cc-agentic-framework 1.14.1

package/framework/modules/writer/skills/writer/building-worlds/CULTURE-BUILDING.md

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+# Culture Building
+
+Guide to creating believable, internally consistent cultures using the iceberg principle, cultural pyramid, and anthropological frameworks from Le Guin, Jemisin, and world-building best practices.
+
+---
+
+## The Cultural Iceberg
+
+Like an iceberg, most of a culture lies beneath the surface. Readers see 10%; you must know 90%.
+
+### Above Water (10% - Show Directly)
+
+What readers observe through characters:
+- **Visual markers:** Clothing, architecture, art styles
+- **Behavior:** Greetings, gestures, taboos in action
+- **Language:** Dialect markers, unique terms, naming patterns
+- **Food:** What they eat, how they eat, who eats together
+- **Obvious structures:** Visible hierarchy, public rituals
+
+### Below Water (90% - Imply, Don't Explain)
+
+What you know but rarely state:
+- **Historical origins:** Why customs exist
+- **Deep beliefs:** Cosmology, afterlife, moral foundations
+- **Economic foundations:** What creates and distributes wealth
+- **Power structures:** Who really controls what
+- **Psychological pressures:** Collective fears, aspirations
+- **Family dynamics:** Inheritance, marriage, child-rearing
+- **Unspoken rules:** What "everyone knows"
+
+### The Iceberg in Practice
+
+**Bad (exposing the iceberg):**
+```
+The Northerners wore blue because their ancestors believed ice
+spirits protected them, and blue was the color of sacred ice.
+This tradition dated back to the Frost Wars when...
+```
+
+**Good (showing the tip):**
+```
+She wore blue. Of course she did—everyone from the North did.
+I'd stopped asking why years ago. The answer always involved
+ice and spirits and a war nobody but them remembered.
+```
+
+---
+
+## The Cultural Pyramid
+
+Build cultures from the bottom up. Each layer emerges from the one below.
+
+```
+              /\
+             /  \  5. EXPRESSION
+            /    \    Art, stories, fashion
+           /------\
+          /        \  4. BELIEF SYSTEMS
+         /          \    Religion, morality, cosmology
+        /------------\
+       /              \  3. SOCIAL ORGANIZATION
+      /                \    Government, class, family
+     /------------------\
+    /                    \  2. SURVIVAL RESPONSES
+   /                      \    Food, shelter, defense, health
+  /--------------------------\
+ /                            \  1. ENVIRONMENT
+/                              \    Geography, climate, resources
+--------------------------------
+```
+
+### Layer 1: Environment (Foundation)
+
+Everything starts here. Geography shapes survival needs, which shape everything else.
+
+**Questions:**
+- What is the climate? (Temperature, seasons, precipitation)
+- What natural resources exist? (Fertile land, minerals, timber, water)
+- What natural dangers exist? (Predators, disasters, disease)
+- What are the geographical constraints? (Mountains, rivers, coastlines)
+
+**Environmental → Cultural Connections:**
+
+| Environment | Cultural Effect |
+|-------------|-----------------|
+| Harsh winters | Value preparedness, community, storage |
+| Abundant food | Leisure time, art development, population growth |
+| Scarce water | Strict sharing rules, conflict over sources |
+| Natural barriers | Isolation, distinct identity, insular attitudes |
+| Trade routes | Cosmopolitan attitudes, merchant class, diversity |
+| Dangerous wildlife | Warrior traditions, protective architecture |
+
+### Layer 2: Survival Responses
+
+How the culture meets basic needs given its environment.
+
+**Food:**
+- What do they eat? (Shapes cuisine, festivals, trade)
+- How do they get it? (Farming, herding, hunting, trade)
+- Who controls food? (Power structures)
+- What foods are taboo? (Usually practical origin)
+
+**Shelter:**
+- What materials are available?
+- How do structures handle climate?
+- Who lives together? (Family structure)
+- Who builds? (Specialization, class)
+
+**Defense:**
+- What are the threats?
+- How is defense organized? (Military, militia, walls)
+- Who fights? (Warrior class, all citizens, hired)
+- How does defense shape government?
+
+**Health:**
+- What diseases are common?
+- What remedies exist? (Herbalism, magic, surgery)
+- How is death handled?
+- What creates "cleanliness" concepts?
+
+### Layer 3: Social Organization
+
+How the culture structures itself given survival needs.
+
+**Power Structures:**
+- Who rules? (Hereditary, elected, strongest, wisest, richest)
+- Why do they rule? (Divine right, conquest, competence, tradition)
+- What limits their power? (Laws, councils, rebellion threat)
+- How is succession handled?
+
+**Class and Hierarchy:**
+- What classes exist?
+- How is class determined? (Birth, wealth, ability, achievement)
+- Can people change class?
+- What privileges/restrictions apply?
+
+**Family Structure:**
+- What defines family? (Nuclear, extended, clan, chosen)
+- Who heads the family?
+- How are marriages arranged?
+- How is property inherited?
+
+**Gender Roles:**
+- What roles are gendered?
+- Why? (Often practical origin, then tradition)
+- How rigid are the boundaries?
+- What happens to those who don't fit?
+
+### Layer 4: Belief Systems
+
+How the culture makes meaning of existence.
+
+**Cosmology:**
+- How was the world created?
+- What forces govern reality?
+- What exists beyond death?
+- What is the purpose of existence?
+
+**Morality:**
+- What is good? What is evil?
+- How are these concepts taught?
+- What punishes wrongdoing? (Gods, society, karma)
+- What rewards virtue?
+
+**Religion:**
+- Monotheist, polytheist, animist, or other?
+- How organized is religious practice?
+- What is the clergy's role?
+- How does religion interact with power?
+
+**Magic's Place:**
+- Is magic divine, natural, or suspicious?
+- Who can practice it?
+- What ethical rules govern it?
+- How does it fit the cosmology?
+
+### Layer 5: Expression
+
+The visible products of deeper cultural layers.
+
+**Art and Aesthetics:**
+- What is considered beautiful?
+- What art forms exist?
+- Who creates art? (Specialists, everyone)
+- What purposes does art serve?
+
+**Stories and Literature:**
+- What stories do they tell?
+- What heroes do they celebrate?
+- What cautionary tales exist?
+- How is history remembered?
+
+**Music and Performance:**
+- What instruments exist?
+- What occasions involve music?
+- Who performs?
+- What is sacred vs. secular?
+
+**Fashion and Decoration:**
+- What do people wear?
+- What do the clothes signify?
+- What body modifications exist?
+- What displays status?
+
+---
+
+## The Three-Difference Rule
+
+Every culture needs at least three significant differences from "default fantasy medieval Europe" or whatever your baseline is.
+
+**Categories to differentiate:**
+
+1. **Relationship with magic/technology**
+   - Who uses it? How is it viewed? Who controls it?
+
+2. **Social structure distinctive element**
+   - Unusual family structure, gender roles, class system, or governance
+
+3. **Historical defining moment**
+   - A trauma or triumph that shaped current attitudes
+
+**Example:**
+- Default: Medieval European kingdom
+- Difference 1: Magic is illegal (creates underground, conflict with neighbors)
+- Difference 2: Inheritance through youngest child (different family dynamics)
+- Difference 3: Nearly destroyed by plague, now obsessed with purity (taboos, hygiene, isolation)
+
+---
+
+## Avoiding the Monoculture
+
+Real societies have internal variation. Fantasy cultures shouldn't be monolithic.
+
+**Sources of Internal Variation:**
+
+| Dimension | Creates Variation In |
+|-----------|---------------------|
+| **Region** | Dialect, cuisine, local customs, local heroes |
+| **Class** | Education, manners, dress, opportunity, concerns |
+| **Urban vs. Rural** | Cosmopolitanism, tradition, lifestyle, occupation |
+| **Generation** | Values, attitudes toward change, cultural references |
+| **Religion** | Moral frameworks, holidays, dietary rules |
+| **Occupation** | Worldview, vocabulary, daily rhythm |
+
+**The Variation Test:** If you can describe an entire nation in one paragraph with no exceptions, it's too uniform.
+
+---
+
+## Culture Design Checklist
+
+### Foundation (Required)
+- [ ] Environment clearly defined
+- [ ] Food sources and cuisine sketched
+- [ ] Survival challenges identified
+- [ ] Basic governance structure
+
+### Structure (Important)
+- [ ] Class system exists or explicitly absent
+- [ ] Family structure defined
+- [ ] Gender roles addressed (even if equal)
+- [ ] Religion or equivalent belief system
+
+### Distinctiveness (Essential)
+- [ ] Three significant differences from baseline
+- [ ] At least one internal variation source
+- [ ] Unique naming conventions
+- [ ] Distinctive visual markers
+
+### Depth Check (Quality)
+- [ ] Can explain why customs exist
+- [ ] Environment → culture connections clear
+- [ ] No random inexplicable taboos
+- [ ] Culture affects character behavior
+
+---
+
+## Culture Design Shortcuts
+
+When you need a culture quickly:
+
+### The Environment-First Method
+1. Define climate and geography
+2. Ask: What would people eat, wear, build?
+3. Ask: What would they fear?
+4. Ask: Who would have power?
+5. Add one distinctive twist
+
+### The History-First Method
+1. Define one world-changing event
+2. Ask: How would people respond?
+3. Ask: What would they value afterward?
+4. Ask: What would they fear?
+5. Build backward to environment
+
+### The Contrast Method
+1. Take an existing culture from your world
+2. Define what they believe
+3. Create a culture that believes the opposite
+4. Figure out why both make sense
+
+---
+
+## Cultural Interaction
+
+When cultures meet:
+
+**Contact Types:**
+| Type | Result |
+|------|--------|
+| Trade | Cultural exchange, pidgin languages, hybrid customs |
+| War | Hatred, stereotypes, boundary definition |
+| Migration | Diaspora cultures, assimilation pressure, hybrid identities |
+| Conquest | Dominant/subordinate dynamics, resistance, cultural suppression |
+
+**Conflict Sources:**
+- Different values appearing as insults
+- Competition for resources
+- Historical grievances
+- Religious incompatibility
+- Economic competition
+
+---
+
+## Integration with Magic Systems
+
+Magic transforms culture. Consider:
+
+**If magic is common:**
+- Economy includes magical services
+- Laws govern magical use
+- Education includes magic training
+- Architecture incorporates magical defenses
+
+**If magic is rare:**
+- Magic users are special (revered or feared)
+- Non-magical solutions dominate
+- Magic users form separate social class
+- Access to magic is political power
+
+**If magic is new:**
+- Society is in transition
+- Institutions struggling to adapt
+- Generational conflict about magic
+- Rapid social change
+
+**If magic is lost:**
+- Legends of past greatness
+- Artifacts without understanding
+- Superstition replacing knowledge
+- Quest to restore magic
+
+---
+
+**Next:** See [CONSISTENCY-PILLARS.md](./CONSISTENCY-PILLARS.md) for maintaining cultural logic.

package/framework/modules/writer/skills/writer/building-worlds/GEOGRAPHY-HISTORY.md

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+# Geography and History Design
+
+Physical world construction and timeline development. Geography shapes history; history marks geography. They are inseparable.
+
+---
+
+## Part I: Geography Design
+
+### The Geography-First Principle
+
+Geography determines:
+- Where people settle
+- What resources they access
+- Who they trade with
+- Who they fight
+- What they eat, wear, build
+- What they believe
+
+**Start with geography. Everything else follows.**
+
+### Core Geographic Elements
+
+#### 1. Climate Zones
+
+| Zone | Characteristics | Cultural Tendency |
+|------|-----------------|-------------------|
+| **Tropical** | Hot, wet, dense vegetation | Riverine civilization, disease challenges |
+| **Temperate** | Moderate seasons, varied terrain | Agricultural heartlands, population centers |
+| **Arid/Desert** | Extreme heat, minimal water | Oasis settlements, nomadic cultures |
+| **Mediterranean** | Dry summer, wet winter | Maritime trade, olive/wine cultures |
+| **Continental** | Extreme seasons | Hardy peoples, storage-focused |
+| **Arctic/Tundra** | Perpetual cold | Small populations, survival focus |
+
+#### 2. Terrain Features
+
+| Feature | Strategic Value | Cultural Impact |
+|---------|-----------------|-----------------|
+| **Mountains** | Defense, mineral wealth | Isolated communities, mining culture |
+| **Rivers** | Trade, irrigation, transport | Cities at confluences, boundaries |
+| **Forests** | Resources, concealment | Logging, independent communities |
+| **Plains** | Agriculture, movement | Large kingdoms, cavalry cultures |
+| **Coasts** | Trade, fishing, naval power | Maritime empires, port cities |
+| **Islands** | Natural defense, isolation | Unique cultures, naval focus |
+| **Deserts** | Barriers, resource scarcity | Trade routes matter intensely |
+| **Swamps** | Defense, resources, danger | Marginalized or mystical peoples |
+
+#### 3. Resource Distribution
+
+Resources create trade, conflict, and power.
+
+| Resource | Who Controls It | Who Needs It | Conflict Potential |
+|----------|-----------------|--------------|-------------------|
+| Fertile land | Farmers, lords | Everyone | Very high |
+| Fresh water | Upstream nations | Downstream nations | High |
+| Minerals/metals | Mining cultures | Manufacturing cultures | Moderate-high |
+| Timber | Forest nations | Plains/desert nations | Moderate |
+| Strategic positions | Who holds them | Anyone wanting passage | Very high |
+| Magical resources | Varies | Magic users | Depends on magic system |
+
+### The Settlement Logic
+
+People settle where they can survive and thrive.
+
+**Primary settlement factors:**
+1. Water access (absolute requirement)
+2. Food production potential
+3. Defense capability
+4. Trade route access
+5. Resource availability
+
+**City placement checklist:**
+- [ ] Water source identified
+- [ ] Food supply explained (farmland, fishing, trade)
+- [ ] Defense advantages noted (if applicable)
+- [ ] Trade connections plausible
+- [ ] Growth explained by above factors
+
+### The Natural Border Principle
+
+Borders follow geography before politics.
+
+| Feature | Border Stability |
+|---------|-----------------|
+| Mountain ranges | Very stable, clear |
+| Major rivers | Stable, but crossable |
+| Deserts | Stable barriers |
+| Forests | Fuzzy, disputed |
+| Plains | Unstable, shift with power |
+| Coastlines | Clear for maritime borders |
+
+**Unnatural borders** (straight lines, arbitrary divisions) suggest:
+- Recent conquest
+- Colonial imposition
+- Magical boundary
+- Future conflict
+
+### Map Logic Checklist
+
+- [ ] Rivers flow downhill to seas/lakes
+- [ ] Mountains form ranges, not random peaks
+- [ ] Deserts have logical placement (rain shadows, latitudes)
+- [ ] Cities are at water sources, trade intersections, or defensive positions
+- [ ] Borders follow geographic features where stable
+- [ ] Climate zones make sense for latitude and terrain
+
+---
+
+## Part II: History Design
+
+### The Timeline Backbone
+
+History provides depth without requiring detailed knowledge for every reader.
+
+**Timeline layers:**
+
+| Layer | What It Contains | Reader Knowledge |
+|-------|------------------|------------------|
+| **Mythic** | Creation, gods, first peoples | Legends, disputed |
+| **Ancient** | Fallen empires, lost knowledge | Ruins, artifacts |
+| **Historical** | Documented past, verifiable | Records, memories |
+| **Recent** | Living memory | Characters recall |
+| **Current** | Story present | Directly shown |
+
+### Designing Eras
+
+Each era needs:
+1. **Name** (what people call it)
+2. **Defining characteristics** (what made it unique)
+3. **Major events** (what shaped it)
+4. **Transition** (how it ended)
+5. **Legacy** (what it left behind)
+
+**Era design template:**
+```
+ERA: [Name]
+Duration: [Approximate years]
+Defined by: [1-2 key characteristics]
+Major events: [3-5 significant occurrences]
+Ended by: [Transition event]
+Legacy: [What remains - ruins, traditions, artifacts, attitudes]
+```
+
+### Event Design
+
+Not all historical events are equal. Categorize by impact:
+
+| Impact Level | Scope | Examples | Persistence |
+|--------------|-------|----------|-------------|
+| **World-changing** | Entire world | Creation of magic, god's death | Millennia |
+| **Civilization-defining** | Multiple nations | Great wars, plagues, golden ages | Centuries |
+| **Nation-shaping** | Single nation | Founding, conquest, revolution | Generations |
+| **Local significance** | Region/city | Battles, disasters, heroes | Decades |
+| **Personal relevance** | Individuals | Character backstory events | Lifetimes |
+
+### The Consequence Web
+
+Every significant event creates consequences. Map them:
+
+```
+                    [EVENT]
+                       |
+         +-------------+-------------+
+         |             |             |
+    [IMMEDIATE]   [MEDIUM-TERM]  [LONG-TERM]
+         |             |             |
+    +----+----+   +----+----+   +----+----+
+    |    |    |   |    |    |   |    |    |
+  [Political] [Economic] [Cultural] [Physical]
+```
+
+**Example: Major War**
+- Immediate: Deaths, destruction, power shift
+- Medium-term: Orphan generation, economic rebuilding, new borders
+- Long-term: Grudges, monuments, cultural memory, changed demographics
+
+### Historical Conflicts
+
+History is shaped by conflict. Types:
+
+| Conflict Type | Drivers | Resolution Methods |
+|---------------|---------|-------------------|
+| **Resource** | Scarcity, control | Trade, conquest, innovation |
+| **Territory** | Expansion, defense | War, treaty, marriage |
+| **Succession** | Power vacuum, ambition | Civil war, compromise, assassination |
+| **Religious** | Belief incompatibility | Conversion, separation, war |
+| **Cultural** | Values clash | Assimilation, isolation, conflict |
+| **Economic** | Trade disputes, debt | Negotiation, sanctions, war |
+
+### The Living History Principle
+
+History affects the present. For each major historical event, identify:
+
+1. **What characters know about it**
+2. **What characters feel about it**
+3. **What physical evidence remains**
+4. **How it shapes current conflicts**
+5. **Who benefits from which interpretation**
+
+### Timeline Consistency
+
+Common timeline errors to avoid:
+
+| Error | Example | Fix |
+|-------|---------|-----|
+| **Impossible lifespans** | Character present at events 200 years apart | Check ages, use longevity explanation |
+| **Technology anachronism** | Advanced tech before required developments | Trace tech development |
+| **Missing recovery time** | Kingdom fully recovered 5 years after devastation | Add realistic recovery periods |
+| **Forgotten events** | Civilization-ending event unknown to characters | Explain knowledge loss or acknowledge |
+| **Contradictory sequences** | Event A caused B, but B happened first | Map cause-effect carefully |
+
+---
+
+## Part III: Geography-History Integration
+
+### How Geography Shapes History
+
+| Geographic Factor | Historical Effect |
+|-------------------|-------------------|
+| Mountain ranges | Political divisions, cultural isolation, defensive wars |
+| River valleys | Cradles of civilization, trade routes, flood-driven cultures |
+| Natural resources | Wealth concentration, conflict zones, specialized cultures |
+| Climate shifts | Migration, collapse, adaptation |
+| Natural disasters | Founding myths, cultural trauma, population shifts |
+| Strategic locations | Repeated conquests, cosmopolitan cultures, military focus |
+
+### How History Marks Geography
+
+| Historical Event | Geographic Evidence |
+|------------------|---------------------|
+| Wars | Battlefields, destroyed cities, defensive structures |
+| Civilizations | Ruins, modified landscapes, road systems |
+| Migrations | Place names, cultural layers, genetic diversity |
+| Natural disasters | Changed coastlines, absent forests, new terrain |
+| Magic events | Impossible geography, cursed lands, blessed regions |
+
+### The Integration Checklist
+
+- [ ] Major geographic features have historical significance
+- [ ] Major historical events left geographic marks
+- [ ] Current borders reflect both geography and history
+- [ ] Culture reflects both environment and past
+- [ ] Trade routes follow geographic logic and historical development
+- [ ] Cities exist for combined geographic and historical reasons
+
+---
+
+## Quick Reference: Design Order
+
+**Recommended sequence:**
+
+1. **Sketch geography** (continents, major features)
+2. **Place climates** (temperature zones, rain patterns)
+3. **Add resources** (farmland, minerals, water)
+4. **Identify natural borders** (mountains, rivers, coasts)
+5. **Place initial settlements** (water + food + defense)
+6. **Design mythic era** (world creation, first peoples)
+7. **Create ancient civilizations** (now fallen, leave ruins)
+8. **Develop recent history** (current nations, conflicts)
+9. **Connect to story present** (what characters know)
+
+---
+
+## Templates
+
+### Geography Quick-Design
+
+```
+REGION: [Name]
+Climate: [Type]
+Terrain: [Primary features]
+Resources: [What it has]
+Borders: [What defines them]
+Strategic value: [Why it matters]
+Settlement pattern: [How people live here]
+```
+
+### History Quick-Design
+
+```
+EVENT: [Name]
+When: [Era/date]
+What happened: [1-2 sentences]
+Caused by: [Immediate triggers]
+Consequences:
+  - Immediate: [Within years]
+  - Long-term: [Generations later]
+Evidence remaining: [What characters can see]
+Who remembers: [What groups know about it]
+```
+
+---
+
+**Next:** See [REVELATION-CHECKLIST.md](./REVELATION-CHECKLIST.md) for how to reveal world information to readers.