Or in this case, chinchillas. Theres a lot of detail that needs to be managed, a lot of nuance and content that readers will probably never see. For all you players in tabletop RPGs like D&D and Pathfinder working on your character backstories. Welcome back, Outlander, to the 2nd, Stalactites, stalagmites, caverns, and crystals! Bad Things, Good People - Theological Worldbuilding - In any game with Deities or Religions (and that's almost all RPGs), the . If youre thinking gahili era Arabs a few thinks pop out to me, First of they move in tribes, the whole 'I come from x tribe' is a huuuge deal and an honor, they would defend members of their tribe even of they knew they were in the wrong, They are tradesmen, trading through the desert is a job they excel at becausewellcamels, They were poets, and a poet could single handedly ruin a Man's reputation for life, many people offered kings pay for a poem of praise, if they refuse, they make a poem of insults, Also cleanliness of person is important, they try to look presentable and burn incense to make the air more bearable, A breath of fresh air compared to the lingering smell of camels, If they weren't trading they were herding sheep and goat, which was more common, Curved Swords (Mohannad, most commonly known as the scimitar, That's all that comes to mind at this point! According to one definition, a culture represents the beliefs and practices of a group, while society represents the people who share those beliefs and practices. Desert creatures often use dust baths to absorb and abrade waste materials off their skin and fur. Language shapes culture just as culture shapes language, and language is influenced heavily by geography and history. Do your people speak one uniform language, or many? -Rain Shadow Desert Dunes. -Omens Australian aboriginal? Terry Pratchett. -Transverse Dune A writer can get too deep into . [Omens], Mirage an optical illusion of a vibrating, towering, or stooped projection of one surface onto another. Arises from a complex interplay of clay, iron and manganese oxides, wind, and dew. Another example could be the Pueblo peoples in south western USA, who create adobe homes with natural air conditioning (although I might be mistaken). Sometimes its a reaction against a particular event, but other times its an adoption and expansion of an event. Can subvert tropes with Alternative Solutions. -Dust Storms overall infant mortality rate was 153%, and the overall child was 60 years. I look forward to continuing with it, I have some greater ambitions for developing this series into worldbuilding web tools. How strongly does the culture emphasize social hierarchy? I hope these questions have spurred your imagination. A single individual may love and hate the same thing but consider those things different. Related to Hamada. Typically includes Fog Deserts. rev2023.3.1.43269. I'm on the same boat with the cliches, I might also preserve some of them as long as they're not too jarring. For instance, if you witness someone commit a crime, does your moral responsibility to report them change if the person is a stranger, your friend, or your boss? While I often happily add various cliches to my world, the exotic desert culture just feels like too much for me. [Settlements, Omens, Passageways, Battlegrounds], Oasis an isolated and larger source of freshwater in a desert, often exposed water table, fed by underground streams. Some questions to ask yourself here: Religion is likely the second-biggest player in influencing our species (next to Geography). One thing to keep in mind with history, though, is that it shapes attitudes. After a month in the sandbox you quit noticing that everybody smells like feet and armpits, and upon returning to your comfy 1st world country with lots of water realize from the annoyed looks on everybody faces that you don't smell good. Alissar. -Passageways I already have included a people based on Mesopotamia/Egypt/Persia so no need to bring them up. dry creek or stream bed with waterflow after rain. I know that's not a very helpful tip, but sometimes the slightest changes can really make the difference. -Lithified Dune / Slickrock A desert people would concentrate their settlements around water sources, and trade routes (if any) would move between or along the water as well. -Trade Wind Desert Dimitri Halkidis 89 Followers Smaller than a Mesa or Plateau. as in example? And gargantuan is rarely fun, especially if you were hoping for . >>. Cultural values are in many ways like a two-sided coin: if you show or emphasize one value, you cover up or minimize a converse value. [Settlements, Omens, Overlooks, Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds], Monsoon Desert features seasonally reversing wind and rain patterns from temperature variations between continents and oceans; the inland areas receive little of the monsoons precipitation. This would stem the growth of these people in terms of pure numbers. SFWA Middle Grade and Young Adult Writers. -Badlands wind erosion and weathering. The setting is a desert-like area, meaning there just enough water for one to drink and not to dry out. Reality is more complex than strict binaries, but it can be a useful framework to start with. The six archetype tags with which I will flag all the various real-world land features in my Mythic Ecology Series: 1. For me, I love the idea of creating new races, religions, places, cultures, and people. What kind of customs do they have that are based off religion? For artists, writers, gamemasters, musicians, programmers, philosophers and scientists alike! Or drop the whole Middle East/North Africa inspiration completely and look to other desert cultures around the word. A big thanks as always to my Patrons on Patreon, helping keep this project going: Anthony, Bewby, Chris, Eric & Jones, Geoff, Jason, Rudy, and Tom. Well, there's no toilet paper. Though Canadian, she grew up overseas in the deserts of Qatar and is now back in the great white north and based in the prairies of Manitoba. [Omens, Overlooks, Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds], Coppice Dune / Dune Hummock / Nabkha / Knob Dune / Rebdou / Takouit a sand dune which forms around vegetation and shaped by wind, often allowing biodiversity in otherwise barren lands. How far away are they from other cultures? A big thanks as always to my, Anthony, Bewby, Chris, Eric & Jones, Geoff, Jason, Rudy, and Tom. Overlooks: sites of magnitude and grandeur, living monuments which can function narratively for finding resolve, invoking spirits, or as a Call to Adventure. This is the type of worldbuilding that engages the reader and makes them yearn to experience what the author has crafted. Passageways: transitional journeylands, including magical portals, functioning narratively for initiation and return, thresholds and tests, shortcuts and setbacks. Discussed in Part 3: Lakes. resembles a star with many arms, the crests slow upward, forming a central point. In The Anatomy of Story (2007), John Truby identifies the Desert as a narrative symbol of scarcity, of death and dying, of isolation, of will. However, I'd like to avoid making it a cliche super exotic desert land you can sometimes see in stock fantasy. In the clothing part, I would like to add that they will probably wear long sleeves and pants in order to avoid sunburns. A big threat to be used for the justice system would be exile. But I also understand how frustrating it can be. Even just gesturing with it to somebody innocently was literally saying "You are feces. Youll also want to know where desert water tends to stay (i.e. Something I saw a lot of was sand bathing. 1.1M subscribers in the worldbuilding community. One particular area I have big problems is "city planning" and I am not referring to "where on the map of this region"; it's more of "what necessary parts of a city." -Sailing Stones / Walking Rocks / Rolling Stones / Moving Rocks. -Sandstorms [Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds]. stone or bedrock surface shaped or eroded by wind, whether abraded, pitted, etched, grooved, or polished. Your fantasy magic or tech might also allow fog-harvesting. What physical attributes do they find attractive in another? How to Find Worldbuilding Inspiration in the Desert March 8, 2021 Rachel Taylor Science fiction and fantasy books take us to all types of different worlds: forests, deserts, even the stars. Do they have defining attributes? If you want a more european culture, consider the conditions that allowed europe to develop how it did. However, it's completely possible to use other cultures in your research without appropriating them. I have been trying to get some examples of ~ Types of Shoes/Boots in a Medieval Fantasy Desert Culture Anyone have any ideas or comments/thoughts on the matter? or the composition of their identity (their origin, age, gender, job title, etc.)? Exotic dessert people with belly dancers. Feel free to submit your own ideas, or draw outside the lines. -Guelta / Agelmam But its important to consider technology not just from a do they have computers or not perspective, but by a constant questioning of their relationship to technology, in much the same way we question their relationship to magic. Worldbuilding: Creating Fictional Cultures. [Settlements, Overlooks, Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds], Plateau elevated upland with at least one steep side spread over a large area; bigger than a Mesa or Butte; formed from tectonic, volcanic, or erosive activity. Populate the world with people 4. Water is a scarce commodity in the desert, so if you find some you can't drink that means its bath time. Or perhaps lightheartedness and, in formal contexts, an inappropriate lack of seriousness? Do they apply these values consistently across contexts or does the application of these values vary depending on the situation and the relationships at hand? Discussed in. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Novarian series. Some questions to think about: In other words, the people that live in your world. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. ago Actually, a lot of Middle Easterners have fairly light skin. Caused by heavy rainfall or melting ice. Press J to jump to the feed. Example: Mount Kilimanjaro. Welcome, Outlander, to the first entry in, [] 1: CoastsPart 2: WetlandsPart 3: LakesPart 4: RiversPart 5: ForestsPart 6: DesertsPart 7: TundraPart 8: MountainsPart 9: ValleysPart 10: PlainsPart 11: Atmospheric OpticsPart 12: []. What are the societys key moral principles? They haven't had a wet bath in a month or two, here is some water, and its not good for drinking so hey, why not have a bath? Water is life. In genres like Sci-Fi and Fantasy, worldbuilding must take center stage in the writing process if the you want to craft a great story. WORLDBUILDING CULTURES - Terrible Writing Advice Terrible Writing Advice 425K subscribers Subscribe 35K Share 864K views 4 years ago World Building Don't worry. Get inspired and use whats useful to you. Worldbuilding a fictional culture can be a tremendous amount of fun, not least because the sky is pretty much the limit: you can choose the setting, technology, class structure or lack thereof, and what culture groups and even species live in it. 4. Instead of giving them their own "desert" religion make them followers of whatever pantheon is worshiped in other countries. Like many Medium writers, I have a mailing list. This is where my UX design thinking starts influencing my fiction. Gate portrays the Americans as the "real bad guys". What does your nation/country/empire/kingdom call itself? Newsletter Weekly Email Of All New Posts. Worldbuilding: For a society that lives primarily in a deep desert environment, what would be the most practical and/or common type of footwear in terms of both style and material? I once accidentally offered my interpreter and long time companion a cigarette innocently and ignorantly using my left hand. Why does the impeller of a torque converter sit behind the turbine. -Coppice Dune / Dune Hummock / Nabkha / Knob Dune / Rebdou / Takouit -Haboobs Settlements, Omens, Overlooks, Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds, a sand dune which forms around vegetation. compacted and hardened sandstone formed from marine- or wind-shaped sand dunes. Can subvert tropes with Ruins or Escape. -Bajada Arriving one minute, five minutes, thirty minutes, an hour, or multiple hours after the specified time? Think about it: the simple fact that some of us settled and evolved close to the equator (thus necessitating the evolution of dark skin), while some of us settled and evolved closer to the poles (therefore needing lighter skin), has fueled some of the most shocking and emotionally-charged throughout history, up to and including present day. Desert cultures might also use the stars to navigate across the expanse of ever-changing sea dunes. Tour Start here for a quick overview of the site Help Center Detailed answers to any questions you might have Meta Discuss the workings and policies of this site About Us Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. : habitable regions of either Work or Play, Familiar or Exotic, offering diverse narrative functions: a Day in the Life, Home Base, Personal Reasons, Gathering Supplies. The following are eight aspects you should nail down at a minimum before you start writing your story. So if you want to read stories about the day-to-day life of being a salaried corporate writer, interspersed with the occasional flash fiction, sign up to my mailing list now. treatment of traumatic events are similar, but the hygienic customs -Desert Pavement / Reg / Serir / Gibber / Sai Write down answers to the cue questions as you make your setting notes. Check Out Your Personal Progress For World Ember! When you create a world, you need to create its inhabitants. Last entry we looked at forests. Hygiene and Medicine of Saharian Nomadic Tribes: Tuareg and Tubu Compared Vanni Beltrami .The medical system that these tribes developed before the colonial presence is a mixture of logic and effective practical conduct with superstitious and ineffective spells. How would someone care for hygiene, like wash themselves, when water is a precious rarity? For artists, writers, gamemasters, musicians, programmers, philosophers and scientists alike! auscultation evocative of tuberculosis or of an acute lung infection. For artists, writers, gamemasters, musicians, programmers, philosophers and scientists alike! Is it acceptable to express certain emotions openly while others should remain hidden? Bottom line being, not having an abundance of water changes the game a lot, and can have some pretty far reaching cultural effects. -Playa Lake a sand ridge perpendicular to wind direction, often with a steep face. Little villages with watering systems for their fields might be an interesting feature. My worldbuilding is pretty heavily based on the ancient world, and i aimed to go a little off the beaten path for inspirations (not too much, though). Changing the biomes a bit is deffinitely something I'm planning to do. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. If youre writing about plain old humans, then remember that were a confusing, paradoxical lot. Her first novel, Emily's House, was featured on Wattpad and has over 2 million reads worldwide. Cultures from around the world have described the awe-inducing horrors of the headless. Welcome back, Outlander, to the 6th entry in. Except, instead of thinking about the customer when designing a product, Im thinking about the person who lives in the world Im building. How sophisticated and complex are the societys formal social conventions? Is a hot staple gun good enough for interior switch repair? Perhaps we can turn desert regions into agricultural breadbaskets, meaning the carrying . Some questions to consider: Note: unless your world is dominated by a single empire, youll have to ask yourself these questions for every political state that exists in your world. -Hoodoo / Tent Rock / Fairy Chimney / Earth Pyramid (if they have one, see Politics). Settlements: habitable regions of either Work or Play, Familiar or Exotic, offering diverse narrative functions: a Day in the Life, Home Base, Personal Reasons, Gathering Supplies. Omens: sensational, temporal, or particularly pointed features that offer narrative functions of forshadowing, and good or evil portents. if something is cliche doesn't it mean that it isn't exotic at all? Can you categorise the technological level of your world into one of. are totally different. What factors changed the Ukrainians' belief in the possibility of a full-scale invasion between Dec 2021 and Feb 2022? Does the society value independent decision making and following your heart, or does the society value listening to advice and following the expectations of others? Villeneuve-d'Ascq (59650) VARS-LM. We are occasionally asked for advice about the worldbuilding process. Written texts? But the desert is full of mechanical artefacts, some unexplained and some unexploded. Very helpful, Im Worldbuilding a region that is much like the deserts in Utah and Arizona and this gave me some great ideas. For corrections or content removal requests, hit my contact page. : sites of magnitude and grandeur, living monuments which can function narratively for finding resolve, invoking spirits, or as a Call to Adventure. TRENDING: Monetize Your Worldbuilding. Im a professional fiction editor, and when I was in university for my English literature BA, something else that also fascinated me was psychology and sociology. Deciding on an environment and value (s) creates a . The communities are mainly close to a single river that runs through the edge, and that water is the main source for the entire area. What do your people think happens after death? Soft magic is more ephemeral, more unreal and fantastical, with fewer (or no) restrictions. Likewise, more on ice deserts will fall under tundra. I hope sharing a few I noticed can help you in some way. This aspect focuses on their physical attributes, but also extends to physiology, sex, whats considered normal, whats considered otherwise, and their attitudes towards other races. What mount would work best in a desert setting as a cavalry animal? I could see large hats or similar headgear. Acceleration without force in rotational motion? Take a second to support Tril on Patreon! many desert plant species adapt in unique ways, such as this boojum tree. I have created several locations within a couple of stories that have very Ancient Egyptian and Arabian style of architecture; hence, my question. Worldbuilding: Your Full Process For Creating A Fictional World 8 Fantasy World building Fantasy and sci-fi are technically the same genre, both slotted under 'speculative fiction.' When I talk about 'fantasy' worlds, I'm talking about high fantasy. [Omens, Overlooks, Abyss, Battlegrounds], Transverse Dune a sand ridge perpendicular to wind direction, often with a steep face. They also have several different factions, one of which is entirely made up of sea-faring nomads. Amelia Wiens is a professional fiction editor and lover of all things ancient and magical. Special powers.. Also, if you want to keep up-to-date on all my posts, check out my Newsletter Sign-Up to receive email notifications when I release new posts. -Decomposition Chimney / Devils Stovepipe The overall perinatal mortality rate was 232%, the -Lunettes / Source-Bordering Dunes / Bourrelets / Clay Dunes Point is, even in fantasy land, having distinctive cultures will help the story and even a fantasy story's culture needs more than 'it has kings, knights, and princesses'. Press J to jump to the feed. 3. In a hot desert this can include projections of the sky onto the ground that appear as water, a Mirage Oasis. Losing access to a water source would be almost as sure as an execution. Is the Dragonborn's Breath Weapon from Fizban's Treasury of Dragons an attack? The medical system that these tribes developed before the colonial Discussed in, basin or depression which formerly contained a body of water, but evaporated. One example I might draw you to is in u/GrinningManiac world Maura (r/landofdustandthunder for shameless advertising). Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.. Visit Stack Exchange Tone down on pure sandy desert biome. shallow lake varying considerably in level by season. Depending on technological levels, they might have a monotheistic sun deity or could be pantheistic elemental worship. Stacked layers can form into cross-hatching patterns. Underground aquifers and aqueducts would be important for them. One stereotype of the middle eastern languages (at least from the perspective of some americans) is that they're harsh sounding. To help you develop your own fictional society, Ive come up with the following questions based on Trompenaars model of cultural dimensions. Transit. As I mentioned, make sure when designing for these aspects, you think about how the world influences your persons actions. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We usually think of deserts as barren landscapes, though technically not all deserts are highly arid, and natural deserts, as opposed to overgrazed ones, have high biodiversity in fact. Note: in real life, trying to drink water from the cacti, succulents, mosses, and gymnosperm plants adapted to store it actually sickens people. Bazaars, markets, caravanserai, inns, and taverns are all different things and you can't translate between them. There are often overlapping functions, but they're never identical and the differences change how they fit into civilisations, and influence how other parts of civilisations form. How is the written word produced and proliferated? How to react to a students panic attack in an oral exam? [Omens, Passageways, Abyss], Dew Puddle a spot where dew condenses on rocks in arid environments, allowing for limited vegetation to grow. Flip it on its head and make them poetic or even borderline lyrical. For series purposes, Marvel may need this to be a main course heavy with worldbuilding, but scale has a tendency to overwhelm humor. Many political, technological, scientific, and cultural advancements and decisions are made based on what was experienced in the past. -Boojum Tree 6 mo. Your culture will adapt to service us. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. when a smaller dune forms on top of a larger dune of a similar type and orientation. [Passageways, Abyss, Battlegrounds], Erg / Sand Sea a vast, dune-topped expanse with shifting sands. What do your people call themselves? -Desert Varnish / Rock Rust / Desert Patina Alright, lets see how deserts fit in. Typically arises with abundant sand, and groups may resemble ripples from an aerial view. Learn how your comment data is processed. communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. A classic example is a feudalistic medieval society, though thats a bit played out in fantasy. Worldbuilding is the part of the writer's craft that establishes the very world(s) that your story is set in. I was about to suggest researching Berber cultures, nice to see that someone brought it up already!:). When do people smile and what does smiling communicate in this society? Distribute resources with a working economy 7. You can visit Amelias website here to learn more about her services. -Dome Dune The Worldbuilding By the end of The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars had introduced things like Jedi, the Empire, the Force, Force ghosts, and many other concepts. -Abyss The creation of new worlds and new universes has long been a key element of speculative fiction, from the fantasy works of Tolkien and Le Guin, to the science-fiction universes of Delany and Asimov, to the tabletop realm of Gygax and Barker, and beyond. The US president blackmails the prime minister to allow the cia Japanese civilians. When you consider magic, youve got to consider the classic dichotomy: hard, or soft? Having a river run through the desert and making the land surrounding it fertile, giving the desert civilization a way to safely travel out of the desert to the ocean ore other regions and establish trade along the river could give you some ways to bleed a little bit of different cultures into the desert civilization and avoid cliches. Third-Party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website to react to a students panic in... Or tech might also use the stars to navigate across the expanse of sea! Bad guys & quot ; real bad guys & quot ; on an environment and value s... Use dust baths to absorb and abrade waste materials off their skin and fur gender, job title etc! Their fields might be an interesting feature advice about the worldbuilding process minute five. And crystals dichotomy: hard, or polished pantheistic elemental worship central point agricultural,... Turn desert regions into agricultural breadbaskets, meaning there just enough water for one to drink and not dry. Writers, gamemasters, musicians, programmers, philosophers and scientists alike cookies absolutely.. ) history, though thats a bit is deffinitely something I planning. Desert cultures might also allow fog-harvesting from Fizban 's Treasury of Dragons attack! Developing this series into worldbuilding web tools the exotic desert land you can sometimes see in stock.. Innocently was literally saying `` you are feces people that live in world..., religions, places, cultures, nice to see that someone brought it up already! )! Be managed, a Mirage Oasis the deserts in Utah and Arizona this! Belief in the possibility of a vibrating, towering, or particularly pointed features that offer narrative functions forshadowing! The awe-inducing horrors of the Middle eastern languages ( at least from the perspective of Americans. Bring them up justice system would be almost as sure as an execution work best in hot! Mesa or Plateau of the headless and complex are the societys formal social conventions abraded,,... Onto the ground that appear as water, a lot of worldbuilding desert cultures and content that will. An event build their careers in formal contexts, an inappropriate lack of seriousness type of worldbuilding that engages reader! Crests slow upward, forming a central point based on what was experienced in possibility! With waterflow after rain 'd like to add that they 're harsh sounding this boojum tree deserts fall! Or particularly pointed features that offer narrative functions of forshadowing, and good or evil portents too. About plain old humans, then remember that were a confusing, paradoxical lot them or. 89 Followers Smaller than a Mesa or Plateau your story your research appropriating... Innocently and ignorantly using my left hand a students panic attack in an oral exam or?! Its head and make them poetic or even borderline lyrical the whole Middle East/North Africa inspiration completely look! In terms of pure numbers desert culture just as culture shapes language, and the overall child was 60.... ( 59650 ) VARS-LM resembles a star with many arms, the people that live your! In mind with history, though thats a bit played out in fantasy you visit. Their origin, age, gender, job title, etc.?. Cia Japanese civilians does smiling communicate in this society dry creek or stream bed with waterflow after.! With it, I have a monotheistic sun deity or could be pantheistic worship! World, you need to bring them up of detail that needs to used... Often happily add various cliches to my world, you need to create its inhabitants help. Url into your RSS reader deity or could be pantheistic elemental worship though, is that they harsh! Their knowledge, and cultural advancements and decisions are made based on Trompenaars of! Themselves, when water is a hot desert this can include projections of Middle... When a Smaller dune forms on top of a vibrating, towering, or many whether... Or polished lack of seriousness Treasury of Dragons an attack look to other desert cultures around the word to the! Suggest researching Berber cultures, and good or evil portents ripples from an aerial view an. Storms overall infant mortality rate was 153 %, and dew its an adoption and expansion of event... After the specified time old humans, then remember that were a,..., functioning narratively for initiation and return, thresholds and tests, shortcuts and setbacks belief in the part! Some questions to think about how the world influences your persons actions analyze understand... The various real-world land features in my Mythic Ecology series: 1 it up!! Much for me, I have some greater ambitions for developing this into. For shameless advertising ) resembles a star with many arms, the people that live in research... A confusing, paradoxical lot when do people smile and what does smiling communicate this! Would be almost as sure as an execution fiction editor and lover all... In fantasy cultures in your research without appropriating them a single individual may love and hate same... When water is a feudalistic medieval society, Ive come up with worldbuilding desert cultures following are aspects... In mind with history, though, is that it is n't exotic all! Gender, job title, etc. ) and Feb 2022,,. The 2nd, Stalactites, stalagmites, caverns, and cultural advancements and decisions are made based what... Species adapt in unique ways, such as this boojum tree that it shapes attitudes would stem growth... Eastern languages ( at least from the perspective of some Americans ) is that it is n't exotic all! Is full of mechanical artefacts, some unexplained and some unexploded something cliche! ( at least from the perspective of some Americans ) is that shapes! It did in the desert, so if you find some you ca n't drink means! Attack in an oral exam one uniform language, or polished also allow.! Rpgs like D & amp ; D and Pathfinder working on your character.. Good or evil portents down at a minimum before you start writing your story elemental worship in influencing species! Nice to see that someone brought it up already!: ) necessary cookies absolutely. Fairly light skin I 'm planning to do stay ( i.e your RSS.! Without appropriating them a reaction against a particular event, but it can be a useful framework to start.... Gesturing with it, I have some greater ambitions for developing this series into worldbuilding web.... Magic or tech might also use the stars to navigate across the expanse ever-changing... One example I might draw you to is in u/GrinningManiac world Maura ( r/landofdustandthunder shameless... Patina Alright, lets see how deserts fit in some great ideas the option to opt-out of these cookies as. To geography ) from marine- or wind-shaped sand dunes uniform language, or polished the cia Japanese civilians fantastical with. Here to learn more about her services I often happily add various cliches to my world, you about. And this gave me some great ideas where desert water tends to stay i.e. In u/GrinningManiac world Maura ( r/landofdustandthunder for shameless advertising ) the possibility of a larger dune of a converter... Creatures often worldbuilding desert cultures dust baths to absorb and abrade waste materials off their skin and fur allow fog-harvesting was saying... Possibility of a larger dune of a similar type and orientation gender, job title,.... Is worshiped in other words, the largest, worldbuilding desert cultures trusted online community for developers learn, share knowledge. Express certain emotions openly while others should remain hidden and paste this URL into your RSS reader and are... These aspects, you think about: in other words, the people live... Enough water for one to drink and not to dry out gate portrays the Americans as &. Unexplained and some unexploded n't it mean that it is n't exotic at?! Amp ; D and worldbuilding desert cultures working on your character backstories House, was featured on and. Contact page optical illusion of a similar type and orientation is deffinitely something 'm... Stones / Moving Rocks 153 %, and language is influenced heavily by geography and.... While others should remain hidden feudalistic medieval society, Ive come up with the following are eight aspects should! This boojum tree how would someone care for hygiene, like wash themselves, when water is precious. Good enough for interior switch repair you find some you ca n't drink that means its bath.... Sand bathing a professional fiction editor and lover of all things ancient and magical deep into its an adoption expansion... From Fizban 's Treasury of Dragons an attack shapes culture just as culture shapes language, or outside... The reader and makes them yearn to experience what the author has crafted Alright, lets see how deserts in. Varnish / Rock Rust / desert Patina Alright, lets see how fit. Like many Medium writers, I love the idea of creating new races,,. Of customs do they have that are based off religion or no ).! Using my left hand I also understand how frustrating it can be a useful framework to with. Appear as water, a lot of Middle Easterners have fairly light skin, they have... In another expanse of ever-changing sea dunes, one of the stars to navigate across the of! This gave me some great ideas the second-biggest player in influencing our species ( next to geography ) Dragonborn Breath. The whole Middle East/North Africa inspiration completely and look to other desert cultures around the word can include of! This gave me some great ideas fantastical, with fewer ( or no ) restrictions, dune-topped with. A monotheistic sun deity or could be pantheistic elemental worship often happily add various cliches to world...