The World Builder Society NEW CHALLENGE 2/26/08!!! "Middle'o'Nowhere in a GFFA!"

From what I've read so far, I'm definitely interested. A world even more diverse than Naar Shaada? Now that's what I call a challenge!

I remember reading about another original world, called Alameen, a few years ago. Just like this project, the planet's population was a very diverse melting pot, mixed together in the same environment. Alameen had five ruling Houses (can't remember their names right now - I'll have to look it up again), that made up the planet's nobility. They ruled in a very unusual system: each House would assume leadership of the planet, once every seven years and, when the term was up, said House would relinquish its rule to the one that was next in line. Of course, things were not always this simple, as, sometimes, violent clashes occured between Houses, often resulting in all-out war (a reason why a quarter of Alamenn's southern hemisphere had been completely devastated and rendered uninhabitable).

The planet itself was very interesting, but, unfortunately, the stories in which I had found it only used it as a background for the main plot, often glossing over details that I would have liked to know (ironically, these stories were R or NC-17 rated pieces and the author didn't bother glossing over those details!)

 

Alright, so I'm not posting a planet, though I will. Eventually.

But I have to up this thread, and make a few observations.

Designing a planet is a very good way to end up with characters, I think. Enviroment very much defines a person, their attitudes and beliefs.

Of course, I probably sound rather slow, since I'm sure everyone on this thread has already figured it out!

I wonder if I can use the planet that I came up with when I was nine... the one I used as an explanation for why a particular species was so lethal and based hiearchy on formal duels, for the most part. Probably has a few kinks, but might be interesting.

 

By the Force, I can't believe this thread kept on going! I didn't think it would ever catch on at all, I go out to sea, and it actually gets a few great responses. So first off, thank you so much to everyone who has provided awesome inputs to this thread. That's exactly what I was going for.

Second of all, thank you to 1Yodimus_Prime for the great idea for a new name for this thread. It has a very nice ring to it, so maybe more people will stop by and take a look-see.

And finally, HELLO! I've been out to sea since Christmas, and I'm only back in for a couple days before I have to go back out again, so don't get too excited (I will be back very soon though). You know I just had to stop by and say hi. I'm sorry I missed the fanfic awards, it looks like you guys had a lot of fun, but hopefully I'll be around for the next round.

I would write more, but alas, time is the one thing I have very little of, so until I see you again, happy writing, pleasant reading, be safe, enjoy life, and as always, may the Force be with you!

Yours truly,

your friendly neighborhood JMT

Edit: And I missed this the first time I scrolled through this thread, but a very special thank you to oqidaun for creating a new topic to keep this thing going. As always, yer great, oqi! And by all means, be my guess whenever you can come up with new material for the OC cause. Greatly appreciated!

 

Holy itchy PJs!!!
I stop into Resources not expecting to see or do anything, and BAM! This thread is on the first page...AND posted to by JMT...AAAAND using my title suggestion! Total sweetness and a half!

Awesome that you're back from the deep blue long enough to at least say 'hi'. Don't worry about your thread. We'll take care of her. I personally promise Not a Scratch... (I hope you don't mind the conspicuously missing satellite. was probably just decoration anyway, right? Right? Well blame it on the exploding Death Star)

And may the Force be with you in return, man.

 

New Challenge 2/24/06 Brought to you by the United States Navy

There's no place like home!

Being in the Navy, and going out to sea for months on end, you quickly realize that you take many things for granted in life, including friends, family, those you love, and even the place called home. Imagine if you will, you are in the Imperial Navy on a Star Destroyer (or on a Rebel Mon Cal Cruiser if that makes you happy), and you are a long way from your home planet, with no return in sight anytime in the near future. Write home to a friend, family member, or some other loved one, and describe in some detail at least three things you miss about your home planet. They don't have to be monumental things; in fact, the smaller and more specific they are, the more your planet will come to life as a place one would be proud to call home in the Star Wars Universe. (If you don't want to use a letter format, feel free to list at least five specific things you miss about "home.")

Have fun, and I will see you guys soon!

MTFBWY

JMT

 

That's right, folks! Your friendly neighborhood JMT has returned from defending the seas from non-existent enemies, and he is proud to be back on the boards!

Now, with that being said, I refuse to let this thread die, so, um, howzabout we look at the post right above this one and somebody reply...please?

Of course, if there's a better topic, I am definitely open to suggestion!

 

I intend to respond to the challenge at some point, but I suppose I'd better post the stats on my original planet first...make that my original system...:
___________________

System: Exiu

Location: Just inside the Corporate Sector. I guess that puts it either Outer Rim, or Mid Rim.

Notes: The Exiu system has three habitable planets. For thousands of years, it was completely cut off from the rest of the galaxy by the choice of its people. The three planets are Meridi, the most habitable, Exiu I, called Arachan by its inhabitants, and Exiu II.
_________

Meridi

Climate: Tropical.

Weather: Tropical. Meridi is subjected to a dry season, a wet season, and a hot season. During the dry season, no rain falls, though the tropical climate holds enough water that drought is not a worry. During the wet season, on the other hand, rain falls in torrents for weeks at a time. The hot season is a period of two or three months in the fourth and fifth months in which it is so hot that the people of Meridi can barely stand it. Strangers stay inside during this season.

Terain: Meridi has two large continents, with a sea separating them. Both continents are primarily jungle. In the populated areas the jungle has been cleared for hundreds of miles, resulting in vast stretches of farmland. There are mountain ranges scattered here, and on the smaller, less populated continent, there is a desert spanning the lower third.

Population: Meridi is heavily populated. The largest cities, including Thallai, its capital, hold about half of its people. The other half live in the smaller towns, or on farms slashed out of the jungle. The native population consists of two major species: humans, and a feline species called Shiri?anun. The Shiri?anun stand about 2 meters tall, and are covered in fur of various shades and length. They are fiercely proud, and protective of their own. For a long while, they did not have dealings with the humans.

Government: Meridi is governed by a monarch, and his council of advisors. Just before the start of the Clone Wars, King Aik?n joined the Republic, sending two Senators, one human, and one Shiri?anun, to represent the planet. After that, the king was more of a symbol. Incidentally, this was the first time humans and Shiri?anuns had any sort of dealings with each other.

Days: 30 hours

Year: 380 days

Major Imports: Meridi is pretty much self sufficient, so it only imports luxuries, such as precious stones, and valuable fur.

Major exports: Meridi is known mostly for its spicy food, filled with curry, and other rich tastes.
_______________

Exiu I (Arachan)

Climate, Weather, and Terrain: Freezing. Arachan is basically a ball of ice covered rock. There is a belt along the equator that is exposed rock, but otherwise? The core of the planet is solid rock, rather than molten which makes the planet that much colder.

Population: Unlike Meridi, Arachan is sparsely populated. It?s inhabitants, grey skinned humanoids called Arachani, live in close knit cave dwelling communities on the rock belt. The Arachani have very good eyesight in the dark, and six long, slim fingers, on each hand. They all have white hair, and bright green eyes There are no cities above ground as the climate is too harsh.

Government The Arachani live in clans, with a tribal leader. There is no ultimate planetary government, and tribal wars are frequent. They tell clan members apart by the tattoos each Arachani wears, though the symbols are too complex and similar for strangers to learn. Ultimately, Arachan is a colony planet of Meridi.

Day: 20 hours

Year: 510 days. Arachan and Exiu II are unique in the galaxy in that they are the same distance from the sun, though Arachan?s orbit is horizontal, and Exiu II?s is vertical. As yet, the planets have never come close enough to each other to cause serious problems.

Major Imports: The Arachani import weapons, and shi

 

Fantastic challenge!

I'll be back shortly with a response!

 

great topic, JMT and welcome back! now i just have to round up a bunny. this may take some time.

lesse, first i need a planet. then a character. then a... oh. i should go do this thinking elsewhere.

 

Do we post challenge responses here, or somewhere else, with a link here?

 

if i understand the new rules correctly, you post the story in the appropriate area with 'World Builder Society challenge' or something similar, like 'Challenge Response' in the title bar.

then you put a link here and it will get indexed by our fearless thread organizer, JMT, on the Master Challenge Index.

the purpose is to save the indexers on the Before, Saga and Beyond boards from indexing all the little challenges.

but, JMT might prefer a thread on each board to put all of the challenges on, i'll PM and find out.

 

Thanks Rogue Pilot and Jennifer Lyn for responding! (You don't know how much I mean that either!) All challenge responses should go here, because for one, as JL mentioned, it makes other folks' jobs easier, and two, I want people to come to this thread and be able to explore the Fanficcers Star Wars Universe all in one place, which does a couple things.

One, it's just fun to see what we, the lovers, readers, and writers of Star Wars can come up with. Two, it gives people ideas on which they can brainstorm their own new locales. And three, it gives people completely original places to use in their own stories (as I mentioned in my first post).

I look forward to reading your responses and maybe we can't get this little thing going after all!

Edit: And for you guys, and everyone that drops in, please still feel free to post information about your original locales at any time. I'm planning on making a Master List on the front page with everyone's entries, so we can turn this thread into a tour guide of OUR Star Wars Universe.

 

huzzah for this challenge! it's broken up my block! thank you, JMT!


On a small outpost planet, somewhere in the Mid Rim:


Dear Mum,

Missing you and Da. Hope you get this message and that you are all well. I?m good, all things considered. At least I?m fed and clothed and healthy for the moment.

I know I scared you all when I ran off to join the Rebellion, but I hope you understand that I was left with little choice. I?ll try to explain while I can.

When Mika was taken for questioning, I knew our quiet life was over. She never came back, did you know? She just disappeared and I was left to try to pick up the pieces of my life. I?ve never found out what happened to her. All those years we worked so hard, building up the farm, seem like little more than a dream now.

I still remember the smell of the nicobacc, that strong, earthy scent that used to drift in on the breeze. It was the smell of a bright a shining future for my new little family. Mika told me that morning that I was going to be a Da. To this day and for the rest of my life, I?ll never be able to smell that odor without thinking of her and the baby.

I used to walk out in the fields just as dawn was breaking. First Sun would be just cresting the horizon as I got the droids up and running. Sometimes I?d leave my boots at the edge of the field and walk through the soft tilled earth. Later Mika would chastise me for tracking the deep red dust through the house, but I think she understood why I did it.

It was our land. Our Land. All those years you and Da and Grams and Gramps struggled to get free of Overlord Dergei, to help the people reclaim the land that was theirs from the start, it was all worth it. The terraforming was taking incredibly well on our little plot of dirt and we were going to be able to get the crop into market for the second year running.

Then the Empire came and all seemed like it was lost again. We still had the land, but the taxes took their toll. Mika hit a breaking point, it all became too much for her. She would heckle the Stormtroopers as they marched through the square on market days. Her pale green complexion would turn a brilliant emerald and she would shout slurs at them when they passed her. I tried to reason with her, get her to keep quiet for our own sake, but she would tell me I was being too much of an Itsarki, cowering in the corner while our new ?masters? did as they wished.

I guess I finally broke, too. When they came and took my darling wife, I was out in the fields. I didn?t hear a sound. I came back to the house for midday and she was gone. There was a struggle, she didn?t go quietly, not my girl. There was a bloody kitchen knife on the floor and a ?troopers helmet outside on the ground.

I snapped then, just walked away from it all. I got on the next transport offplanet and wandered around the galaxy for a few months. I finally found a Rebel cell on Inlardia and, well, I guess the rest is history.

Sometimes I lie in my bunk and wonder if the house is still there. Did the Empire knock it down and claim the land after I left? Did Mika find some way to survive and come back home, just to find me gone?

We?re going into battle soon, I have to go. Just a few hours and we?ll be facing some of the Empire?s best pilots over some nameless planet where we?ve been hiding for the last month. I?m not some grand hero, blazing through the Empire with a string of accomplishments other than a price on my head, just a simply flyboy. You?d be pleased, Da, to know I?ve become quiet a good pilot. If I ever make it back, we?ll finally get to use that old cropduster in the barn.

Watch for me, dear folks, and know my love is with you.

May the First Sun greet you each morning and the Second Sun bid you goodnight when your toils are through.

Your son,
Renli

 

That was great, Jennifer_Lyn. Such a beautiful letter!

Here's mine:

Dear Father, Mother, and Aya,

We?ve just arrived at (blocked by sensors.) It?s almost as hot as Meridi, but not nearly as nice. For one thing, there are no cities - the only breaks in the jungle are where ancient stone temples rise hundreds of meters above the already massive trees. Being on a jungle planet has really made me miss you all.

How is Aya?s violin coming? I?ve been annoying my bunk- and messmates to death telling them about her amazing skills. Two questions: Is she still planning on studying music? Is she as screechy as always? (Just kidding) You?ll have to give me a concert, Ay, when I get home. I?ll bring my bunkmate along. By now, I think he?s dying to hear you play to see if I?ve been pulling his leg.

How is the land? I?ve missed watching the kutai flower this year. Was it as good as last year? There are flowers here, but they?re not nearly as beautiful as the kutai.

Oh, I almost forgot. Being on other jungle planets makes you appreciate your own more fully - especially about the bugs. Someone told me the only bugs here are called piranha beetles. If you get stuck in a swarm of them, there?ll be nothing left but bones. Kinda makes a body miss the good ole ginkles, huh.

Oh, I have to go. A briefing?s been called. Sounds like someone arrived with the technical readouts we?ve been waiting for. I can?t wait until the Empire is finally put down, so I can come home again. I miss you all terribly.

Eternal love,
Tul

 

Holy cow, you two! Those were way better than I would have ever hoped for. Because they were real, and that's what we're going for in this thread. Making the SWU come alive. If you guys get a chance, I'd like for you to write which planets those folks are from, because as one of my many projects, if it's alright with you guys, I'm also planning on making a bit of an encyclopedia or visual dictionary with all the details from all the different planets, so maybe we can see references to those little things in various fanfics in the future. Wadda ya think?

 

Rogue: great job! i liked the comparison between the jungle planet your character was from and Yavin (it was Yavin, right?). the insects were a great touch. interesting that we both went to the Rebellion for this.

JMT: i'll have to figure that planet out, but as soon as i do, i'll get it up here for you. i would be thrilled if somebody ever used a planet i built in their fanfic.

perhaps you could also put a little note in the first thread to any writers planning to use one of these locales that it would be nice to credit the worldbuilder with its creation. just to avoid ruffled feathers.

 

All taken care of, JL! And I think you'll like what we've done to page 1! Have a look, lemme know!

 

looks great! i'll get ya something on that planet o' mine soon. details now being gathered.

just a thought, i like it the way it is, but if it starts getting to be too large of a list (i believe there is eventually a character limit to these posts) you could probably do planet and creator names with a link to the page that they appear on. something like what they've got on the Creche for the newbie lists.

 

Oh. Sorry. Tul's from Meridi. The stats for that planet, and the two other habitable planets in the system are a few posts back.

 

took a little longer than i though, but here ya go, JMT! a quick note to anyone wishing to use this system, i've got lots of ideas on the culture of the Ariannu, just pm me if you want details.


The Shenn Veaiyn system exists near the Doldur, neighboring Rhodia and Falleen on the Corellian Run. Orbiting the binary suns (called First Sun and Second Sun by the native population), the two inhabited planets make up one of the prime nicobacc producing systems in the galaxy.

Haearn, its vast open plains and rich soil, well suited to agriculture, grows some of the most potent nicobacc known. Its sister planet, Ariannu, houses large inhaler manufacturing facilities and controls much of the trade and pricing for nicobacc.

The humaniod population, the Arianni, all exihbit the characteristic green blood and green skin of their race. They are further distinguished by their three fingered, one thumbed hands and four toed feet. Their life expectancy is limited to about 100 years, with a few exceptions reaching 150. Lifespan is often shortened by the harder plantation life on Haearn to approximately 85 years.

They are ruled by a plutocracy of plantation and factory owners who, combined, form the Ariannian Confederacy of Shenn Veaiyn. There is a quiet minority of theocratic tribes, the Aurum, residing in the mountain regions of both planets. They are religious dissenters to the Confederacy and oppose the production of nicobacc on the grounds that it poisons its users and prevents them from properly following the ways of the Sawol. Superstitions surrounding these people suggest that the Sawol may be their word for the Force.

Desire by different factions to control the nicobacc trade caused a civil war approximately 50 years before the fall of the Old Republic. An Overlord Dergei ruled the Confederacy for a short time, and in his effort to control the uprising by the citzens of Haearn, decimated much of the viable agricultural regions. After he was overthrown, a large grant from the Republic Senate allowed for high quality terraforming, returning the plantations back to their original viability.


Planet: Haearn
Details: The planet's iron rich soil is well suited to nicobacc agriculture. Colonized in the early days of the Old Republic by the Arianni of its sister planet.
Terrain: A mostly pastoral planet, there are 5 major mountain ranges spread across its three continents.
Climate: A temperate climate with hot summers and mild winters.
Flora: Most natural flora was wiped out over the course of the colonization, giving way to the vast nicobacc plantations. In the less hospitable polar regions, efforts have been made to reestablish the Sorfu forests that once covered much of the surface.
Fauna: Besides the imported Dewback, herded on large ranches in the western regions for their meat, there are only a few native deer-like species and no large predators. The large Equivere, once thought extinct, has been cloned and efforts are being made to reestablish the population in the foothills of the five mountain regions. They are often kept as sport and companion animals. A feral variety of canid has begun to make a nuisance of itself along the coasts of the Sastra region and efforts are being made to control the burgeoning population.
Days: 31 hours
Years: 235 days
Major imports: farming equiptment, most manufactured goods
Major exports: raw and dried nicobacc

Planet: Ariannu
Details: Much of the population lives along the coastal regions where large spaceports have been established alongside the vast nicobacc inhaler facilites. An economic power during the days of the Old Republic, as the desire for nicobacc increased with the stressful times starting with the Clone Wars and escalating after the fall of the Republic, the population of Ariannu became some of the wealthiest in the region.
Terrain: Mountainous over much of the two continents, the coastal plains run in vast swathes up to the foothills and despite their low ele

 

Thank you so much, JL, for the inputs! I will add the Shenn Veaiyn system to the front page asap.

And now, for something completely different! Responses to challenges, however rich in quality, have been somewhat lacking in quantity of replies, so let's change up the format of this thread. Instead of a series of challenges, we're going to do a series of planet building workshops, and we'll see what we come up by using those. Responses to these workshops can be as long or short as you wish - any input is greatly appreciated!

Important Note: Since I intend for the body of this thread to consist primarily of these workshops, for the time being, if you have new planets or systems (or sectors in some overachievers' cases) to add to the database, please just PM them to me, and I will add them to the front page as soon as I can. If I reach some character limit, we will figure something out at that point. Thanks, and happy posting!

Planet Building Workshop #1: War, what is it good for?

Let's face it, one of the only constants in the Star Wars Universe (and ours as well, if you think about it) is war. Obviously, war has devastating effects on the population of a planet in the midst of conflict. However, it can also have drastic and sometimes unexpected effects on the environment, terrain, and the general way of life of a world. When writing your fics and war is a central theme of your story, what details of the "global" effects of war do you like to include to make the conflict seem more real?

Hopefully I've made this topic clear enough, but just to clarify, here are a few effects that you may consider when dealing with war and its effects on the planet as a whole:

1. The effects on the planet's atmosphere
2. The effects on the planet's ecosystems
3. The effects on landmarks
4. The effects on food supply around the world, etc.

That should give you some ideas to brainstorm, and by all means, include excerpts from your pieces as necessary to illustrate your points.

Edit: Challenge! Okay, I couldn't help myself. With each of these workshops, I'll throw in an optional challenge that may further enhance the discussion. They'll be fairly simple, but they may just help you to "take your first step into a larger world."

For this first workshop challenge, write a short piece to post right here in the thread. It can be in any format, and it should from the POV of a person at least middle-aged, and has seen their world in its "glory days," and can now compare it to its current, war-ravenged state. Show in as much detail as you'd like the effects your character has seen on his or her homeworld from war.

Thanks all - let's see how this goes!

 

I've found Nuclear war will always hav an adverse effect on any eco-system...o.k. all kidding aside.

I've yet to create a planet ransacked by war...yet. (Actually I've only ever created one planet, *shrugs*)

I think if you go back to the basics of this universe, start with the Imperial Garrison moving in to keep peace and order.

-Take into account what having a base to accomodate the ratio of Stormtroopers to populace first. Would building a garrison (or multiple garrisons) of massive size consist of deforrestization, and would using the land to construct it take away from farmland, or other natural resources.

-You would also have to assume the food supply would be affected, along with the sanitation system (ew, I know, but...). Compare it to a low population area that suddenly subjected to an immense increase in population.

-Of course all these issues would have an adverse affect on the economy, I know that's not the topic, but in every civilization...that's what it all comes down too.

-And if I'm to continue on the Imperial Garrison theme, well, we all know how much they care about natural landmarks and "wonders" of the world.

Sorry, JMT, I know there are people who could have experienced this topic better with their own world, maybe they could elaborate better.

Ahem.

 

I have every intention of completing this, just not during the actual week. I'll come back here and edit this post, hopefully this weekend.

 

Well, I think the key to creating the impact of a war on the world is to first consider what things are targets. For example, if the Empire went after a world, they'd look for military installations and such things that could pose a threat to them. They'd also probably take over metropolitan areas. Another consideration is how permanent the effect of the war will be. Will there be a garrison? Will there be an invasion? What are the initial effects of these sorts of things? Do people fight it and face consequences? Do they resent it and then accept it in resignation? Will the enemy leave the world's defenses intact? Will there be civil war between those who oppose the enemy and those who want to appease them?

 

I mostly show the effect the war has on the communities, I think. Such as the governments and the actual citizens. What affect the war has on them such as how much food they have, and how the war has affected their lives.
And then of course you have the physical change of the world, such as: are there new buildings used to house battle troops, or, actual scars the planet might have.
I dunno. I've never actually gone into much depth on this in a fic. Maybe I'll try it.