Use the Species template to write about any group of living creatures. This includes different species of humanoids, animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms! And yes, this could include androids and synthetic lifeforms.
Contents
What should I use this template for?
The species of your world are an integral part of your worldbuilding. They enrich, interact and give life to your setting. Here are some example uses of the Species template!
Humanoids
Depending on your world and setting, there might be various humanoid species that co-exist. That could include typical fantasy humanoid species like humans, vampires, elves, and dwarves, or even more unique ones like orcs and trolls (in Lord of the Rings), super mutants and ghouls (in Fallout), and Twi'leks (in Star Wars).
For your individual characters and NPCs, you can use the Character template!
Non-humanoid creatures
Any non-humanoid creatures (cats, octopuses, velociraptors) are also Species! Remember that intelligence levels aren't defined by body anatomy, so you can totally create sentient non-humanoid species too. You probably won't create articles for most animals we're familiar with (cats, rabbits, etc.) but consider if these typical animals have a slightly different shape, behavior, or abilities in your setting to spice things up!
Flora
Your species can also be more closely related to plant, bacterial, or fungal life. Some unique examples are the cordyceps fungus (it caused the zombie apocalypse in The Last of Us), elfroot (a plant with medicinal properties in Dragon Age), the white claudia (a mystical flower that was used to create the drug PTV in Silent Hill) and the pod plant (a plant that sprays interlopers with peace-inducing and mind-controlling spores in Star Trek). As you can see, there are many opportunities to have plants with a significant role in the story!
Microorganisms
Your species can also be organisms that can be seen only through a microscope (or your fantasy/sci-fi equivalent). Microorganisms include bacteria, protozoa, algae, and fungi. Some interesting examples are the cthulhu macrofasciculumque (it helps termites digest wood) and the midi-chlorians (microscopic, intelligent life forms in Star Wars).
Androids and synthetic lifeforms
While an android might not be considered alive based on our current definition of life, they could totally be considered Species in your setting! This goes for constructs and other artificial creatures in fantasy too. It all depends on the role they will play in the story.
Template walkthrough
Remember that all template prompts are optional! In fact some prompts might not be relevant to you. As always, there's a free-writing section at the top (which we call vignette) and the prompts are under the Expand prompts & connections button. The prompts are organized into three tabs:
- Generic: Use this tab to write about the basic details about the species, including their origin, anatomy, and biological cycle. This tab has multiple dropdowns in which you can link the species to other articles you've written, such as the Character that discovered/uncovered their existence and the Geographic locations that this species can be encountered in.
- Extended: Here you can fill in the species' characteristics and traits such as the average life span, intelligence and height.
- Sapience: Use this tab to write about the social structure of the species, like its history and traditions.
If you use the Parent Species field (for example, to define the evolutionary parentage of this species) or the Related Ethnicities field (for any cultural groups related to this species), an "organization tree" will be automatically generated at the bottom. This tree will visually represent all related species; learn more about it here.
Step-by-step guide to writing a species
Here are some steps you can follow to create your species:
- What are the conditions around them?
Species are part of an ecosystem, and therefore everything about them should perfectly fit in their environment like a puzzle piece. For example, in The Stormlight Archive, the entire continent is constantly being hit by massive hurricanes, and therefore most animals have developed carapace and most plants are capable of hiding to avoid being uprooted. By thinking about this first, you'll ensure that the species feels like a natural extension of the world. - What do you need them to do?
What do you, as the worldbuilder, need the species to do as part of the world or story you're building? For example, if you've been looking to expand your magic system, maybe these creatures produce some kind of magical material (like spiders produce silk). While the previous point integrated the species into the world itself, this one will ensure their presence in the story has a purpose. - How is it affecting everything else around it?
How does it interact with other species and the environment? Is it food for another organism? Is it a danger for people? Whatever that may be, it will create interactions with other species, which is essential to create rich and engaging worlds and stories that feel realistic.
Need more pointers? Take a look at these guides:
Community examples for inspiration
Need some inspiration? Here are some species articles written by our amazing community!
