Yulebuilding

[extrapenguin]

Greetings, everyone! Yuletide contains multitudes, and a chunk of those multitudes would really like to request worldbuilding. Thus, here is a sub-challenge post for those of us who love worldbuilding, either on the giving or receiving end.

To participate

• Leave a comment on this fic with a link to your letter if you are interested in receiving worldbuilding. Optionally, add any extra worldbuilding likes and prompts you may have into your comment.
• If you don't have a letter, you can still leave prompts here! Please ensure your comment includes your AO3 username, requested fandoms, and any characters you're requesting.
• When uploading your fic to the archive, tag it with Yulebuilding and Worldbuilding so the rest of us can find it!

It's not necessary to interact with Yulebuilding in any way to give or request worldbuilding for Yuletide, but this post is here to make life easier. Enjoy!

Comments

[extrapenguin]

I'm ExtraPenguin and my letter is here.

Requested fandoms with select worldbuilding prompts (more in my letter):
Children of Time series
- Stomatopods! What's their culture like?
- What other places did the virus get to?

The Luminous Dead
- I'd love to know anything about the Tunnelers.
- What's up with the cave that's calling Gyre in deeper? Is it the cave, or Gyre herself? Is it any cave or just this one?

Thrawn: Ascendancy
- The non-governmental associations like the Void Guides etc are pretty cool. Something about them?

Uplift
- What's going on on Jijo? Is it exactly the Buyur plan, or has something changed?
- Are there still Progenitor relics to be found?
- Do they stumble across some (illegal) Uplift process? Or a failure/"failure" of an Uplift process?

[mousek]

AO3 username: Mousek
Letter link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tblm-rl25_38EmZQtTv_EylmgfLUBmKtbViuVTavmYw/edit?usp=sharing
Fandoms:
Starless - Jacqueline Carey
The Strange Case of Starship Iris (Podcast)
Humans Are Space Orcs (Meme)
Where the Crawdads Sing - Delia Owens
Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
The Affair of the Mysterious Letter - Alexis Hall

[straightforwardly]

AO3: straightforwardly
Letter: here

Fandoms:
Child of Light
Epistory - Typing Chronicles
Gris
Roguelight

Notes: Epistory - Typing Chronicles, Gris, and Roguelight all already have worldbuilding-related prompts in my letter! I also very much welcome worldbuilding elements being included in my Child of Light request, though I don't have any specific ideas/prompts for that.

[swan_tower]

AO3 username: russian_blue
Letter link: https://swan-tower.dreamwidth.org/936875.html
Fandoms: Elfquest

For years now I've been requesting (and often receiving!) fics that expand the world of Elfquest. I love new tribes, or explorations of the past for the existing tribes (under previous Wolfrider chieftains, early days of the Sun Folk, whatever).

[shadaras]

Shadaras
Letter

Requests:

The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water
More about religion and magic! I loved both of those aspects in the source text, and I would love to read more about them.

全职高手 - 蝴蝶蓝 | Quánzhí Gāoshǒu - Húdié Lán (The King’s Avatar)
I deeply want more lore about Glory. Please tell more more about dungeons and bosses and the equipment editor.

Golden Stage
Post-canon politics! Views on disability! Do homosexual relationships become more common post-canon now that two of the most influential figures are happily married?

Nirvana in Fire
Literally anything about the thirteen years Lin Shu was dead. Politics! Mu Nihuang as army leader. More about the poison of the bitter flame and all that, if you're interested.

无双 - 梦溪石 | Peerless - Mèng Xī Shí
Politics! The way the bureaus work! The how Feng Xiao and Cui Buqu helped bring this dynasty to power!

General Worldbuilding Likes:
Rituals | Religion and spirituality | Culture clashes | Ways that magic/advanced tech are integrated into everyday life | Examinations of ways different body-types lead to different lifestyles/building styles/etc. | Politics (both within groups and between groups) | Historical documents | Academia in general | Exploration of educational systems (especially for children) | Dance, art, music, and other creative acts | Architecture and accessibility | Deep dives into the minutia of living in a specific community | Detailed descriptions of mundane activities

[jalu2]

My AO3 is gaialux
Letter: https://jalu2.dreamwidth.org/12982.html

I'd love worldbuilding for any of my fandoms! My requests this year are :
- The Boys (TV 2019)
- Growing Things by Paul Tremblay (short story)
- Alex Stern by Leigh Bardugo
- The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters.

Yulebuilding Prompts

[withinmelove]

ao3: withinmelove
https://withinmeloveresides1.tumblr.com/post/631634307379806208/dear-yuletide-writer

Fandoms
In The Flesh
1. Who is the Undead Prophet? How did he become the Undead Prophet, did he have an epiphany and how did he manage to convince others to follow him?

2. At the end of the show Amy became a living person again. How did that happen and how does that change start happening in others?

Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakush - Spirited Away
1. Exploring Yubaba and Zeniba's life as twin witch sisters. How they grew up, where, what their parents were like. Did they have more siblings? Extrapolating on their training as witches both in the Spirit World and the human world (seeing as they're quite aware of humans and their world). How did Yubaba come to run the bathhouse (did she inherit it or buy the place from the humans when the theme park failed?) how did Zeniba end up where she did in Swamp Bottom?

2. Haku's life before the bathhouse and then in the bathhouse before Chihiro shows up. Did he ever work anywhere else before he couldn't find his way home again? What was his family like

3. Looking at the various spirits that come to the closed theme park and how that place came to be a retreat for the spirits.

Mononoke-hime - Princess Mononoke
1. Digging into the life of Kaya as Princess of the Emishi. The life of the tribe.
2. Moro and her wolf cubs. Her life as the wolf god.
3. Lady Eboshi and Toki's life before Iron Town and during the settlement of it.
4. Details on the Kodama!

[lannamichaels]

AO3: lannamichaels

Letter: https://lannamichaels.dreamwidth.org/1153972.html

Fandom: Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Prompt: How did this happen? How did we get here?

[clementina]

liesmyth
https://clementina.dreamwidth.org/2020/10/06/

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown - Holly Black
Vampire society pre and after canon; daily life in the Coldtowns; differences between how vampirism is handled in the US and in Europe.

Deeplight - Frances Hardinge
Daily life on the Myriad before and after the events of canon; the Cataclysm; the gods and what happens to people who become gods; the origins of the Lady; politics and economy in the Myriad; relations between the Myriad and the continent.

folklore - Taylor Swift (Album)
Several magical realism / urban fantasy prompts for the whole album; anything about that!

Ready or Not (2019)
How exactly do you make a deal with the devil? What's Le Bail's ultimate goal? What's the history of the Le Domas family?

Sharp Objects (TV)
Anything exploring Wind Gap as a claustrophobic microcosm, its people and attitudes and how it shaped Amma.

Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan
Seanchan culture, society and politics; cultural clashes; history; campaign fic.

[atamascolily]

AO3: atamascolily
Letter: here
Fandoms:
Austin & Murry-O'Keefe Families - Madeleine L'Engle
Cyteen Series - C. J. Cherryh
Darkangel Trilogy - Meredith Ann Pierce
Finisterre: The Nighthorses - C. J. Cherryh
Sunshine - Robin McKinley
Он – дракон | I Am Dragon (2015)

I love world-building! Most of my letter is about suggestions and directions for writers to go if they are interested in digging in depth to a few of my favorite fandoms.

[beatrice_otter]

Beatrice_Otter
Letter Link:
https://beatrice-otter.dreamwidth.org/411137.html
My letter has both general worldbuilding likes and specific fandom prompts.

Fandoms:
Dirty Computer - Janelle Monae
将军在上 | Oh My General (Web Series)
The Martian (2015)

[(Anonymous)]

Ao3 id: Blurble
letter: https://justpaste.it/8070q

World building seems to be used here in multiple ways, so I'll split it:

Fandoms where I'd love to see world building of the original canon world, expanding and adding details: Aveyond, Damar, Enchanted Forest Chronicles

Fandoms where I'd love to be handed a richly built AU if you want to do that: Aveyond, Enchanted Forest Chronicles, ***Psmith***.

[feckyeslife]

AO3 Handle: firelord65
Letter Link: Here
Fandom and character(s):

Seafire Trilogy - Natalie C. Parker
Caledonia Styx (Seafire Trilogy), Oran (Seafire Trilogy), Pisces (Seafire Trilogy)

The Hollows - Kim Harrison
Algaliarept (The Hollows), Ivy Tamwood (The Hollows), Rachel Morgan (The Hollows)

GreedFall (Video Game)
De Sardet (GreedFall), Vasco (GreedFall)

Among Us (Video Game)
Impostor (Among Us), Mini Crewmate (Among Us)

[donutsweeper]

AO3 username: donutsweeper
letter link: https://donutsweeper.dreamwidth.org/588513.html

Fandom: Little Free Library - Naomi Kritzer
(2.5k word short story available to read here)

In this story someone starts leaving gifts and notes in a little free library that seem to almost be otherworldly in their origin (and are first thought to be part of some elaborate prank before it's realized they probably are very much not).
Just a few possible world building prompts are :
What is the mystery correspondent's world like?
Is the only way to travel from their world and ours through the library itself?
How did the things they learned from the library change their world?
Is there anything magical about the items left in payment for the books?
What's with the egg?

[hiddencait]

Hiddencait here and on AO3 and Letter is here: https://hiddencait.dreamwidth.org/3676.html

Really only 2 of the requested fandoms that lend themselves to worldbuilding, but both could be amazing!

The Proper Thing - Seanan McGuire - I would love something focused on all of the magical storefronts we don't get to see or just have a glimpse of. I love the cheese shop (bc really who wouldn't love magical cheese? Even my lactose intolerant ass wouldn't be able to resist), but I'd love to see the behind the scenes of other shops connected to it and the types of animals-turned-people that might be thriving there.

Rolling in the Deep Series - Mira Grant - hello deep sea murder mermaids and a SyFy style network doing mockumentaries, at least one of which in canon we know ended up real. So anything related to the mermaids in other time periods possibly, or mixed media elements related to Imagine's other attempts at finding "fake" creatures would rock!

[plingo_kat]

I'm plingo_kat over at AO3 and my letter is here!

Fandoms with worldbuilding prompts (details in letter):

L'Oreal Time Engraver Commercials
- Basically everything to do with Time Engraver, hahaha.

镇魂 | Guardian - priest
- Chu Shuzhi and his magic nerdiness! What weird spells exist? Tell us more about him as an undead dude. What about post-canon, where all the ghost tribe got included in the reincarnation wheel?

Hades (Video Game 2018)
- Zagreus' past before the game. Achilles's past before the game. More mythology references?

[keerawa]

AO3 username: keerawa
Letter link: https://keerawa.dreamwidth.org/4602.html

Fandoms and prompts:

The Expanse (TV)
* I’m fascinated by what we see of Belter culture, and the Belter language. I’m not a linguist, but if you have any inclination to explore that, I would be incredibly excited to read what you come up with! Belter bed-time or ghost stories? Earth fairy tales transmuted over time, distance, and cultural drift to something that speaks to the Belters? Traditional songs? Write me the heart of the beltalowda.

* Alternatively, Earth as a utopia/dystopia. I'd love a story where Naomi or some other Belter asks Chrisjen to describe Earth while Amos is in the room. Chrisjen tells the truth - based on her experience. And Amos's internal dialog shows the contrast, what Earth is like for the undocumented.

킹덤 | Kingdom (TV 2019)
I'd love to read the introduction to an article in a scholarly journal / get a guided tour of an exhibit in modern-day examining some aspect of the Joseon zombie incident.

Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch
* We've been given hints in canon about the Rivers, and how the powerful persona of the goddess interacts with them as an individual. I wonder how the legend of The Nightingale, started among his peers and then reinforced by the people of the demi-monde, has affected Thomas over the years?

*The fact that Nightingale and the rest of the Folly were completely, willfully ignorant of all non-European magical traditions is very provocative. I’d love a story where Peter gets a chance to explore the magical traditions of another culture. Does he learn from a witch-finder in Sierra Leone or an I-Ching diviner? Perhaps he travels to America to study with a shaman?

Rivers of London - Elizabeth Moon
* I'd like to know more about Falk and/or the Falkian religion. How do those who follow him think of his time of imprisonment and slavery? I'd enjoy any kind of world-building around songs, pageantry, festivals and rituals. Dorrin certainly doesn't proselytize, but if one of the recruits wanted to know more, what would she say about who Falk was and why he's worthy of her service?
* Dorrin was clearly educated in dark magic, and so her perspective is a great opportunity for world-building around that. The dark holy symbols, the body-swapping, eeep.

[(Anonymous)]

psst. I think you meant "The Deed of Paksenarrion - Elizabeth Moon", Not Rivers of London twice?

[silverfoxflower]

AO3: silverfoxflower

Dear Author Letter

POKEMON Detective Pikachu (2019)
Detective Pikachu (POKEMON Detective Pikachu (2019))

If you don't want to write any canon characters at all that's 100% fine because I really really just need more of this adorable world with pokemon companions. How/when do people choose their companions? Are they introduced at birth? Do they function like daemons? What accommodations have society made for everyday life with large/dangerous pokemon? Creative use of pokemon abilities (when we saw the squirtles putting out fires I squealed so loud in the theater!!)? What if your S.O. has a pokemon companion that doesn't get along with yours? BTW: my fave pokemon are eevee, vulpix and mawile.

Puppet History (Web Series)
Ryan Bergara, The Professor (Puppet History)

I'm kind of obsessed with the concept of a world where puppets (I guess they wouldn't be puppets, just small fluffy people?) and humans co-exist. World-build this for me please, as cracky as you wish.

[(Anonymous)]

My AO3 is Fontainebleau
Letter: https://fontainebleau22.tumblr.com/private/632173460390543360/tumblr_emdRJn46uERnwVAK8

All of my requested fandoms are heavy on worldbuilding prompts.

- Bas-Lag (China Mieville)
- Flat Earth Series (Tanith Lee)
- Invisible Cities (Italo Calvino)
- Always Coming Home (Ursula Le Guin)

[marsdragon]

AO3 name: MarsDragon
Letter: https://marsdragon.dreamwidth.org/4260.html

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon
Fatal Fury
Giant Robo
Psychic Force
Voltes V
The Darkangel Trilogy

I'm for expanding on any of the worlds of my canons! I'm especially into how ordinary folk see the heroes and all the crazy canon events, and how history eventually records what happens. (even if characters/events get distorted or twisted. Especially if characters/events get distorted or twisted)

[aearis]

AO3: Requiem
Fandom: INSOMNIA: The Ark (prompts in letter)

[herbertbest]

User Name: Herbert Best
Letter: https://herbertbest.dreamwidth.org/1750.html
Fandom: Mystery Science Theatre 3000

Prompt: The show introduces the concept of second banana heaven towards the end of its run on Comedy Central. Tell me how that afterlife works! What's the hierarchy like? What do the sidekicks spend eternity doing besides collecting souls?

[shopfront]

AO3: shopfront
Letter: https://shopfront.dreamwidth.org/442708.html

Fandoms/Characters:
Creature Court Trilogy - Tansy Rayner Roberts: Isangell, Velody, Delphine, Rhian
Hythrun Chronicles - Jennifer Fallon: Charisee, Julika, Kalan, Shananara
Obernewtyn Chronicles - Isobelle Carmody: Elspeth, Dameon

Prompts: I adore worldbuilding for fantasy canons have some ideas scattered through my letter for all of the above, and also have some additional more in-depth worldbuilding-specific prompt sets linked for each. I particularly enjoy things that build on magical systems, social and community dynamics, or that add more detail to the bits that make fantasy canons seem wondrous, different, and otherworldly.

[laughingpineapple]

AO3: laughingpineapple
letter: on Tumblr

Les Cités Obscures: I'm asking for an "OC city" or for elaborating on any grand architectural oddity from the graphic novels.

Kentucky Route Zero: if you can haul the requested character all the way there, I'd love to read more about minor places mentioned in canon or new ones altogether, like some island on the Echo river.

Strandbeest: what's the world like, when life is made of wind and plastic straws...

Pyre: I love Downside worldbuilding! Especially the smaller, non-plot-relevant nodes, the unused ones and made-up locations! "The gang stops at an exiles outpost", that sort of thing.

Twin Peaks: I think my Lucy request could go well with town traditions? Make up something weird, in the vein of the Access Guide if you've read it?

Ghost Trick's not really a worldbuildy fandom, I guess, but I'm always up for shenanigans that involve actual ghost tricks, with their small time paradoxes and everything

[nonesensed]

AO3: Nonesane
Letter: https://nonesane.dreamwidth.org/95870.html
Fandoms I'd love world building for:
- The Codex of Desire - Lauren Alder
- Killjoys (TV)
- Machineries of Empire Series - Yoon Ha Lee