5 & 6 for the worldbuilding game!
What are some cliches, tropes, and/or plots that commonly appear in stories written by your world’s inhabitants? What were they inspired by? Why are they popular?
Iegoan fairytales, dramas, and poems are famously extremely melodramatic, and a common trope (particularly in the realm of romance) is that of star-crossed lovers. The most common incarnation of this is the classic "human man, Diathim woman" love story: the tale will inevitably end with either the ill-fated couple parting ways, or one fatally succumbing to the power of the other.
An outsider might regard this as an Iegoan obsession with sorrow, but the truth lies in the fact that the indigenous near-human ethnicity, the Diathui, emerged from such couplings. Humans and Diathim are genetically compatible to a fault; as the Diathim are the physical manifestations of pure light, they can theoretically reproduce with any sentient, but will always die in the process.
What is a common way to subtly insult someone in your world, without crossing into overt rudeness? Gifting an item with negative connotations? Addressing them more familiarly or formally than normal? Backhanded compliments?
As the importance of charity is emphasized in Drolism, the native Iegoan religion, it would be taboo to turn someone away completely. However, giving someone the cold shoulder would be done in the form of excessive formality. For as charitable and welcoming as the Iegoans are, they are fiercely secretive and protective of their communities, especially when it comes to dealing with (unwelcome) outsiders. Knowing how tight-knit the villages can be, being excluded from the warmth of that community is considered the biggest insult of all.
Worldbuilding Questions
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