#worldbuilding thoughts

in this case, culturally isn't the last panel saying polyandry is common/accepted? also i am choosing to believe it means demon babies can have multiple daddies, and are stronger the more daddies they have. clearly that's the only way that explanation makes sense.

and then there's the stuff about it being to prevent female demons hunting skills from growing dull...

and this is what makes female demons stronger.

So then aggressive dominating women should be the culturally accepted ideal of female beauty and sexiness - and Ameri's concerns about being 'too manly and not maidenly' and Shakky's aggressiveness being what drives away suitors in fear - neither of those things make sense. They should be the cultural ideal of womanhood in the Netherworld instead.

Implementing it sensibly would likely mean going back and slipping in some dialog hints, but then I'll have to re-reveiw the hints for pacing, grammar, character consistency, etc.

Ironically, if I do it perfectly, only a tiny percentage of readers will notice.

As I write this I am currently inside with the windows locked and doors closed because my gardener is here and people are scary- so I’ve decided to get mad about demons lol If you’re going to depict the seven deadly sins in media, they should be one of two things:

A representation of the most depraved version of the sin OR

The thing that tempts you into it.

Pick one. Stick to it.

If Lust has to be hot and sultry for fan service reasons, then guess what: Gluttony should be a five-star fucking Michelin chef.

Sloth should be like that guy from Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle who’s mastered finding the cosiest nap spot in the middle of chaos.

(after a quick search I hast determined his name is Hypnos)

Wrath? A little gremlin who keeps poking at you like “you gonna cry? you gonna fight me?”

or you know- how our annoying fuckers Razz and Money are often depicted

Greed should literally be an accountant. Or like, a really sleazy car salesman. Or maybe a lawyer- Someone who knows exactly how to get you to say “I mean… it’s only money, right?” Or conversely if you’re greedy about getting money convince you that screwing everyone else over for a penny is the action of the century (with a *chef’s kiss*)

You can do “overindulgence” or “tempter,” but you can’t just mix and match at random. That’s not lore, that’s ✨vibes✨—and they’re BAD vibes at that.

I find it fascinating what different cultures will offer you as complimentary when you are a guest.

In some parts of Türkiye, it is complimentary salad, for example. You sit down to eat and get given a salad automatically. You don't pay for the salad, this is just provided at the start of the meal for the table, like tap water.

In some places in Greece, like Athens or some of the islands, it's a basket of free bread and water. Other places like Crete it's a shot of raki and something sweet to share.

There will be historical and sociocultural and even religious or political reasons why it has become a uniform cultural offering to (paying) guests, but now there is no reason for it, it is simply what happens.

What happens in your fantasy taverns and eating establishments, and why is it like that? If you aren't trying to mirror capitalist Western practice where someone is not a guest but a customer, how are they treated as a guest, even if they pay for their meal?

What hospitality are they shown and what is the culturally appropriate sign of hospitality, what do they get given for free as part of their meal?

For my passion project the Epicon Mythos (see Epicon Mythos' pinned post or description for more info), I've made some ideas for the deities. I've got some I think I could try to share. These are all work-in-progress and I'm always happy to hear all suggestions, critique, inspiration, and questions! The main types of deities I have planned are:

Gods who originated as humans but through the mastery of the divine became far more powerful than most humans. Many monarchies were initially established by them, but among them were both just and evil, and their descendants became scattered across the World after the last of their civilizations (the Kingdom of Eden) collapsed in the 41st century BC.

Gods who are born from dying stars and live in societies amongst other star-born gods in nebulae before they die and form new stars, planets, and godly societies. Their hearts and minds form stars, but their flesh and bones form planets, moons, and asteroids. When they die, there is a special kind of energy emitted by these gods that effects the way things exist on an almost unpredictable manner. It is often conjectured that these gods use this special energy to influence their creations after they die.

Gods who exist eternally as unfeeling forces of nature which are omnipresent across the entirety of a World Tree, but have no verified backstory and could never be completely understood by humanity.

Gods whose cultures embody entire moralities. These different nations battle for millennia to preserve their own ethics. They are psychic in nature and thus can't affect humans in the same way other gods might be able to, but they do often send out avatars or incarnations to humanity as agents of their own values.

I would love more info on the Shroud tho, like what is the culture like there and how it functions when you’re living in it. ALSO more info about the hierarchy of Monsters in the Shroud, because Ais, Kuras, and Vere all hail from there, but Kuras is stronger and had more power than both of them + how does Ocudeus fits into all this - is Ocudeus eldritch in the same way Kuras is alluded to being as, a Monster but just more formidable? Would Ocudeus be considered a God in the Shroud?