Ylora Collection

A continent on Errgé based on European mythology, folklore, and history.

Ellecía

Based on Greek mythology and Roman politics (with a little bit of Roman myth thrown in)

draws from some elements of Spanish history (colonization – not like Greek/Roman colonization)

Is the southernmost country of Averebía

Three races

Demigods

Miktos (human/animal hybrids)

Hydraids (water spirits)

Tír na Fiodh-Uiscí

Based on Irish mythology and folklore

with a Welsh and Scottish mixed (and a little bit of English)

Is the western most country of Averebía

Three races

Sídhe

Selkies

Fae

Murúch (mermaids) are also sort of from here

Norðmanna

Based on Norse mythology

Primarily Norwegian, but some Danish and Swedish history mixed in

The northernmost country of Averebía

Three races

Álfar

Split into Ljós and Dökk

Jötnar

Nøkken

Vaniya

Based on Slavic mythology and folklore

Mostly Romania and Hungary, but some Russian, Ukrainian, and Roma mixed in

The easternmost country of Averebía

Four races

Vila

Mora

Alkonost

Rusaka

their magic.... I wanted to doodle something magus related before bed!

phoenix's ashes: bitter, burnt taste; grants temporary ability to perceive auras

dried moss scraped from ancient altars: earthy, cold taste; may cause a temporary state of astral projection

crushed dragon scales: spicy and earthy taste; allows for prolonged immunity to magical curses and spells

blood of a unicorn: sickly sweet and metallic taste; health booster, accelerates healing

hellhound bone powder: spicy and ashy; raises tolerance to heat and fire

banshee saliva: salty, medicinal taste; induces visions of coming misfortune and death

dried embermint leaves: sharp and cool taste; gives icy breath for an hour or two

griffin beak powder: dry and nutty taste; makes it hard or even impossible to speak a lie

splinters from a satyr's flute: rich and old taste; grants ability to communicate with animals

pegasus feathers: slightly sweet and light taste; grants ability to see and speak to spirits

basilisk tears: sharp and sticky taste; temporary thermal vision

Across humanity there are some things most known cultures have celebrations for and can be used well as an easy way to expand on the lore of your world without info dumping. here are some of them:

Independence / Unity / National / Freedom Day: the day used to commemorate when a nation, kingdom, or faction came together as one. This may be the day a treaty was signed, the day the former regime was overthrown, the day a new ruler was sworn in...

Ruler's Birthday: if there is a single or a few rulers, their birthdays might be celebrated with large festivities

End & Beginning of a year: regardless which calendar is used, most societies had some way to measure the length of one cycle (lunar cycle, every ___ amount of days, the beginning of a particular season, maybe something more abstract like the first day the flowers bloom or the day of the first snowfall...) and celebrate accordingly

Celebrating a Season: celebrating summer with festivities outside, spring with a flower market, autumn with a harvest festival, winter with a bonfire...

Day of Mourning/Remembrance: either in general or a day for remembering the dead from a certain event, tragedy, war...

Religious Festivals: depending on your type of belief system there could be many celebrations or only one or two

Historic Memorial Days: the day a war ended, the day of a massacre, the day of a revolution, the day of any grand and influential type of event that is remembered years later

a crown with sentience that acts as advisor to the regent

a cursed crown, draining the sitting regent of their strength in order to power the magic that keeps the kingdom safe

an enchanted crown, granting the regent protection

a crown that rejects those it deems unworthy of wearing it

a crown without a physical manifestation that instead just appears on the head of whomever in the lands it deems worthy of ruling, and humans get no say in it

a crown that corrupts the regent

a crown that was copied perfectly as decoys to avoid the real thing from being stolen, except now no one knows which one is the real one anymore

Culture is actually tied very closely to the landscape which can bring about different challenges for different people. Thinking about how the place the people tend to live in can help add more details to your worldbuilding. It’s helped me with my own.

Tips:

1. Geography

Have a magic system in mind for your fantasy world? Here's a list of things to consider to help you tie this system into the rest of your worldbuilding, so that it feels more believable and realistic.

Source

What is the source of magic? Is it natural or man-made? Can humans use magic or is it a force of nature that only animals or other races can use?

Does magic originate from inside a person or does it require external items to use? If it comes from items, can the items be made? How long does it take to make the items?

Does the magic cost anything- money, stamina, health, etc.?

Can a person be cut off from being able to use magic? If so, how?

Prevalence

How common is magic in your world? Is it so common that everyone has seen it or is it a subject of myths and rumors?

How long have the people in your world known about magic? Has it always been there or is it a new discovery?

How much does the average person know about magic? How much do experts know? What do people not understand about this magic? Are there any common misconceptions? Myths?

Is magic revered or feared? Or if it's common, is it taken for granted? Are there any taboos surrounding magic?

How many types of magic are there? Are some more common than others?

Are there dedicated schools of thought surrounding the study of magic? Is it taught about in schools? If so, is it taught to children or only at the college (or equivalent) level?

Accessibility

Who can use magic? Who can't? Is it something that only the rich and powerful can use? Why? Or do genetics determine who can use it? Wealth?

Are there any physical limitations that might restrict who can use magic? For instance, maybe old or sickly people can't use magic because it requires a lot of physical effort. Does your society provide accommodations for people who can't use magic? Is a lack of magic ability considered a disability?

Does education level determine capacity for magic?

How easy is it to gain access to magic? How easy is it to learn about magic?

Power/Usefulness

How powerful or useful is magic for different parts of society? Military? Medicine? Entertainment? Art? Childcare? Government? Communication? Business?

How does magic affect the politics of your world? How does it shape the economy? Are there feuds over the use of magic? Do powerful groups in your world have an incentive to limit the use and accessibility of magic? Why?

What happens when people no longer have access to magic? Does this cripple their ability to go through their daily lives? How?

Mix, match, and cross-reference these with other elements of your worldbuilding to form a believable magic system that lives and breaths just as the rest of your world does. For every answer you give to the questions above, consider and build upon the implications of what that might mean for your world. A worldbuilder's best skill is the ability to ask "How will this affect ___?" So make sure you're always considering the ripple effects of each element you add to your world.

accelerated aging

anxiety and a constant feeling of dread

disorientation / blurred vision

bones cracking and breaking

bruising around hands and arm

burn marks on palms and finger tips

cognitive decline / memory lapses

debilitating migraines

exhaustion / fatigue

eyes reddening when veins pop

greying hair due to strain / eyes losing vibrancy

joint, muscle and limb pain

losing hair, teeth and finger nails

loss of body heat / constantly freezing

nose bleeds / ear bleeds

numbness / slowed reflexes / brain fog

requiring a lot more nutrition and rest

sensitive eyes and ears / raspy, raw voice

twitches and muscle spasms