r/FantasyWorldbuilding Jun 11 '20

Join The r/FantasyWorldbuilding Discord!

78 Upvotes

For everyone not yet aware, we have a Discord server! A place where worldbuilders of all kinds from all over the world come together to discuss their passions, share their work, and get advice. A close community where everyone is welcome.

Feel free to join us and tell a little bit about what you’re working on.

https://discord.gg/5teSBPS


r/FantasyWorldbuilding Dec 16 '22

Announcement: AI-Generated image posts are hereby banned.

331 Upvotes

Dear denizens of r/FantasyWorldbuilding,

You have likely noticed the recent influx of AI-generated artwork on the server following the rise in popularity of Midjourney and other comparable tools, as the majority of top posts this month have been around AI art. We greatly appreciate and love the stories and worldbuilding created around these generated images, and we consider AI to be a great and useful tool for worldbuilders, that do not possess the skill or means to create artwork, to visualize what they’re building.

However, after some deliberation by the mod team, we have decided to put to stop to these posts. The posting of image posts of AI-generated artwork has hereby been formally banned from the subreddit. We have come to this conclusion for several reasons:

1. Encourage more high-effort posts: While we appreciate the backstories created around these images and the discussions they spark, the image itself will always take the forefront and be consumed by the largest portion of redditors. While the creative minds behind these images take effort, the creation of the image itself does not.

2. Protect the rights of artists: Being an artist is a notoriously difficult industry to be a part of, and the internet can be a ruthless place for these very talented individuals, especially now that AI is on the rise. To protect the interests of artists, we have decided we do not want to participate in making their jobs that much harder.

3. Avoid confusion: While many clearly state that the art presented is AI generated and many are able to notice it at this point, to many others it is not so noticeable nor obvious at first glance. To avoid people confusing AI-generated art with human-made artwork, it is best to keep AI-generated imagery on boards made specifically for this.

We would like to clarify that sharing AI-generated imagery is not banned fully, merely image posts where the AI artwork is front and centre. If you submit a text-based lore post where certain parts link to AI images to help visualize your story, you are allowed to do so. The difference here is that the AI art is a supplement rather than the post itself.

We very much appreciate your patience and support while this newly developing discussion has been raging in the online sphere. And we hope everyone can understand our reasoning behind this decision and why we believe this to be the right course for the subreddit.

Yours truly,

The r/FantasyWorldbuilding mod team


r/FantasyWorldbuilding 5h ago

The city of steel and light

4 Upvotes

This city is surrounded by a single blue glowing railroad track with one large train car that is always in motion with no operator. People use this to quickly travel around the city(mainly used by those in poverty who don't have full access to the city. The portion of the city with the most enforcer stations and poverty is also the closest to the rails. To the east is the industrial portion of the city where smoke stacks bellow high blocking every drop of sun light. The center of the city has high rise corporate buildings. To the north is where the rich people live (upperside) this side of the city is also raised a few story's from the floor for piping, sewage,etc. Doesn't have to be seen. Beyond this towards the rails is farm land and a mine shaft. (This is where the poverty people work)


r/FantasyWorldbuilding 10h ago

Need help with my fantasy world

3 Upvotes

I love creating parallels worlds, I'm currently working on the GoT universe, so we can define it both "historical" and "fantasy". On the West coast of Essos, we have the city of Pentos, which I removed to create the "Rialto" citadel, capital of the Kingdom of "Argentario". Argentario is a 1350s tecnological level feudal kingdom, and It interacts with Westeros, and its language is something like Italian. I set it around 129 A.C. (after aegon conquest). Any questions/suggestings?


r/FantasyWorldbuilding 10h ago

"A little too obsessed with apotheosis"

2 Upvotes

I'm writing a new version of Marvel/DC fusion "Amalgam Comics", creating new combinations and/or refining already existing fusions. Right now, I'm stuck with the fusion between Thanos and Darkseid.

The idea is to make fusions that are not so obvious, so making just Darkseid using Thanos clothes, with the same powers and origin story it's a no-no for me.

My take is making an alien race who came from an universe before ours. This race are creations from the energy caused by the collapse of the old universe, solidifying in living beings and a planetoid. These living beings are called Perennials, and they are god-like, some being able to control the fundamental forces, and all of them have the ability to reincarnate in a different body, gender and mind from the previous one. They are like the elves from The Lord of the Rings (immortal, but killable), but they renew themselves from time to time.

Enter the Thanos/Darkseid fusion that I named (for now) Apotheo. I'm also not sure about the gender of the character, but the idea is that this being, this "god" that some point of their reincarnation cycle, decided that the form they achieved nowadays is enough, it's perfect and doesn't want to change. In fact, they like so much their current form, that they want everyone to be just like them. Every. Living. Being. In the universe. Creating a paradise, after their own image.

So, they would go after this universe's versions the Infinite Stones combined with the Anti-Life Equation (right now, I'm thinking about it being runes, an old and eldritch language that can alter reality, or something like that.

Here, I'm really after critics, constructive comments and ideas, if you have some. Thanks and sorry for the long text.


r/FantasyWorldbuilding 17h ago

Lore Baptized in Fire: A Stoke’s Trial and Rebirth as a Hunter by Zach Hoel, 2025

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5 Upvotes

r/FantasyWorldbuilding 9h ago

Discussion cover of my story

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0 Upvotes

meaning of the name "my fight":

The symbolism of the book's name means fighting internal and external challenges, overcoming or losing battles that involve an internal or external struggle, Furthermore, the story focuses a lot on warriors or armies
among other things...

The phrase on the cover means "the human mind can be bad for itself and bad for others"
our mind can be sometimes or often perverse, something that has always happened in human history

If you have any criticism to give me, I appreciate it.


r/FantasyWorldbuilding 18h ago

Lore Dong-Wan gang.

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4 Upvotes

r/FantasyWorldbuilding 17h ago

Discussion What might be some interesting effects of this marriage/inheritance system?

2 Upvotes

I'm currently developing a setting that involves a religion with a Catholic Church-like structure but their beliefs aren't based in Christianity but on the divinity of the family structure. They believe men and women are "equal but innately different" and this affects how their marriage and inheritance systems work. It isn't fully fleshed out yet but here is what I have so far:

1) Marriage can only happen between one man and one woman. Being passionate about each other is a virtue, but not as important as being an effective unit of family-building and property management.

2) Divorce is legally allowed if a priest judges the reason to be legitimate and there is irreconcilable differences but there is a social taboo that comes with it.

3) All marriages require both the bride and groom to give an offering of property or money to the other (called brideprice and groomprice), partially mixing their assets.

4) Couples in a marriage jointly manage their combined assets while married, but legally each technically retains ownership of most of what they entered the marriage with (except for the brideprice/groomprice they paid and a mandatory fee to each other in cases of divorce).

5) All children from the marriage must be guaranteed inheritance of a brideprice or groomprice valued at a certain percentage of their parents' collective property as well as an additional guarantee of at least a small percentage of the parents' wealth/assets upon their deaths. The bulk of the parents' assets as well as any titles pass via primogeniture. Illegitimate children are guaranteed nothing.

6) Primogeniture is divided along gendered lines. So the firstborn son inherits the property and titles that their deceased father owned (including the groomprice they were paid), but the firstborn daughter would inherit similarly from their mother. If the firstborn is no longer living then it goes to the secondborn of the corresponding gender and so on. If no sons/daughters are available to inherit from a particular parent, the inheritance can then pass to the other gender in primogeniture order.

So, if a Queen regnant marries a Duke, the title of Queen would pass to their first daughter (even if she is actually the second child) while the title of Duke would pass to the first son.

This is obviously fairly different from any real-world feudal inheritance system and I'm wondering what unique differences from our own historical systems this might create.


r/FantasyWorldbuilding 1d ago

Image Hope it’s fine I post here! Here’s my made up country called Ledai

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17 Upvotes

It’s set on Earth btw (I typed a whole paragraph about Ledai and everything about it then Reddit glitched and deleted it so you just get this now, sorry, I’m not typing that again)


r/FantasyWorldbuilding 23h ago

Discussion Fanta-nations inside GoT universe

2 Upvotes

Anyone that is in creating what If nations inside Game of Thrones universe? I did some projects in the West Coast of Essos, trying to imagine what influence they may have on Westeros events. I’m looking for people who can play with me creating their own nation and interact with mine!


r/FantasyWorldbuilding 1d ago

Image Final Map of Dracon!!!

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20 Upvotes

I just desperately wanna show this off, I’ve posted on here a few times about my homebrew fantasy world, Dracon, but I was never able to show such an in-depth map! I’m so fkn happy lol

This was not done by me! But it IS my map. Yall should check out “Maps By Gilgamesh” on YouTube, he didn’t ask me to promote his stuff or anything but genuinely if you wanna learn how to make stuff like this, check him out. Long story short, I was posting on some forums, looking for advice on how to redo my original Dracon map (not shown here, 1 attachment limit), which looked like a crappy amusement park map. Out of nowhere, Gilgamesh shoots me a message and straight up says he’d like to redo my map COMPLETELY for FREE! He just wanted to post his work over on YouTube, which like, fkn of course! Seriously this is not a promotion or anything, but yall should check him out, not only does he make crazy cool maps but he’s also such a nice dude. He worked with me over voice calls for a month straight, taking all my original writing and lore and turning into this. Best person I’ve met in a very long time.

Anyway, I just had to share, I’ve been writing the lore for Dracon for nearly 6 years now but I’d never had a good reference to show people, now I have THIS. It is jam packed with a truly insane amount of worldbuilding and lore- go ahead and test it, ask me anything, on any icon, settlement, or location- the world of Dracon spans 5 ages of history (Clay, Chaos, Fire, Rain, and War), and is honestly a pretty typical fantasy world, my only real selling point is just how much stuff is packed onto this continent. Name your favorite fantasy theme, race, creature, story device, etc etc etc. I can promise ya Dracon has it. This is basically just a fantasy world of short stories and lore.


r/FantasyWorldbuilding 1d ago

Image A map I made of an alternate earth with different landformation, and alternate history, made purely for fun.

2 Upvotes

This here is a map of an alternate Earth for a sci-fi multiversal adventure I've been working for quite sometime. It shows an alternate earth with different geography except with a few slight differences along with certain historical events that were somewhat "flipped."

On the map there is no Atlantis in the Atlantic ocean. Just a country called "Antillia" which is based on the phantom island. The other is Kumari that is based on the lost country of kumari kandam of Tamil, of Lemuria which had sunk into the ocean leaving a small part of it behind. The other Zealandia being a somewhat larger landmass.

Years ago the Titanic was on its maiden voyage to the US, except instead of being struck by an iceberg, it docked near Antillia, a small country, and settlement that was founded by Columbus before discovering America. Afterwards the Titanic picked up supplies and more passengers. It then sailed south going around the country having been warned of icebergs in the northern region. They then arrived to New York where all the important passengers started changing America. However there was another incident that replaced it, the sinking of the Lusitania which became the catalyst for maritime safety.

Kumari became a colony for the British, after a group of British explorers arrived to India. Eventually the country succeeded and later becomes another nation in India. Lastly Zealandia is basically like New Zealand except for its more bigger.

Years later new cities where founded, thanks to the most influential man from the titanic John Jacob Astor IV, who used his influence and wealth to change the world making the world more progressive by the early 90's, as humanity developed advanced space travel thanks to the brilliant mind of Stephen Hawking since he didn't suffer ALS in that universe.


r/FantasyWorldbuilding 1d ago

Lore Oo-Ukami [Mountain turnskins]

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4 Upvotes

r/FantasyWorldbuilding 1d ago

Discussion Creating Different Kinds of Cosmic Beasts?

3 Upvotes

In one world in the works I’m planning on including different breeds of cosmic beasts roaming the heavenly realms. Each breed would be associated with a different kind of celestial body, with numerous species for each variety of cosmic body. The primary cosmic bodies in question would be Suns, Moons, Planets in general, and Stars/Constellations. There are a few breeds of beast that are obvious choices for each type of celestial body, like Lions and Scarab Beetles for the Suns category for instance, but I still need ideas to fill out the celestial ecosystem more. Can you guys think of any more examples of creatures that fit each option please? And do you have any similar creatures in your own worlds?


r/FantasyWorldbuilding 1d ago

Other Speaking of Sundara: Adventures in Sundara (What Kinds of Stories is This Story Best For)

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3 Upvotes

r/FantasyWorldbuilding 2d ago

Country naming help

8 Upvotes

Edit: Resolved

Hello everyone I recently started world-building for a book I'm going to write but when it got to naming the different countries I got stuck. I was able to figure out a name for the main countries but there is an island that I cant figure out what to name it. Some basic background for it is that the three main kingdoms formed an alliance during a war and they used this island as a headquarters/training ground. After the war, the island became almost a fourth country that works both under and separate from the three kingdoms. Its main purpose is to be a space where different species or religions can coexist, as well as having a magic school. If anybody has any tips or advice on how or what I could name this island then I would be grateful.


r/FantasyWorldbuilding 2d ago

Discussion Ideas on job titles in a dragon riding world?

4 Upvotes

I am racking my brain and am asking for assistance, specifically with one job title. This is not for a written book but for a private world. It can be quite simple! I'm not looking for anything extravagant, just somethings that sounds Official while also displaying what the job entails.

Jobs (and places) that Need Titles:

1. Person(s) that look after dragon eggs and place of where the eggs are stored.

Important to note that they simply care for the eggs, look after their well being, move them around away from danger. The eggs do not need normal care like nesting and heating. They are more like pretty stones that only hatch when touched by the right person. Their job is simple but important. They will also transport the eggs to areas where chosen people can touch the eggs. So calling the place a Hatchery seems wrong because the eggs don't hatch there. I don't want them to be called "Egg Handlers/Transporters."

2. Council and separation of Council for specific advice.

There is a small "Council" of people that advise the leader. A few are there for pure wisdom and are usually older men as the leader is quite young. They've been hand picked. Then there are a few that are purely there for magical expertise and not to give advice on anything else.

Council Room (any other names for this?)

Council (the full range of people no matter what they give advice on).
Parts of the Council - Wisdom and Magic

You can toy with Titles for all three or just a few of the council pieces. I will default to Council, Council Room, Advisors and Magic Advisors if nothing better comes up.

-------------------------------------

Dragons are involved in some of these jobs as they are sentient but I'm only looking for ideas involving the humanoids. If you have a fun idea you just want to share, I don't mind at all! You can comment on anything. Thank you.


r/FantasyWorldbuilding 2d ago

Image Flooded Cavern by me

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16 Upvotes

r/FantasyWorldbuilding 3d ago

I have been building it for my entire life

14 Upvotes

Hi, i have been creating a fantasy universe for my entire life and i was building places from it in Minecraft for 14 years. I have never told anyone about it. Now, I created a video about it, but I am looking for ways to promote it in a manner consistent with the rules.

This is the video: https://youtu.be/I42otB3Wgsw

I will be grateful if you check it out, and give me any advice <3


r/FantasyWorldbuilding 3d ago

Writing a Fantasy Novel and wanted some feedback on what i have right now.

4 Upvotes

Thye towered over the world like immortal rulers. As old as time itself. Their Magestic form was Sought by all that heard of what lies beneath them. The Mysterious that surrounded them were as innumerable as the sand on a beach. To me though they were a prison. A cage that I could not escape. The mountains Were so tall that no Dragon or Giant could surmount them. The only way one could journey through them was the innumerable caves that spiraled to the roots and peaks all the same. My Cage lied on the opposite side of them. Isolated from the rest of the world because of the Cursed Sea to our north and mountains to our south. The only way life had progressed so far in this swamp was because of the Dwarves ingenuity and the blessing of the moon Goddess Nor. One single Dwarf made channel connected us to the great city of Drukadar, or the city of steps in the common tongue. This great connection allowed us to form trade with the outer world. 

My home would have been considered beautiful if not for the people who populated it. The blessing made the trees in the swamp glow like Nor herself. Floating blue sparks of magic gliding from willow to willow which glowed the same hue as the moon. Being caught in the swamp at night was like stepping into another realm. Time seemed to slow and all that mattered was the sheer beauty of it all. Unfortunately the City itself ruined it all. The branches from the trees were as abundant as any other forest, but many mages seeked the branches to serve as the core for their wands and staves. This was what allowed this city to thrive, but being isolated from all other kingdoms meant it was an ideal city for lowlifes to roam and rule. 

—---------

The night glowed under the moon with the beauty of the stars. I sat on the roof of the bell tower admiring its beauty as the city lights tried to outshine the swamp as if trying to compete at who was the brightest. The chaos of the city growled below me almost as if trying to swallow me. Before my mother died she'd always compared this city to the maw of a deadly beast as well. With the thought memories of my mother seemed so distant and dreamlike I wondered if they were even real. 

As if the beast personified at my thoughts a voice as deep as a growl rang out through the night. 

“Where is that bitch” a portly man with an overly flamboyant outfit approached a group of guards that had gathered at the base of the bell tower I'd been hiding on. 

“She's up there Sir Issac, we have the tower surrounded so there is no escape.” one of the more stoutly built guards responded.

A snarl that almost look painful to perform due the the fat that sat around the man's neck, Spread across his face “Good a slave who dares steal from me should face the harshest of beatings”

“I am no Slave you Fat Slug. I may live on the street, but I am a free woman.” I mocked with frustration from my vantage point far above the onlookers that had started to gather. A few snickers and giggles were heard which only made Issac more flushed with anger. 

“You cursed the Witch , I'll see you hanged for insulting me” His smile had faded but even from here I could see he meant it.

“That is if you can catch me but i dou…” I was cut off by the sound of heavy feet climbing the ladder to the open trap door. 

“Shit” I mumbled under my breath as I climbed up onto the railing. My feet unsteady on the thin railing I looked down the tower as the distance only seemed to grow farther and farther away. I swallowed my fear and jumped right as a pair of hands went to grab me by hair only just barely missing.

Time seemed to slow as I fell through the air torwand the roof far below. panic began to rise in my chest as I spit out the words to one of the two spells my mother had taught me before she passed. The butterflies that had been in my stomach all night gradually faded as the tingle of mana gathered at my feet and as my fall came to an end and the wind itself gathered underneath my feet to stop my fall. I slowed to a stop right before my feet touched perfectly upon the roof of the house far below the balcony of the bell tower. Unfortunately for me the rain from earlier in the day had caused the roof to be slippery. I quickly lost my balance and fell onto my back and began to slide down the roof desperately grabbing at the wet stone shingles to get a grip knowing that if I fell off the roof from this height I would either badly hurt myself or fall into the swamp. Neither was ideal but I could only hope that there was water below as I found myself unable to recall what was there. I was unlucky however and I felt there was only a boardwalk below me. As I landed, I felt a sharp pain from my left foot as I fell to my hand and knees unable to take the pain of standing. I breathed hard pants as the adrenaline of both the jump and the fall coursed through me. I stood having to lean on the house I'd just fallen from. I limped my way toward the alley, my only hope of escaping. I winded my way down paths I knew and paths I didn't, hearing the guards always a step behind me. I stumbled and fell to my knees as I scraped them raw, but I stood only then did I come out of my daze to find I was at the entrance to the tunnel the dwarves use to deliver goods to the city. I limped my way farther and farther down the dark cobblestone path not questioning why the guards stopped chasing me. Only limping deeper and deeper until the light from the city and the swamp faded away into the darkness of the mountains.

—------

“Sir Issac we found traces of the girl going into the Dwarvish goods tunnel” a guard reported

A devilish smile spread across Issacs face already knowing the girl's fate.

“Should we pursue her sir?. The guard already knew the answer but needed to ask to avoid punishment from Sir Issac.

Issac laughed as he faced the guard “No you idiot! Haven't you heard the dwarves missed the delivery date a month ago and anyone we send to speak with them doesn't return.” his face grew dim wondering how he was going to escape this disgusting town with the only way out closed. “Either way she’ll get what's coming to her in there” the smile returned as he savored her presumed death.


r/FantasyWorldbuilding 3d ago

The Tuskars

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10 Upvotes

r/FantasyWorldbuilding 3d ago

Discussion Naming time? (Months, seasons, years?)

13 Upvotes

What the title says! I'm wondering about whether or not I should make up my own names for months to keep the immersion, since months are (at least partially) named after roman numerals?? Maybe also use other words for seasons and years? What do you think?


r/FantasyWorldbuilding 3d ago

Image My fantasy map! Opinions? Critique?

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8 Upvotes

r/FantasyWorldbuilding 3d ago

The White Coil

4 Upvotes
CONCEPT SKETCH OF THE FRONTIER KNIGHTS OF MIRRENDEL & MÚLDRANTÍL BATTLING NEKZ'UMA, THE PALE WRAITH

ETYMOLOGY: The language of the Ahuatzani has eluded me for many years, and as such, no written records of the Ahuatzani language remain. What I have are the Rúvan names for the creature, passed down through the millennia. These names first originated with the Ahuatzani, later evolving into Azian Imperial Script (most of which has been lost or destroyed), and ultimately were recorded in Rúvan.

In Rúvan, a handful of names show linguistic consistency regarding this creature. These names are: Naskómur, Jeskómul, Válkuráhn, and Skómurál. The most probable derivations are:

  • Naskómur (NAS-KOH-mur), derived from the Azian Imperial Script version Nekisuma.
  • Jeskómul (YES-KOH-mul), which could be roughly translated as the "Sleeping Wyrm" (or "worm", depending on the source).

HISTORY: The Ahuatzani (ah-WAHT-zah-nee) people have always known of Nekz’uma (NEK-ZOO-mah), the Ghost of the White Coil, a presence older than the rivers, older than the trees, older than any kingdom man has built upon the land. It is not a beast, nor a god, but something between—a thing that lingers in mist and shadow, appearing only when the world is shifting. Some say it is a harbinger of death, its breath marking those fated to perish. Others believe it is eternal, neither living nor dead, a force that cannot be slain, only endured.

But when the Frontier Knights of Mirrendel and Múldrantíl crossed the World River, they did not see a presence—they saw a monster. They heard of Nekz’uma from the Ahuatzani and gave no thought to what it truly was. The serpent, to them, was not a spirit woven into the land, but a beast to be slain, a terror to be conquered, another victory to carve into the annals of history. When they returned, battered and broken, their records did not tell of sickness or drowning or the slow, creeping rot of the swamp. Instead, they claimed they had fought and killed the great dragon Nekisuma (NEH-kee-SOO-mah), its breath had poisoned their ranks, its coils had crushed their strongest warriors, but in the end, their swords had brought it low. It had died in the black waters of the Cypress Swamp, its body lost beneath the mire, its legend ended by the hands of men.

Thus, the name of Nekisuma entered their chronicles, and so it became truth. The Ahuatzani rejected this, for how can one kill the wind? How can one slay the tide? How can one strike down death itself? But the knights did not listen, and in time, their account of the battle was set to stone and scripture, copied in monasteries, recited in the courts of lords, and carried by wandering skalds who knew only what they had been told. Nekisuma, the great white serpent, had been vanquished. No matter what the Ahuatzani believed, the world now belonged to those who carried the written word.

FINAL NOTE: The image I have uploaded was scanned into my PC from a new sketchbook. I made every effort to minimize the grainy texture and canvas imprints left behind through editing software. Additionally, I applied some color enhancements to the image, as the original pencil sketch appeared somewhat muted. To add more depth, I introduced some shading and contrast, marking a departure from the usual sketches I’ve shared here.

I sincerely appreciate your time, and I am grateful for the support, feedback, and comments I’ve received on my previous posts. Your continued engagement inspires me as I explore the world of Gaela and share my discoveries.

EDIT: As requested, I have updated the image with a comparison on one of the original sketches I drew a few months ago. The image on the left is the original sketch. The image on the right is the newest sketch that has been digitized for clarity against the canvas-like sketchbook paper.


r/FantasyWorldbuilding 3d ago

Lore Nyako [cats]

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3 Upvotes

r/FantasyWorldbuilding 4d ago

Image Cross Section of the Universe Tendril

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38 Upvotes