Scope
The motivation behind building Zaris
I am creating this world to put my ideas and thoughts. It's important to me to be creative and at some point I would love to use this information in another format.
I would also like to create this world entirely from scratch as much as possible. Most everything in this world will not exist in any other world.
The goal of the project
I want an interactive and fun experience. It could either be used in a novel or some type of campaign.
Honestly building the world is going to be 90% of the fun for me.
Zaris's Unique Selling point
Magic controls/changes the environment of this world. The creatures and civilizations each have their own magic to affect/change the environment of the world.
Everything in this world should be unique. My own idea.
Theme
Genre
High fantasy Medieval+ (tech we might not know of, but within the realms of our idea of medieval)
Reader Experience
It depends on the area you're in, there are a lot of different types of magic. Some of them awe inspiring that bring hope and peace to the area. Others are terrifying and bring destruction and chaos.
Reader Tone
It is anywhere from wondrous to terrible depending on what area of the world you're in
Recurring Themes
The power of magic: Magic is a powerful force in my world, it can be used for good or evil. Each civilization has a different view on the use of magic, and their actions generally reflect their beliefs. Some civilizations believe that magic should be used sparingly, while others believe that it should be used to gain power and control over others.
The cycle of birth, growth, and decay: The different civilizations and the planet itself go through cycles of birth, growth, and decay. The civilizations are born from the ashes of the past, they flourish and thrive, but eventually decline and fall. The stories of these cycles are a key motif in my world, showing how the rise and fall of civilizations is a natural part of the planet's history and future.
The Wall and the Wilderness: The struggle between the desire for safety and the desire for freedom. In a world with powerful magic and dangerous creatures, the different civilizations face many threats and dangers. Some civilizations respond to these threats by trying to create safe and secure environments, using their magic and technology to protect themselves from harm. However, this can come at the cost of personal freedom and autonomy. Other civilizations value individual freedom more highly, and they may be willing to take greater risks in order to maintain their autonomy.
The Dark Side of Magic: The temptation of power and the consequences of yielding to it are encompassed in each civilizations use of magic. In my world, magic is a powerful and dangerous force, and it has the ability to corrupt and destroy those who use it. This creates a constant temptation for the different races to use magic to gain power and control over others, but it also comes at the risk of losing their humanity and their morals.
The Dominion of the Elements: There are powerful forces at work in this world. Each civilization is generally tied to a specific climate/element. Some civilizations use the magic they harness and the power they have to expand their empire/climate. There are less powerful civilizations or lesser civilizations that either are incapable of or choose not to harness these powers to change their climate. The difference between these two types and the conflicts that arise are a central theme to this world.
Character Agency
Depends on their capability. A single character with a party of adventurers could have enough power to change a small section of the world for a semi significant amount of time.
Focus
The climate: The climate is affected by the civilizations and their need to change their world. The benefits and the downsides of each climate would be a huge topic of discussion for each civilization and the people living in these areas. The climate will affect what creatures live in an area, what resources can be found, what natural disasters would occur and a myriad of other topics that can be explored exhaustively.
These changes would occur in 3 major ways:
Natural disasters: These disasters cause chaos and destruction, usually caused by the imbalance of magic and power in an area. The natural disasters can leak into other areas and cause overarching changes to the nearby sister climates.
Human intervention: Humans using technology or exploiting resources can also cause a change in the local climate. This can happen either intentionally or unintentionally. Sometimes things we distrupt or change have a bigger impact than anyone could have possibly foretold.
Magic: Magic is the true reason these areas are as extremely different as they are. Changes in magic or spells can wildly change the climate and cause chain reactions.
Trade and commerce: With great diversity of resources and wildly different climates come extreme opportunities for merchants and civilizations to trade and to collect new goods.
There are many different ways that civilizations can/do trade. From large empires trading with each other, based on a standardly accepted currency. To smaller civilizations bartering their goods and services for goods and services in return.
Mystical creature gods: There are powerful and godlike creatures that inhabit this world. Many different gods based on the climate, civilization and topography. They encapsulate all of the best and the worst qualities of the inhabitants of this world. They are revered and worshipped, feared and hidden from.