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I’ll just deposit this here. This is far from everything – we haven’t even gotten into politics lol. But a good start…

 

Name of World: This Place (Kudos to whoever gets the reference. You’ve probably figured out my plot twist.)

Time period: fantasy with modern trappings (so, phones, internet, and other pieces of modern civilization that can reasonably develop in their world).

Diplopia: is the one habitable place. A little underground country inside an ocean. Everything outside of this cave-system is water and there is nothing else beyond this. There is no concept of sun, moon, sky – nothing. Diplopia is divided into 3 major sections: The Five Hives, The Shifting Lands, and the Edgelands

·      The Five Hives: this is the ‘big city’ part of Diplopia and the seat of government. It is the most stable region, well established and settled. There were (surprise) five major parts of the city but these days only the Government, the Archives, and the Fields remain. Everything else gave way to the Fields (food). The Archives are smaller now that everything is online. Most people don’t even remember what the other two parts of the city were. There is an Orb in the ceiling of the Five Hives that glows for eight shifts (hours) and then is dim for eight shifts (hours). The Hives are the highest point in Diplopia and, among the Edgelanders, is called the ‘OverRealm.” They can be a bit disconnected from the world around them.

·      The Shifting Lands: these are in a ring around the Five Hives and, once upon a time, were the majority of Diplopia. They are inhabited by nomads and change every shift (hour) – the term comes from here. These areas are heavily populated by Cold Shadows and very hazardous. In recent years the shifts have become erratic and less predictable. Many Rangers – Runners and Scouts mostly – have been lost while trying to find out what is changing. (Burn has very nearly been one of these Rangers on numerous occasions.)

·      The Twelve Chambers: these are how the Nomads can live in the Shifting Lands. Twelve areas that are entirely still, like the Hives. They settle in one for the night and then get moving the next day. However, the nomadic life has gotten less and less tenable. Most Nomads now make a living not off what can be found in the Shifting Lands, but by transporting goods from the Hives to the villages of the Edgelands.

·      The Edgelands: these are the places beyond the Shifting Lands. Like the Hives and Chambers they are still. They are considered the last step you can take before the edge of the world and the Abyss beyond. Edgelanders have little use for the Hives who scorn them as crazy people who live too close to the Abyss. Many pioneers have died from collapsing tunnels and floods. But they have more room than the people in the Hives.

 

Extra features:

·      Blue Moss: a highly toxic moss growing on the walls of This Place. It is especially prevalent in uninhabited areas – it is very enticing to children because it glows in the dark – brightly – so people pull it up and destroy it when they are living in the area. Legend has it that it used to be a lot brighter. That people could use this instead of lamps.

·      Fire Opals: a recently discovered gem in the coal seams deep, deep in the lower Edgelands. People are still nervous about burrowing under the marked ends of the shifting lands but this can be found at the edges.

 

Place/places they land in/could land in: They are more likely to survive past the first night in the Hives. Anywhere the Cold Shadows are is kinda advanced – especially for someone with no context.

Worldbuilding quirks that aren’t considered magic: Talents are an innate superpower that is magic but is not considered magic. They are widely accepted and necessary to survival.

Many people also display small mutations – for example, Burn has claws instead of fingernails which he can retract like a cat but keeps trimmed in a more human shape (he got tired of poking holes in himself). Drake – I’ve mentioned him before – had six fingers on one hand, his parents had it removed so that he has a long scar over the side of his hand. It is pretty common to remove possibly troublesome mutations if that can safely be done.

Three common fantasy animals characters might bump into:

1. Dire Lizards: They have poison teeth and long snaky bodies. Think of a tiny Eastern dragon. They also hiss very, very loudly and love to live near the coal-seam fires and warm, smoking places. (Are you seeing why Burn doesn’t like them now?)

2. Fell Wolves: a wolf with dragon horns (between 4 to 15), claws, and scales as ‘stockings’ over their paws. They are very common in the Edgelands but becoming less common as they are dangerous and actively being hunted. Hunting has eased up since people realized they help keep the Cold Shadows under control.

3. Cold Shadows: probably the most common least wanted. A group of shadows is called a scream. They are vata-black and have a humanoid shape (hence the name). They have long, sharp teeth, very long claws, and seem to survive solely off human flesh. In the tunnels they are deadly and they are attacked to human settlements.

Natural phenomenon(s) that might be problematic: The High Tide happens once a year. This is when the waters from the Abyss overflow into Diplopia. This year has been troublesome and people are predicting an apocalyptic flood. While about half the population has dissed this, there have been more disastrous preludes to the High Tide (floods, washed out villages, and all the rivers are running higher). It’s slated to be the worse one on record.