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Motivation

I want to create the world of Etrea to give myself a playground to write stories and novels, to explore different characters and ideas, and to build different cultures, religions, etc. I'm hoping that I will be able to get many years of novels, stories and art out of it, maybe one day expanding into a TTRPG.

Scope

Etrea is planetary in scope, but to start with I will mainly be focusing on the continent of Caia as that is where my current novel is set. As I continue worldbuilding, I will expand to the other continents as necessary.
Time wise, I want to create a rich history for my world. The global timeline I am using is not one that is used in-world, but rather is a method for me to keep track of everything. My current novel is set in Etrea Year 0 (EY0), and the worldbuilding will expand in both directions from there. Countries and cultures will have their own calendars, timelines, eras and ways they view the world.

Mood

Overall, on a bright-dark scale, the tone of Etrea tends more towards the grey-dark side of the scale. There are bright spots, but they are much rarer.
Character agency is flexible. Some individuals will have the opportunity to make large changes in the world around them, whilst others will have little to no opportunity to do so. On a noble-grim scale, Etrea falls more in the space between neutral to grim.

Focal Points

Religious Influence

Religion is an important aspect for many countries in Etrea and in my continent of focus, Caia. In a lot of places, magic is linked with religion. The Koushan Mai, a group who existed on Caia before many of the borders were drawn, are persecuted for their religious beliefs.

Class Relations

There are clear class divides in many countries in Etrea, whether that country follows a feudal-like or a caste system. In Caia, there is little scope for social mobility, but there are exceptions to this on a single person level. I will use worldbuilding and my writing to explore different class systems, social mobility, and relationships between invididuals of different classes.

Gender Relations

In many countries in Etrea, sex and gender are inextricably linked, and there is a clear divide in gender roles between men and women. This is not universal, however, and I will be using my worldbuilding to explore different gender norms. In some of the cultures in Etrea, gender is not binary.

Genre

Etrea is a fantasy world, leaning into dark fantasy. I want to focus on gritty realism, even as it overlaps with magic and mythical creatures.

Conflict

As of the beginning of EY0:

• King Edward of Serukis and the Three Isles is throwing a betrothal ball for his eldest son, Prince Camber, and his mystery betrothed.
• The religious genocide of the Koushan Mai people is continuing in Caillah, with prejudice spilling into the surrounding countries such as Serukis, Kaien, and Akerra.
• Dragons have vanished from the continent of Caia and no one knows where they have gone.
• Akerra is preparing for the wedding of its young king to a princess from Zenra.
• Hutsaih is using military force to expand its empire across the continent of Oyekos, and is building its naval force to continue the expansion up into Caia.

Themes

Some themes I want to work on as I explore Etrea:

• finding hope in dark places
• identity, in particular in regards to gender
• it does not matter what is true, only what people believe
• religious persecution
• metamorphosis