Today, we move forward to the world-building process of the next planet Avril will visit, Huav!
Huav is the planet that hosts the elemental essence of the air. Built on a huge hurricane, its sharp rocks, apparently heavy, can float like clouds.
The planet is divided into four different realms, called Lǐngyù, each having its own different culture, purpose, and origin. Generally, it is not possible to travel from a Lǐngyù to another due to the very strong updrafts and this has led to the establishment of a clear-cut class system in which the place of birth will determine one’s social status almost forever.
Unlike Gryja, where the ruling class is represented by the builders’ faction, in Huav the destroyers, represented by the Yu Xuan, hold the power.
When we came to design this world, we started by taking inspiration from existing planets, just as we did for Gryja. In the very beginning, Huav was indeed inspired by Neptune. However, the more we worked on its design, the more we moved away from this reference!
For the making of its realms, we took a lot of inspiration from Asian folklore and mythology.
In particular, Marco Polo’s travel along the Silk Road, a network of ancient trade routes that connected Europe with the Far East, and the parallel ocean trade, which had existed for centuries depending on seasonal monsoon winds, strongly influenced the way we shaped the planet’s appearance.
This is why, on Huav, you can find many traits of the East of the world’s environments and cities, from the Great Indian Desert to the motifs and decorations of Imperial China, from the rainforests to the mountain range of the Himalayas.
Last but not least, one of Huav’s four reigns is based on Black Rock City, a temporary metropolis in Nevada’s desert where people gather to celebrate community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance once a year!
Keep following us to find out many other juicy details on the Universe of Batora: Lost Haven and make sure to wishlist the game on Steam!
