Within the heart of every bookwyrm, a storytellers sleeps. The stories we read conjure images in our minds. But the words only paint so much of the picture and so we imagine the rest of the scene. The faces of the guards rushing to the scene, the sounds of squires training with wooden swords, and the smell of fresh grilled meat from a market stall, each of us imagines them differently. And today we are going to go a step beyond that. We will take a tale and indulge our inner storyteller to create worlds of our own. Of course I’m here to help as well. At the end of the story I’ve meticulously prepared some prompts, after all, a little direction can help get you started.

Today we discuss a very important subject. The kind of topic that can bring hope out of despair, make dreams reality, and bend the laws of time and space to our whims. That’s right we are talking about wishes! And the dangers of what can come from them.

The power and majesty of dragons is an inspiration without equal. It can inspire hope, awe, creativity, and confidence. We like those kinds of inspiration around here. But it can also inspire dread, fear, envy, and greed.

One day, a lone human stumbled upon the mightiest of powers, the power of a wish. The power to obtain anything their heart dreamed of. If they could phrase it right. They found their mind drifting to memories of dragons and within their heart, a desire blossomed. “I wish for mankind to be mightier than dragonkind!” they cried out. They thought such a wish would grant their people power and wisdom beyond what any had ever seen. A ripple of power tore across the world. Across sea and desert, tundra and forest it rewrote reality. And humanity did become stronger than dragonkind, but not how it was expected. Instead of humans gaining power, the dragons lost theirs. How rude! Uh.. I mean *ahem*. Their strength was sapped, their minds clouded, no longer with the energy to soar through the skies, their claws hardly able to tear a piece of parchment. It was not what our wanderer wished for. But it is what they got.

Well then. I guess they weren’t kidding when they said be careful what you wish for? Now, onto the main event. Worldbuilding! So, what kind of world would we see because of this event?

The Wish Maker

What happened to the Wish Maker? Did they survive the power unleashed by their wish?

Where did they go? Do they regret their wish, or have they embraced the effects of it?

Was their wish made out of respect to dragons? Or out of fear or envy of their power?

What was their goal for this wish? To protect their people? To defeat an enemy?

The World

Are dragon hunting guilds rising in popularity? Filled with people looking to plunder ancient hoards.

Are there people uniting to defend the dragons?

What happened to the power stolen from the dragons? Did it just vanish? Was it dispersed? Or has it been hidden away somewhere secret?

Have items made (hopefully ethically) from dragon bone or scales been affected? If not, could they be the key to returning the dragon’s power to them?

Did dragons keep any dangerous threats to the world in check? Is the world safer, or more dangerous with their power diminished?

The Dragons

How do dragons respond? Do they flee and search for ways to regain their strength? Or are they too prideful to run and therefore risk extermination? Are there any allies they can seek help from?

What about the dragon’s hoards? Are the ancient artifacts within plundered and released back into the world? What happens if dragons turn to using the darkest powers in their hoards to defend themselves?

What are the economic impacts of the wealth from dragon hoards flooding the market?

Your Heroes

How do your protagonists respond to this change in the world? Will they take the natural answer and become the defenders of dragonkind? Or will tales of dragon slayers fill their heads and hearts?

Do their loved ones get dragged into the arms race created by hoard looters?

Okay! That should be enough questions to get started. Even if this world doesn’t sound like the most pleasant place for someone like me to visit, it is still fun to think about what it could be like. Putting a little twist on the expected can have incredible results. Until next time.

Onwards to adventure!

CozyPandaDragon