Need some worldbuilding help

[Kestrel she/her]

Yo.

I'm writing a book. I hope. We don't know.

I have a magic system, half a plot, and a few makeshift characters. I won't give away too much because I'm planning on publishing it later.

My magic system has to do with time progression/gravity. That sort of fun stuff.

I need a world, however. Mostly the environment. What sort of climate do you think would suit the magic system?

I know I'm being vague. Asdfghjkl just go with it.

[Kobold King he/him]

(Just FYI, I think this would do better on Creator's Corner. More literary-minded people would see it and comment on it there.)

 

 

Time progression and gravity... to me, those two together bring together the image of an exotic alien rainforest. The air warm and moist, the trees having mastered control over gravity to grow as high as skyscrapers in our world. Seeds could burst into fully grown plants the instant they touch the soil, the ability to progress time fully inherent within themselves.

 

In our world jungle plants harness the laws of physics in many myriad ways--it makes sense to me that plants in an enchanted setting would evolve to use the magic system of their world to carry out their life cycles. That's just my humble two cents, though.

[KamorianKandra he/him]

I think it would be cool in a forest to provide obstacles, and not just have flat land. Something like a jungle could work as well though.

[KamorianKandra he/him]

I think it would be cool in a forest to provide obstacles, and not just have flat land. Something like a jungle could work as well though.

Sorry, I accidentally posted this message twice.

Edited May 23, 2015 by KamorianKandra13

[Kestrel she/her]

Hm, I like that image. I was planning on the flora/fauna having temporal powers, of some sort. A rainforest would be cool.

[DanTheSeamonster he/him]

I am also under the impression that a rainforest would be a great setting for this. I would say try and throw a unique spin on it somehow though. Possibly make it a tundra-esque climate, but one that still gets a lot of rain and has a lot of trees? Or maybe make it swampy or rocky instead? I dunno, I'm just throwing some ideas out there. 

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

I am also under the impression that a rainforest would be a great setting for this. I would say try and throw a unique spin on it somehow though. Possibly make it a tundra-esque climate, but one that still gets a lot of rain and has a lot of trees? Or maybe make it swampy or rocky instead? I dunno, I'm just throwing some ideas out there. 

 

You mean like the Hoh Rainforest in Washington state? It's not a tundra by any stretch, but it's definitely colder than most rainforests, being in Washington state and all. That would give you the sort of muggy, murky atmosphere of a rainforest, but also with the sort of low temperatures you'd get in a more tundra-like environment. (It's currently 53 degrees there, according to Google.) 

 

If you do draw inspiration from the Hoh Rainforest, also check out the Washington coastline. Unlike what most people think of when they think of beaches, Washington state beaches are cold, rocky cliffsides. A setting based on the Hoh might have some similar beaches. 

[DanTheSeamonster he/him]

Actually, yes! A good bit like that. I think it would be neat if the temperature was a little lower though, like 20-30 °F. I have this cool image in my head of icicles hanging down from the tree branches as the clouds above spill forth buckets of rain.

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

Actually, yes! A good bit like that. I think it would be neat if the temperature was a little lower though, like 20-30 °F. I have this cool image in my head of icicles hanging down from the tree branches as the clouds above spill forth buckets of rain.

 

I'm not scientifically minded enough to figure out how this could possibly work, but there must be a way. There has to be. This is too awesome not to work.

[Kestrel she/her]

So, a temperate rainforest? That sounds nice, actually. There's only two of those in the world, you know, the one in Washington state and then the Smokey Mountains in North Tennessee/North Carolina area. We actually have a cabin up there.

This will work. I'll make this work.

[DanTheSeamonster he/him]

Oh, hey! My brother lives in that rainforest! Well, the North Carolinian one, not the Washington one.

[Curiosity he/him]

I'm imagining a few small animals that can manipulate their own gravity to fly about: lizards, fluffy things, etc. How about large, slow predators that are sneaky, but trap their prey in a super strong gravitational field, both trapping the prey and slowing time down around them? Or spider-like beings that use their ability to create a trap in one specific place, to pull unsuspecting prey into their dens? What about beings that sense gravitational waves to "listen" to the environment? 

 

Ok, I went down the science fiction rabbit hole there, but it's a start.

[DanTheSeamonster he/him]

Oh! Good idea! I particularly like the idea of predators being able to slow down the time around their prey. That way the prey are moving extremely slow, and the predators can walk over and have a snack at their leisure.

Edited May 24, 2015 by The Crooked Warden

[Kobold King he/him]

I'm imagining a few small animals that can manipulate their own gravity to fly about: lizards, fluffy things, etc. How about large, slow predators that are sneaky, but trap their prey in a super strong gravitational field, both trapping the prey and slowing time down around them? Or spider-like beings that use their ability to create a trap in one specific place, to pull unsuspecting prey into their dens? What about beings that sense gravitational waves to "listen" to the environment? 

 

Ok, I went down the science fiction rabbit hole there, but it's a start.

 

 

Birds that use time progression to hatch their eggs ahead of all the competition. Temporal-distorting parasites that can live generations in your skin before you can scratch them out. One of the most feared predators on the planet, a ferocious beast that can tear a man apart with conflicting gravity fields.

 

There is a lot, and I mean a lot, of potential for magical animal species. I'm tempted to pick a few random superpowers and start my own enchanted ecosystem. 

[Glamdring804]

So, a temperate rainforest? That sounds nice, actually. There's only two of those in the world, you know, the one in Washington state and then the Smokey Mountains in North Tennessee/North Carolina area. We actually have a cabin up there.

This will work. I'll make this work.

Might I suggest adding some physical profile to the land? Having sheer, towering mountains jut out of the canopy could add some action with the gravity manipulation.

[Kestrel she/her]

Yes nice. This is good. I already have a few animal designs in mind, I just needed to put the ecology with them. This is great, thanks guys!

[Lord Pifferdoo he/him]

What about a plant that will shrivel up into a ball or stem structure during periods of high gravity, and then unfurl during periods of low gravity? A creature that has adapted to the magic system of the world in a way that is noteworthy to the magic users. They would even work as a natural sentry.

[The Honey Badger he/him]

Maybe plants that steal progression energy, and use it for themselves. Maybe some animals have a bit of magic to use, that they seamlessly incorporate in their average actions. I would recommend going to Writing Excuses and going to the archives, and then looking for anything on world building. 

Hope you write a good book.

[Curiosity he/him]

I was thinking, and I realized that you might want to avoid using the word "gravity" in-world. If the magic is based around that, then there would be something like, uh, *inserts first random word that pops into his head* "kayana".

 

Example:

Everything has a natural kayana, giving them reality (weight) and enabling them to walk through time alongside everything else. But others have strong kayana and are able to make themselves stand fast despite their size. Some have weak kayana and do not bind themselves to the earth...

 

Just a thought. I realize that I just gave some cultural values to the "kayana" which may not line up with your world, but I hope I made the point. I'm interested to see where you take this. Good luck!

 

Edit: Just remembered that "kayana" is "crazy" in Duladen. Don't use that.   The weird workings of random words... 

Edited May 26, 2015 by Curiosity