Your First Room

Series: world-building · Part 1

Every island begins with a single room. In the archipelago, a room is a place — a berth, a hold, a landing, a loft. It has a description that players read, details they can examine, and exits that lead elsewhere. Building your first room is the act of laying the first stone of your island.

Switch to build mode and create a room:

chart> create room harbor-gate
  Created: room:your-realm/harbor-gate (0 details, 0 exits)

Now give it a description. Write what a traveler sees when they step through the gate for the first time. Use sensory details — the smell of salt, the sound of water against the quay, the quality of light. The archipelago is experienced through prose, and your room’s description is its first impression.

chart> describe harbor-gate
  (Enter description. End with a blank line.)
  A stone archway opens onto the quay. Lanterns hang from iron
  hooks overhead, their light pooling on wet cobblestones. The
  harbor stretches beyond — masts and rigging against a grey sky.

  Description set for room:your-realm/harbor-gate.

Your island has its first place. The beacon can now be lit.