Hello! It's been 5 years since this sub went inactive. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who participated. I just spent the past hour going over all the stuff that we made, all these wonderful pieces of writing, discussions and illustrations, and I couldn't move on without saying thank you!
It was a blast and I learned a lot from this experience, and I hope that it added to your life as well.
Thank you all so much! All you gigachads from r/theworldwewrite, r/unitedwewrite and r/CWP.
I hope that you all continue to find ways to express your creative side and wish all the best!

The redesign has no wiki button, so here's a link for those who want to reminisce: https://www.reddit.com/r/theworldwewrite/wiki/index

Thank you! Have a good morning, and in case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!

Hey all...

Its good to be back online. Anyone who was on r/unitedwewrite may remember that one dude who always seemed a little to into science, alloneword170. Well its me, I'm back. My old account is not recoverable for some reason...

Seems like you all have flown the coop though...

So this is me, checking the pulse. Seeing if there is anyone out there. Not sure what I'll do with any responses but hey... One never knows...

The 5T in it's great length and great wealth has brought more then just believers of Peliues to it's conductors. The savannah track runners love the echoing horn that signals the Scout cars' preparatory work. They know to prepare for raiding in the next week or so, because the mile long caravan will be passing through their territory. The tribes are numerous, each one consisting of a few families of Horitians, a race of ostrich like creatures. On average they are seven feet tall, however when they are aggressive, they will display their full height, extending their long legs and neck, adding a foot or two to their intimidating figure. Their heads and bodies are feathered, and they commonly stick colorful ornaments or paints into each other's feathers to artificially improve their plumage. This is mostly as a way to express individuality, attract partners, and display tribal ties. Their arms are thin and weak and have a single digit extending from the wrist to the length of their forearm. (Think praying mantis claws, except like a chicken wing and no spikes) As a result, their weapons consist of spears or clubs strapped to their "hands". They then use their srong shoulder muscles to strike downwards or outwards with the weapons. Their life is simple, grazing off the seeds of the tall wild savannah grasses that they cultivate in wild farms. This grass is a hearty, quick to mature plant that generally out-competes the surrounding flora. As a result, they are able to freely graze, without worry of food shortage. In order to use and manipulate tools, they use a combination of their beaks, feet, and long necks to dextorously tie knots, weave baskets/jewlery, and of course sharpen weapons. They hold athletic prowess in very high regard, competing in many races and marathons to gain fame as well as bragging rights. Which finally wraps back around to the reason they raid the 5T. It is solely to aquire shiny objects that they then fashion into gaudy trophies and medals for winners of the Olympics they hold. It has also evolved into a bit of a competition in itself, where whoever gets the best loot from the week of caravan raids, is declared overall victor and all subsequent celebrations across the savannah hold a seat in their honor.

The relics from the ancient ones are varied and unique, no two being similar to one another. But, the rituals that researchers and power hungry individuals use to tap in to the other worldly essences within the relics, are indeed the same. Some rituals are purely academic, drawing out the relics power layer by layer, slowly unveiling it's properties. Others are much more dark, greedily keeping the true power of the item in tact, instead of ripping tiny pieces of it's nature off. One ritual in particular has wrought devastation in it's wake. The "ritualistic fusion of beings" is the bloody and meticulous séance culminating in the painful and permanent combination of man and artifact. This disfigurement of the human body is mimicked in the mind as well, as their thoughts become unhinged. The results are awe inspiring, the person who is the focus of this ritual becomes immortal and ceases to age. They also gain complete control over certain aspects of the world, like Temperate Marhal, who was able to twist temperature so freely that deserts became tundras and forests sprung into flame. These gifts alone are enough for some to take the plunge, however, the price to obtain these powers is drastic enough to keep many away. Once the ritual is complete, the person no longer thinks like they used to. Instead they hold extreme focus on a particular idea, plan of action, or activity for random amounts of time. This has generally resulted in "Gods" who hold little interest in the politics and affairs of the people and instead tend to wander the world, one month as a professional baker and the next as a ruthless pirate. Interactions with these beings are generally ill advised, however, some groups of devotees seek these immortals out and attempt to aid them in whatever grand plan they have at the time. Despite these examples of an unfortunate fate, people still believe that they can tweak these rituals, and expect a new result, one where they hold both extreme power and their consciousness. Ultimately these have all failed, and due to their sporadic nature, the number of immortals is unknown. Instead for the common man, these gods have become scary stories rather then living horrors.

(Pls flair for me, idk what to put) I’ve done a bit of work concerning the First Tribe language. Not much, but i figured I’d post what I’ve done in case anyone wants to see. And if anything needs changing, better sooner than later.

Changes: -changed /u/ (as in tuba) to /o/ (as in orange) . This just makes a bit more sense, and is easier to pronounce most of the time. Still, only temporary. -changed the vowels to be written a, e, o, ä, ë, ö. It makes more sense with the vowel harmony to have some kind of marking for the different vowel groups. Again, this can still be changed if it’s an issue. -/θ/ is written x.

Additions: -pronouns. There are 12 types, most of which are third person. There are also 3 forms: subject, object, and possessive. I might add a reflexive form as well, but I don’t think it’s necessary. -verb conjunction: vowels in the infinitive form have to end with a vowel. The ending is modified based on the subject of the verb. -I also come up with a couple basic affixes for nouns and verbs to indicate tense, and to be used as articles/determiners (rather than having separate words for them) -I decided that the word order in the language should be S-O-V. That means the subject comes first in a sentence, then the object, then the verb. For example, “I threw the ball” would be “I the ball threw”. This is yet to be finalized as well.

I also made a Google spreadsheet with some information about pretty much everything I mentioned above, plus the stuff about consonants from my previous post. Feel free to check it out. Here’s the link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10ZuxoRVmgcp_HE70K8JVT6Orw0KRn29qzbR0XwY0-LQ Just ignore the 3rd sheet. Nothing important there yet.

I will probably start creating some words soon, when the need arises. If anyone wants to create some as well, let me know and I could set up some kind of dictionary on a Google doc or something, where people could submit words.

Again, I’m pretty inexperienced when it comes to conlanging. If you’re more experienced than me and I’m doing something horrendously wrong, let me know. Any constructive feedback from anyone is also greatly appreciated.

If anything needs clarification or explanation, I can do so in the comments.

Years ago the great Tradesman Purlieus liked to sleep around. Every town he would bed a new female, and maybe a known female. Purlieus was a male strong of seed, leaving a large trail of spawn along his trade routes. Eventually his infamy caught up with him, and many of his baby mama done come with drama after finding each other when a group of children at a festival all had the same birthmark. 3 lines down the right side of the eye/head/ear.

Purlieus realizing he would not be able to escape his fate, used his great mind to concoct an idea the support his progeny for millennia to come. Purlieus was not a man who liked to stay in one spot, many of his children seemed to be the same. He gathered those wanderers and created the P.T.C. - Purlieus Trade Consortium. A traveling caravan that would restock at each new outpost. The other children who did not share his love for travel, were supported with funds from the P.T.C. and worked in the outposts as representatives of the P.T.C.

After years of his trade Empire ever expanding, Purlieus grew older and missed his children. He had the idea of creating a caravan large enough for his family to live upon, so it wouldn't feel like they were traveling, while still being able to travel and work in the trade empire.

Purlieus started a project to build a pathway across the Moon to carry his family along a trade route of unimaginable wealth.

He started a Trade Bible(Name not yet known) to guide his family through the ages. The idea is to set up a Lumber branch of the Consortium to start setting up Tree Rails that would act as a foundation for the Path.

I imagine this project taking generations upon generations to be able to complete, allowing us many different stages of development we can play with. How long ago did Purlieus exist? How long has this Trailway been in the works? How much progress has been made in which areas?

As progress on the town builds, secret storage vaults are build near the pathway, so when the town comes back around, it can check its vault for any needed resources. The Town would slowly grow larger and larger, becoming the main trade point for travelers. Growing to the point of being able to traverse the Moonscape from either side of the embrace every few months.

One of the goals of 5T is to someday be able to travel into the darkness and trade with whatever being may live in the terror beyond.

Trying to give a few long term goals for the town, while still keeping things vague to allow for easy manipulation. Hoping for some input from everyone else for an idea of how this Traveling Company can grow.

Hello, everybody I've developed a language concept for the Auroran League. Up next you can find the first part of my work, which explains phonology. Before you start reading, let me explain some things:

I will refer to the language as kuru, which is a word I invented and that literally means 'language, tongue'. This should'nt be considered as the definite name. I'm open to suggestions :)

I use IPA symbols to represent sounds, also called phonemes. These will always appear between / / or [ ]. This is called phonetic transcription. This is how a word is pronounced.

Orthography is how a word is written. To represent orthography we use graphemes, which will appear like this. Let me give you an example: kanya is the word for 'hand', and it's pronounced [ʹkanja].

Now, a little context:

Based on the article on the Auroran League, their technology and organization, I thought of making a language that suits them. I immediately remembered Native American languages. My main inspirations were Navajo and Omaha, but there are some minor influences from Alabama, Chickasaw and even Nahuatl.

Okay, now we get to Kuru's phonology:

Consonants There are 21 consonants, which can be divided in: Plosives: /p, t, k, ʔ, b, d, g/, written as p, t, k, ', b, d, g Nasals: /m, n/, written as m, n Tap: /ɾ/, written as *r Affricates: /ʦ, ʧ, ʤ/, written as c, tc, dz Fricatives: /s, x, h, z, ɣ/, written as s, hh, h, z, gh Approximants: /l, j, w/, written as l, y, w

Aspiration Plosives /p, t, k/ can be aspirated. This means that a strong burst of air is released immediately after the consonant [p^h, t^h, k^h]. Orthographically, they are represented like ph, th, kh. You can read more on aspirated consonants here.

Labialization Velars /k, ɡ, x, ɣ/ become labialized, when a w is written after them. Labialization means that the lips are rounded when the sound is realized. They are represented as [k^w, ɡ^w, x^w, ɣ^w] and they're written as kw, ɡw, hhw, ghw. You can read more here.

Vowels There are 5 vowels, or 10 if you count nasals (but more on that, later) Oral vowels are: /a, e, i, o, u/. These have a nasalized version [ã, ẽ, ĩ, õ, ũ]. Oral vowels are represented as a, e, i, o, u, respectively, while nasalized vowels have a little hook underneath: ą, ę, į, ǫ, ų.

Also, vowels have length (doesn't matter if they're oral or nasal), which means they can be either short or long. To represent a short vowel, you write it once: a, i, o, ę, ų, etc. Long vowels are written twice: aa, ęę, oo, etc. Some examples: diyi 'boy' /diji/, uuma 'to see' /uːma/, n'oo 'sky' /nʔoː/, i’pęę 'sea' /iʔpẽː/.

Note: If you have any doubt on how to pronounce a sound, I can recommend you an interactive IPA chart, which provides a full chart for consonants and vowels. You can click on any symbol and you'll hear its pronunciation. You can also ask me, and I'll try to give you an example.

Clusters Consonant clusters are a group of consonants pronounced one immediately after the other. In Kuru, only groups of two consonants can occur. These are the allowed two-consonant combinations: /p, t, k, ʔ/ can be combined with /p, t, k, ʔ, m, n, ɾ, s, l, j/. /b, d, g/ can only be combined with /s, l, j/. /m, n/ can be clustered with /p, t, k, ʔ, l, j/. /s, x, h, z, ɣ/ can be combined with /p, t, k, ʔ, b, d, g, s, x, h, z, ɣ, l, j/.

Remember same-consonant clusters cannto occur. Combinations such as pp, dd, ss, ll, mm, etc. are impossible.

Syllables Syllables can have a maximal structure of CCVC. Here are the rules of syllable division: * A word has a many syllables as there are vowels (long vowels count as one vowel). The word yaka 'bull' has two vowels and therefore two syllables: ya-ka. A consonant between two vowels begins the following syllable: yaka is divided like ya-ka and never like yak-a. When two consonants are found between consonants, the first one ends the previous syllable and the second begins the next one. Take the word peesta 'to feel' should be divided like pes-ta and never like pest-a.

[Edit]

Vowel closing Final e, ę and o, ǫ become i, į and u, ų, respectively, when they are between two consonants. For example, the word yewe ‘caiman’ becomes yewikaa ‘caimans’; or niyo ‘bird’ becomes niyukaa ‘birds’.

Note: This phenomenon does not occur with long vowels: n’oo ‘sky’ and n’ookaa ‘skies’.

This is everthing you need to know about Kuru's phonology. Let me know if you have any comments, suggestions, questions, or anything really.

Cheers! :)

Here's where we talk about ideas over the last week and bring up revisions, remind the mods to review something, etc, etc.

(I hope I flaired this correctly) So, in a previous thread, I decided I would start working on a basis for a language for the First Tribe, to help with naming conventions. The language is going to based on Northern languages, such as Russian, Finnish, and the Scandinavian languages. So, here’s my work so far:

PHONOLOGY: Consonants: m, p, r, l, j, f, θ, s, h, z, p, b, t, d, k, g. All the consonants are written here as IPA symbols. All the sounds are as you would expect in English, except r, j, and θ. r is a rolled r (it doesn’t really matter if it’s not, but to get the Nordic/Russian vibe, it’d sound better if it were rolled). j is pronounced like the “y” in “yellow”. θ is pronounced like the “th” in “teeth” (note: not the same as the “th” in “this”).

Vowels: a, e, u, ä, i, ö. “a” as in “father”, “e” as in “wet”, “u” as in “school”, “ä” as in “bat”, and “i” as in “beat”. ö (also ø) is kind of a tricky one if you don’t speak a language with it. The best I can describe it is like the “ur” in “nurse” if you say it with a strong British accent, so like “nöös”.

SYLLABLE STRUCTURE: Vowels: Taking inspiration from Finnish, I implemented vowel harmony. The vowels are split into 2 groups: group 1, which is a, e, and u; and group 2, which is ä, i, and ö. If a word has vowels from group 1, it cannot have any vowels from group 2, and vise versa. This is partly to reduce awkward vowels groupings (it’s kinda tricky to say “äu”, for instance). Vowels can be short (“mäp”), long (“määp”), or in groups of 2 (“mäip”). No more than 2 vowels can be put together (so nothing like “mäiöp”). There are 24 vowel sounds: a, aa, ae, au, e, ee, ea, eu, u, uu, ua, ue, ä, ää, äi, äö, i, ii, iä, iö, ö, öö, öä, öi

Consonants: Syllables can be, at most, CCCVCCC. This means there can be three consonants (or less) before and after the vowel. We decided to try to get a Russian vibe, so there is TONS of consonant clustering. The consonants are split into 3 groups: group 1, which is m, n, r, l, and j; group 2, which is f, θ, s, h, and z; and group 3, which is p, b, t, d, k, and g. There are a few rules regarding syllable onsets (the beginning, the consonants before the vowel): -Group 1 consonants must ALWAYS be directly before or after a vowel sound. Not even another Group 1 consonant can be be between them. -You can also have Group 2 or 3 consonants beside a vowel if there aren’t any Group 1 vowels. -Syllables can begin on any consonant group or a vowel. -Group 3 consonants typically come before Group 2s, but there are exceptions. -You cannot put 2 Group 1 consonants together. Same with Group 3, but certain Group 2 consonants are allowed. Using these rules, there are 12 different syllable onset types: V (a) 1-V (ma) 2-1-V (fra) 3-1-V (pla) 3-2-1-V (dzra) 2-3-1-V (ftja) 2-2-1-V (sθra) 2-V (fa) 3-2-V (pfa) 2-2-V (fsa) 3-V (pa) 2-3-V (fda) Remember, these rules are only for onsets.

Clustering for onsets: This bit was tricky. I wanted lots of clustering, but some clusters are impossible for anyone to pronounce easily. So, I went through every possible 2-letter combination and decided which ones are good. (Note: these are only for onsets). Here are my results: F: fr, fl, fj, fs, fh, fz, ft, fd Θ: θr, θl, θj, θs, θh, θz, θt, θd, θk, θg S: sm, sn, sr, sl, sj, sf, sθ, sh, sz, sp, sb, st, sd, sk, sg Z: zm, zn, zr, zl, zj, zs, zh, zb, zd, zg P: pr, pl, pj, pf, ps, ph B: br, bl, bj, bh, bz T: tm, tn, tr, tl, tj, tθ, ts, th, tz D: dm, dn, dr, dl, dj, dh, dz K: kr, kl, kj, kf, ks, kh G: gr, gl, gj, gh, gz To get a 3-consonant cluster, pick one of the two letter clusters and take the last letter of it. Find another cluster with that letter as the first letter, and string the two together. Eg: sp + pr becomes spr. Note: the last letter of a cluster cannot be the first letter as well. So sp + ps cannot become sps. Note: you can lengthen a consonant by writing it twice, and it won’t change how it interacts with other consonants.

Rules for codas (endings, the consonants after the vowel): -Group 1 consonants must be either after the vowel, or after another Group 1 consonants. No more than 2 are allowed in a row. -Group 2 and 3 consonants can be anywhere except before a Group 1 consonant. You also cannot have 3 from the same group in a row. The rules for codas are much less restrictive, so there are quite a few more options. There are 22 syllable coda types: V (a) V-1 (am) V-1-1 (arl) V-1-2 (ars) V-1-3 (arp) V-1-1-2 (arls) V-1-1-3 (arlt) V-1-2-2 (arfs) V-1-2-3 (amfp) V-1-3-2 (arps) V-1-3-3 (alpt) V-2 (af) V-2-2 (afs) V-2-3 (afp) V-2-2-3 (afst) V-2-3-3 (askt) V-3 (ap) V-3-2 (apf) V-3-3 (akt) V-3-2-2 (aksf) V-3-2-3 (aksd) V-3-3-2 (agdz) When you combine the onsets and codas, there are 263 different syllable types (not 264, because you can’t combine a syllable without an onset with one without a coda).

Clustering for codas: Here are all the possible coda clusters: M: mf, mθ, ms, mz, mp, mb, mt, md, mk, mg N: nf, mθ, ns, nz, np, nb, nt, nd, nk, ng R: rm, rn, rl, rf, rθ, rs, rz, rp, rb, rt, rd, rk, rg L: lm, ln, lf, lf, lθ, ls, lz, lp, lb, lt, ld, lk, lg F: fθ, fs, fz, fp, ft, fk Θ: θs, θp, θt, θk S: sf, sθ, sz, sp, sb, st, sd, sk, sg H: hv, hθ, hs, hz, hp, hb, ht, hd, hk, hg Z: zs, zb, zd, zg P: pf, pθ, ps, pt, pk B: bz, bd, bg T: tf, tθ, ts D: dz K: kf, kθ, ks, kt G: gz, gd Same rules apply for forming 3-consonant clusters.

So, there are a few issues I have with this that I thought we could solve together. First, I think we have either one too many Group 3 consonants, or one too few im Group 2. If we were to add one more to Group 2, I think it should be either v or ð (like θ, but voiced. Like the “th” in “this”). I don’t know wether or not to remove one from Group 3, because they seem to match up very nicely. Another issue is vowel harmony. I really want to keep it in, but I’m not sure what everyone else would think. Let me know if you want to keep it. An issue with it, though, is ö. I realize it’s a hard vowel to pronounce, but it’s important for the vowel harmony. If I were to replace it with o (as in coal), it’d have to be a Group 1 consonant. Then we’d probably have to get rid of u as well, and replace it with y (not in English, and very hard to pronounce. It’s found in Finnish, most Scandinavian languages, and Ancient Greek.). Then the groups would be a, e, and o in 1; and ä, i, and y in 2. The last issue is writing. The letters I have been using are all IPA symbols for that sound, except for ä (which is æ), and ö (which is ø). The characters ä, ö, and θ are not found on a standard English keyboard, so we should probably find some other characters to represent them.

So, the next step is to start creating words and grammar. I think anyone should be allowed to create words as they need them, when they create now animals, plants, places, etc. There are a few guidelines I suggest are used: -Keep words for simple things simple. No point in having a 6 syllable word with a mouthful of consonant clusters for something basic. -Don’t use loan words. This world is completely separate from ours, so borrowing words from us doesn’t really make sense. -Create base words for basic things only. There isn’t any grammar implemented yet, and adding affixes to words without any guidelines yet will result in a mess. -Also, if you create verbs, could you end them with a vowel? It’ll help with conjugation later on.

I’m open to any discussion and/or criticism. This seems like a very important project, and I’m not very experienced in Conlangs. Anyone who has any ideas, let me know.

As for a name for the language, I think u/missingnull should name it, along with naming the First Tribe, as the whole concept was his idea.

EDIt: fixed some formatting.

I know magic is currently hotly debated. But what if the deadly radiation that the gas giant is emitting is a source of power. Creatures that live near the edges of the habitable zone become inherently imbued but not without setbacks. They could suffer radiation sickness symptoms. This could also allow for a magical species to survive in the radiation. Operating as an eternal antagonist.

I feel like to have proper naming conventions, we should try to have an organized language, or multiple languages for different peoples. Has any work been done on this yet?

After a bit of discussion on my previous post about the Golems, we decided to add a bit more to it.

The Golems are giant creatures, native to the mountainous regions. Once every [insert time cycle here], it breaks down into pieces. One of these pieces will make a new Golem. Sometimes, based on a small chance, there will be 2 Golems. If that's the case, the two will divide the side of the planet facing away from the gas giant. The memories of the Golems will be retained into the new Golem, but only the memories the previous Golem wants to be sent down.

https://redd.it/7952zs

A trend I'm noticing on this sub is a tendency for discussion about ideas to remain in a single thread between a few people and then wither away after a couple days, leaving little actually decided and ready to be canonized. I suggest we start a practice of making these threads every Monday where people bring up ideas and threads from the past week to discuss and polish them up for addition to the wiki.

No new ideas should be introduced in these weekly threads, this is about discussion and revision of the previous weeks posts into canon worthy content.

So, if the planet is rotating, doesn't that mean that the radiation from the "deadly side" will carry over? I think we should have something that either neutralizes the radiation or lessens it to the point where it doesn't affect anything. Maybe a moon for the moon...? I guess it could take in some radiation or perhaps something magical?

I don't know. You guys can decide on that. I just thought I'd share my concern.

I suggest our gas giant orbits the Sun at roughly 1 earth year, maybe a little bit longer, to give our moon similar seasons to work with. Likewise I think our moon's orbital period around the giant should be about 20-30 earth hours for the same reason. Day and night wouldn't be from rotation like on our planet but regular eclipses. In the part of our orbit where we're between the Sun and the planet it'd be day as when the planet is between us and the Sun it'd be night. As for the rad cycles I have less of a particular leaning. I think it should be more than 100 years but less than 1500 for a full flip of sides exposed to the giant. Slow enough for settlements, fast enough to keep the peoples living on the edge nomadic.

What are all y'all's thoughts?

First off, hello. This is my first post on this subreddit, and I haven't exactly looked that far into it, so I don't know if this idea was already mentioned, and added/declined. I also don't know if the other ideas mentioned were added/declined already. So . . .

Basically, the Golem is a giant, sentient rock, native to the mountainous region of the planet. They do not eat, and are viewed as a symbol of wisdom among the spiritual nations. A single Golem lives for 3,000 years, eventually breaking down into pieces. One of these pieces will form the next Golem. The rest of the pieces will be used by the deathberry as a place to grow.

So, what do you think of this?

Tradition lies amalgamated in the thoughts of the unacknowledged Dirtfarmers. As the most ancient race of all, these half-humans resent any change and yearn for the mere presence of a human. As humans are the ideal being in the Universe, Dirtfarmers are just the opposite.

Dirtfarmers live on the side of the "Goldilocks Zone" that is always becoming Deathly and taken over by Radioactive Monsters. Dirtfarmers have lived in the world for thousands of cycles, arising from the mud and ashes at about the same time as the Radioactive Monsters. After the great human structures are abandoned when the Goldilocks Zone moves, the humans tend to destroy the buildings, leaving the Dirtfarmers to slowly inhabit the ruins of ancient times, hundreds of years before. But there's still a bright side to all of this: The extremely slow rate at which the cycle goes by allows the Dirtfamers ample time to settle into their new homes.

Population

Dirtfarmers are but a humble people, but their size in persons is great indeed. Some estimates range from 500,000 to 5,000,000[SUBJECT TO CHANGE].

What do they do?

As has been the tradition for many, many, millennia, Dirtfarmers bury the dead with seeds of the Trabascus trees to appease the gods. Little do they know, the trees grow massive roots underneath the ground when hit by massive radiation. As the Goldilocks zone moves around the planet, the roots grow stronger and yearn for proper sunlight. When the goldilocks zone just barely hits the seed, one cycle later, they quickly sprout and grow into gigantic trees.

Their life goes like this:

• They constantly are expanding towards the Goldilocks Zone, and moving away from the Deathly Zone. Once in a while, a large settlement will grow, sometimes even as large as a town but never a city. When the time comes, they must burn down the entire city so the Radioactive Monsters may never use it, and the Dirtfarmers move on. Planting Trabascus* seeds that will grow in exactly one cycle and exploring the edge of the Death Zone, they have extremely important jobs, but they don't do it for the good of the future peoples-- It's told in the Dirtfarmer villages and communities that if you don't bury a person with the Trabascus seed in the corpse's mouth, you and your descendants will be cursed forever.

If the Dirtfarmers find something valuable, such as a Radioactive Monster's weapon or a human body, they are required to turn it over to the Humans.

Humans and Dirtfarmers

Dirtfarmers revere humans as the perfect lifeform. They do not envy them, but rather idolize them. This made it extremely easy for the humans to take control of the Dirtfarmers and bend them to their will. Dirtfarmers are blessed by these humans (not magically, figuratively), as the humans provide protection. Human soldiers will shoot Radioactive Monsters attacking the Dirtfarmers, but will never sacrifice themselves.

Humans never ever go out into the thin strip of land that belongs to the Dirtfarmers. Dirtfarmers are seen as diseased, vile peoples, and kept out of sight. The Dirtfarmers are neutral to all[SUBJECT TO CHANGE] the human nations, and the two species are relatively separated.

What do Dirtfamers look like?

They come in all sizes, but most have twisted cancerous bones. Distantly related to humans[SUBJECT TO CHANGE], they have around 95% shared DNA.

Concept Art: http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/roadwarrior/images/0/08/CROW_FISHERS_FURY_ROAD.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20151017140756

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Y2u16MW7FEI/VDOu6oLVA9I/AAAAAAAAAEk/5dotvV2mlQI/s640/blogger-image-81101464.jpg

Ask me questions below.

EDIT:

The Trabascus Tree

This giant tree is perfect for the planet: A seed that sprouts exactly a cycle after it is planted and a giant, branchy, and roofy tree that grows underneath the soil first, and as soon as the Goldilocks Zone hits, it starts to sprout. The Trabascus fully blooms within around 10-30 years[SUBJECT TO CHANGE] and provides excellent vantage points/cover for soldiers; good timber for building anything of wood, especially structures; oxygenation to the atmosphere, among many others. However, it's lifespan must be cut short. Normally being around 400[SUBJECT TO CHANGE] years, the Trabascus can only live to around 50-60[SUBJECT TO CHANGE] before the constant 'building-up' of the cities must take its place.

How the Dirtfarmers Aquire Trabascus Seeds:

Trabascus roots grow seedlings on the tips, so that in the future the seeds my be harvested from underground. The Dirtfarmers dig in large areas, as it their job, and find these roots+seeds. All the Dirtfarmer communites have large stockpiles of seeds that they can replenish from underground.

ON ROOTS

To clear things up: The roots grow really wide and deep, maybe 10 meters. On the end are seeds. The roots are then dug up, one cycle later, to access the seeds. The tree grows fast, from the moment it gets out of the radiation zone to when it must be cut down.

I've been scouring the posts of this subreddit, and as I've seen, not many people understand just how "realistic" the current system will be. So I'd like to start a discussion here,and also if you'd like to post an idea, be sure to do that!

Located on the other side of the habitable zone from our tribes, Anarand is a very wealthy city that is centered around a ruin built on top of an extinct volcano. One of the most advanced and powerful civilizations in the region (I'm imagining this region as an area between a mountain range and a sea, full of rivers and fertile flood plains.), Anarand is rigidly organized around the worship of the Queen, who is revered as the avatar of the Ant Goddess. The city is so powerful because of the ruins which give the city access to strange and incredibly strong metals with which they can mold into weapons and armor stronger than any bronze or iron.

Organization: Very rigid caste system determined by the family you were born into. Slaves and foreigners as the bottom, then merchants and sailors, then farmers and miners, then warriors, artisans, and priests, then finally the Queen at the very top. Marriage between castes is punishable by death, and divorce is illegal. The God Queen rules over every part of daily life, from religious decree to determining what laws to enact. It is the job of the priests to enact her will on the world and the warriors to enforce it. The artisans are entrusted with the sacred work of manipulating the Metal (name pending) and producing materials for the city and military. Trade with other settlements is strictly regulated and no outsiders are permitted into the city past the docks. Anar society is matriarchal with the mother ruling the family, with inheritance and lineage being marked through the oldest daughter.

Religion: The ant is sacred to Anar culture. It is believed the world was created by the Ant Goddess who demanded her progeny create a world from which she could admire the splendor of the Giant. Anar structure their lives, their city, and their society like a massive anthill honeycombing their volcano, which they refer to as "the mountain" to outsiders but call it "Tahkt" in their own tongue. Loyalty to the Queen is paramount most devout Anar are willing to throw their lives away without hesitation if the Queen merely ask. There is only one holy day in their religion, which comes every 20 years. This day (name also pending) is a massive city wide fertility festival where all unmarried adult men are to spend at least 2 hours of their day at the Ziggurat where women come in and freely couple with them.

Foreign relations: Anarand is among the most powerful city states in the region, and frequently uses its military to exact tribute from lesser peoples. Not much interest is placed in outright conquest however, as the Anar feel their home mountain is all thy living space they need. The most closely guarded secret of Anarand is the old lava tubes and ruins snaking throughout Tahkt. The Anar can and do live inside these tunnels, farming the lichen and fungi that grow underground.

Edit: Picture Here Something went wrong with the submitting process. I hope this works

If there are magical plants in this world, than these are some of those plants that you'd want to say away from; unless your actually trying to hurt some one. These four Demon Flowers are capable of unleashing great power, but at a terrible cost. These evil plants have an effect on their users, one which hold on to them, beckoning them to be used again. The side effect of using the flowers can be so horrific, it has lead many tribes and priesthoods to believe that these flowers are actually evil spirits trapped in a flower. Hence the "Demon" part. But the desperate, the ambitious, and the foolish will seek of these flowers to solve there most dire situations; consequences be damned.

Avarice Cup- The Yellow Demon (Top Left): Believed to be the trapped souls of the self-destructively greedy. The flower is capable of giving the user great perception and insight. The caster's senses sharpen, as the world around slows to a crawl. Their minds open, they sense things that cannot be sensed with ordinary eyes and ears, and they are over take by a sense of euphoria. The Price: To get what you want, you must lose something in return. Normally, it is their skill and knowledge. As they consume more Avarice Cups, the casters begin to loose their minds to paranoia and anxieties the moment the flower's magic wares off. They itch and scream, as their minds slowly forget whatever ability their owner once had. The more valuable the prize, the greater the loss.

Warrior's Clover- The Red Demon (Bottom Left): Believed to be the trapped souls of the wrathful and violent. This flower makes their users into great warriors, both physically and mentally. They become stronger, faster, better with weapons and strategy, in short: they become the warriors they wished to be. And thy will remain warriors as long as they continue to take the Warrior's Clover. The Price: Their sanity. They have made themselves into warriors who do nothing but fight. Without conflict, the caster will become irritable, aggressive, and sleep deprived. These symptoms worsen if stop taking Warrior's Clover; claiming that their veins burn and that the ghost of those they've slain are robbing their strength (as their physique atrophies at an alarming rate). However, if they continue to take the demon flower, their minds devolve into a feral state, becoming no better than beasts; up until their hearts stop.

Slave Blossom- The Pink Demon (Bottom Right): Believed to be the trapped souls of the lecherous and unfaithful. This flower is used to create a powerful love potion. The user slips it into their desired food or drink, and their sense of empathy overflows. They become sensitive to any touch, sound, sight, or smell, and become susceptible to any form of suggestion. If the caster gives their beloved enough of the potion over time, they eventually lust after the caster's touch, and voice, and potion. The Price: Over time, the potion causes the consumer to forget everything. Who they were, what they enjoy, how to do basic tasks, everything except for the one they "love". Whatever the reasons that made the caster fall in love with their beloved in the first place will eventually disappear, leaving nothing more than somewhat obedient husk.

Weeping Maiden- The Violet Demon (Top Right): Believed to be the trapped souls of the sullen and miserly. Unlike the other three flowers, this one does not directly effect is caster. It is said to be capable of taking a person into the realm of the dead; all while their bodies lay in a stupor in this world. The caster's mind travels thru the world beyond this one and speak to their ancestral spirits. The Price: the caster's body. Their constant contact with the dead will not just erode their mind, but their body as well. The caster will begin to yearn to become part of the spirit world. Eventually, the caster will go into a stupor which they can never wake from. Often, communities will cremate the corpses of those who became addicted to Weeping Maiden, as a way to avoid being haunted by any wandering spirits. Even if the caster has not died yet, they incinerate them in their sleep.

I though this would be interesting to think of dark magic plants and what they'd do to the user if they got their hands on them.

Your Thoughts?

edit (3:20pm): Changed some of the wording. Revised to more closely fit the concept.

Submitted for your consideration

The ring of limbo is the Goldilocks zone between the dead zone,created by the radiation emitted from the host planet, and the side of life which our characters and races shall live. I suggest, that the radiation is, at least in part, the cause of the magical properties of the plant matter. As our planet rotates around the gas giant, it imbues the soil with this strange magical property, however this is still too strong to be absorbed by plant matter. So as the radiation gets more and more indirect, via the rotation, this region becomes more sustainable, and flora begin to grow. I suggest, that all fauna have, in some way, a small portion of magic inside, which is what makes life possible. However, the most powerful herbs, fruit, and other vegetation, can only be found directly on the ring of limbo, where creatures who have adapted to the harsh climate, live and eat the powerful vegetation. This will make the search for the powerful spell giving plants, not only have an origin, but also gives incentive to travel to such a harsh, and dangerous place. This also gives any magic designers a reason to create interesting monsters, or even a powerful sub-race. This will also hopefully give the nomadic people, even more incentive to keep moving, so as not to get too close to the mystical beasts.

Again, submitted for your consideration, RoBbstar1

Edit: the name is a placeholder. If anyone has any better ideas, post it in the comments. And as always, give me your thoughts.

The Taruwajan Tree is a massive tree, about 400 feet tall and 30 feet thick. Imagine if someone cross bred the Giant Sequoia with a Baobab tree. On top of being possibly the biggest tree in the world, it may also be the oldest tree.

Situated between the receding death zone and the fertile regain, It is believed to have been the only thing to have survived absolute destruction and even thrive in the face of inevitable death. It has been around as long as oral history has been around to talk about it. For this reason, many believe it to be sacred; living manifestation of this world's magical energies. And for that reason alone, many have taken the pilgrimage across mountains, deserts, and many, many miles to bask in its glory.Young shamans, neophyte priests, and anyone who wishes to have mastery over magic willing subject themselves to a trial of wills.

The Test of The Taruwajan is incredibly dangerous. The participant must climb high into the Taruwajan tree and find a comfortable place to mediate in. Once they do, they must the pierce through the bark of the Taruwajan and drink its sap, at least a palm full of the stuff. That sap will be the only nourishment the participant for the rest of the trail. They will sit there in the tree mediating, receiving visions from the Taruwajan tree, for as long as it takes, until they receive a gift from the tree.

If you do not find a place in the tree, you have failed. If you fall out of the tree, you have fail (and probably died). If the visions end, and the tree has given you nothing, you have failed. The one who pass are the one who are given something from the tree, by the tree. Usually, its a fallen branch (at least one that is a foot or longer); this is a sign the the tree has deemed you worthy. If the participant is given a ripen fruit, then it is a sign the the tree deems you worthy, and likes you. The rarest gift the Taruwajan has ever given any participant is a seed. Those who receive a seed are believed to be fated for something great. Many heroes have been said to have been gift a Taruwajan seed before they began their journeys.

So. Any thoughts?

What if there was an ancient civilization who live in a giant cave with big central hot spring. This would protect them from the fluctuating surface temperatures, and would keep the cave humid and comfortable where they could harvest specialized crops and animals. This would allow them to survive long after other civilizations have fallen. Maybe even making them far more advanced than the surface dwelling peoples.

I think it might be helpful to sketch out the habitable zone as it stands today and also plot out the duration of a single "cycle," by which I mean the amount of time it takes for the habitable zone to fall into winter's embrace.

This is important because, as /u/missingnull brought up in another thread, if the cycle is too long, there is no perceptible difference between our slowly rotating world and one that is 100% tidally locked. And if it is too short, there is no way any civilisation would ever take hold as they would be constantly on the move, trying to stay ahead of winter's embrace.

I added a rough sketch of how I envision our playing field, as much for my own benefit as anyone else's. If this differs from your vision (likely will in some ways) let's talk about how we can adjust so that we include (at least) bits and pieces from everyone.

OK, so what are your thoughts? I suggest a 5,000 year cycle, or somewhere around there, as this will give groups time to settle and evolve before the Embrace catches them with their pants down :)

Let me know what you think and how we can fine-tune this concept in order to tap into its full potential!

I call it The Pirattle and it would act like flying piranhas but they would be several times smaller than a piranha. They would love be in swarms of hundreds and can devour adult men from around half a minute to two minutes depending on the size of the swarm.

If anyone could draw some good concept art for these that would also be amazing.

Magic use on this world will be a rarity, only used by the rich and elite. Since the planet is tidally locked, plants are a rarity, and the energy required for magic rituals is also rare. If the plants are not used, damage can be done to the user as energy is torn from their body.

Just a simple overview, I can go into more detail if it sounds good.

I'm not much of a writer, but I am, gonna give it a try, an idea I have for an insect of Moon. About the size of a thumb, with a blue glowing magical abdomen. The Bluefaire Bee, born of fire in the heat of the scorched lands these bugs travel against The First Tribe, collecting pollen/pieces from the Magic Mushrooms eating and carrying them towards The Giant.

As the Bluefaire Bee gets close to the cold, they settle onto whatever is nearby, then bury their heads into whatever they land on. They go into a hibernation where the magical fire in their abdomen slowly cools into a solid.

As the hibernating bugs enter the warmer other side of Moon, the frozen fire starts to thaw and spreads the spores from the Magic Mushroom, combining it with whatever object the Bluefaire Bee landed on. Tree, carcass, rock, whatever, now has a growth of Magic Mushroom sprouting. Mutating the eggs inside the bugs, now thawing frozen fire abdomen, so they take on traits of the object landed on.

As the land reaches the radiation zone, the eggs are warmed and the incubation period for the Bluefaire Bee begins. As the eggs get close to the habitable zone, they begin to hatch, and thus their life cycle continues.

The bees have different cycles, but contain different forms of magic also, the blood-like fire as they feed, the frozen concentrated gem, and the mushy spore eggs that take on the traits of whatever they are on.

Thoughts?

Since our proposed world is actually a near tidally locked moon, I think it's important for us to establish how our people will measure time.

To start, unless our world completes a full orbit around the host planet in only one Earth day, we'll need to determine our inhabitants' sleep patterns in some other way. The easiest way would be to simply explain that our inhabitants evolved their sleep patterns in rhythm with the orbital pattern, allowing them to remain awake longer between rest periods, but that's counterintuitive to the way the brain operates, so I don't think that would suffice.

Bear with me on this, because it's already been discussed that our moon should maintain an orbit inside the host planet's rings, and I'm going to suggest something else. I propose that our moon was struck by a large meteor while it was still forming, and that strike was enough to throw it off from it's perfectly synchronized orbit with the rings, but just barely. This would mean that we could give our moon a 144-hour orbital period (six Earth days), which can be separated into four days of 36 hours apiece.

On the first day of the week, our moon enters the rings from above, sparking small meteor showers beginning in the south and moving slowly north over the next 36 hours (roughly). When it clears the rings, that marks the beginning of day two, which ends when it re-enters the rings from below. Days three and four would be measured in the same way, but reversed, where the meteor showers begin in the north and work their way south before clearing back up for another 36 hours.

Our intelligent species, then would observe a roughly humanoid sleep pattern in which they are awake for roughly 24 hours and asleep for 12. This maintains a sense of semi-normalcy in relation to Earth-humans, while also being neurologically viable.

The alternative would be that our people would stay awake for 96 hours at a time and sleep for 48 hours. But even though we could justify it with evolutionary differences, that just seems unrealistic (in my opinion).

Thoughts?

Edit: Sorry, I forgot to flair this, and I can't figure out how to do so now that it's posted. I'm on the mobile version, if that matters.

Name still in progress, Auroran is a good working title tho, maybe I'll just keep it if no better ideas present themselves

Overview: These people would be mostly paleolithic, with stone tools and weapons except for the occasional bronze or meteoric iron as a status symbol. They would be neighbors to the First Tribe, probably competing over the same herds and living spaces. The league is an egalitarian confederacy of 5 clans each styling themselves off the colors of the aurora, the Kenronek (pink), the Koriki (green), the Otsinek (yellow), the Kitirangi (blue), and the Hikati (violet). The league is united by a common religion venerating the auroras, which they view as ancestor spirits communicating from the afterlife to their descendants. Each has their own general territory, though the clans move as one through the mountains and intrusions of one clan into another's territory are more likely to be met with curiosity than hostility.

Organization: Each clan is composed of several bands, each band generally 30-50 people in 3-4 families. All adults have a voice in the tribe, most decisions being made by consensus. The Shaman serves as a religious leader and arbiter for the consensus. Though as payment for their position the Shaman has no vote in consensus, they are free to give advice and arbitrate discussion. When the Shaman calls for a final vote, all discussion ceases. For most day to day discussions the voting process is consensus based, meaning almost everyone needs to agree. This is usually simple enough, most issues are the same day to day and people usually agree to to keep yesterday's verdict. Indeed on most days the morning consensus is simply a place where the band members organize who does what task for the day. For important and divisive issues the Shaman can declare a lower level of unanimity, to a minimum of 4/5 the assembled adults in times of trouble.

Every 25 days, the bands of each clan gather together at an agreed upon meeting place to discuss their circumstances and any issues that affect the clan as a whole. The day is marked as well by a feast and games. At these congregations, the clans elect their next speaker to the Forum of Wise Ones, a body of 5, 1 from each clan. The speaker is a man or woman elected to discuss the interests and problems of their clan with the speakers of the other clans so that the whole league may know the comings and goings of each other. The Wise Ones spend their time away from their home clans, traveling in a small band, just themselves and 15 adults to protect and provide for the speakers over the next 25 days while they discuss the matters of the League. Any issue may be brought up and discussed, and proposals are carried by the speaker back to their clan to be voted on by the assembled bands. If a consensus is not reached, then the issue is dropped util brought forward again by a subsequent speaker. At any point the Wise Oes may send out the call to assemble the entire league in a grand congregation. Here truly important issues and omens are brought forth and discussed, as well as honoring someone who has truly proved their heroism in the name of the League.

On occasion, the League finds itself at war. Sometimes in the past t has been against other tribes seeking resources or women, other times against a falling bronze kingdom tearing itself apart trying to flee the Giant. In such times, each clan appoints 3 heads, a War Father, a War Mother, and a Blood Shaman. These three direct the bands and lead war parties. Each is given the sacred relics of their clan, usually spears or axes made of meteoric iron but each of the 5 clans are unique in their relics. While normally an egalitarian society, these individuals carry enormous authority over their clans, and to a lesser extent even bands from other clans. Bands follow the orders of the nearest warleader, regardless of the clan they came from. Most conflicts are relatively short, but in extensive campaigns the warleaders may confer together and appoint a warchief, who may command the entire League as he or she wishes so long as it ends the war. Only a handful of times in their history has a warchief been called for, and each was a time of dire need for the Auroran peoples. After conflict is ceased the warleaders give up their power and go back to whatever position in society they held before.

Culture: Auroran culture varies by clan, and even to an extent by tribe. Some things are relatively constant. Aurorans have very little patience for authority, used to as the are to the discussions of their home. It is a strength and a curse for their people; the clans look well after their members, men and women being fully equal and children being named for both of their parents (they have the word 'Tomu' meaning child of. naming convention thus is [first name] tomu [both parents names together] na [clan name], 'Na' simply meaning 'of the.' example character; Ane Tomu Kor-Shinun na Kenronek). Most possessions are communal, except for various trinkets, sentimental items or gifts. Weapons and tools are handed out as needed and food is distributed equally. First the children get their shares, then the elderly and disabled, and the healthy adults share what's left. Generally childhood ends at 14-16, depending on the band, and is marked by a trial. The youth must go out into the woods alone and bring back something of value to the tribe. Most of the time, this is simply an animal hunted or valuable plant foraged. Occasionally a new adult makes a name for themselves by bringing back something grander. Aurorans have little concept of marriage, coupling is done on a rather informal basis, though people who have children together tend to stay together at least until the child is an adult. Regardless, children are practically raised by the band, with everyone keeping an eye out for the young and taking care of them while the parents are away. Crime as we would know it is rare, mostly theft of another person's food share or assaulting someone. In such cases the treatment is decided on by the consensus, with most sentences simply being extra duties or a penance hunt in which the offender must hunt a creature for everyone else but not partake in any of their own efforts. In more egregious crimes such as murder or rape, the offender is exiled from the League on pain of death and in especially heinous situations the consensus may vote on execution. Such votes require complete unanimity (except the offender's, of course), and if that is not reached exile is decided on. It is not unknown for vengeful Aurorans to go off on their own or in small bands and hunt down these exiles, of course. Nobody really talks about those grim hunts out loud. Formal execution is done by throwing the offender off the nearest cliff, a sacrifice to the sky.

Religion: Aurorans venerate the sky, and in particular the vibrant band of auroras that herald the coming of the Giant. They believe that their afterlife is to join the spirits of their ancestor dancing across the sky to watch over and protect their descendants. Each clan's dead goes to their sacred color, though intermingling is common as can be seen by the twisting and turning of the auroras. It is believed they die because their spirits are needed to help push back the Giant, and that with every soul departed o the sky the Giant's coming is slowed just a litle bit, and one day may come when the Auroran dead may push back the Giant entirely. Until then, they delay as much as they can, sending warnings and vision to living shamans who spend much of their time reading the undulations of the sky's colored bands. Each Shaman has a small group of acolytes who are trained in divining the heavens as well as medicine. It is the Shaman and their acolytes who know how to prepare the magical herbs that boost warrior's strength and speed. Sometimes they burn the sacred mushrooms and incense to give themselves visions of the past, future, or distant events. As can be expected, these visions are hazy and difficult to remember in the waking world. At any point, the band can assemble and elect a new Shaman, replacing or demoting the old one. It only takes a 4/5 majority to demote a current Shaman, and usually the now ex-shaman goes back to being an acolyte, though they can be exiled if guilty of a major crime like everybody else. Anyone can become an acolyte by simply expressing interest, and if the Shaman has time to teach a new student.

TL;DR that became a lot longer than I thought it would be