Meta:Primer

Project: Jotunnheim (known metonymically as Jotunnheim) a linguistics-based, steampunk-style collaborative conworld created in an attempt to craft a historically and linguistically accurate and interesting world. Originally created in 2019 by a group of online friends, it has gone through many changes over the years, though the focus has remained largely the same. Jotunnheim is based on realism rather than science fiction, with the goal being to look at the state and condition of our own Earth at the turn of the 20th century through the lens of the steampunk genre.

This primer is intended for people outside the project to get a quick rundown of Jotunnheim. Relevant articles will be linked throughout, and anyone wishing for a deeper understanding of the project is encouraged to click them and browse the wiki to their heart's content.

What is Jotunnheim about?

The goal of Jotunnheim is to construct a world roughly analogous to Earth from the ground up. This means that everything from languages, culture and history to the planet itself have to be different from their real life counterparts; after all, why would people on a completely different planet speak English? The only aspects that Jotunnheim has in common with Earth are size and composition as well as the presence of humans and other Earth species' evolutionary history, which was done for convenience and a semblance of familiarity.

The focus of creations within Jotunnheim vary between contributors and eras, but the most common themes are geopolitics and anthropology. Jotunnheim is intended to be a case study on how empire, ethnocultural relations and geopolitical conflict influence and shape the world.

Where is Jotunnheim set?

Project: Jotunnheim takes its name from its setting: planet Jotunnheim. Though originally picked at random the name now has several interpretations, from "great men" shaping history to literal giants inhabiting the planet's frozen regions. Jotunnheim is analogous to Earth in size, composition and biosphere. Like Earth, Jotunnheim also has a singular moon, Ymir which is roughly similar to the Earth's moon, though it orbits around 44% closer and completes an orbit 3 times as fast. Jotunnheim's rotational and orbital dynamics are also different from Earth: days on Jotunnheim last only around 22 Earth hours, and Jotunnheim orbits its star in only 273 Earth days (295 and ⅔ Jotunnheim days). Jotunnheim's host star, Yggdrasil, is a G-type solar analog 10% less massive than our Sun and only two-thirds as luminous. Around Yggdrasil orbit 6 main planets, all named after realms in Nordic mythology: the inner rocky planets Muspellheim, Jotunnheim and Svartalfheim and the outer giants Vanaheim, Niflheim and Helheim. The astronomical aspect of Project: Jotunnheim is hardly the main focus, but provides an important cultural background (think of how we on Earth perceive the stars, constellations and planets).

Jotunnheim has 8 continents, each with their own diverse histories and cultures:

Anschuhe

Main article: Anschuhe

Perhaps Jotunnheim's strangest continent, Anschuhe is home to the Hashkas (Paracrocuta garrula), a non-human sapient species resembling bipedal hyenas. Anschuhe's non-sapient fauna is also unique to the continent, roughly similar to Australia. Anschuhe was largely uncontacted by humans for most of its history, as most attempts at contact failed. Since the early modern era however, human settlements have been set up on the continent, which has opened the Hashkas to the world somewhat.

Ashnan

Main article: Ashnan

By far the largest continent, Ashnan's large and mostly fat expanses of land have allowed a myriad of cultures to roam around, conquer and influence each other throughout millenia. The Phelo Empire, the largest contiguous land empire in history, conquered most of Ashnan's southern coast. In the continent's far north live a species of humans known as the Jötnar (Homo jotunnus). They are tall, muscular and hairy relatives of Homo sapiens who formerly inhabited most of Ashnan's northern half, but persecution and genocide has severely reduced Jötunn populations.

Etzavaz

Main article: Etzavaz

Although small, Etzavaz is home to a variety of different cultures that have played a crucial part in global history. It is also the birthplace of Tohadal, one of the world's most practised religions, and Tzalism, an ideology that has been progressively gaining global appeal in recent decades. If anything, Etzavaz is a continent split between tradition and modernity, which has been the source of many conflicts in the past century.

Huo

Main article: Huo

Huo's 5,000-year long history is one marked by the consequences of religion, ideological conflict and colonialism. The country of Wadiin is the birthplace of Kunwidya, Jotunnheim's largest religion with followers and branches all across the globe.

Jarruunh

Main article: Jarruunh

Perhaps too often overlooked, Jarruunh's unfortunate location means that it is cut in half by most Yazland-centric maps of the world. Although, among the deep jungle and mountains lie great civilizations and completely unique cultures.

Nkungu

Main article: Nkungu

Yazland

Main article: Yazland

The most developed region in the project, Yazland is a continent at the heart of global politics. Yazlanders place themselves at the center of the world, which is reflected in their approach to colonialism and the very maps that we draw. Yazland's history is rich and ancient, and its culture prides itself on being the benchmark for what constitutes "civilization". Yazland is the crux of Jotunnheim's themes: it is a study on empire, nationalism and their effects on the world. It is also the birthplace of Misraism, a polytheistic religion and the second largest religion in the world after Kunwidya.

Antiborea

Main article: Antiborea

Located in the planet's south polar region, Antiborea is an uninhabited frozen wasteland. Its existence was not even confirmed until recently, and exploration is only in its very early days.

What is Jotunnheim like?

Jotunnheim's has a long and varied history, but the present day is based on the early 20th century CE. Technology is analogous to the late 1920s to early 1930s, with some key aspects being "stuck in the past": widespread use of steam-powered technology, sepiatone photography and a distinctly "Belle Époque" architectural style giving cities a late Victorian era look. Jotunnheim's current political situation can be compared to the Interbellum of the 1920s and 1930s, as the world is still recovering from a destructive global conflict analogous to World War I. We are currently seeing a rise in reactionary ideology as a direct result, and all signs seem to point toward a renewed conflict sometime in the near future. Through this, our goal with the project is to use the Interbellum period as a thematic comparison to the current political climate on Earth.

What are some important concepts to know?

Calendar systems

Main article: Meta:Calendar systems in Jotunnheim

There are many calendar systems used in Jotunnheim, though the Gregorian calendar is not one of them. As previously mentioned, days and years on Jotunnheim are different lengths than those on Earth, with years especially being only around 75% the length of Earth years. A notable consequence of this is to ages: you may notice that every listed on this wiki appears older than they look, because their ages are always given in Jotunnheim years rather than Earth years. The most widespread calendar system on Jotunnheim and the one in use across most of the wiki is the Marphat calendar. The calendar starts with the ascendance of a mythical ancient king, and dates are followed by "CY" ("Common Year"). The current year is 4627 CY.

How do I contribute?

Participation in the project is invite-based and at the discretion of the contributors. Project: Jotunnheim is a small and tight-knit community, and prospective contributors should be expected to be eager to collaborate. All skillsets are appreciated and we welcome diverse approaches to contribution, though contributors are required to have significant worldbuilding and conlanging experience. The conlanging aspect we take especially seriously, as conlanging remains the main focus of the world and absolutely no real-world languages are allowed. Of course, there are other ways to participate and members do not have to create a country with history, but can instead contribute other aspects of the world like geography, visual art or music.

Lastly, while there are no properly written down rules, contributors are expected to exercise common sense and treat fellow members with respect.