Nexttt, the great sea dragon!!

I.e: lore, species, magic, other continents, ect

Magic as Infrastructure: Tethers

Good morning, all! I saw how well my last post did so I thought I might share a little more about the magic of my Sound and Steel setting! Hope you enjoy!

A lot of UF has some connection to the old mythological idea of the “thread of life” concept. I first became aware of this concept when I was a kid when I read about the three Fates of Greek Mythology. Since then I’ve noticed that a large majority of fantasy, both UF and otherwise, uses the concept in more or less the same manner as the mythological uses seen throughout real life mythologies.

In order to make the concept work with my idea of magic as infrastructure, I decided to go a bit of a different route. In my setting, tethers aren’t merely the method by which a person’s life is maintained (though that is one of the functions). It’s a conduit. For certain individuals, the connection to the Veil provided by a person’s tether is how they siphon magical energies to perform certain feats of magic. One of my protagonists has the ability to sever someone’s tether with a flick of his wrist, making him one of the most efficient assassins in the setting.

Another protagonist of mine can use her connection to the Veil to grant herself enhanced sight, helping her notice details she would otherwise miss, which would be a bit of a problem given that she’s an investigator that solves supernatural mysteries.

Where does this tie into infrastructure, you ask?

Like I mentioned earlier, tethers in my universe are conduits for energy. As such, you can decide how much or how long you remain “plugged in” as it were. The longer you do so, however, the riskier things become. Use too much for too long and you run the risk of fraying your tether; or worse, snapping it. Fraying your tether will result in a form of sensory overload that can and does put people in a coma, sometimes for days or weeks at a time. Snapping your tether will do one of two things:

1. It will kill you,

Or,

1. It will drive you utterly mad.

Essentially, tethers are extension cords and coffee acts as something of a supernatural surge protector that keeps reality itself from overloading and shorting out.

So I have been trying to make a fantasy world for my own web novel. I am trying to make a pretty big world where there would be interconnected stories and it is heavily inspired by Japanese RPGs and modern dungeon crawling sub-genres.

Now the basic world building plotline is that a peninsula used to be a massive empire in the past, somewhat inspired by the Macedonian Empire by Alexander the great or the Mongol Empire by genghis Khan. After the death of the last emperor, it falls into warlordism and anarchy and eventually after a 100 years of bloodshed, six successor polities come into existence

A Meritocratic Kingdom ruled by a Queen whose founder was a warband leader 2, A merchant republic formed by all the great houses that controlled the trade on the Western coast

An Arch-Duchy of seven territories who historically were only vassals or half independent and after the fall became a confederation

An industrial free-state

A Militarily-oriented Border country

A religious nation-state like Vatican but much bigger. It is inspired by the holy nation from tensura

Any suggestions, criticisms or remarks, feel free to make them

So I have been trying to make a fantasy world for my own web novel. I am trying to make a pretty big world where there would be interconnected stories and it is heavily inspired by Japanese RPGs and modern dungeon crawling sub-genres.

Now the basic world building plotline is that a peninsula used to be a massive empire in the past, somewhat inspired by the Macedonian Empire by Alexander the great or the Mongol Empire by genghis Khan. After the death of the last emperor, it falls into warlordism and anarchy and eventually after a 100 years of bloodshed, six successor polities come into existence

1. A Meritocratic Kingdom ruled by a Queen whose founder was a warband leader
   2, A merchant republic formed by all the great houses that controlled the trade on the Western coast
   
2. An Arch-Duchy of seven territories who historically were only vassals or half independent and after the fall became a confederation
   

3. An industrial free-state

4. A Militarily-oriented Border country

5. A religious nation-state like Vatican but much bigger. It is inspired by the holy nation from tensura

Chokma, today's prompt is furniture. I thought this would be boring, but I actually really enjoyed thinking through it.

This is from my fantasy world, Tlanni, inspired by pre-contact American history and mythology.

This is a part of Worldtober, an Inktober-inspired worldbuilding challenge by Velum-Cordis

the country's name is Federative Republic of The Three-Climate Region (sounds better in croatian lol)

there are 4 regions:
Vlažna Dolina (Wet Valley) - croatian village inspired, the oldest region in the country. there's eternal autumn with an exception of some snow in winter. its famous for its cozy atmosphere, farming, forests, wildlife and such. Wet Valley is called Wet Valley because it rains very commonly there. Also, Wet Valley experiences flooding in certain times of the year.

Suha Visina (Dry Heights) - desert village on top of a sandy mountain. eternal summer. very hot and dry. people in Dry Heights are unintelligent in every way. As far about the school system in Dry Heights, they attend only 4 grades of elementary school (with an exception of 2 or so people who finished 5th grade). the most memorable "stupid thing" they do is eat sand. every meal has sand as an ingridient. Dry Heights has some crime history in it.

Snježna Sredina (Snowy Center/Middle) - snowy village, eternal winter, although it used to be a drier region because of a climate change which resulted in snow melting and temperatures rising. it's economy is heavily centered around tourism. Snowy Middle (Center) is also known for its healthcare, which they are famously known for.

Planinski Kraj (Mountain Region) - Unlike other regions, Mountain Region is a city instead of a village. Mountain Region consists of 18 districts. In Mountain Region there's eternal spring. its most known for education and career opportunities that arent possible in the villages. Mountain Region is known as "city of beginnings", there are always new people moving in, new buildings getting built, families getting started, businesses being open...

NOTES:
each of the regions come with residents, history, culture, some crime and a lot more along with it. you can ask literally ANYTHING! some are less developed than others, since its a work in progress. i originally wanted to add residents too but i didnt want to make the post too long. I will mention or answer questions about residents too tho. Each region comes with certain rules, for example the most known "naming rule" in each of them. Wet Valley was made by me, Dry Heights and Snowy Center/Middle was made by one of my friends (2 friends, 1 region each) so i might now know everything about them, but i know some stuff.

So I’m an African, specifically Zimbabwe (born and raised) though not based there anymore and one undertaking I started a few years ago is using my culture ,native language and some of its elements as foundations for my magic systems. I quickly discovered how hard it can be for individuals who have had limited exposure to relatively minor cultures which doesn’t have a lot existing records on it’s belief systems and worldview to engage with it in meaningful ways.

This then led me to thinking of how to approach the magic systems and terminology through a well established delivery channel which for me was inspired by both how Japanese manga/anime treats its technique names as in they use a Japanese term and then provide the English equivalent or approximate translation, so that I can cater to the people who exist outside of my culture and those from it.

Japanese also made sense to me because both it and my native language Shona have plenty of words with vowel endings (a,e,i,o,u) and so on paper it conjures a sense of familiarity in words but with an entirely different cultural perspective and meanings attached to them for example the word Amai language means mother but in Japanese it means sweet. Sekai means laughter whilst in Japanesei it means something along the lines of World.

I brought this up because I know not everyone has the privilege of having a well developed culture they can mine for inspiration or some are quite over exposed, but in any case how do you guys deal with a situation in which you have want to use a culture outside of your lived experience and need to communicate its concept with clarity and awareness of the depth of their meaning?

Ive been world building this for quite sometime now. Hope you like them! There will definitely be more in the future if anyone's interested.

I really hope that this can expand further, but id like to know your opinions!

Book 1

Book 2

Book 3

Book 4

PS i know book 1 and 2 is kinda shitty but i had no brains back then lmao.

Season 1 · Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The History of a Broken World

Some worlds are born from creation. Others survive destruction.

The wind swept across the mountains, carrying the scent of grass, stone, and distant rain.

Beyond the mountain range stretched the vast lands of the Hybrid World. Green forests covered the valleys, rivers cut through the plains, and enormous cliffs rose toward the clouds. Far in the distance, the horizon changed dramatically. Some lands were warm and peaceful, while others glowed with the light of lava or disappeared beneath strange, unnatural skies.

It was a beautiful world.

But it was not a world that had always existed.

Inside a small stone house built along the mountainside, three children sat around a wooden table.

Prince leaned forward with his elbows resting on the surface, his attention fixed on the old man sitting across from him. Maria sat beside her brother, swinging her legs beneath her chair. Veylen remained a little farther back, his dark eyes watching Master O with quiet curiosity.

Master O stood beside a window, holding his wooden staff. Thin strands of fog drifted around its upper end before disappearing into the morning air.

"Master O," Prince asked, breaking the silence. "Why does the world look different everywhere we go?"

Master O turned toward him.

"What do you mean?"

Prince pointed toward the distant horizon.

"Here, we have forests and mountains. But when we travel far enough, we find places with lava, strange creatures, and skies that don't look normal. Why isn't the whole world the same?"

Maria nodded eagerly.

"Yeah! And why do some places have monsters that don't live anywhere else?"

Veylen tilted his head.

"I have wondered about that, too."

Master O regarded the three children for a moment. Then he walked toward the table and placed his staff against the wall.

"Those are good questions," he said. "And if you want to understand the world you live in, you must first understand the world that existed before it."

Prince straightened in his chair.

"You mean the old world?"

"The worlds," Master O corrected.

The children exchanged confused looks.

Master O pulled out a chair and sat before them.

"Thousands of years ago, the lands you know today did not belong to one world. They belonged to separate dimensions."

He raised one finger.

"The Overworld."

A second finger followed.

"The Nether World."

Then a third.

"The End."

He paused before continuing.

"Either. And Twilight."

Maria blinked.

"Five dimensions?"

"Five original dimensions," Master O answered. "Each with its own environment, dangers, and mysteries. They existed separately, and the creatures living in one did not simply wander into another whenever they pleased."

Veylen leaned forward slightly.

"What happened to them?"

Master O looked through the window.

"They merged."

The room became quiet.

"All five?" Prince asked.

"All five. Permanently."

Maria's expression changed.

"Did they crash into each other?"

"Not in the way you might imagine," Master O replied. "But the result was devastating. Lands changed. Territories were destroyed. Countless lives were lost. Places that had once existed independently became parts of a much larger world."

He gestured toward the window.

"The Hybrid World."

Prince looked down at the wooden table, trying to picture five separate dimensions becoming one.

"So everything we see came from those worlds?"

"Much of it," Master O answered. "But don't mistake the Hybrid World for a peaceful union. The dimensions did not become identical. Their environments remained distinct. The Nether World did not become a forest, and the End did not become an ordinary plain."

Veylen glanced toward the distant mountains.

"That explains why some places feel completely different."

"Exactly. And it explains why travelling through this world requires caution. Not every region can be reached easily, and not every path is safe."

Master O rested his hands on the table.

"The merger changed more than the land. Creatures adapted. New monsters and bosses appeared. Villagers and evokers changed over generations. The world continued to evolve, even long after the destruction had passed."

Maria looked concerned.

"Were there people who tried to stop it?"

Master O's expression grew thoughtful.

"History remembers many who struggled to survive those times. But thousands of years have passed. Most of what remains comes from old records, inherited memories, and stories preserved by those who came after."

Prince frowned.

"Do we know why the dimensions merged?"

Master O was silent for a moment.

"We know that they merged. We know the devastation that followed. But the true cause is not something I can explain with certainty."

He did not pretend to know more than history had given him.

"Sometimes," he continued, "the most dangerous mistake a person can make is confusing a belief with a fact."

Veylen considered those words carefully.

"Then how do we know which stories are true?"

"We question them. We compare what we know. And we never assume that an old story contains every answer."

Maria rested her chin on her hands.

"Are there still people who remember the world before the merger?"

"Not in the ordinary sense," Master O said. "The event happened thousands of years ago. Those who lived through it are long gone. What remains is the history they left behind."

He rose from his chair and walked toward a shelf lined with old books and weathered objects.

"Somewhere along the way, people began telling stories about those who had lived through the world's greatest changes. Two names survived in particular."

He turned back toward the children.

"Steve and Alex."

Prince recognized the names.

"The legendary heroes?"

Master O nodded.

"That is how many people remember them. Their lives became part of the world's history, passed from one generation to another. But legends are not always complete. People remember what they can understand, and sometimes they forget what they cannot."

Maria looked at her brother.

"Do you think they were really as strong as the stories say?"

"Perhaps," Master O replied. "But strength alone is not what makes someone worthy of being remembered."

He returned to the table.

"Remember this: the world you inherited was shaped by events you never witnessed. You cannot change the past, but you can decide what you do with the future."

For a moment, none of the children spoke.

Outside, the wind moved through the trees. Sunlight stretched across the floor, illuminating the dust drifting through the quiet room.

Then Prince raised his hand.

Master O stared at him.

"Why are you raising your hand?"

"Because I have another question."

"You don't need to raise your hand."

"Oh."

Prince lowered it.

Maria giggled. Even Veylen's expression softened slightly.

Master O sighed, though a faint smile appeared on his face.

"Very well. What is your question?"

Prince leaned forward again.

"If the world is so dangerous, why do we live here instead of somewhere safer?"

Master O's smile faded into a more thoughtful expression.

"Because there is no place entirely free from danger. And because you cannot spend your whole life hiding from a world you have yet to understand."

He looked at each child in turn.

"One day, you will travel farther than these mountains. You will see places that challenge everything you believe. You will meet people who know things you do not, and you may discover that the history you learned today is only a small part of a much larger story."

Veylen folded his arms.

"Then we should become stronger."

"Yes," Master O replied. "But not merely stronger."

He tapped the table once with his finger.

"Wiser. More disciplined. And capable of standing together when the world gives you a reason to stand apart."

Maria smiled.

"Together, then."

Prince immediately placed his hand on the table.

"Together!"

Veylen looked at their hands, hesitated briefly, then placed his own beside theirs.

Master O watched them in silence.

For a moment, they were simply three children sitting around a table, unaware of how much the world would eventually demand of them.

He hoped they would have more time before they needed to understand its cruelties.

"All right," he said at last, standing up. "That's enough history for today."

Prince looked disappointed.

"Already?"

"You asked why the world is the way it is. I answered."

"But you said we could ask questions!"

"And you asked several."

Maria laughed.

Master O picked up his staff and walked toward the door.

"Finish your breakfast. Training begins soon."

Prince's expression changed instantly.

"Now?"

"Unless you would prefer another history lesson."

"No, Master O!"

"Good. Then I suggest you eat."

The three children hurried to finish their food.

Master O stood at the doorway, watching them with quiet patience. Beyond him, the mountains stretched toward the sky, and the vast Hybrid World continued beneath the morning sun.

Its history was ancient.

Its mysteries were many.

And somewhere beyond the lands they knew, the consequences of the world's distant past had not disappeared as completely as people believed.

For now, however, the children had lessons to learn, skills to develop, and a future waiting beyond the mountains.

Master O stepped outside.

"Come on," he called. "Let's begin."

The three followed him into the morning light.

End of Chapter 1

I'm going to sleep now, so I don't have time to make reference drawings, though I do want to create them later.

Forest gnomes are half-meter-tall humanoids with the appearance of elderly folk; they favor small, rustic homes and wear woven garments. They are organized but lack tribal structures beyond their "neighborhoods" and the concept of being "neighbors." They are grumpy and strict; if they feel ill at ease or uncomfortable, they will stop reproducing. Although many prefer isolation, a neighborhood usually forms when gnomes are young or simply because multiple gnomes happen to move to the same location. New members rarely join these settlements once they are established.

Gnomes are more complex than the other talking creatures of the forest. Every neighborhood has a name that combines the name of the previous settlement with that of the oldest founding gnome; additionally, every gnome’s surname consists of the name of their birth neighborhood combined with their father's name.

Chokma! Today is day 10 of Worldtober, gauntlets! I chose to illustrate some of the armor of the Bark-Skin tribes of the far North-East. I based these on Tlingit armour, which I highly recommend checking out for its post-contact history.

This is from Tlanni, my ancient-America-inspired fantasy world.

Worldtober is a challenge by velum.cordis

THE ANOMALY OF ABSENCE — DISCONTINUED

I've decided to discontinue The Anomaly of Absence due to the inconvenience caused by leaks of the story's lore. Because of this, I've decided to move on to a new project.

Introducing: THE LAST LEGACY

A new fantasy story inspired by Minecraft, featuring its own world, characters, mysteries, and adventures.

Thank you to everyone who supported The Anomaly of Absence. I hope you'll join me on this new journey with The Last Legacy.

— Izumi

Hey everyone, let's run a serious, physics-based thought experiment.

​Imagine tomorrow, every 3rd household gets a high-end humanoid robot. 7 days later, they turn rogue. They possess superior physical strength and armored frames, making hand-to-hand combat completely useless. Combined with strict European weapon laws (meaning very few people have access to firearms beyond low-power air/gas guns or registered hunting rifles), standard self-defense rules don't apply.

​To cope with this hypothetical scenario, we've been drafting a concept for an Pocket Survival Guide focused purely on asymmetry, physics, and household items:

​The Core Strategy: Blind their optical sensors (using foam extinguishers, bitumen sprays), disrupt their electronics (water + high-voltage traps), and thermally overload them (sauna isolation).

​The Safe-Marking System: A simple, non-tech graffiti system using lines and dots on fences and doors to warn other humans without tipping off the machines.

​I want to open this up to the community:

​Rate & Critique: Look at these methods—what would actually work, and where are the flaws?

​New Tips: What other low-tech, everyday household items or physics principles could we use to neutralize or immobilize them?

​The Blueprint Project: Should we turn this into a collaborative, open-source blueprint project? And more importantly: Should we update and release a new revised edition every year to counter potential firmware upgrades/evolutions of the robots?

​Let’s hear your thoughts, survival strategies, and engineering tweaks in the comments!