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the-wizard-writes · 5 months

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Werewolf X Vampire Imagines: Urban Fantasy edition

🧛 : Vampires who often use their werewolf partner as a space heater since their own body is so cold. They snuggle up to them and just use them as a big bed whenever they feel like it.

🐺: Werewolves who like to play with their vampire S/O whenever they transform into a vampiric animal. Not just bats either! Imagine if they could also turn into a wolf and they surprised their werewolf partner that they can also transform into a big wolf. Wolf dates in the woods! 🧛: The werewolf s/o buying packs of blood for their vampire partner when they are low on their blood supply. (They also impulsively buy those silly bendy straws as well.) Werewolf: "I got your blood babe!" Vampire: "Thank you dear. I- ...What are these?" Werewolf: "Bendy straws!" Vampire: "...Why?" Werewolf: "So you can drink out of the blood packs!" Vampire:" With silly straws?" Werewolf: "With silly straws." 🐺: Werewolves who want to cuddle with their vampire s/o in their coffin but the coffin is way to small for the both of them. Also the werewolf so maybe sleeping on top of the coffin of the vampire trapping them inside as a way to mess with them a bit. 🧛:Vampires being an "honorary" member of the werewolf's pack. Even though they are a rowdy bunch it's nice to have a bit of fun with some werewolves rather than sit and have some boring conversations with elder vampires. 🐺: A werewolf shielding their vampire s/o from the sun using their bodies or even using their pack as human shields to help their vampire s/o to get to their destination. 🧛: Both of them making cute nicknames for each other. 🐺: Werewolf s/o protecting their vampire s/o even though they know they really don't "need" to be protecting. The vampire basically has a guard dog next to them 24/7. 🧛: Both of them making fun of shitty vampire/werewolf movies as a home in date night.

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alpaca-clouds · 4 months

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Urban Fantasy Worldbuilding and the USA

You know what? I am talking a bit about Urban Fantasy. Because, you know, I originally mostly wrote Urban Fantasy stuff and did write in my old blog about it. And there is just something about the genre that tends to bug me a lot. Specifically about the world building.

Most of the time Urban Fantasy is very US-centric, or at least western-centric. Of course, there is Urban Fantasy fiction existing in other cultures and those are at times (though the US is still overrepresented) set in the country where they are written.

But... Let me talk about why the US-centric or western-centric worldbuilding irks me so much: It kinda ignores the rest of the world EXISTING. With maybe the one exception of putting some creatures from exotic mythologies in there, a lot of writers tend to ignore that other countries have different ways of organizing things.

This starts bugging me in different ways, depending of the kind of worldbuilding. In Urban Fantasy worlds, where magic is secret, the reason for magic being secret is often bound very much to western history. In Urban Fantasy worlds where magic is no longer secret, it just shows with assuming that both world organisation - and the way people interact with magic.

Let me talk about the "secret" magic first. Yes, in some Urban Fantasy worlds magic is secret by default. This is stuff like the Mist in the Rick Riordan stuff. Where humans can somehow not or not always perceive magic. That is... fine. But often enough it goes more like: "Oh, yes, we keep magic secret because of the witch hunts." In which case I will go and ask: "Okay, sure, fine for North America and Europe, but... what about the rest of the world?" Like, sure, there were some witch hunts in other colonial areas - but in general... witch hunts were very much a western thing. So I have to wonder: Why would people in the rest of the world align with the entire idea of "keeping magic secret"?

Even in worlds where the reason for the secrecy is bound to a fictional event... It often is something that has happened in the west that often ignores the relationship that other cultures might have with magic.

In worlds where the magic is out in the open the problems are still similar. For the most part, we only get to know what the magic creatures are doing in the USA (or whatever European country the story takes place). Any big organisations for the magical world - even international ones - are in western countries. And generally speaking any characters from a not western background tend to be token.

And... You know... That is just horrible worldbuilding? Like, if you do Urban Fantasy, I am sorry, but you gotta learn a bit about how the real world works and how people of different cultures interact with the idea of magic.

It is one of the big things that stops me from enjoying a lot of Urban Fantasy.

#urban fantasy #rick riordan #worldbuilding #us centrism #eurocentrism #history #media criticism #urban fantasy worldbuilding #buffy the vampire slayer

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the-likeable-wizard-mack · 9 months

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Monsters and their coffee orders

Barista: "Hello sir, what can I get you today?" Orc: "Coffee Beans." Barista: "...I'm sorry what?" Orc: "I. WANT. THE. BEANS. Barista: "Sir...Uhh..I can't give you JUST the beans..

Barista: "Hello there, what can I get you for you today?" Elf: "Hello yes, Can I get a 2/3 caff triple ristretto affogato venti, 2 pump mango 1 pump classic, 2%, mango to the second line, 3 scoops protein, 3 scoops berries, 2 1/2 scoop matcha, add banana, double blended, with whip, caramel drizzle, salted caramel topping, vanilla bean Frappuccino." Barista: ".....Uh.. S..Sure.. Can I uhh... get a name?" Elf: "Lysaninder with an i" Barista: "......Oookay..."

Barista: "Welcome! What can get for you today?" Dwarf: "Eh, just a large caramel frap please." Barista: "Wonderful!" [Minute later] Barista: [Hands them the drink] "Here you go ma'am" Dwarf: "Ah yes, thank ya!" [Pulls out a bottle of bourbon and pours it into the coffee] "Best way to start the morning huh?" Barista: "....." [Thinking] "It's only 7am..."

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josiedearly · 1 year

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Sometime in the modern past, weird things began to happen, in the small cities, towns and villages. No one really knew why people were disappearing into holes that just open up from the earth beneath their feet, or why the local parks and ornamental trees are starting to grow faster and weirder than normal, or why the animals began to swarm and congregate in the overgrowing wilds, or why those animals look a little different. No one knew why people started changing colour for no reason, or floating without notice, or disappearing into portals into far flung areas, or being able to read people's thoughts and feelings, hell, producing the elements from their bare fingertips.

No one knew why this was happening, and only in these small, less populated, more isolated areas. So people sought to find out.

It's about a decade or so into the present, no one's really gotten close to finding the answer. There's been a whole new branch of scientific study dedicated to studying these phenomena, and they've made enough headway to start naming the unexplained. But that's only a small step forward. All they know is that whatever is happening, it's happening, and it's spreading.

🌎 ✨ Welcome to Emergent Earth ✨ 🌏

Emergent Earth is a contemporary urban-fantasy set on a version of Earth that is slowly being overrun with magic, a worldwide event called the Emergence. Starting in the wild and isolated places of the world, magic hotspots called Emergence Zones appeared and began to grow, causing all kinds of little weird and wonderful things to happen to the environment and the creatures within and around them. With the sudden introduction of magic, human society is struggling to adapt, and the Emergence Research Commission was created to study all occurrences related to the Emergence and Emergence Zones. Not everyone is ready to welcome such a new and unknown force in their life, but whether they like it or not, the Emergence shows no sign of stopping.

As this a personal project, I'll be working on and off on this setting, and something I want to do now that I have this blog is make art to accompany my posts! I'm looking forward to sharing more about this project in the future!

#worldbuilding #urban fantasy worldbuilding #Emergent Earth

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esor-ogramira · 1 year

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IT IS COMPLETE!!!

Reblogs > comments > likes, so please reblog!

This took me about 7-8 hours, spread out over the course of about 3-4 days to complete. And it was WORTH IT!!

I am super proud of how the backgrounds came out! I made it so that the lighting of the scene was coming from some glowing lichen/moss/slimy stuff on that one stalactite behind Taizaros! This is all meant to be in a massive cavern that’s located right beneath a cursed inland sea in an asteroid impact crater, and said inland sea is called the Lake of Silence!

Lore infodump beneath the break!

It’s called the Lake of Silence because there appears to be no life beneath the pitch black surface of the Lake, aside from the tentacled “monsters” that grab those who wander too close to its shores. Those tentacled “monsters” (all of them are actually Taizaros, himself, swimming around in the Lake) then drag their victims deep beneath the surface of the Lake, never to be seen again. The Alliance of Venrias is very much aware of the fact that those “monsters” are actually one Fallen Deity, because of the fact that their Revered Soul Tracking Devices always pick up on the presence of Taizaros’s Soul within the Lake. So they would definitely notice if the signature of Taizaros’s soul were to disappear for some reason!

The Lake of Silence being within the crater of an asteroid impact has a lot to do with how Taizaros arrived on Leytovar after having been exiled from Daituria and the entirety of the spiritual plane of existence.

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whereserpentswalk · 1 month

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prokopetz · 19 days

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The trouble with self-consciously edgy urban fantasy RPGs which are explicitly set in the real world is that they always get fixated on the Second World War, and there's literally no good way to speculate about whether Hitler was a vampire or whatever – not only is it tasteless, it's done. It was cliché even in the 1990s, and it hasn't become any less cliché since. Like, at least switch up the war – I want to see an edgy urban fantasy RPG whose Secret History™ revolves around the proposition that Archduke Franz Ferdinand was from space.

#gaming #tabletop roleplaying #tabletop rpgs #game design #worldbuilding #urban fantasy #history #world war i #world war ii #nazi mention

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my-forgotten-notepad · 1 year

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Writblr tip and trick link Masterpost

the followring a bunch of links to a variety of tumblr blogs discussing things from fight scenes, types of romance, antagonists and how to flavour dialogue descriptors and how to build the voice and logic of your characters.

emotion chart

subplots

emotional writing tips

words other than said

character profile

body language

types of villains

elements of a fight scene

romance

action scenes

writers block

character flaws/buffs

rules for writers

Character's voice

sci-fi/dystopia/utopia genre post

virtue to vice spectrum

eldritch madness definition

dialogue options

expression descriptors

eldritch madness 2

trope, theme, archetype, motif and cliche

example of predestined outcome

a unique perspective on female representation in fiction

disguising a character's powerlevel with dialogue and physicality

notebook.ai (character construction/worldbuilding app)

narrative archetypes

how to create an impactful action heroine

eldritch madness 3

villain value system

writing advice

use of lifespan in a work

character profile 2

dialogue options 2

I want to have all these links here and easily available for reading and re-reading if an when I need them rather than needing to relentlessly dig through all of my likes to find any of the relevant material I want to look over. I hope other's find them as accessible and as usable as I do.

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ahb-writes · 3 months

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Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions (Clothing and Fashion)

Clothing and Fashion Worldbuilding Questions:

What is considered typical or everyday dress for each region?

What values or status does society confer to clothing (or is it entirely functional, or even non-existent)?

Who is permitted to wear what? Are there taboos, superstitions, or laws governing dress? Why?

Who has access to clothing? Which fabrics are cheaper and which more expensive (and why)?

Where are fabrics and other materials used in clothing sourced, and is their production ethical or problematic in some way?

Where are specific dress codes or uniforms enforced, and what are they?

When do styles or what people typically wear change, are there seasonal, spiritual, customary or other aspects to this?

When have (or will) clothing styles change in the world, and what are the economic, environmental, or other contributing factors?

Why is clothing in this world the way it is, what are the aesthetic beliefs, meanings or symbolism ascribed to colors, and other contributing factors?

Why does gender, class or race impact what people wear (for example, a group may have spiritual or familial meaning attached to the type of jewelry or body modification members embrace).

❯ ❯ ❯ Read other writing masterposts in this series: Worldbuilding Questions for Deeper Settings

#writeblr #worldbuilding #fiction writing #writing tips #writing advice #writing #novel writing #fantasy writing #fwq #fantasy worldbuilding #fantasy fiction #superstitions #color symbolism #character creation #urban fantasy

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viscardiac · 1 year

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Fictional worldbuilding

I have this list I compiled of topics for developing of countries, whether fantasy based or not, and it seems to be a useful resource to share. Feel free to use this list to develop your own lore, but DO NOT claim it as your own or repost. It's pretty long, but I think it covers a lot of relevant topics for worldbuilding.

General

∎ Country name - Etymology if possible - Reasons for the name ∎ Does it take inspiration for a historical time period, aesthetic, or culture ∎ What sort of government is it

Important Places

∎ Main cities - Layout of the city - Economic or historical importance ∎ Other cities and places of importance - Ports - Mine cities - Scholarly cities ∎ Seasonal or turistic places

Climate and Terrain

∎ Important lakes, rivers, mountain chains or other geographically relevant places ∎ Seasons ∎ Climate in general ∎ How does the terrain affect daily habits ∎ Important plants - Agriculture - Crops for export ∎ Important animals - Livestock

Government

∎ System of government - Nobility/aristocracy -- Titles and inheritance/eligibility of titles - Merchant class ∎ Current and past rulers

Social customs

∎ Entertainment - Common forms of entertainment - Games - Cultural/social forms of enterteinment (go to parties/go to the movies/go out to eat/etc) ∎ Seasonal entertainment - Vacations - Seasonal high class customs ∎ Customs regarding reading and books ∎ Customs towards addictive substances - Alcohol - Tobacco - Opioids - Other stuffs ∎ Education and educational system ∎ Houses - Home layouts - Common things in houses ∎ Rites of passage - Age to be presented as adult to the society and customs regarding it ∎ Manners and behaviour in public ∎ Religion - Possible gods - Holidays - Festivals ∎ Customs regarding music - Musical instruments

Notions of family

∎ Inheritance laws ∎ Marriage and concepts of marriage - Marriage rituals - Who is allowed to wed who - Divorce - Customs toward conjugal and domestic violence - Polygamy -- Extraconjugal affairs --- Bastards ∎ Adoption ∎ Division of domestic labor and roles

Economy

∎ Coin and values ∎ Important internal products ∎ Main imports ∎ Main exports ∎ Important commercial relations

Fashion

∎ Common feminine fashion ∎ Common masculine fashion ∎ Concepts about clothing - What is seen as vulgar - What is seen as desirable ∎ Fashion and rites of passage ∎ Hairstyles and adornments

Names and language

∎ Base language ∎ Linguistic influences ∎ Working of names - Family names -- Patronymic and matronymic - Personal names

Magic and technology

∎ Magic - Practice of magic - Permissions within magic - Common and uncommon forms of magic ∎ Magic creatures of importance ∎ Level of technology ∎ Daily uses of technology

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the-wizard-writes · 3 months

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My Monster Roommate: Nylian (Neil) Elsalor

Nylian (Neil) Elsalor: (he/him)

Major: Magical History

Minor: Library and Informational Sciences

Selby Talbot: (they/them)

Major: Poisons Biology and Serums

Minor: Herbalism

From what Selby gather from being a roommate to an elf they has learned a few things...

One, elves hear everything. Of course with those big pointy knife ears of there's they hear almost everything that goes around the apartment. Sometimes he would give little quips about what he's heard.

“You know, if you stop eating out all the time then maybe you would have more energy rather than feeling sluggish all the time.” Nylian cooly comment not looking up from his textbook. Selby snapped their head towards the elf glaring daggers at the elf who didn’t even care about the piercing gaze the witch bore into him throwing away the leftover’s from that orc bbq from last night, “Where did you hear-

“From your conversation two days ago, also maybe try eating a vegetable once in a while. It’ll get your energy up.” The elf coldly cut it. Selby frowned at the elf’s “helpful advice” and rolled their eyes. Selby mumbled some curses under their breath as they sat down their shared little couch next to the elf, living with Nylian has made Selby notice some things about elves that they haven’t known before. Sure there were the common stereotypes of the elf race that they knew from other races passing comments (mainly dwarves) but, Neil was actually pretty far from the more egregious stereotypes of elves. As Selby was about to grab a drink they noticed some crudely pictures on the refrigerator. The pictures were drawn in fun colorful colors with simple shapes, flowers and books with some having pictures of the elf himself along with a book sitting with a group of kids. Some drawings even had “Worlds best librarian!” Written along the top of the card stock paper. Selby turned to Nylian who was coolly sipping on his mid morning tea not paying attention to the witches curiosity.

“Hey Nylian?”

The elf perked his ears up turning towards the witch, “What is it?” The elf mused,

“What ‘s all these?” Selby asked, pointing to the kid picture on the fridge.

“Oh. Some kids from the library made that for me.”

Selby paused and turned towards the elf. Kids? No, Selby has seen Nylian interact with others. Neil was cold and often avoids others Selby has never seen the elf around common areas on campus talking to people then again the elf’s friends that Selby has see seemed to be similar to him as well. Studious, academically involved and stand-offish towards others.

“I…I never knew you even liked kids?” They admitted still confused

Neil closed his book and shrugged, “You never asked.” He simply stated.

“Yeah, but, you…don’t seem like the type to even want a kid.”

Nylian raised an eyebrow his lips curling into a small smile. “Well, I do want kids in the future. I come from a very big family, even for elf standards. I have younger siblings that I took care of when my parents were busy.” Neil explained ruminating on the statement from Selby. “My favorite activity was reading to my younger siblings during bedtime. I have been told from many of people that when I read I tend to formulate stories in away that makes people want to listen. I like encouraging them to read books as well.” Neil said.

The witch nodded along with Neil’s explanation. They never expected the studious elf to be a advocate for kids. “The kids from my assistant library job.” He pointed the pictures on the refrigerator. “They often draw me pictures of the stories they come up with or from stories that I’ve read.” The elf explained with a small smile. Selby was intrigued by the elf’s openness to kids rather than people around him, “Wow, you might as well become a teacher then.” Selby suggested. Nylian gave a light hearted laugh shaking his head, “Oh no, I couldn’t being a librarian is always something that I wanted to do. I want to encourage knowledge and literature to others, not teach.” He said.

The witch shrugged glancing at the pictures again. The thought of the studious elf reading in funny voices to children and helping them color in pages for small activities made them smile on the inside. Though he didn’t want to be a teacher, a librarian was also a really sweet job to help kids learn how to read which was ultimately what he wanted to do.

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novlr · 19 days

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I’ve been reading some craft books and online posts about the world building because my story is an urban fantasy set in present day US, in a fictional town, and theres not a secondary world where the fantasy happens, it’s all in the real world, except the magic is a secret that only certain people know about, but all of the resources I find about world building only talk about fantastical worlds that exist by themselves and not the kind of more subtle world building that I’d have to do. Do you have any tips?

Worldbuilding for urban fantasy is the perfect opportunity to explore the mix of the mundane and the magical. It involves crafting a universe where the impossible becomes possible, yet is grounded within the familiar settings of our own world. This requires a delicate balance—immersing readers in the fantastical without breaking the spell of believability. Here are some essential tips on worldbuilding for urban fantasy writers.

Understanding urban fantasy

Before delving into building your urban fantasy world, it’s crucial to understand what sets this subgenre apart from other forms of fantasy.

Recognise the defining traits of urban fantasy, which typically include a contemporary setting combined with supernatural elements.

Familiarise yourself with the genre’s common tropes and themes, like hidden magical societies, the coexistence of magical and non-magical beings, and the contrast between the ordinary and the extraordinary.

Critically read successful urban fantasy novels to see how other authors have balanced the real and the fantastical.

Consider reader expectations for the genre, and the flexibility it has for innovation and subversion of norms.

Determine the tone and mood you want for your setting, as this will influence all other aspects of your worldbuilding.

Creating your magical systems

The magical systems in your urban fantasy will offer a unique flavour to your world, determining the capabilities of your characters and the challenges they face.

Where does the magic in your world come from—is it drawn from nature, ancient artefacts, parallel dimensions, or something else?

Decide if magic is commonly known or if it’s a secret kept from the general populace. If it’s a secret, why? And what are the consequences if it becomes known?

Develop the limitations and costs of magic, as these constraints can drive conflict and plot development.

Invent magical organisations, guilds, or societies, detailing their roles, influence, and how they operate in your story world.

Create distinct magical phenomena that occur within your urban setting, which can become landmarks or points of interest in your narrative.

Consider how technology and magic interact; do they coexist harmoniously, or are they in constant contention?

Creating realism in your urban setting

Realism in urban fantasy is about making the reader recognise and connect with the world you have created as something that is both other and familiar.

Include lots of real-world details, including accurate descriptions of city life, technology, and culture. Make sure you research for accuracy.

Use sensory details to make the urban environment come alive—smells, sounds, textures, and tastes that the reader can relate to.

Include social and political issues that resonate with contemporary society, allowing readers to draw parallels with their own experiences.

Develop a diverse cast of characters whose life experiences and backgrounds reflect the complexity of a modern urban society.

Integrate authentic dialogue that mirrors the way people communicate in modern life, including local slang and mannerisms, both real-world accurate and unique to your setting.

Consider the logistics of an urban environment, like transportation, law enforcement, and the economy, and how these are affected by the presence of magic.

Character development in an urban fantasy

Characters are the heart of your story, and the way they react to fantasy elements in their real-world environments will drive a lot of your narrative.

Create protagonists and antagonists whose motivations are shaped by the intersection of the real and the magical in their lives.

Develop backstories for your characters that explain their relationship to the urban setting and the magical elements within it.

Design character arcs that reflect the challenges and growth that come with living in a world where fantasy is reality.

Introduce secondary characters that highlight the diversity of the urban fantasy landscape, from magical creatures to human allies and adversaries.

Explore the psychological impact of a dual-world existence on your characters, including the strain of keeping secrets and the wonder of discovering magic.

Use character relationships to explore the nuances and complexities of your urban fantasy world.

Plotting your urban fantasy

Your plot is the vehicle through which readers experience your story world. Urban fantasy requires careful attention to pacing to give both elements equal weight.

Construct a plot that intertwines the urban and the fantastical, using the unique aspects of your setting to drive the story forward, rather than relying on the mundane.

Introduce conflicts that arise from the overlap of the magical and the mundane, be they societal, personal, or existential.

Use the setting itself as a character, with its own moods, secrets, and evolving role in the narrative.

Create set pieces that showcase the extraordinary within the ordinary—magical battles on the rooftops, secret meetings in subways, or enchanted parks hidden in plain sight.

Develop a pace that balances the exploration of your urban world with the unfolding of magical elements and plot progression.

Consider the use of multiple viewpoints to give a broader perspective on how the urban fantasy elements affect different characters and society at large.

Blending the real and magical

The key to urban fantasy is making the reader believe that magic could exist in their own world, interwoven with the everyday.

Introduce the fantastic elements gradually, allowing the real world to serve as an anchor for the reader’s suspension of disbelief.

Develop a set of rules for how magic operates in your world to maintain consistency and a sense of order.

Use recognisable landmarks and urban elements as grounding points, then twist them with your fantasy elements.

Establish the history of magic in your world and how (or if) it has shaped society and its infrastructure.

Consider the impact of magical events or beings on the everyday lives of both your characters and the city’s unsuspecting inhabitants.

Intertwine the real and the fantastic so that they feel inseparable, each substantiating the other’s existence.

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the-likeable-wizard-mack · 1 year

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Can we get more info on more urban fantasy greek creatures?

Urban Fantasy Monsters: Greek Edition!

((Sure! I don't mind. Let's go!))

Centaur accessibility in homes and office spaces. Centaur architecture has become a huge movement in the interior design world creating a space between a cozy farmcore like design with more modern elements. Gates are sold within home department stores next to doors where people can purchase them to make a centaur safe house. These gates come in all shapes and sizes and has become quite a trend in some suburban homes.

Chimera's becoming exotic pets for the rich and wealthy. Though these animals are quite interesting to look at they are more suitable for a wild environment. Conservationist have actively voiced their concern towards Chimera's becoming a sort of "luxury pet " which has also become a hot topic when some major celebrities' are seen taking photos of them and their little baby chimera pups.

Another pet one, Cerebus's and hell hounds in general becoming more of a household pet. Due to the breed variety of these dogs most people find them to be great guard dogs and some have even been in the police force. One famous doggo was Ajax, Castor, and Ares. This Cerebus was a breed that conceded of a three headed Rottie mix, he was one of the first Cerebus's to be on a police force and was used in many operations. He has a statue in a police station for his bravery. This boom in popularity has made these dogs a house hold name and have improved their reputation in the past couple of years. Who could say no to a three headed ball of love??

Despite both of them being beautiful horses of magic. DO NOT put unicorns and Pegasus in the same enclosure. Unicorns are highly territorial and do not like it when other creatures are in their territory. The same can be said for Pegasus, they're more on the timid and will not usually attack unless they feel threated. Giving them snacks like carrots and grains are a great way to gain their trust however, they might bring some more of their friends along like crows and you'll have a hoard of Pegasus in your backyard.

Satyrs having intrusive thoughts about chewing...everything. Some use chewing as a stress reliever or to rid of anxiety so, most have small sensory chew items to help with this. Though that doesn't stop some satyrs from chewing on cans.. Human: "Dude. Did you chew on my shirt?" Saytr: [Shakes their head with something in their mouth] Human: "What's in your mouth." Saytr: "...." [BOLTS AWAY] Human: "Spit it out!!"

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un-pearable · 3 months

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this may sound hypocritical given i am very much also a superhero fan . but i attribute everything i dislike about the (pre-Dragons Rising) Wildbrain era of Ninjago to the superhero-fication of the ninja. it started with the doom and gloom angle they took post movie but every issue i have with the flanderization of the show can be traced back to seeing the ninja as Marvel-esque superheroes (functioning as cops) rather than mythologic/prophecied folk heroes

#the shift from urban-fantasy to superhero fiction fundamentally ruined most of the appeal in the show #both worldbuilding and character dynamics . don’t make the ninja cops.#they’re not punishing bad guys they’re stopping prophecied armageddons . they’re a DND party not the avengers.#crucially they must be Just Some Guy.#this is badly phrased i’ve been meaning to do a whole write up for ages but i never do. read by thoughts boy #text✨#ninjago

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cmrosens · 4 months

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Fantasy Religions: Rethinking Hell & Prayer

I'm creating a fantasy hellscape and death realms so I had some thoughts about that for worldbuilding:

What happens if your hellscape isn't a place of punishment? What alternatives are there to "punishment" as a concept, and what does that say about your fantasy religious system(s) and so on?

like: I'm using a system where it's about how you die. It literally doesn't matter what you were like as a person, if you die in a specific way, you go to the corresponding realm of the dead and you're at the mercy of whoever's realm that is. If they are pretty nice and the place is the one everyone wants to get into, you may need to convince the gatekeeper to let you in when you get there, but that's doable. Also people might then try and manipulate their deaths to fulfil the criteria for getting where they want to go.

It's also fun because then people can go to hellscapes (various) even if they don't deserve it, and what happens then? Can they escape? Can they journey through and find a way out? Can everyone?

Do/how do prayers function in this system?

Are people praying to a deity that can hear them?

How do they try and get said deity's attention and why is that meant to work?

If the deity/deities are very annoyed by the prayers of the living and have deliberately made it difficult for prayers to reach them, what then?

Or, is it more that the living require someone to open a channel of communication so they can be heard, and this also helps the souls of the dead in some way?

Can prayers benefit the dead? How and when?

Can the dead pray for themselves/for the living, so it operates in reverse?

I'm going with the system where you can't pray for yourself, that's an alien concept, because the person who prays becomes a conduit or a channel for somebody else. They have to try and make their mind go blank with repetition of words given to them by the wind - which carries the voices of the restless dead, who died without anyone to pray for them and open a road for them to travel on - and in that moment of blankness, the soul they are praying for can cross over from life to their appropriate death realm. If you don't have someone to pray for you like this, your soul joins the wind forever, and you are just a whisper bringing warnings and bad news to people, and telling them what to pray for everyone else.

This is based on the old folklore that you can hear the voices of the dead on the wind, I think it pops up in Flemish folklore in some form, but also I've heard it elsewhere. I just adapted it.

From this, you can build outwards and work out fantasy religions and philosophy and ideology. Just keep asking questions, layer on layer, and see where this goes, as your answers are the scaffolding and the shape will grow from those first decisions you make.

Like, ok, what's the terminology for these concepts and processes (do they even have words like 'hell' and 'prayer')? How do these terms show up in the language and casual conversation - idioms like "he hasn't got a prayer" or "not a hope in Hell" wouldn't work if prayer isn't something that's synonymous with 'chance this will work out', because in this world, the idea of asking for something in prayer doesn't exist.

So in my world, for example, 'he hasn't got a prayer' wouldn't mean 'he doesn't stand a chance', it means, 'he's going to join the restless dead because he's got no one to pray for him'. That might be used for a very unpopular person: he's so bad, he hasn't got a prayer. (He's such a bad person that he hasn't got anyone who will pray for him when he dies). Or, a very lonely, isolated person: I think that's so sad - living alone without a prayer.

Similarly, if there's no Hell, then all the idioms that use "Hell" as a place of punishment no longer apply, and if there's no equivalent, then "not a hope in Hell" would have to be retired and swapped out for something else that does make sense in this world instead.

Conversely, "living on a prayer" like Bon Jovi would mean "selling my ability to pray for you", like a service that people offer so you don't join the wind, or go to the wrong death realm, or that you'll get passed the gatekeeper if a prayer operates like a ticket to enter, or whatever this might mean in your world.

If this is something that can happen, how are these people seen - as necessary to the community, or as unscrupulous opportunists? Bit of both? There's a whole interesting series of characters you could develop from just that concept, which might draw parallels with the sin-eater figure. And what happens if someone who doesn't deserve a lovely afterlife pays someone to pray for them so that they get entry into a lovely death realm?

There's a lot to play with when you just take one idea away, and try to swap it for something else. In this case: Hell isn't a place of punishment, so what is it then, and does it exist at all, and if not, what is there instead and how does it work?

That's a good place to start with building fantasy religions. I've already done a few other posts on my thoughts there!

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whereserpentswalk · 13 days

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Reblog to curse your followers and mutuals.

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