FUR: Worldbuilding, Pt IV: Building the Actual, Literal World

     Welcome back to TwistedSpoon Studios! Last week in our series on Festival of Urbestia, the custom Magic set celebrating the cultures of beast folk, we released the new card file and covered some card-by-card designs. This week, we're going to focus on the creative side by looking at the tribes and their connections to one another. By the end of this, we'll have a map of the setting!

    Festival of Urbestia takes place on the eponymous plane of Urbestia, a world of humanoid animals that are as diverse and colorful as nature itself. We have ten major tribes: Wolf, Fox, Dog, Cat, Scale, Bird, Bear, Elk, Sea, and Wall (small animal) Folk. We established in the last worldbuilding article that the story takes place on an island split into five territories (the tundra, desert, forest, grassland, and coast) surrounding a central city. Let's talk about each biome, the folk that live there, and their relationships with each other and the other tribes.

The Starklands: Frigid Tundra

    The Starklands constitute the barren lands far to the north--vast, snow-cloaked fields are dotted with dark forests twisted under the weight of near-continuous winter. Home to the Wolf Folk of Rurif Tath and the Cat Folk of Hulende, it takes a survivor to prosper here. Each tribe holds a begrudging respect for the other, but their interactions are restricted to practical trade connections. The struggle to survive leaves little energy for either to quarrel or fraternize with the other. 

    Both cultures care deeply for their traditional ways. The Wolves look to the stark hills of ice and frost as a metaphor for strength in uniformity; their discipline and rigid order serve them well in their frozen castle towns. The Cat Folk, on the other hand, look to the brief springtime as a symbol of resilience and rebirth in the dead lands. They make their camps in the knotted boughs of dark groves to take shelter from the elements, emerging only to relocate when resources run low. 

The Skahelos Desert

    On the opposite side of the island, the southern-facing Skahelos Desert burns bright under the glaring sun. The only thing hotter than the desert sand is the passion of its inhabitants. The Scale Folk of Iliosahra channel the biome's extreme heat into fervent precision, while the Dog Folk of Rammos turn it outward into cathartic destruction. 

    Despite their differences, or perhaps because of them, the two engage in intense yet comradely rivalry. The Scale Folk build massive stone pyramids to trap the sun's energy, allowing them to stay active even as the night strips the dunes of their scorching bite, while the Dog Folk are content to lie under the stars around communal bonfires and howl at the moon. Despite their unruly manner, the Dog Folk's ability to track scents through the sands makes them invaluable as guides to merchants seeking fine Scale Folk crafts.

The Hiranest Forest

    To the west lies the perpetually twilit Hiranest Forest. Despite the ancestral struggle of predator and prey, the Bear Folk of Osenvan and the Antler Folk of Gozanesti live side by side in harmony in the forest's autumn-tinged embrace. The Bear Folk mark the passing seasons with a variety of festivities, from dances celebrating the equinoxes to ceremonies honoring the solstices. Equal in their love of nature, but more restrained in their expression of it, the Antler Folk sequester themselves in small monasteries and temples hidden in the leaves. Their ascetic wisdom tempers the wild celebrations of their ursine counterparts, while the Bear Folk's creativity inspires their cervine cohabitants to contemplate new ideas. 

Xoperia: Open Plains

    To the east of the Hiranest Forest sprawls an idyllic stretch of swaying grasslands. Here lies the city of Accordia, a neutral haven for beast folk of all shapes and sizes. Outside of the city, the nomadic Sky Folk make their summer nests in the tradition-trodden grounds of Topototl. Between the city and the grasslands, the city's hollow walls are teeming with the Wall Folk families-- mice, badgers, rabbits and the like. 

    Despite the disparity between the migratory ways of the former and the sedentary lifestyle of the latter, they share a common admiration for home and family. While the Sky Folk bring news and exotic goods from their faraway homelands, the Wall Folk distribute that news and those goods throughout the city via convoluted systems of burrows throughout the walls and under the pavement. 

    Accordia itself is a veritable urban jungle; its columned architecture and winding streets are home to a diverse array of beast folk of all shapes and sizes. Merchants fill open-air markets with foods and fine crafts; athletes compete for glory in the arena; musicians perform to raving audiences; and once a year, the city's inhabitants and their families gather for a wild celebration.

The Haitana Shore

    The Haitana Shore, black with rich deposits of iron sand, stretches along the southern coast of the island. Atop the black-sand beaches live the Fox Folk of Xichu, while the Sea Folk dwell beneath the waves around the Shujimeri Reef. Despite their differences, or perhaps because of them, the two tribes hold one another in high esteem. Their interactions are limited by the logistical difficulty of travel; the Sea Folk can only spend a few hours at a time on land, while the fox Folk require magic to reciprocate the gesture at all. 

    Outside of the Sea Folk community, little is known about the Shujimeri Reef. Its products, on the other hand, are renowned across the island, rivalled only by the wares of the Scale Folk. Their dedication to precision is born from a deep pride in their work. The Fox Folk toil in more performative arts, filling the halls of Xichu with enchanting dances of lively ribbon.

    Without further adieu, let's see that map!

Made with Azgaar's Fantasy Map Generator

World Built

    That's all we have for this week. When it comes to fantasy worlds, what are some of your favorites? What about them appeals to you? Let us know in the comments below!

    Next week, we'll be back to card-by-card designs. In the next worldbuilding article, we'll talk about the source of conflict in the set. Until then, check out my sister's photography on Instagram at @captured.by.coppa!

See you soon!