James Murphy

Musical Cities

Spring 2015

As I get more involved with developing the world, I more frequently have to stop writing to flesh out some aspect of a civilization, character, or concept that I’ve neglected. To help myself out a bit with this, I’ve composed a list of many of the important things that I believe should be covered if one attempts to create this type of world world from scratch. I have a few different categories. The ones I’ve posted here so far pertain to history as well as how magic should be handled. They are works in progress and I am adding new bullet points from time to time:

World History

• How long have people been in the area? Did they evolve here, or migrate from somewhere else?
• How far back do recorded histories go? Whether written annals, stone carvings or stories told by griots and skalds, it’s important to know the full scope of humanity’s knowledge of its own history.
• Where did civilization begin and spread? Near fertile lands and bodies of freshwater, with access to shelter, obviously.
• What do people believe? This is more subjective to an individual region’s history, but must always be considered.
• How many languages are spoken and how are they related? Where did different languages develop and where did they intermingle to form new dialects? Perhaps there is a trade language commonly spoken among merchants of many civilizations.
• Which peoples or countries have traditionally fought each other, traded goods, made alliance, or been rivals? And where are there still hard feelings? Old offenses may be left to fester over decades; it is important to have at least a general idea of various factions’ feelings towards one another.
• Which peoples have been involved in conflict in the RECENT past? When, why, and how was the most recent conflict conducted? Who won and under what circumstances?
• Which peoples are the most advanced? This could include academically, militarily, philosophically, technologically, or magically (although there is overall very little magic left in my world, making this less of a consideration in this case).
• How does the calendar work? How do people tell time? It probably wouldn’t be the same across the board, even with a widely used system (such as the Gregorian calendar), there would still be other methods used.

Specific Country’s Histories

• Why did people settle where they did? Similar question to the larger-scale one above.
• How accessible is the area? This directly affects trade, as well as the frequency of visitors from other areas, which in turn would dictate how quickly people in the area would hear news from throughout the realm, as well as possibly making them less of a target from neighboring kingdoms.
• Weapons technology? The weapons, armor, and fighting style of a faction or country can be crucial to their overall aesthetic. Does the kingdom employ rank-and-file conscripts, heavily armored knights, or elite archers? Maybe they come from a plains region, and they fight from horseback better than those who come from forested areas?
• Who are their rivals and foes? As stated before, old cuts run deep. Maybe two lords allying their power would be practical or convenient from a narrative point of view, but if enmity exists between them then perhaps one lord’s bitterness would overrule his or her otherwise pragmatic nature.
• Who are the heroes and villains of each country’s history? Why and what does this say about them?
• What is the population of the kingdom?
• How diverse is the country? Countries with territory on the border of culturally different regions will no doubt have some intermingling. To what extent has this happened?
• What are the primary imports and exports? This will say a lot about the lifestyle or values a commoner might have; for example if a country’s main export is rice, then the villages in that area may have a stronger sense of community, due to the necessity of having large rice fields which need to be worked by many people. Compare this to areas where wheat is the dominant crop, which is easy to be grown and tended by one small family. They may have a more individualistic point of view.
• What are the recent wars or conflicts? Who won? Same idea as the above section, but on a more micro level.
• What does the terrain and landscape look like? What is the placement of farmland and water resources? I try to paint a picture for myself. What kind of climate does the region have? Temperate? Tropical? Are there more deciduous or coniferous trees? What kind of soil and bedrock do people stand on? Those in wet, marshy lowlands will have difficulty laying down foundation for building, while those living in heaths with have problems planting crops in the acidic soil.
• What kinds of flora and fauna live in the area?
• How do the citizens make their living? Be it as a farmer, crafter, soldier, or clergy, the common folk need to sustain themselves. What are the most common and acceptable ways to do so?

Magick

• What can magic NOT do? This to me is a fundamental point. What are magic’s limitations, and how do practitioners try to get around them? There must be rules to any magic system, otherwise magic fails to be viable as a narrative tool, and either seems too contrived or functions only as a deux ex machina. (The reader does not necessarily need to know what these rules are, however!)
• What is the price of using magic? Again, does anyone try to get around it? There must be a price of magic, unattainable or not understood by the common folk.
• Is there a difference between miracles and magic? Many fantasy works distinguish the two as separate. Do the gods have an active role in the world or are “miracles” really just coincidences falsely attributed to divine intervention?
• Where does magic come from? It could be bestowed by the gods, be channeled from a resource such as mana, or simply come from the personal willpower of the user.
• Are there long-term effects of using magic? They could be either positive or negative, but negative makes more sense to me.Maybe magic is addictive and/or causes insanity? I sure hope so, because overpowered mages who have all their shit together and can spontaneously conjure up fireballs or teleport sure are boring to me, and you won’t find them in my world.
• Is magic a renewable resource? Or exhaustible? If it is exhaustible, that could be a reason for a low-magic setting, where only certain remote areas still have untapped magical power.
• How are spells cast? Can they be stored or saved for later? Perhaps a lengthy incantation or ritual is needed before a spell can be cast, or maybe magic energy can be stored inside an object like a staff or gemstone for later use.
• How much is known about the laws of nature, physics, and magic? Are there some early “ologists” or researchers who study these things? When it comes to dealing with magic, I personally prefer it when little is known and less is understood. It should be something mysterious and feared.
• What varieties of magic are there? What can actually be done with magic? Whether true magic, religious or occultist rituals, or just parlor tricks, misdirection and sleight of hand, what magical or supernatural practices exist or have existed in the world? These can be herbal, ritual, or alchemical practices, or things like pyromancy, necromancy, or elemental magic.
• Do people get stronger or weaker with magic with age?
• Can the ability to use magic be lost or taken away?
• How do non-magicians view magic? For that matter, how do the people who use magic view it/themselves?
• How long do magical practices take to learn?
• Are wizards organized? Is there some form of hierarchy?
• Are magic and science compatible? How does magic interact with technology?
• Is there a magical means of transportation or communication?
• Is there forensic magic?
• How is magic used in combat, if at all?
• How was the beginning of civilization influenced by the presence of magic?
• Can magic be used in the arts?