World Building - First Steps and Factions

In last week’s world building article we touched on prep and research and it got a lot of response. Today we’re going to touch on the next step in the process. The problem is the next step in the process is subjective. It’s all about the idea that sparked in your mind to start your world building idea.

Some people mentioned they liked to start with a map of where they are creating. Whether you’re working on a full world, a country, a province or just a city as we are. Some people want to start with NPCs, some with the military and there are a hundred other places you can begin from. In this instance what catches my fancy is factions.

In my mind this city is still just barely moving out of chaos. The write up for Lung Bingci showed that his father was the first recognized Jueyin (roughly Duke) of the City of the Whispering Winds. With a newly recognized noble there are bound to be groups trying to gain his favor, depose of him, use his ascension for their own ends or control him like a puppet. If I can lay these things out in my head I think I can get a better idea of what the city will be like.

These factions are not fully formed with a list of members but they are ideas of what forces are moving around within the city itself. Once we have the factions laid out the discussion of who belongs in which faction becomes easier and opens the flood gates to actual NPCs. Again this is just my process and my starting point, you can start somewhere else and leave factions for later if you like.

The Royal Family

Since we’re basing this on the character write up I did it will just be the Jueyin (roughly Duke), his wife, three children and I will probably add a brother or two. I’m thinking one who backs his brother and one who secretly seeks his position. Family infighting is always a good plot hook.

The Royal Court

The duke and his brothers of course will be included. I’m thinking an emissary from Tengu to keep an eye on things. Probably a trade leader of some kind as well as the royal treasurer. I’m thinking the older brother controls the military but maybe a captain of the guard advises on internal issues. There could be more but this is just bare bones.

Thieves’ Guild

We won’t call them the thieves’ guild of course that’s boring. However, we’re talking about Ratfolk here and to not do a large organization of cutthroats and thugs would be a grave disservice. In this case though I don’t see them as being completely adversarial to the new nobility. Growth of the city means further opportunities to make money and I can see this guild aiding the local government on the sly.

Cult of a dark god

Again these are very vague ideas, but I really enjoy religion in polytheistic worlds. I’m thinking maybe a god of plague or pestilence. If we wanted to go really evil they could be worshipers of the Horsemen of Pestilence.

Plot to over throw the Duke

This faction was actually one of the first to pop into my head. Just a group that doesn’t want a royal line and seeks to remove the Jueyin and his heir. Secretly aided by one of the Jueyin’s brothers of course, because family squabbles are the bread and butter of political intrigue stories.

And that’s just what I have off the top of my head right now. But that leads me another minor topic, bouncing ideas off other people. One of the best ways to create is to talk things out with someone else. I have a few friends that I bounce ideas off of. I also post to facebook and reddit with the hope that I can get a dialogue going with more people. The more ideas you open yourself up to, the better your creation will be.

So those are the factions I’m going to flesh out soon. Do you think there are other factions that should exist within the City of Whispering Swords? Other major players within the political fabric of the city’s reality? Let us know what you’re thinking.