with nearby magical effects, and can protect a drinker from memory theft to some degree. However, since unsundo is rare and extremely valuable, it is usually in the best interest of the shard's owner to sell the unsundo and use the money to buy a really big parlor room where anyone who is close enough to steal your memories is also close enough to be seen. So, many people started wearing glass necklaces in their place, hoping the sight alone would ward off any potential thieves. Thus, the myth was born.

Question 43: Can you give me the descriptions of some of your world's cheeses?

Well, there's Halgolian... "cheese"

Question 44: What does an average household look like? (Is it a modern nuclear family, or a multigenerational feudal household? Do pets live inside?)

In Untia, families typically live in a single multigenerational household. Children live with their parents, who live with their parents, etc. A person will likely be born, live, and die in the same house. Typically, the house will be passed down to the eldest man or woman (depending on the family) in the direct line after the previous head of house dies or otherwise becomes incapable of performing the role. There are practical considerations, though. Usually siblings not in the direct line of inheritance will move out when they get married to live with their spouse's family, or construct their own house.

Question 45: How are children treated in your world? (Until what age are the 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?)

In Untia, children will usually start working at ages ten to twelve, whether they be helping move boxes on the docks or an apprentice. Officially, the age of adulthood is sixteen years, but there's a lot of variability to this, especially in the countryside.

Not too much in the way of democracy in my world, but the tribes to the far northwest of Kumbaska do vote on their leaders. There, all adults are allowed to vote. In that part of the world, adulthood is usually determined by some great deed or event, especially for men. This may involve undergoing a spiritual journey, or killing your first animal in a hunt. There is no true age barrier. Occasionally, a six year old get lucky and stab a wolf through the heart and be declared a man for his deed.

Question 46: What do people in your world value most in a leader?

In Untia, people tend to value whatever leader makes them the most money.

Question 47: What are some common names in your world? (Bonus: Why are they popular?)

Ikla: Name of the first warrior-queen of the Nation of Ikla. Original meaning of the name is unknown.
The names of the hundred Alstalia who died during the war between the Amulkine Empire and the Fel. Their names are immortalized by the religion of the Amul, so they're naturally rather popular.
Nothing specific aside from those.

 

The Kharran Empire is a maritime empire so a lot of people spend time at sea so plenty of time to read. Poetry, ballads and epics are preferred and if you are good at erotic writing you'll do well but be careful. Branch III of the Ministry of Internal Security tends to be touchy about such things and don't even think about challenging anything to do with the Faith. Branch IX might send you to a penal colony or a concentration camp.

 

Is it okay to answer questions that were asked a couple of months ago?

 

No. Not any more than science, technology or art is regulated. So actually yes, it is (by governments mostly) but what kind and how heavily depends on where you are and who you interact with. There's no place in Her Law where all magic has some general rule placed against it especially not when almost every single person in the world uses it.

I mean, without any magic; there wouldn't be healers, demon summoning, mind-reading, internet, tape cassettes or hovercars. And what kind of barbarian can live like that?

 

Question 1: 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?

Within the Kharran Empire Dalkhak is viewed as the nicest place to go. It has regular airship, ferry and train services and its beaches are long with golden sand and good surfing (sometimes). There's plenty of bars, cabarets, pubs, restaurants and movie houses.

Many people recommend the Hotel Karem. Unpretentious staff, both public and private baths, all rooms have a telephone and room service is available. The cabaret act is popular, especially the belly dancers, and there's a pleasant bar and restaurant. The temple is a pleasant ten minute walk away and the beach is across the road.

 

Question 48: Is magic regulated in any way? (By the government, academia, religion, vigilantes, or…?)

For the most part, magic is so rare that most people don't even believe it exists, let alone try to regulate it.

However, in regions ruled by the religion of the Amul, magic is very expressly forbidden. There are 1100 "Gifts" of magic in the world: 1000 Gifts of Alshalance, and 100 Gifts of Alstaliance. When its previous wielder dies, a Gift is cast adrift in the world until it attaches semi-randomly to a new person. According to the Amul, the Gifts are the demonic power of the Fel and the only people who can wield them without being corrupted are a few select, highly trained priests. If someone is found to have a Gift, they will be brought before the leader of the Amul, He Who Stands at the Peak, and be asked to surrender their power to him. If they do, they will be given a generous sum of money and an honorary position among the priesthood. If they resist in any way, they will be hunted down, their Gift is forcibly extracted, and executed.

He Who Stands at the Peak holds over a hundred of Gifts in his mind, with another fifty distributed among the priesthood. The extra Gifts don't grant additional power, but he hoards them so that he may distribute them as he sees fit.

 

Question 3: I dive to the bottom of the sea. What wonders, treasures and curiosities will I find on the seabed?

Coral reefs, kelp forests, swarms of tropical fish that range from the tiny mit to the huge and dreaded naga (a sea dragon) that can take down a decent sized ship, shipwrecks including the aircraft carrier KIMS Fariq and if you are very lucky a merperson. Sharks, whales and crustations can be found in most waters.

 

Zukal probably has the most regulated and regimented sort of magic on Eld, given it is the one of the few places where they research and try to categorize it and make it go beyond their mere human capabilities. That and have Academic Battles on the Steel Ring islands with the dwarfs to keep the trophy for most academically powerful. Most the other races kind of half ass it as their magic comes more naturally and they don't always pursue it as an academic process or something that needs much regulation, what with nature sorting that out normally.

Course, the one thing they all regulate is anything to do with undeath. As it's banned and all. The sentence is always death, or re-death. And there are always a few witch hunters to go after the Evil witches and the like. They've been a bit chagrined since the Lich Wars since even hunting an individual witch is strongly discouraged as they tend to ally themselves with stronger powers or are the stronger powers, so they too join the adventurers and other odd sorts to go hunt undead and persecute a war they can actually fight. And have something to burn.

 

Question 48: Is magic regulated in any way? (By the government, academia, religion, vigilantes, or…?)

In the Kharran Empire the gift of the Spark (casting magic spells) is gifted to about 0.5% of the population. A person who receives the gift is required to attend a mages college to learn how to use it. Once they become Adept they can use magic without supervision from a mentor.

Laws and traditions determine how magic is used. Branch IX of the Ministry of Internal Security is responsible not only for rooting out heresy but also dealing with rogue mages, mages who meddle in politically sensitive matters and pther troublemaking mages.

Note that what we on earth would call magicians are called conjurers. They are regarded either as shysters or as entertainers and usually left alone unless they become a nuisance.

 

Question 4: 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?)

This would depend on whether or not you are gifted with the Spark (the ability to cast spells).

If you're a mage the Occidental Republic's Academy of Magic in Edo is considered the best in the world as it teaches all sorts of Magic including dark magic.

For non-mages the best place to study is the world famous Foundation for the Advancement of Scientific and Intellectual Development in Kadrish, the capital of the Kharran Empire. Your chances of getting in? Applicants who meet the academic criteria go into a lottery and only fifty names a year are drawn.

The Kharran Empire alone has 39 universities so take your pick. The region of Al Jadi has one of the best universities and it is located in a great location.

 

Question 48: Is magic regulated in any way? (By the government, academia, religion, vigilantes, or…?)

There's two different types of magic:

Spheres [which only the Eternal Ones can use]: chaotic; wild; reality warping

Glyphs [which everyone else uses]: controlled; focused; safe enough; used for daily tasks; making food, building houses, and everything else anyone needs to live comfortably

This way, no one has the power to destroy the OmniCosmos, but no one is exempt from basic necessities.

 

Basic rights. It's not all given on our world either, but on Eld, it's a world where being sentient and sapient doesn't even give you an advantage of not being eaten by other sentient and sapients. So, quite literally 'not being eaten' is something of a basic right the world is still getting on with.

 

Question 50: I’ve spent quite some time in your world by now, and would like to settle down. How do I obtain a house?

You can build one by using Glyphs, or find a wizard to help you.