So once you've got a government, what can that government do? What does it regulate, and how is it, itself, regulated? Laws can be created for a lot of reasons, some good and some bad. Sometimes they protect a citizen's opportunity to do certain things, sometimes they present a block to those opportunities, and very often, they aren't applied equally and equitably across all of society. So when you're building a world: How does the law work? From creation to enforcement to justice (or the lack thereof), what are the mechanics, and who has the ability to access -- or manipulate -- them? Laws also aren't the only way that a society regulates itself. Moral standards, taboos, and customs also have a sort of governing force, as well as their own systems of enforcement. How does that get entangled with the way your characters live their lives? [Transcript for Episode 142]

Lately, it feels as though a lot of fantasy books come in two kinds: cozy, or extremely dark. During a scary time in the world, we seek either comforting sweetness, or violent catharsis. To find out more, we talked to Nghi Vo, whose recent books include The City in Glass and The Brides of High Hill. Plus we talk about how to include white characters in a story without centering whiteness.

A new prompt from patron Gluax brings us to a land of ✨magical children✨...who lack rights and are used as soldiers in a never-ending war. Fun! We start building out this setting with science (sort of), gerontocracies, ghosts, and the implications of immensely powerful mage-babies. But who's really behind this war?   Do you have a setting you'd like us to build? Send us your worldbuilding prompt! https://forms.gle/F4SNMH3k7ea5fr1F8 And if you're feeling particularly generous, you can support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/worldbuildwithus Chat with us on our Discord server: https://discord.gg/SRFhWV3 Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@worldbuildwithus Email us your suggestions: WorldbuildWithUs@gmail.com Follow us on Twitter: @LetsWorldBuild    Intro theme: "Half Mystery" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0  Outro Theme: "Study and Relax" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

This episode carries content warnings for body horror, description of teeth, discussion of mass destruction/death, small/tight spaces, indentured servants and slavery, and extreme heat. Behind a twirling ornament of metal, the sun grows—the sun grows. Inside a concrete body, the feeling of a hand, pulling downward. Across a planet under red light, fear.   They would not wait. They could not.  This week on PALISADE: An Impossible Ideal Pt. 1 The "war" will appear on the surface to be a peace Dossier People Stargrave Elcessor (she/her): Leader of the Bilateral Interecession’s occupation of Palisade, assigned personally by Cynosure Whitestar-Kesh. As a Stargrave, she has been granted the means and “right” to detonate the star at the center of Palisade’s star system if she determines that those here are an existential threat to the Principality. Connadine (he/him): Commander of the BIS on Palisade. An expert in psychological operations and folklore. As a composer, his opus is the Adagio, a plan to get everyone on Palisade operating in ways not only predictable, but scripted. As a conductor, his orchestra now turns towards the second movement. Routine Rennari (he/him): Half-Apostolsian, scion of a minor Kesh noble house, and the Blue Channel's heavy.  Mustard Red (she/her): A cyborg who once served as a member of Brink Proxy, with a speciality in surveillance. Joined the Cause during the Devotees expansion onto Palisade. Midnite Matinee (she/her): Leporine scout and member of the Blue Channel. She and her trusty Pack-model light AutoHollow Popcorn used to run a repo company, but now are tentatively committed to the Cause and Millennium Break. Places Chimera’s Lantern: The second moon of Palisade, shaped oddly like a wasp’s nest or paper lantern. New arrivals to the world find its occasional glow unnatural and frightening. Thisbe and the Figure found evidence that it could be tied to driving the bulk of ancient Divine Principality forces off of Palisade. Objects Gambeson: The Gambeson is only about 10 meters tall (less than half an Altar), but it is nevertheless a terrifying scourge of the battlefield. Modeled after an iron maiden, except with it's tortorous doors attached to its back serving as wings. Its head features a metalworked face, twisted into extreme and offputting smile.  Its skeletal frame serves not only as body, but cage: pilots are criminal conscripts forced to pay off their “debt” to Kesh by the Divine Plight, earning their freedom through combat achievements. Paramerion: Cori’s new Altar, as designed by her brother Formido. Constantly twitching and rippling underneath the regal embellishments of its filigreed armor. Massive metallic wings stay folded on its back, a smaller pair cover its eyes like a visor and the sickles jut out from its forearms when stowed. A halo shaped like a crown rotates above its skull-like head. The Stellar Combustor: A weapon of immense destruction, capable of destroying countless star systems if deployed without a firebreak. Has been used in some form or another since the time of the earliest Divines. In current form they take the form of a twirling, 3-ringed space station that rotates around a system’s sun.  Divines The Divine, Arbitrage (it/its): The amoral machine turned de facto treasurer keeps the Frontier Syndicate a step ahead in all matters of commerce. Sole minter of “glint,” a newly popular currency on Palisade. The Divine Plight (she/her): Plight is a 40 meter tall, humanoid Divine cast in black metal armor, and wearing the of a judge or inquisitor. She conscripts the guilty into her army as Gambeson pilots, compelling their loyalty with terrible, Divine feelings of guilt. Hemlock, whose interest is fundamentally in punishment and not justice, was born heir to a mid-tier Kesh House, but jumped at the chance to become an Elect. Mysteries Perennial (she/her):  The Principality's so-called 'adversary,' who lives at the center of the galaxy and whose chaotic whims spread through her "Perennial Wave," an ever-present nanoparticle that has recently bonded with Kalmeria. Additional Notes The 23 Star Systems Nearest Palisade (with developmental focus): Tartarus 5: Gas Mining Lonn: Resorts Helaine Delta: Duplicate of Helaine Gamma Thulsa: Standard Spread Xenacip: Lost Contact. Lost Portcullis Repair Team Bhopal Kha: Pact Occupied Maine: Lumber, Spice Bishamonten: Arms Manufacturing Carjel: Standard Spread Isfahan: Standard Spread Yoca: Standard Spread KX 93-39: Black Hole Research Lab Dul-Kaw: Established via Nidean Art grant Darre: Tomb Sector Ecou: Refugee Camps Edino: Quarantined Sector Skarnoc: Debris Fields Hilde: Gas Mining Por: Standard Spread Nova Melides: Abandoned Divine Clash Worlds  Palamedes 8: Regional Refueling Depot Castax 8: Stratus Research Facility Ashlen: Standard Spread Hosted by Austin Walker (@austin_walker) Featuring Janine Hawkins (@bleatingheart) Sylvi Bullet (@sylvibullet), Ali Acampora (@ali_west), Art Martinez-Tebbel (@atebbel), Jack de Quidt (@notquitereal), Keith J Carberry (@keithjcarberry) and Andrew Lee Swan (@swandre3000) Produced by Ali Acampora  Music by Jack de Quidt (available on bandcamp) Text by Austin Walker Cover Art by by aurahack (aurahack.jp) With thanks to Arthur B., chocoube, DB, deepFlaw, Edwin Adelsberger, Emrys, Greg Cobb, huw, Ian O'Dea, Ian Urbina, Irina A., Jack Shirai, K. Morris, Katie Diekhaus, Konisforce, Kristina Harris Esq, L Tantivy, Lawson Coleman, Mike & Ruby, Nich Maragos, Olive Perry, Patrick Murray, Robert Lasica, Shawn Hall, TeganEden, Thomas Whitney, viviridian, and Voi for their support We are playing Armour Astir: Advent with additional playbooks from Strangers in the Night and 106th Astir Squadron. If you enjoy the show, consider supporting the TTRPG.  This episode was made with support from listeners like you! To support us, you can go to friendsatthetable.cash.

Hosts: Jim, Jon & KentGuest: Keith BakerIn February of 2014, we sat down and built a world with Keith Baker, the creater of Gloom and Eberron!In this episode, we create a world where massive elemental beings fight for dominence while posing a constant threat to the human populace, who make use of special forms of magic to survive.You can find some of Keith's work here:Web Site: https://keith-baker.com/Twogether Studios: https://www.twogetherstudios.com/DMs' Guild: https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Keith%20BakerDOWNLOAD EPISODE 29 - APEX CONVERGENCE

Today's Topic – When you use a hobby to block your passion   Please Subscribe, Rate and Review us on iTunesFor complete Fantasy Worldbuilding, show notes go to Gardul.com Podcast Show Flow From 2015   WBT Do the creative task you want to do RW  Task Read More   Michael's Resources Use Gardul.com/Amazon when shopping online to help support the show Were alive Podcast Links ((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Visit Show notes )))))))))))))))))))))))))   https://gardul.com/blog/season-4-episode-9-final-worldbuilders-trap/ ((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Rate and Review us in iTunes ))))))))))))))))))))))))) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/worldbuilders-anvil/id956705643   ((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Like our Facebook Page ))))))))))))))))))))))))) https://www.facebook.com/GardulStories/   ((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Join our Facebook Group ))))))))))))))))))))))))) https://www.facebook.com/groups/undercroft/   ((((((((((((((((((((((( Support us by using our Amazon Affiliate Link ))))))))))))))))))))) http://gardul.com/Amazon   ((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Jeff on Twitter  ))))))))))))))))))))))))) https://twitter.com/JefferyWIngram

We discuss who we think saved Grogu