These ideas are organized by categories like geography, culture, politics, and magic. These prompts will help you flesh out your world in unique and immersive ways, tailored to your story’s themes and conflicts.
1. Geography and Environment
Start with your world’s physical layout and natural features, as these can shape the story and influence cultures.
A. Prompts for Unique Geography
- Unusual Landscapes: What landscapes are unique to this world?
- A forest where the trees grow upside-down, their roots forming a maze above.
- Floating islands tethered to the ground by massive enchanted vines.
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A vast desert where the sand glows faintly at night, whispering ancient secrets.
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Magical Natural Features:
- A mountain that erupts not with lava but with raw magical energy, altering the land around it.
- An ocean made of liquid silver, where sailors risk madness.
- A canyon that shifts its walls every full moon, trapping travelers who don’t make it through in time.
B. Integration in Story
- How does the geography impact trade, war, or travel?
- Are certain regions sacred or forbidden, and why?
Example:
A kingdom lies beneath a massive cavern illuminated by bioluminescent moss, but venturing outside the cavern into the sunlit surface world is punishable by death.
2. Cultures and Traditions
Cultures breathe life into your world, making it feel lived-in and diverse.
A. Prompts for Cultural Elements
- Daily Life:
- What do people eat, wear, and celebrate?
- Is there a food that’s considered a luxury or a taboo?
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Are certain colors or materials reserved for specific classes?
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Rituals and Festivals:
- A festival where people burn items from their past to start fresh.
- A wedding tradition where couples must craft something together (a weapon, a tapestry, etc.) to symbolize their unity.
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A death ritual where the deceased’s memories are transferred to a living tree in a sacred grove.
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Taboos and Superstitions:
- A belief that whistling at night invites spirits into your home.
- People avoid mirrors, believing they reflect not your face but your soul’s true form.
B. Integration in Story
- How do cultural values drive conflict or create obstacles?
- Are there misunderstandings or alliances based on cultural differences?
Example:
The protagonist, from a warrior society that values scars as symbols of honor, must navigate a peaceful kingdom where physical perfection is prized.
3. Political Systems and Power Dynamics
Politics can create tension, alliances, and betrayals.
A. Prompts for Political Structures
- Types of Governments:
- A council where seats are determined by annual duels.
- A monarchy where rulers are chosen by a magical artifact that “accepts” them.
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A theocracy where priests interpret the will of slumbering gods.
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Unique Power Struggles:
- A fragile alliance of city-states held together by a powerful but dying queen.
- A ruling family cursed to lose one heir every generation, fueling paranoia and betrayal.
- A secret organization of scholars controlling access to magical knowledge and manipulating politics.
B. Integration in Story
- How do political tensions affect the protagonist’s goals?
- What’s the protagonist’s role in the power structure (e.g., outcast, spy, heir)?
Example:
A kingdom’s rulers must offer their firstborn child to a god as tribute, but the protagonist refuses to give up their sibling, sparking rebellion.
4. Religion and Mythology
Religion adds depth to your world and can drive conflicts or alliances.
A. Prompts for Religious Elements
- Deities and Worship:
- Are gods active participants in the world, or do they speak through prophets?
- Is there one god or a pantheon of gods with clashing agendas?
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Are there forbidden gods or cults?
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Sacred Locations and Artifacts:
- A temple built atop the ruins of an ancient magical battlefield.
- A sword blessed by a god, but it demands a blood sacrifice for each use.
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A sacred spring where pilgrims seek visions but often return blind.
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Prophecies and Beliefs:
- A prophecy that two children born under the same eclipse will either save or destroy the world.
- A belief that magic users are cursed by the gods and must atone for their power.
B. Integration in Story
- How does religion divide or unite people in your world?
- Are the gods themselves involved in the conflict?
Example:
The antagonist is a zealot trying to awaken an ancient god who once destroyed a civilization, believing the god will cleanse the world.
5. Magic Systems and Supernatural Elements
Magic should feel like an integral part of your world, not just a tool for convenience.
A. Prompts for Unique Magic Systems
- Source of Magic:
- Magic comes from binding contracts with celestial beings.
- Magic is drawn from “memory wells” that store the emotions of the dead.
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Magic is a finite resource, and overusing it risks depleting it forever.
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Rules and Costs:
- Every spell requires the caster to give up a memory or emotion.
- Using magic causes physical changes (e.g., turning the user’s hair white, aging them prematurely).
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Casting magic connects you to an astral plane where dangerous entities dwell.
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Magical Creatures and Tools:
- Dragons that act as guardians of ancient magical vaults.
- Enchanted weapons that whisper their past wielder’s secrets.
- Sentient magical books that refuse to be read unless they “approve” of the reader.
B. Integration in Story
- How do magic’s rules create challenges for your protagonist?
- Is there a conflict over how magic is used or who controls it?
Example:
The protagonist discovers that their magic comes at the cost of another’s life, forcing them to question their role in a larger magical war.
6. Economy and Trade
A realistic economy can add depth and conflict to your world.
A. Prompts for Economic Details
- Unique Resources:
- Crystals that power airships but are mined from unstable, cursed lands.
- Plants that grow only under magical conditions and are highly sought after.
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A rare metal that can block magic, creating power imbalances between nations.
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Trade Systems:
- Merchant guilds that control all trade routes, acting as shadow rulers.
- Markets where bartering with secrets or memories is more valuable than money.
- Trade controlled by ancient leviathans that demand tribute to allow safe passage.
B. Integration in Story
- How does the economy create inequality or conflict?
- Are there smuggling, black markets, or trade wars?
Example:
A struggling kingdom depends on a rare resource to survive, but the protagonist discovers it’s killing the land and people who harvest it.
7. Conflict and War
Wars and conflicts drive plot and shape the world.
A. Prompts for Unique Conflicts
- Civil Wars:
- A rebellion led by a charismatic mage who opposes the ruling class’s ban on magic.
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A secret war between assassins’ guilds spilling into the streets.
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Magical Wars:
- Two kingdoms fight over a portal to another dimension that could grant unimaginable power—or release a deadly force.
- A war fought with living weapons—creatures bred specifically for battle.
B. Integration in Story
- How does the protagonist fit into the larger conflict (soldier, refugee, spy)?
- What moral dilemmas do they face because of the war?
Example:
The protagonist discovers their family’s wealth comes from profiting off a war they secretly helped start.