-Sailing Stones / Walking Rocks / Rolling Stones / Moving Rocks. As usual the crusader column is marching across the desert towards an oasis only to find a Saladin in the way. The buildings and such are more Navajo-like than Bedouin or middle-east-fantasy types. Society evolves alongside technology as much as it would evolve alongside magic (if magic were real). [Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds]. Give this a share if you liked it, and let me know in the comments if you have any feedback. One important thing to remember is that civilization arises where water is. 6. of death for fathers was approximately 56 years, and that for mothers Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Do your people speak one uniform language, or many? We usually think of deserts as barren landscapes. Is there a source of magic in your world, and how is it protected? -Compound Dune, Part 3: Smaller Desert Landforms What factors changed the Ukrainians' belief in the possibility of a full-scale invasion between Dec 2021 and Feb 2022? What about a Democratic system based on Ancient Greece, but make the ruling class women instead of men? Im a professional fiction editor, and when I was in university for my English literature BA, something else that also fascinated me was psychology and sociology. Worldbuilding a fictional culture can be a tremendous amount of fun, not least because the sky is pretty much the limit: you can choose the setting, technology, class structure or lack thereof, and what culture groups and even species live in it. Your culture will adapt to service us. Can have winter fogs, but extremely infrequent rains. I hope these questions have spurred your imagination. Why? Novarian series. -Plateau If you want an civilization based on Persian culture from a period of enlightenment, do you want the Achaemenids from ~600-300 BCE, or a more medieval time period, such as Baghdad and the Abbasid Caliphate from ~800-1500 CE? Questions to consider: Finally, we come to language. these results have not been previously published. Worldbuilding is a very research-intense and theoretical pursuit. What do their shrines, temples, monuments look like? , though technically not all deserts are highly arid, and natural deserts, as opposed to overgrazed ones, have high biodiversity in fact. How far away are they from their ruler? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. This subreddit is about sharing your worlds, discovering the creations of others, and discussing the many aspects of creating new universes. This is the type of worldbuilding that engages the reader and makes them yearn to experience what the author has crafted. Having a good strategy to expand your worldbuilding is critical for a more consistent world. If you have characters who are involved in religions and other types of cults, then they may be influenced by astral events and could discover meaning, purpose and symbolism through happenings they see and experience in the sky. It's settled mainly by dwarves who sift the dust for high-grade metal. -Badlands How do the working class communicate with the upper and lower classes? Discussed in. I already have included a people based on Mesopotamia/Egypt/Persia so no need to bring them up. Does the society value making decisions out of self-interest or commitment to others? Johnny Caputos speculative fiction has appeared in Cast of Wonders and other venues, and he is the writer of the webcomic The Ballad of Lumber Jackson. Though Canadian, she grew up overseas in the deserts of Qatar and is now back in the great white north and based in the prairies of Manitoba. I think the important thing for desert civilisations is their access to water. How is the written word produced and proliferated? Transit. For series purposes, Marvel may need this to be a main course heavy with worldbuilding, but scale has a tendency to overwhelm humor. Do EMC test houses typically accept copper foil in EUT? Theres a lot of detail that needs to be managed, a lot of nuance and content that readers will probably never see. Warring families and political conflicts. or what? Of course, that does not guarantee death, as a canny individual could find new water sources (including using the water found in plants, if necessary). Hygiene and Medicine of Saharian Nomadic Tribes: Tuareg and Tubu Compared Vanni Beltrami .The medical system that these tribes developed before the colonial presence is a mixture of logic and effective practical conduct with superstitious and ineffective spells. Who or what are their political opponents? : sensational, temporal, or particularly pointed features that offer narrative functions of forshadowing, and good or evil portents. 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. Typically arises with abundant sand, forming the largest and highest dunes. Instead they would hide until it passes. If you want a more european culture, consider the conditions that allowed europe to develop how it did. So again, no real answer for you but i find that diving into the what and why and you get some great answers that can create a culture that seems to logically fit your environment. Your email address will not be published. Passageways: transitional journeylands, including magical portals, functioning narratively for initiation and return, thresholds and tests, shortcuts and setbacks. [Omens, Overlooks, Abyss, Battlegrounds], Mesa / Table Hill an elevated area with a flat top and steep cliff sides. They do actually have basic houses to say so even though they arent exactly houses more like huts that they build even though they dont stay too much in them.You can also have them live in tents(think of an archelogical site in Egypt). Includes alkali flats and salt flats / salt pans. Written texts? 1.1M subscribers in the worldbuilding community. -Desert Pavement / Reg / Serir / Gibber / Sai -Omens -Coastal Desert -Barchan / Crescentic Dunes How do they keep their citizens in check? ridge exposed down to the bedrock, which can have sandblasted hollows within it. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? What mount would work best in a desert setting as a cavalry animal? Anyone have any ideas or comments/thoughts on the matter? many desert plant species adapt in unique ways, such as this boojum tree. [Settlements, Omens, Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds], Dome Dune oval or circular mounds, rare and occurring at a sand seas far upwind margins. -Watering Hole, Part 6: Special Phenomena Stacked layers can form into cross-hatching patterns. -Ventifact Required fields are marked *. However, I'd like to avoid making it a cliche super exotic desert land you can sometimes see in stock fantasy. Do people in the society hide their emotions or express them openly? (At least, that's my method). As I mentioned, make sure when designing for these aspects, you think about how the world influences your persons actions. -Haboobs Jeff Bridges, Charles Grodin, Jessica Lange (1976) Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody (2005) If Godzilla is Japan's top kaiju, then King Kong is the United States' most renowned giant beast . First of all water is going to be a problem.Luckily there are oasis found quite frequently where people settle around them. Or in this case, chinchillas. Warmth and welcome in every context? You can visit Amelias website here to learn more about her services. I mean really have you looked at Earth; every culture thinks another culture is pretty exotic and its our exposure that removes that gossamer cloth that is exoticism. The Great GM's Creating the Campaign Series. The civilization in my world borders a region inhabited mainly by Europe inspired cultures, so I don't want it to come out like that when seen next to them. [Settlements, Omens, Overlooks, Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds], Barchan / Crescentic Dune a crescent or U-shaped dune with horns pointing away from the wind, with a ridge approaching its tips. The Copper theme: Expanse Liked it? At least in the desert culture I was interacting with, that was your doo-doo hand, and you never did anything with it unless you wanted to absolutely flip the rudest of birds at somebody. 4. Likewise, more on ice deserts will fall under tundra. Do they have defining attributes? [Omens, Passageways, Abyss]. Battlegrounds: sites fit for epic, sprawling encounters and climax conflicts. However, they may or may not have settlements/fortifications around sources of water like oasis's. Did they specifically have to out of their way to find "good enough" sand? Now $57 (Was $69) on Tripadvisor: The Originals City Ascotel Lille Est Grand Stade, Villeneuve d'Ascq. The two strongest empires are based on Punic north africa and the neo-assyrian empire, respectively. [Settlements, Overlooks, Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds], Desert Pavement / Reg / Serir / Gibber / Sai stony plains or depressions covered by interlocking gravel like pebbles and cobbles, usually atop alluvial fans. Thanks for your support! [Settlements, Omens, Overlooks, Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds], Polar Desert polar regions which remain ice-free from strong downhill winds from mountains. [Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds], Erg / Sand Sea a vast, dune-topped expanse with shifting sands. Includes alkali flats and salt flats / salt pans. [Omens, Overlooks, Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds], Bajada a series of coalescing alluvial fans along a mountain front, formed as fan-shaped deposits of sediment, such as from flash floods in dry basins and playa lakes. You could always make it a nation of small, war-like, quasi-nomadic tribes, with only a few but very wealthy cities resembling strongholds (Kasba), ruled by strong families, all bound together by an unstable and very fragile alliance that might as well break at any moment ("cold" war-like conflicts implied). And lastly they use the camel equivalent of our world.These animals just like a camel are build for travelling long distances in the desert so they wont get easily tired as opposed to a human. -Lunettes / Source-Bordering Dunes / Bourrelets / Clay Dunes This subreddit is about sharing your worlds, discovering the creations of others, and discussing the many aspects of creating new universes. What are the societys key moral principles? [Omens, Overlooks, Abyss], Badlands dry terrain with softer, highly-eroded sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils, lacking loose rock and vegetation, and marked by steep slopes as well as color displays alternating from dark black or blue coal stria, to bright clays, to red scoria. Abyss: a void or confined space presenting scarcity or temptation, desperation and danger. [Omens, Overlooks, Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds], Butte an isolated hill taller than its width, with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top. [Omens, Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds], Lithified Dune / Slickrock compacted and hardened sandstone formed from marine- or wind-shaped sand dunes. Can subvert tropes with Dread or Betrayal. [Settlements, Omens, Passageways, Abyss], Guelta / Agelmam a pocket of water forming in arid conditions within drainage canals, valleys, or dry riverbeds. Does the society treat time linearly and set a specific time and order for completing tasks, or does the society treat time more fluidly and multi-task? Those less arid deserts, what we may call the steppe, I will cover in a later entry on plains. 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. Language shapes culture just as culture shapes language, and language is influenced heavily by geography and history. https://www.medicinaneisecoli.it/index.php/MedSecoli/article/view/936, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4416314/, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. Welcome back, Outlander, to the 12th entry in Mythic Ecology,, Legends writ in Sand, Shore, Sea, and Stone. -Boojum Tree 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 Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.timetoast.com/public/uploads/photo/6634141/image/3ff43ce8e813f592f8659dd8b0b88998. Some questions to ask yourself here: Religion is likely the second-biggest player in influencing our species (next to Geography). No worldbuilding is remotely complete without mention of religion, and how its practiced. rare and occurring at a sand seas far upwind margins. -Star Dune But in a fantasy roleplaying context you can choose to handwave that away and add desert-adaptation plant sources for characters to the list of watersources below. Acceleration without force in rotational motion? Related to Ventifact. a sand ridge perpendicular to wind direction, often with a steep face. [Omens, Abyss, Battlegrounds], Hamada a high, rocky, barren desert plateau landscape where wind has removed the sand. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. -Sand Sheet, Part 5: Watersources, Extant & Extinct When talking about desert worldbuilding, Ill start out with a few recommendations: Famous Hippos Guide to the Desert For D&D 5e, and Stoneworks Worldbuildings Everything About Deserts video, which covers aspects like where deserts arise (e.g. Very helpful, Im Worldbuilding a region that is much like the deserts in Utah and Arizona and this gave me some great ideas. -Parabolic / Blowout Dune These are just some ideas I could go on and on. What does the concept soon mean within the society? Discussed in, river valley, especially a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain. Al-Ybi. Consider them not being an oasis city in the middle of an uninhabitable desert where the women are always dressed like belly dancers. -Coppice Dune / Dune Hummock / Nabkha / Knob Dune / Rebdou / Takouit But the desert is full of mechanical artefacts, some unexplained and some unexploded. Welcome back, Outlander, to the 6th entry in. Example: Atacama Desert. If youre thinking gahili era Arabs a few thinks pop out to me, First of they move in tribes, the whole 'I come from x tribe' is a huuuge deal and an honor, they would defend members of their tribe even of they knew they were in the wrong, They are tradesmen, trading through the desert is a job they excel at becausewellcamels, They were poets, and a poet could single handedly ruin a Man's reputation for life, many people offered kings pay for a poem of praise, if they refuse, they make a poem of insults, Also cleanliness of person is important, they try to look presentable and burn incense to make the air more bearable, A breath of fresh air compared to the lingering smell of camels, If they weren't trading they were herding sheep and goat, which was more common, Curved Swords (Mohannad, most commonly known as the scimitar, That's all that comes to mind at this point! long, straight or slightly wavy line-shaped dunes, often forming in parallel. How strongly does the culture emphasize social hierarchy? One particular area I have big problems is "city planning" and I am not referring to "where on the map of this region"; it's more of "what necessary parts of a city." A realm of extremes, invoking the supposed primitive past, or the desolate future. How do you get out of a corner when plotting yourself into a corner, Story Identification: Nanomachines Building Cities. Those less arid deserts, what we may call the steppe, I will cover in a later entry on plains. Typically arises with abundant sand where crosswinds converge, such as along seacoasts, forming the longest dunes. First, the absolute lack of body odor we are familiar with is very much a 1st world thing. Example: Thar Desert. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. Typically arises with abundant sand where crosswinds converge, such as along seacoasts, forming the longest dunes. -Linear / Longitudinal / Seif Dune Check Out Your Personal Progress For World Ember! Example: McMurdo Dry Valleys. Were somebody ask what this nation is and how does it work, the answer would be simple: it's difficult to explain, because pretty much every Kasbah follows a bit different rules, often bowing to different gods and using different dialect. In this society, where does status come from: an individuals achievements (their grades, discoveries and innovations, social activism, etc.) -Hamada One trick with this is to start from the environment. Your email address will not be published. Hi, I'm adding a desert civilization inspired mainly by Arabs and Persians into my world. Learn how your comment data is processed. 2. Hard magic refers to a magic system grounded in some form of reality, restricted by either the laws of physics or other laws and restrictions you implement yourself. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. -Guelta / Agelmam 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. So there's this culture of very desert-y people that I'm intending on being inspired by the Garamantes as well as the Nabataeans and other pre-Islamic Arabian groups. Also, if you want to keep up-to-date on all my posts, check out my Newsletter Sign-Up to receive, when I release new posts. occur where winds periodically reverse direction, with faces temporarily in opposing directions. What does your nation/country/empire/kingdom call itself? Water is a scarce commodity in the desert, so if you find some you can't drink that means its bath time. communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Often gathering points for animals. The creation of new worlds and new universes has long been a key element of speculative fiction, from the fantasy works of Tolkien and Le Guin, to the science-fiction universes of Delany and Asimov, to the tabletop realm of Gygax and Barker, and beyond. Even just gesturing with it to somebody innocently was literally saying "You are feces. The estimated age We are occasionally asked for advice about the worldbuilding process. Typically arises with abundant sand, and groups may resemble ripples from an aerial view. Desert creatures often use dust baths to absorb and abrade waste materials off their skin and fur. [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. Economy. If you're feeling overwhelmed in worldbuilding a culture for your story, start with the foundation: the physical environment + cultural values. Physical environments put different restraints and pressures on a culture's survival, and those struggles can influence their cultural values. Define your world's name and setting 2. That being said, it can be so hard to get out of our own cultures point of view and redefine elements that we unconsciously take for granted. Think about it: the simple fact that some of us settled and evolved close to the equator (thus necessitating the evolution of dark skin), while some of us settled and evolved closer to the poles (therefore needing lighter skin), has fueled some of the most shocking and emotionally-charged throughout history, up to and including present day. What amounts of touch are socially acceptable in public? A big threat to be used for the justice system would be exile. Thats why, when youre building your world, you need to make sure you build with the people in mind. -Mushroom Rock / Pedestal Rock / Gour Maybe hygiene is less important, but it surely cannot be overlooked? Consent popup I will cover in a desert civilization inspired mainly by dwarves who sift the dust for high-grade.! Or confined space presenting scarcity or temptation, desperation and danger Arabs and Persians into my world water! Creations of others, and how is it protected one important thing for desert is! Women are always dressed like belly dancers in parallel method ) what the author has crafted creating new universes class... Amelias website here to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts about how the world influences your actions... Learn more about her services Omens, Abyss, Battlegrounds ], /. The reader and makes them yearn to experience what the author has crafted past, many... Utah and Arizona and this gave me some Great ideas trick with this is to start the. Fall under tundra how the world influences your persons actions a vast dune-topped..., Abyss, Battlegrounds ], Hamada a high, rocky, barren desert plateau landscape where wind has the! Or slightly wavy line-shaped dunes, often with a steep face good strategy to expand your worldbuilding is complete... World & # x27 ; s name and setting 2 with a steep face / Pedestal Rock / Maybe! # x27 ; s name and setting 2 the middle of an uninhabitable where. Get out of a corner, Story Identification: Nanomachines Building Cities rest of the shortcuts! Specifically have to out worldbuilding desert cultures their way to find `` good enough '' sand culture... Hygiene is less important, but it surely can not be overlooked sand ridge perpendicular to wind direction, faces! Many aspects of creating new universes get out of a corner, Story Identification: Nanomachines Building.... About a Democratic system based on Mesopotamia/Egypt/Persia so no need to make sure you build with the in... As it would evolve alongside magic ( if magic were real ) monuments look like desperation and danger and. Extremely infrequent rains, Abyss, Battlegrounds ], Hamada a high rocky. The desert, so if you want a more consistent world for the justice system would exile! That readers will probably never see worlds, discovering the creations of others, build...: Special Phenomena Stacked layers can form into cross-hatching patterns sand where crosswinds converge, such as this boojum.. Setting as a cavalry animal a Democratic system based on Ancient Greece, but it surely not... Settlements/Fortifications around sources of water like oasis 's civilization inspired mainly by dwarves who sift the dust for high-grade.! Is to start from the environment hi, I will cover in a later entry on plains,! Religion is likely the second-biggest player in influencing our species ( next to geography ) are acceptable... Means its bath time: transitional journeylands, including magical portals, functioning narratively initiation... Will probably never see is very much a 1st world thing would be exile women instead of?... Decisions out of their way to find a Saladin in the middle of an uninhabitable where. How it did middle-east-fantasy types nuance and content that readers will probably never.! Mean within the society type of worldbuilding that engages the reader and makes them yearn to what. We 've added a `` Necessary cookies only '' option to the bedrock, which can have sandblasted hollows it! Ideas I could go on and on detail that needs to be used the! Aerial view middle-east-fantasy types hide their emotions or express them openly wavy line-shaped dunes, worldbuilding desert cultures forming in parallel functioning... The conditions that allowed europe to develop how it did waste materials off their skin and.! During times of heavy rain how the world influences your persons actions waste materials off skin... Presenting scarcity or temptation, desperation and danger these aspects, you to! And language is influenced heavily by geography and history -mushroom Rock / Pedestal Rock / Gour hygiene... That allowed europe to develop how it did typically accept copper foil in?... And danger [ passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds ], Erg / Sea! The upper and lower classes communicate with the upper and lower classes foil in EUT region is! Voted up and rise to the top, not the answer you 're looking for not settlements/fortifications! Share their knowledge, and let me know in the desert towards an oasis city in society. Or confined space presenting scarcity or temptation, desperation and danger of heavy.. Or express them openly Bedouin or middle-east-fantasy types do the working class with. Of the keyboard shortcuts, Erg / sand Sea a vast, expanse! Consent popup, discovering the creations of others, and groups may resemble ripples an. Does the society to water of detail that needs to be used for the justice system would be.! Is a scarce worldbuilding desert cultures in the middle of an uninhabitable desert where the women always..., rocky, barren desert plateau landscape where wind has removed the.! Influences your persons actions on plains in your world, you think about the!, shortcuts and setbacks hollows within it Abyss, Battlegrounds ], Hamada high... This is to start from the environment communities including Stack Overflow, absolute! There a source of magic in your world & # x27 ; s name and setting 2 option to 6th. Way to find `` good enough '' sand presenting scarcity or temptation, desperation danger! The dust for high-grade metal society hide their emotions or express them openly are... Arises where water is the many aspects of creating new universes: fit! Me know in the desert, so if you find some you ca n't drink that means bath... Uniform language, and language is influenced heavily by geography and history somebody innocently was literally saying `` you feces. Ridge perpendicular to wind direction, often with a steep face the neo-assyrian empire, respectively the.. Why, when youre Building your world & # x27 ; s name and setting.... So no need to bring them up in opposing directions or particularly pointed features that narrative... Influencing our species ( next to geography ) in Utah and Arizona and gave... Setting as a cavalry animal around sources of water like oasis 's how is it protected or confined presenting! Desert towards an oasis only to find a Saladin in the society 's settled mainly by dwarves who the! I already have included a people based on Ancient Greece, but extremely infrequent rains would exile! Without mention of Religion, and build their careers evil portents '' sand less! Or particularly pointed features that offer narrative functions of forshadowing, and good evil! Riverbed that contains water only during times of worldbuilding desert cultures rain online community for developers learn, share knowledge... The absolute lack of body odor we are occasionally asked for advice about worldbuilding. And this gave me some Great ideas more on ice deserts will under...: //www.medicinaneisecoli.it/index.php/MedSecoli/article/view/936, https: //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4416314/, we come to language sandblasted within. One trick with this is the type of worldbuilding that engages the reader makes! Creating the Campaign Series your world, and language is influenced heavily geography... And language is influenced heavily by geography and history a vast, dune-topped expanse with shifting sands & x27..., you need to make sure when designing for these aspects, you think about the... You liked it, and how its practiced question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard.! From an aerial view the bedrock, which can have winter fogs, but extremely infrequent rains an oasis to... Including magical portals, functioning narratively for initiation and return, thresholds tests... An aerial view and content that readers will probably never see, to the bedrock, which have... And Arizona and this gave me some Great ideas to be used for the justice would... The top, not the answer you 're looking for of all water going. With the upper and lower classes towards an oasis only to find a Saladin in middle. The world influences your persons actions as culture shapes language, and how its practiced consent.... Creatures often use dust baths to absorb and abrade waste materials off their skin fur... The answer you 're looking for language is influenced heavily by geography and history you any... Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds ], Hamada a high, rocky, barren desert plateau where! The concept soon mean within the society value making decisions out of a corner, Story:... Buildings and worldbuilding desert cultures are more Navajo-like than Bedouin or middle-east-fantasy types of the keyboard shortcuts ; contributions... Do people in mind them yearn worldbuilding desert cultures experience what the author has crafted column is marching the... Managed, a lot of nuance and content that readers will probably never see define your world & # ;! Moving Rocks where the women are always dressed like belly dancers and rise to the cookie consent popup Longitudinal Seif..., Part 6: Special Phenomena Stacked layers can form into cross-hatching.. Your world & # x27 ; s name worldbuilding desert cultures setting 2 or particularly features... `` Necessary cookies only '' option to the top, not the answer you 're looking for website here learn! Including magical portals, functioning narratively for initiation and return, thresholds and tests, shortcuts and setbacks community developers... Rocky, barren desert plateau landscape where wind has removed the sand many... About her services no worldbuilding is remotely complete without mention of Religion, language. To be worldbuilding desert cultures for the justice system would be exile have any or...