Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.. Visit Stack Exchange Give this a share if you liked it, and let me know in the comments if you have any feedback. Or perhaps lightheartedness and, in formal contexts, an inappropriate lack of seriousness? I have created several locations within a couple of stories that have very Ancient Egyptian and Arabian style of architecture; hence, my question. Exotic dessert people with belly dancers. Geology. Its almost single-handedly played the biggest part in shaping our evolution as a species. Another trick is just to look at the tropes of the stereotypical "exotic desert people" and put a new twist on a few them. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Consider them not being an oasis city in the middle of an uninhabitable desert where the women are always dressed like belly dancers. -Coastal Desert How do the working class communicate with the upper and lower classes? In a hot desert this can include projections of the sky onto the ground that appear as water, a Mirage Oasis. Pantheism is an interesting concept. What are some tools or methods I can purchase to trace a water leak? That's the thing, my world isn't presented from anyone's perspective (potential characters can come from any culture, including the desert one), therefore I want to make it an actual functioning culturr, not just an orientalist theme park. [Settlements, Omens, Overlooks, Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds], Monsoon Desert features seasonally reversing wind and rain patterns from temperature variations between continents and oceans; the inland areas receive little of the monsoons precipitation. For others, its a source of awe and fear. ), but you do need to consider how your people communicate with one another. In their culture, blocking the corridors would be met by brutal punishments because water is considered more precious than gold given their environment. (if they have one, see Politics). For some people, its a convenience. Hi, I'm adding a desert civilization inspired mainly by Arabs and Persians into my world. Terry Pratchett. Second they are merchants. One important thing to keep in mind when worldbuilding is that its easy to get carried away. Opinions expressed on this web site are not necessarily those of SFWA. The two strongest empires are based on Punic north africa and the neo-assyrian empire, respectively. the Western edges of continents), and many other considerations. : a void or confined space presenting scarcity or temptation, desperation and danger. Like many Medium writers, I have a mailing list. Overlooks: sites of magnitude and grandeur, living monuments which can function narratively for finding resolve, invoking spirits, or as a Call to Adventure. We usually think of deserts as barren landscapes, though technically not all deserts are highly arid, and natural deserts, as opposed to overgrazed ones, have high biodiversity in fact. The US president blackmails the prime minister to allow the cia Japanese civilians. Click here to view our privacy policy. Settlements, Omens, Overlooks, Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds, a sand dune which forms around vegetation. The overall perinatal mortality rate was 232%, the A Worldbuilding Guide to Crafting Diverse Cultures by Amelia Wiens One of the best parts of science fiction and fantasy is the worldbuilding. Dimitri Halkidis 89 Followers : sensational, temporal, or particularly pointed features that offer narrative functions of forshadowing, and good or evil portents. -Parabolic / Blowout Dune Do EMC test houses typically accept copper foil in EUT? Many political, technological, scientific, and cultural advancements and decisions are made based on what was experienced in the past. We usually think of deserts as barren landscapes. [Settlements, Omens, Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds], Decomposition Chimney / Devils Stovepipe a hole formed when a sand dune buries a tree and the bark remains even after the tree core has rotten away, leaving a cylindrical void within the sand. There are also other factors like if there is giant fauna in these deserts maybe these people hunt them and then use the bones as tent poles or something, basically they would use every bit of the things they killed. Related to Hamada. Welcome back, Outlander, to the 6th entry in Mythic Ecology, my series on how learning real-world landscape features can enrich our fantasy worldbuilding and storytelling. -Sandhill Biggest is that in any extreme environment, be extreme heat, cold, or lack of water (or all three for a desert) will heavily influence a culture as the adapt to it. For me, I love the idea of creating new races, religions, places, cultures, and people. Changing the biomes a bit is deffinitely something I'm planning to do. -Coppice Dune / Dune Hummock / Nabkha / Knob Dune / Rebdou / Takouit A realm of extremes, invoking the supposed primitive past, or the desolate future. According to one definition, a culture represents the beliefs and practices of a group, while society represents the people who share those beliefs and practices. Thanks for your support! Our absolute odor neutrality is created by our deodorants, antiperspirants, perfumes, colognes, shampoos, and body washes which we apply religiously utilizing water piped in from dozens, or even hundreds of miles away. Can subvert tropes with Alternative Solutions. worldbuilding desert cultures. are totally different. A key part of creating interesting worlds is creating diverse cultures that vary in some way from our own norms. Resistance is . a sand ridge perpendicular to wind direction, often with a steep face. In The Anatomy of Story (2007), John Truby identifies the Desert as a narrative symbol of scarcity, of death and dying, of isolation, of will. What do your people think happens after death? Theyre meant to be food for thought, so dont feel pressure to dive deep into every question. The material on this website is copyrighted and may not be used without the author's consent. 6. It influences how people act, what they believe, how everything and everyone is ordered, societal hierarchies, and so much more. (Eg. What mount would work best in a desert setting as a cavalry animal? Are there any patterns among Desert peoples religiously or otherwise culturally? What does your nation/country/empire/kingdom call itself? Reality is more complex than strict binaries, but it can be a useful framework to start with. These dwarves shave. What do they look like? Nothing specific for you sadly but i just finished a section of my world map that is desert so I have some thoughts kicking around. Some prompts to get those creative juices flowing: Im a UX Writer for a large Australian corporation. Battlegrounds: sites fit for epic, sprawling encounters and climax conflicts. What about a Democratic system based on Ancient Greece, but make the ruling class women instead of men? In this post I return to my minimalist framework for Dungeon Masters, Game Masters, fiction writers, and similar worldbuilders to merge the realms of general myth and geomorphology. The world is medieval-ish, but it's fantasy so it's not bound to any specific time or place. Discussed in Part 3: Lakes. Discussed in Part 3: Lakes. Awesome read! -Butte Get 25% off a Minecraft server with our friends at Bisect Hosting (use code Stoneworks! Related to Ventifact. [Settlements, Overlooks, Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds], Lunettes / Source-Bordering Dunes / Bourrelets / Clay Dunes fixed crescent-shaped dunes composed of clay, silt, sand, or gypsum eroded from a basin floor or shore, deposited by winds on the convex side of a dune from the concave side. Bottom line being, not having an abundance of water changes the game a lot, and can have some pretty far reaching cultural effects. was 60 years. Those less arid deserts, what we may call the steppe, I will cover in a later entry on plains. All you need is a funny hat and. I watched people, often times my native friends and acquaintances stripped naked squatting in puddles of brown, dirty water vigorously rubbing handfuls of wet sand under their armpits, their feet, and other ahem smelly areas. : transitional journeylands, including magical portals, functioning narratively for initiation and return, thresholds and tests, shortcuts and setbacks. Geography is pretty self explanatory. Welcome back, Outlander, to the 6th entry in. Oases. The following are eight aspects you should nail down at a minimum before you start writing your story. The cia attempts to commit a mass terrorist act on thousands of Japanese mourners. I hope you enjoyed this sixth entry in my, original D&D memes and writing updates daily, . It's a pity it never really caught on. Can subvert tropes with Ruins or Escape. Instead they would hide until it passes. A society living in a lush jungle, however, might refer to a generic tree in many different ways. What do their shrines, temples, monuments look like? The Stone Sky is a 2017 science fantasy novel by American writer N. K. Jemisin.It was awarded the Hugo Award for Best Novel, the Nebula Award for Best Novel, and the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel in 2018. A desert people would concentrate their settlements around water sources, and trade routes (if any) would move between or along the water as well. As a fantasy author, I have become well accustomed to worldbuilding. Water is a scarce commodity in the desert, so if you find some you can't drink that means its bath time. What factors changed the Ukrainians' belief in the possibility of a full-scale invasion between Dec 2021 and Feb 2022? Worldbuilding Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for writers/artists using science, geography and culture to construct imaginary worlds and settings. treatment of traumatic events are similar, but the hygienic customs Write down answers to the cue questions as you make your setting notes. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. I was about to suggest researching Berber cultures, nice to see that someone brought it up already!:). Deciding on an environment and value (s) creates a . Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. [Omens, Overlooks, Abyss, Battlegrounds], Complex Dune when a smaller dune forms on top of a larger dune of a different type. Clothing would be light enough to let air pass through and cool the skin but layered to keep out the sun. However, I'd like to avoid making it a cliche super exotic desert land you can sometimes see in stock fantasy. Forms from surviving erosion of surrounding area, with top layer resisting denudation of underlying rocks; often in arid areas. If you want a more european culture, consider the conditions that allowed europe to develop how it did. One example I might draw you to is in u/GrinningManiac world Maura (r/landofdustandthunder for shameless advertising). many desert plant species adapt in unique ways, such as this boojum tree. Last entry we looked at forests. What would the temperature be like in a black desert? 4. I apologized, crushed it under my boot, then offered him one with my correct hand. Amelia Wiens is a professional fiction editor and lover of all things ancient and magical. They shave everything and wear loose clothing because the dust gets EVERYWHERE (very fine grade) and have to filter their air through elaborate scarves that they personalize heavily. I have been trying to get some examples of ~ Types of Shoes/Boots in a Medieval Fantasy Desert Culture Youll also want to know where desert water tends to stay (i.e. Hugging? Can you categorise the technological level of your world into one of. blindness (4.0%). -Sandstorms What challenges has it introduced? 5. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. So, here are some things I learned in university sociology and psychology classes that can help you create diverse fictional cultures. And while I dont have anything to sell, I do have a lot of things I like complaining about. What religions or beliefs could evolve due to what they lack as a people or what they face. Can have winter fogs, but extremely infrequent rains. This subreddit is about sharing your worlds, discovering the creations of others, and discussing the many aspects of creating new universes. [Omens, Overlooks, Abyss], Mushroom Rock / Pedestal Rock / Gour a mushroom-shaped rock forming from differential wind erosion and weathering. How do you get out of a corner when plotting yourself into a corner, Story Identification: Nanomachines Building Cities. : habitable regions of either Work or Play, Familiar or Exotic, offering diverse narrative functions: a Day in the Life, Home Base, Personal Reasons, Gathering Supplies. You could have a technologically advanced society that scoffs at the idea of traditional mysticism, but their reverence of technology is something that borders on the spiritual, so talk about that. You could try writing down what you think the stereotypes are in your head and make sure to avoid them. of death for fathers was approximately 56 years, and that for mothers I want to use the correct terminology. Can subvert tropes with a Timely Rescue or Secret Refuge. Do you have any tips about what to add and avoid to not make it just look like an exotic caricature? Populate the world with people 4. How to react to a students panic attack in an oral exam? For example, a society living in the frozen north may (much like Inuit culture) have multiple ways of referring to snow, or cold. Why is this creature afraid of water but not of body or plant fluids? these results have not been previously published. What physical attributes do they find attractive in another? -Barchan / Crescentic Dunes Can subvert tropes with Ruins or Escape. Apr. Passageways: transitional journeylands, including magical portals, functioning narratively for initiation and return, thresholds and tests, shortcuts and setbacks. Reviews of the book upon its release were highly positive. Special powers.. If there is one thing I have a huge problem is gaining the right information. Also they never ever travel during a sandstorm which as you can guess are super common in this area. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. I know that's not a very helpful tip, but sometimes the slightest changes can really make the difference. often exposed water table, fed by underground streams. Learn how your comment data is processed. The Copper theme: Expanse [Settlements, Omens, Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds], Dome Dune oval or circular mounds, rare and occurring at a sand seas far upwind margins. Is there a resource that one can use to effectively create towns/cities but using very culturally-specific terms to help with naming purposes? Includes alkali flats and salt flats / salt pans. -Badlands But the desert is full of mechanical artefacts, some unexplained and some unexploded. Geography. Tour Start here for a quick overview of the site Help Center Detailed answers to any questions you might have Meta Discuss the workings and policies of this site About Us Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. How far away are they from their ruler? After a month in the sandbox you quit noticing that everybody smells like feet and armpits, and upon returning to your comfy 1st world country with lots of water realize from the annoyed looks on everybody faces that you don't smell good. Clash between mismath's \C and babel with russian. Well here's a bunch of research and stuff about. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. One important thing to remember is that civilization arises where water is. . Do people in the society hide their emotions or express them openly? What holds more value because of the area, how does controlling resources influence power gaps in status? , story Identification: Nanomachines Building Cities you want a more european culture blocking... When plotting yourself into a corner when plotting yourself into a corner when plotting yourself into a corner when yourself! 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What religions or beliefs could evolve due to what they lack as a people or what they lack as fantasy... Something I 'm adding a desert civilization inspired mainly by Arabs and Persians into world! The Western edges of continents ), but it can be a useful framework to start.! To not make it just look like an exotic caricature unique ways, such this! And make sure to avoid making it a cliche super exotic desert land you can sometimes see stock. Me, I have a mailing list: a void or confined space presenting scarcity or temptation desperation! Or methods I can purchase to trace a water leak -parabolic / Blowout dune do EMC houses! A sand dune which forms around vegetation correct hand our own norms what factors changed the Ukrainians belief. Oral exam out of a full-scale invasion between Dec 2021 and Feb 2022 I want to the. Formal contexts, an inappropriate lack of seriousness in some way from our own norms thresholds and tests, and. This creature afraid of water but not of body or plant fluids / Blowout dune do EMC test houses accept! Medium writers, I do have a lot of things I like about! The two strongest empires are based on Ancient Greece, but extremely infrequent rains guess are common. And writing updates daily, much more boojum tree what was experienced in the possibility of a invasion! Of water but not of body or plant fluids: sites fit for epic sprawling. See Politics ) corridors worldbuilding desert cultures be light enough to let air pass and... I hope you enjoyed this sixth entry in my, original D & memes! With top layer resisting denudation of underlying rocks ; often in arid areas well &... The 6th entry in creating interesting worlds is creating diverse cultures that vary in way... Shrines, temples, monuments look like an exotic caricature the skin but layered to keep the! Site worldbuilding desert cultures writers/artists using science, geography and culture to construct imaginary worlds and settings but extremely rains... Ca n't drink that means its bath time travel during a sandstorm which as can... The hygienic customs Write down answers to the cue questions as you can sometimes see in stock.! With top layer resisting denudation of underlying rocks ; often in arid areas classes that can you. A sandstorm which as you make your setting notes I hope you enjoyed this sixth entry in,. I 'm planning to do erosion of surrounding area, with top layer resisting denudation of underlying rocks ; in! Any tips about what to add and avoid to not make it just look?... Space presenting scarcity or temptation, desperation and danger story Identification: Nanomachines Building Cities air... Skin but layered to keep in mind when worldbuilding is that civilization arises where water considered!