The Diaemus Project

[Sir Jerric]

To join, just state your interest below. Here are a few questions for us to ponder before getting started:

• Will magic be abundant or rare in this new world?
• Will the climate and background ecology resemble that of Earth, or will it be entirely different?
• What kind of biomes do people want access to? I've contacted a cartographer who might be available to help with maps, and I'm sure it'd be helpful to this individual to have an idea of what regions are in the highest demand.

The world of Diaemus rises!

 

He presented the exact question I was planning to ask. What fun.

 

Also, what era is the tech in this? Or does it depend on the species/ area you're in?

My answer would be: All of them?  We are setting out to build a world here, so history is part of the design process.

 

If we allow too many different races, I'm worried this thing will explode into chaos... Do we restrict the number of sentient races, implement a multiverse system, or just go for it and see what happens?

This is a forum thread with an open invitation to participate. "Just go for it and see" is the only viable operating procedure.

 

 

I am gathering that people want something that does not feel like an earth-clone. The question is, what makes a world too much of an earth-clone?

 

Earth has an axial wobble that will reverse our seasons in about 10,000 years. How would people like a world that has an axial wobble that makes each season last for 7/12ths of a solar year? Or seasons lasting three solar years?

 

The plausibility of this idea is open to debate, should anyone care.  

[Mckeedee123]

Wait... prehistoric animals? Ground Sloths! We can make Ground Sloths part of this world!

 

Seriously though, of all of the prehistoric "ages," quaternary is definitely the coolest.

Edited September 16, 2015 by Mckeedee123

[Seonid]

I'm in.

Magic - Abundant in the ecology, but rare in terms of professional magic workers in the traditional fantasy sense. In other words - plenty of magical creatures but only few wizards.

In order to provide maximum creative freedom while maintaining consistency, I'm thinking we should have a common source of magic that the ecology can draw on (although difficult to tap into without the biological adaptations that the creatures have), which should let us go wild with regard to magical creatures. As a proposal for the source, maybe an atmospheric microorganism similar to krill, but much lighter (or even a whole class or order, or even a full phylum of them, inhabiting air and sea and even underground) that, when ingested our harvested or inhaled or whatever, can have effects based on the biological adaptation of the creature consuming thehaving a universal source will help maintain consistency without limiting freedom to create.

Whatever we end up choosing, we should have a magic system that scores high on the Mohs scale of hardness. Plausible physics and biology, with fully thought-through implications of the effects. (It's good we have Edgedancer here, for that very purpose.)

Ecology - let's start with something vaguely earth-like, with a mix of exotic and recognizable fauna. I like mek's idea of pulling ordinary creatures and putting them into non-standard habitats, like floating jellyfish. I love that I've, actually.

Twi beat me to suggesting dinosaurs, actually. The Jurassic or Cretaceous periods would provide quite an exotic setting to adapt, while leaving room for the familiar. If in one region, large mammals evolved alongside dinosaurs (or out-competed them), but in another, dinosaurs were dominant, that doesn't strain credulity too far.

I'm not sure how I feel about gobs and gobs of sapient races. It feels that at some point you cross a threshold of plausibility, where you start asking the questions "how did ask of these races end up so evenly divided and balanced long enough to develop sapience?" And "why and how did the balance last so long?"

That said, I think a world with 2 or 3 major sapient races (land-based, that is) with tons of other sapient creatures filling in the cracks could be done well.

To clarify - 2-3 continent spanning races with civilizations and cities and so on, with dozens of species that are significantly restricted in area alongside them.

EDIT: To avoid double-posting, I've been thinking further on the number of sapient races thing.

I all think that it would be best to have only 2-3, possibly up to 5 races with a multi-continent reach. These would have many different civilizations, and could really have large variations from place to place.

Alongside them, if we had 4-6 medium range races per continent, with enough range to have multiple civilizations and so on, but are only found on one, maybe two continents.

Alongside those, there might be a dozen or more sapient races per continent that inhabit a relatively small range, like just the forests of Nin, or only the desert of sand, or what have you. These would likely be either tribal or a single, united civilization (exceptions could easily exist).

I'll leave the seas Adobe for now, but on such a world, there will almost certainly be sapient sea folk.

My point is, that I think that if this model meets with approval, we should decide on the major races jointly, because they will span over most of the regions we are developing. Medium ranges ought to be a joint project to, between the folks whose regions will include them.

Edited September 17, 2015 by Seonid

[Mckeedee123]

 

 

In order to provide maximum creative freedom while maintaining consistency, I'm thinking we should have a common source of magic that the ecology can draw on (although difficult to tap into without the biological adaptations that the creatures have), which should let us go wild with regard to magical creatures. As a proposal for the source, maybe an atmospheric microorganism similar to krill, but much lighter (or even a whole class or order, or even a full phylum of them, inhabiting air and sea and even underground) that, when ingested our harvested or inhaled or whatever, can have effects based on the biological adaptation of the creature consuming thehaving a universal source will help maintain consistency without limiting freedom to create.

 

That would be incredibly versatile, and would let us do practically anything with world design. It's a great idea.

 

I guess I should say that I do personally prefer having magic be something... intrinsic to certain people though. I dunno where other people stand. Are there any more suggestions for specific magic systems? We should get them all together and figure out the pros and cons of each, in terms of worldbuilding and storytelling and whatnot.

Edited September 17, 2015 by Mckeedee123

[Zathoth]

I love the idea of taking inspiration from prehistoric times, Im definitely down with that, and now I have an excuse to make giant insects, so Im all kinds of happy.

 

Anyway what do we want the magic to do exactly? Before we start figuring out a system... at least that is how I usually approach making magic...

Edited September 17, 2015 by Morzathoth

[Lindel]

My thoughts exactly.

This. All of this.

I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiments on the magic.

I say we collaborate on the main races, and then delve into our own regions, sticking to those races as the basis for all civilization. I'd like to see a reptilian race, which would fit well with climate based on the Jurrasic petriod. Possibility semi-aquatic, but I'm open to suggestions.

EDIT: Ooh, giant insects!

Edited September 17, 2015 by Lindel

[Seonid]

Ninja'ed. I edited my post above with a more detailed model of sapient races. Comments on the updated model would be appreciated.

But basically, I agree with the collaboration on the major races pay. Minor sapient races should be left to the creativity of each of us

Edited September 17, 2015 by Seonid

[Kobold King]

I love the magical krill idea.

 

I also like the idea of having two or three intercontinental races with a greater number of single-region, tribal creatures. Here would be my proposal for four primary races:

 

• Humans or a human-like species. The generic option, and probably most prevalent.
• A dinosaur species. Specifically, if we work in the magical krill idea, what would you guys think about a sapient raptor civilization with higher magical potential than humans? As apex predators, their bodies would historically have absorbed higher quantities of the krill, potentially allowing them to evolve a greater affinity to it.
• An underground species, potentially spider-like in nature. Someone mentioned caverns as a biome, and having sapient spiders (or other bugs) as subterranean imperialists could be pretty interesting. Brutal arachnid wars could be waged under the shell of the earth!
• An aquatic species. Maybe something like mermaids, but with a plesiosaur or dinosaur upper body? In any case, it might be neat to have at least one sapient species that calls the ocean's waters home.

[Mailliw73]

I was thinking of designing a pastoral culture of a sapient race(probably the humans) who have herds of other, stranger creatures in the steppe lands somewhere. Not that this impacts much, just that I'll be designing a lower race of creatures that these folk have domesticated and herd. Possibly a lizard-type race.

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

I was thinking of designing a pastoral culture of a sapient race(probably the humans) who have herds of other, stranger creatures in the steppe lands somewhere. Not that this impacts much, just that I'll be designing a lower race of creatures that these folk have domesticated and herd. Possibly a lizard-type race.

I first read "other" as "otters."

[Seonid]

Lots of amazing stuff.

Excellent. I'm in on the humans. Proposal: natural magical ability is completely absent among most of the humans, due to their being imported from off-world. Humans make magic devices instead, harnessing the microorganisms.

Raptors - Totally amazing! What of they had sentient colonies of magical organism that provide this magical potential? I could see them as pack hunters using their magical colonies.

Spiders - definitely a bug race of some sort. Maybe ants, though? With sapient sports as more lone predators than civilization builders?

The aquatic is excellent, and I think there should be one.

I'd like a second reptilian race, though, semi-aquatic (freshwater). And another, non-human mammalian race. That would give us 4 above ground races, one underground race, and at least one aquatic race

[Kobold King]

* mind of a mad genius *

 

Humans - I like that. I like that a lot. Homo sapiens, always physically weaker than the rest of the animal kingdom, has to use its ingenuity to hold its own in this savage world. One question, you talk about humans being imported from elsewhere--who would be doing the importing? An extinct progenitor race? The gods? The humans themselves?

 

Raptors - Exactly! Packs could group together to form larger coalitions, and could even work their way up to the empire level if one of the land claimers has a mind to design dinosaur imperialists.

 

Spiders - Ants are the obvious choice, I think. And eusocial sapients have kind of been done to death--the buggers from Ender's Game, the Klendathu bugs from Starship Troopers, the cho-ja from The Riftwar Saga, etc. I think communal spiders with a cross between arachnid savagery and human civilization would be treading relatively new ground.

 

Mersaurs, or whatever they wind up being - We might consider giving the aquatics access to the best magic, given that their fluid medium would prohibit advanced technologies like fire or metal crafting.

[Mailliw73]

I first read "other" as "otters."

Large otters? Those could be herded.

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

Large otters? Those could be herded.

They'd make a much cuter herd than sheep, too.

[Mailliw73]

They'd make a much cuter herd than sheep, too.

And them eating fish might add more protein to their milk for the humans to have, which would be good. Any biologists want to help me out if this is true? Do meat-eating animals have more protein in their milk/blood?

[Lindel]

Sapient underground arachnid civilization sounds cool.

As far as insectoid races go, ants are interesting, but might be a bit overdone. In keeping with the prehistoric theme, what about something based around Meganeura/dragonflies? Could put a unique spin on "fairies".

EDIT: To clarify, I'm not talking about little people with dragonfly wings, I'm talking about a legit, flying race of sapient insects.

Edited September 17, 2015 by Lindel

[Zathoth]

Sapient underground arachnid civilization sounds cool.

As far as insectoid races go, ants are interesting, but might be a bit overdone. In keeping with the prehistoric theme, what about something based around Meganeura/dragonflies? Could put a unique spin on "fairies".

EDIT: To clarify, I'm not talking about little people with dragonfly wings, I'm talking about a legit, flying race of sapient insects.

Those could fit in the dark creepy forest.

 

How about sentient non-animals? Like plants or mushrooms? Or creatures that completely defy the animal/plant categorization?Just throwing ideas. 

 

So you could have huge, singing plants that use their song to communicate and attract prey.

[Seonid]

The more I think of it, the more I like the underground arachnids. I also withdraw my request for a second mammalian civilization. Instead, the fourth above-ground major race could be avian. They could compete with Lindel's intelligent dragonflies.

Lindel, were you the one who originally asked for a semi-aquatic lizard race?

[Lindel]

Yeah, I was. I was originally thinking along the lines of diving iguanas, but I'm open to other suggestions.

Edited September 17, 2015 by Lindel

[Mckeedee123]

So how do you visualize the krill thing working? I don't think I really understand the implications of it. I keep visualizing dragons swallowing clouds of hovering rotifers and then using them to fly somehow. Are they magical? Or scientific? Do they exist inside organisms like chloroplasts or mitochodria at birth? Or do they have to be ingested?

 

Uh... anyway, when are you planning to ask your pal for that map? Should we just go ahead and start getting into the details of the worldbuilding now?

[Kobold King]

The more I think of it, the more I like the underground arachnids. I also withdraw my request for a second mammalian civilization. Instead, the fourth above-ground major race could be avian. They could compete with Lindel's intelligent dragonflies.

 

Avian could be neat. They could also be bats, or pterosaurs, or giant flying amphibians with wing membranes on their legs. The sky is literally the limit.

 

(I also went into this with the loose concept of a sapient spider civilization that dwells in small numbers aboard flying silk balloons, floating far above the landscape while they harvest aerial prey and trade with ground-based civilizations. Maybe they could be a subspecies of the subterranean spiders?)

[Lindel]

I'm pretty sure we've moved past using dragons in the traditional fantasy sense. Perhaps something akin to a pterosaur?

As far as scientific versus magical, might I suggest it could be both?

[+Slowswift]

A couple questions:

1) Can we put all off this info in one post when we're done? For coherency purposes.

2) die-AY-muss?

[Mckeedee123]

I'm pretty sure we've moved past using dragons in the traditional fantasy sense. Perhaps something akin to a pterosaur?

 

Well, that's not the point. Animals shoving piles of bugs into their mouths to do magic is just sort of a weird image to me.   So I must be stuck somewhere.

Edited September 17, 2015 by Mckeedee123

[Lindel]

#1 is a good suggestion. Perhaps one of us should keep a running tally of our decisions thus far, and post updates periodically?

EDIT: To avoid double posting:

Well, that's not the point. Animals shoving piles of bugs into their mouths to do magic is just sort of a weird image to me. So I must be stuck somewhere.

It might be more of a matter of diet. Frequently feeding on the krill interacts with the specific biology of the organism, giving them their unique magical properties? Besides, the magic krill is just one suggestion. Edited September 17, 2015 by Lindel