DES201 Storyworld 1: World-Building/City Design (Gobi Desert) by 1701807 Mark Sinclair

Gobi Desert

**World-building/City Design:**

**Dulah-K’ot (The Singing**
City)

The gathered gifted changed their
name to something they believe more befitted them, they became the
Sanguinolent; those stained by blood.  The Sanguinolent tribes that had gathered were
able to thrive within the harsh environment of Gobi; they travelled the desert
nomadically, hunting gathering growing and learning. More and more of the Sanguinolent
gathered in one area, drawn by its beautiful voice they could hear calling to them
through the desert it was the wind lashing the dunes this occurrence was rare but
the Sanguinolent loved it so much the settled to keep listening more and more
gathered they built homes then they built walls, then they built infrastructure
and then Dulah-K’ot the singing city was born.

The Sanguinolent dedicate a
lot of their time to practicing their powers, learning to better control them
to tame the unstable gifted and convert them so they will no longer be a danger
focusing the skills they have on varied endeavours, this is how the city became
split five sections with a central tower creating a circle the main tower is
where they learn and study gaining improved control and greater strength, but
over time they wanted to test their abilities and the coliseum was born. The
great pass time of the Sanguinolent they test their powers against the altered
beasts of Gobi the strongest being the great snow leopards, though it is also
used to settle disputes that word alone cannot, the first gifted cast into the
Gobi continues to reign over the tribe, having learned during his isolation he
taught others and proves his power in the ring against those that wish to usurp
his authority he remains undefeated.

Away from
the central tower and coliseum the other sections are; The Exchange, dedicated
to trading, The Furnace dedicated to manufacturing, The Outlook which looks out
towards the vast dessert and houses the gatherers of the community and finally
The Grove an area dedicated to trying to restore the Gobi. All of these areas
also provide housing though most chose to live in the district they work and
frequent the most.

**The Exchange:**

Hustle and
Bustle is the order of the day a strict layout of concentric quarter circles
make the streets of this quarter lined with shop and craftsmen the people of
the city come here to by their food and other daily necessities. The people of
this section are charismatic and masters of negotiation and can even use their
skills to aid negotiations dulling senses of others or making them more
susceptible.

**The**
Furnace:

As well as
repairing the gear of gatherers or bespoke inventions to help with the research
of the Grove they provide military advancement to help stiffen the Outlooks
defences. Those here can even repair on the move some go out with the gatherer
parties to provide on the job repairs through the skills they have acquired

**The**
Outlook:

The last and
only defence the city has made for itself, the mere thought of the Gobi’s
weather keeps most but new recruits away from ever seeing the city, but to
defend against hungry creatures and larger threats that move through the
central desert a rare occurrence but a necessary precaution. The people of this
section go out and gather supplies for the city as well as capturing the beasts
used for the games and aid wanderers in the desert had new initiates came
looking for shelter

**The Grove:**

The pride of
the city, an artificially generated reforestation program, using science and
their skills they have created luscious green space within the walls of the
city many come to walk the gardens and enjoy the flora and fauna that had been
lost small animals roam the area freely creating a contained ecosystem that the
Sanguinolent strictly manage. The people of this section befriend the animals
nurturing them and living alongside them, improving their skills and making
forays into the desert to attempt to reclaim land from the desert, though
outside of the city progress is extremely slow as though some force does not
want the desert altered.

**Overview**

It is in
these varied sections that the player can learn various skills relating to that
area of skills they wish to pursue, The exchange offers access to illusory skills
to confuse and trick opponents (Illusionist), The furnace to reinforcement
skills amplifying one’s own strength and that of inanimate objects as well
(Reinforcer). The outlook here the player learns mobility and scouting skills,
able to detect danger and move swiftly to avoid it as well as striking whilst
unseen (Shadow). In the grove the player can learn how to heal what was lost
restoring life to a drained husk whether it is plant or person, also how take
on a familiar and befriend animals. (Tender)

**Ideals**

Dulah-K’ot
contains many people but not all of the Sanguinolent think the same, some came voluntarily
to the dessert after hearing rumours of the city, other were forced into Gobi and
called by the sound. These different experiences and discussing them brought about
two large opposing groups in the city, though not all Sanguinolent are part of
the groups they will heavily impact the future of the tribe. One side knows
that they themselves are dangerous and only learn more powers and skills so
that they can better control them, an uncontrolled gifted are the new weapons
of mass destruction in this world they need to be kept away so that the world
can grow, until they are prepared to re-join peacefully. On the other hand,
persecuted ridiculed and kicked out of a place they called home, treated like a
monster the second group wants vengeance, the people who did this to them are
nothing now they have all the power and are far stronger, if it was there
choice they could take world for their own. These opposing views have caused
problems in the city, but “the first”, leader of the tribe, keeps them in check
for now he cannot stop the small disputes and scuffles between them but the
main forces are kept at bay.

**Origin**

The city is
constructed of the stone floors of the Gobi desert mined and crudely piled up
at first in a small ring with a central lodging made any materials they could
acquire shrubs stone and animal pelts eventually as more people came they
needed more space the central lodging had been improved and so had the walls cobblestone
was the building material of choice as their skills developed they could
improve the village adding in the other sections as population increased. And
from these inauspicious beginnings Dulah-K’ot was born. The features of this
story are shown throughout the city today. But through the works of the city
quarters they have been embellished, the city is now cobbled streets with
polished stone walls the houses still incorporate a mixture of materials thanks
to the grove they are no longer just small shrubs but nature is interwoven through
the houses, along with stone, branches grow from the stones interlocking to
create a roof, enlarged animal pelts used as carpeting as well as tanned hides
being used as name plates for doors, the city wastes nothing where it can and
is the main thing all the Sanguinolent agree with, you need to use everything
you are given to its fullest or end up repeating past mistakes that destroyed
the world once.