WORLD CREATION

<h1>WORLD CREATION</h1>
<p>
  Your first step is the shared creation of the game world (also known as a
  “setting”) in which your characters’ adventures will take place. This process
  involves both the Game Master and the Players and provides everyone with a
  strong foundation for heroes, antagonists, creatures, and events.
</p>
<p>You will need the world sheet and the map sheet.</p>
<p>
  The flowchart on the next page describes the world creation process. If you
  want, give your setting a name: even something as simple as Earth, Gaia or The
  Planet will work fine... we do the same in our real world, after all!
</p>
<p>
  As explained on <a href="/books/core/#page-14">page 14</a>, all Fabula Ultima
  worlds share some core elements — the Eight Pillars. When creating your
  setting, keep those elements in mind! Pay special attention to the following:
</p>
<ul>
  <li>
    <strong>Souls.</strong> Everything living and unliving is connected by the
    stream of souls. Some worlds might feature machinery fueled by soul energy,
    while in other settings, spiritual corruption might give birth to monstrous
    creatures.<br /><em
      >Discuss what people generally know about souls in your world.</em
    >
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Conflicts and struggles.</strong> The cultures populating your world
    haven’t been able to unite themselves under a single banner. Their motives
    can range from centuries-old rivalries, ideological or religious strife,
    misunderstandings, perhaps even the cruelties of one nation against the
    other. Drawing inspiration from the real world can be a good idea, as it is
    (unfortunately) rife with turmoil and injustice.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>A fantastical, diverse world.</strong> When creating your setting,
    you shouldn’t concern yourself with realism, verisimilitude, or historical
    accuracy. A city-state inspired by ancient Greece might be bordering with a
    flying fortress, guarded by warriors clad in Song Dynasty-style armor and
    practicing a form of alchemy similar to that of the Italian Renaissance.<br /><em
      >What really matters is for each location's appearance to reflect the
      themes and emotions it will embody within your story.</em
    >
  </li>
</ul>
<p>
  The flowchart presents the world creation steps in a more intuitive order, but
  you’re always free to go back and make adjustments when needed.
</p>
<p>
  The most important part is that everyone can share ideas freely. Whenever a
  step states that “each person should contribute an element”, that doesn’t mean
  they must come up with it entirely on their own: as with any other aspect of
  this game, dialogue and communication are key to a good experience!
</p>