#World Building - Culture

[herdsworldbuilding]

City Grime.

so world building a city.

It’s a complicated subject, involving things of how the city came to be, who made it and why? Where is it located and why is it located there? A city trends to thrive on trade or defense. Where dose the city get it’s food and water and where dose it’s waste go? Who holds the power, who are its people? what shapes it’s streets? Is it planed down or did it grow naturally over time? These are all good things to ask about world building a city… but that’s not what this is about.

I’m here to ask about some small scale things you can ask yourself about these cites. 

Specifically about Graffiti

- what is graffiti in the city like?  cities have a lot of graffiti, sometimes its small, sometimes its rare, in some places graffiti mainly takes the form of writing. in other places in the form of drawings.

Is graffiti big and bold or is it small and intimate? Is it both? Is it generally found out in the air or indoors? Graffiti out in allies and on walls vs the small stuff you find in bathroom stalls, school desks and on benches.

what sort of writing is favored? is it short phrases, “like Gorgeio was here.”  is it Tags (small words or names written on objects to claim something in some sort of competition, used by individuals or groups, to show territory or just to show off by getting them in the oddest places.) or perhaps graffiti is away to spread news about something, a bit like how graffiti in Pompeii was used. is grafiety used as markers and cyphers for people in the know?

Do people use graffiti to communicate in an indirect manner?

Think phone numbers written on toilet doors.

Is graffiti used as a more direct form of communication? Such as hobo signs that where used to tell eachother where it was safe to rest, or perhaps thieves guilds to quietly signal to eachother where a target or safe house is. Or perhaps it’s used by magic users for instructions or tests or pointing out the local supernatural hot spot. or wandering cultures telling eachother stories and warnings about the city they are passing through or even as sighn posts that only they can read. Like trail trees.

street art.

stickers, posters, and flyers.

Sometimes more physical things like a wall of gum, flags, shoes hung up places, necklaces strung up high where no one can easily reach them or locks chained to bridges.

I have even heard of small constructions; like fairy or mouse doors and little statues glued to trash cans or in cracks in the wall.

It can be a drawing and paintings or even something more physical like scraps of cloth tide to poles, yarn woven around trees or stickers slapped onto trashcans and signs.

In one place I have lived most graffiti is in the form of spray painted tags on everything and stickers. While in another place tags are rare as the buildings are painted with murals and art and trees with knitting tied around the branches. In another place most of the buildings where wood so graffiti was carved into it.

What kind of things are often drawn? What imagery do people use?

Graffiti will look different depending on what era of history it is, but it will still be around. It might be smaller in earlier time periods.

Is all the graffiti in this city you are building visual? Perhaps some of it is auditory, like wind chimes in a park, or poles carved to whistle as the wind blows through it, or perhaps it invokes a sense of smell or touch? Is the graffiti only able to be sensed or seen by the magical?

-what dose your city smell like? Do different districts in the city have different smells?

-what dose your city sound like? Is it mostly quiet humming of conversation and rustling of leaves, is it car horns and loud construction, is it water lapping on brigades and electricity buzzing through wires. Is it street musicians and local bird? Are some areas of the city different in sound pollution and how dose that contribute to graffiti?

Dose a certain kind of graffiti have a certain kind of well known meaning? Like initials carved into a tree surrounded by a heart, meaning romantic or sensual love.

- is there a code of conduct for graffiti? 

note that I am far from an expert in graffiti, I know like shiltz about it. im simply going off my observations.

I know that there is a loose hierarchy of tags.

If you can’t outdo it don’t tag over it, and if it is a memorial then do not tag over it. These guidelines are not enforced in the same way everywhere, but breaking them will get the other people that tag to come after your tags with a vengeance.

Or at least that’s what I have heard…

Another guideline that might exist is what can and cannot be tagged.

Street signs, utility walls, underpasses, abandoned buildings, train cars are free game.

While things like windows, cars and residential homes are often off limits (though I have seen plenty of exceptions to this too)

Trees and natural rocks seem to me a hit of miss on if they are in limits or off limits. - how dose the city deal with graffiti? 

Do they paint over it? Wash it away? Leave it to be.

Is it the city or private residents who deal with it? Dose the city even think it worth dealing with or do they let it alone?

Are there certain things that get graffiti more than other thing? Such as benches, utility boxes, lampposts, under bridges or one specific wall.

Dose the city do something to prevent this graffiti such as have anti graffiti seats in tram and rail carts.

If a city doesn’t have graffiti why is that? Are punishments so harsh that no one dares or are things allowed elsewhere so no one bothers or is it covered up as soon as it’s thrown up?

Dose the city install public works of art? And if so for what purpose? Public art is usually political in some form or another, be it from a statue to commemorate some historical event or another statue to be an ego bust to a certain people in political power or as a pice to try appease one group or another. It can also be used to hide things that the city dose not want it’s citizens paying attention too. Either in a benign way such as hiding vents or utility wires from view or more malicious things like Anti-vagrancy architecture hidden as “art”.

Dose the city encourage certain kinds of graffiti in certain places. Think street art vs graffiti Tags. Or the before mention news walls in Pompeii.

Is some graffiti seen as vulgar while other kinds of graffiti are tolerable or even encouraged?

What is the legal punishment for graffiti, if any?

Is some graffiti seasonal? Such as graffiti that occurs during certain festivals. For example beads caught in things after Mardi Gras or toilet paper during Halloween.

Do cities see vandalism in the same light as graffiti or are they viewed in a different way?

Is morality ascribed to graffiti? Is it seen as a symbol the degradation of civilization or is it just an active that is seen as fun? Is it something in between?

- how dose the graffiti interact with the citizens?

Is graffiti used in political messaging? Who in your world or city tends to use it that way?

Dose graffiti contain hate speech? Are there other groups who go around covering up the other groups messaging?

What groups tend to make what certain graffiti and who is the other group that tries to cover it up? Is it a gang? A secret society? A political activist group? A cult? Or just a group of petty artist trying to one up each-other?

Dose advertisement interact with graffiti? In example posters that advertise an event or painted art and words on a cross walk advertising a local concert.

Do people steal posters or graffiti when they can? Are there collectors of graffiti or is it seen as only something vulgar?

For example Alphonse mucha the most recognizable artist in the art nouveau movement did a lot of work in advertising. The main form his advertisement took was posters. I have heard that these posters where stollen at such a high rate it was difficult to actually get the advertisement out… though that may have been for an other artist. I also know some people who steal advertisement posters.

Are there any famous graffiti artists or is it an anonymous work for fear of harsh legal action.

How much attention do the average person walking the street notice the graffiti or pay attention too it?

Is there a specific pice or tag that everyone in the city knows about or is especially well known for one reason or another. Like wings painted on a city wall.

Is there a certain graffiti that is found in multiple cities or even travels to multiple countries.

In example; Kilroy was here, a small pice of ww2 graffiti that is still making its was across the world.

(I will not be confirming or denying if I have added to the collections of world wide Kilroys)

Is there graffiti that a person from one city in your setting wouldn’t recognize as graffiti if they traveled to another city?

Are there certain areas of the city that has more graffiti than others? Is there a city district know for its murals or a famous ally or street. Or something seen as a curiosity like the island of dolls in Mexico City.

Is there a certain group of people in your world known for a specific type of graffiti? If so why do they make this graffiti?

Is there religious graffiti? Either invoking or dameing one group or another?

Is religious motifs used in graffiti?

Is there graffiti involving superstitions?

For example (blue) bottles hung up in order to trap spirits, copper coins wedged into wood to ward against good luck. Pices of paper tacked to walls or posts with the wishes of the citizens.

What about public memorials? Do people make small plaques or remembrance? Do people create make-shift shrines? Have candle lit vigils? Or paint a mural? Do different communities in the city grive different ways?

How do the different cultures of your world, especially those living in any given city influences the kinds of graffiti found there? Do the patterns and styles of art change depending on what culture is more dominant in any given area of the city?

What kind of vibe dose the cities graffiti give? Is it chill and relaxed? Is it rebellious and provocative? Is it artistic and hopefully? Is it desperate and territorial? Hostile and hateful? Helpful and fun? Dose the over all vide of the graffiti change from one city district to another or is the city rather harmonious in its cloterr?

After all a sticker for a favored sports team slapped on a sighn post has a very different vibe from a sigh post littered with bullet holes.

-is there magical graffiti?

If you have a magic system, would people use it to make graffiti? Would there be something unique about graffiti made using the magic system?

Is there enchanted graffiti that changes and moves? Graffiti that looks different for everyone who sees it? Paintings of laughing women, chalk fish that swim on sidewalks or tags that translate themselves into many languages?

Can graffiti be organic in nature? Living pods and biological bits used as gag inducing decoration or bones hung up carved in runes? Sculpture made of feathers and fur.

Are magic users used to get rid of graffiti? Or are they the ones who make the most graffiti?

Is it used as protective wards? As a way to put a curse on someone?

And so much more!

As I mentioned I am no expert in graffiti, I don’t even know a lot about it.

But I hope I could at least make you consider about thinking of the very small details of your world, the slight and insignificant.

[amaiguri]

Telethenian Cultural Artifacts

The food art is new! Ahhhhhh! I'm so pleased with the vibes of the food these days <3

The pages of my World Guide 2024 Edition are almostttttt done... I DID ultimately still have to make some compromises about what is going into the actual pages but maybe I'll earn a "full version" when the game is out and done someday🥺🥺🥺

[courtingwonder]

Illustrated Comparison of Asian Architecture and Roof Styles

[merlyn-bane]

okay but can we talk about how fucking good the food would be in the Jedi Temple?? and all of the absolutely fucking baller and totally unique fusion dishes that would have to exist?? they're by far the most diverse group of beings we see in star wars, with lineages made up of people from all across the galaxy. the best food in that galaxy has got to be something from a lineage dinner table that's been made and modified by generations of Jedi and no-one ever wrote down

[demeterdefence]

even ignoring everything else wrong with lore olympus (which in itself feels impossible) there is just something really egregious and insulting at the way a "modern retelling" over an ancient greek myth just full-heartedly whitewashes the entire culture and mythos.

and it's not like rachel is the first to do it - greek myths and legends have been whitewashed for centuries, depictions of the gods have been categorically stripped of their ethnicity and origins long before rachel got a hold of them. it's the fact that rachel goes out of her way to insult the original myths whenever she can, that she emphasizes and pushes a western-centric mindset and viewpoint over and over and over and not only reinforces the whitewashing, but continues it down the line.

like, this is the first episode.

rachel goes out of her way to mock the original styles and wardrobes of the ancient greek world, and i get her attempt was to make persephone feel "out of place" with the more "modern" clothing that the other gods wear, but it really just does more to a) demonize demeter, who is almost always in traditional clothing, b) sexualize persephone.

go even broader with it, move away from the clothing itself, and rachel doesn't even bother to use any of the ancient traditions that are core to the myths. like for the love of god, she uses a christian wedding for persephone and hades!

greece is the birthplace of modern democracy and had a powerful judicial system, and rachel instead uses the modern / western iteration of court because ... why not

(completely unrelated but the inserts of everyone except eros and aphrodite come from the stupid zoom session zeus had back when he first charged persephone with treason, meaning we have proof yet again that rachel isn't drawing the characters into the scene, she's making pngs and sticking them into pre-arranged backgrounds downloaded from stock images)

and there are ten thousand more examples i could pull, because this is just the whole entire comic. you can look at a lot of modern adaptions and see where things have been modernized respectfully, and where they are done with disdain for the source material - no one is claiming percy jackson, for example, is perfect, but the author took a great deal of care in his research, and the love for the original myths and culture shine through. lore olympus has zero respect for the original stories, exemplified in how rachel demonizes demeter - the actual crux of the myth. it's bad writing and bad research and further attempts to whitewash a rich and storied culture that had people from so many walks of life, who existed in full spectrum of lgbt identity, who did not conform or even know of the world that exists today. you can modernize without erasing it, and rachel's refusal to do so is one of the many issues tacked to lore olympus.

[heilos]

I have come to the annoying conclusion that many search engines are becoming super useless in trying to track down historical research without bending over backwards for answers. The amount of garbage that shows up in the results is so incredibly aggravating and has nothing to do with my search terms or questions. I cannot in fact "just use X search engines" apparently.

[emaadsidiki]

Tiergarten Park via Reichstag Dome ˖𓂅✼

[aviatrix-ash]

Still making that digital copy of the complete allspark almanac

Thought I'd do like a mass post with all the Cybertronian tech, lifestyle & culture world building goodies I could find in there.

[canisalbus]

Feel free to ignore this if it doesn't spark your interest but worth a shot. Can I ask what breed of dog Jesus was in your dog world?

I think dog Jesus predates most of today's dog breeds. Realistically he'd probably be some kind of mutt, probably with vaguely Canaan dog looks. But European depictions of Jesus have always been very localized, and I tend to think that in Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque art he'd usually appear as a Spaniel of sorts, although it varies from piece to piece. Gun dogs more often than not.

[mutantamoebas]

Sheep-folk and bells continued

Lambs!

Lambs are highly treasured, as most young are. A new born lambs are wrapped in family cloths, ornate and decorative pieces made from the wool of immediate ancestors. Some family cloths have great variety in color leading to carefully made patterns generation to generation. Others have subtle changes that exhibit and require exquisite attention to detail in order to see the carefully woven additions. Small bells donated from ancestors horns are secured on the cloths.

When two family ends join, the cloths are combined through a series of frogging (undoing the weave or knit of the fabric) and felting (joining the wool together) and the bells adorned to the singular piece.

In the instance of too many bells being generationally collected, a ceremony is held to melt down the bell metals of passed, and a new single bell is made. The excess kept and carried for the future making of beading, jewelry, and, of course, more bells.

As lambs grow large enough to toddle, a large lamb bell is fixed to their tails. Comical in size at first but they grow into it. Clothing for the lambs are made from the parents’ wool to claim the child as theirs physically and olfactorily, so they smell like their Babas :).

Lambs will keep their lamb bells until adulthood, something established by a sheep having reached maturity to grow enough wool to make their own full-coverage cloak.

[weirdlookingsnakewithlegs]

Hello!

I nosedived into the TF fandom recently again and oh boy! Did I kick up some good memories!

I know your blog is mainly about seekers and the elite trine in the G1 continuity; but there’s some cool seeker lore in the TFA continuity as well that you may be interested in. And by “cool”, I mean kinda the transformers version of human experimentation angst.

In a few episodes (and in comics prior), it featured the Jet Twins who were split-sparks. These were originally two “low class” grounders who nearly died while doing their job. The Autobot Elite Guard thought that was a fantastic opportunity to take some of Starscream’s seeker CNA to attempt to code it into their nearly dead grounder bframes, hoping they’d gain flight abilities to help them win the war since no autobot had flight abilities at that time.

Pretty sure it was non-consensual too because the Elite Guard saw them as disposable if it didn’t work yikes.

It did work.

A brilliant artist ddrew an amazing art where as an adult (yeah they were teenagers at the time too), they grew up to be much more seeker like. The artist is pastelpaperplanes: https://www.tumblr.com/pastelpaperplanes/190148811408/we-havent-seen-our-favorite-flier-twins-in-a?source=share and https://www.tumblr.com/pastelpaperplanes/188841825893/consider-jettwins-hitting-a-huge-growthspurt-due?source=share

I was wondering how you think Starscream or the elite trine would react to their adult seeker forms and how they came to be.

I love them so much; am the owner of the ask-the-jettwins blog from years ago (I love their Russian accent!)

I’m relatively new to the TF fandom so I only really know about G1, RID2015 and Prime(because I watched Prime and RID2015 as a kid), I haven’t really looked into TFA yet but boy that looks amazing :D

For starters, seekers are very proud members of the cybertronian race, their flight frames are something to be adored and admired and they are well aware of that. But while seekers may be vain, they also have a very strong sense of family and recognition, their frames are what help them communicate, seek prey/energon, and they’re each very unique.

When you have a bot that was originally a grounder, you have a lot of things that don’t line up, Ie; wing hinges don’t move at full capacity, they don’t have the necessary fire power for proper flight, their internals can’t process the high grade needed to keep their systems CLEAN in order to run properly, ect. Because of this seekers don’t see those bots as seekers, they refer to them as aerial bots. (Or aerial brats in some seekers’ case)

Now that’s not to say seekers are purely against anyone else with wings. They’re closely related to praxins(not to be confused with Praxians), those who hold door wings, and get along well with them. Seekers are just insulted by the audacity that some try to mimic their frames.

That being said, originally I think Starscream and the other seekers would be extremely put off by the twins, the attempt itself would also probably insult Starscream and make him want to throw a tantrum but that’s a completely different story. Buuut considering they have seeker CNA it’s safe to say that Starscream(to him unfortunately) would feel some sort of connection as seekers recognize their creators/sires/sparklings through vocal and em field components.

Of course the jettwins would likely have under developed vocal modules if their wings hadn’t come in, it’s likely their nanites were slowly developing the frame to follow the proper schematics and it took so long because they didn’t consume metals like seekers should. (This also begs the question on wether or not they would have seeker coding, ie sky thirst and the hunting protocols but I’m gonna say they were probably either locked or not there because they were originally grounder frames)

Though as I said before, while a connection would be established to both Starscream and his Trinemates, they wouldn’t understand WHY. These little ground framed brats look nothing like seekers and Starscream wouldn’t stoop so low(he would). He doesn’t care for it! (He does) But Starscream would make an effort to find out why, and once he does oh lordy is he angry. Not at the twins no, but the Autobots.

Of course their frames would be a … gentle topic. Not entirely sure what to make of them or why they feel so uneased by it, though as the twins start to grow in and develop their wings it should be an immediate cause for excitement, after all there hasn’t been new seekers in millions of years. I believe there would be fascination on both ends, not to mention some fussing from Starscream the moment he finds out there’s wings coming in. Skywap would likely be less ready to jump in considering the kids are with the autobots but Thundercracker might be a little more flexible(key word might).

When those adult frames come in that unease turns to camaraderie, they’re no longer seen as something that doesn’t belong, especially if everything develops properly. To be honest, Starscream would probably take it upon himself to teach them HOW to be a seeker.

So tldr; Starscream would probably hate the twins but still feel something for them but as they get older he feels a better connection. His trine and the flock would act with the same unease at first before settling into companionship if the frames developed properly and wholly. If not then they would be treated like aerial bots.

But hey, that’s just fun little take with feral seekers in mind :)

[lactoseintolerentswag]

when they've got interpreting spiderman noir under a specific cultural lens at the function [picture of me going insane]

I cant help myself.. what can i say. And since you've mentioned some research going on behind the scenes.. do you have any fun interpretations? Or even anything fun about the 1800s!

OH HI

Hm. I don't have anything as fun as historical dancing, but I suppose this does give me the excuse (thabk u) to blab about Noir's childishness.

(wow putting this under the cut bc it got longer than I thought it would LMAO)

I think what a lot of people (including Noir's contemporary writers and yes even the spiderverse interpretation) fall for when trying to read Noir's character is the imitation of his idea of what an adult is, that he hides behind. Like Noir's persona is incredibly exaggerated. He's playing pretend. Look here, he's practicing.

A lot of his persona as Noir is imitation! Imitation of his uncle, of Urich, of the violence he's been exposed to. He's running around in his uncle's old uniform. Fundamentally misunderstanding WHY his uncle had been ashamed of it and his role in the war.

And then he goes ahead and steals Urich's alias because it sounds Cool (which is such a teenage thing to do jesus christ).

But like that imitation of The Adult isn't something that's limited to that exaggerated persona that Noir encapsulates. Peter himself is trying So Hard to be grown up and tough and responsible that it loops back around to him being a brat who would try the three guys in a trench coat trick. He even gets beat up for it when trying to defend his aunt. And I mean I've posted about him being a brat.

About how he looks at Urich as a Prime Example of what a strong and knowledgeable adult is (which is part of why he reacts so volatile in response to Urich showing he's not exactly as morally righteous as himself, he's wounded and let down). Whiskey? Whiskey sounds like someone Mature and Cool would drink, I'll have it too. And then proceeds to throw his drink at Osborn and laugh about it. The illusion was broken for me then.

But well it's not broken for everyone. I mean like obviously I poked at the contemporary writers, but I'm more talking about the other characters in the narrative. Mainly Urich and Felicia.

Urich taking Peter under his wing isn't entirely under the motivation to nurture Peter. I think it Becomes that, but he's really envious of that kid. He wants to see him lose that hope that he once had (ruh roh the opposite thing happened, being around the kid made YOU more hopeful Ben. Guess you gotta be good. Hope you don't die now).

Urich really is exposing him to an extremely harsh reality, and taking him places where adults are typically only allowed. He's letting Peter get a glimpse into what it's like, which will eventually enable Noir's tool of violence. All these tests will accumulate into what Peter thinks someone powerful and strong can be and do.

Then his problematic relationship with Felicia (writers I'm malleting you for this). He's clinging to her adulthood and the safety she represents, and he's young but she sees some adult strength in him. I mean she trusts him with the blackmail Urich gave her, which she really. Shouldn't, even if that's what Urich wanted.

Anyway, strength is something she's been consistently drawn to her in her partners. Strength to feel as her own. Even if it's to hers and others' detriment. There's also a part of Peter that's drawn to Felicia because Urich was. He's still honing in the good parts of Urich he wants to be.

I think the one person in the narrative who doesn't fall for it? Is Aunt May. You could argue it's just her being naturally motherly, but for someone who was about to be eaten alive she's pretty frank with Noir. I think she can see that that violence and exaggerated grittiness comes from someone inexperienced and young. Even if she can't consciously recognize the similarities between Noir's persona and Peter's protectiveness of her. I don't think she wants to see that. I actually have a short comic script about that, but it probably will never see the light of day.

Ugh he's like a cat puffing up to scare away a predator. It's fake!!!!! It's all fake!!!!!! He gets intimidated by JJ, he never ties his shoes, gets powers and then immediately guns to beat the shit out of Osborn, sings about the sandman when he's getting his face bashed in, crawls to Felicia all pathetic and sad, and he made a costume to run over roofs at night in.

And it's funny how he's forcing himself to grow up, but also really sad because all the things he's being exposed to is already forcing him to grow up. He's witnessing things no kid should ever see or experience.

Then there's the time period to consider. The aftermath of WWI, being in the midst of the Great Depression, and WWII just around the corner. He's faced incredible hardship and is going to continue to face so much hardship, and he's going to mature faster than he ever should have. It should have made him crash and burn Hard when he became an adult, and to me he still does because I'm ignoring everyone after ewaof LMAO.

As for my research on the 1800s NY that's for my own spider iteration run I'm working on, so not too related to Noir until I reach the 30's :3

Hope that was satisfying!!

[rileys-battlecats]

girl help I started writing down oc thoughts and have started contemplating the logistics of how a city carved into the walls of a ravine would have access to fresh water

[renal03421]

Hepal's Alphabet

for now only Russian transcribed

Hepal language is the main language to use out of 4+ others

This is not a full translation Words cannot be formed directly from a set of letters (Simplified just for us)

[cator99]

out of curiosity, would you consider yourself butch?

used to be a blonde underweight twink and now I'm a based jock still got the chanel bag and the sick albeit matured mind of a suckpig to prove it so I'm gonna let you decide whether you wanna call me that word just cuz I got a pussy and short hair. I promise you that there have been enough advancements made in the art of lesbian sexual dynamics in the past 50 years to broaden the vocabulary used to describe the plethora of types of masculine females.