fiona15351 | Entries tagged with worldbuilding

Dear Worldbuilder,

I have had a blast with this exchange for the past three years and am looking forward to participating again.

Treats and unusual formats are more than welcome and much appreciated!!

Below are some general likes and DNWs, then my fandom-specific prompts.

Likes:
- Character Dynamics

Healthy communication + relationships (sexual/romantic/otherwise)
Non-sexual intimacy
Found family
Supportive siblings
Resilience and breaking-points of friendship, broken/faded friendships being rekindled/repaired
Mentor and student where the mentor has a lot to learn from the student as well
Relationships where the participants are on opposite sides (politically/militarily/philosophically/feuding families, etc.)
Aggressively competent characters solving hard problems (by planning ahead or thinking on their feet)

- Story Formats

Case Fic
Political Thriller
Spin-offs (Focus on minor characters, prequels/sequels with novel characters)
In-Universe Legends/Media
In-Universe Diagrams/Educational Material/Guides
Epistolary
Frame narratives

- Art*

Limited/Coordinate Color Palette
Black and White (w/ Pops of Accent Color)
Art Nouveau
Stained Glass
Intricate Architectural Details / M.C. Escher-esque trippy geometry
Characters with diverse body shapes and sizes
Historical or Historically-Inspired Costumes
Fun Details snuck into background text / Extra-interactions

*These are just things I happen to like -- I tend to like art in general, so no worries if this list doesn't exactly match with your preferred style! Prioritize what feels best for you to create!!

DNWs:

Bestiality / Explicit sex involving non-anthropoids
Rape / Non-con
- Dub-con, especially involving magical manipulation, is accepted
- Rape/Non-con portrayed by consenting adults in the context of acting/role-play, is also accepted
- Rape mentioned as part of canon backstory (e.g. The Quadrene perspective on the conception of the Bastard) is also accepted
Hurt No-Comfort

Chalion - Lois McMaster Bujold

Characters: Any or No Characters, Original Characters
Formats: Fanfiction, In-Universe Meta

Worldbuilding:

The Roknari and the Quadrene Faith:

I would love a Roknari-sympathetic / Roknari centered narrative that explores their understanding of the Holy Family. Why do they use fish instead of sacred animals? How are their views on the gods different from and similar to the Quintarians? How are these views reflected in their societal values and society as a whole? Something epistolary between a Roknari scholar and a Quintarian scholar could be really fun!

The Bastard's Death Demon:

Is the Bastard's Death Demon a demon in the same sense that Desdemona is? How is it similar to and different from the chaos elementals that escape into the world from the Bastard's Hell? Why is it different? What is its origin? Don't necessarily need all these questions definitively answered, would also love to see scholars and theologians raising and debating these questions!

Women in the Son's Order:

In a world with very defined gender-roles, I'm curious about women who dedicate themselves to the Son, either within the social norms (are there any sanctioned positions that allow for this?) or by challenging or subverting them.

Scholomance - Naomi Novik

Characters: Any or No Characters, Original Characters, Liesel Mueller
Formats: Fanart, Fanfiction, In-Universe Meta

Magicians and the World Wars:

Magicians are portrayed as fairly insulated/separated from the wider politics of non-magical culture, but I'm curious how they were affected nonetheless. What did enclave politics look like throughout the early 20th century? Was magic used to dodge drafts? We know that new entrances were added to London Enclave to avoid the shelling; how did other enclaves adapt to the hazards of war? What new magical innovations appeared throughout this time? What were politics like in the early days inside the Scholomance? How did the older students' understanding of world politics affect alliances? How was news brought in by freshmen reacted to? Definitely not expecting all of these questions to be explored, just providing jumping-off points!

Magical Children of Families Without Magic, Pre Destruction of the Scholomance:

We barely see this explored in the books, but I would love to see the story of a student who comes into the Scholomance not knowing anything about magic and manages to survive (or at least survive longer than anyone expects). I was thinking this would be before Orion and El's time, but it's up to you! For in-universe meta, maybe the notes such a student would leave in their new-student handbook?

Construction and Architecture of the Scholomance:

Would absolutely love some art/in-universe meta dealing with this, like the diagrams about how the school works that are canonically posted around it. Would also love to see a story about its original design and construction. The details in the books are intriguing and I would love to see some more!

Liesel's Organizational Efforts Post Enclave War:

I think this would lend itself so well to epistolary fic, but I'm definitely not married to that if you have another idea! Basically, Liesel's ruthless competence is attractive and I would like to see more please! How does she keep El's secret, while simultaneously preparing for the inevitability of someone figuring it out? Who does she bring in to their team and what is the vetting process like?

Flow - (Film 2024)

Characters: Any or No Characters, Original Characters, the secretarybird
Formats: Fanart, Fanfiction, In-Universe Meta

What happened to the humans? | Whale Biology | The secretarybird's departure | Animal societies and politics

Saw this over the holidays and loved it. Especially interested in the secretarybird but happy with anything to do with these prompts and in holding with the aesthetics of the film. I really liked how grounded most of it felt in a world that could be real. I would love a speculative take on the setting versus something overtly magical. I definitely interpreted the secretarybird's departure as an allegorical representation of death (the people I was watching with did not!) but I'm not married to that interpretation.

Current Mood: excited
Current Location: Panera
Current Music: Whatever's playing in this Panera

Dear Worldbuilder,

I have had a blast with this exchange for the past two years and am looking forward to participating again. While I have prompts for all the worlds I have requested, I would really just love to know other people's thoughts on these universes. I hope you will find my prompts helpful to spark ideas but I am more than happy to see whatever you are inspired to write!

Also, treats are more than welcome and much appreciated!!

Below are some general likes and DNWs, then my fandom-specific prompts and DNWs.

Likes:
- Character Dynamics

Healthy communication + relationships (sexual/romantic/otherwise)
Non-sexual intimacy
Found family
Supportive siblings
Resilience and breaking-points of friendship, broken/faded friendships being rekindled/repaired
Mentor and student where the mentor has a lot to learn from the student as well
Relationships where the participants are on opposite sides (politically/militarily/feuding families, etc.)
Aggressively competent characters solving hard problems (by planning ahead or thinking on their feet)

- Story Formats

Case Fic
Political Thriller
Spin-offs (Focus on minor characters, prequels/sequels with novel characters)
In-Universe Legends/Media
Epistolary
Frame narratives
Worldbuilding focus

DNWs:

Bestiality / Explicit sex involving non-anthropoids
Rape / Non-con
- Dub-con, especially involving magical manipulation, is accepted
- Rape/Non-con portrayed by consenting adults in the context of acting/role-play, is also accepted
Hurt No-Comfort

Chalion - Lois McMaster Bujold

Characters: Any or No Characters, Original Characters, Penric kin Jurald, Desdemona, Rede Licata, Dubro, Maska
Formats: Fanfiction, In-Universe Meta

Worldbuilding:

Inheriting a Demon with its First Human Imprint:

As mentioned, I love student-mentor relationships and I would love to see more of Penric, Rede, and Dubro, and the dynamics between them. What is it like for Rede to have a man he knew well in his head? How does it affect his relationship with Maska as he learns to be a sorcerer? How does it affect him and those around him while processing the loss of Dubro?

It would also be super interested to see this from Maska's pov. What is it like to go from the instincts and understanding of a dog (+ weasel + quail) to those combined with Dubro's personality and understanding.

I am equally happy for this to be explored with original characters: a prospective sorcerer and the temple sorcerer they are inheriting their demon from, etc., or through a piece of in-universe meta, such as a guide to new sorcerers upon inheriting their demon — perhaps written by Penric himself?

Sharks That Have Demons:

What is it like for a demon that has inhabited a human mind to be forced back into one very differently shaped? We get a hint of this in Masquerade in Lodi and possibly more in Demon Daughter (though I have not yet read the latter), but I would be very interested to see it with a demon that is able to work with the shark. How is other animal intelligence different from rather than lesser than human intelligence? How can a demon who has perhaps experienced many animal forms use that experience in this situation?

Uses for Sorcerers in Courts of Law:

It seems that the Bastard and the Father are perhaps the most opposed of the Five from the perspective of one being associated with chaos, the other with law and order. But Desdemona and presumably other demons have senses which seem as though they would be useful in the courtroom. Are there sorcerers who devote themselves to both the Bastard and the Father, as sorcerer-healers devote themselves to both the Bastard and the Mother? How do other dedicates of the Father respond to sorcerers? I would be delighted with a story or in-universe court documents focusing on Penric and Desdemona or on original characters!

Women in the Son's Order:

In a world with very defined gender-roles, I'm curious about women who dedicate themselves to the Son, either within the social norms (are there any sanctioned positions that allow for this?) or by challenging or subverting them.

Fandom-specific DNWs: I haven't had a chance to read Demon Daughter yet, so no spoilers please!!, Anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments expressed by POV characters

Lavender Jack
Link to Read: https://www.webtoons.com/en/super-hero/lavender-jack/list?title_no=1410

Characters: Any or No Characters, Original Characters, Sir Mimley Bastrop | Lavender Jack, Theresa Ferrier, Ochre, Gio Sakakibara, Dame Agatha Sampat
Formats: Any

Worldbuilding: The Founding and Traditions of Gallery, The Platinum Wars, The Inclement Investment Company, Lavender Jack's Tech, Sir Mimley's School Days, Madame Ferrier's Previous Cases

Heavy emphasis on "Any Characters" here. I just finished a reread and loved it just as much, or more, the second time. I don't have prompts more specific than my worldbuilding tags, and I'm completely happy for those to be interpreted very loosely if you have some other aspect of the world you want to focus on. I would be just overjoyed to see pretty much anything in this world!

Fandom-specific DNWs: None for this fandom!

The Murderbot Diaries - Martha Wells

Characters: Any or No Characters, Original Characters
Formats: Any

Worldbuilding:

Reception and Fan Theories for Media:

Space-reddit threads, blogs, critical reviews, friends arguing in person or over text, go wild! Who watches? Who is involved in this discourse? Who is represented? What's controversial? What do people want to see more or less of?

Advertising and Merchandise for Media:

Limited-edition lunchboxes? Action figures? Funko pops? Posters? Collaborations with other properties? Again, go wild! I think this especially lends itself to art, but I'd be equally interested in a fic about a pitch meeting for one of these products, or a kid getting their dream toy. In somewhere as profit-focused as the Corporate Rim, one must imagine that merchandizing is a huge part of media production. Are there terrible rip-offs? Battles over intellectual property?

Behind the Scenes of Sanctuary Moon and Similar Media, Actual Episodes of Sanctuary Moon and Similar Media:

Again, I think these especially lend themselves to art and in-universe meta (sets, character profiles, script-excerpts or summaries, etc.), but I'd also be interested in a fic giving insight into the cast and crew of these properties! Are ComfortUnits ever employed as actors? What is the social status of people involved in entertainment? How is celebrity treated in the Corporate Rim and outside it?

Political Agendas in Media in the Corporate Rim vs Outside It:

I am most interested in this in combination with the other worldbuilding tags. In general, I would be interested in any combination of these tags that you are interested in taking on!

Fandom-specific DNWs: I recognize that non-con or at least dub-con is implicit in the nature of constructs and conscripted workers employed in the Corporate Rim. I'm fine with some exploration of this, I'm just not interested in a super dark or graphic story. Thanks!

Scholomance - Naomi Novik

Characters: Any or No Characters, Original Characters, Sir Alfred Cooper Browning, Liesel Mueller, the Scholomance
Format: Any

Worldbuilding:

Magicians and the World Wars:

Magicians are portrayed as fairly insulated/separated from the wider politics of non-magical culture, but I'm curious how they were affected nonetheless. What did enclave politics look like throughout the early 20th century? Was magic used to dodge drafts? We know that new entrances were added to London Enclave to avoid the shelling; how did other enclaves adapt to the hazards of war? What new magical innovations appeared throughout this time? What were politics like in the early days inside the Scholomance? How did the older students' understanding of world politics affect alliances? How was news brought in by freshmen reacted to? Definitely not expecting all of these questions to be explored, just providing jumping-off points!

Enclave Alternatives:

The Sharma family seems to do alright, even after their enclave is destroyed, although they still need to send their children to the Scholomance. What are similar arrangements like around the world: wizard groups voluntarily living outside enclaves? I would also love to see art of the Sharma family's home. The descriptions in the books are beautiful.

Layout and Operation of Golden Stone Enclaves:

For fic, what did the original occupants experience, or what is it like adapting to a Golden Stone enclave when you've lived in a larger one based on malia? For art, would love to see a map or drawing of a Golden Stone enclave.

Magical Children of Families Without Magic, Pre Destruction of the Scholomance:

We barely see this explored in the books, but I would love to see the story of a student who comes into the Scholomance not knowing anything about magic and manages to survive (or at least survive longer than anyone expects). I this would be before Orion and El's time, but it's up to you! For in-universe meta, maybe the notes such a student would leave in their new-student handbook?

Construction of the Scholomance:

I will be happy with anything here! The details in the books are tantalizing and I just want more!

Liesel's Organizational Efforts Post Enclave War:

I think this would lend itself so well to epistolary fic, but I'm definitely not married to that if you have another idea! Basically, Liesel's ruthless competence is attractive and I would like to see more please! How does she keep El's secret, while simultaneously preparing for the inevitability of someone figuring it out? Who does she bring in to their team and what is the vetting process like?

Fandom-specific DNWs: None for this fandom!

Once again, thank you so much for writing for me!

Current Mood: excited
Current Music: Longest Johns' Voyage

Dear Worldbuilder,

I had a blast with this exchange last year and am looking forward to participating again. While I have prompts for all the worlds I have requested, I would really just love to know other people's thoughts on these universes. I hope you will find my prompts helpful to spark ideas but I am more than happy to see whatever you are inspired to write!

Also, treats are more than welcome!!

General Likes and DNWs

I love any form of epistolary fic and in-universe document or legend. For character-driven stories, I enjoy depictions of healthy relationships (sexual/romantic/otherwise) and found family, as well as stories about the resilience and breaking points of friendships and how broken or faded friendships can be rekindled and repaired.

DNWs: explicit sex involving non-anthropoids, bestiality, rape (dub-con, especially involving magical manipulation, is accepted), graphic photorealistic depictions of gore or body horror (written is alright)

Labyrinth (1986)

Fanart | Fanfiction | In-Universe Meta
Characters: Jareth, Any or No Characters
Tags: Jareth's Castle, Lasting effects of the Labyrinth on humans, Wishing People Away and Other Wishes Granted, The Land Outside the Labyrinth, 13 Hour Clocks, The Labyrinth

How did the labyrinth come into existence? Does it predate Jareth? Did he build it? What form does the “certain death” behind the wrong door take? Who built the robot who guards the gates of the goblin city? The walking cannons? What does their workshop look like?

What about the lands outside the labyrinth? How far do they extend? What would happen if you walked away from the labyrinth rather than towards it?

Why are there thirteen hours on goblin clocks? What is the significance of the extra hour? How does the temporal offset affect things between the goblin and mundane realm?

These are just some questions to get started with! I just generally love this film and want to see your thoughts!

DNW: Heavy focus on Jareth/Sara. Background Jareth/Sara is fine if you really want to include it.

Ladyhawke (1985)

Fanfiction | In-Universe Meta
Characters: Any or No Characters
Tags: The Curse and Magic in General, In-Universe Folklore, Navarre’s Sword, Intelligence in Animal Form

I'm particularly interested in Navarre and Isabeau as figures in rumor and legend, as well as how common stories similar to theirs are in the world of the film. For example, has Cezar the trapper dealt with magical/sapient animals before? Is there a general recognition that all animals may not be what they seem? How does this interact with widespread Christianity?

I'm also curious about Navarre's family and personal history, especially his friendship with Francesco. How do his comrades feel about his departure after the curse?

Sunshine - Robin McKinley

Fanart | Fanfiction | In-Universe Meta
Characters: Any or No Characters
Tags: The S.O.F., The Voodoo Wars, Protective Charms, Bad Spots and Countermeasures, Magical Tattoos

I was really intrigued by the Special Other Forces vehicles' countermeasures against bad spots, when/how they were developed (during the Voodoo Wars?), and why they sometimes succeed/fail.

I'm also very interested in how protective charms become animated/semi-sentient (?)/eventually corrupted and what the implications of this might be.

Finally, I would love to see designs for/ruminations on magical tattoos. Can temporary or Henna tattoos work the same way?

James Asher Vampire Series - Barbara Hambly

Fanart | Fanfiction | In-Universe Meta
Characters: Any or No Characters
Tags: Vampires and Belief Systems, Vampire Nests and Hierarchy, Science of Vampirism, Master & Fledgling Relationships

I especially like the first book in this series. I find the world-building to be pretty tight and a novel and satisfying take on vampires. I’m especially interested in the relationship between Ysidro and Grippen and their different forms of power and authority in (or at the edges of) vampire society.

In terms of in-universe meta, I think an exploration of the kind of materials Lydia gathers when tracking vampires could be absolutely fascinating.

However as with my other prompts, I’m excited to see more about whatever aspect of this world interests you!

Chalion Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold

Fanart | Fanfiction | In-Universe Meta
Characters: Desdemona, Any or No Characters
Tags: Demon to Demon - How They Perceive Each Other and Interact, The Call - Becoming a Cleric in Chalion

I don’t have a prompt that’s significantly more detailed than the tags here. I think a demon POV piece would be awesome (ascendant or not, either way). Saints of the Bastard are terrifying to demons, how is the quality of that fear different from the fear of another demon?

For becoming a cleric, I really love the funerary rituals and animals. I’d also be particularly interested in stories of people being called by an unexpected god: e.g. how did a mother end up in the Order of the Son?

DNW: Main character(s) expressing anti-LGBTQ+ views or sexism. These can definitely exist in the story, but please don’t make them views held by the MC(s).

Current Mood: creative

Dear Worldbuilder,

This is my first time participating in a fic exchange and I am really looking forward to whatever you create! While I have prompts for all the worlds I have requested, I would really just love to know other people's thoughts on these universes. I hope you will find my prompts helpful to spark ideas but I am more than happy to see whatever you are inspired to write!

General Likes and DNWs

Ladyhawke (1985)

Fanfiction | In-Universe Meta
Requests: Etienne Navarre, Francesco, Captain Marquet, Cezar, Soldiers’ Relationships with Magic and the Church, Navarre’s Sword, Intelligence in Animal Form

I'm particularly interested in Navarre and Isabeau as figures in rumor and legend, as well as how common stories similar to theirs are in the world of the film. For example, has Cezar the trapper dealt with magical/sapient animals before? Is there a general recognition that all animals may not be what they seem? How does this interact with widespread Christianity?

I'm also curious about Navarre's family and personal history, especially his friendship with Francesco.

DNW: Bestiality, Explicit Sex Scenes

Scholomance - Naomi Novik

Fanart | Fanfiction | In-Universe Meta
Requests: Modern Technology and Magic, Malefecaria and Creating and Binding Mals, Artificer Track, Any Artificer(s)

I would be really interested in a work surrounding artifice projects (especially ones integrating modern technology with artifice) or specific variety of malefecaria; maybe in the format of a student homework assignment? This could also make for a really fascinating piece of interactive fiction!

DNW: Photorealistic Gore or Nudity

Sunshine - Robin McKinley

Fanart | Fanfiction | In-Universe Meta
Protective Charms, Bad Spots and Countermeasures, Magical Tattoos, Mel

I was really intrigued by the Special Other Forces vehicles' countermeasures against bad spots, when/how they were developed (during the Voodoo Wars?), and why they sometimes succeed/fail.

I'm also very interested in how protective charms become animated/semi-sentient (?)/eventually corrupted and what the implications of this might be.

Finally, I would love to see designs for/ruminations on magical tattoos. Can temporary or Henna tattoos work the same way?

No DNWs for this fandom, thanks!

Optional Extras

Open to podfic? Yes

Podfic likes: Framing devices, such as an in-universe interview, archivist or police report recording, radio news report, or audio-diary entry. For Ladyhawke specifically: a recording specifically including/emulating Phillipe's habit of directly addressing God could be fun + incorporation of period appropriate (or similar to the film's backing track ;) style music.

Open to vids? Yes

Vid likes: I would really just be thrilled to receive a video for any of the fandoms listed. No extreme gore or nsfw video content please.

Open to IF? Yes

IF likes: I love both parser-based and Choose Your Own Adventure. I enjoy IF where some amount of customization/environment exploration is possible. I really enjoy many Choice of Games as an example, but I would really be happy with anything here as well.

Current Mood: excited
Current Music: Encanto Soundtrack

This post is based on a project I did in elementary school (around fifth grade, I think), trying to rework the calendar system so it makes more sense (to me. In 5th grade). It's also the calendar system I tend to use for my fantasy worlds. These season names are the dry ones, but I might do a later post with the modified system I'm planning to use for my custom D&D setting.

In-system Conversions

1 minute = 100 seconds

1 hour = 10 minutes

1 day = 36 hours*

1 week = 9 days

1 season (somewhat equivalent to a month) = 5 weeks

1 year = 8 seasons [360 days] + New Year's Day^ + Solstices [2] and Equinoxes [2] + 1 Leap Day every 4 years

*12 is actually a really cool number (in my opinion) because it's divisible by 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 however I made this calendar system with the intention of easy division into consistent units (Leap Day notwithstanding)

^Essentially just an extra day that's required for the math to work out. I shift around where this is placed based on what world I'm using the calendar for.

Standard Time Conversions

1 second = 2.4 standard seconds*
1 minute = 4 standard minutes
1 hour = 40 standard minutes
1 day = 1 standard day

*Since the seconds from my system are so much longer, half-a-second (or whatever I ultimately call it) is actually a common, meaningful measure of time.

Season Names

Early Spring
Late Spring
Early Summer
Late Summer
Early Autumn
Late Autumn
Early Winter
Late Winter

Full Calendar

(This is the original version of the system. I've moved around where the equinoxes and New Years fall, depending on the world I'm using it for. I'm not completely sure of the accuracy of the number of days between equinoxes, but I fudge that a little. I will perhaps research it in the future)

New Year's Day [1]
(Leap Day [1])
Early Spring [45]
Vernal Equinox [1]
Late Spring [45]
Early Summer [45]
Summer Solstice [1]
Late Summer [45]
Early Fall [45]
Autumnal Equinox [1]
Late Fall [45]
Early Winter [45]
Winter Solstice [1]
Late Winter[45]

Current Mood: creative
Current Music: Random Pop