Task

There are 6 sections to this WebQuest:

1. Maps: What does the land look like? Which bodies of water are navigable? What other geographical features might affect the characters journey through the world?
2. Castles: How are castles designed? What materials are used to build them? What types of fortifications do they have? Who lives there?
3. Towns & Villages: What do the buildings look like? How are the buildings and streets arranged? What types of artisans and craftsmen live in each town or village? Are towns and villages located near castles for greater protection?
4. Culture: What basic beliefs do people hold? What are the religious practices like? Are there peasants or serfs? What do clothing, tools and other artifacts look like in each culture? What languages do the people speak?
5. Non-human Races & Creatures: Are there non-human races? What types? What sorts of animals are there? Are there magical creatures, monsters, and beasts not found on earth?
6. Magic: Is there magic in your world? How does it work? Who can use it? Where does its power come from?

World building is a big project. So this is a long WebQuest, designed to be completed over several days, weeks, or even months. Each section is essentially a mini-Quest, which can be completed on its own. The sections can be completed in any order that appeals to you.

In each section, you will be given a task that relates to building a part of your world. There will be a short explanation of the task, followed by a "What You Need To Do" section, and any requirements for the completed project. The resources that you will need to complete each task will always be at the end of the page. Some tasks, like designing a castle, creating a village, or developing a culture, will need to be done more than once to complete your world.

Your world can be closely based on medieval earth or merely draw ideas and inspiration from it. While you can mix and match ideas, culture, and technology from different historical cultural groups and different times within the medieval period you should be careful. If you mix items from different cultures without reason or explanation, the cultures you build may not be as believable to your readers. Also, while things that take a long time to build such as castles and cathedrals may have sections built in many different time periods, if you put the sections that obviously use earlier building styles and technology on the outside where the newer additions should go it will not be believable.

Happy World Building!

Send Comments to: agrey@juno.com