World Weavers' Workshop

Exercise 8 : Hierarchy

Societies function and thrive through a diversity of roles and delegation of efforts. Farmers, soldiers, craftsmen, merchants ... each contributes something to the whole, but co-operation needs organisation and that means some form of hierarchy.

Outline one of the hierarchies in your world.

Things to consider:
This might be military, corporate, familial or something else.
What are some of the positions in the hierarchy and what are the roles of the individuals in those positions?
How is a person's position in the hierarchy determined? If their position can change, what might change it? Or if positions can't be changed, why?
What are the marks or privileges of rank? Do people dress differently? Do they live or work in different areas?


Exercise 9 : Travel

Different environments, different levels of technology, different resources, different purposes, come together in the development of a mode of travel. Even if the answer to this question is obvious, take a moment to think and understand why your mode of travel is the inevitable solution.

Things to consider:
What mode of travel is available and to whom? What restricts the availability?
What is this mode of travel? How does it work? What does it look like?
Is this mode of travel common or uncommon and why?
What drives people to travel? Is this normal for them or is it a big deal to leave a familiar place?
Are there any dangers to worry about? Pilot error? Pirates?


Exercise 10 : Education

Education is the process of teaching or learning.
A 'formal' education is one earned in a school, college, or other institute dedicated specifically to the purpose. Informal learning refers to learning that occurs away from a structured, formal classroom environment.

Things to consider:
What kind of education is available in your world? What are the barriers to obtaining an education?
What are the key areas of the curriculum for those receiving this education? Are young ladies mainly taught comportment and art? Do young men only have academic studies or do they also study martial arts?
If there is no formal system of education, what kind of education does exist? How do people train into their professions? What kind of skills and knowledge are considered valuable and how is that knowledge obtained?


Exercise 11 : Sickness

Mortals are plagued with a number of problems in their lifetimes, including literal plagues. Today, I’m not after a lethal outbreak of infectious disease, but something endemic.

Decide on a common illness and how the condition is treated.

This might be a simple cold or something more serious, but it should be curable (whether your character has access to the cure or not). It shouldn’t be a total surprise to the character: instances of people contracting it should be fairly normal. On top of deciding what this illness is, consider what healthcare is available in your world.

Things to consider:
How is the illness contracted? Is it a virus, a bug, or some other kind of ailment?
How serious is the illness? How does your victim character react to catching it and being ill? How do others react?
What kind of treatment is available? If different kinds of care are available to different groups of people, what kind of care does your character get compared to others?


Exercise 12 : Crime

Laws come into being as a matter of necessity to protect a society and keep it functioning. What constitutes a crime, what motivates one, and how crime is combated are your questions for today.

Things to consider:
What is the nature of the crime? How does the character react?
What does the character do? What should he or she do?
How is your world policed? What is done to prevent crimes? What is done to perform justice?


Exercise 13 : Slums

Scavenging a living on the fringes of society are the denizens of the slums. The unwanted and unwashed, clawing a living from the mire. Poverty comes in many forms, but slums house the utterly destitute.

Who inhabits your slum? Refugees, immigrants, an ‘unclean’ caste, exiles?
What does the place look like? Where is it? What are people living in (or on or under)?
Who cares? Is the slum visited by charities aiming to alleviate poverty? Is it harassed by the authorities trying to drive unsightly beggars away from town?


Exercise 14 : Review Day

Go back over your notes from the past week. Do any further research, add to your notes, and make any adjustments or corrections.

If you have any other ideas that you want to get down at this point, submit those too.