Step into the realm of How Worlds Unfold, where creativity has no bounds! Join Tyler James, an imaginative worldbuilder with over 20 years of storytelling experience, as he crafts a mesmerizing fantasy setting from scratch. With each episode, unravel the intricate threads of world creation, learn behind-the-scenes secrets that never get told, and discover the magic of weaving character, landscape, history, and culture into a vibrant tapestry of imagination. Refreshingly unfettered by convention, this is where worlds are born.

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/10/9/12/a67183c1-87a5-457a-8a57-669e8f1c66ff_46_random_thoughts_and_the_underworld.mp3

Hatunasi is an inverse pyramid sitting above the underworld. Except, what does that mean? What is the Underworld? In light of our conversation on the spirit world, it required answering and so today we delve into the topic.

46. Random Thoughts and the Underworld

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/9/6/13/87141ad1-d551-4100-be0d-f8b487df8636_45_monsters_of_the_lower_layers.mp3

The Lower Layers of Hatunasi are full of mystery and ancient civilization. Oh, and also monsters that eat spirits and now humans. Yes, today I explore some thoughts on these monsters and how they could be used and I even have one particular idea that would affect an entire nation.

45. Monsters of the Lower Layers

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/9/6/13/50ac590a-5c0f-43df-a0e4-cf8351122dd4_44_zoilena_and_the_secret_spririt_portals.mp3

With the Spirit World complete, I start exploring the implications for the world beyond, starting with Zoilena. What&#39;s their deal? What are the secrets they hide? How can it even stay secret?

44. Zoilena and the Secret Spirit Portals

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/9/6/13/63016b27-eacd-4965-8492-bd8a842ed4f2_43_the_spirit_world_of_hatunasi_pt_6.mp3

It nearly broke me... actually, maybe it did... but, I have finally finished my thoughts on the Spirit World! This episode I put the nail in my coffin, I top this present off with a bow, I.... alright, I have sure I will come back and change so much in the future but today marks the end of this mini-series.

43. The Spirit World of Hatunasi, Pt 6

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/8/30/1/5b23a925-a558-4165-b77c-c310f299af19_42_the_spirit_world_of_hatunasi__pt_5.mp3

By now, you know the drill. I really need to get some graph paper out and figure this whole problem out. I inch every closer to what I want, and yet it still doesn&#39;t quite fit in the way I want it to. I could give in, but so far I am refusing to.

42. The Spirit World of Hatunasi, Pt 5

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/8/30/1/2752b188-363d-4dd8-b9b8-816670552616_41_the_spirit_world_of_hatunasi__pt_4.mp3

Another day, another barely coherent rambling about spirits and magic and the spirit magic system. There&#39;s some gems here, but I still get stuck and refuse to quit.

41. The Spirit World of Hatunasi, Pt 4

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/8/28/19/b00dc11d-6ebd-4cdf-9824-7584967ff566_40_the_spirit_world_of_hatunasi_pt_3.mp3

I get all philosophical about what it means to be human in this world. Kinda. Sorta.Continuing this dive into the spirit world and its magic is providing such delightful worldbuilding fodder and in this episode it brings me to a point of asking about the origins of humanity and whether they were special. What does it mean to be body and spirit? I slowly get closer to my answers today.

40. The Spirit World of Hatunasi, Pt 3

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/8/27/23/13207234-1c43-4175-8286-df668e69385a_39_the_spirit_world_of_hatunasi__pt_2.mp3

I did not realize the Spirit World was going to be such a complicated issue. But today I complicate it even further! I inch forward a few steps before falling back several feet, as it were. All good things, all good things. But sometimes a really good idea just adds the amount of work necessary.

39. The Spirit World of Hatunasi, Pt 2

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/8/27/22/942d6602-be0e-4821-8e00-7d03dbf329da_38_the_spirit_world_of_hatunasi__pt_1.mp3

I begin my exploration of the Spirit World. Specifically, what&#39;s the deal with spirits and fey? Is that what they even are? Are they intelligent? Do they have magic? Honestly, as I go into it, I realize I have way more questions than I do answers.

38. The Spirit World of Hatunasi, Pt 1

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/8/27/22/6caa3104-d2b8-41b6-89e8-ad3cf82198d2_37_kianvale_and_the_floating_city.mp3

I have some thoughts on Kianvale! Inspired by a lot of steampunk pictures I recently saw, I decided I want to make this dystopian utopia a pretty fun and epic place to visit.

37. Kianvale and the Floating City

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/8/11/16/389b423e-05b7-4326-b5f3-de4f40ec38ed_36_guardian_dogs_lead_to_domesticated_spirits.mp3

Inspiration can come from anywhere. Even children books. Especially children books a kid wants you to read five times in a row. A book about guardian dogs leads to some fun ideas for spirit domestication.

36. Guardian Dogs Lead to Domesticated Spirits

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/8/11/16/80c396ec-c5b1-470c-88e5-a8682340808f_35_the_magic_system_of_hatunasi.mp3

I do a deep dive explanation on the current iteration of the magic system of Hatunasi.

35. The Magic System of Hatunasi

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/7/30/14/2e6b987b-8d33-4819-bf90-3235aa667674__34_tarist_delving_into_the_city-states_prt._2.mp3

We get more cartilage on this skeletal structure of Tarist. I touch on how I think the main faction powers are structured, what the third state is, where the power of each city comes from, and even a hint at a fourth power group to throw into the mix. Tarist is coming together.

34. Tarist: Delving into the City-States, Prt. 2

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/7/29/13/84c1fd15-a96b-4bd5-9685-3a67014e46be__33_tarist_delving_into_the_city-states__prt_1.mp3

With our Tarist point/theme in hand, we now return to our city-state idea and start slowly fleshing them out, giving them distinction. We also start to wonder at the unity of Tarist over the last 100 years and in modern day.

33. Tarist: Delving into the City-States, Prt. 1

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/7/29/1/f11600de-1a5f-46b8-9a70-662ba2494922_episode_32_tarist_theme_and_point_prt_2.mp3

It&#39;s a short one, but I figured out the theme and point of Tarist! It comes right out from the core ideas I had of Tarist as well as from the kind of stories I am actually interested in exploring. This idea is going to focus all my future worldbuilding.

32. Tarist: Theme and Point, Prt. 2

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/7/29/1/ae335941-613a-418f-b307-bd88444cc2e7_episode_31_tarist_theme_and_point__prt_1.mp3

As I delved through earlier episodes, I discovered something interesting: I never formalized a theme or point for Tarist! No wonder I&#39;ve been at a loss of what to do with it. Today, I start to rectify it and toss out what I know and possible ideas based on those thoughts.

31. Tarist: Theme and Point, Prt. 1

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/7/24/13/4dabc4bc-b1e6-4f51-8082-ff8814f59356_episode_30.mp3

I start out trying to do some work on Tarist, yet I just can&#39;t find the mind to do so. I talk my way through a few unconnected threads of why I am working differently than before and eventually I create a tentative plan of what I need to do going forward to make the whole thing work.

30. Rambling My Way to Some Structure

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/7/23/15/bdeec1eb-f80f-454e-ad3d-eb7e2aa08cda_episode_29.mp3

We&#39;re building on some of the larger pieces of Tarist today, focusing on their technology and magic which leads directly to several ideas on the three factions of power within the nation. Nothing specific, but the bones are being laid.

29. Tarist: Making the Bones, Pt. 1

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/7/22/12/0a7c7625-b354-40a5-9405-8f7c18ec0988_episode_28.mp3

I finished reading Gastronomy in Mesoamerica, and while I did not get any major inspiration or worldbuilding ideas like before, there were still many fun little snippets that got my mind moving. Not sure how a lot of it will work together yet, but that&#39;s the business for you.

28. Continuing to be Informed by Food

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/7/20/21/6a002b82-2a88-4cad-b931-7a39a39df742_episode_27.mp3

Worldbuilding is not always continuous and at some point we all hit creative walls where we don&#39;t want to do it. I did and I share what the last few days have been like for me. The stuckness we can all feel and the little things we can do to get out of it.

27. A Series of Little Things

Step into the realm of *How Worlds Unfold* , where creativity has no bounds! Join Tyler James, an imaginative worldbuilder with over 20 years of storytelling experience, as he crafts a mesmerizing fantasy setting from scratch. With each episode, unravel the intricate threads of world creation, learn behind-the-scenes secrets that never get told, and discover the magic of weaving character, landscape, history, and culture into a vibrant tapestry of imagination. Refreshingly unfettered by convention, this is where worlds are born.