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Michael Dharma

@michaeldharma.bsky.social

3.6K followers 4.6K following 700 posts

Writer working on my first fantasy novel. #amwriting #amwritingfantasy #writing #WritingCommunity #worldbuilding

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Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · Dec 15

#WritingCommunity #readingcommunity #Booksky #Tiriande
I'll tell you a little secret that won't be going on Twitter.

When I was 8, I saw Star Wars. It blew my mind. I started my first childish attempts at world building as a hobby. 🧵/1

Umaryn of Aintwyg holding a book in one hand and a candle in the other.

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Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · 1d

#OctoberWorldbuilders #writingcommunity #readingcommunity #Booksky
Day 13
#Tirial

The Eotan known as Dofdt Shnassgeng is believed to have been one of the greatest players of "Hill Tumbling" to have ever lived.

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Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · 2d

#OctoberWorldbuilders #writingcommunity #readingcommunity #Booksky
Day 12
#Tirial

Some forms of sport sword fighting use wooden swords with rounded "blades." You can't get sliced by these weapons but injuries still happen from time to time. Helmets are required for a match.

Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · 3d

As usual, ask questions if you have them. This is far from a complete list. /10

Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · 3d

The Eotan folk have a unique team sport called "Hill Tumbling." Two teams spread out around a hill and try to knock each other off said hill. The only rules are that you can only do this bare-handed and no eye-gouging. /9

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Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · 3d

There are also team sports. Relay races and games where teams try to move a ball or other object from one side of a field to a goal on the other end are common. /8

Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · 3d

Several sports have to be divided up into different leagues separated by folk race.

And some of the less civilized folk races have blood sports where the loser dies. Pit fights and cage battles are common among them. /7

Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · 3d

There are several competitive sports in the world of Tirial. Quite a few of them are what you'd expect: wrestling, martial arts, foot races, etc. There are also animal riding sports but they use native Tirialan fauna rather than horses or greyhounds. /6

Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · 3d

A popular board game is "Fives." It's similar to tic-tac-toe but the board is a 5x5 grid. A similar game is called "25" and is played with a 25x25 grid board but up to five people can play. In each case, players use painted stones as game pieces. /5

Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · 3d

Umaryn never winds up playing a sport during the main narrative. She winds up training with swords and other forms of combat but only uses it in real fights. /4

Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · 3d

Desert music is very percussive. Most drums are made from hide stretched over some wood. A few are metal.

As on Earth, they have ocarinas and various stringed instruments. /3

Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · 3d

One form of dance performed by the desert cultures of Tirial is a form of fertility dance done by the women. Such dances are done with suggestive hip movements and little clothing. /2

Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · 3d

#OctoberWorldbuilders #writingcommunity #readingcommunity #Booksky
Days 7-11
#Tirial

The one universal constant in clothing is no black robes during the day. They are hot and uncomfortable.

Most such clothing is loose fitting. /1

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Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · 8d

#OctoberWorldbuilders #writingcommunity #readingcommunity #Booksky
Day 6
#Tirial

The way desert dwellers survive is mostly by sticking to areas with water: oases, rivers, and underground aquifers. They also have individuals with the ability to cast invocations.

Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · 9d

Got questions about the deserts of #Tirial or one of my other worlds? Feel free to ask them. /13

Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · 9d

The Horrors allegedly gained their knowledge after discovering a place called the Nameless Library buried in some desert ruin. They read the ancient books and it scarred them mentally, spiritually, and eventually physically. /12

Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · 9d

The knowledge so granted has the potential to do enormous damage to the sanity of their victims the longer the process goes on. Some die screaming. /11

Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · 9d

They all rose as undead nightmares. Their goal is to share their terrible knowledge. They do this by entrancing mortals and inserting their long tongues down the throats of their victims. The knowledge is transmitted directly into the mind via this disgusting method. /10

Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · 9d

A desert myth concerns a form of undead monster called the Horrors from the East. These monsters were formed from some of the now-extinct humans who journeyed Eastward in search of "forbidden knowledge." What they learned wouldn't allow them to rest peacefully after death. /9

Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · 9d

As for plants and animals, the Ilevar and Khetem Deserts have plants analogous to cacti. But one species of cacti can be tapped for a kind of syrup. Farms of this variety have sprung up.

There is a large desert feline called the Serapi. Harath have domesticated them. /8

Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · 9d

As for desert architecture, let me simply show you a map of a desert oasis town by both day and night. /7

Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · 9d

The Omites are rarely seen outside of the Ashiriat Canyon and the surrounding mountains. The Tethlim are mostly fine with leaving them alone and concentrating on their Harath enemies. /6

Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · 9d

Omites are incredibly tough people. They are born so used to hardship that too much comfort and luxury is actually physically and psychologically harmful to them. For example, they much prefer to sleep on a stone floor than in a bed with a fluffy pillow. /5

Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · 9d

Then there are the Omites who live in and around the Ashiriat Canyon. This is one of the driest, hottest, and most inhospitable regions of Tirial. Omites are sallow skinned folk with dark circles under their eyes. /4

Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · 9d

The Harath are enemies of the Tethlim folk. Tethlim have red skin, long pointed ears, and a third eye. All of the live to around 500 years and have the ability to cast invocations. Essentially, a race of "sorcerers." /3

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Michael Dharma @michaeldharma.bsky.social · 9d

The Harath are humanoids with catlike characteristics. Remember the old Thundercats cartoon from the 80s? It's a similar concept but add whiskers, tails, and pointed ears. However, they aren't true cats like the Neyeru cat folk on the world of Sadrim in the city of #Talisrain. /2

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