arcanea 3.0.0

package/skills/creative/world-build/SKILL.md

@@ -0,0 +1,513 @@
+---
+name: arcanea-world-build
+description: The Arcanean World Architecture System - create internally consistent universes using the Seven Pillars framework, from geography to magic systems to cultures, ensuring rich worlds that feel lived-in
+version: 2.0.0
+author: Arcanea
+tags: [worldbuilding, fantasy, scifi, universe, setting, magic-systems]
+triggers:
+  - world
+  - setting
+  - magic system
+  - worldbuilding
+  - universe
+  - culture
+  - fantasy setting
+  - scifi setting
+---
+
+# The Art of World Architecture
+
+> *"A world is not a setting. A world is a character with its own history, desires, and secrets."*
+
+---
+
+## The World-Builder's First Truth
+
+**The iceberg principle**: Show 10%, know 100%.
+
+Your reader experiences the tip of the iceberg - a living, breathing world with history and depth. But that experience only works if you've built the 90% beneath the surface.
+
+---
+
+## The Seven Pillars of World-Building
+
+```
+╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
+║                  THE SEVEN PILLARS                          ║
+╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
+║  1. GEOGRAPHY & ENVIRONMENT   │ The physical container      ║
+║  2. HISTORY & TIME            │ Memory that shapes present  ║
+║  3. CULTURES & PEOPLES        │ The human (or other) element║
+║  4. MAGIC/TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS  │ The extraordinary element   ║
+║  5. ECONOMY & RESOURCES       │ The material foundation     ║
+║  6. POWER & POLITICS          │ The dynamics of control     ║
+║  7. BELIEF & MEANING          │ The spiritual architecture  ║
+╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
+```
+
+---
+
+## Pillar 1: Geography & Environment
+
+### The Land Shapes Everything
+```
+Climate → Agriculture → Diet → Culture
+Terrain → Travel → Isolation/Connection
+Resources → Wealth → Power → Conflict
+```
+
+### Geography Checklist
+```
+□ Continental layout (if applicable)
+□ Major biomes and climate zones
+□ Water sources (oceans, rivers, lakes)
+□ Mountain ranges and natural barriers
+□ Resource distribution (metals, fuel, food)
+□ Natural phenomena (storms, seasons, tides)
+□ How terrain affects travel and communication
+```
+
+### The Consistency Test
+```
+Ask: Given this geography, what would logically follow?
+
+If desert →
+  Water is precious
+  Buildings use thermal mass
+  Night travel preferred
+  Trade in caravans
+  Water rights = power
+
+If archipelago →
+  Maritime culture
+  Island identity vs. mainland
+  Storms as major threat
+  Fishing economy
+  Naval power matters
+```
+
+---
+
+## Pillar 2: History & Time
+
+### History Creates Present
+```
+FOUNDING: How did this civilization/place begin?
+GOLDEN AGE: When were they at their peak?
+CATASTROPHE: What broke them?
+REFORMATION: How did they rebuild/change?
+CURRENT ERA: Where are they now in the cycle?
+```
+
+### The Three Types of History
+
+```
+DEEP HISTORY (1000+ years)
+├── Creation myths
+├── Lost civilizations
+├── Ancient wars
+└── Legendary figures
+
+LIVING HISTORY (100-1000 years)
+├── Recent kingdoms/empires
+├── Major discoveries
+├── Remembered heroes
+└── Institutional founding
+
+IMMEDIATE HISTORY (0-100 years)
+├── Current generation's experience
+├── Recent conflicts
+├── Living memory
+└── Active grudges
+```
+
+### History Integration Tips
+```
+1. Characters should have opinions on history
+2. Ruins and artifacts provide physical evidence
+3. Names come from historical figures
+4. Holidays commemorate events
+5. Old conflicts echo in current tensions
+```
+
+---
+
+## Pillar 3: Cultures & Peoples
+
+### Culture Creation Framework
+```
+IDENTITY: Who are we?
+├── Ethnic/racial characteristics
+├── Common names and naming conventions
+├── Shared mythology and heroes
+└── What they're known for
+
+VALUES: What do we believe matters?
+├── Honor, family, achievement, pleasure, duty?
+├── Individual vs. collective orientation
+├── Attitude toward outsiders
+└── Sacred vs. profane distinctions
+
+EXPRESSION: How do we show who we are?
+├── Art and architecture
+├── Clothing and adornment
+├── Food and dining customs
+├── Ritual and ceremony
+└── Music and storytelling
+
+STRUCTURE: How do we organize?
+├── Family structure
+├── Gender roles (if any)
+├── Age-based hierarchies
+├── Class and caste
+└── Leadership models
+```
+
+### Cultural Tension Points
+Every culture needs internal tensions that create story potential:
+```
+Tradition vs. Progress
+Individual vs. Collective
+Sacred vs. Secular
+Purity vs. Pragmatism
+Honor vs. Survival
+```
+
+### Avoiding Monocultures
+```
+WEAK: "The elves are all peaceful nature-lovers"
+STRONG: "The forest elves prioritize preservation, but
+        the city elves embrace adaptation, creating
+        centuries of internal conflict."
+
+Every culture should have:
+- Regional variations
+- Generational differences
+- Class distinctions
+- Subcultures and counter-cultures
+```
+
+---
+
+## Pillar 4: Magic/Technology Systems
+
+### Sanderson's Laws of Magic
+
+**First Law**: The ability of magic to solve problems is directly proportional to how well the reader understands it.
+```
+HARD MAGIC: Clear rules, reader can predict
+(Example: Allomancy in Mistborn)
+
+SOFT MAGIC: Mysterious, wonder-inducing
+(Example: Gandalf in Lord of the Rings)
+
+HYBRID: Clear for main character, mysterious for others
+```
+
+**Second Law**: Limitations are more interesting than powers.
+```
+What can magic NOT do?
+What does magic COST?
+Who CANNOT use magic?
+What happens when magic FAILS?
+```
+
+**Third Law**: Expand what you have before adding something new.
+```
+Before adding new magic, explore existing magic more deeply.
+The system you have is more interesting than you think.
+```
+
+### Magic System Template
+```markdown
+## [Name of System]
+
+### Source
+Where does the power come from?
+(Divine, natural, internal, external, technological?)
+
+### Access
+Who can use it and how do they learn?
+(Innate, trained, granted, purchased?)
+
+### Mechanics
+How does it work?
+(Fuel source, activation method, limitations, costs?)
+
+### Scope
+What can and cannot be done?
+(Capabilities, hard limits, soft limits?)
+
+### Cost
+What is the price?
+(Physical, mental, moral, social, material?)
+
+### Consequences
+What are the side effects?
+(Personal, environmental, social?)
+
+### Cultural Impact
+How has this shaped society?
+(Economy, warfare, religion, daily life?)
+```
+
+### Technology Systems
+The same principles apply to advanced technology:
+```
+□ What enables this technology?
+□ Who has access?
+□ What are the limitations?
+□ What are the costs?
+□ What are the unintended consequences?
+□ How has it changed society?
+```
+
+---
+
+## Pillar 5: Economy & Resources
+
+### The Economic Foundation
+```
+RESOURCES: What does the land provide?
+├── Food sources
+├── Raw materials
+├── Energy sources
+└── Rare/valuable substances
+
+PRODUCTION: How do they make things?
+├── Agricultural practices
+├── Craftsmanship traditions
+├── Industrial capabilities
+└── Magical/technological production
+
+TRADE: How does value flow?
+├── Trade routes
+├── Merchant classes
+├── Currency systems
+└── Trade partnerships/rivalries
+
+WEALTH: Where does power concentrate?
+├── Who controls production?
+├── Who controls distribution?
+├── What creates status?
+└── What does poverty look like?
+```
+
+### Economic Story Generators
+```
+SCARCITY: What's rare creates conflict
+MONOPOLY: Who controls the vital resource?
+DISRUPTION: What happens when trade routes break?
+INNOVATION: What happens when production changes?
+INEQUALITY: Where is the tension between haves and have-nots?
+```
+
+---
+
+## Pillar 6: Power & Politics
+
+### Political Structure Types
+```
+MONARCHIES: Power through bloodline
+ARISTOCRACIES: Power through noble class
+OLIGARCHIES: Power through wealth/elite
+THEOCRACIES: Power through religion
+DEMOCRACIES: Power through participation
+MERITOCRACIES: Power through achievement
+MAGOCRACIES: Power through magic
+TECHNOCRACIES: Power through knowledge
+```
+
+### The Power Web
+```
+Map the power relationships:
+
+FORMAL POWER: Who officially rules?
+REAL POWER: Who actually controls decisions?
+ENFORCED BY: Military, police, magic?
+LEGITIMIZED BY: Tradition, religion, consent?
+CHALLENGED BY: Who opposes the current order?
+```
+
+### Political Dynamics for Story
+```
+Every political structure has:
+- Those who benefit from the status quo
+- Those who suffer under it
+- Those who want to change it
+- Those who profit from the conflict
+```
+
+---
+
+## Pillar 7: Belief & Meaning
+
+### The Spiritual Architecture
+```
+COSMOLOGY: What is the nature of existence?
+├── Creation stories
+├── Afterlife beliefs
+├── Cosmological structure
+└── Place of mortals in the universe
+
+RELIGION: How do people practice belief?
+├── Organized vs. personal
+├── Priesthoods and hierarchies
+├── Sacred texts and traditions
+├── Worship practices
+└── Sacred sites
+
+PHILOSOPHY: How do people make meaning?
+├── Dominant worldviews
+├── Competing philosophies
+├── Secular belief systems
+└── Attitudes toward death
+
+SUPERSTITION: What do common people believe?
+├── Folk magic
+├── Omens and signs
+├── Taboos
+└── Protective practices
+```
+
+### Religion in Worldbuilding
+```
+Questions to answer:
+- Is the religion true? (Do gods exist?)
+- Does magic come from religion?
+- How does religion interact with power?
+- What are the heterodoxies?
+- What happens to non-believers?
+```
+
+---
+
+## The World-Builder's Process
+
+### Phase 1: Concept
+```
+1. What is the core hook of this world?
+2. What makes it different from default fantasy/scifi?
+3. What themes does the world explore?
+4. What atmosphere/feeling should it evoke?
+```
+
+### Phase 2: Foundation
+```
+1. Sketch rough geography
+2. Identify key historical eras
+3. Define 2-3 major cultures
+4. Design core magic/tech system
+5. Establish power dynamics
+```
+
+### Phase 3: Deepening
+```
+1. Develop each pillar systematically
+2. Find connections between pillars
+3. Identify conflicts and tensions
+4. Create specific details that make it real
+5. Build the iceberg beneath the surface
+```
+
+### Phase 4: Integration
+```
+1. How do the pillars interact?
+2. What happens when systems collide?
+3. Where are the story opportunities?
+4. What would characters care about?
+5. What details will the reader experience?
+```
+
+---
+
+## Common World-Building Traps
+
+### The Encyclopedia Trap
+```
+PROBLEM: Building endlessly without writing stories
+SOLUTION: Build only what you need for the current story,
+          then deepen as needed
+```
+
+### The Monoculture Trap
+```
+PROBLEM: Entire species/nations have one personality
+SOLUTION: Every group has internal diversity
+```
+
+### The Earth Clone Trap
+```
+PROBLEM: Fantasy Europe with elves, Fantasy Asia with dragons
+SOLUTION: Mix inspirations, create truly new cultures
+```
+
+### The Rule of Cool Trap
+```
+PROBLEM: Adding elements because they're cool without integration
+SOLUTION: Everything must have consequences and connections
+```
+
+### The Exposition Trap
+```
+PROBLEM: Stopping story to explain world
+SOLUTION: Reveal through character experience and conflict
+```
+
+---
+
+## Quick Reference Templates
+
+### World One-Pager
+```markdown
+# [World Name]
+
+## Core Concept
+[One sentence that captures what makes this world unique]
+
+## Atmosphere
+[What does it feel like to be here?]
+
+## Key Conflict
+[The central tension that drives stories here]
+
+## Three Pillars Summary
+1. [Most important pillar and key detail]
+2. [Second most important pillar and key detail]
+3. [Third most important pillar and key detail]
+
+## Story Hooks
+- [Hook 1]
+- [Hook 2]
+- [Hook 3]
+```
+
+### Location Template
+```markdown
+## [Location Name]
+
+**Type**: [City/Region/Building/etc.]
+**Significance**: [Why does it matter?]
+
+### Physical Description
+[What does it look like, feel like, smell like?]
+
+### History
+[Key historical events connected to this place]
+
+### Current Situation
+[What's happening here now?]
+
+### Key Figures
+[Who's important here?]
+
+### Secrets
+[What isn't immediately apparent?]
+
+### Story Potential
+[What could happen here?]
+```
+
+---
+
+*"Build worlds that feel lived-in. Let characters argue about history, complain about politics, take their magic for granted, and eat food that tastes of their homeland."*