#Historical Worldbuilding

[ahb-writes]

Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions (History)

Historical Worldbuilding Questions:

What are the most important events in this world’s history that impact how it is today (e.g. conflicts, disasters, discoveries, revolutions)?

What subjects would historians in a library dedicated to this world specialize in (what topics are most important to your world’s history)?

Who remembers the most about the past, versus the least, and why?

Who are important figures from this world’s history who would be taught about in schools (will their importance be revised over the story’s course as new information comes to light)?

Where are historical records kept or how are they disseminated (in writing, or more in oral culture and storytelling)?

Where are the most significant landmarks that are remnants of this world’s history?

When do characters find out historical facts about their world previously unknown to them in the story? How does this new knowledge affect them?

When were the key turning points in this world’s history? What prompted change?

Why would someone study this world’s history, what would it teach them?

Why might characters want to find out more about this world’s history? How would this knowledge aid their goals?

❯ ❯ ❯ Read other writing masterposts in this series: Worldbuilding Questions for Deeper Settings

[lostintawantinsuyu]

November 27, 12:36 PM

It just hit me—tomorrow is Thanksgiving.

I was so focused on figuring out where I am and how I got here that I hadn’t even thought about it. Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and I won’t be there. No turkey, no mashed potatoes, no pie. No laughter around the table, no arguing over football, no second helpings of stuffing. And no family.

I always complained about Thanksgiving being too chaotic—too loud, too much. Now, I’d give anything to hear my dad’s bad jokes or watch my little niece knock over a drink. I never imagined I’d spend it sitting on a rock, looking out at an ancient world I don’t belong to.

I can hear distant voices from the marketplace, but they don’t bring me any comfort. It feels so surreal that they’re preparing for their daily lives while I’m sitting here mourning a holiday no one else even knows about.

I sketched the view to try and distract myself, but it only made me miss home more. I don’t know how to make sense of this yet.

If I get through tonight, maybe I’ll try to make something of tomorrow. It won’t be Thanksgiving, but it’ll be something. I hope.

[daisywords]

One of my biggest nitpicks in fiction concerns the feeding of babies. Mothers dying during/shortly after childbirth or the baby being separated form the mother shortly after birth is pretty common in fiction. It is/was also common enough in real life, which is why I think a lot of writers/readers don't think too hard about this. however. Historically, the only reason the vast majority of babies survived being separated from their mother was because there was at least one other woman around to breastfeed them. Before modern formula, yes, people did use other substitutes, but they were rarely, if ever, nutritionally sufficient.

Newborns can't eat adult food. They can't really survive on animal milk. If your story takes place in a world before/without formula, a baby separated from its mother is going to either be nursed by someone else, or starve.

It doesn't have to be a huge plot point, but idk at least don't explicitly describe the situation as excluding the possibility of a wetnurse. "The father or the great grandmother or the neighbor man or the older sibling took and raised the baby completely alone in a cave for a year." Nope. That baby is dead I'm sorry. "The baby was kidnapped shortly after birth by a wizard and hidden away in a secret tower" um quick question was the wizard lactating? "The mother refused to see or touch her child after birth so the baby was left to the care of the ailing grandfather" the grandfather who made the necessary arrangements with women in the neighborhood, right? right? OR THAT GREAT OFFENDER "A newborn baby was left on the doorstep and they brought it in and took care of it no issues" What Are You Going to Feed That Baby. Hello?

Like. It's not impossible, but arrangements are going to have to be made. There are some logistics.

[grandkhan221b]

I've been slowly obsessing more and more about asoiaf fashion in the past 6 month, and really developing in details how it would look in different regions, classes, etc (the North being the one I have the most complete picture on). And I wanted to put some of this to paper instead of endlessly turning it in my head before I go to sleep. Usually when I costume design it is confined to a specific character, I've never done like worldbuilding fashion design, but idk asoiaf really gets me going.

So here's the North ! I could have kept going and added more stuff, but if I try to spew all the shit that's in my head I'm never gonna finish this x) So I focused mostly on great houses/nobles fashion for this. Maybe I'll do a sheet for smallfolk or practical clothing like battle armour after I'm done with all the kindoms. I already have to continue the anti AI quest...

More asoiaf fashion

[seefasters]

i do want to know who the fuck is painting all those paintings in severance. are they severed too? do they have a severed propagandist department? how much information are they allowed to have about the things they're painting?

[okaydrawboy]

[whereserpentswalk]

All of these are at around the same power level. None of them look fully human, though some look more human than others. Sorted from eldest to youngest.

[episyn]

>"winter event with winter themed items"

>look inside

>it's literally just christmas

[insert that image of a cat staring at the camera really close up]

[anxiousapplepie]

I really wanna know more about Lapis’s hearing, and how voice sounds/colors work in general!

*happy hand flapping* you guys are spoiling me by asking me questions about my RK world and ocs stopppp!! <333 Okay, so before I get into voices, I gotta give you a small crumb about colors! Color is a MAJOR theme in the RK world, and not only does it represent your personality/emotional health/mental health and magical skills and age, it's also how other people perceive and interact with you on a social level. All color is technically valid, but there's a lot of stupid rules and expectations to follow if you want to be accepted wholeheartedly into any Rose social group. If you don't match up to expectations, you've got little hope of anyone taking you seriously. And presenting the color you are (or the color you want) has to be done in EVERYTHING. Your hair, your clothes, and even stuff like your voice. The color of a "voice" is a little more flexible, though. It's a good social tool, being able to connect with someone more easily or calming someone down by talking in a similar "color". But there's a stigma about being too good at blending in with anybody and everybody. That's a different story, though. "Color" isn't so much of a sound, and more like a vibe. A vibe that every race in the RK world can learn and understand! But if you don't have any inherit magic, trying to 'hear' a color would be like asking a human to see colors like a shrimp. And on that note! Lapis has perfectly normal, very average hearing. So very normal and functional ears. By human standards, anyway. It's a pity she's not surrounded by humans anymore, isn't it? XD

[marzipanandminutiae]

a book series that makes use of "anachronistic" language in a way that really feels organic for the period, IMO, is Piratica by Tanith Lee

set in an explicitly alternate universe c. 1810, the first book managed to include the sentence "Well, groovy, thou art a klutz," and make it sound 100% Golden Age of PiracyTM. even though the author used words from wildly different eras, she captured the cadence of 18th/early 19th century working-class/criminal slang so well that I literally just had to look up whether "groovy" was an older word than I previously thought

god those books were so good. I should reread them

[chiropteracupola]

an assortment of my temeraireverse fic-dragons!

[cygnet and honoré are from fifteenth-century britain and france, aquilillus, flavia magna, and bán are from second-century britain, and cipachcoatzin is from sixteenth-century mesoamerica]

[cripplecharacters]

I really enjoyed the post you reblogged about how disabled people still have communities, especially in the modern day. But what if you’re not writing a story set in the present day? What if you’re writing fanfiction for a universe that is set way behind ours, and doesn’t appear to have any real communities for disabled people? I want to write a story about the founding of the first community for disabled people in that world. But how would you found something like that? I’m considering them going to the ruler of the land, who is invisibly disabled. But what should the steps be from there? Where should they meet, and what kind of accessibility concerns do I need to think about? I know about ramps for wheelchairs and lights that can be dimmed for autistic people, but what else? What would the community do? Would it just be social, or would it do activism?

Hi! So:

Depending on how your world is already built is when you would determine what changes or accommodations your characters would want to build or improve. For example, a medieval-technology-level world where no one builds stairs anyway is already accessible in that way for wheelchair users, even if it's far behind us technologically.

Community is often social, yes, but when communities, even social-based ones, need help or justice (with laws, with accommodations, or anything else), they often turn to activism to get their needs met.

For example: communities with d/Deaf people often develop sign languages. If the number of deaf people is high enough, maybe even hearing people will commonly use sign language. Sign language will be necessary for deaf people to communicate, especially in a world with no hearing aids. But the community could later develop to activism: ensuring there's interpreters available, or that information is presented in formats other than just audio format, like captions and transcripts.

As to accessibility concerns: think about common disabilities, and how those need to be accommodated. You've mentioned ramps and dimmable lights. I'll comment on those first, then add a bit

Ramps for wheelchairs: A pretty big one, and very necessary. But how about accessible doorways? Wheelchairs are usually wider than people. How about accessible seating that ensures a person can transfer into it or sit with their wheelchair? Bathrooms that can fit a wheelchair, and maybe a carer as well?

Dimmable lights: These can be helpful for autistic people, yes. But I'd love it if you consider something else as well: conflicting access needs. Many visually impaired people, for one, will need lights to make the most out of their remaining vision. This is hard to solve sometimes because just like in real life, things are not universal. The solution might be sunglasses for the person sensitive to light, or maybe the person who needs more light gets an extra light source.

Blindness and deafness are both very common disabilities worldwide today, and will likely be common in your world too, and would need to be accommodated. How about interpreters or transcripts? Braille or another tactile alphabet? Intellectual disability and cognitive impairments (permanent and temporary) are very common too. How about easy to read documents with clear information as opposed to jargon, if your setting uses documents? How about encouraging asking questions, or having someone take notes? How about trying to use clear language as often as possible?

Many disabled people need breaks often, whether that's physical or mental. How about areas where they can do that? How about just the acceptance that this is needed? Many disabled people need carers, too, whether this is all the time or only occasionally. How about ensuring these carers are available and well-compensated from their work? How about people making sure these carers treat the disabled person they care for fairly? How about ensuring a disabled person can bring their carer along to something, whether it's a social event or an informational event or what have you?

This is not an exhaustive list and could never be, because various people have differing needs and it depends on the needs of the people in your community. Something that helps someone might hinder someone, and in life it is a balance. What would help is if everyone is able to advocate for their needs, and the community and those who interact with them can figure out how to best fit those needs.

You will have a lot to think about, and keep in mind that disabilities are immensely varied and there's so many of them with and without overlap.

- Mod Sparrow

Hey!

Some of the ways that disability communities could - and have - formed, are heavily influenced by what's going on in the world.

In pre-modern times, disabled people would eventually end up together because resources to treat or care for us weren't readily available. That means that disability communities would form at hospitals, or areas where many people rapidly became sick or wounded for one reason or another. This can happen quickly, and it could be the case that what is now the disabled community of the region used to be just the community of ABC City before river blindness became a problem.

If someone became (or was born) disabled, and there was One Place around you where this person could receive care, they would visit there sooner or later. Assuming this happens often enough, a community will form.

For accessibility, it really depends on the type of community it is. If it's supposed to be extremely diverse, you will have a ton of things to consider - wheelchair users, little people, blind people, Deaf people, autistic people, intellectually disabled people, people who require 24/7 care... It will be a lot to think about.

If it's a community where everyone (or the big majority) has similar needs, then there's a high chance that only their needs would be considered. Disabled people, like most people, think of themselves first - if the community is, for example, primarily autistic, they might not consider the needs of DeafBlind people much or at all. That's what happens in real life, unfortunately. In a scenario where a person tries to join that community and finds it inaccessible, a second, different community would form. And it could go on like this for more or less forever.

Would it just be social, or would it do activism?

Both, probably. Communities start as social, but over time, as they grow, activism is needed. The focus changes as the community "matures". But they will always be parts that are purely social, and parts that are ready to fight for their rights by any means necessary. It's just the ratio of these two that shifts.

I hope this helps,

mod Sasza

[lostintawantinsuyu]

November 27, 12:12 PM

I don’t know what came over me, but curiosity got the better of caution. I’ve crept closer to the city below—still keeping a safe distance—and found a spot behind a large boulder overlooking what looks like a bustling marketplace.

From here, I can see the people. They’re dressed in colorful woven fabrics, their patterns intricate and vibrant. Some carry baskets on their backs; others are arranging clay pots and what look like corn and potatoes on blankets. Children dart between the stalls, laughing, while older men and women speak in tones I can’t understand. There’s a rhythm to their movements, a harmony that feels ancient and unshakable.

I can also see a large stone structure dominating the plaza—maybe a temple? There’s smoke rising from its peak, and I think I heard a deep, resonating hum earlier, like chanting. I can’t shake the feeling that whatever they’re doing is sacred. I don’t belong here.

But I can’t leave yet. Not without learning more.

For now, I’ve sketched what I can see (messy, I know—I’m shaking). I’ll stay hidden and watch a little longer. I need to figure out if it’s safe to approach—or if they’ll see me as some kind of intruder. My biggest fear? They won’t understand my language… or worse, they will.

I’ll decide what to do next once I feel less like a deer caught in headlights.

[See attached sketch.]

[daisywords]

So annoying when people try to hold alternate-world fantasy to "historical accuracy" standards like. if I wanted historical accuracy I simply would have read/written historical fiction.

The only thing that should matter is if the alt world feels internally consistent/believable. Not "oh but back then" THERE IS NO BACK THEN. IT'S NOT REAL

and just because some aspects of the world (fashion, systems of government, levels of technology) feel consistent with a particular time period in our history doesn't mean that the author is obligated to stick to all other characteristics of that time period. The POINT of alt-world fantasy is to create a world in which the story they want to tell can work, and that's the metric I'm holding things to

[wylanzahn]

New-ish post, kinda posting this on different platforms and getting a general vibe check for some ideas I have. But basically this Halloween I want to actually do something for the TTRPG and Actualplay world (oh yeah I’m into those kinds of things). I want to try and get both players, GMs, and casual viewers alike something fun to look forward to this especially spooky season. I’ll probably talk a little more when we get closer to the actual season of scare-giving but just know that if you’re interested I’m still looking for people to join in!!

As my team and I’d first debut we’re going to try and do a two to four session actual play, which will probably be released in the weeks leading up to Halloween. We’ve had a couple good friend way in on the matter of “setting” but now I come to you fine folk. Mind you this is a horror campaign/arc so if…

Isn’t your thing, keep on a moving.

But without further ado here are a couple of the possible settings for our players, and myself, this coming espookee season…

1.) Somewhere off the coast of Florida, 1926 end of the first major housing boom in the state, a small island which calls back to the Spanish Empire, is Isla Boñyela, a small port made tourist location during the boom of disposable wealth in 1920s America. A small group of friends from the northeast tag along down for the perfect paradise vacation. Only to discover the island is much much older than anyone could have ever assumed. Whilst dealing with upstart gangsters, unnerving US soldiers, and the terrified locals they find something older than even undead conquistadors.

While I don’t have a working title, this is an old project in the running which I’ve had a few attempts at revamping over time. Its previous title was “perfect paradise vacation,” and runs on the Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition game. Anywho it’s a blast of fun with Caribbean lore, tone of anti-imperialism, and something dark lurking beneath the waves.

2.) 1950’s America, the nonexistent state of Mid-Atlantia (DMV coded) in a small suburban neighborhood where nothing goes wrong… it’s almost “All-Hallows-Eve” and little Johnny and Susie want nothing more than to trick or treat this year with all the big kids, Dad’s finally getting the big promotion at work, and Mom just got a new waffle iron! Sure everything is neat here in America. Heck you just got new neighbors! Newlyweds in fact from somewhere big and fancy, they sure aren’t like any of us in our simple town. But… and you can’t say exactly why but things are different. Or perhaps they’re all too the same? Everyday a repeat of ever other bland day that followed you over and over and over and over… and you could swear, while no one may listen to you there’s someone out there. Stalking you from outside your own home- or- perhaps, he’s just your friendly new neighbor welcoming you… to the end.

Ahhhhhh! I’ve also been working on this one for a sec and god writing it out does excite me. This is also a Call of Cthulhu game but modified/homebrewed to have a uniquely 1950s horror feel. This is definitely one of the more unique games I’ve written and am truly interested in seeing where it goes (even if we don’t choose it). This is for those who feel like isolation, fear of the unknown, fear from within, and liminal space horror comes best into play! So whadya say neighbor?

3.) The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend, or How I Learned to Love Strahd, okay so this one is a lot less horror-y and falls much more under the comedic spooky category, just so yall know. Deep in the middle of Barovia, the ancient kingdom of Vampires, meets a council of Count Strahd von Zarovich's greatest commanders and lieutenants to hunt down Strahd's greatest enemy Rudolph van Richten and his party of heroes known as "The Grape-Smashers." Strahd's lieutenants have been gifted powers greater than any mere mortals, but are these gifts enough to stop Van Richten, or even enough to stop the personal ambitions of each other? Come find out in "How I Learned to Love Strahd."

Okay, as much as this may seem like a joke suggestion it cracks me up and I feel like it would be ill-advised of me to not at least mention it. In an era where "The Curse of Strahd," is well-overdone at this point, it's worth a take from an all evil "revenge story." Obviously this will be in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition, which, in my opinion, is really hard to use for horror, but this is a nice go-around. Come for the evil PCs, maybe a PvP battle or two, and a game of intrigue in the shadows of Barovia! All that and a buff Van Richten.

4.) Before Annapolis was ever called such it was known as Providence, a settlement of exiled Puritans in the Province of Maryland, but these early days were no easy set-up for the far-flung protestants... in the mid 1600s the English Civil War spilled out into their holdings across the waves as brother turned on brother, clan erasing clan, and something from the shores of the Old World would arrive in the New. When around every corner could be someone you've known your whole life, what's stopping them from hunting you in the depths of winter. All matters made worse when rumors of a witch begins circulating your small home.

Think "The VVitch" (2015) meets "A Field in England" (2013) meets Atun Shei's recent film "The Sudsbury Devil" (2023). It is the unexplored wilderness of early colonial Maryland, but the hateful warmongering that slowly builds that makes the horror and tension so clear. Unsure of what system we'll be using, but maybe the new Regency Cthulhu system.

5.) The Great Baltimore Fire of 1904 destroyed some 140 Acres of Baltimore proper... and in it's rubble awakened something far worse. But you and your fellow survivors are just trying to get by in the aftermath of the fire... only for something to call out, whether some strange magicks or perhaps just a sickness... but sickness doesn't even linger like this... it doesn't call to you...

Some more local history, aspiring from the actual Fire of 1904 things quickly devolve from there as rumors of a cult begin to spread along the streets of Rosland Park... a mysterious illness leaving even more dead... and the death of an eclectic professor. Definitely using the Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition for this one.

Aaaaaaaand that's it! Let me know what y'all think!

[mist-the-wannabe-linguist]

Two methods of measuring a dragon's airspeed used in the beginning of the 19th century. The first is a traditional parachute on a knotted string not dissimilar to a chip log used by sailors on ships. The second is a modern "Pitot device" which uses dynamic air pressure to determine airspeed