Territories
Territories are swaths of land, regions, space, or other areas generally defined by a central set of characteristics. Territories are more than just the borders of a civilization or other fictional faction – they can can be a helpful way to organize a fictional world as well as provide inspiration for the elements and stories a world contains. Inserting a quarantine zone leads naturally to a fictional disease. Dividing a future space empire into core and peripheral planets can help designers incorporate internal conflict into an imperialist faction. And placing a contested territory between two nation-states offers an opportunity to explore the geopolitics of a volatile situation where any event could set off a full-fledged war. All of these territories, and others, can all be used to create more interesting settings.
| Synonyms: Provinces, sectors, districts, borders, lands, zones, states, countries |
| Example Mythonyms: Sector Bravo, Firstdew Province, the Kingdom of Zuud |
| Territories |
Archetypes
Overview
Worldbuilders designing world maps may find the use of territories particularly helpful – they can define the areas controlled by their world’s factions or be used to divide their world into general regions.
Territories often have unique characteristics – these may be defined by the general biome and climate, the types of factions operating or controlling the area, or elements like flora and fauna, culture, or history. Creating distinct territories can add nuance to a fictional world, as well as create novel areas to explore. This latter point may be particularly important for game worlds, where different territories may be used to support different story arcs, different difficulties, or host different factions.
Cartography
Territories are often defined by their borders. Depending on the territory, these borders may be firm and well defined, or could be more nebulous in nature. Often borders fall along natural landmarks such as rivers or coasts. The borders of territories may be defended.
It may also be helpful for worldbuilders to develop the region and biome, as well as the general terrain present within each territory. If the territory is one like a neighborhood or sector within a city or cyberpunk metropolis, developing the sublocations may be critical.
Factions
Territories may be the home to a single faction, or may host a plethora of different groups co-existing or in direct competition with one another. Developing the internal factions of any territory is a chance for worldbuilders to generate conflict that can drive a narrative or drive a fictional history.
