Let’s go back to the idea of layer design for this one.

I’ll get straight to the point. The edge of the world is not an unusual element in stories. At one point, people believed our world had an edge as well, one that you could fall over.

While I don’t consider this an element that’s necessary for every world, it is something interesting that could be implemented in some of them.

Is there an edge of the world? In what context? Is it the classic edge of the world as depicted in so many stories or something different?

Can someone go there? Is there a special way you can reach it?

What can be found there? A guardian? Treasure?

What happens if you fall over? Do you drift into the void? Or do you maybe appear on the other side of the world?

Here’s an example.

If you keep a steady direction towards the north in the world of Kindigmia, you will reach steep cliffs that fall into the mists. Of the brave souls that have descended those dangerous cliffs, none has returned. If you keep the edge in your left side and keep moving, you will find a cabin. In it lives an old man, who welcomes anyone who visits. He provides food and shelter to the travelers who reach so far up north, along with stories of previous explorers and their possible fates.

He tells the tales of strange, leather winged birds that appear on the cliffs once in a while. They’re larger than a human and he has seen grown men being plucked by them as they tried to climb down the cliffs.

But the most interesting of his stories is that he does not believe this is the edge of the world. He says that 10 years ago, when it was the time the great storms hit the land, an enormous cyclone had reached the cliffs. It almost lifted the whole cabin and him along with it. The next morning he went outside carefully, in order to assess the damage and he had the chance to take a glimpse of what’s below the mists. He says he only got to see for just a moment before the mist settled again, coming back from being cleared due to the cyclone. He says he saw trees down there and he’s sure of it.

And that’s all for this one. I hope I managed to give you a tiny bit of inspiration for your own world. Next up is the word “humour”.

If you like what I do here on the blog and want more, in the form of early access to the articles, sneak peeks, and exclusive content, you can consider supporting me on Patreon.

If you want to stay updated on everything we release (from the blog, YouTube channel, Podcast, etc), as well as get new content and discounts, you should subscribe to our mailing list.