#worldbuilding Wednesday

[figfull]

A few years ago, I went through a phase where I tried writing dragon nursery rhymes for lore, lol. They’re pretty old, but there are still a few I like.

[tiredspirals]

I'll be collecting lore posts like delicious eggs. I'm hoping to find some goons I could maybe use as cameos for my traveling band of adventurers

It'd be cool, I think, to mention 'legendary figures' or clans that are good pitstops that actually belong to players. I'm especially interested if your clan has bounty/task boards

[autumn-millifae-fr]

Welcome to the Agate Tower

A once-dilapidated tower in the Crystalspine Reaches now stands lush and whole, peacefully overgrown in the wake of its wizard's departure.

Astralla - The Wizard

Astralla was an aether dragon, and a to-be graduate of the local magic academy... That is, until they got kicked out within their second year for eating too many books. In the wake of this expulsion, Astralla sought to strike it out on their own, and prove to their instructors just how wrong they were to do so.

Their desires to become the best wizard in the arcane realm never came to fruition, however, but they would not regret it. Astralla eventually stumbled upon the Agate Tower in its ruined state, and declared themselves the new Wizard within it.

Astralla eventually animated their beloved plush toy, Star, into a familiar with the one (1) spell they learned at magic college. Though they never truly fit in to local society, Astralla made a family of their own in this way, and was never without the company of their many, many familiars animated from the tower's relics and trinkets.

After a long life well-lived, Astralla passed on peacefully hand-in-hand with their dearest Star, and bequeathed to her the mantle of Agate Wizard.

The Seamstress (Star)

Star is a short, stout Obelisk plush that was animated into an intelligent familiar by her owner, Astralla. For centuries, she served as their closest friend and confidant, and was gifted her own sense of will, wit, and intelligence as Astralla's knowledge of magic grew.

Upon Astralla's passing, Star was given the mantle of Agate Wizard, and as such, the tower and its inherent magic would now look to her. She took a shard of Astralla's crystal staff into herself, and sewed it within her chest, so she would never fall inanimate again.

In her grief, Star found comfort in the company of another familiar named Mosaic, and together the two devised a plan to ensure they would never be without their own friends and family. Star eventually shed her own name as her grief proved too much, stating once that she was Astralla's star. Without her wizard, she was nothing.

But it was Mosaic who suggested she take on a title instead, and gave her the moniker of 'Seamstress' once they began working on new familiars sewn together from Astralla's old wardrobe.

Just as her wizard did before her, the Seamstress worked tirelessly to ensure she and Mosaic would not be alone, eventually cobbling together the first few fellow familiars that would become the start of their toy family.

All toy dragons within the Agate Tower were crafted lovingly by the Seamstress' claws. She presides over her tower now as Matron and Wizard, and it is to her that the other familiars look to for guidance. With even more decades under her belt now of living amongst her created family, the Seamstress has found herself wondering if this peace is what Astralla felt before they passed. She has grown content with her life, and in that contentment, the quiet desire for a legacy is close at hand.

Until recently, The Seamstress had found no one worthy nor willing to take up her mantle and keep their family thriving -- that is, until she found a glimmer of her old friend within the eyes of a new apprentice.

Stuffing

In all her years of crafting familiars, the Seamstress tried to avoid creating those with small pink bodies and blue moth's wings, lest they remind her too deeply of Astralla. It's no surprise, then, that as the fabric within the Agate Tower ran out, these colors were all that she was left with. It was not another dragon that requested Stuffing's creation, but a sense of quiet acceptance from the Seamstress herself-- and a bit of encouragement from Mosaic. Together, the two fashioned what remained of their fabric supplies into the only shape they could manage with so little: the form of a tiny aether, bright-eyed and fat-tailed, ready to take on the world.

Perhaps it was fate that this little dragon, made in the image of a grand-creator they would never know, would be the one to take a keen interest in the Seamstress' sewing. They would bring her whatever scraps they could find, badger her with questions about magic, and look on with eyes rounder than the moon at even the shortest story she could tell them about magic.

Stuffing was welcomed wholeheartedly by the Seamstress as her apprentice... And though they do not know it yet: she hopes, eventually, her successor as well.

Mosaic

Mosaic is one of the very few familiars Astralla created with a higher intelligence and a semi-free will of her own. She stands taller than most other familiars in the tower, with massive wings made of stretched canvas, and a body made of intricately folded paper. Unique to her magic, Mosaic can also choose to abandon her paper body in favor of becoming a drawing incarnate, and stride freely across canvases and finished paintings as a two-dimensional figure. To aid this, most of the tower's upper observatory has been draped with canvas sheets and filled with paintings from elsewhere in the tower, allowing Mosaic free roam on the higher levels.

Mosaic is the closest of the familiars to the Seamstress, and the two share a unique bond in their mutual grief over Astralla.

Cottonfluff Desire

One of the first toy familiars crafted by the Seamstress, Cottonfluff (or 'Desire' as he will claim to any who will listen), considers himself to be the darling younger brother of Star. She made him for this purpose, after all, and to this purpose he shall serve-- even if he is a bit over-the-top at times.

Desire gets his self-proclaimed nickname from spending far too many hours reading Astralla's old (half-eaten) romance novels, and pouring over the bits and pieces of chivalry sprinkled between the gnawed pages. He thinks of himself as quite the gentleman, and embodies these lofty ideals to a fault.

Early into his knightly escapades within the tower, Desire begged his elder sister for dashing apparel to match the persona he wanted to build. As a bit of a friendly prank, the Seamstress did indeed provide -- provide a familiar, that is, with a mischievous mind of its own (Rogue Apparel).

(Desire is also loosely inspired by the Winged Lion from Dungeon Meshi :) )

Scraps

Scraps is one of the youngest familiars in the Agate Tower, sewn together from dishcloths found left under the sink. Their 'duty' to the tower is to wriggle their way into nooks and crannies in order to clean them, then wash all that dirt off in a teacup bathtub. Scraps is one of the few familiars sewn by the Seamstress that can safely get wet, on account of their stuffing being made from shredded towel.

Scraps lives in the cupboards, where they've befriended the spice shaker, Nutmeg. They love being wrung out after a long day of cleaning, and especially enjoy hanging in their swing to dry (It feels like flying!)

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The Tower Gardens

Before Astralla took up residence in the Agate Tower, its creator had commissioned a massive, sprawling set of gardens that have since overgrown their boundaries...

Lychen

Lychen is by far the largest familiar Astralla ever animated, formerly a marble statue covered in moss. Because of his size and the amount of magic it takes for him to operate, Lychen typically rests atop his plinth to conserve his energy. He is a kind, slow-to-speak and kind soul, readily offering his masttive figure as shelter for the creatures of the garden.

Queen Myre and King Thicket

A pair of witty Veilspun who may be older than the Agate Tower itself. This mysterious pair claim to rule the overgrown gardens, and are rarely seen by any of Astralla's animated familiars. They are the caretakers of the gardens, and their brood is plentiful- occupying every hollow and clump of weed as tiny, shadowy pixies.

[writeblrfantasy]

it’s reverse worldbuilding Wednesday!! if you’d like, please come into my inbox and tell me about your worlds!! don’t be shy, any sort of worldbuilding is welcome!

[transtundras-fr]

To Know, Water…

Centuries had passed since King Njord and Seer Dynamene returned to their coastal kingdom. Once, they reigned as the first fathoms to be blessed personally by the Tidelord. Appointed as secular rulers to the Eastern Shore of the Thousand Current Sea, they guided their kingdom through the death of the second age and the birth of the third. After stability settled, Njord and Dynamene followed their Fathom instincts. They left in charge King Sefter and Seer Keema, with an oath that held the expectation that Sefter and Keema's descendants would abdicate their throne upon the fathoms' return.

Unfortunately, upon their return, Queen Oystella and Seer Flux made no effort to uphold their promise.

The kingdom is divided. Many argue that since Njord and Dynamene are the founders, they deserve to take charge again. Others remain loyal to Oystella and Flux, believing the elder monarchs too out of touch to successfully lead the kingdom.

Njord was once a levelheaded and patient king, able to talk his way out of most fights. Years sailing distant shores have caused him to grow aloof and unattached, affecting the eons-long marriage between him and Dynamene.

Dynamene never wanted to leave Vaden. She wanted to stay close to the Tidelord and work with him to discern the future. She loved Njord more than her desire to stay, so agreed to leave, expecting only to be gone for a few years at most. The distance from The Tidelord made her lose that prophesying connection, so she devised a new way. By harnessing the power of the moons control of the tide's, she gained her own prophesying powers.

———

My offering for world building Wednesday, my current lore project War of the Waves!

The title of king/queen and seer do not necessarily signify dominance over the other, more so what their job position entails. The King/Queen is often seen as the physical protector, whereas Seers are seen as spiritual protectors. The firstborn of a royal couple will be assigned a role based on where their skills lie.

Njord and Dynamene, having been blessed by Tidelord, are essentially immortal but can physically be killed.

Feel free to send asks abt them :3

[rara-avis-fr]

HO THERE, FRIEND! Are you a swashbuckling young dragon looking for adventure? Or a would-be explorer tired of visiting the same old tourist traps day in and day out? Want to see the sights in places no tour guide will ever point out? Well, why not hitch a ride with CAPTAIN AMELIA AND THE CREW OF THE AIRSHIP HUMMINGBIRD! With years of travelling experience, the captain and her crew will take you on a journey of your wildest dreams, to exotic locales never marked on any map! See the hidden relics of the Southern Icefield, or trek deep into the Tangled Wood! Tour the sunny beaches of the Sea of a Thousand Currents, or brave the fetid pits of the Scarred Wasteland! On the Hummingbird, the world is yours to explore! 150g per dragon per night. Provisions not included.

Flyer seen pinned up across multiple Lanternlea Port taverns, bulletin boards, lampposts, and front doors

[kokuwamon]

for worldbuilding wednesday, if it's not too late... my lair is going through a whole retheme/rewrite at the moment, starting with this guy here, who is so far the only one with a finished profile! this is Denisil, a former miner/laborer in the ashfall waste. he made an enemy of the forgemasters, but didn't have the plan or the community support to back him up. after fleeing to earth, he now leverages his digging expertise in service to an archaeology guild, instead. he's strong and careful, but pays little attention to what he digs up. he definitely won't dig too deep and unearth something that should've never seen the surface. :) https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/3066548

[whichoneofyourdragons]

Hello all! Ahead of this first Worldbuilding Wednesday of The Great Lore Revival, I wanted to remind you that this blog exists! I'm not sure if I'll be posting new questions, but there are quite a few old questions you can go back through and answer.

Happy world building!

[dilsdragons]

for worldbuidling wednesday instead of requesting general asks, i'd like to talk about my gay dirt boy ayers!

he's a scavenger who was giving the power delivery research and development team a lot of trouble but now he provides them with scrap he's scavenged to recycle, and tesla doesn't ask too many questions about where he got it from (because of the influence of early ridgeback settlements i think in the "modern" day shifting expanse there are "don't ask don't tell" laws or practices on the providence of some materials). he is a huge asshole and has been a loner for a long time. he lost his leg after trying to scavenge a huge ass spire on his own and getting trapped under it during a cold night while trying to get it to his base. when he was found, llueve had to amputate it. his scars act up when it'll rain.

he's very close with the android beta.v2, since on discovering the extremely sad living wildclaw automaton being forced to guard the source (thanks to some minor meddling from auggie), he stole him away and took him to tesla's workshop, which alerted her to the fact that her employers plagiarised her work and used it in the one circumstance she explicitly told them not to. it's an open secret where the stolen automaton is, but if they acknowledge its existence they'll admit to having kept it against its will and stolen tesla's work, so they leave it alone. anyway, beta and ayers are really really close, and ayers doesn't like to admit how close he is to beta or how much he like spending time with him, and beta has very little context for what any of this means. but ayers makes him feel like how his roses do. and beta makes ayers look back on his life of being alone and think he looked lonely.

so yeah! that's ayers :]

[marmotish]

OK so the line of dialogue turned into a kind of rushed almost-900-word fic….

Never forgive, never forget

(1991 Lockdown of Azkaban)

It took a moment to recognise the prisoner hunched by the hurriedly-closed door. It wasn’t until the woman raised her head - sunken eyes glaring from beneath matted dirty red hair - that Freyja realised who it was. Gone was the proud and arrogant Professor Rakepick, here now was merely a vengeful shell of what that woman had once been.

“Well well well…” a ghost of Rakepick’s old sneer flickered across worn features. “If it isn’t the source of all my problems.”

She began circling the room, eyes locked on her former student - no, her former pawn. Here now, wandless - just like her. And best of all, the scales were definitely tipped in her favour. Her skill and speed in wandless magic far exceeded that of Freyja’s. At that, she straightened her posture slightly, in some semblance of her old stance.

Freyja swallowed hard but remained silent, slowly moving around the interrogation room’s perimeter, maintaining the distance between them. Her heart was beating so hard she swore it could be heard across the room.

“Now I know why I’m hiding in here…” Rakepick began, narrowing her eyes in what looked like amusement . “But why are you? I thought you’d be out there getting yourself into another mess you can’t handle…”

Mad-Eye locked me in here. Getting a student killed or even hurt under his watch wouldn’t be great for his career. He’s mad, not stupid.

Rakepick flexed her fingers. “By the way, I never got the chance to thank you for sending me to this hellhole.”

Freyja managed to push past the lump in her throat and finally spoke. “I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

“Oh no?” That old sneer again. “Did you ask the authorities to exercise a little leniency? Let me off with a slap on the wrist?”

“No. I just hoped you’d die in the Sunken Vault.”

Rakepick let out a harsh bark of laughter. “Small mercy that would have been! If I had stayed down there, I would have been swept into Death’s merciful embrace in a matter of days! Days!” She moved a little closer now, her voice dropping to a hiss. “But now, because you had to tell the Professors where you left me, I get to relive my worst memories day after day after week after month, and there’s NO end in sight, you know why?? Because they don’t want you to die here! Oh no! They keep you alive, just strong enough to keep the jailers satisfied! JUST ENOUGH FOOD AND WATER TO MAKE SURE YOU CAN KEEP ON SUPPLYING THOSE FUCKING DEMENTORS WITH ANYTHING RESEMBLING A POSITIVE EMOTION UNTIL YOU’RE DRAINED OF EVERYTHING THAT MAKES YOU A HUMAN BEING!!!”

Freyja was sliding her hand on the wall behind her trying to find the hidden panic panel, trying her best to keep her breathing calm. “Well that makes me feel a little better then. I’d hate to think a traitorous bitch like you got off easy.”

“You should be begging for my forgiveness, you selfish little shit.” Rakepick moved within a few feet of Freyja now, positively snarling at this point. “Whatever wrongs you think I’ve done, I’ve paid for at least a hundred times over. This never-ending sea of torment you’ve doomed me to is more than any human is meant to endure, and damned if you think I’m going to stay here - ”

“Then leave. I’m not stopping you.”

“Oh don’t worry.” Rakepick curled her lip into a mirthless smile. “I fully intend on escaping from this place. And you’re going to help me.”

“You’re even more insane than I thought if you think I’d willingly help you.”

“I wasn’t thinking anything so voluntary.”

Feeling the slightly warmer panel underneath her hand, Freyja pushed down. It didn’t budge. Freyja stubbornly kept her gaze locked onto Rakepick’s crazed, glazed over eyes. The woman was angry and desperate, which made her all the more dangerous. “A hostage? Dementors won’t give a shit about a hostage’s safety if it’s in the way of getting a prisoner back.”

“Actually I was thinking less of a hostage and more… a distraction.”

The panic panel still wasn’t depressing into the wall. Come on, come on! Fuck! Freyja frowned in exertion, hoping it would be mistaken for wondering how Rakepick intended to use her as a distraction. “I don’t get it.”

“Of course you don’t. But I’ll tell you - those soul-suckers out there are starved. They’ve only been able to feed off whatever remnants of humanity are left in this cesspit of human souls, but you - ” Rakepick stared intently at Freyja. “You are fresh from the outside. You’ve still got plenty of good thoughts and memories in that little head of yours. A veritable feast for any Dementor in here. Think of yourself as my own little living Patronus, Miss Young.”

“I’d much rather think of you rotting in here for the rest of your life.” Freyja said through gritted teeth, thinking finally she may be feeling the panic panel start to budge.

“Save your happy thoughts for the Dementors, sweetheart.” Rakepick moved forward , creating an even more uncomfortable closeness. The acrid smell of body odour wafted up Freyja’s nostrils. “You better hope there’s enough to satisfy the Dementors before you’re left with nothing but your own worst memories. And well, if that happens…. at least it’ll make me happy.”

[figfull]

Gene origin headcanon-Brightshine/Sparkle

The original brightshine wasn’t a heritable gene. It was a gift the Lightweaver herself, bestowed on her most favorite and loyal children. These “brightmarked” were deeply respected and often given special privileges throughout the Flight.

However, it didn’t take too long for scroll artists to make imitations, some ranging from a weak sparkle to a nearly perfect copies of the brightmark. (In fact, one scroll maker flooded the market with them at a loss, purely to spite the elite.)

There was already some debate around “scrolled” vs “true” appearances, and whether using scrolls was cheating fate or dishonest etc, but the idea that any dragon with enough treasure could masquerade as a god’s chosen really set the debate into overdrive.

Scrolling fell out of fashion for a while, or at least, dragons claimed not to use them, but brightshine/sparkle had already circulated far and wide.

[tiredspirals]

Passing from shadow territory to arcane was not an easy journey.

Nestled between the two god's domains was the land of plague. The Scarred Wasteland and it's pestulant heart that beats kn the middle was not a place for the weak, it's denizens reveling in strength gained through strife. Disease and death was celebrated, at least in the sense that it uplifted those who survived the trials Plaguebringer inflicted on the land.

On the bright side, the skies had a consistent weather. Dry and warm, with no storms to contend with.

On the downside, being skybound did not save you from the constant wars that further scarred the wasteland. Beast on beast, dragon on dragon, leaving the sanctuary of a clan meant placing yourself on the forefront of an all out war. It truly was survival of the fittest, where wings of monstrous beings could easily blot out the sky as they descended on you. Indeed, brigands hungry for resources and plague ridden avians were constant threats to skyfairing ships.

Stars Aligned was by no means a fragile ship. She was sturdy, perhaps ready for war in another life, outfitted with a hard metal shell and a steel cage around her air balloons. Wing shredder ballistas lined the sides, ready for use against those who dared enter a dog fight with her. The weakness, Though, is her heavy set made her slower than lighter ships and slower yet compared to rogue dragons. She must be prepared.

The Sanctum of the Outcasts was the only stop for weeks around, and was one Rataskorn was fond of. In her days running wild with mirror packs, she could remember nipping at the heels of it's defenders when she was a spry pup, and recalled it's location well. Most would discredit the mirror's intelligence, but her memory was unmatched: she stood on the balcony of the ship, excitedly pointing every which way as she recalled even the smallest details of her life in the abiding boneyard.

So much fighting. So much blood. Good times.

The great airship touched down not far from the Sanctum, finding no trouble for parking in the endless space that stretched around it. Rataskorn bounded off, the voices of her peers making their to-do lists sounding like distant static to her. Her mind was long set. She knows what she must do!

She must find a suitable gift of the wastes for her beloved mate! This is more important than life itself. Yes, Hraes loved her sparklies and shinies. Shadow dragons enjoyed trinkets and curios, like the strange black birds that pecked at bodies. Yes, just like them! Like a strange black bird…

With dreams of Hraes wearing raven's wings, the mirror sped off across the arid land, the faraway cry of someone telling her to wait falling on deaf ears. Merchants of the Bazaar beware: a bull was coming for your glass shops.

[spongyspingy-rising]

:thonk: i've been out of it for a bit for various reasons, but what do people feel about maybe another WBW this wednesday?

[kc-rising]

what's Rotgut's cafe like? How long has he been running it for?

The Rotgut cafe mostly caters to the LGBTQ+ community (though everyone is welcome) it's a well-known gathering spot and safe space that sees travelers from all over Sornieth. Despite its name and its owner's battle-hardened appearance, its actually quite a cozy spot that encourages visitors the rest and relax for however long they need with comfortable chairs and pillows, calm music, and good food. Its one of those places you walk into and immediately feel welcome.

Rotgut himself is an elder asexual. He's been running the cafe for about 20 years, and before that he was a soldier. He regularly takes in younger queer folk with nowhere else to go, gives them a place to stay and steady work until they can get back up on their feet and are ready to move on. He keeps in contact with all of them and loves when they come to visit. He affectionately refers to them all as his kids.

[thetruearchmagos]

Worldbuilding Wednesday

Hey folks, Arch here with your week's Prompt!

Tell us about an unsung and little known profession or activity in a society of your Setting which nonetheless is vital for their way of life! What does it entail? How long has it been around? What kinds of people do it, and what would happen if they stopped?

Tagging @athenswrites @theprissythumbelina @caxycreations @thatndginger @nerdexer @avrablake @coffeewritesfiction and anyone who'd like to partake!

[rara-avis-fr]

Though its golden age ended long ago, Apotelesmatis was once one of the biggest necromantic cults on Sornieth. In a fragile new age of modern dragons establishing their cultures and identities, Apotelesmatis was at the forefront of the still-young art of necromancy, and many of the techniques pioneered by the mysterious Lord of Little Deaths have since become common practice. While the home base of the cult was in the Starfall Isles, and boasted the highest population, Apotelesmatis' wings stretched far wider in those days. Small clans of Apotelesmatis necromancers were scattered in nearly every Flight, recruiting and spreading the word of their Lord. The decisive battle that ended the cult's reign was only the finale to a long war, one that the Children of the Blood-Mark and the Gaoler Orders had been waging against these smaller branches for years. Apotelesmatis' memory lingered for hundreds of years, but in those early days, repositories of knowledge were scarce, and time erased many facts about this once-powerful force. In our modern day, information about the cult is rare and treasured. Much of what we know about it now is based on the work of archaeologists and historians piecing together the few artifacts left over from that ancient age. In fact, knowledge about Apotelesmatis is so thin on the ground that the location of its home base is still completely lost to time…

Excerpt from Seeking Eternity: A History of Necromancy on Sornieth