Writing in Duela
Writing in Duela
Duela is a shared setting. Anyone writing in it should respect the small number of rules that make the world function, while treating most of the world as open space.
This page explains the basic principles for writing stories in Duela.
The three most important rules
Belief shapes the world
The Essence responds to belief, perception, rumor, titles, fear, worship, and collective expectation.
If enough people believe something strongly enough, The Essence may imprint that belief into reality.
The System exists, and almost nobody knows
The System governs levels, stats, classes, growth, and authority over The Essence.
Most people do not know this. They experience the effects, but not the numbers.
There are no neat answers at the top
The Old God created or installed The System, but his purpose is unknown.
This mystery is intentional. Not everything in Duela needs a final explanation.
What writers can create
Writers may create:
- Characters
- Villages, cities, and nations
- Local gods
- Monsters
- Cultures
- Magical traditions
- Legends and rumors
- Branches from existing stories
What writers should not casually change
Writers should not casually rewrite:
- The Essence
- The System
- The Old God
- Hauru
- Major established nations
- Major established gods or figures
- The basic canon structure
Scale of stories
Stories in Duela do not need to involve gods, kings, ancient artifacts, or world-ending threats.
A small story about an orphan, a village healer, a minor knight, a failed apprentice, a sailor, a criminal, or a wandering monster can still be a Duela story.
A good Duela story should feel like a window into a larger world.
Tone
Duela can support seriousness, humor, horror, adventure, tragedy, and wonder.
The important thing is that even strange or funny elements should still respect the logic of the world.
Branching
Writers may create stories that branch from existing stories.
A branch should clearly credit the story it grows from and should not pretend to replace the original.
